Knight of Jerusalem
Helena Schrader’s new novel Knight of Jerusalem centers on young man named Badian who made the same choice many thousands of men made in the twelfth Century: to go to Jerusalem on Crusade. Badian is a baron’s poor son, and when he gets to Jerusalem he finds himself in the service of a young prince stricken with leprosy. As fans of this period will instantly recognize, this prince soon becomes King Baldwin IV – and takes Balian along to the palace.
From this premise Schrader expertly evolves a story featuring several signpost figures of the era, including the Muslim leader of the armed forces opposing the Crusaders, Saladin, and detailing at its heart the passionate, personal lives of its characters, including the Byzantine princess Maria Comnena, whose plot-strand sharply illustrates the lives of well-born women in the period.
Schrader’s elegant prose and lively dialogue keep the whole book reading along effortlessly. Knight of Jerusalem takes a place in the ranks of many novels set in this same crucial period of history, and it is one of the best of them.
Most highly recommended.
