The first book in this series – Daughter of War – introduced us to Arnau de Vallbona, a Spanish knight who ended up as a sergeant in the Knights Templar. By the end of that volume, Rourell, the priory he has joined is in a sorry state. It’s lands and buildings damaged, it’s income much diminished.
One of the remaining Brothers – Balthazar – believes he has a way to improve the situation. Relics are a lucrative business; religious sites who possess them can attract pilgrims; and their money. So Arnau sets out with Brother Balthazar to recover a relic of St Stephen last heard of many years ago on Majorca.
Travelling in disguise, they reach the island. The Almohads who control all of Moorish Spain have not yet reached this last independent Emirate, but they are keen to take it over. Almost as soon as they reach their destination they discover that a small group of Almohad warriors are already there, led by a man called Abd al-Aziz. He and Balthazar have a long history, but the brother is initially reluctant to reveal it.
It soon emerges that the whereabouts of the bones will not be easy to ascertain, and wherever they go, the seem to find al-Aziz or his soldiers. The search becomes more and more difficult, and when they meet the current Emir, he offers his help in return for their helping him. The island has been relatively tolerant of different peoples, be they Christian, Muslim or Jewish, but that time appears to be coming to an end.
Arnau continues to learn his craft. Although he had been a competent knight before joining the Templars, he has had to re-learn everything, and now he finds himself surrounded by the unknown and with potential enemies everywhere. He has to learn from the elderly Balthazar that fighting is not the only option. Brains are needed as well as brawn.
The search for the relic is tortuous and difficult, and the twists and turns are well-plotted and make you think. Balthazar is an interesting character, and as we gradually learn more about him, his history is fascinating as well. Al-Aziz is also a well drawn opponent; a zealot, but here also with vengeance on his mind.
However, this volume was not for me quite as convincing as the first. There were rather too many miraculous escapes and questionable events allowing the two heroes to move on in their quest. The story moved at a good pace, and I did want to know the outcome, but it didn’t hold my attention as strongly as many of the author’s other books. It will be interesting to see how the story continues in the next book. I will definitely read it, but hope for a little more realism.
This is a review of the Canelo 2018 Kindle edition.
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