Daughter Of War (Knights Templar #1) is historical fiction set in 1198. It revolves around the mysterious Templar Knights. The book opens with a battle in the Aragon area between Spanish Lords and a raiding group of Moors. Arnau de Vallbona is among the Spaniards, fighting alongside his Lord. But Arnau is unsure of his future when Lord Berenguer de Santa Coloma is killed . Berenguer’s heir is his fifteen year old daughter; however, straight after her father’s funeral, the king’s representative orders her betrothal to the vile Ferrer della Cadeneta, a treacherous man who did nothing to save Berenguer when he had the opportunity.

But the fifteen year old Lady Titborge is no child, and she asks Arnau to help her escape. They seek refuge at a Templar monastery in Roureel, offering the Templars the lands and wealth of the Santa Coloma estates. But just how low will della Cadeneta stoop to get the fortune that Titborge can give him?

Religion was a strong theme in the medieval era, and most readers of history know of the Knights Templar. Less is written about the order in Spain. Turney has chosen to base his story around two, real life, Templar sisters. Woven throughout the story are strong Templar themes of religion. But we are also reminded that, in reality, the Templar rubrics would have been melded with secular habits to fit the needs of the monasteries and the demands on the knights.

The story follows Arnau’s narrative; there are plenty of fight scenes as Cadeneta is relentless in his attempts to get either Titborge or her estate titles. This will appeal to readers who like a story which doesn’t have a romantic sub-plot. Overall, an interesting insight into both brothers and sisters of the Knights Templar.

I'm a big fan of Simon Turney's work, so I always go into a new book with high levels of expectation. Thankfully, so far I've never been disappointed, and this trend continues with his latest work. Daughter of War is, in short, the perfect historical novel. We have a period of history that is described so vividly and passionately that it's believable and real. The story is fact paced and relentless, with no filler. The cast of characters are brilliant, with the hugely impressive preceptrix Ermengarda stealing the show. The Geman knight Lutolf plays the tough master swordsman well, and young Arnau is going to be a brilliant protagonist as this series progresses.

What makes this even more enjoyable though, is that Turney has taken such a well known and popular period of history - the Templar's and the crusades, and still given us a completely fresh story with a new approach. 12th Century Spain is a place I'm very much looking forward to returning.