Abandoning the safety of England for the perilous shores of the Levant, Estienne Wace is thrust into the turmoil of the Fifth Crusade. Burning with righteous purpose, he is determined to reclaim the Holy Land in the name of Christ.
War rages along the banks of the Nile as a crusading army besieges the Saracen city of Damietta, certain that the price they pay in blood will return the glory and treasures they crave. But as the Black Lion roars, and the siege grinds on, Estienne’s unwavering faith is tested more and more by the grim reality of this brutal conflict.
As the siege turns on a knife edge, Estienne finds himself thrust upon a journey across the merciless desert. Stripped of everything, and forced into a dangerous alliance, he will grapple with the true meaning of faith, honour, and the price of salvation, in a land where nothing is as he once believed.
I can't wait for this to come out and for y'all to lose your minds. if you had doubts about preordering, don't. you're going to want to read this one. I raced through it this weekend.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed the overall historical adventure element going on. The characters were everything that I was looking for and worked in the setting of the story. Richard Cullen was able to write a strong story and was glad I got to read this.

WoW! It's difficult to remember Estienne's age sometimes, but his trials and tribulations see him come away with not only an increased inner strength, but a better understanding of humanity. In my reader's mind, Richard Cullen has shown both sides of a war in great measures. Although, I found myself wrinkling my nose each time "unwashed bodies" was mentioned.
This second offering in "Chronicles of The Black Lion" is just as engaging and thought provoking as its predecessor "Rebellion". Both the Crusaders and the Saracens alike were shown to have two faces in times of war. Unfortunately, we haven't learned lasting lessons from our ancestor's folies! If you enjoy being carried away to far of lands with adventurous endeavors and fantastic characters, you'll definitely want to read " Crusade" as well as "Rebellion"!