Rating of 4.5.

If you’re in the mood for some excellent and exciting historical fiction, look no further than the outstanding read Crusade by fantastic author Richard Cullen. Cullen, who also writes as fantasy author R. S. Ford (see my review for his book Engines of Empire), provides a fantastic second entry in his Chronicles of the Black Lion historical series with Crusade. An amazing sequel to his 2024 novel, Rebellion, Crusade continues to follow his protagonist, Estienne Wace, former squire to William Marshal, on another powerful journey, this time into the Fifth Crusade.

Crusade was a captivating and worthy sequel to Rebellion that provided readers with the intriguing next chapter in the life of Cullen’s main character. Easily read as a standalone historical adventure or a continuation of the author’s previous book, Crusade starts off strong and keeps the action coming quick and fast, as the protagonist is thrown into battle to seize the Saracen city of Damietta. There are some awesome sequences here, as Cullen produces some high-quality and intense medieval combat scenes that allow the reader to feel every hack and thrust of the protagonist’s sword. At the same time, the author also provides the reader with some introspection, as the protagonist has his first doubts about the crusade he has sworn to fight for.

Cullen quickly moves the reader into one of the more memorable parts of Crusade, as the protagonist finds himself separated from his crusader brethren and is instead captured and sold into slavery. Forced to cross the desert, Estienne faces innumerable hardships as he attempts to escape, including slavers, the elements, a surprise band of Mongolian raiders, and a gigantic and vengeful warrior who has sworn to hunt down and kill him. This proved to be a really fun part of the book, as the author provides innumerable perils, while also introducing or expanding on several interesting supporting characters. You really get stuck into Crusade’s story here, and it sets up the final third of the book extremely well, as a doubtful Estienne takes part in the final conflicts of the Fifth Crusade. Cullen features these final battles nicely, especially with some dual perspectives from Estienne’s gigantic rival, and you get some interesting closure as the final battles of the crusade emerge. Everything ends on a hopeful note, and you are left wondering what adventures will appear next in the series as the protagonist embarks on a new journey.

As with Rebellion before it, one of the things that I personally enjoyed about Crusade was Cullen’s excellent use of historical elements as he dove into the compelling events surrounding the Fifth Crusade. One of the lesser utilised crusades in historical fiction, the Fifth Crusade saw the armies of Christendom invade Egypt, with a combined force of multiple nations and knightly orders. This was a clever historical event to set a story in, especially as it fits in right after the First Barons’ War, which was the focus of Rebellion. Cullen clearly did his research when it came to this conflict, and I liked how he fit his protagonist in amongst the key events of the crusade. Estienne proves to be a good witness to the major conflicts of the war, and his subsequent wanderings in the desert also provided some interesting historical context, especially with the appearance of the Mongolians and other desert groups. I deeply appreciated this cool examination of this period, and I love that Cullen is taking the opportunity to feature some less well-known conflicts with his books. It will be interesting to see what wars or key historical events Cullen will set his next entry in the Chronicles of the Black Lion series around, but I am sure I will find it fascinating.

Richard Cullen continues to impress with his cool historical fiction. Crusade proved to be a great addition to Chronicles of the Black Lion series, and I enjoyed its excellent action, compelling historical inclusions and intriguing narrative. I look forward to seeing where Cullen will take his series next, and I am having fun with these awesome books.

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Crusade by Richard Cullen continues the story of Estienne Wace as he decides to join the Fifth Crusade. You can taste the heat and the sand in this one as he steps foot in the Holy Land.

It's a very busy story. Estienne, quickly realising the rhetoric he's been told regarding the Holy Land isn't quite as it seems, begins to question his place there, even as he interacts with people from the local area who call it home. His understanding would perhaps seem a little too 'modern' if not for our new POV, that of one of the enemy. Kashta adds a new dynamic to the tale, even though his chapters are only occasionally inserted into Estienne's tale. But he also comes to question whether the war is worth the cost.

It takes Estienne a long time to see beyond the heat and the sand and appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the people who live there. He certainly has a rough time, as Kashta, his new enemy, dogs his every step and a few others who would rather see Estienne dead.

The story flows well, and I enjoyed the depiction of the landscape and people. I also appreciated the frank portrayal of the Fifth Crusade and the bickering and infighting between those who were supposedly in charge of it all. Having recently watched the first series of Rogue Heroes, I could see Egypt and its vast sand and dunes.

I'm curious to see what will happen to Estienne next. Perhaps he needs an easier time of it in the third book:)

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

Review

We’ve come a long way with Estienne but he’s still trying to find his place in life.

Estienne sets out to show his worth and joins the Fifth Crusade.

War rages and the battles are bloody and brutal but something within Estienne changes. As time progresses and more blood is spilt on both sides, Estienne see’s the true cost of war.

When he first sets out for the cause he was certain it was right and just.. but as he meets the people that many would call enemy he starts to see them in a different light.

Its very much an internal struggle for Estienne.. he sees bad where he should see the righteous.. and good where he thought there was only evil.

Plot wise I loved it, the battles are detailed and exciting but it’s balanced perfectly with the development of Estienne when things don’t go to plan. There’s a lot that happens to Estienne, but the pace never felt rushed and the character arc never forced.

While Estienne is a massive part of the story what I really felt the author did well was bringing in new characters who you instantly took a shine too. Kashta for example, a fierce warrior..Amalric a loyal companion.. these two especially stood out as being pivotal to the plot and Estienne’s development as his faith is shaking to the core.

For the hardcore fans of battle there’s plenty of blood shed but what I really loved was the emotion added, it’s not just a battle for the sake of it.. there’s real purpose to each thrust and I could easily read this book again and again!

I don’t think I’ve ever read something so perfectly balanced with plot & character development.. I mean..how.. there’s just no way you can improve.

Easy 5*

This second book in the Black Lion series by Cullen, continues the story of mystery knight, Ser Estienne Wace, picking up where Rebellion, the first novel left off: cast out of William Marshall's household for no discernible fault of his. Just cut loose of his moorings and left adrift.

This novel sees Wace in Egypt along with the Knights Templar, at the siege of Damietta. Estienne survives the siege but makes a very bad enemy in Moor, Kashta ibn Assad who has sworn vengeance for Estienne's slaying of his blood brother Wasim in a fair fight.

Estienne has hair raising, rather improbable adventures attempting to evade death via Kashta...You sense the Kashta episodes aren't done yet. Will they continue as foes, or can a Saracen and a Crusader truly become firm friends?

Cullen positions him as some sort of mediaeval Superman; powerful, strong, loyal to a fault, kind, with an innate, deep, sense of justice, fairplay, honour and right and wrong: a true knight. His experiences in the Crusade cause Estienne to lose his rose tinted outlook on the justice and rightness of the crusade. He sees the Saracen as a human being like himself with desires, dreams, wishes, hurts, sorrows and joys rather than the inhumane, soulless, uneducated, boorish monster preying on poor, innocent pilgrims, as portrayed by the proponents of the crusades. Being discerning, Wace questions all he has been told about his endeavours.

The story moves to its powerful conclusion with the defeat of the Crusaders, army routed, men lost, diease and disorder rampant. As Estienne sails away to Germany with his friend - Almaric of the Knights of St. Mary, the story is poised to continue, leaving me wondering what is coming in the saga of Ser Estienne Wace. When will he find out the explosive secret about himself, or will potential enemies in England find out first....

I was given a complimentary copy of the book by the publisher but all opinions expressed are my own.

The second instalment of the Black Lion saga see Estienne fighting in Egypt. It took a while to really get into the subject of this story but by halfway through i started to get a feeling for the characters. A well written story which transported me to the fighting fields of Egypt. Very descriptive accounts of the fighting, if a little too descriptive sometimes.

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"!