Brethren: An Epic Adventure of the Knights Templar by Robyn Young

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As the medieval world braces itself for the last Crusade, Christian zealots and Muslim jihadists move towards an epoch-changing struggle. Robyn Young's debut novel shifts between the stories of idealistic Knight Templar Sir William Campbell and devout Islamist Baybars Bundukdari, the sultan of Egypt. Interwoven in their steady drift toward conflict is the story of the missing Book of the Grail. This Knights Templar historical novel doesn't imitate; it sets its own standard.

From the Publisher

ON THE EVE OF THE LAST CRUSADE...
One young knight, bound by faith, driven by valour, begins a quest to protect a secret that could change the course of history irrevocably.

A richly detailed, epic historical adventure set in Paris, London, Egypt, and Palestine on the eve of the last Crusade, Brethren tells the story of a young knight's search for a mysterious (and potentially deadly) book belonging to a secret organization within the Knights Templar.

When young Will Campbell joins the most powerful organization in Europe, The Order of the Knights Templar, he finds himself drawn into a world of intrigue and danger. He is charged with recovering a heretical book stolen from the order's vaults-but what Will doesn't know is that the book, in the form of a Grail Romance, hides the covert plans of a secret group within the Temple known as the Anima Templi: the Soul of the Temple. Whoever controls the book controls the fate of the Templars-and it seems that everyone around Will is ready to kill to possess it.

Brethren also traces the rise of Baybars Bundukdari, an ambitious commander in the Egyptian army, who, after assassinating the sultan, takes control of Egypt and Syria. The two stories come together during Baybars's campaign for a new Holy War that will cripple an empire and bring the Crusaders to their knees.

Cleverly combining two narratives-East and West-author Robyn Young gradually reveals the many links that bring two great cultures to war, creating a multifaceted world of sultans, troubadours, priests, and knights; strong-willed women and foul-mouthed murderers; sieges, battles, courage, and betrayal. With nail-biting battle scenes, a wonderfully complex villain, and an encyclopedic grasp of historical detail, Brethren brings this fascinating period vividly alive.

Publishers Weekly

Debut novelist Young climbs aboard the Templar bandwagon, but sets the bar high in this initial installment of a trilogy on the Knights and the last crusade. Christendom's desperate attempts to maintain a foothold in the Holy Land against a furious Muslim jihad is embodied by Sir William Campbell, a young, idealistic Knight Templar, and the devout Baybars Bundukdari, the sultan of Egypt, determined to rid the region of Western influence. Young shifts between the rival camps; there is plenty of battlefield action, and a romantic interest for William in Elwen, the beautiful young niece of his fallen mentor. There's also a mystery for William to solve: the disappearance of the Book of the Grail, which contains the explosive (and heretical) agenda of a secret group of Brethren within the Knights Templar. Combining rich historical detail, clever plotting and engaging characters, Young has crafted a historical thriller that will have readers turning pages and envisioning the sequel. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Set in London and Paris and the Western and Arabic kingdoms of the Holy Land in the period between 1260 and 1272, this first novel by Young tells the stories of two very different men. Baybars Bundukdari is a Mameluk general who becomes sultan of Egypt and the scourge of the Christians; Will Campbell is a young Scot in training to become a Knight Templar. Will is pressed into service for the Anima Templi, a secret society within the Templars that works for its own hidden ends. The theft of a book detailing the Anima's rites sparks a desperate search to recover it before enemies can use it against them. Much of this novel is historically accurate and at least the first two-thirds keeps the reader's attention. Unfortunately, the subplot about the Anima is silly-even anachronistic-and the ending is unconvincing and flat. Like The Da Vinci Code, this book is about a lost secret, though not a very interesting one. Not recommended.-David Keymer, Modesto, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Alison Weir
"Pacy and well-written, with vivid, convincing characters, Brethren captures your interest until the last page. I eagerly anticipate the sequel, knowing I will not be disappointed."
—bestselling author of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry VIII

Steve Berry
"A wonderful romp through a tumultuous time loaded with medieval atmosphere, action, and intrigue. The Crusades come alive for what they were ---- personal battles of conquest and ambition. Robyn Young is a writer who bears watching."
—bestselling author of The Templar Legacy

David Boyle
"Writing medieval stories is one of the toughest jobs in historical fiction, because there are so many details we just don't know - how people talked to each other, how they loved each other. But Robyn Young has written an intricate, compelling, captivating and, above all, believable story. Brethen is a brilliant piece of sustained imagination."
—Author of The Troubadour's Song: The Capture, Imprisonment & Ransom of Richard the Lionheart

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