Soldiers of Christ
In a land torn by crusade and rebellion, honour is earned in blood.
1205. Richard Fitz Simon has fled England after his title was usurped, joining the Livonian Order of Swordbrothers – a German brotherhood of warrior-monks fighting to bring the word of God to the pagan frontier. After slaying the Lithuanian champion at the Battle of Rodenpois, Richard is celebrated by the Order and their Semigallian allies.
Yet his position remains precarious. Jealous rivals question his right to stand among the brotherhood, and his master, Knight-brother Rudolf, is enraged by Richard’s disobedience. When dark secrets from Lübeck resurface, Richard also finds himself at odds with Bishop Albert, head of the Christian mission in Livonia. As he struggles to reconcile faith, duty and identity, he is drawn into a brutal world of suspicion and bloodshed.
Sent on an expedition to build a castle deep in the wilderness, Richard soon sees tensions erupt – and the path he has chosen threatens to destroy everything he has fought to become.
"The Order of Swordbrothers had changed forever. Things would never be the same again."
Soldiers of Christ by Jon Byrne takes you on crusade, but not to the scorching heat of the Holy Land. No, this thrilling novel – the sequel to the riveting adventure, Sword Brethren – takes you to the frozen north, to the Baltics.
We follow the story of Richard Fitz Simon, who had lost his inheritance when his uncle killed Richard's father, then went after him. After having to flee England for the continent, he ended up in Lübeck. But at age 14, his troubles were only just beginning in Sword Brethren.
Fast forward a couple of years to Soldiers of Christ. Firmly based in Riga with the Livonian Swordbrothers as a sergeant-brother, Richard is serving Rudolf, a noble but arrogant knight-brother, who has it in for him at every opportunity. Trying to keep his head down is not easy for a hothead like Richard, and when Rudolf beats him up, he swears revenge. Which he gets later in the novel, leading to even more serious trouble for our young hero.
But it's not only Rudolf he has to worry about. His enemy Wolfgang, a bully who reminds him at every opportunity that he's not a German like the rest of them, also sets traps, into which Richard usually barges with relish. And then there's Bishop Albert, who is constantly petitioned by the merchants of Lübeck to deliver Richard for justice of events in that city two years previously.
So, in Soldiers of Christ, young Richard still has to tread carefully – which is not one of the lad's strengths.
Richard is sent into battles against local Pagan tribes, and to villages where the brotherhood helps build churches for the converted. But with tribes pitched against each other, and outsiders as well as Bishop Albert vying for valuable land, the brethren have their work cut out.
And as for Richard – he feels divided. On one hand he's keen to become a knight-brother, as befitting his station as a baron's son; on the other, he has a crush on young Margret, whose life he saved on the journey east. Readers must remember – he is a teenager, after all...
Whilst the older Richard – held captive by Prince Alexander of Novgorod, who is keen to hear of his adventures – reminisces of the past, it is the young Richard who features mostly in this novel.
Richard is slowly growing in character, and we witness his development as he blunders through attacks and sinister plots. His inner anger unleashed occasionally, he still doesn't quite feel at home with the brotherhood, whose duties involve praying several times a day. Happiest in the saddle on the road, he revels in the adventures and scrapes he gets himself into.
Whilst we sometimes want to shake him when he gets himself into trouble, we must not forget his young age. Having had to fend for himself, his anger at the injustice done to him keeps simmering just beneath the surface. But he's also astute enough to realise that he has little chance to regain his inheritance in England, so he has to make the best of the situation.
As he grows up, he also becomes more aware of the policies of the crusaders, and he finds himself disapproving them. When he encounters friendly Pagans and treacherous believers, he begins to realise that the world is not black and white, and he questions his already fragile faith.
But ultimately, it's the sense of belonging that keeps Richard in the brotherhood, with his friends. He has nowhere else to go. But danger is never far...
Byrne's distinctive narrative style reels you in, as you follow Richard's journey. The pace increases in scenes of great tension, and slows when Richard is stuck at the brotherhood's commandery in Riga, with its slower way of life. This allows readers to reflect on events.
The research undertaken is incredible, and the author brings the northern regions to life in great detail, with their vast, frozen landscapes, particularly in winter, their trading routes across the Baltic sea, and the regional politics and squabbles. The novel features several real characters who were involved with the order and its duties, which works well alongside the fictional Richard and his friends. One major character's gruesome end is portrayed particularly realistically, though not gratuitously. And the battles add a grittiness to the reading experience, showing the rough conditions these men faced, and the punishments they meted out.
The Northern Crusades make for a fascinating historical backdrop that is compelling to follow. Jon Byrne's engrossing adventures bring them to the fore, and readers won't be disappointed. With three-dimensional characters, political intrigues, stunning landscapes, and personal vendettas, this brilliant series has everything historical fiction novels should have, and more. Give it a try!
Highly recommended.
Review by Cathie Dunn
The Coffee Pot Book Club
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