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Book Review
Oct. 25th, 2004 09:08 pmJerusalem
by Cecilia Holland
This novel is about Templars in the Holy Land between 1185 and 1187. Baudouin IV (the Leper), King of Jerusalem, and his sister Sybilla, who briefly ruled after his death, are also major character. The Templars themselves are very complex men. They are portrayed as having a surprising amount of internal moral conflicts. Almost every single character in the book is driven by or to something. Most of them are driven by the need for power. The Templars Stephen and Rannulf, however, are driven to give up their lives in the service of God. Although their desire for this stems as much from a desire to lay down their psychological and spiritual burdens as much as to serve God. They have a certain world-weariness and a need for both the religious faith and the discplined order that being Templars brings to their lives. These are not saintly paladins, but earthly (and earthy) men. They are thus more interesting.
by Cecilia Holland
This novel is about Templars in the Holy Land between 1185 and 1187. Baudouin IV (the Leper), King of Jerusalem, and his sister Sybilla, who briefly ruled after his death, are also major character. The Templars themselves are very complex men. They are portrayed as having a surprising amount of internal moral conflicts. Almost every single character in the book is driven by or to something. Most of them are driven by the need for power. The Templars Stephen and Rannulf, however, are driven to give up their lives in the service of God. Although their desire for this stems as much from a desire to lay down their psychological and spiritual burdens as much as to serve God. They have a certain world-weariness and a need for both the religious faith and the discplined order that being Templars brings to their lives. These are not saintly paladins, but earthly (and earthy) men. They are thus more interesting.
