| Brethren | |
|---|---|
 Brethren first edition cover. |
|
| Author | Robyn Young |
| Cover artist | Larry Rostant |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Brethren Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Hodder and Stoughton |
| Publication date | August 24, 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 512 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0340839694 |
| OCLC Number | 65764910 |
| Followed by | Crusade |
Brethren is a novel written by Robyn Young set in the ninth and last crusade. It was published by Hodder and Stoughton in 2006. It took her seven years to write the novel where she was "intrigued by the idea of these medieval warrior monks".
Contents |
Plot
The novel describes the fictional story of a young teenager by the name of William Campbell who starts out as a sergeant and later is promoted to a full Knight Templar. He is tasked with the search of the Book of the Grail which, if ever in the wrong hands, could potentially result in the downfall of not only the Anima Templi (a secret order within the Temple), but also the Temple itself. However, Will finds he's not alone in the search of the book. There are also Prince Edward and The Order of the St John's or the Hospitallers who want the Book as part of their plans to bring down the Temple.
The story of Will Campbell runs parallel to that of Baybars Bundukdari, a slave who rose to become Sultan of the Mamluks motivated purely by his hatred of the Franks. In the earlier parts of the story, Will does not know that his father James Campbell is also part of the Anima Templi (or Brethren) and that there is a contact deep within Baybars' circle of trusted advisors who works with the Brethren to achieve long-lasting peace in the Holy land and the reconciliation of the three dominant faiths of the West: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Historical Figures
The following characters in the book were real historical figures:[1]
- Baraka Khan: Son of Baybars.
- Baybars Bundukdari: Mamluk commander, sultan of Egypt and Syria from 1260 CE to 1277 CE.
- Edward I of England: Prince, and then King, of England from 1272 CE to 1307 CE.
- Henry III of England: King of England from 1216 CE to 1272 CE.
- Hugues de Pairaud: Templar; son of Humbert de Pairaud.
- Humbert de Pairaud: Visitor of the Knights Templar in France.
- Kalawun Al-Alfi: Mamluk emir, high-ranking officer in Baybars' staff. In the book, he is secretly in contact with the Anima Templi, working behind Baybars' back to secure peace between the Mamluks and the Franks
- Khadir al-Mihrani: Baybars' soothsayer. In the book, he is former member of the Hashshashin Order of the Assassins; in actuality, he was an Iraqi sheikh who fled to avoid being punished for sleeping with a nobleman's daughter.[2]
- Kutuz: Sultan of Egypt from 1259 CE to 1260 CE.
- Louis IX of France: King of France from 1226 CE to 1270 CE.
References
- ^ Young, Robyn (2007). Crusade. Dutton. p. 485–7.
- ^ Kimball, Charles Scott (2000). "A General History of the Middle East". The Xenophile historian. http://xenohistorian.faithweb.com/neareast/ne12.html. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
External links
- Brethren on Robyn Young's official website
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