Book - Brethren


This is a good book by a very young author. She is only 32 and this book is part of a trilogy http://www.robynyoung.com/news.html. The second book will be out summer of 2007.

Brethren came out some time last year. I bought the book some time in April 2007, hehe..finished it in one day. That is how captivating this book is. Most of the characters in there are based on Fact and these characters did existed.


Robyn really did her research on the histories of the crusades of the various characters in this book. Can;t wait for the book 2 of this trilogy.

Meaning of Brethren is Brother. During the old days, Brethren is some one u greet as a brother.

Here is a review by http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/brethren.html.

When Will Campbell joins the most powerful organization in Europe, the Order of the Knights Templar, he is thrown into a world of intrigue. Apprenticed to the foul-tempered scholar Everard, he must try to make sense of many things: his own past; the dangerous mystery that surrounds Everard; and his feelings for Elwen, a strong-willed young woman whose path seems linked with his own.

Charged with recovering a heretical book stolen from the Order’s vaults, Will ends up fighting for his life. In a time of war and secrecy, he will travel from the back streets of Paris to the burning plains of Syria to protect a legacy he is only beginning to understand.
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?isbn=9780525949756&atch=h&atchi=108207533

Publisher Comments: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.

Review:"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)"

Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Review:"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." Steve Berry, bestselling author of The Templar Legacy.