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Discover the origins of the original de Wolfe pack, led by the man known as Warwolfe. Before the Duke of Normandy conquered England, a legend arose. A man so fierce, so brave, and so noble, that the mere whisper of his name could strike both fear and admiration into the hearts of all men. That name is Warwolfe. Gaetan de Wolfe is this man.
Big and burly, with a crown of vibrant red hair, as the son of the chief of Clan Munro, Jamison's path in life was more unconventional than those of his clansmen. Fostered in England and France, Jamison learned the ways of his adversaries before returning home to take his place at his father's side. But his father is a progressive thinker, knowing that in order to survive, his clan must become allies with the English. He knows that isolation will only bring destruction to his clan.
The year is 1180 A.D. and times are very dark. England is lawless for the most part and the people live in fear. Rising to power during this time is the vicious and brutal knight Ajax de Velt. His mission is to conquer a large stretch of the Scots and Welsh border, commandeering wealth and property along the way. He wants to be the most feared and powerful warlord in all of England, Wales, and Scotland, and he is well on his way.
AD 1139 - When her husband perishes in a skirmish, the Lady Cantia du Bexley Penden is distraught. Her husband was assisting the mighty Viscount Winterton in the battle for the throne between Empress Matilda and Stephen of Blois, caught, like most men, in a vicious struggle for the rightful ruler of England.
They call him the Great Defender. As Richard the Lionheart's most powerful general, Sir Juston de Royans is as moody as he is skilled. Reminiscent of the ancient warrior Achilles, Juston fights when it is necessary, instead choosing to command the powerful men beneath him. Never wrong in action or command, he has never lost a battle, and when he finds himself in the midst of a terrible siege at Bowes Castle, he predictably emerges the victor, with the lady of the keep as his prize.
Adam Wellesbourne and his four sons - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - comprise the most feared House in the service of Richard III. Adam's eldest son, Matthew, has earned such an influential reputation that throughout England he is known as The White Lord of Wellesbourne. Upon the eve of the Battle of Bosworth field, Matthew finds himself forced into a contract marriage that he has been avoiding for 10 years.
Discover the origins of the original de Wolfe pack, led by the man known as Warwolfe. Before the Duke of Normandy conquered England, a legend arose. A man so fierce, so brave, and so noble, that the mere whisper of his name could strike both fear and admiration into the hearts of all men. That name is Warwolfe. Gaetan de Wolfe is this man.
Big and burly, with a crown of vibrant red hair, as the son of the chief of Clan Munro, Jamison's path in life was more unconventional than those of his clansmen. Fostered in England and France, Jamison learned the ways of his adversaries before returning home to take his place at his father's side. But his father is a progressive thinker, knowing that in order to survive, his clan must become allies with the English. He knows that isolation will only bring destruction to his clan.
The year is 1180 A.D. and times are very dark. England is lawless for the most part and the people live in fear. Rising to power during this time is the vicious and brutal knight Ajax de Velt. His mission is to conquer a large stretch of the Scots and Welsh border, commandeering wealth and property along the way. He wants to be the most feared and powerful warlord in all of England, Wales, and Scotland, and he is well on his way.
AD 1139 - When her husband perishes in a skirmish, the Lady Cantia du Bexley Penden is distraught. Her husband was assisting the mighty Viscount Winterton in the battle for the throne between Empress Matilda and Stephen of Blois, caught, like most men, in a vicious struggle for the rightful ruler of England.
They call him the Great Defender. As Richard the Lionheart's most powerful general, Sir Juston de Royans is as moody as he is skilled. Reminiscent of the ancient warrior Achilles, Juston fights when it is necessary, instead choosing to command the powerful men beneath him. Never wrong in action or command, he has never lost a battle, and when he finds himself in the midst of a terrible siege at Bowes Castle, he predictably emerges the victor, with the lady of the keep as his prize.
Adam Wellesbourne and his four sons - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - comprise the most feared House in the service of Richard III. Adam's eldest son, Matthew, has earned such an influential reputation that throughout England he is known as The White Lord of Wellesbourne. Upon the eve of the Battle of Bosworth field, Matthew finds himself forced into a contract marriage that he has been avoiding for 10 years.
AD 1258 - As Henry III spends most of his time in France, powerful English barons begin to form an alliance against him. Rising to power in this dark and uncertain time is the House of de Shera, headed by Gallus de Shera. A fortuitous moment in time sees him rescue a Welsh daughter of royal blood, Lady Jenniver Tacey ferch Gaerwen, and a powerful love story is born. But English barons would see their marriage torn apart even as they unite to rebel against Henry III.
1197 A.D. - Smarting from the loss of his betrothed, Sir Keller de Poyer has learned not to trust women. A bear of a man with a brilliant mind, Keller is socially awkward but an accomplished knight. He is so accomplished in fact that his liege William Marshal gifts the man with lands in Wales for his meritorious service. But there is a catch - in order to secure the lands and titles, he must marry the Welsh heiress.
1228 A.D. - After a vicious battle with old adversaries that sees his father killed, Sir Dennis d’Vant finds himself the head of the House of d’Vant. A house descended from the kings of Cornwall, they are a proud but warring people. Their most hated enemy is their neighbor to the north, the rich and cunning Earl of Cornwall. Dennis, however, is not like his forefathers; a giant of a man and a skilled warrior, he is also quiet and gentle. He does not possess the same fiery instincts of his family and for that, he is often looked upon as weak.
1356 A.D. - It is warring times for England as the Black Prince sweeps his way through France, waging nasty warfare on the population. Masterminding this brutal strategy is the knight they call the Black Angel. Brandt de Russe, Duke of Exeter, is the brains behind the prince’s war machine, a mountain of a man who is as cunning as he is frightening. In battle, no man is his equal.
A.D. 1291: Keir St. Hever is a powerful garrison commander for Lord Coverdale on the border of the Cumbrian vales. Whilst attending battle, he receives word that his own castle is under attack. Keir returns to Pendragon Castle to discover that his wife and daughter have been murdered, and his young son is missing. So begins Keir's descent into hell and despair. Three years later, Keir is still searching for his son as he is called upon to rescue the family of an ally whose castle is under siege.
Join Christian and Gaithlin as they succumb to searing passion, torn between loyalties and long-standing hatred. As their families turn against them and Christian must face his warring family and answer for his crime of falling in love with the enemy, help and understanding come from the most unexpected of places. From the green forests of Cumbria to the wilds of Galloway, share Christian and Gaithlin's adventures of murder, betrayal, love, understanding, and of new beginnings.
AD 1205 - It's years after The Dark Lord Jax de Velt tore through the Welsh marches and captured several castles. Still he holds lands that do not belong to him. Out of the ashes from this dark and lawless time rises the son of one of the men Jax de Velt put to the stake. Bent on revenge against The Dark Lord, Bretton de Llion has grown up in obscurity, hidden from de Velt's rage, and has learned to hate the very world around him. His sense of vengeance against de Velt has been his guiding force for years.
AD 1301. Following the great quest north with Cortez de Bretagne (The Questing), de Bretagne's knight, Sir Drake de Winter, returns home to the great de Winter empire in Norfolk, but it is not the safe and wonderful haven he remembers. Family unrest causes him to flee to London and into the service of the elderly King Edward I, a personal friend of Drake's father. In Edward's service, Drake finds himself in Scotland as a major player in the Siege of Caerlaverock Castle.
A decorated knight for Richard the Lionheart and an ally of the House of de Lohr, Sir Garret de Moray was a man described as cold, intimidating, foreboding. A man with eyes as black as night. Receiving a royal appointment as Captain of the Household Guard, there was no man more qualified or prepared for the role because on the sands of the Holy Land where Garret went on Richard’s great quest, the Christian armies whispered of a knight whose wisdom was ancient. Some wondered if he was the walking dead, an immortal soul who had lived many lifetimes over, because his skill and power exceeded earthly restraints. Kronos, they called him. The father of the gods. Then came a lady without hope…
1515 A.D. - The Lady Micheline le Bec was pledged in marriage to Edmund de Cleveley, Baron Bowland, in payment for her father's gambling debt. When de Cleveley's big Irish captain, Sir Kirk Connaught, arrives to escort Micheline to her marriage, Micheline is apprehensive but submissive. In fact, she's not the real problem; the real issue is her sister, the Lady Mara.
The reign of King John means dark days for all of England. Not one man, woman, or child lived without fear. Magnifying this fear is the man they call The Lord of the Shadows - a terrifying figure who sits at the right hand of the King, manipulating the royal moves like a puppet master. The Lord of the Shadows has been known to tear men apart with his bare hands and can, with a snap of his fingers, alter the future of anyone he chooses.
1298 A.D. - Lady Diamantha de Bocage Edlington lost her husband at the Battle of Falkirk. Grieving, she is unprepared for the visit of Sir Cortez de Bretagne, King Edward's garrison commander at Sherborne Castle. Dark and fiery from his Spanish heritage, Cortez is a knight with sultry good looks and a quick temperament. He has also come on a mission.
Along the ancient Pilgrim Trail traveled by countless crusaders from Europe to The Holy Land, Dr. Rory Osgrove is in charge of her first archaeological dig. A Biblical Archaeologist by degree, her target is a holy relic of unimaginable power. But what she discovers instead is the tomb of a long-buried Crusader, one of the thousands who came to this desert land in search of glory and riches. Deterred from her original goal, Rory is fascinated by the English knight and the journal buried with him. Reading the pages of the ancient diary, she comes to know a man of power and honor, entrusted by Richard the Lionheart with a mission of astonishing importance. Sir Kieran Hage was no ordinary Crusader and, as Rory discovers, nor is he really dead. Eight hundred years later, Kieran's mission must be completed, but there is an ancient evil that follows him and is still determined to see him fail. Now Rory begins the adventure of a lifetime, where time has no meaning, where honor is strength, and where only true love endures.
I always enjoy Kathryn Le Veque's books and this 2 part "the crusader" series is no exception. This first book takes place in the year of 2012 and introduces the main character Rory, who is an archaeologist on a dig for religious artifacts. She is a strong willed character who fights for love even when centuries threaten to divide.
I liked this book a lot but I liked the second book "Kingdon Come" even better. I actually think KL should have made this series one big book instead of splitting the two. So, if you listen to this one and enjoy it make sure you listen to "Kingdom Come" too. ;-)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
This book was a really stupid story badly badly told. It was so far fetched. If she described his eyes as brown gem like orbs one more time...yes she really wrote that. And the narrator sounded like a spoiled teenager. Just horrible
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Nice concept but it seems like the writer didn’t know where to take it. Detailed character development, historical research at first dissolved into wandering plot and cliches. Awesome opportunity to explore all kinds of great themes but wasted when she tried to turn it into an action script complete with marines and armor plated convoys. Then they disappear in a puff of smoke...? Good grief, did your editor call you and tell you to hurry up and get on to the next?
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
but just... problematic, in a lot of places. IDK. I enjoyed parts of it, but found parts almost unbearable.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Would you listen to The Crusader again? Why?
Yes! It's an awesome roller-coaster adventure. The plot & character development are exciting, and of course the romance is electric. Its fun to day dream & imagine what it would be like to meet a real living, breathing knight in shining armor. I like the reverse Sleeping Beauty premise in modern times.
What other book might you compare The Crusader to and why?
It kind of reminds me a little to Johanna Lindsey's "Knight in Shining Armor" as that's also a romance story about a contemporary heroine who meets an English knight. That's one of my all-time favorite romance novels, and so is this book & it's sequel "Kingdom Come." This is one of Kathryn Le Veque's best!!!
What about Brian J. Gill’s performance did you like?
I liked how he effortlessly changed between contemporary American dialects to the historical English knight's accent. He also did a great job towards the end of the book with the additional characters' & slightly changing his timbre/tone for their voices.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Not a specific moment, but I love the whole book!
Any additional comments?
It's one of Kathryn Le Veque's best in my opinion & one of my favorites by her!!! It's a must read/listen and so is the sequel "Kingdom Come!"
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Previously read this book from KLV's special boxset. Best enjoyed if read/listened as a duology w/ 'Kingdom Come'.
I was very impressed with Brian J. Gill's narration where he easily, smoothly switched between British and American accents vs medieval knight's accent.
I appreciated the story better with Audible, it adds depth to the time travel tale, differentiating modern vs medieval times
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Have you listened to any of Brian J. Gill’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Brian J. Gill did an excellent job narrating this story.
Any additional comments?
Author Kathryn Le Veque has the most amazing talent of weaving in and out of history, adding creative and passionate characters and with a spellbinding effect, delivery a one of a kind story that leaves you breathless.
The Crusader is so much more than a romantic time travel. It is an exciting quest of a team of Archaeologist to locate a holy relic. A modern day woman, Dr. Rory Osgrove and an ancient Crusader. Sir Kieran Hage discover love and passion so true, it defies logic and time. This is a fast paced, thrilling and completely captivating adventure that pulls you into a world of discovery, intrigue and romance. I was captivated from the beginning, wrapped up in suspense and carried away into this creative, riveting story. Another epic adventure by the extremely talented Author, Kathryn Le Veque.
A must read that will keep you on the edge of your seat and capture your heart.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
This was by far one of the worst stories I've listened to in a long time. Most of the characters were unlikeable and it was poorly written. Pretty much every male character treated the main character like she was a possession or a child. It was very irritating. The narration was good, although he spoke too fast at times. I had to slow the playback speed to 0.95. I love historical fiction but maybe I'm used to historical fiction that is well researched. This was not. Save your credit, unless you're looking for a cheesy melodrama without a strong female protagonist.
I fell in love with this book with in the first couple chapters. I was so hooked with this book. I just had to keep going with the second. I love it!!!
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
This one is filled with a touch of magic, lots of adventure and great love.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful