Review by Mwatu -- Protectors of the Black Prince

[Mwatu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Protectors of the Black Prince" by Curtis Stephen Burdick.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Protectors of the Black Prince by Curtis Stephen Burdick is an exceptional historical fiction set in 1191. Richard the Lionheart, King of England, is headed to Palestine. He joins King Philip of France in the City of Acre. A city with Saracens held hostage by King Philip after the Saracen leader, Saladin, opted for peace and negotiations once outnumbered. The release of the hostages is to happen once Saladin returns the relics of the True Cross to the Christian Kings. The Saracens captured the relics when they took over Jerusalem four years back. King Richard is menacing and staunchly religious. He believes the Saracens are infidels and that it is God’s will to have them executed for defiling the Holy Land and capturing Jerusalem. He gives the Saracens three days to return the relics. Should his demands not be met, he will slaughter all hostages. This puts a strain on the negotiations and triggers several dramatic events.

I love everything about the book. The character development is stupendous, and Curtis’ writing allowed me to experience the various emotions and keenly follow the action in the ensuing events. I visualised King Richard’s fury and pure hatred for the Muslims. My heart palpitated during the war scenes as I hoped for my preferred characters’ victory. I was discouraged when some of them lost, and later on, through twists and turns expertly woven in the story, their hope was reignited. To see Baints and Michael question the validity of the hatred for the Saracens, who are no different from them, was refreshing. Like me, they ponder whether it was God’s will or the Clergy’s that led to the atrocities portrayed in the book. The absoluteness with which both sides are intolerant of each other is very clear. The ridiculousness of which is evident in current happenings in the world today. I also enjoyed reading about Damascus’ progressive nature in a time of great, baseless intolerance.

I found nothing to dislike about this book. If anything, I was disappointed that the author didn’t make it longer. I look forward to reading the next instalment, which perhaps answers what happens to King Philip and Richard as the dramatic events unfolded.

I rate this book four out of four stars. The flow of events, the development of the plot and the characters are nothing short of superb. I noticed only one typo, and as such, Curtis had this book professionally edited.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves an action-packed read. The story is well done and incorporates a good mix of suspense and tug to the emotions. The book contains scenes of violence, and as such, readers sensitive to such topics might want to skip this book. The religious elements in the book aren’t doctrine and, for me, served as a show of the effects of extreme fanaticism for religion.

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Protectors of the Black Prince
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[MoeBrown]

If an author satisfies a readers need so much that they wished the book was longer is a win in my books. This book seems like it would be a good book with it's action, surprise twists and overall good plot and characters. Thank you for your review. I hope you do get to read the next installment.