Review of Protectors of the Black Prince
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Kathryn Collins
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Review of Protectors of the Black Prince
[Following is a volunteer review of "Protectors of the Black Prince" by Curtis Stephen Burdick.]
Protectors of the Black Prince by Curtis Stephen Burdick is a coming of age story of a young knight named Michael Cotswain. Michael is an expert longbowman who is fighting in the third crusade to free Jerusalem from Muslim reign. Richard the Lionheart is leading the fight in the name of Pope Gregory VIII. Michael hopes to come to the King’s attention on the battlefield so he can be given the hand in marriage of the daughter of his own lord and knight, Lady Mary. We follow Michael and watch him emotionally mature as he enters the battlefield for the very first time. As he navigates his way through learning to know and understand his comrades, his current worldview is challenged and shattered by the confounding, complex, and life-changing consequences of war. This changes the young archer in ways he never imagined.
The story expertly describes what each character is thinking and feeling so it is easy to begin to feel for and relate to each of them from the beginning. I enjoyed hearing the details of the sailing ship coming into port and felt like I was right there with them living it all out myself. The battle descriptions bring the battles to life. I felt I could hear the clop of the horses’ and camels’ feet as they galloped upon the hard earth as well as hear the swooshing sounds of the arrows, clashes of the swords, and cries of the men.
I appreciate how the author explains the meaning of archaic words within the story in such a way that it sounds like a very natural part of the story. The explanation of how to be a longbowman is interesting and informative and it really aided my emotional involvement in the story. I enjoyed learning about the actual people and history of the Crusades which I have never known before. Coupled with various perspectives from the characters’ points of view, this novel offered me much food for thought and it is likely to do the same for the average reader.
There were some scenes of gore but I did not find them overdone and I was not put off by them since the things described were a matter of fact of reality and not overly emphasized in detail. I never understood who the black prince in the title of the story was, though I know he was a real person in history. This book takes place during the third Crusade which took place between 1189–1192. The man who was known as the Black Prince lived between 1330 to 1376, so I have not figured out the correlation of those facts with the title of this book. Apart from that, I found nothing negative about this book.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is well written and kept my attention. It appears to be professionally edited. Anyone interested in the heroic history of the Crusades written in a captivating adventure story would most likely find this book interesting and entertaining. Even someone who likes coming-of-age stories within a historic context will also enjoy this book. If history is not your forte, this book would probably not be for you, especially if you do not enjoy reading scenes of combat.
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Protectors of the Black Prince
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Protectors of the Black Prince by Curtis Stephen Burdick is a coming of age story of a young knight named Michael Cotswain. Michael is an expert longbowman who is fighting in the third crusade to free Jerusalem from Muslim reign. Richard the Lionheart is leading the fight in the name of Pope Gregory VIII. Michael hopes to come to the King’s attention on the battlefield so he can be given the hand in marriage of the daughter of his own lord and knight, Lady Mary. We follow Michael and watch him emotionally mature as he enters the battlefield for the very first time. As he navigates his way through learning to know and understand his comrades, his current worldview is challenged and shattered by the confounding, complex, and life-changing consequences of war. This changes the young archer in ways he never imagined.
The story expertly describes what each character is thinking and feeling so it is easy to begin to feel for and relate to each of them from the beginning. I enjoyed hearing the details of the sailing ship coming into port and felt like I was right there with them living it all out myself. The battle descriptions bring the battles to life. I felt I could hear the clop of the horses’ and camels’ feet as they galloped upon the hard earth as well as hear the swooshing sounds of the arrows, clashes of the swords, and cries of the men.
I appreciate how the author explains the meaning of archaic words within the story in such a way that it sounds like a very natural part of the story. The explanation of how to be a longbowman is interesting and informative and it really aided my emotional involvement in the story. I enjoyed learning about the actual people and history of the Crusades which I have never known before. Coupled with various perspectives from the characters’ points of view, this novel offered me much food for thought and it is likely to do the same for the average reader.
There were some scenes of gore but I did not find them overdone and I was not put off by them since the things described were a matter of fact of reality and not overly emphasized in detail. I never understood who the black prince in the title of the story was, though I know he was a real person in history. This book takes place during the third Crusade which took place between 1189–1192. The man who was known as the Black Prince lived between 1330 to 1376, so I have not figured out the correlation of those facts with the title of this book. Apart from that, I found nothing negative about this book.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is well written and kept my attention. It appears to be professionally edited. Anyone interested in the heroic history of the Crusades written in a captivating adventure story would most likely find this book interesting and entertaining. Even someone who likes coming-of-age stories within a historic context will also enjoy this book. If history is not your forte, this book would probably not be for you, especially if you do not enjoy reading scenes of combat.
******
Protectors of the Black Prince
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Poems About Things That Mattered Most by Bob Dowell
