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We have all met someone like Henri of Maron, the main point of view character in The Two Daggers series. Proud, arrogant, and indulged with everything he’s ever wanted, he has wealth, good looks, and high social status. Why would anyone want to read a book about someone this obnoxious? I certainly would not…unless I suspected that he would learn to find his humanity as the series progressed, and not the easy way, either.
The Two Daggersseries is about personal journeys. The four primary characters live their lives on the pages, and we follow them as they experience loss, achievements, change of heart, and revenge. And all of this happens before the trials of war even begin. But let me back up a bit.
Book one in the series is about the months leading up to the demise of the city of Acre in the 13th century, which is located in present-day Israel. A quick internet search will reveal the gruesome details. The city was besieged and then utterly devastated by the Islamic Mamluk army, who were trying to eliminate the threat of the Crusaders joining forces with the Mongol troops in the north. The sultan leading the attack did not want to give the Christians a way to regain a foothold in the Levant, so he had his soldiers fill the harbor at Acre with debris and pull down as many buildings as possible. The siege marked the end of the Christian crusades in the Levant and the beginning of some deep soul searching in the West.
When the city fell, thousands were left homeless. The wealthiest citizens were able to get out early on ships, but the poor were heartlessly abandoned to face the attacking army. Most who escaped sailed to the nearby island of Cyprus, and from there, some continued to their ancestral homes in Frankish territories, Francia, the Italian peninsula, or beyond. Others were less fortunate and remained in Cyprus, living in the streets, their eyes always turned toward the east, where their city smoldered for weeks. The Cypriot village of Famagusta swelled after Acre fell, transforming into a metropolis in order to accommodate the crowds of refugees. In the middle of all this, I’ve placed three teenagers and one Mamluk amir.
Everything about the four main characters seems completely unrelated, but they are all tied together by their common search for themselves as they come of age in a socially complicated time in the Middle East. We journey with Emre as he is kidnapped, enslaved, runs away, and becomes enslaved again. We are with Henri of Maron as he makes disastrous decisions that have severe consequences for himself and his family. We watch with apprehension as Sidika learns to find her courage in a society that will not allow her to use her immense talents. And we follow Yusuf as he walks alongside his leaders, following orders unquestioningly until the actions of those around him cause him to question his beliefs and his friendships.
The Scribeends on a steep cliffhanger but picks up immediately where it left off in book two, The Land of God, which details the actual Siege of Acre and the moment when this place, spiritually significant for the three Abrahamic religions, consolidates. The series is planned for five books, during which time the characters attempt to put their lives together after the end of the crusades. Journeying by sea and on land, by horse and camel, on foot and sometimes against their will, their paths all crisscross together, and they leave their marks (and scars) on each other. If you choose to follow Henri, Emre, Sidika, and Yusuf on this adventure through Medieval Palestine, buckle up; it is an emotional, often gritty journey, but well worth the trip to see how people lived their lives before the Renaissance.
The Scribe
(The Two Daggers, Book 1)
By Elizabeth R. Andersen
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The Land of God
(The Two Daggers, Book 2)
By Elizabeth R. Andersen
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Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
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