Lionheart

After having been put through a brutal test, Sir Ranulf of Lancaster awaits the assignment that the Earl of Huntingdon has planned for him.  The Earl explains that Ranulf is to help persuade the young Duke of Aquitaine of his role in England.  He will have Father Alun to help him in this task.

It doesn't take long for Ranulf and Alun to learn that it will be no easy task guiding the young duke.  Will Ranulf and Alun and their five knights be able to match Richard and his five?  Of the five, Ranulf and his team is assigned to the foremost of Richard's Knights, William Marshal.  Marshal gives Ranulf a test of his own devising, which Ranulf passes with flying colours.  Richard also has a test for Ranulf, which he also passes, and which leads to him having a female companion, Negu.

Alun arranges for Richard to meet the Abbess of Rupertsburg.  There Richard begins to develop wisdom in the ways of the world.  Sadly, for Ranulf, Negu decides to stay with the nuns.  Returning to Poitier, Richard begins to build up an army, which he then uses to subdue Gascony.  His best victory is over the castle at Taillebourg.  Although this action would cement his relationship it's his father, King Henry, Richard's later actions would do much to break that relationship down.

Not long after this, King Henry has his sons swear fealty to him at Caen.  Upset that Richard has lands, his eldest brother demands the same of their father.  Denied, Prince Henry plots with the new king of France, Philip.  Before long, their brother, Geoffrey, joins Henry.  Angered, Richard begins to battle back.  Before long he has his brothers cornered in Limoges.  The king arrives, hoping to broker peace, but the older brothers are not having it.  Outsiders now start to think that they can break up the Plantagenet empire.

Sadly Prince Henry died of the flux.  Richard was now heir apparent to the Plantagenet empire.  The king wanted Richard to give up Aquitaine to his youngest son, John, now that he was heir apparent.  Richard refused.  Henry's next move was to release his queen, Eleanor and allow her to retake her position as Duchess of Aquitaine.  He thought this would lessen Richard's power.  War is imminent between Henry and Philip of France, but destiny intervenes.  Saladin has declared a jihad against the Christians in the Holy Land.  Richard is prepared to lead a crusade there.

Things do not go as smoothly as Richard would like.  Philip is a bit of a problem as are Richard's own troops.  However, Alun's solutions help ease the way.   Philip manages to make it to the Holy Land first.  Richard is forced to deal with the Emperor of Cyprus first.  Having done that he decides it would be auspicious to marry Berengere there.  After capturing Acre, Richard's demands are not met by Saladin, so Richard has almost 3 000 Muslim soldiers executed.  Horrified by these executions, Ranulf and Alun decide to return home.

Unfortunately the trip home was not to be.  The group is attacked and all except Ranulf are killed. Before Alun dies, he tasks Ranulf to look after an amulet known as the Talisman of Truth.  Ranulf knows that he has to return to Richard, but in doing so, he loses his left hand in battle.  Will Richard be able to take Jerusalem or will Saladin defeat him?  And what if the news from England, where Richard's brother, John is attempting to wrestle control from the regent?

Author Stuart Binns has brought to life for the fan of historical fiction Richard Lionheart, King of England.  He shows his foibles and his kindness that made him a man both feared and liked throughout Europe.  An excellent read.