Les Croisades Celtiques - 1: La Lance de fer

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Most of Stephen Lawhead's historical fantasies are part of his sagas, trilogies, or cycles. For readers who enjoy grand tales set in distant lands and appreciate a guiding hand from the author, the first volume of his new Christian trilogy is a perfect fit. The story begins in late nineteenth-century Edinburgh, where Gordon Murray is about to join an ancient brotherhood linked to a sacred relic: the iron lance. The main narrative shifts to eleventh-century Orkney, where Pope Urban II calls for a Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. Local lord Ranulf joins the fight, leaving his younger son, Murdo, to manage the family's estate. When the Church seizes their holdings through a duplicitous scheme, Murdo must follow the Crusaders to the Holy Land to bring his father back and resolve the crisis. Lawhead crafts a rich tapestry of medieval politics, filled with vibrant characters—cunning Byzantine rulers, hearty Norman knights, and rustic Saxon peasants—who face visions, miracles, brutality, and ambition. By the end of the main narrative, Murdo achieves his goals in unexpected ways. The framing story concludes with suggestions that as the world approaches a new millennium, Gordon Murray's Christian secret society may be humanity's last hope, hinting at an impending revelation of the brotherhood.