12th Century
The Holy Land
The Pawns of Sion is the sequel to Rezer’s first novel in this trilogy, The
Leper King. This novel takes place
following the death of Baldwin IV “the Leper,” King of Jerusalem. After
Baldwin’s death, his young nephew, Baldwin V, the child of his sister Sibylla,
reigned as king for a brief time as co-king with his uncle, and then on his own
for just over a year until his own death. Sibylla and her half-sister,
Isabella, are pawns in the games their men play to see who will be crowned
next, for they are each next in line with legitimate claims to the throne.
Throughout the political machinations of the Angevins and Lusignans, a
young squire to Balian d’Ibelin learns that he is actually the illegitimate son
of another lord, one of the main players in the political scheming taking place
in Jerusalem. He also discovers that the woman tending to his dying mother is
Mary Magdalene in disguise and that she is trying to find the Cup of Christ in
order to prevent the Order of Sion, a shadowy demonic order, from destroying
her and the Holy Land.
I had mixed feelings about this book. The writing is exciting, the
characters are multidimensional and lifelike, the historical detail is
accurate, and there is a lot of exciting action and adventure to keep anyone
engaged. There is a great deal to like. However, I had missed the first book
of the series, so I was totally lost about the Order of Sion, which drew away
from some of my enjoyment of it, through no real fault of the author. I do feel
a little reminder or recap of the background story from #1 would serve well,
though, since otherwise I think this could be a good standalone novel. Also,
the magic - yes, it is integral to the story, but it wasn’t really necessary, was it? It would have been a
great story without magic and Mary Mag walking around. But it was a fun read and
I can recommend it to readers who enjoy fantasy mixed with their history.
© Kristen McQuinn
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