Crossed by Nicole Galland ISBN: 9780061747861
Published by Harper Collins on October 13, 2009
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 672
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In the year 1202, tens of thousands of crusaders gather in Venice, preparing to embark for Jerusalem to free the Holy City from Muslim rule. Among them is a lowly vagabond Briton, rescued from damnation by a pious knight who burns with zealous fire for their sacred undertaking. And so they set sail, along with dedicated companions—and with a beautiful, mysterious Arab "princess" whom the vagabond liberates from a brutish merchant. But the divine light guiding their "righteous" campaign soon darkens as the mission sinks ever deeper into catastrophe, disgrace, and moral turpitude—as Christians murder Christians in the Adriatic port city of Zara, tragic events are set in motion that will ultimately lead to the shocking and shameful fall of Constantinople.
Impeccably researched and beautifully told, Nicole Galland's Crossed is a stunning tale of the disastrous Fourth Crusade—and of the hopeful, brave, and driven who were caught up in and irrevocably changed by a corrupted cause and a furious battle beyond their comprehension or control.
My second Nicole Galland novel, and I’m now a fan for life. Somehow, she manages to take an event in history that I didn’t know much about (the Fourth Crusade) and that I’m already biased against (not a fan of the crusades in general, much like the MC) and make me invested in the events, cultures, and people through a small group of very real characters.
It wasn’t until partway through the novel that I realized the MC (the Briton) is Gwirion from The Fool’s Tale- a character I loved from a book I loved, whose flaws make for an excellent personal journey in Crossed.
Honestly, all of the characters in Crossed were compelling, and each on their own complex journey. Even the ones I really hated, I wanted to read more about. I can’t recommend this author highly enough.
Read for the Wide World of HistFic Reading Challenge.
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