King Henry II and Eleanor had four sons, Hal, Geoffrey, Richard and John. After their father’s death, Richard was to be crowned King of England when Hal and Geoffrey died. Just after the coronation, Richard embarked of the Third Crusade to the Holly Land. His mother Eleanor would remain to protect Richard’s authority, for her youngest son John was conspiring with the French King to put himself on the throne.

On the way to the Holly Land he marries Berengaria of Navarre and rescues his sister Joanna. This gives the story a feminine touch-not just giving the reader the tale of battle upon battle.

In the book it portrays Richard as a complex man, a person who loved poetry, ballads, and the arts, yet also he loved battle warfare. I got the impression that he was reckless with his own safety and took several personal risks. It sounds as if his men loved him, respected him and would follow him into battle without hesitation.

I am looking forward to her book, "A King’s Ransom" that delves more into King Richard I, the Lionheart.