The crisis of the First Crusade is the powerful backdrop to this gripping novel of intrigue, sacrifice, savagery and holy war — from the author of The Mosaic of Shadows.The year is 1098: Having routed the Turks, the armies of the First Crusade reclaim Asia Minor for Christendom. That is, until their advance is halted on the Syrian border before the impregnable walls of Antioch. As winter draws on, they are forced to suffer a fruitless, interminable siege, gnawed by hunger and taunted by the Turkish defenders. Then, when divisions appear between the leaders of the crusade and the men they lead; and between the Westerners and the accompanying Byzantine forces, the entire crusade is on the verge of collapse.In the midst of the misery, a Norman knight, Drogo, is found murdered. The ruthlessly ambitious Lord Bohemond, suspecting his rival Count Raymond, charges Demetrios Askiates to find the killer. But as Demetrios investigates, the trail seems to lead ever deeper into the vipers’ nest of jealousy, betrayal and fanaticism, which lies at the heart of the crusade.Other forces are equally threatening: a great Turkish army is fast approaching to relieve the garrison of Antioch. Unless the crusaders can bury their differences and take the city, they will be crushed before its walls. Ever more isolated, Demetrios must ally with Bohemond if they are to have any chance of finding the key that will unlock the gates of Antioch. But once inside, the crusaders will discover that their greatest trials have barely begun.From the Trade Paperback edition. Read Less