The Land Beyond the Sea
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4.5 • 66 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
From the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Sharon Kay Penman comes the story of the reign of King Baldwin IV and the Kingdom of Jerusalem's defense against Saladin's famous army.
The Kingdom of Jerusalem, also known as Outremer, is the land far beyond the sea. Baptized in blood when the men of the First Crusade captured Jerusalem from the Saracens in the early twelfth century, the kingdom defined an utterly new world, a land of blazing heat and a medley of cultures, a place where enemies were neighbors and neighbors became enemies.
At the helm of this growing kingdom sits young Baldwin IV, an intelligent and courageous boy committed to the welfare and protection of his people. But despite Baldwin's dedication to his land, he is afflicted with leprosy at an early age and the threats against his power and his health nearly outweigh the risk of battle. As political deception scours the halls of the royal court, the Muslim army--led by the first sultan of Egypt and Syria, Saladin--is never far from the kingdom's doorstep, and there are only a handful Baldwin can trust, including the archbishop William of Tyre and Lord Balian d'Ibelin, a charismatic leader who has been one of the few able to maintain the peace.
Filled with drama and battle, tragedy and romance, Sharon Kay Penman's latest novel brings a definitive period of history vividly alive with a tale of power and glory that will resonate with readers today.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Penman follows up her Plantagenet series with an engrossing saga of King Baldwin IV and his threatened Crusader state in 12th-century Jerusalem. When Baldwin is 10 years old, his tutor, William of Tyre, discovers that the boy has no feeling in one of his arms. Fearing Baldwin might have leprosy, William consults a Syrian doctor, who confirms the diagnosis, drawing wrath from Baldwin's father, King Amalri ("If I ever hear you say that my son could be a leper, I'll cut your tongue out myself!"), who resolves that Baldwin will become a fierce warrior against the Saracens. As Baldwin comes of age and receives treatment, his resilience defies his court's expectations. When Amalri dies while Baldwin is still too young to rule, a regent executing power on his behalf makes a compromising pact with the Arabians, which Baldwin reverses once he turns 15 and assumes the throne. He receives sound advice from William and warrior Lord Balain d'Ibelin, leading him to withdraw from the Arabian peace treaty. Baldwin's success in keeping the would-be Mediterranean and Muslim invaders at bay makes the novel a riveting page-turner, and Penman's well-honed skill for weaving deeply researched details into epic tales is on full display. Fans of medieval historical fiction won't want to miss this.
Customer Reviews
Too Heavy on Historical Detail
3.5 stars is more accurate. As someone who reads more historical fiction than any other genre and has, for many years, considered Sharon Kay Penman the best of the best -- you can imagine how much I was looking forward to THE LAND BEYOND THE SEA - her first novel in about five years. And it's a tome - nearly 700 pages of very small type. But, alas, I came away disappointed.
The novel begins in 1163, focusing on all the events that culminated in the pivotal Christian vs. Saracen battle over the Holy Land 24 years later. Much of the story explores complex court rivalries - between ambitious lords vying for power and among church prelates who are just as competitive -- all the while featuring girls and women married off as pawns to cement alliances.
There are a few wonderful main characters. At the center is Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, the so-called "leper king", his mother Agnes of Courtenay, and William of Tyre- Baldwin's friend, tutor, and father-figure. All three are strong, well-differentiated, and multi-dimensional. All are characters I came to understand and empathize with. Especially the well-intentioned and thoughtful Baldwin, a mere youth who bravely leads his kingdom while battling a disabling and degenerative disease.
I also enjoyed following the story of Balian of d'Ibelin with interest. He was one of the more intelligent and thoughtful nobles in Jerusalem, whose marriage becomes the central romance of the novel. Both Balian and his wife are also well-developed and distinctive.
But then there are all those others. SO MANY of them. I have to admit I found it a struggle to keep track of who was who. And the similarity in names certainly didn't help:
• In addition to King Baldwin and Balian -- there is also Baudouin d'Ibelin, Bohemond, and Baldwin (the grandson of IV).
• There's Hugh d'Ibelin, Hugues (son of the Princess of Galilee), and three characters named Humphrey de Toron.
• Among the women, there's is Esquiva, Etienette, and Eschiva.
• Among the Saracens, you have Nur ad-Din Mahmud b. Zangi, al-Salih Ismaeil b. Nur al-Din, al Malik al-Nasir Salah al-Din Abu af Musaffur Yusuf, al-Malik al-'Adil, Taqi al-Din, al-Malik al-Musaffar 'Umar b. Shahanshah b. Ayyub, and Farrukh-Shah, 'Izz al'Din Da'ud b. Shanhanshah b. Ayyub.
• Among the other players are Renaud de Grenier (also referred to as Denys), Reynald de Chatillon, and Raymond de St. Gilles (sometimes referred to as the Count of Tripoli)
• We also have Joscius (Bishop of Acre), Jobert (of the Knights Hospitaller), Jakelin de Mailly (Templar knight), and Joscelin de Courtenay (brother to Agnes - referenced way, way back in this review).
But wait. There are roughly another 30 characters not yet mentioned, including several more Williams and a couple of Marys.
One of the things I generally value with this author is the depth of her research. But in this novel, I felt she got a bit buried in it. At times I felt I was reading more of a scholarly work, rather than a historical novel. You will certainly learn a lot about the the battle for the Holy Land - so important to both Christians and Muslims (and Jews too). And Penman's commitment to accuracy (she only made a few changes according to her Afterword) is admirable -- but I found the number of characters and the level of detail (especially around battles) became downright cumbersome. And about 200 pages before the end, I was ready to be done.
Fortunately, the last few hundred pages turned out to be full of building drama. So I kept reading. And I'm glad I finished it. But this one certainly isn't my favorite historical novel by this author.