The Crusader

Kingdom Come, Book 1

By: Kathryn Le Veque

Narrated by: Brian J. Gill

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Along the ancient Pilgrim Trail traveled by countless crusaders from Europe to The Holy Land, Dr. Rory Osgrove is in charge of her first archaeological dig. A Biblical Archaeologist by degree, her target is a holy relic of unimaginable power. But what she discovers instead is the tomb of a long-buried Crusader, one of the thousands who came to this desert land in search of glory and riches. Deterred from her original goal, Rory is fascinated by the English knight and the journal buried with him. Reading the pages of the ancient diary, she comes to know a man of power and honor, entrusted by Richard the Lionheart with a mission of astonishing importance. Sir Kieran Hage was no ordinary Crusader and, as Rory discovers, nor is he really dead. Eight hundred years later, Kieran's mission must be completed, but there is an ancient evil that follows him and is still determined to see him fail. Now Rory begins the adventure of a lifetime, where time has no meaning, where honor is strength, and where only true love endures.

©2012 Kathryn Le Veque (P)2014 Kathryn Le Veque

Medieval Sleeping Beauty

I always enjoy Kathryn Le Veque's books and this 2 part "the crusader" series is no exception. This first book takes place in the year of 2012 and introduces the main character Rory, who is an archaeologist on a dig for religious artifacts. She is a strong willed character who fights for love even when centuries threaten to divide.

I liked this book a lot but I liked the second book "Kingdon Come" even better. I actually think KL should have made this series one big book instead of splitting the two. So, if you listen to this one and enjoy it make sure you listen to "Kingdom Come" too. ;-)

An unexpected pleasure...

What made the experience of listening to The Crusader the most enjoyable?

I loved listening to the audio book since it frees up my hands to do other things while I listen. I don't want to put in spoilers in my review, so I'll just say I loved the way the book ended. She left the door open to revisit these characters in another time or place.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I had several favorites when it comes to characters... It's difficult to narrow it down to one. Rory and her knight in shining armor were of course at the top.

Have you listened to any of Brian J. Gill’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

To be honest, I can't remember, but I thought he did a fine job with the cast of characters and their distinct voices. I would listen to him again if he narrated something else I was interested in.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, her books always make me laugh as well as cry...

Any additional comments?

It was very different from what I expected, probably because I confess I didn't read anything about it first. That, however, did not take away from my enjoyment of the audio book at all.

worst ending EVER!!

very interesting story until the end. I would have preferred a female narrator I think it would have made it more romantic. I just can't believe the ending!!! absolutely horrible! I had to rewind because I thought I missed something or the recording skipped!!

wonderful story

narrator was a little fast at times but overall a great listen! would love to listen to a sequel.

stay with it

The narration at the beginning drove me crazy...But hang with it, the story and narration get much better several chapters in.

Full of potential, & not *bad* really...

but just... problematic, in a lot of places. IDK. I enjoyed parts of it, but found parts almost unbearable.

needs to be proofread !!!

otherwise, an entertaining tale. Either the author is not a native English speaker,,or else she simply misuses prepositions and vocabulary for fun.

Outstanding!!!

Kerian is the first cousin of Christopher et David de Lohr. Need I say more??!

Contemporary + Historical = Awesome

Would you listen to The Crusader again? Why?

Yes! It's an awesome roller-coaster adventure. The plot & character development are exciting, and of course the romance is electric. Its fun to day dream & imagine what it would be like to meet a real living, breathing knight in shining armor. I like the reverse Sleeping Beauty premise in modern times.

What other book might you compare The Crusader to and why?

It kind of reminds me a little to Johanna Lindsey's "Knight in Shining Armor" as that's also a romance story about a contemporary heroine who meets an English knight. That's one of my all-time favorite romance novels, and so is this book & it's sequel "Kingdom Come." This is one of Kathryn Le Veque's best!!!

What about Brian J. Gill’s performance did you like?

I liked how he effortlessly changed between contemporary American dialects to the historical English knight's accent. He also did a great job towards the end of the book with the additional characters' & slightly changing his timbre/tone for their voices.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not a specific moment, but I love the whole book!

Any additional comments?

It's one of Kathryn Le Veque's best in my opinion & one of my favorites by her!!! It's a must read/listen and so is the sequel "Kingdom Come!"

Exciting

This one is filled with a touch of magic, lots of adventure and great love.