Robyn Young was born in Oxford in September 1975, the only child of a civil engineer father and an artist and folk singer mother. She now lives in Brighton and writes full time. Her first novel Brethren was a big success.

1274 and the war in the Holy Land has not gone well for the crusaders. The fortified city of Acre is the last major stronghold of the Crusader and an epic conflict is just about to start. Will Campbell is a Templar Knight trained in the art of war, but as a member of the mysterious group known as the Brethren he is also a man of peace. After years of useless bloodshed the Brethren have helped to create a truce between the Christians and the Muslims, if a somewhat tentative one.

Will now has fears that they have been betrayed by their most trusted patron, Edward of England. The English king has made a promise to the pope that he will lead a new Crusade. On top of that a group of powerful merchants who will make a huge profit if the conflict were to continue have devised a plan that will ensure the war continues. They will then profit from selling arms to both sides and also ensuring that the slave trade continues . . .