Publication
Pan (2021), 912 p.
Original publication date
2020-03-03
Collections
Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Historical Fiction — 2021)
Description
"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"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member john257hopper
Taking place in parallel to Penman's sequence of novels about the Angevin rulers of England (Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine; and Richard I the Lionheart), this is a novel about the French Crusader state of Outremer, an aspect of the whole time period which will be less familiar to most readers.
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The main characters are Baldwin, the leper king of Outremer and Balian d'Ibelin on the European side, as well as Saladin and his brother Adil (Saphadin) on the Saracen side (and who were very well portrayed in the author's Lionheart novel). There is a rich array of other characters, the vast majority of whom are real historical figures, with some necessary differences for narrative purposes (which the author as always explains carefully in an afterword describing the in depth research she has done on the historical background, trying to navigate her way round the various primary and secondary sources on Middle Eastern history and politics which, for the past as for the present, are more often than usually particularly prone to bias one way or the other). There is the usual blend of political infighting, violence and personal relationships, and some sensitive handling of issues - I learned a fair bit about leprosy from this novel which busts some myths about that disease - and a nuanced portrayal of the good and bad points of each side of the cultural and military divide. An absorbing read, though perhaps slightly too long. Show Less
LibraryThing member DGRachel
More history than fiction, as always, Penman’s latest novel is impeccably researched, beautifully detailed, and absolutely compelling. She has a gift for bringing historical figures out of obscurity into glorious three dimensional life. The reader knows how the story ends, yet one can’t help
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but be swept up in the fear, joy, anger, and heartbreak surrounding the fate of Kingdom of Jerusalem and her inhabitants. Show Less
LibraryThing member Deceptikitty
I won't go into too much detail in this review so the short version is - this book focuses mainly on the political games of the court (which is understandable, considering the King of Jerusalem at this point is inflicted by leprosy, an illness thought of as punishment by God) and less on the
As always, I can only admire the dedication Mrs. Penman puts into keeping her books realistic. Not only does she study her resources, but she also travels to the locations she writes about to be as true to events as possible. Whether people agree with her idea that people today and back then aren't all that different or not, fact is, this take helps make her characters understandable to readers. Even the most cruel character has a reason for it and even if you don't agree, you can see where he comes from. In the end, all her characters just play with your feelings one way or the other and it is this writing that makes her books worth a read in my opinion.
Overall, this may be not her best book (the fact so many characters were skimmed over sounds like it was rushed somewhat), but very worthwhile read if you don't mind a LOT of pages full of slow burn plot.
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battles that are, for the most part, an afterthought I feel. I personally liked this approach, because instead of sinking in the "Crusaders bad" monotone of most books (or any media really), this one focuses on showing the humans living in that time and makes it not black and white. The only downside to it is the fact that this eventually introduces MANY characters to the plot. Expect quite a few to suffer for it on personality depth side. The main cluster of characters, however, are very well written (tho for the first time in Penman's books, I found some really infuriating ones...looking at you Jocelyn).As always, I can only admire the dedication Mrs. Penman puts into keeping her books realistic. Not only does she study her resources, but she also travels to the locations she writes about to be as true to events as possible. Whether people agree with her idea that people today and back then aren't all that different or not, fact is, this take helps make her characters understandable to readers. Even the most cruel character has a reason for it and even if you don't agree, you can see where he comes from. In the end, all her characters just play with your feelings one way or the other and it is this writing that makes her books worth a read in my opinion.
Overall, this may be not her best book (the fact so many characters were skimmed over sounds like it was rushed somewhat), but very worthwhile read if you don't mind a LOT of pages full of slow burn plot.
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
this is not a thin book, but one does absorb a good deal of information about the end of the glory days of Outremer, "The land beyond the Sea". Penman keeps us fully informed on the degree to which the women of the kingdom proved to be movers and shakers in the political scene dominating the leadup
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to the battle at Hattin, which was the final flourish in the high days of the Crusader kingdom. we meet the colourful and headstrong personalities which eventually destroy the kingdom. There are the zealots like Gerard de Ridefort and the nearly psychotic, like Reynaud de Chatillon, the merely weak, like Guy the king of Jerusalem, defeating the honest efforts of the sensible, like Balian d'Ibelin and William the Archbishop of Tyre. The book is a bit dialogue at the party heavy, as tis is one of SKP's favourite techniques, but the tale is stark enough to to provide several evenings' entertainment. Show Less
LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
The Land Beyond the Sea covers the approximately twenty-year period before Ms. Penman's previous book Lionheart. Outremer, or the lands held by the Franks during the Crusades, is under siege by Saladin and his armies. The young king is Baldwin IV, stricken with leprosy and struggling to hold his
The story is told from various POVs, but Balian d’Ibelin who marries the former Greek Queen of Jerusalem is the glue that holds the story together. He starts as an unimportant younger brother and ends up heroically saving the people of Jerusalem when Saladin finally conquers the city. Ms. Penman is one of the best at writing historical fiction and she's picked a fascinating period to set her story. She uses primary sources from both the Christian and Muslim world and depicts both sides of this holy war fairly. It's a wonderful read (I learned so much about the history of those times) and full of intriguing people.
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kingdom together. The politics of the various lords native to Outremer and those on Crusade, the struggle between the Roman and Greek churches over the rule of Jerusalem, and the determination of the Muslims to take back the Holy City make for a compelling read.The story is told from various POVs, but Balian d’Ibelin who marries the former Greek Queen of Jerusalem is the glue that holds the story together. He starts as an unimportant younger brother and ends up heroically saving the people of Jerusalem when Saladin finally conquers the city. Ms. Penman is one of the best at writing historical fiction and she's picked a fascinating period to set her story. She uses primary sources from both the Christian and Muslim world and depicts both sides of this holy war fairly. It's a wonderful read (I learned so much about the history of those times) and full of intriguing people.
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LibraryThing member japaul22
[The Land Beyond the Sea] by [[Sharon Kay Penman]]
Sharon Kay Penman's latest historical fiction tome is set in 1100s Middle East, specifically the European-ruled City of Jerusalem. It is, however, the end of their reign as Salah al-Din (known to the English as Saladin) is a smart and just Muslim
Penman is amazing at crafting characters you care about and at meticulous research. She's presented a balanced account that doesn't favor the Crusading English over their Muslim foes. If you've read Penman's other books, this is sort of a prequel to [King's Ransom], where Richard Lionheart leads a Crusade to try to win back Jerusalem.
I really liked this and fans of Penman will also love to read more by her. I will say that it didn't quite sweep me away as well as some of her novels though. I think she wasn't quite as successful at creating multiple storylines with interesting characters. The couple she focused on were great, but in some of her books she manages many more storylines. I loved it though. I'll read anything she writes; I find her books a great escape.
Sharon Kay Penman's latest historical fiction tome is set in 1100s Middle East, specifically the European-ruled City of Jerusalem. It is, however, the end of their reign as Salah al-Din (known to the English as Saladin) is a smart and just Muslim
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ruler determined to regain this city. The Franks, as they are known in the region, are rife with in-fighting as a power struggle begins to see who will reign after Baldwin IV, who finds he's a leper as a child, knows he won't leave an heir. This leaves them vulnerable to Saladin's strength and intelligence. Penman is amazing at crafting characters you care about and at meticulous research. She's presented a balanced account that doesn't favor the Crusading English over their Muslim foes. If you've read Penman's other books, this is sort of a prequel to [King's Ransom], where Richard Lionheart leads a Crusade to try to win back Jerusalem.
I really liked this and fans of Penman will also love to read more by her. I will say that it didn't quite sweep me away as well as some of her novels though. I think she wasn't quite as successful at creating multiple storylines with interesting characters. The couple she focused on were great, but in some of her books she manages many more storylines. I loved it though. I'll read anything she writes; I find her books a great escape.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781447287551
Physical description
912 p.; 7.76 inches
Pages
912