Scan barcode
primavera's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
taisie22's review against another edition
5.0
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 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.
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.
tanyarobinson's review against another edition
5.0
Sharon Kay Penman has done it again: written a novel based on research worthy of a PhD dissertation. The Land Beyond the Sea tells the tragic story of the fall of Outremer, the Frankish Crusader Kingdom in the 12th century Holy Land. Its characters are almost too good to be true. There's Baldwin IV, the young king who showed so much promise, but suffered from leprosy and died young. There's his sister, Queen Sibylla, who stood stubbornly by her incompetent husband and allowed him to blunder away their kingdom. We have Balian d'Ibelin, a hero of heroes who negotiated with the Saracens for the lives of those inside fallen Jerusalem's walls. And there's Salah al-din (Saladin), whose mercy and integrity far outstripped that of any of the European crusaders. The story recounted in this book is epic (as is its length), but won't be appreciated by those who get bogged down in historical details. With Penman, the details are the crux; she uses every small kernel unearthed in extant records, and makes her story as full and true-to-life as any medieval fiction could possibly be.
4.5 stars. If I had felt more heartbroken at the book's tragedies, I would have given it a 5. But I suppose I'm willing to sacrifice emotion for such stunning historical veracity, so we'll round it up.
4.5 stars. If I had felt more heartbroken at the book's tragedies, I would have given it a 5. But I suppose I'm willing to sacrifice emotion for such stunning historical veracity, so we'll round it up.
bethanyinaworldofbooks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jennav117's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mimima's review against another edition
5.0
2023: Rereading a Penman is always a delight. I wanted to return to it after visiting the Holy Land earlier this year as we saw hints of the doomed Latin Kingdom. I loved recognizing places. My mark of a five-star book is missing it when not reading, and while I can see some flaws making this not her strongest book, it had that ability.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not a big fan of the Crusade era but I liked this epic and gripping story.
I think it was quite well researched and the characters were well developed and interesting.
It's one of those book full of action and emotions that keeps you hooked.
It's the first one I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I think it was quite well researched and the characters were well developed and interesting.
It's one of those book full of action and emotions that keeps you hooked.
It's the first one I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
the_local_dialect's review against another edition
5.0
I have never read a Penman book that I didn't love, and this was no exception. It brought me to tears several times, something that Penman has never failed to do! Of course, like all Penman books, this was meticulously researched and as much as I enjoyed the story, I learned just as much about the crusader kingdoms of Outremer and their eventual defeat at the hands of Saladin's armies.
Although the presence of the crusader kingdoms in the Middle East was problematic in and of itself, Penman took pains never to present the Franks as the "good guys" and the Islamic sultanates as the "bad guys." If anything, there are several Franks who inspire much more hatred. At the same time, Penman's protagonists are the Franks, and so of course the story is told from their point of view, but Penman does not make any moral judgments about who is right and who is wrong. Whether the Franks had a right to be there or not, by 1187 generations of Poulains had made their lives and homes in the levant and clearly losing that home was a sad and tragic thing for them, something that even Saladin seemed to recognize. She mentions several times that Saladin was actually more merciful to the Franks who surrendered than the crusaders who took Jerusalem in the first place had been to the Muslim inhabitants. This is all to say, I think that Penman handles a tricky subject very deftly. We feel for our protagonists, but at the end of the day the "bad guys" are the inept leaders who led them to defeat, not Saladin and his armies.
Although the presence of the crusader kingdoms in the Middle East was problematic in and of itself, Penman took pains never to present the Franks as the "good guys" and the Islamic sultanates as the "bad guys." If anything, there are several Franks who inspire much more hatred. At the same time, Penman's protagonists are the Franks, and so of course the story is told from their point of view, but Penman does not make any moral judgments about who is right and who is wrong. Whether the Franks had a right to be there or not, by 1187 generations of Poulains had made their lives and homes in the levant and clearly losing that home was a sad and tragic thing for them, something that even Saladin seemed to recognize. She mentions several times that Saladin was actually more merciful to the Franks who surrendered than the crusaders who took Jerusalem in the first place had been to the Muslim inhabitants. This is all to say, I think that Penman handles a tricky subject very deftly. We feel for our protagonists, but at the end of the day the "bad guys" are the inept leaders who led them to defeat, not Saladin and his armies.
shelfesteem's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars (Audiobook edition)
I listened to [b:The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land|7282903|The Crusades The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land|Thomas Asbridge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348662175l/7282903._SY75_.jpg|8489431] (non-fiction) in 2020 so I had an idea of the path this story would take. While King Baldwin IV was not the primary focus of The Crusades, it was interesting to learn more about the leper king and his court. Penman's afterward and author's note was also enlightening. While the book is well-researched and informative, it tended to drag for extended periods of time. Had I been reading as opposed to listening to it, I probably would have abandoned it for a more captivating read.
---
A note about content for those who follow me for my Christian fiction book reviews:
This book was written for the general market. The only content that made me cringe was how the author repeatedly took the Lord's name in vain.
Scenes of intimacy are steamier than those you'll find in a CBA novel. When an 11-year-old girl is given in marriage, it is not consummated until she turns 14—an acceptable age for the period. Rape is mentioned (not described). Animals are maimed and killed in battle.
I listened to [b:The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land|7282903|The Crusades The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land|Thomas Asbridge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348662175l/7282903._SY75_.jpg|8489431] (non-fiction) in 2020 so I had an idea of the path this story would take. While King Baldwin IV was not the primary focus of The Crusades, it was interesting to learn more about the leper king and his court. Penman's afterward and author's note was also enlightening. While the book is well-researched and informative, it tended to drag for extended periods of time. Had I been reading as opposed to listening to it, I probably would have abandoned it for a more captivating read.
---
A note about content for those who follow me for my Christian fiction book reviews:
This book was written for the general market. The only content that made me cringe was how the author repeatedly took the Lord's name in vain.
Scenes of intimacy are steamier than those you'll find in a CBA novel. When an 11-year-old girl is given in marriage, it is not consummated until she turns 14—an acceptable age for the period. Rape is mentioned (not described). Animals are maimed and killed in battle.
dgrachel's review against another edition
5.0
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 but be swept up in the fear, joy, anger, and heartbreak surrounding the fate of Kingdom of Jerusalem and her inhabitants.