The year is 1147, the Saracens just having conquered Christian Edessa in the Orient. In response, the Second Crusade sets out from the West to drive back the enemy in the East. Part of this procession are fifteen-year-old Katharina with her husband and children, as well as the brothers Rudolph and Maximilian. They set out inspired by the success of the First Crusade, filled with noble goals, greed for profit, and a belief in their own invincibility. But reality strikes, hard. Suddenly, abruptly, Max and Katja find themselves alone and have to make their own way through a hostile country.

Readers' voices for the German original: "Exciting story. Good characters. Interesting reading for anyone who enjoys reading historical novels. Captivatingly written, fluid and easy to read style of writing. Top."

"Exciting and well narrated."

"Great story about history."

"I love this book. It has everything in it that makes a book exciting. Adventure, heroes, anti-heroes, villains, battles, love, tragedy... And since I'm personally incredibly into historical novels, the fact that the story is set in the time of the Crusades is the icing on the cake. Once you start reading, you don't want to stop. From the first page to the last, the novel is gripping and it's exciting to watch the characters develop."

Content note: This work deals with abuse and rape of minors, violence and death, albeit none explicit. If this triggers you, please consider not reading on.