The Land Beyond the Sea

The Land Beyond the Sea by Sharon Kay Penman, 672 pages

In this sweeping historical fiction novel, Penman brings to life the short reign of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, a young man who ruled for just 11 years in the 12th Century. Baldwin was crowned at the age of 12 when his father died, and while he was a thoughtful ruler, he was also a leper. Penman details his life and that of the religious leaders and nobility surrounding him, focusing particularly on his cunning mother Agnes, his chancellor and confidante William, and the heroic Lord Balian d'Ibelin, whose level head and diplomacy ended saving thousands of lives when Jerusalem fell to the Muslim army after Baldwin's short-sighted brother-in-law took the crown after the leper king's death.

I honestly don't know that I would have read this if I hadn't been forced to by a committee I'm on, and I certainly wouldn't have read it in 72 hours like I had to for this same committee. But I'm glad I read it, and I'd highly recommend it to other fans of military historical fiction. Just take your time reading it; it deserves a much more thoughtful read than I was able to give it.