An unlikely hero...
A secret cabal...
An immortal ally...
King of Jherusalem and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher, Baldwin walks the sword's edge between the quarreling barons of his Court and the jihad of Islam. Between the two, however, a sinister presence lurks--a cabal of heretics who will stop at nothing to see its dark designs come to fruition. Baldwin is young, courageous, and a leper. In the midst of mounting political tensions and war, a beautiful woman befriends the lonely sick king--a woman who claims she is an immortal saint.
Professional Reviews
The Leper King
The complex and distant world of the Middle East in the times of the Crusades is the setting for this historical novel. It is also billed as "a medieval fantasy."
In Jerusalem in 1176, 15-year-old Baldwin IV, a Christian, ascends the throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In the tumultuous times that follow, the young Baldwin, afflicted with leprosy that claims his life in 1185, mounts a losing struggle against enemies within and without attempting to preserve his beleaguered kingdom. ~ JC Martin, Southern Arizona Authors, The Arizona Daily Star
Editor's Choice ~ Strongly Recommended
Young Baldwin, the valorous King of Jerusalem and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher in Scott Rezer’s novel The Leper King, has an additional distinction telegraphed by the book’s title: Baldwin IV was a leper, and Rezer’s book uses this grim reality (the book’s portrayal of the disease is as good as anything readers have seen since the original Thomas Covenant trilogy by Stephen Donaldson) as the starting point for his captivating narrative. The brave, afflicted young king must fight a path between his own warlike barons in the Holy Land and the menacing forces of outraged Islam, and Rezer gives him an unexpected ally in the person of a graceful young woman who claims to be a saint.
Basing his story on extensive research very skilfully deployed, Rezer brings the world of 12th century Jerusalem to life, and to that historical research he adds some intriguing elements of mysticism that feel very much of a piece with the fanatical strains of mysticism running through the era. Above it all there is the character of Baldwin himself, a winningly convincing fictional recreation of one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages. Strongly recommended. ~ Steve Donoghue, Historical Novel Society Reviews February 2015
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Reviews for "The Leper King"
Reviewed by Lynde Rezer
11/10/2013
Interesting characters and twists on a well known story in World history. Masterfully written. Great first novel. Congrats my big brother. Awesome.
Reviewed by marianne leong
6/14/2009
It is interesting to see the struggles of the young king, both with the Islam people as well as within his own kingdom. Add to this the mystery of Mary Magdaline. I especially enjoyed how the story unfolded, and would recommend this book for a great read.
The first instalment of The Tales of Bowen unfolds a mesmerizing anthology of narratives intricately woven together by a grand overarching storyline, set against the enchanting backdrop of the mystical realms of Dagonfell.
The first instalment of The Tales of Bowen unfolds a mesmerizing anthology of narratives intricately woven together by a grand overarching storyline, set against the enchanting backdrop of the mystical realms of Dagonfell.
