Europe is aflame. On the Iberian Peninsula the wars of the Reconquista rage across Aragon and Castile. Once again, the Moors are gaining the upper hand. Christendom is divided.
Amidst the chaos comes a young knight: Arnau of Valbona. After his Lord is killed in an act of treachery, Arnau pledges to look after his daughter, whose life is now at risk. But in protecting her Arnau will face terrible challenges, and enter a world of Templars, steely knights and visceral combat he could never have imagined.
She in turn will find a new destiny with the Knights as a daughter of war… Can she survive? And can Arnau find his destiny? (Summary from Amazon)
Firstly, I did enjoy Daughter of War. Secondly, however, I was a bit miffed that the title and cover were a little misleading. It's not really about Titborga, who I thought it was going to be about, but about Arnau, her man at arms. Titborga plays a crucial role and the book is about her journey, but the focus is on Arnau. That's fine, but I had a certain expectation and I didn't get it. Perhaps in another book about this group of Templars. Thirdly, it also contains my new favorite line of dialogue; "How is your haranguing voice?" as well as a wonderful character in Father Diego. Trust me on that.
Anyway, the book is good and has a lot of detail. Titborga and another female Templar nun (that I won't name for spoilers), were real people, which makes for an interesting read, especially since I had never heard of female Templars. All of the characters were very fleshed out and felt like real people. You hate some, like others, and feel awful when things go badly. And things go badly, pretty quickly.
A lot of the book is not quite politicking, but a lot of political maneuvering and trying to reach out for help. Much of the fighting happens in short bursts and near the end. The violence isn’t toned down at all. It’s very true to real life, I imagine. So if that isn’t your thing, I suggest you skip this book. However, if you like historical stories with many real life overtones, then this is the book for you.
I received an uncorrected advance proof copy from NetGalley.
Here is an affiliate link to the book at Amazon, if you want to buy it:
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