Book synopsis

1212 

The Chartrain, France.

Gui is a troubled priest who has been shielding his secret family for years.

Agnes, his beloved, is a falsely-accused heretic he rescued from the Inquisition’s pyre. 

Their son Etienne, unaware of his father’s true identity, is coming of age. Tired of his lowly shepherd’s life, he seeks adventure. The Crusade is the perfect opportunity to prove himself to the world. He has no reason to suspect the men offering him passage overseas are not what they seem.

Discovering that Etienne has been sold into slavery, Gui and Agnes set off to find him. If Gui is ever to tell his son the truth, he must give up his comfortable compromises and fight the battle of his life against the institution he has served devoutly.

Meanwhile, Agnes guards a secret of her own; she must face her past in a confrontation with the venal Amaury, Lord of Maintenon, that will either set her free or claim her life. 

If they are to save their son and expose the slave trade, they must risk everything to overcome the powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to protect their positions and silence them.

About the author

Hana Cole studied economics at the London School of Economics and history at Oxford. The Devil’s Crossing is her first book.

My review

I have been enjoying more historical fiction this year so when Hana Cole reached out to me and asked if I would like a copy of her book I was thrilled. I love how this book is so detailed and I really felt like I was thrown into the atmosphere all those years ago. A work of fiction but based on some true stories and names. The authors note at the end was fascinating to me about where she found the inspiration for this story. I loved Etienne and his entire journey as you can actually feel him grow as a person within this book. I cannot wait to read more by Hana Cole as this is her debut novel! You would never believe that after you have read it and I had to check that a couple of times as she does feel more like a well established author.

Disclaimer -Thank you to Hana Cole for sending me a gifted copy of this book for my honest review