The Couched Lance

When a horseman gallops into the courtyard of the Baron Fitzherbert's Manor House, Edwin and Guy, two very different brothers, are blissfully unaware that their lives are about to change forever. Called to accompany their father as he joins the crusade to France to help defeat the growing threat of religious heretics, Edwin and Guy find themselves on an extraordinary journey. It's a journey that involves a perilous sea crossing and months of marching. A test of strength and resolve that brings to the surface Guy's festering jealousy of his popular elder brother with increasingly dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, in the French village of Montloup, the beautiful Anne de Vere is among those who wait fearfully for the crusader onslaught. A twist of fate, a moment of unprecedented danger, leads to a chance encounter with the brothers and her enemies. There is no escaping the bloody battle that follows, but who will survive and are they destined to stay enemies forever? Aimed at children aged 11 and over, The Couched Lance will appeal to readers who enjoy medieval and historical fiction. Set against a backdrop of bloody battles, the sibling rivalry adds a timeless element that all brothers and sisters will relate to.