Book Review - Road From The West

Road From The West is the first book in a trilogy following the exploits of the Norman lord Tancred as he makes his way to Jerusalem in the First Crusade. This is the second book I've read and reviewed from author Rosanne E. Lortz. And I must say that this book is an improvement on her first novel, I Serve. While I Serve felt bogged down in the beginning of the book, Road From The West jumps right into the story with an easy passion.

The account of Tancred is not well known, as a result I found myself looking up the title character to find out more about him. This is a historical fiction novel which reads almost as well as a Harry Potter book (Very high praise, really, trust me it is). A difficult, yet masterful job done by the author, the novel winds its way through the story at a good pace while weaving battles and various other spicy encounters with historical accuracy and facts. When reading the book you receive just the right amount of detail so that you are easily able to picture the environment, cities, and people that were associated with the First Crusade. While Road From The West is an improvement it is not perfect. The characters and story telling sometimes feel airy and light, I'd much prefer a grittier account of the First Crusade. One part in the book that seemed quite hokey was that of the seer and the prophecy regarding Tancred. I tried to look this up to see if it was based in some historical account but was unable to do so. I would just assume that this particular plot point was not in the book as it seemed to add a rose colored tint to the story. As a result, I found myself viewing some of the characters as white washed. Ralph in particular is a good character, and helpful to the story, but I did sometimes wistfully think it would be better if he was gruffer in some aspects and not so saintly.

All in all Road From The West is a fun and informative book to read. While I might quibble here or there with some of the minor aspects of the novel, it is a book I'd highly recommend. As the book drew to a close I was disappointed that it was not longer. I will be first in line to read the second installment in this trilogy, Flower Of The Desert. And judging from the improvements made between I Serve and Road From The West the author's next novel will be extraordinary.

You can purchase Road From The West HERE on Amazon. Also, HERE is the link to the publishing house which published Road From The West, Madison Street Publishing.