The Talisman
by Sir Walter Scott

5 out of 5 stars

King Richard the Lionheart is on a Crusade to the Holy Land when he falls ill with a fever. A month-long truce is called between the armies, and Richard’s European allies use the time to plot against him. A poor Scottish knight, Sir Kenneth, goes on a short pilgrimage to visit the holy hermit of a nearby mountain range with secret messages from the European council to Saladin, the leader of the Muslim army. On the way Sir Kenneth meets a lone Arabian warrior, and after a brief skirmish, they agree to travel together as worthy opponents. Sir Kenneth arrives at the hermitage and sees a strange and holy sight that changes the destiny of his life.

This book is so brilliant and I loved every page! Sir Walter Scott has such a genius for writing exciting adventures and compelling characters. You really get the flavor of history in his descriptions. Scott has that eloquence in his writing that really tugs at your heart and inspires your soul.

I completely fell in love with Sir Kenneth! His courage and high sense of honor really inspired me, but I also loved that he is flawed and makes mistakes and submits humbly to a just punishment and endures through terrible hardships never losing hope. The plot really kept me full of suspense to see what sudden reversal of fortune would next befall Sir Kenneth!

King Richard’s personality is larger than life! Scott did an amazing job of capturing the extreme courage and generosity and pride that you would expect from this famous historical figure. He really is a force to be reckoned with, charming and charismatic and strong, but also imperious and arrogant. I think it is the unwavering sincerity of Richard that really balances his personality.
I was completely fascinated by King Richard!

I was also enchanted with the women characters of King Richard’s wife Berengaria, who is vain and selfish, and his cousin Lady Edith, who is thoughtful and wise. There is such a contrast between them, and it was interesting to see how the ladies interact with each other and how they both navigate the political sphere in different ways. Queen Berengaria relies on her beauty and charm to persuade others and get what she wants. Lady Edith relies on reason and sound morals to convince others to do what is right. It’s also interesting to see how King Richard and Sir Kenneth react very differently to each of them.

The plot is so exciting and I loved all the adventures and intrigue within the Christian allied camp! There are a lot of layers to the plot and many different moving parts as characters from both Christian and Muslim sides work for their own ends. There is an assassination attempt, a crazy old hermit hangs around the camp preaching destruction and salvation, the English banner is disrespected by the Duke of Austria causing a rift between the allies, and a mysterious Muslim doctor arrives sent by Saladin himself to cure Richard of his fever. Every point of the plot was wildly fascinating!

This is one of the best books that I’ve read so far from Scott! I think I might like this one even better than Ivanhoe!

This book has been screened for violence on the Screen It First website. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-talisman-1370004