Second in the "Celtic Crusades" trilogy - but this trilogy also follows on from [Patrick: Son of Ireland] in some ways. The book is Lawhead's usual mix of well researched history and a good dose of fiction filling in the gaps.

Duncan, son of Murdo: Lord of Caithness, sets out on pilgrimage to the Holy Land following the death of his wife in childbirth of their second child. He vows to find and bring home the Black Rood - the true cross of Christ. This book recapitulates much of the former book (The Iron Lance). We have the journey to the Holy Land, broadening of horizons, disillusionment, capture, escape and a little bit of treasure hunting on the side. However the first book was better than this one as it had a more human conflict that had to be resolved also in the form of the greedy bishop of Orkneyjar. This book lacked that tension. ( )

Although I enjoyed this book, I wished it had more action. The Iron Lance was a much better story. ( )

Almost couldn't finish this one. Lawhead writes action scenes very well, unfortunately this book is almost entirely lacking in action. Chapter after chapter is spent waiting for something, anything, to happen. It will be a long time before I attempt reading the third book in this trilogy. ( )

The Celtic Crusades is a trilogy of stories about a noble Scottish family whose successive generations venture to the Holy Land at the time of the Crusades to retrieve sacred relics. In the first book, The Iron Lance, Murdo Ranulfson went to Jerusalem and brought back the iron lance used at the crucifixion. Now Duncan, Murdo's son, must find and preserve the Black Rood--a piece of the true cross. ( )