Envoy of Jerusalem: Balian D'Ibelin and the Third Crusade (Balian D'Ibelin and the Kingdom of Jerusalem) by Helena P Schrader is a historical fiction book that will appeal to an audience made up of adults and young adults who enjoy historical fiction on the Crusades. Envoy of Jerusalem is the third book in the biographical novel series about Balian d'Ibelin and follows the character known as Balian d'Ibelin throughout his life.

The first thing I noticed about Envoy of Jerusalem was the amazing cover. I really liked the fact that the cover had a picture of Balian d'Ibelin as it allowed me to have a clear picture of what he looked like while I read the book. The second thing I loved about the book was the genealogical charts and maps at the beginning of the book as they helped me to understand where the events took place and the relations of characters to each other. Helena P Schrader did such as amazing job in writing that at times I was not entirely sure if what I was reading was fiction or history. My favorite character was the dowager queen in the beginning of the book; she became my favorite due to the sympathy she showed to her escort, Sir Bartholomew.

I read Envoy of Jerusalem by Helena P. Schrader for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I love a good historical novel. Second, I wanted to get a little more insight into the struggle between Christianity and Islam. I didn't want to read a political tome. I wanted to visit the era through the eyes of the writer and the characters of the story. Envoy of Jerusalem: Balian D'Ibelin and the Third Crusade was exactly the kind of historical novel I was looking for. Some historical novels concentrate on the adventure at the expense of other elements. Some focus on romance or action at the expense of historical accuracy. I wanted something fun to read that is also historically accurate. Helena P. Schrader got it just right for my particular purpose. Not only is Envoy of Jerusalem historically accurate, it is a great story about a very interesting man, his family, friends, enemies, and contemporaries.

Balian D'Ibelin is a hero’s hero in an age of heroes. But his were the heroics of necessity in a violent and war torn land. To his credit, his wins outweighed his losses, though there were some big losses. His bravery is told and sworn to by others. He usually thought of himself as falling short of what he thought God wanted of him. This was not false modesty but a constant feeling that he had not really given his best. But those around him felt differently. There were a lot of heroes and villains during these times. Helena P. Schrader gives a good sampling of both, as well as their lives, the politics, their beliefs and, above all, the horror of war. This is a great look at the Third Crusade and the people who fought it. I found the writing good and the narrative balanced.