Title: The Rabbi’s Knight
Author: Michael J. Cooper
Publisher: Koehler Books
ISBN: 979-8888248140
Pages: 487
Genre: Jewish Literature & Fiction
Reviewer: Christina Avina

Read Book Review

Over the course of any given person’s life, philosophical questions tend to arise. Whether it’s the meaning of life, to the idea that there is one person in the entire world that our souls are meant to be paired with, these questions tend to arise during great personal conflict or change. One of the biggest questions that can come up is the idea of destiny, whether it exists and if so, does a person have one that they are meant to fulfill.

Destiny comes calling for one group of warriors in author Michael J. Cooper’s The Rabbi’s Knight. The book follows a Knight in the Templar Order during the Crusades, who is tired of war. After discovering an ancient scroll leading to the famed Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the Knight must locate a local Rabbi who is being targeted for assassination and gather a band of warriors to join him in the quest to find the legendary location, and protect it before enemies of the Rabbi learn the Temple’s location and use its power for themselves.

The detail and steady pacing of the novel really allowed the author to flesh out these characters perfectly in the story, giving readers time to understand the physical, emotional, and spiritual toll not only the main pilgrimage the story follows but each of their individual backstories had on them as the story progressed. The use of historical figures was expertly used as well, including William Wallace and Issac of Acre, helped balance out the fictional storytelling and characters the author created to make the world feel both legendary and grounded in tone all at once. The detail in the author’s writing style also did an excellent job of capturing the tension of the plot and the harrowing experiences everyday people had during the Crusades, from the constant threat of death and war, to the power of faith and the chilling reality that division can cause among people all were brought to life in vivid imagery throughout the book’s writing.

For readers who enjoy historical fiction novels, especially those which delve into the Crusades and the Medieval Ages, as well as genre fiction narratives, this is a great novel to delve into. The exploration of culture, especially Jewish culture, in the context of this narrative was especially inspiring, and yet on a deeper level the author’s exploration of connectivity between groups of people was great to see in this cast of characters. While tensions mounted and it was impossible to ignore the hatred and violence around them, the way these characters from all walks of life came together for their journey was incredible, and the natural way history, culture, mythology and faith all blend so seamlessly in the narrative will keep readers enthralled as the story progresses.