Brethren is a novel written by Robyn Young set in the ninth and last crusade. It was published by Hodder and Stoughton in 2006. It took her seven years to write the novel where she was "intrigued by the idea of these medieval warrior monks". Plot The novel describes the fictional story of a young teenager by the name of William Campbell who starts out as a sergeant and later is promoted to a full Knight Templar. He is tasked with the search of the Book of the Grail which, if ever in the wrong hands, could potentially result in the downfall of not only the Anima Templi (a secret order within the Temple), but also the Temple itself. However, Will finds he's not alone in the search of the book. There are also Prince Edward and The Order of the St John's or the Hospitallers who want the Book as part of their plans to bring down the Temple. The story of Will Campbell runs parallel to that of Baybars Bundukdari, a slave who rose to become Sultan of the Mamluks motivated purely by his hatred of the Franks. In the earlier parts of the story, Will does not know that his father James Campbell is also part of the Anima Templi (or Brethren) and that there is a contact deep within Baybars' circle of trusted advisors who works with the Brethren to achieve long-lasting peace in the Holy land and the reconciliation of the three dominant faiths of the West: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book has a sequel written by the same author. "Crusade" follows Will as he becomes further entangled in the Brethren and Baybars. Historical Figures The following characters in the book were real historical figures: Baraka Khan: Son of Baybars. Baybars Bundukdari: Mamluk commander, sultan of Egypt and Syria from 1260 to 1277. Edward I of England: Prince, and then King, of England from 1272 to 1307. Henry III of England: King of England from 1216 to 1272. Hugues de Pairaud: Templar; son of Humbert de Pairaud. Humbert de Pairaud: Visitor of the Knights Templar in France. Kalawun Al–Alfi: Mamluk emir, high-ranking officer in Baybars' staff. In the book, he is secretly in contact with the Anima Templi, working behind Baybars' back to secure peace between the Mamluks and the Franks Khadir al-Mihrani: Baybars' soothsayer. In the book, he is former member of the