Hashshashin Order of the Assassins. Kutuz: Sultan of Egypt from 1259 to 1260. Louis IX of France: King of France from 1226 to 1270. Reception The book received a mixed reception from reviewers. In a positive review, Publishers Weekly opined that the novel combines "rich historical detail, clever plotting and engaging characters" to "craft a historical thriller that will have readers turning pages and envisioning the sequel.". John Washburn, of on-line review site My Shelf praised Young's "steely depictions" of the action in the novel; her "silky style"; and her "engaging story filled with mystery, romance, courage, abandonment and deception.". Marie D. Jones, in a review for Curled Up commented that "you would think Young lived during the times she seems to grasp so well" and found the novel "an exciting read". Stephen Hubbard, writing for Book Reporter, praised Young's "perfectly crafted" characters, "the strength of her narrative" in a mainly positive review, stating "The majesty, brutality and romanticism of that time are so beautifully painted on the page that it is often difficult to separate the fact from the fiction, and we as readers are dropped into the very center of history to experience the events from within.". Hubbard did, however, comment that he felt the novel sometimes supplied an "overload of information", though "these moments are extremely few and easily can be forgiven considering the strength of the remainder of the work.". Eleanor Bukowsky of on-line reviewers Mostly Fiction, offered a more critical opinion of the novel. She states that "although she has the history part down pat, Young is less skilled in creating three-dimensional and believable characters. Her villains are dastardly and her young heroes are callow and long-suffering." and felt that "the book meanders a bit and the finale takes a long time to play out.". The novel was negatively reviewed by Boomtron, with the reviewer stating that the characters "sound awfully modern" and are "too aware of their history and that of other nations", given that "studying such matters was a luxury few could afford". In addition, the reviewer also criticised the novels levels of historical detail, stating that they found the "history lessons superfluous, out of character and quite annoying interruptions in the story.". The review did end on a more positive note, however, with the reviewer saying that "Young has written an engaging story at one level or I wouldn’t have suffered through