In a land torn by crusade and rebellion, honour is earned in blood.
1205. Richard Fitz Simon has fled England after his title was usurped, joining the Livonian Order of Swordbrothers – a German brotherhood of warrior-monks fighting to bring the word of God to the pagan frontier. After slaying the Lithuanian champion at the Battle of Rodenpois, Richard is celebrated by the Order and their Semigallian allies.
Yet his position remains precarious. Jealous rivals question his right to stand among the brotherhood, and his master, Knight-brother Rudolf, is enraged by Richard’s disobedience. When dark secrets from Lübeck resurface, Richard also finds himself at odds with Bishop Albert, head of the Christian mission in Livonia. As he struggles to reconcile faith, duty and identity, he is drawn into a brutal world of suspicion and bloodshed.
Sent on an expedition to build a castle deep in the wilderness, Richard soon sees tensions erupt – and the path he has chosen threatens to destroy everything he has fought to become.
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Publisher: The Book Guild
Pages: 388
Genre: Historical Adventure
An interview with Jon Byrne.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve been writing in some shape and form for most of my life. But it was when I was living in India about twenty-five years ago that I wrote my first book, a fantasy novel. When I returned home, I attempted to get it published, sending it off to agents and getting the usual rejections.
I then wrote two further fantasy novels, the last being a monster of nearly 200,000 words, neither of which I ever attempted to publish. All of this I consider having been my apprenticeship, but I decided I would rather write historical fiction, having studied medieval history for over twenty years and building up a comprehensive library of books. Soldiers of Christ is the second book in The Northern Crusader Chronicles; the first book, Sword Brethren, was published by The Book Guild in 2024.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
I found this book considerably easier and faster to write than the first in the series, which took several years. I am not the quickest writer, and I don’t always write every day – contrary to the advice that most authors recommend. But everyone is different, and what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. I write in spurts, mostly in the evenings and weekends because of my day job.
The two books written so far keep very much to historical events – and this helps with planning because the Northern Crusades are particularly interesting. Many of the characters actually lived during the period depicted, although there is very limited information about their lives apart from what is written in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia – the principal firsthand source.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
I think if I had to choose a favourite character, it would be Otto, Richard’s (the protagonist) best friend and sidekick. Tall, broad, and blond-haired, he was a favourite of the ladies in Lübeck. Otto is good-natured and fiercely loyal to Richard, naturally deferring to him in decisions despite being a couple of years older. He shares most of the same aims, and, like Richard, he also finds the constant praying tedious. Neither of them are members of the Order of Swordbrothers out of choice. Both are noble-born and always wanted to be knights, but they fled Lübeck under a dark cloud (in Sword Brethren) to become sergeant-brothers in Livonia.
In short, Otto is a good man with a strong sense of right and wrong. Although he is incredibly superstitious, a bigger-hearted friend would be harder to find.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
I really have no idea – I’m a little out of touch as I hardly watch films anymore. There would need to be two actors playing Richard, one of approximately sixteen to twenty years old for the younger youth in the main narration and another in his early fifties for the scenes as a prisoner of Prince Alexander of Novgorod in the frame, so perhaps a father and son combo?
Unfortunately, most of the time that books are turned into films, the writer gets no say in who plays who anyway. Sorry I can’t be more specific.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
The book is a medieval adventure, so first and foremost its primary aim is to tell an exciting story that entertains the reader. But like most (all?) historical fiction writers, immersing the reader in a different period of history is also extremely important. In this difficult world, readers want escapism, and historical fiction is well placed to deliver this, allowing readers to get distracted from their normal lives and become engrossed in a particular period in history.
Soldiers of Christ is Book 2 of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, telling the medieval history of what is now Latvia and Estonia from a German perspective as they fight to bring Christianity to the pagans of the Baltic. Many books have been written about the crusades in the Holy Land, but the Northern Crusades have been largely forgotten, despite being just as fascinating and rich in drama and conflict. Most people have never heard of them.
This is what makes it so fresh to write a series set in this location and at this time. I only hope that readers think likewise.
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Jon Byrne
Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack. He has studied the medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive personal library and a particular interest in the often-overlooked Northern Crusades.
Soldiers of Christ is Book Two of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.
Written for readers who value authenticity and atmosphere over romanticised adventure, the novel explores a largely forgotten crusading frontier, culminating in the first of many confrontations in a harsh wilderness of forest and swamp.
Readers who enjoy the historical detail of authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, or Ben Kane may find familiar ground here.
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