The Crusader of Riga - A Novel of Faith, War and Destiny in Medieval Livonia #998588

Janis is a young Latvian fisherman living in the Baltic region during the Middle Ages (AD 1200–1400). His life changes when he becomes the squire of the Teutonic knight Heinrich von Folkenstein during the Northern Crusades, launched by Pope Innocent III to convert the pagan peoples of Livonia—present-day Latvia and Estonia—to Christianity.
Yet the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The religious ideals of the Crusade soon give way to conquest and colonisation, as German settlers follow the knights into the newly occupied territories. The Latvians gradually cooperate with the Teutonic Order, adopting new agricultural practices and embracing Christianity, while the Estonians fiercely resist. Some accept conversion only temporarily before taking up arms again, supported by forces from Novgorod.
The Crusade continues from 1200 to 1241, culminating in the Battle on the Ice at Lake Peipus, where the Teutonic knights suffer a devastating defeat at the hands of Novgorod’s army. Despite their losses, they continue fighting against Estonians, Curonians, the inhabitants of Saaremaa and Lithuanians, while Swedish and Danish forces also invade Estonia from the Baltic Sea.
Over the years, Heinrich grows increasingly attached to Latvia, while Janis comes to recognise the benefits brought by German culture and organisation. After losing his wife and daughter to the war, Janis rises to become a nobleman of the Livonian Confederation, which enters the Holy Roman Empire as a feudal state.
These turbulent and violent events unfold against the backdrop of the foundation of Riga by Albert von Buxhövden, Bishop of Livonia. After the deaths of Heinrich and Janis, a future of peace and prosperity may finally await the generations that follow.