Blue Flame, by K. M. Grant

Blue Flame, by K. M. Grant
Young Adult, 2008
(Perfect Fire Trilogy)

From fantasticfiction.co.uk: Many years have passed since the Occitanian knights killed Richard the Lionheart in a courageous battle to keep the Blue Flame--sparked at the moment of Christ's death--from falling into the wrong hands. Now it is in danger once again, as enemies from the north draw near. In the midst of this looming battle, lifelong friends Raimon, son of a Cathar weaver, and Yolanda, daughter of a Catholic Count, are falling in love. But a new religious crusade is about to begin, setting boy against girl, family against family, neighbor against neighbor, south against north. Though many seek to possess the Blue Flame, only one person is destined to wield its power to save the people and the sovereignty of the Occitan.

Trackgeek: I like how Grant can take historical fiction in a different perspective with the way she treats the interplay of religion in history. As she did with Blood Red Horse, Blue Flame starts out the trilogy very well. I like how reading her books actually gives me some real insight into the actual historical events (be sure to read the notes at the end to help differentiate between fact and fiction). Historical Fiction with religious strife is hard to write about, but she does a very good job.

Graded a B.