Roger, a runaway monk wanted for murder in England, arrives in the Holy Land and takes part in the siege of Acre, which has been going on for a year and a half with no end in sight. Untold numbers of men have already succumbed to battle and disease, yet more arrive every day, eager to do their part in the great crusade. Roger enlists in the forces of Geoffrey, earl of Trent. A common soldier now, Roger meets old friends and makes new ones – and makes deadly enemies, as well. The crusaders besiege the city on one hand, while they are besieged by Saladin and his army on the other. This leads to stalemate. The crusaders long for the arrival of Richard the Lionheart, but no one knows where he is. Winter comes, bringing rain, disease, and famine. Men die by the thousands and Roger faces a crisis of faith as he wonders whether such suffering can ever be worth the goal.