His kingdom needs him to live. His body is running out of time.
Jerusalem, 1174. Thirteen-year-old Baldwin inherits a crown-and a future already threatened by leprosy.
Beyond his borders, Saladin's power is growing. Within his court, alliances shift, loyalties fracture, and the question of who will rule after him becomes impossible to ignore. Baldwin must learn whom to trust, when to fight, and how to lead a kingdom that cannot afford to see him weaken.
From the battlefield at Montgisard to the private chambers where marriages and successions are decided, every victory comes with a cost. As illness takes his strength and sight, Baldwin's struggle reaches beyond survival: he must decide what he can still protect, whom he can depend on, and what he will leave behind.
Baldwin IV: The King Who Must Not Die is a historical novel about the Leper King of Jerusalem-a young ruler caught between the demands of his crown and the limits of his body.
Set in the world of the Crusades, it brings together royal intrigue, warfare, family conflict, and an intimate portrait of a man whose remaining time shapes the fate of everyone around him.
Includes five black-and-white illustrations, a historical note, and a guide to the principal characters.