In this riveting sequel to the Newbery Awardâwinning Crispin: The Cross of Leadâthe second book in a planned trilogyâAvi explores themes of war, religion, and family as he continues the adventures of Crispin and Bear.
The more I came to know of the world, the more I knew I knew it not.
He was a nameless orphan, marked for death by his masters for an unknown crime. Discovering his nameâCrispinâonly intensified the mystery. Then Crispin met Bear, who helped him learn the secret of his full identity. And in Bearâthe enormous, red-bearded juggler, sometime
spy, and everyday philosopherâCrispin also found a new father and a new world.
Now Crispin and Bear have set off to live their lives as free men. But they don't get far before their past catches up with them: Bear is being pursued by members of the secret brotherhood who believe he is an informer. When Bear is badly wounded, it is up to Crispin to make decisions
about their futureâwhere to go, whom to trust. Along the way they become entangled with an extraordinary range of people, each of whom affects Crispin and Bear's journey in unexpected ways.
To find freedom and safety, they may have to travel to the edge of the worldâeven if it means confronting death itself.