Review: A Mix of Medieval and Modern Adventure
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 5, 2013
The Order of the Knights Templar was a wide reaching and influential religious order in the medieval centuries and feared for their prowess in battle. They were also used as a type of banking service for the rich and powerful all across the Christian world. Between the two the Order became very rich itself and amassed wealth both in the form of gold and in religious relics. Suddenly the Order was declared outlaw across Europe and their members imprisoned or scattered; their wealth was confiscated. The Pope abandoned them through excommunication. A few Knights Templar survived by fleeing to the wilds of Scotland with a special mission.While traveling on business, Peter Sparke becomes fascinated with a story of ancient graves on a small man-made island presumed to be that of Knights Templar. His research into the medieval Templars ends up taking him on an adventure to find out how and why they got there, but what he finds is beyond what anyone could have imagined.This book shifts back and forth between telling the story of the modern day world of Peter Sparke and his journey and the medieval world of the last bastion of Knights Templar as they fulfill their final mission for their Order.The medieval half of the story concentrated on two specific Templars, Ulli a high ranking warrior and another knight known only as The Mason. I would have liked to have had much more background on the political events and time frame of the disgrace of the Templars in order to put it into historical perspective. What was it that triggered the Knights Templar going from trusted warriors and guardians to pariahs?On the other hand, there is quite a bit of background on Sharpe, his job, his boss, and the way he becomes interested in tracing the Templars turns out to be just a chance encounter with a small and obscure memorial plaque in Paris rather than some lifelong interest.The story ended rather abruptly. By the end I was ready to learn more about what Sharpe found and what it meant to history and ripples in the modern world, yet I wasn't given the payoff I wanted at that point. Perhaps this is a setup for a sequel when we'll find out what it all meant. Until then, I as a reader have been left hanging with the unfulfilled possibilities. This book turned out to be more about the modern adventure of discovery and less about the historical Templars and their legacy.Moderately recommended as an action-adventure.