The Last Templar
by Raymond Khoury
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Book Summary Information
Author: Raymond KhouryEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-01-19
ISBN: 0525949410
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Book Reviews of The Last Templar
Book Review: Simply fabulous
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm moved to write a review for this book for the simple reason that it's been a long, long time since I read something that managed to entertain me so fully and keep me glued to its pages while reaching a part of me that doesn't normally get tickled by fictional novels.
Clearly this novel inspires different feelings in people and I can understand devout Catholics feeling offended at what they might perceive as another attack on their faith (although to do so would really miss the point of the book. I won't spoil it except to say the last third of the book came as a wonderful surprise). I'll preface my review by saying that while I am not the most religious person you might meet, I do believe spirituality is an important part of the human experience. With that in mind, I was pleasantly and unexpectedly touched by this book, which manages to put forward with great detail and eloquence, but with restraint as far as presenting any specific agenda, some very interesting ideas about how religion can be manipulated and the conflict between this basic human need and its potential downside.
I think Mr Khoury has done a wonderful job of combining a wonderfully inspirational and epic tale with a great deal of substance that will no doubt generate hours of debate within my book club and others. This books connects on so many levels that I'd be hard pressed to compare it to others in the genre, as the author clearly has some thought provoking ideas he wants to present while never losing sight that this is first and foremost an entertaining page turner, which it most certainly is.
My biggest surprise was visiting the author's website and reading about the mind boggling offer he got ten years ago when he first wrote this story as a film script. The words "lose the religion" will definitely take on "jump the shark" reference status in our household from now on. Perhaps the time wasn't right for it back then, Lord knows we're in the grip of rising fundamentalism both here and overseas and it's an issue that is far more relevant today than it was back then. Kudos to him for refusing the inane offer he describes and staying the course.
As for the characters, I found them beautifully crafted and substantial. While there was a certain familiarity about them, I wouldn't really expect them not to be attractive, intelligent, or heroic. I would have loved their personal journeys to be more fleshed out, at the risk of slowing down the charging pace of the story, but all in all I think the author did a fabulous job of finding a good balance.
This is one of those rare, rare times that my husband, daughter and I have all fallen in love with the same book which believe me is no small achievement for an author to pull off. I couldn't recommend it more highly.
Summary of The Last Templar
With rights already sold in heated auctions in twenty-one countries, The Last Templar, Raymond Khoury?s epic debut novel, is ready to thrill readers on these shores. ?It has served us well, this myth of Christ.?
?Pope Leo X, 16th Century
In a hail of fire and flashing sword, as the burning city of Jerusalem falls from the hands of the West in 1291, The Last Templar opens with a young Templar knight, his mentor, and a handful of others escaping to the sea carrying a mysterious chest entrusted to them by the Order?s dying Grand Master. The ship vanishes without a trace.
In present day Manhattan, four masked horsemen dressed as Templar Knights emerge from Central Park and ride up the Fifth Avenue steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the blacktie opening of a Treasures of the Vatican exhibit. Storming through the crowds, the horsemen brutally attack anyone standing between them and their prize. Attending the gala, archaeologist Tess Chaykin watches in silent terror as the leader of the horsemen hones in on one piece in particular, a strange geared device. He utters a few cryptic Latin words as he takes hold of it with reverence before leading the horsemen out and disappearing into the night.
In the aftermath, an FBI investigation is led by anti-terrorist specialist Sean Reilly. Soon, he and Tess are drawn into the dark, hidden history of the crusading Knights, plunging them into a deadly game of cat and mouse with ruthless killers as they race across three continents to recover the lost secret of the Templars.
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