The Templar Salvation
Publication date/ Length: 2010 / 405 pages
First line: “Stay low, and keep quiet,” the grizzled man whispered as he helped the knight clamber onto the walkway.
Synopsis (from the jacket cover): Constantinople, 1203: As the rapacious armies of the Fourth Crusade lay siege to the city, a secretive band of Templars infiltrate the imperial library. Their target: a cache of documents that must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the doge of Venice. They escape with three heavy chests filled with explosive secrets that these men will not live long enough to learn.
Review: Recently, Khoury’s publisher contacted me about reading and reviewing The Templar Salvation and I agreed since I knew this would encourage me to finally read The Last Templar, which I had heard so many good things about. So, two weeks ago I sat down and devoured Templar. Salvation is equally satisfying on many levels, but I must admit I still enjoyed the first novel more.
Salvation understandably focuses less on character development, since we had already gotten to know Tess and Reilly quite well in the first installment. However, I felt as if the “bad guy” was more 2-dimensional in this book. Since I am a reader drawn primarily to character-driven narratives, I would have liked a bit more complexity in the villain. I do realize that some individuals are truly evil, without any redeeming qualities, but I just tend to find these people less compelling, whether fictional or not.
However, the diminished character development allowed more of an emphasis on plot, so this sequel was an even faster read than The Last Templar. Hard to believe, but true. As I noted in my previous review, Khoury’s background as a screenwriter is evident and this novel was equally as visual as the first. At times, I felt as if I were watching the action, rather than reading it. Exciting explosions, death-defying escapes from impenetrable caves, and mutiple cell-phone activated bombs strapped to the good guys are just a sampling of the adventures that lie waiting between the covers.
But, this emphasis on action did allow less room for the philosophical musings that I enjoyed so much in the first book. So, did I enjoy Salvation? Absolutely — just not quite as much as the first one.
Never read anything by him…please count me in!
~Renee
Would be pleased to win this. On my list of books to read this year.
I would like to read this! Thank you!
I am new to the book club scene, to top it off I was voted in as leader of my club! Would love to read this book…
Sounds good…please enter me, thanks.
ruthiekb72ATyahooDOTcom
I’d like to give this one a try – please include me!