At last, the book more than a million fans are waiting for: the sequel to The Last Templar.
With its iconic title and unmistakable cover, Raymond Khoury's million-copy- selling The Last Templar remains one of the most memorable thriller publications of the last decade. Finally, after four long years, Khoury returns to the world of the Templars with The Templar Salvation, a sequel that's every bit as eye-popping and as gripping as its predecessor.
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.
Vatican City, present day: FBI agent Sean Reilly infiltrates the Pope's massive Vatican Secret Archives of the Inquisition. No one but the Pope's trusted secondi get in - but Reilly has earned the Vatican's trust, a trust he has no choice but to violate. His love, Tess Chaykin, has been kidnapped; the key to her freedom lays in this underground tomb, in the form of a document known as the Fondo Templari, a secret history of the infamous Templars.
With his trademark blend of incendiary history and edge-of-your-seat suspense, Raymond Khoury's The Templar Salvation marks a triumphant return to the rich territory that launched his best-selling career.
©2010 Raymond Khoury (P)2010 Penguin Audio
"A book that "jumped the shark""
I am well-read in this "Da Vinci Code"; "Angels and Demons"; Templar mystery type books.
I enjoyed this book, generally, except for two important things:
1. The narrator's voice did not fit the role of "Tess". He cannot do female.
2. Once the "things" (don't want to put spoilers here) are discovered and Tess gives her diatribe about why they are so important...well..that was the "jump the shark" moment for me.
Yes, it's fiction. I get it. However, it would be nice if Khoury knew more about worldviews, the tenets of the religions his writing likes to bash, the way science does not coordinate with "Tessa's" diatribe.
Until this, which is at the end, I did not feel the author had a hidden agenda. Just a good (not gripping but good) book ... until the diatribe and then Khoury showed his hand.
To bad about that, I think. His book would have been more enjoyable and closed with less "soapboxing" if he had been able to separate some of his, apparently, ill will towards organized religion and just, simple, basic good and enthralling writing.
Andrea
"Not one of Khoury's best..."
I've read and enjoyed just about all of Raymond Khoury's books...except Templar Salvation, this is definitely not one of his best audiobooks. The storyline seems to drag and it's too much of an effort to keep engaged in the story.
The readers voice is very distracting, I found myself keeping a running tally of the mis-pronounced words.
I'd pass on this book.
"Written for Children"
This was impossible to listen to. After the first half the bad guy has guns and bombs that are inexhaustible. While on the run stealing cars he has supplies that would require heavy supply trucks. Suddenly I thought, this reminds me of "Christmas Story" when Ralphy is shooting the bad guys in stripes with his bb gun. Save your money and time , pick something else.
"more of the same"
This is the sequel to the Last Templar. Again, agent Sean Reilly is in a race against a terrorist to unravel another Templar secret that will reveal the location of unpublished gospels. The premise is that the contents of these gospel will contradict current Christian teachings and send the Christian world into chaos.
Reilly, and his girl friend, Tess chase the terrorist and clues to this lost Templar treasure. Much of the cleverness in following clues to solve the 700 year old puzzle are abandoned as modern day keepers of the secret simply blurt out what they know to Reilly for no apparent reason...
For my tastes, there was much, too much detail in the fight scenes..especially the final fight scene which I thought would never end. If you like these Templar Knight stories, you will likely enjoy this one but it does not really stand out in anyway over the Last Templar or similar stories by other authors (eg Steve Berry)
"No Salvation Here"
If you are looking for an alternative to Dan Brown's books, skip this one. Frankly, it was just plain silly. And, the narrator becomes most annoying after a while - his voice comes from his nose. Being used to John Lee and Simon Preeble's performances, I found this narrator's reading more of a distraction than attraction. I think even the Templars would be disappointed in this one!
"Good Story, Boring Narration"
It's a good story, although it seems to take the hero WAY too long to catch the bad guy.
Having two story lines, one set in the past and one in the present, was a great way to keep the action going and keep me interested
Boring, monotone, wierd pronunciation (Abdooooooowl). After a few hours his voice begins to grate.
Yes! But it needs to be pared down.
Audible needs to tell you clearly when a book is one in a series. This book refers to some critical events in a previous book that I haven't read. I wouldn't have bought it if I had known.
"The main character is too love sick."
I did not like how Riley now was dumb struck with his heart throb, Tess. He basically is just saving her hide, and not really a part of the story and trying learn about the Templar's. They have way too much sex at times when sex is not appropriate. Tess uses her body to get her way and acts just as stupid in this one as the first one.
The whole story is written in seems as a screen play instead of a novel.
Not this or by this author. I think he has a real problem with the Catholic religion.
yes
no way.
"Not finished but enjoying..."
Really getting into this book and then at 2 hours 10 minutes 32 seconds the book skips, stopping at mid-word and starts up the next chapter. Tried downloading again with the same result. Guess I will have to find a hard copy since it sounded like important dialogue. Looking forward to finishing the book after. Always enjoyed Khoury books and would have rated higher if not for this issue.
"Almost got a speeding ticket!"
Another well written, thrilling novel from the tremendously talented Raymond Khoury. While I agree that the narrator wouldn't be my first choice, the plot, characters, action and rich backstory made me forget everything else. In fact, I almost got a ticket from CHP because I was listening to the Capadocian fight scene (won't say more to avoid spoilers) and totally forgot how fast I was driving. Fortunately for me, the officer let me go with a warning. My only regret is that it feels as if the Templar story line is finished, but I'd like to keep following the adventures of Reilly and Tess.
"This Book is For Critical Thinkers"
Suspenseful, intrigueing and thoughtful. It has some sequences where words take a long time to create the picture, but that is the nature of a book. I thought it was very enjoyable and does raise a number of very interesting questions about institutionalized religion which need to be raised and discussed openly.