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myquirkycompass's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 actually. I liked this book a lot. Thrilling and hilarious.
speesh's review against another edition
3.0
It won't win me many converts I'm thinking, and I'll no doubt be shunned at The Discerning Blogger's Christmas Dinner and Dance...but who cares? This was a really rather fine read. Perhaps the best of the series so far. Speaking as a connoisseur of Paul Christopher's Templar series that is.
as with most of the others, this is enjoyable, readable hokum. This one is more enjoyable, the readability is at the top and the hokum is kept to a believable minimum. He's not had many facts to spread around in the previous few books, but makes up for it here. Not all Templar-related either. I'm not going to pass judgement on some of the connections, theories made or put forward here, which actually form the basis for the book. But let's face it, they're the stuff you really, down inside, hope, wish, were true. Did happen. Like all those Erich Von Däniken books you read in your youth (if you're as old as me), made real. And made sense. Which this story does. There is, admittedly, not a lot to do with the Templars, or legions of any sort. Neither does there seem to be anything about the ‘priceless treasure’ and the 'riddle solving’ (see above) which do seem to have been left that out after the back cover blurb was written. Other than that, not a lot to complain about, a good solid very readable and enjoyable thriller. Can't complain about that.
See all my reviews here: Speesh Reads
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as with most of the others, this is enjoyable, readable hokum. This one is more enjoyable, the readability is at the top and the hokum is kept to a believable minimum. He's not had many facts to spread around in the previous few books, but makes up for it here. Not all Templar-related either. I'm not going to pass judgement on some of the connections, theories made or put forward here, which actually form the basis for the book. But let's face it, they're the stuff you really, down inside, hope, wish, were true. Did happen. Like all those Erich Von Däniken books you read in your youth (if you're as old as me), made real. And made sense. Which this story does. There is, admittedly, not a lot to do with the Templars, or legions of any sort. Neither does there seem to be anything about the ‘priceless treasure’ and the 'riddle solving’ (see above) which do seem to have been left that out after the back cover blurb was written. Other than that, not a lot to complain about, a good solid very readable and enjoyable thriller. Can't complain about that.
See all my reviews here: Speesh Reads
Speesh Reads Facebook Page
canada_matt's review against another edition
3.0
Having read all the books that Christopher Hyde has penned under the PAUL CHRISTOPHER banner, I was quite unimpressed with this, the latest in the Templar series. The Templat theme has been swept to the wayside, leaving us only with crumbs of its presence. We are left with another, perhaps more dramatic storyline, with small tidbits of Templar talk and ideeas, but nothing like the earlier stories.
Christopher introduces the theme of Templars with his intro and some early chapters. I find it funny that one of the characters, upon arrival in Africa, actually echoes the thought I had throughout the book, "I am here for the Templars, not this Africa stuff". Alas, Africa and ther portrait of ongoing corruption topo front stage, leaving those of us who like the Templars to suck at the few bones we are offered for some marrow.
The book did have a fast pace and a somewhat honest storyline, but I just expected something else. I wanted the thrill of uncovering new and forgotten truths (a la Dan Brown, I suppose) or some hidden excitement that pits past and present (a la Raymond Khoury). No worries, I do have those authors on my shelf, so I will not be without.
Nice to have some Canadian locales in pop fiction, helping to make the world see that we are not some head in the sand' peaceful folk who don't have anything going on in our syrup-loving households.
Not a 'bad' book, but surely not one of his best. Let's hope this series does not go the way of Finn Ryan; slow disintegration!
Christopher introduces the theme of Templars with his intro and some early chapters. I find it funny that one of the characters, upon arrival in Africa, actually echoes the thought I had throughout the book, "I am here for the Templars, not this Africa stuff". Alas, Africa and ther portrait of ongoing corruption topo front stage, leaving those of us who like the Templars to suck at the few bones we are offered for some marrow.
The book did have a fast pace and a somewhat honest storyline, but I just expected something else. I wanted the thrill of uncovering new and forgotten truths (a la Dan Brown, I suppose) or some hidden excitement that pits past and present (a la Raymond Khoury). No worries, I do have those authors on my shelf, so I will not be without.
Nice to have some Canadian locales in pop fiction, helping to make the world see that we are not some head in the sand' peaceful folk who don't have anything going on in our syrup-loving households.
Not a 'bad' book, but surely not one of his best. Let's hope this series does not go the way of Finn Ryan; slow disintegration!
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