3 of 5 stars
Series:
John Holliday 5
My version:
Paper
Fiction Adventure, Templars, Vikings
Penguin
2012
Bought
The hunter becomes the hunter.
Army Ranger Lt. Col. John Holliday continues his quest to uncover the mysterious secrets of the ancient Templar Order, an organisation renowned for its incredible wealth and hidden power.
ªHolliday is swept into an adventure as deadly as it is secretive when an archaeologist friend makes a bizarre find in Ethiopia. But when he follows a trail of clues through the chaotic and lawless horn of Africa, Holliday finds himself hunted by a ruthless foe, as he comes closer and closer to a priceless treasure…an ancient artefact that can only be found by those who can solve a riddle from the past.
But his pursuers will stop at nothing to get it first…
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.
You can buy The Templar Legion at Booksplea.se
Related reviews on Speesh Reads:
Couldn't I Just Tell You 
If you liked Von Daniken you should read Graham Hancock’s new one, or even just watch one of his talks on Youtube. Great stuff.
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I’ve read the one about the Ark of the Covenant. I’m pretty sure. Isn’t he as mad as a balloon?
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I wasn’t that keen on the one about the Ark, Fingerprints of the Gods and the new one Magicians of the Gods are both good reads. I wouldn’t say he’s mad at all – he seems extremely smart in his interviews and he’s done a couple of TED talks although they removed them because he’s on the fringes….
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I’ll have to check his other ones out then, I’m usually a sucker for all that sort of stuff. Does he have bits about ‘bearded white men’ in carvings/pictures by the Mayans or Incas?
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Probably in Fingerprints – everyone did back then. His new book is mostly about the geological evidence for a major flood wiping out civilisation. I listened to the Audible version and it was really good. As I say, check out one of his talks on Youtube about Magicians of the Gods. He talks for about an hour and a half and covers much of his ideas.
He doesn’t appear to make everything up like Sitchin!
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