Customer Reviews

Knights of the Black and White (A Templar Novel)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I accidentally stumbled across this book. I bought it (in paperback) because I'm interested in the Templars' story. I'd never read Jack Whyte's books before. I found it a great read and very well written. I'm somewhat mystified by others' complaints about the book, though, and since those who complained weren't really very explicit about what it was that they didn't like, I hope I can explain exactly why I DID like it in order to be helpful to those thinking about buying it and who might enjoy it, as I did. (I suspect that the complainers may have been like those who rejected "The Da Vinci Code" out of hand because they were so shocked at the suggestion of a relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene that they couldn't handle it. Actually, this book does not take the same tack, but may be equally shocking to those of fragile faith.)

First, I thought Mr. Whyte took a very interesting approach to the Templar story, one that was different from the tack taken by "The Da Vinci Code" and its imitators. (Nothing wrong with that -- those books are entertaining in their own way, but they are not focused on the Templars, per se.) Whyte's story starts with the men who went to take part in the first Crusade and later founded the Templar Order, particularly Hugh de Payens. Whyte fills in a surprising and interesting backstory about another ancient, secret Order behind the scenes which provided the motivation for the men who later founded the Order. In Whyte's story, these men didn't go to the Crusades, found the Templars, then later stumble across secrets in the foundations of the Temple Mount -- they went to the Crusades with the intention of finding something on the Temple Mount and already were in possession of information about what they might find and where they might find it. They founded the order that later became known as the Templars as a means for them to accomplish their secret purpose -- since it allowed them to hide in plain sight what they were actually doing. That's quite an interesting take on the story.

Second, I liked the development of the whole plot line of the book. The character of Hugh de Payens is an interesting portrayal of a very serious, taciturn, principled man of action. Although some reviewers complained about "talky" passages being too long, I disagree. I thought that the passages in which his elders in the secret order explain to Hugh their beliefs and his duties are necessary. (There were lots of people who complained about the character Morpheus's "talky" parts of the film "The Matrix," too -- but I disagree about that, as well. Sometimes you just have to have someone tell you the information that is the "set-up" for the story or belief system that the new person -- and over his shoulder, the reader -- is learning about.) I thought this was a reasonable way to do it, and I liked the "re-cap" as well, meaning that after the first round of informative explanation about the secret order as they join up, Hugh and his two best friends spend a later chapter talking to each other about what they think about what they've recently learned and -- now that they have a secret they can't share -- how it sets them apart from everyone they have previously been close to. I found that an interesting and plausible description of that situation. I thought the description of the experiences of the major characters during the Crusades (the middle section of the book) was good -- it was fast, action-packed, and provided a solid narrative that the reader can follow to see what it might have been like to have been there. The final section, regarding the founding of the Templar order (not called that at first, though) and the digging in the Temple ruins, was quite interesting, I thought. Perhaps some people became impatient with the narrative and wanted to just skip on to the part where they finally find the ruins beneath the ruins, but I thought it made the story more realistic (i.e., true to the experience) as well as more plausible (i.e., it's reasonable to assume that the Templars may have had had an inkling going in of the significance of what they were searching for if they had to dig so long and so hard to find it).

Third, I thought that the story provided an interesting take on the relationships between people in the area (i.e., the primarily Sunni people of Jerusalem and others in the wider Middle East -- like the Shi'a in what is now Iraq who later gave rise to Saladin, who bested (in the Third Crusade) Richard the Lionheart and denied him entry into Jerusalem.) Whyte's story thus provides a glimpse of the world the Templars have taken (temporarily) and the forces that begin to react to their being there and continue to affect them as long as they are there. For example, I have read other books -- like "The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven" by James Wasserman -- that discuss possible connections and cross-influences between the followers of the Old Man of the Mountain and the Templars, if only to be aware of and to try to understand each others' effectiveness as fighters. Thus, I found Whyte's depiction of the aquaintance between the youngest Templar, Stephen St. Clair, and Hassan the Assissin to be interesting and plausible.

Perhaps this story isn't for everyone -- but for me, it was a good read and had lots of interesting ideas and characters.

I'm eagerly awaiting the second book in the trilogy!

Jewish families escaping the wrath of the Christian conquest of the Roman Empire create a secret society, the Order of the Rebirth of Sion, whose long term objective is to reveal the truth about the Church that they believe is built on lies and "an invalid creation". Over the centuries they hide, but prepare and wait patiently for the opportunity to destroy the myth. Late in the eleventh century, the chance arrives when Pope Urban calls for a Crusade to take back the Holy Land from the Infidels because the order believes that the proof is hidden under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Joining the Christian army is sworn members of the Order of the Rebirth of Sion like Sir Hugh de Payens and Stephen St. Clair. During the effort to free Jerusalem from the Muslims, men like these two seek entry into the Temple Mount where they plan to excavate. The violent war is a cover for competing western groups who either want to prove a sham or destroy the evidence, if any exists while the Muslims block their path into one of the holiest shrines.

Conceptually the first book of the latest Templar tales contains a terrific theme as various hostile sides converge on the temple Mount. However, the story line is slowed down by obloquies, soliloquies and colloquies that ironically provide a key feel for the conditions of the First Crusaders but also lacks action. Still the Knights Templar crowd will enjoy the newest entry that enthusiastically illuminates what has become an inundated topic.

Harriet Klausner

I had just finished the last book in the Camulod Series, and was thrilled to find more works by Jack Whyte. I wanted to like this book so much, but after reading 200 pages I gave up. I swear one of my most favorite authors did not write this book!

I decided to see what other readers here thought of the book, just to make sure part of my brain wasn't missing or something. It looks like readers either really liked, or really didn't like it. The readers who liked it found it riveting and interesting, while I found it neither. The only explanation I can imagine for this is that the other half of us got a different book.

At any rate, if you have not read Jack Whyte before, and are interested in the Templars, you might like this book. However, if you hungrily read every book of the Camulod Chronicles and found the writing to be some of the best you've ever enjoyed, you probably won't like this book. If you are in the latter category, stick with Camulod and cut your losses. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I found Jack Whyte's first book in his new series to be a page-turner and very well-written. It is well-grounded in the history of the period, even if it does deal in a fantasy. I can suspend my knowledge of the historical Templars to enjoy a fantasy about them and he is not the first to write such a pastiche as exemplified by Katherine Kurtz's efforts. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, due out in December of 2007. It is already on my Wish List. Standard of Honor

Mr. Whyte has more than satisfied my long wait for another epic series from his pen! His writing style and explanations are so clear and succint. I have long been facinated with the Knights Templar, their history,and their message. I recently toured Britain and visited both Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland and the Temple Church in London.

Rather than just focusing on their demise, Oct 13, 1307, or their participation in the Crusades (most plots in fiction seem to relate to one or the other), Mr. Whyte theorizes as to their inception and beginnings. That is one of the real mysteries of the organization. And his hunch is certainly plausible.

The book is a fast read, with a great deal of "food for thought". I devoured all the books of his Camulod series, and am eager to begin his next installment of this series. Make room in your Templar library for this addition.

OK, I really wanted to like this novel, and was looking forward to reading an adventure about the Templar Knights. This book reads like a draft outline of a novel in paragraph form. For example, we're told early on that a character has a sparkling wit, and 200 pages on I'm still looking for an example of that wit. There's only sparse dialog here, and what little dialog is very stilted. It's all completely lifeless. Cardboard characters would be a step up from the depth on display here.

If you are a fan of the Templar myth you will love this book. It does an amazing job of retelling these tales of old, and even though its fiction making it seem so real by fitting the characters so perfectly with what they really would be like in that time.

I had never read any of mr whytes books before but am always fascinated with tales of the Knights Templar. His book can get a little wordy but the twist on his premise for the secrets of Sion were a refreshing twist to a well-worn subject. I look forward to the next in the series, to see how much ground he can cover in a relatively short space, if this is truly to be a trilogy, he needs to cover a lot more chronological ground in the next episode. The book did manage to hold my interest and was well written, in my opinion. Tom Hann

I picked this up cheap at the bargain bin of a local bookstore, and still feel like a tossed six bucks away.

I appreciated some of the background theories Whyte put together regarding the Templars, but it would have made a better essay (of perhaps 20 pages) than a full-length novel. But I also believe good fiction requires more than an interesting theory, such as plot and well-drawn characters. And by divulging the history of the Templars right in the beginning, Whyte leaves us little to hang on for, something even that hack Dan Brown managed to refrain from doing.

Whyte's writing is tedious and long-winded, and he seems incapable of creating even a single interesting character. His attempts to endear us to his protagonists or summon a sense of camaraderie fell entirely flat: I couldn't tell any of them apart and felt absolutely no connection to a single one. In fact, I'm not even sure there is a protagonist (although I assume it's supposed to be Hugh de Payens).

I finally decided to stop wasting my time about halfway through, when he introduced a handsome and pious super-knight and a wicked temptress to tempt him. Considering the plotting was so plodding (like through knee-deep mud) and the characters (as one reviewer put it) flimsier than cardboard, I figured I'd save myself the embarrassment of reading his take on that old saw.

Unlike most of the other reviewers, I am dead in the middle on this one. I read it because a trusted friend assured me I would enjoy it. He was correct....to a point.

This novel offers interesting perspectives on feudal times in France and the Holy Land and a thought provoking view of the Crusades and of the medievil Catholic church. The story itself runs hot and cold though. It starts reasonably well, bogs down badly in the middle and then picks up nicely at the end. Stylistically, I felt the author got carried away with details and with the sound of his own words (at least 100 pages could have been edited out with no harm done to the story). Also, I felt that the sexual scenes were overdone and could have been lifted from a drugstore romance novel.

In the final analysis, I am glad I stayed with this, but it was a real chore at times.