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75 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The start of a promising new series, March 1, 2006
Steve Berry has acquired a formidable reputation within the relatively short space of three novels. His latest work, THE TEMPLAR LEGACY, introduces readers to Cotton Malone, a former covert agent of the U.S. Justice Department.
The history of the rise and fall of the Templars, from a force created for the protection of Christian pilgrims to a society whose wealth and power equaled (and perhaps threatened) that of the Roman Catholic Church that they purportedly served, is fascinating even as it is shrouded in mystery. The primary questions about the Templars that have yet to be answered are: 1) How did the organization manage to acquire the power that it did? and 2) What happened to its much-rumored treasure, which was seemingly lost forever when the Templars experienced a rough disbanding at the hands of an alliance of convenience between church and state? Berry sends Malone on a wild chase to connect the dots in a tale that is equal parts cerebral and cataclysmic.
Malone finds himself drawn into the pursuit of the Templar legacy when what was supposed to be a visit with Stephanie Nelle, his former supervisor at Justice, turns into a purse snatching that ends when the perpetrator, after being cornered, commits suicide. It develops that the would-be thief is after a notebook of Nelle's late and estranged husband that has passed into her possession under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Nelle's husband had become famous writing a number of speculative works concerning European mysteries of the 14th century, including the disappearance of the Templar fortune. His notebooks and a seemingly innocuous manuscript appear to hold the key to the ultimate location of the treasure trove.
Malone and Nelle are in competition with others in a race to the treasure --- a race that includes the modern-day leader of the Templars, an organization that has continued to exist quietly, biding its time. Malone gets some assistance from unexpected sources, including an exotic and capable Moslem beauty with an agenda of her own and a Templar monk whose destiny appears to be forewritten in prophecy. As they draw closer to unearthing the treasure, however, Malone finds that the number of people whom he can fully trust becomes fewer and fewer, even as the path to the treasure, and the Templar legacy, grows more dangerous.
Berry has created a likable, capable, and ultimately believable character in Malone, one who is perhaps more competent cerebrally than physically, though he certainly is no slouch in either department. Malone's de facto alter ego --- after cashing in his retirement, he owns and operates a bookstore in Denmark --- is both intriguing and intrinsically ironic, a status quo that hopefully will be retained in future novels. THE TEMPLAR LEGACY thus simultaneously serves as Malone's introduction and keeps Berry's string of winning novels intact.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Three-and-a-half stars, really. It wasn't awful., March 10, 2007
If you travel a lot and often find yourself needing to pick up a book in the airport, it is nearly inevitable that you will find yourself reading some of the seemingly endless Gweat Sekwet of the Templars/Holy Grail books. After a truly cringeworthy encounter with the Kate Mosse entry into the genre, I picked the Berry book up extremely gingerly. To be honest, I probably would not have picked it up at all if it were not for the collection of positive blurbs from respectable sources on the back of the book.
As an airplane/vacation book, The Templar Legacy was not too bad. Okay, Cotton Malone is a lukewarm pastiche of the classic noir and thriller characters. Character development is clearly not a strong point of the book. Still, the action was consistent and the Gweat Sekwet not too ridiculous. (At least there was none of the tiresome bloodline of Christ stuff involved.) I thought that it was reasonably literate and had a decent feel for plot and entertainment. The writing was definitely clunky in places, but not too terrible considering the genre. It felt like the publisher did not care enough to invest in a decent proofread/editing round more than anything else.
In short-- not a bad read if you are looking for something light and readily available. I found the supposed anti-Christian elements to be nothing more than typical speculative plot tropes-- a little surprised that people get so worked up about them. Still, if easily offended by writers who try to reinterpret religious history, you may want to approach with caution. While there is some excessive violence (largely in the first section), the writing is pretty clean so the book can be read by all ages.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A RIVETING THRILLER..., August 11, 2007
Once again, this author had me enthralled with his mélange of historical fiction, adventure, and suspense. As I have long had an interest in the Knights Templar, this book had me from the beginning, hook, line, and sinker. I was riveted. The plot is centered on the search for the reputed missing treasury of the Knights Templar, as well as an ancient Templar archive known as the Great Devise, which may conflict with accepted Christian dogma. While, as with others of the author's books, the plot may seem a bit far-fetched, it does not diminish the entertainment value of this work of fiction.
The book's central character, Cotton Malone, is a former operative for the United States government, now retired and living in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he operates a rare book store. When he is visited by his former boss, Stephanie Nelle, Cotton finds himself embroiled in the middle of a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries. It appears that the Knights Templar, long thought to have ceased to exist after they were exterminated in the fourteenth century, are alive and well and headed by a fanatic in pursuit of those clues that will lead them to the Great Devise, as well as the lost treasury of the Knights Templar of old. Ms. Nelle is believed by them to have some of the clues that will lead to that which is being sought.
Intermixed with the action and adventure is a good amount of information on the history of the Knights Templar, as well as the contradictions amongst the various Gospels in terms of the Resurrection. As with the author's other books, there are many twists and turns in the tale, which makes for a fast-paced, exciting story that is sure to grip the reader. Although the book is wholly plot driven, the short shrift given to character development does not diminish the capacity of this book to entertain the reader, so strong is the story line, which is quite complex and downright ingenious. I found myself compulsively turning the pages of this book, until the very last one was turned. Those readers who enjoyed Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code", as well as "Angels and Demons", will enjoy this intricately plotted thriller.
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