Customer Reviews

Trail of Fate (The Youngest Templar, Book 2)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Following the events in the previous novel, young Tristan has escaped the evil Sir Hugh, only to wash upon shore in the midst of a group of French Cathars. Not knowing if his friends are alive, Tristan must still guard the Grail and keep it from Sir Hugh who never seems to be very far away. Meanwhile, Tristan finds himself falling for the leader of the Cathars, and embroiled in the midst of their own conflict as well.

Tristan is a wonderful character, with deep conviction and honor. He's brave, humble, and extremely bright. When faced with tough decisions, he stands by his promise, even when it may not be the popular opinion.

With just as much adventure and suspense as the first, this sequel was a fast and enjoyable read. With another cliffhanger ending, fans will be eagerly awaiting the next installment. And I am one of them. This quest-based fantasy is a wonderfully fun and exciting story for young fantasy fans.

THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: TRAIL OF FATE (BOOK 2)
MICHAEL P. SPRADLIN
Historical Fantasy

Rating: 4 Enchantments

THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR Picks up shortly after book one ends, TRAIL OF FATE starts with Tristan washed ashore, alone and not sure where he is. Drifting in and out of consciousness, he is soon discovered by an armed group on horseback, four men and two women, including the beautiful Celia. He soon finds out that they are Cathars and in danger from the High Counsel led by Father Renard after Celia upset the archbishop during a meeting. Torn between helping them and his own mission, he reluctantly leaves them and heads to find the port town with Maryam and Robard. But when they run into Father Renard on the beach, Tristan quickly changes his mind and lies about knowing where Celia and the others were headed. Deciding to help them, Tristan loses one of his friends when Robard decides to go home, leaving him, Maryam and the dog, Angel, on their own.

What I love most about Mr. Spradlin's writing is the way you feel like you're right there in the story with Tristan and company. Tristan is as stubborn and determined as ever, willing to risk his own life to fulfill his mission to Sir Thomas and deliver the Grail. Celia and his feelings for her throw things off balance. With a vow to one of her fallen protectors, Tristan puts himself directly into harm's way and his friends as well. I hope we'll see Celia again in the future, as she was an intriguing character who seemed a good match for Tristan. The relationship between Robard and Maryam continues to evolve and I loved the dialogue between them and Tristan realizing there's something brewing between them.

The action in THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR: TRAIL OF FATE moves fairly fast at some points, especially when they finally reach Montsegur and again in the final few chapters. The last few chapters were some of my favorite parts of the book, when Tristan, Robard and Maryam are trying to escape France and the dangerous and equally evil Sir Hugh to find their way to Scotland to finally deliver the Grail. With a jaw-dropping cliff-hanger as an ending, readers will be demanding the next in this adventurous series.

Michael P. Spradlin is the author of more than a dozen books for children. When not writing, he enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with his family and worrying over the fact that he really should be writing instead of doing other stuff.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009

The tale of Tristan, a young squire of the Knights of the Templar, continues. At the end of KEEPER OF THE GRAIL, the first book in the series, Tristan's fate was in question as he sailed into a horrible storm. Book #2 begins as Tristan wakes to discover that he has survived, but he doesn't know where he has washed ashore or what is in store for him.

When he awakes he is surrounded by a half-dozen people with weapons drawn. Tristan is able to use his limited French to determine the leader of the group is a beautiful young woman named Celia, and he has indeed washed ashore along the coast of France.

Soon Tristan's partners, Robard and Maryam, make an unexpected appearance and the new adventures begin. Tristan's old friends pledge to defend him as he decides to help Celia and her followers outwit the High Counsel of France. What follows is one trick after another as Tristan attempts to throw the High Counsel off the Cathars' trail.

Just when Tristan thinks all he has to do is help the Cathars and then resume his journey to deliver the Grail, his enemy, Sir Hugh, arrives to make things difficult. Sir Hugh has supposedly joined forces with the High Counsel to rid the region of Cathars, but his real objective is to find Tristan and seize the precious Grail for himself.

TRAIL OF FATE is filled with enough sword fights, bows and arrows and crossbows, battering rams, and flaming pots of liquid lard to satisfy any teen looking for adventure. Author Michael P. Spradlin takes his readers into a century long ago but makes it seem alive and relevant to today. Tristan is a likeable hero with incredible courage, a clever mind, and a sense of humor one doesn't expect in a character from the middle ages.

It is going to be difficult to wait for Book #3 to find out where Tristan's adventures will take him next.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Storyline - Tristan washes up on the shores of France and meets a group of Cathars, and their leader Celia, who are in trouble with some powerful men. Tristan has to decide if he can help them and still guard the Grail. Especially with Sir Hugh on his trail and a new enemy lurking a head.

Positive - "Honor, duty, and sacrifice" (Orphan of Destiny, Chap. 38, Pg. 252) is not only the Templar morals but also the theme with in the series. Tristan stays true to his knight and friends, even when they go and get themselves in trouble. Tristan is willing to give any thing for the safety of his friends. Robard is a caring and protective character even with his hot head and vengeful spirit, who would do anything for his friends. Maryam is the voice of reason and can get to what is troubling someone. She also is someone they group can depend on is sticky situations and is willing to listen and give support when needed. The dog, Angel, is a pretty neat character as well.

Negative - Robard is very hot headed and vengeful. There were some sware words in this book as well.

Finish - A series I heartily enjoyed over the last couple of years as they came out one by one. I also enjoyed the endings (cliffhangers). I also like the end of this series which is always an important thing for me and, if any more stories can be told about Tristan and his friends, I would love to read them. Sword fights, chase scenes, and good writing and morals bring this book together for a great read which will make you want to know what happens next. Recommend to anyone who loves adventure and/or books placed in a historical setting. A great series worth the time to read.

After reading the 1st book in this series, my 11 year old begged for this book. If your child is interested in adventure during medieval times, this book will not disappoint.

"Trail of Fate," the second book in "The Youngest Templar" trilogy picks up right where the previous book (Keeper of the Grail) left off, in which our hero and protagonist Tristan is swept overboard during a storm and washed up on the shores of southern France. In his possession is the Holy Grail, bequeathed to him by his master Sir Thomas, along with a solemn promise to deliver it in safety to Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland.

The task is not quite as simple as it seems, for a rogue Templar Knight called Sir Hugh is after Tristan for reasons that he can't quite fathom, knowing only that the man coverts the Grail and knows something about Tristan's mysterious parentage. But for now, Tristan has bigger problems. Separated from his friends Robard and Maryam (sound familiar?), Tristan is found by a group of French travelers who are more than what they seem.

Instantly smitten by their leader (mainly because she's a. pretty, and b. smells nice), Tristan swears his loyalty to Lady Celia and learns that she and her companions are Cathars, and therefore considered heretics by the church. The main conflict of the novel is Tristan and his allies protecting Lady Celia and her people as Sir Hugh's Templars and the Church's High Counsel lay siege to their fortress of Montsegur, with added intrigue involving Sir Hugh's vendetta against Tristan, his mysterious background, and his commitment to protecting the Grail.

Once again Michael Spradlin tells a tale that is high on action, low on logic, but which should appeal to most young readers, especially those with a taste for historical fiction with a few hints of fantasy and legend. Told in first-person narrative, Tristan keeps the plot racing along at break-neck speed, not stopping to dwell on any frivolous details. The main thrust of the plot involves Tristan and his companions stumbling into one dangerous circumstance after another, relying on Tristan to come up with various plans to extract them from their continuous life-or-death situations.

Joining Tristan in his quest are Robard Hode and the Saracen Maryam, who are clearly meant to be the prototypes for Robin Hood and Maid Marian (how Spradlin will link these two up with their roles in the familiar legends remains to be seen). Robard is a familiar-enough figure: a master bowman, a rebel against authority and sympathetic to the poor; but Maryam has been reimagined as a Saracen assassin. It is an interesting variation on the iconic Maid Marian, but Tristan (and the author) is frustratingly uninterested in her. How did this young woman come to be trained as an assassin? Why is she essentially betraying her own people in order to help two Englishmen? Does she have any qualms about falling in love with a Christian? Nobody asks, and she's not telling; as such, she remains an enigmatic presence throughout.

Amidst all this action, the Grail itself is little more than an afterthought; a McGuffin that makes a low humming sound whenever Tristan is in danger and which may or may not have miraculous powers. So far, it's not particularly interesting.

The story is sprinkled with historical tidbits, such as information on the Crusades and the Cathars, and in the previous book Spradlin painted an accurate portrait of King Richard as a tempestuous man who is quick to both anger and forgiveness; here we meet the equally interesting Queen Eleanor who is portrayed as a rather conniving adult-child with a "high-pitched cackle" but a cool head, who clearly knows more than she's letting on about Tristan's mysterious lineage.

"Trail of Fate" is an improvement on its predecessor, with a smoother and less disjointed story, as well as higher stakes and deeper character development. Unfortunately, it ends on another irritating cliffhanger. It's one thing ending the book mid-journey, but to have a "to be continued" tagline in the midst of a stalemate in which lives hang in the balance is just cruel. As I said in my review for Keeper of the Grail, it's probably best for readers to simply wait until the final installment is released before starting the trilogy.

I read these books after my son did, and they are fun reading, but the first to leave you hanging waiting for the next book...out in October

I really liked this one much better than the first one.

This book picks up right where the first one leaves off. Tristen is floating in the ocean. He washed up on land and is saved by a group. The group isn't sure if he's a spy or not, but they help him anyway, but keep a very close eye on him. Tristen's friends from the first book attempt a rescue mission, but Tristen tells them that all of them are friends, and they helped him survive. It turns out that the ones that recused Tristen need his help very badly. He's torn, does he help his new friends, or continue the mission that Sir Thomas needs him to do and get the Holy Grail safe. He gave his word that he'd help his new friends, and a Templar's word (oath) is his bond, so what is he do to. While all of this is going on Sir Hugh is still after Tristen and he wants the grail. Sir Hugh will kill anyone, man, women, or child that gets in his way.

Over all, I really liked this adventure. There wasn't any great plot twists, but there was enough action that it held my attention. There was one let down. In the first book, we were teased about Tristen, on who he is, might be, and who his parents are. I thought that we'd find out some answers, sadly, this isn't the case. Again, we're teased about Tristen, but not given any answers. The author could be playing a dangerous game. You can tease readers only so much, then they stop caring. I hope we find out more about Tristen's past.

There was a lot of character development and the author has a nice writing style that keeps an even flow.

I was glad I stuck with the series, and I can't wait for the next installment.

The Youngest Templar is an intriguing story about a young
squire during the Crusades who has been tasked with
returning the legendary Holy Grail to England. With no ship
to take, he must take the land route with his friends. His
friend Robard is a banished archer with great skill. Also,
with them is a Hashashin assassin who has great talent in
camoflauge. Their amazing journey takes them to meet French
outcasts who are running away from someone but not telling
who.

I thought this book was very interesting. It got me
thinking because I had never read a book that took place
during the Crusades. To me, it gave a perspective into a
world that was more interesting than Star Wars. I ended up
buying the first book because I liked this one so much.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

In 1191 Templar knight squire Tristan knows he is lucky to remain alive having barely escaped the murderous intent of malevolent Sir Hugh who demanded he give over the Holy Grail if he wanted an easy death (see KEEPER OF THE GRAIL). Tristan comes ashore having lost contact with his allies on the ship Robard and Maryam. He has a lot on his mind for he is unsure what to do or who to go to with his holy relic; Tristan misses his Templar Knight Sir Thomas who would advise him what to do next. He fears for his friends who may be dead or worse help captive.

On shore in a land he does not know, Tristan finds himself amidst French Cathars. He is attracted to their leader Celia and wants to help their cause even if she and her cohorts clearly loath Templars for their undying support to the pope whom they deem treacherous cowardly and avaricious. They fight against the religious persecution of the ruthless King of France, but Tristan knows Sir Hugh still pursues him and he must return to England immediately. However, Tristan thinks with his wrong head and offers his assistance to the Cathars thus jeopardizing his mission and the Holy Grail he protects.

The second Youngest Templar is a terrific medieval thriller held together by Tristan, who proves brave and loyal although his decisions endanger the Grail he protects. The support cast is solid whether they support or oppose the young champion. Filled with action, fans will enjoy this coming of age entry as the audience knows as does Tristan Sir Hugh is coming for him, but he still stops to abet the Cathars as he believes their cause to be just.

Harriet Klausner