A Falcon Flies

Talon #5

by James Boschert

Talon has returned to Acre the crusader port after more than a year in Byzantium. He is now a rich man, the owner of ships and and in possession of a license to play the merchant within the Empire to the north. However riches bring enemies and his past is about to catch up with him as accusations of witchcraft have followed him from Languedoc. An investigation is about to disrupt his life but then everything is changed when he travels to a small fort with Sir Guy de Veres his Templar mentor. They survive a daring attack by 'Assassins but here also he obtains vital information about Rav'an. Before he can act upon the stunning news, the kingdom of Baldwin IV is threatened by none other than the Sultan of Egypt, Salah Ed Din, who is bringing a vast army through Sinai to retake Jerusalem from the Christians. Talon must take part in one of the most significant battles of the time, Montgisard, to help ensure the continued survival of the Kingdom of Jerusalem after which he can set out to find Rav'an and honor his promise made six years earlier. The 'Assassins of Rashid Ed Din the 'Old Man of the Mountain' have targeted him for death having obstructed their plans once too often. He is forced to take a circuitous route through the deepest reaches of the southern deserts on his way to Persia to avoid them, but even then he faces betrayal, imprisonment and execution soon after. His sole objective is to find Rav'an but she is not where he had expected her to be. Once more he must become the assassin and join forces with his long time friend Reza to find her in time and find safety for them all.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

484 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2014

Reviews

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble comes at inopportune times. Just when all is going right for Sir Talon de Gilles, old charges of witchcraft resurface and he comes under close scrutiny by the Bishop in Acre and his henchman, Brother John. But Talon must leave his affairs in his friend Max’s capable hands, for Sir Guy de Veres requires his special talents. Salah ed Din, the Sultan of Egypt, has been too quiet, and Sir Guy fears what that silence might mean for the Templars and the king of Jerusalem in 1177. Additional peril comes from the Assassins of Rashid ed Din, who have been attacking Templar castles – a fact that Talon and Sir Guy experience firsthand when an assault comes from unexpected quarters. Talon’s suspicions help the Templars to gain the upper hand and capture several prisoners, one of whom reveals that Reza and Rav’an yet live.

News of his best friend and his heart’s true love rekindle hope. For six long years, Talon has feared both died soon after the Templars took him prisoner and shipped him back to his real family in France. He yearns to find Reza and Rav’an, but trouble intervenes once more when Salah ed Din’s true intent becomes known: he plans to attack the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Talon’s knowledge of the Egyptians proves invaluable, and his participation in the Battle of Montgisard gains him the edge he needs to be given special dispensation to leave the Templars and search for Reza and Rav’an. But the way to reunion is fraught with escalating perils that threaten to thwart him time and again. Then he hears that Rav’an is a sultan’s wife, her brother’s pawn in an alliance that promises only death if her secret becomes known.

From first page to last, A Falcon Flies keeps the reader spellbound with serpentine twists more numerous than coiled rope and more breathtaking than the plunges and climbs of a roller coaster. As always, Boschert introduces an array of intriguing and unique characters, not least of which is Talon’s servant, a young thief whom he rescues from death. Maps and translations are included to orient readers as they journey from Acre to Antioch, Jerusalem, Bagdad, and Isfahan. A Falcon Flies, the Fifth Book of Talon, is heart-stopping adventure not to be missed. It is also a journey of true love, where one man is willing to risk all to reunite with his beloved.

[Amzon_Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good.

A good story with plenty of action and suspense.

The travels of the Knight, Assassin & Merchant: Talon de Gillies.

[Alex C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another exciting addition to the Talon series. I was glad to see a map included in the e-version but still pretty appalled by all the errors throughout. After a while it's a game to count them and that's not necessarily an added value to the story.
Otherwise the story itself moves along and is a good, fun read.

[Hari Mohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good historical fictions that you rapidly. Interesting and hard part of World with great history. Would be a very good movie.

I recommend it to reader's interested in that part of the World. Their World is in turmoil and they need to be better understood.

[Frederic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful historical fiction as Talon is reunited with his love and his friends