Keeper of the Grail

The Youngest Templar #1

by Michael P. Spradlin

1191 A.D. The orphan Tristan has joined the Knights Templar as a squire, journeying with Richard the Lionheart on his crusade to free the Holy Land from the Saracens. As defeat looms near, Tristan is entrusted with the most sacred of Christian relics, the Holy Grail. He must return it safely to Britain, but he must also keep it secret, because the Grail’s power will drive men to madness, and even his fellow Knights Templar will kill for it.

Tristan teams up with the fiery Robard Hode returning to his home in Sherwood after serving with the King’s Archers and Maryam, an equally fierce girl and a member of the dreaded Hashshashin. Together they must escape the Holy Land, dodging bandits, the forces of the Saladin, and unscrupulous knights who will stop at nothing to possess the Grail.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Historical, Fiction, Middle Grade

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Michael P. Spradlin is the author of more than a dozen books for children.

Reviews

[Lanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok! this book left me really conflicted. because there were somethings I liked about the story. Enough that I will be reading the rest of the series. This is actually a guilty pleasure book of mine. I like it, even though I know I shouldn't for the way it basically spits on history.

Kinda like "the house of night" series by P.C. And Kristian Cast. I know it's terrible and have serval ranting reviews over on its books. But I've still read most of them at least 2 or 3 times apiece. Sometimes, the critic in you can know something is bad, but still like it anyway. You know what I mean?

Despite its many faults, and it's low rating, "keeper of the Grail" is actually a pretty fun little story.

So! before i start ranting and screaming as much as is possible on a computer about what I DIDN'T like. i am going to list what I DID enjoy about "Keeper of the Grail" book 1 of "the youngest templar trilogy."

1. the writing style, action, and violence were well written for the intended age group. older kids and preteens. that was nice.

2. I liked Robard. he had a good back story and a bitterness towards all things Royal and noble that just worked really well for a young Robin Hood in the making. :D He hates King Richard! (with good reason. the man was a battle hungry sociopath!) those Hoods are few and far between, am i right?

3. the author, Michael P. Spadlin, gets bonus points for creating such an original Maid Marian. i've seen lots of Marian's dressed as boys. plenty as kickass fighters. tons who just sit embroidering in the corner waiting to be rescued. this one, however, is the first Muslim Marian i've come across.

4. Robard and Marian's (i like that spelling better.) relationship. their dialog is funny. and i'm sure the dynamics of there little group with totally appeal to young fans of the harry potter books. tristan and these two totally have a harry, ron, and Hermione thing going for them.

5. the cliffhanger ending was good. i really wanna know what happens. even though we all totally know he lives. can't kill the main character in the kids' book, can we?

And those five things, my followers, are the parts I enjoyed. Now, the meaner, more critical part of me, demands that I tell you all about the bad parts! :)

So now it is time for my list of Rants. YAYZ! i'm going to stick my very loud opinion out onto the internet for about two or three people to read. :D i hope you enjoy. :D

A list of huge problems with "Keeper of the Grail."

1. THE BATTLE OF FUCKING CYPRUS! this is main the reason i couldn't give this book three stars. (Because Again, it was a fun book. Just far from perfect.) this is as bad as not knowing there are no potatoes in middle ages england. the author ignored the BATTLE OF CYPRUS!!!!!!!!!! >:C can anyone tell just how overly disgusted i am? this is about as bad as having three kids and only buying Christmas presents for two of them. I understand that this is a children's story. i understand that must kids aren't going to give a damn about Richard pettily taking over an island. they just want to enjoy Tristan's quest.

well, i am sorry (not really) but i just can't do it. I'm a freaking Hoodie. i love Robin Hood with a passion. i love Medieval History and warfare. i love learning about King Richard, Prince John, the Crusades. And i cannot ignore such a stupid, stupid blunder. i get that it's historical fiction, but you can't just write out a major battle. you know, in the back of my book is a little author's interview were he says that he did at least a couple years worth of research for this series.

>:C and i'm a green dragon that shoots rainbows out its ass!

anyone who did their research over the third crusades had to have at least STUMBLED across something about Cyprus! a map, a paragraph, a footnote, something! it's not okay to just rewrite history and leave that out. (Especially when it could have been used to show King Richard in a more rounded, realistic way.)

you know, the author tried to freakin justify the fact that a lot of his research didn't make it into the book because he was so focused on the characters and their adventures. >:C i'm barfing now. i might be more forgiving if our hero, Tristan, had actually benefited from this. But he didn't.

again, YOU CAN'T FUCKING GO AROUND CYPRUS!

and if anyone doesn't know what i'm freaking out about - and any die-hard Hood fans should - i invite you to go google this. go ahead, i'll wait. go search king richard and the battle of cyprus. or at least look at a map of the holy lands and find the island of cyprus. all historical accuracy aside, it's just stupid strategically. And King Richard, for all his insanity and rashness blood thirstiness, was not stupid. even a fake, nice Lionheart would no better than to go around such and important spot.

2. Tristan's judgement. Oh. My. Fucking. GOD! this boy is so fucking stupid! all through out this story i wanted to jump into the pages and jut deck him. he has got to have the worst judgement skills of any character i have ever met in my entire life. really. i mean . . .god, his logic is just painfully wacked. "Gee, i wanna explore and see the world because i've never been more than 10 miles from the church . . . .i think i'll go to war with these knights i just mer yesterday and know nothing about." . . . . .-_- really? i pray to god that even the kids reading this understand just how stupid this is. i can understand that there aren't a lot of other options for seeing the world at this time period. but this was just about the worst thing he could've chosen to do! the story's just riddled with him making the worst choices possible. of course, it could be blamed on his upbringing. you know, that he's this sheltered kid who's been taught to see the good in humanity, and that he's naive and just doens't know any better. well, i'm just not that nice of a person. this boy is as dumb as a bag of rocks. but a least a sack of rocks would be useful. the Templars could have thrown them at the turks. he breaks rank in battle.and, worst off all he didn't kill an enemy that NEEDED to be killed. Robard was going to and Tristan jumped in front of the arrow. -_- See? STUPID! everyone know's you NEVER let an enemy live! yeah it's awful, but it has to be done. bad guys can't follow you if they're dead. then he gives them back their weapons! :C i wasn't even angry at that point. just sad, because he had to have been dropped on his head when he was a baby to be this fucking dumb. what sort of idiot choses to trust the person that just tried to kill him? SERIOUSLY?!?!?! there's lots more stupidity from our young "hero" but i won't spoil anymore for you.

3. Sir Thomas's judgement is almost as bad as Tristan's. they're in a great big battle. the're losing. the city's about to be taken. so what does thomas do, this great, smart, brave, Knight that Tristan loves and respect so bloody much. gives this 15 year old boy the holy grail and tells him to take it back to england. alone. no help. no protectors. not one single other Knight or even a squire to help him. . . . . not okay. okay everyone, lets save this one stupid ass kid and a cup but no one else! and we'll send him out all alone with it into enemy territory and pray for the best! a five year old could understand just how WRONG this is! enough said.

4. back to tristan! alone with his stupidity! we have to deal with him being a fucking Mary Sue/Mary Stew. he's a poor little orphan with no knowledge of his past but lots of others seem to know what's going on. he's great with animals. after just a couple of months of training he's suddenly able to hold his own in a battle. he was never once injured in one either. even when he directly disobeys the simplest orders. (his head should've got lobbed off by a Saracen. that would have sent him to the afterlife to forever think about just how stupid his choices are.) he's got insane luck he has no right to. everyone either loves or hates him after having know him for just a few minutes. and he's got a special magical thing (holy grail) to help and protect him on his quest. it's just horrible. i'm sure if i put him through one of those Mary sue tests online, he'd fail epically.

5. the bad guy, Sir Hugh. there is nothing interesting about him. he's just bad for the sake of being bad. because someone has to be an ass to our "hero". that's just how it is. no really need to ever explain why he's an ass. that's not as important as him bullying tristan. actually i though Hugh had a pretty good point whenever he was smacking the kid around in the practice yard, but that's just me.

6. Marian. i don't see the point of her yet. i thinks she's supposed to be a bad ass assassin chick, but i just can't see it. :C she get's hurt with it five seconds of showing up and i'm supposed to believe that she's bad ass. i don't even know WHY she's an assassin. we get know back story on her whatsoever. all i know is she's from a city that had a convenient sprinkling of English speaking merchants so she can talk to our heroes. -_- ????? WTF? did her assassin friends know she was a girl? did they let girls be warriors? nothing at all was explained about her. guess i will have to get the next book, huh? i hope SOMETHING is explained to me, because despite her cute little thing she's clearly got going with Robard, i'm just not impressed with this character yet. And i really don't think our author understands how arrow wounds work either. just saying.

7. tristan be special! ULTRA SUPER MEGA SPECIALS! People follow him and whisper about him and tell him they know stuff about him . . . . . we spend the whole first half of the book dealing with this and it's really overdone. i got it the first time, dude. Tristan specialz. we don't need it shoved down our throats, alright? i can freaking guess what it is anyway. all the adults reading this can. i'll bet all my Robin Hood books, plus my Harry Potters books that i'm right.

Over all, I honestly think the book's main problem was Tristan. :/ hopefully he gets better in book 2. It wasn't bad. Just not great. I do look forward to book 2. :D I do recommend particularly for younger readers who might want to try Robin Hood books. Older readers might not like it quite as much, but if you can get past the much, there is some good here.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

KEEPER OF THE GRAIL is the beginning of a new series by Michael P. Spradlin. Readers might think that an adventure set in 1191 A.D. would be dry, historical reading, but in this case those readers would be totally wrong. Tristan's adventures are anything but dry. Though they may be historical at times, they are packed with one exciting event after another.

An orphan raised by a group of monks, Tristan never knew his parents or anything of his history. Now he is faced with taking his vows and remaining at the monastery forever or finding his true calling elsewhere. The decision is made for him one day with the arrival of a group of men on horseback.

A regiment of the Knights of the Templar come to the monastery seeking a place to rest themselves and their horses. Tristan is sent to the stables to tend to the horses and that task turns his life upside down. One of the knights, Sir Thomas, approaches Tristan with an offer. He has recently lost his personal squire and is in search of a replacement. Seeing how skillfully Tristan handles the horses, he invites the boy to join the regiment.

Although Tristan is reluctant to leave the monks and the only place he has ever called home, he recognizes this as the chance of a lifetime and accepts the position. Suddenly he finds himself headed off with some of the world's most famous knights to fight in the Crusades.

Imagine the excitement of a young boy actually meeting the king, King Richard the Lionheart, and learning that he is about to join him in battle. What follows takes Tristan from England to the Holy Land into a battle to save the city of Acre. There are bloody battles with plenty of flying arrows and clashing broadswords as the knights attempt to defend the King's lands. In the middle of all the fighting, Tristan is shocked to discover he is being given the responsibility of guarding the most valuable item imaginable - the Holy Grail.

THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR series is sure to grab the attention of middle grade and teen readers. They will speed through this first book and be anxiously awaiting the second, due out next fall.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars - English Ebook

Quote: was a quiet and calm existence, but the work was endless. The garden was my main contribution to the abbey. Brother Tuck and I tended it from planting in the spring to harvest in the fall. Working the hoe through the soil was quiet work, and gave me much time to think. The garden sat in a sunny spot behind the abbey, and once the rainy spring was over, the weather was usually fine and fair.

Our abbey was on the travelers’ road a day’s ride northwest of Dover. There were thirty monks in service there. Built many years ago it rose up out of the surrounding forest like a small wooden castle. It was simple in its design, because Cistercians are not frivolous, believing man is here to serve God, not adorn his buildings in finery.
Still, it was a comfortable place, inviting and welcoming to the few travelers who passed our way. The main hall where the brothers gathered to dine and pray was well lighted by the windows that rose high in the peaks. The surrounding grounds were neat and well tended, for the brothers believed that keeping things orderly kept one’s mind free to focus on God.

Except for the forest around the abbey grounds, and a trip to Dover three years before, I had seen no more of the world—though that was not all I knew of it. The monks offered shelter to travelers along the road to Dover, and from them I heard things. Exciting things happening in far-off places that made me wish for a chance to leave and see them for myself. Some told tales of wonder and adventure, of magnificent battles and exotic places. Recently, most all of the talk was of the Crusade.

King Richard, who some called the Lionheart, carried out his war in the Holy Land, and it wasn’t going well. King Richard had been on the throne for almost two years, and had spent most of his time away from England fighting in the Crusades. He was called the Lionheart because he was said to be a ferocious warrior, brave and gallant, and determined to drive the Saladin and his Saracens from the Holy Land.-


This was a really nice surprise. I'd read several of the authors other books and enjoyed them.

This book is now not only my favorite book of his, but one of the best books i've read in the last few years.

Fun characters, and scene after scene of tension and action. The pacing is really great.

The book also does a very nice job handling a time period and subject matter that could be controversial in the hands of another.

There is no preaching here, religion-wise or political correctness, it's about the characters, and their story.

Fun and action packed, young adults.

[Xime García · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diré algo muy corto -porque no me gusta no poner nada- así que no me explayaré demasiado. Además, hoy es mi cumpleaños (yay!) y tengo poco tiempo.

Tardíamente descubrí que era una reimaginación de la historia de Robin Hood lo siento si no super ver que era Robard Hode, lo siento, encima usaba arco y flecha, soy una lenta!! Incluso con la mención del Rey Ricardo y del Rey Juan no supe verlo!!, pero aun así eso no parece tener mucha incidencia, dado que la historia es sobre Tristán, la redefinición de los Marty Stu (Mary Sue masculino).

La verdad que el libro es de corte infantil, con personajes de edades similares a los que deberían leerlo (no como vos cof cof vieja chota de 20 cof cof), y por eso es que le perdono varias cosas. Además de que me esperaba algo mucho peor, y lo cierto es que me pareció bastante bueno para el público al que se dirige. Es entretenido, siempre pasan cosas, y aunque Tristán peque de ser el héroe más cliché de toda la historia, uno le agarra cariño.

Lo que sí, tras leer varias reseñas, me enteré que el autor omite varios hechos históricos (entre ellos, el más asquerosamente notable, la Batalla de Cyprus, del rey Ricardo Corazón de León), algo bastante punible a mi parecer. Está bien que quizá esa batalla no hacía demasiado a la historia de Tristán, pero no se puede omitir así como así, y menos cuando uno decide meter a susodicho rey como personaje en la novela.

Lo compré porque estaba barato y la edición era bonita, pero como dije, no esperaba nada demasiado elaborado. Así que digamos que cumplió con mis expectativas.

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an action packed book that's sure to please kids--and as a bonus there's no objectionable matter that would worry parents. I'm already waiting for the second one in the series!

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be fair, “Robin” and “Marian” are hilarious.

Imagine Ron and Hermione or Hans Solo and Princess Leia squabbling their way across the 12th century. Definitely the most fun I’ve seen the classic folk tale couple portrayed in a long time. And with a twist to them that is truly new.

“Marian” is the second most original interpretation of the character I have ever seen. She has no explanation given to her implausible background and profession, but I’m almost willing to hold off criticizing that until I finish reading the whole trilogy on the off chance it gets explained in Book 3.

She’s ridiculously modern, but so are all the characters – and I’d much rather see a Marian who rescues the boys than one who sits in a tower crying. And her sense of timing and entrances are impeccable.

But by Book 2 she better get around to mentioning how she feels about the treatment of her homeland. And someone please explain how she was allowed in one of the most boy-y of boy’s clubs?

“Robin” is very, very young. A true ‘before-the-legend’ that shows exactly how he became the legend. No pampered noble background, no condescending noblesse oblige, and you better not get him started on the king!

My favorite quote from the narrator:

“So far I had enjoyed his company – as long as I kept the conversation away from taxes, King Richard, shire reeves, the Holy Land, noblemen, the Saladin and the rich.”

He is part moody, angsty, rebellious teenager, and part budding champion of the people, with a great eye for realpolitick:

“[He:] commands us to take a fortress or city or swatch of land, and we do. Then a few weeks later the Saladin’s forces take it back. Men are killed for nothing.”

Congratulations, kid, on summing up 1,000 years of history of western soldiers in the Middle East. Especially the last 7 years. Or is his character supposed to be a metaphor for a Vietnam War era soldier? Am I reading too much into this?

This is part Arthurian legend, part Robin Hood legend, although it looks like it’s going to be a while before we get to Sherwood.

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Tristan, the poor orphan boy with a mysterious parentage, on a quest involving a magical object, makes for a less gripping main character. He goes from a naïve boy to a smart holy warrior pretty much overnight with no real sense of character growth.

The Holy Grail shows up mid-way through the book. I liked the fact that Tristan is disappointed to find its just an ordinary looking dusty old clay cup – he even talks in the prologue on how things that aren’t valuable in and of themselves can become powerful once given symbolic meaning. Nice. Someone finally gets it.

BUT! Then the holy cup starts acting as this magic bullet-proof-jacket / floatation device / alarm clock, and I was rather disappointed – it would have been much better to present the facts in such a way as to let the reader decide if the cup was magic or not, rather than pushing it down our throats that the Holy Grail really was the Holy Grail. So much for the grasp on the complex psychology of the human brain. Oy.

That said, I laughed really hard when the Holy Grail briefly became a dog’s chew toy.

Another reviewer mentioned it would have been a fun twist to have gone the Dan Brown version. True – although it probably would have felt too much like Dogma or Jewel of the Nile. Although its entirely possible Tristan will turn out to be a Sophie/Bethany type.

And so, the reason I gave it 1 star rather than 3 for being decent or even 4 for the fun of how “Marian” and “Robin” are reworked?

He got the history wrong.

The book was published in 2008. There is no excuse in this day and age for not having access to information on the time period, and, more importantly, in this day and age it is more important than ever to get the facts straight about events in the Middle East. Spradlin whitewashes many of King Richard’s actions, such as conveniently leaving out the massacre of Acre, where 3,000 prisoners were slaughtered in cold blood, never mind how many civilians were killed when the city was taken by Crusaders.

And he completely leaves out the Battle of Cyprus – not just that it doesn’t get mentioned, which would be fine, but Spradlin writes: “we sailed around the Isle of Cyprus, not stopping, for the King wished to reach Acre as soon as possible.” He’s not just editing events slightly, perhaps streamlining things to fit the tale he wants to tale – he’s re-writing history.

And why? The Battle of Cyprus is the stuff that epic soap operas are made of, what with the princesses, and the horses, and the silver chains, etc, - the whole event would have made an excellent introduction for the main character to battle tactics and the king’s personality, both of which he needs to learn about.

Another thing that might seem nit-picky to some – everyone in the book refers to Saladin as the Saladin, as if it was his title rather than his name. It really, really bugged me every time I saw that little definitive article. It would be like going around saying “the Richard” all the time instead of “the king.”

Normally I am willing to accept the fact that the genre of historical fiction has the word “fiction” in it, but when you are dealing with the Crusades, there is no longer any excuses left to show all those blond and blue eyed knights in shiny armor as the heroes and those dark haired and dark eyed defenders of their own territory as the bad guys.

Next book, according the blurb, we’re off to Montségur for a date with the Cathers.

Sounds like someone’s been reading Otto Rahn…

[Stan Crowe · Rating 1 out of 5]

** spoiler alert ** Reviewing a book aimed at an audience that's generally half my age is somewhat tricky, because there are obvious adult biases in my perceptions. For one, I look for books to be plausible, to have characters who face actual problems and who don't get a free pass out of those problems at every turn.

I know I'd have seen this book differently if I'd read it at age 15, but since I didn't, I don't. Besides, "Keeper of the Grail" wasn't even in existence back in the mid 90's.

In any case, I read it as an adult, and review it as a writer who has come to read books more critically than I did when I was younger. All in all, I'm not even sure I'd recommend this for my kids. While it was decent enough to read to the end (barely), I wasn't very inclined to pick up the sequel, which has since been released.

Here are my gripes with "Keeper of the Grail."

--Plot development was rather predictable, and, in parts, almost forced.
--The characters were stereotypical, instead of archetypal; the difference is significant, and not flattering.
--The "classic trio" of main characters(two boys and a girl) smacked too much of Harry Potter. Even the fact that the girl stayed with the boys past the time she *should* have left seemed rather contrived; reading through the book, she really *would* have left them, under those circumstances.
--The assembly of the trio of main characters also seemed contrived: the first addition came in the form of a last-minute saving of THE main character, and the third main (the girl) was sort of thrown in the mix, and bound to the two boys because they "saved her life," never mind that the archer nearly killed her as she was trying to kill him.
--The tension in the book, I felt, was fake, and forced. It really might work on a younger audience, but after the 15th time of the characters being saved at the very last moment, one kind of picks up on the pattern, and any sense that the characters might *actually* be in trouble pretty much vanishes.
--Another Harry Potter parallel was the all-powerful, very benevolent protector watching over the main character, guarding him against the vile antagonist who was in the same camp as the main character and the protector; can we say "Snape and Dumbledore"? Additionally, it was disappointing that both the great fondness and the great hatred shown the main character had what I considered pretty weak foundations
--The main character has some kind of inexplicable powers, and an equally inexplicable connection to the Holy Grail. It'd be rather amusing if we threw Dan Brown's version of the Holy Grail into the story. *That* would mix things up for sure. ;)
--Plausibility suffered throughout the book because of the aforementioned issues with tension, and because everything neatly worked out for the main character, time and time again, often without much apparent effort on his part.

Again, perhaps it's unfair to judge a childrens book by adult standards, but Madeleine L'Engle's series involving the Murrays (e.g. "A Wrinkle in Time," "A Swiftly Tilting Planet," etc.) were also, as I understood, aimed at children. Even so, those books involved real thought, much more palpable danger, deeper characterisation, and plots that were gripping, instead of just cut from a mold that worked for someone else (namely J.K. Rowling).

Likewise, my reading of Leven Thumps, Book 4 (which also has many Potter Parallels), really was more enjoyable, and didn't leave me with the same "force the main characters to win" feeling that this book did.

That's about as "apples-to-apples" as I can get, with my limited reading experience, but that comparison really does leave the medeival apple paling in comparison to the other two.

I'm sure many people enjoy this book, this series, but I'm simply not one of them.

[R. C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book before letting my child have a go, but based on my experience with it, I don't think she'll bother. There are blow-by-blow, chapter long descriptions of gory medieval battle; a protagonist like out of a medieval saga: all heroic impulse, little emotional depth; and a strictly Christian perspective on the ethical question of the Crusades. All those things can maybe be discussed as authentically medieval, so, given a good plot and good characters, I very well may have accepted them. The plot is fast-paced and exciting, the premise very cool. But the dialog was just too twentieth century. Maybe this was an attempt to keep the vocabulary low? I was annoyed by that, but I was completely unable to suspend my disbelief any further after Robin Hood, who is fighting in the Crusades in the Holy Land, just happens to stumble across and save the life of the person carrying the Holy Grail. A good premise, decent setting, and horrible delivery, and not worth the time when you could be reading one of the billion other medieval-set novels for kids.

Edited to add: and now my child is completely sucked in and fascinated. She loves all things Robin Hood. The characters seem more real to her. She learned long ago to scan over the gory parts. These literary techniques really work with kids. Shows how much I know.

[Genevieve Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Crusades book, a Holy Grail book, and a Robin Hood book.

I have owned this book for probably ten years, but only read it once, despite being a chronic re-reader. That's because the first read left a bad taste in my mouth. The last sentence of the book is something like "and the sea welcomed me into its watery embrace." Cliffhangers are sketchy at the best of times, but this is just a crime.

You would think that, given I've held the grudge for a while, I would have just gotten rid of the book. Today's re-read reminded me why I haven't. It's actually a pretty good Crusade story, and an original take on Robin Hood.

Tristan, the main character, becomes a Templar squire and keeper of the Grail mostly by accident. There's some mystery about his parentage; he's undoubtedly the secret son of someone Richard the Lionheart knew by sight, but good luck figuring that mystery or really anything else out in this book.

The more important part is that in his quest to see the Grail to safety, he runs into an archer named Robard Hode (Robin Hood, but if you tried to say it with a plugged nose?) and a Hashashin warrior named Maryam. It's a pretty good setup for a later Robin Hood story. I, for one, am a big fan of Maid Marian as a Saracen assassin. Reminds me fondly of Djaq from the ridiculous BBC TV show.

This book is overall middling, with the characterization not terrible but not terribly strong either. It's decently placed in history, while still skipping some pretty major things like Cyprus and the massacre at Acre. The cliffhanger is still pretty offensive, but, ten years later, I think I'm willing to overlook it in the interest of finding out how this version of Robin Hood shakes out in the later books.

[Paige Y. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail
Michael P. Spradlin

Tristan has only known life in the monastery where he was found as an infant. Although he was raised by monks, he has never had the desire to become one, so when a group of Knights Templar stops there on their way to fight in the Third Crusade, he accepts the offer to become a squire to one of the leaders, Sir Thomas. Unfortunately he also makes an enemy of the other leader, Sir Hugh.

When they reach the Holy Land, Tristan soon discovers that fighting and killing are not much fun, and unfortunately there is plenty of both. When Acre is attacked and it is apparent that it will fall to the enemy, Sir Thomas entrusts Tristan with the greatest treasure of Christendom – the Holy Grail and tells him to take it to a church in Scotland. Tristan must make his way through the Saracens and past Sir Hugh and hope to get safely out of the Holy Land. He’ll find a couple of companions along the way, and encounter more trouble than he ever bargained for.

I didn’t find Keeper of the Grail to be great historical fiction, but it was fun to read and I think it will be popular to many of my boys. It reads like many of the Dan Brown like adult adventure novels, but without so much explanation about every facet of the story. While I was glad about this last part, I do wish there were a little more explanation about the Crusades, because I fear that many of the students who are going to attempt this novel will know nothing about them. I’m a big fan of authors’ notes either at the beginning or ending of a novel, explaining the historical setting of the novel.

I found the characters of Tristan, Robard, and Maryam to be likable but I thought Sir Thomas and Sir Hugh were fairly one-dimensional characters. This is the first book in a series, and the second book is already out.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think that a book set in the 12th century England would be boring, think again. This book is an exciting story of the life of a monk boy Tristan. He was left on the steps of the monastery as an infant by a wealthy family, and raised by the monks. After a visit from Sir Thomas, an excellent Templar knight, and Sir Hugh, a coward. He finds himself squired to Sir Thomas. He is soon archenemies with Sir Hugh. They go to the city of Acre, and invaded by Saracens, they are trapped, and overrun. Before facing certain death, Sir Thomas entrusts Tristan with the Holy Grail, ordering him to guard it with his life. These are his last words before he courageously fights to his death.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book - surprisingly. I thought it would be slow starting and kind of boring until the end but it wasn't. I was thrown right into the book. Although the prologue was really great, it wasn't what hooked me. It was the way the book was written that really made me want to read more of the book. Great book.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say this book was pretty good, but poorly executed. I'm a huge fan of the "progressing apprentice" books but I really didn't like this one. It kind of felt like the story had no guidance and you were just strung along for the ride. That being said, the characters were very nice and they had unique personalities that you don't usually see in Historic Fiction styled books.

[Yoleny Montiel-diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written...loved the details...I felt as if I were there watching all the action. I'm curious now...I need to know who his parents are!! It's an interesting story. I enjoy historical fiction books! I bought it for the kids, but ended up reading it myself.

[Γιώργος Τσιβελέκος · Rating 5 out of 5]

Πόσο ωραίο περιπετειώδες βιβλίο! Η δράση του είναι πραγματικά ασταμάτητη! Πιστεύω ότι είναι ιδανικό ανάγνωσμα για εφήβους. Πιστεύω ότι μπορεί να τους κάνει να αγαπήσουν τη Λογοτεχνία και να γίνουν αναγνώστες.

[Agnes]

Slow pace, main character - "the choosen one" ...

[F. Vigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debo decir que he disfrutado mucho leyendo El guardián del Santo Grial. Recordaba haberlo hecho años antes también, cuando por mi edad formaba parte del público objetivo de este middle-grade, pero en esta ocasión no me han gustado menos la aventuras de Tristán ni tampoco me han enganchado menos.

El autor se ajusta de forma muy clara al modelo que establece Joseph Campbell en su obra El héroe de las mil caras, y es aún más flagrante la cantidad de clichés en los que cae la historia, como la orfandad de un protagonista adolescente de moral irreprochable, Mary Sue en toda regla, que acaba saliendo de la mayoría de sus desventuras por la oportuna aparición de un personaje que lo rescata. Tampoco pueden atribuírsele la profundidad psicológica del resto de personajes, casi siempre marcados por un claro maniqueísmo, ni la complejidad en la trama, cuyos giros suelen ser previsibles para el lector.

A pesar de todo, estoy convencido de que nada de lo anterior resultó ser prioritario para el autor de esta novela. La historia se constituye a través de una línea de aventuras que parece no tener fin, y que en todo momento se hace amena, entretenida e interesante. Las descripciones son las justas para no perder el ritmo que la caracteriza y, además, ante la necesidad de tal brevedad, el autor ha sabido seleccionar con destreza y maestría aquellos matices que captan los ojos de Tristán para embellecer el relato lo máximo posible. De esta manera, el libro se convierte en un reclamo indispensable para todos aquellos que estén interesados en introducir a cualquier preadolescente en el bello mundo de la lectura.

Y aunque tal vez sea prematuro juzgar que esta historia tuvo un fuerte impacto en mi gusto por la literatura, no es menos cierto que cada vez que desviaba la mirada a mi estantería y mis ojos se encontraban con el lomo de esta novela, no podía evitar recordarme a mí mismo lo mucho de disfruté de leerla, así como que el cliff-hanger del final me afectó tanto como me ha afectado ahora.

[Agatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

De verdad me gustaría agregar en mi opinión algo más técnico sobre la lectura. Pero no sé cómo hablar del tema, por lo que será una reseña ‘básica’ (ni sé si exista un reseña básica pero bueno—).

Quiero empezar con que es un gran libro de aventura, los personajes nunca están en un mismo lugar, están en constante movimiento, y eso me encantó. Si hablásemos del contexto de la época (Edad Medieval. Cruzadas) en si, me gusta como los templarios hacen notar su Cristianismo. Y lo que significaba la Guerra para ellos.

Si hablamos del protagonista, Tristán, yo lo amo y amaré por siempre (✨comfort character✨). Es la persona más noble y leal que se puede encontrar. Y es muy fácil empatizar con él! Dado que es un adolescente de 15 años, y la vida se le fue en contra algo pronto, (algo así, podríamos decir), podrás entender cómo su mente joven aborrece su misión, y otras veces, es salvado por esta. Te hace ver como algo puede ser tan bueno y malo a la vez.
Pero como todo protagonista, conocerá nueva gente. Habrán muchos con los que empatizará (Sir Thomas, Quincy, Sir Basil, Pequeño John, Robard o Maryam, por decir algunos), y por supuesto gente que será su enemiga, y aquí es el único detalle que no me agrada mucho.

Podría decirse que su ‘enemigo’ a pesar de tener razones concretas para no quererlo, aún así me parecen infantiles, y casi no veo razón por la que odia tanto al Tristán desde un inicio. Entendería el incremento de su odio durante la trama, sin embargo, el antagonista apenas conoce a Tristán, lo aborrece, por lo que creo que faltó desarrollo en esta parte de la historia.

Ignorando ese detalle. A pesar de que el inicio es un poco difícil, la lectura termina siendo muy ligera! (Recomendación: compren los primeros dos libros juntos, pues el final de ‘El Guardián del Santo Grial’ deja un suspenso enorme sobre el destino del protagonista).

[Jennifer Sommer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 1 in "The Youngest Templar" trilogy, in which readers are introduced to 14-year-old Tristan. Abandoned in an abbey as a babe, Tristan is raised by the monks, though clues are left indicating that he might have a noble background. He is discovered, seemingly by accident, by the Templar Knight Sir Thomas who is traveling to fight for Richard the Lionheart's Crusade. Overnight, Tristan becomes his squire, but not without the disapproval of another Templar Knight, Sir Hugh who instantly dislikes him. The Templars travel to Acre to fight against the Saracens in the Holy Land, but as the city falls into enemy hands, Tristan is given orders to escape through the tunnels and somehow get to Scotland with a satchel hiding the Holy Grail, which Sir Thomas has been protecting. In his travels during the following week, Tristan meets up with Robard, a 17-year-old King's archer who has completed his conscription with the King's army and is returning home to help his father farm, and Miryam, an Al Hashshashin assassin. The trio plan to find a ship in which to travel to England, but must hide from Saracen armies as well as the evil Sir Hugh who has somehow survived the Acre battle. This is a fast-paced medievel adventure that ends in a cliff-hanger . It will appeal to readers ages 12 and up. Listen to this series on CD to get a flavor of the language.

[AaNa06 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeper of the Grail( The Youngest Templar) was a delight read. It really depicted medieval times accurately along with making a very thought out story. The story starts off with a young boy named Tristan, who was abandoned as an infant then was adopted and trained by monks in medieval England. One day a group of crusading knights who are sworn to help the church meet the abbey Tristan is at. Where then a Sir Thomas invites Tristan into becoming his squire. Soon after he is caught up in the 3 crusade, where Tristan does an unexpected and heroic save to King Richard himself. During his journeys he finds unexpected friendships with people along the way, make enemies and has been entrusted one of the most sacred items of Christendom, the holy grail.

Something I liked about this book was the writing style. There was never a dull moment to read, which kept and encouraged me to read more and more. The characters in the book had many character and emotion. To add to this, we really got into depth with the feelings, emotions and thoughts they were going through. Spradlin really depicted the historic reality in this book, with king Richard, the crusades and the holy grail when in doing this it made me feel like this actually was true and it happened because of the historical reality he put in this book.

Something that I didn't particularly like in the book was that is was it was sort of slow paced in the beginning and then in the end it was like happening so fast. But over all this book was very well written, and the true historical reality in this book was very good which made it a real page turner for me.

[Summer]

I picked this up because we are studying the middle ages this year. It is a JFIC adventure story based in the time of the Crusades. An orphaned teen, raised by monks, is discovered by a virtuous Templar knight and sails off as a squire to fight Saracens at the city of Acre. I’d let my 11 and 8yo kids read this with a strong reminder about fan fiction, catholicism, and the age of the miraculous having ceased. However, this is only part one of a two-part story, so I don’t know what happens in the second book yet.

CC: several uses of the word “arse”; one character is said to curse often; unsurprising amounts of ale and some drunks; unsurprising medieval violence; some historically improbable characters and of course the obvious miraculous Holy Grail

[Tyler Gadsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeper of the Holy Grail was a decent book, actually fantastic! Due to its ability to keep me engaged into the story always keepung me wondering what could be coming next. Michael Spradlin did a great job of writing the first edition of the young squire Tristian making you feel as if you were the young lad that had once been a orphan who was brought into a family of monks. But one thing I loved more than anything is that during the first book you can see the character development of Tristian as he goes through different trials and you really see his character change a bit.

[Jon Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're someone who likes adventure, action, historical fiction, and a little mix of religious beliefs, then this book is for you. The book starts with the main character, Tristan, who's an orphan at an Abbey in England in the 1100's. When a group of templar knights come to the Abbey to rest before leaving for the Crusades in a few days, One Knight asks Tristan to become his squire, a person that held the shield or armor of a knight. Will Tristan survive the Holy lands? Will he ever return to England? Only reading 'Keeper of the Grail' will get you these answers.

[Jeff Freitag · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA novel is the sort of book I would have enjoyed when I was still a YA. Its depiction of the Crusades was well done overall, but the main plot takes forever to get going. Author Spradlin so far avoids most tropes of this genre; there’s no love triangle as of yet and the protagonist’s special status is at least offset by his humble demeanor. I’m interested enough to see where the sequels go, but as a book itself, it’s just so-so. Quick read, though.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! The storyline kept me hooked, and I couldn't put the book down for long. It left off on a major cliff hanger, so I need to read the next one. This book is geared for all ages, and I would suggest this book to those who like Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, and Harry Potter.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read for 3rd grade or older. There is excitement, adventure, and goodness. However, it is not a stand-alone book. It ends without an ending to make you read the next book. Good if the reader likes series, but you might lose those who lime to read a book and move on to another interest.

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book probably deserves 3.5 stars. It’s adventurous, entertaining and while it takes place during the Crusades, it doesn’t glorify them too much. The focus is the grail and Tristan’s quest to protect it. I really liked all the secondary characters as well

This is a clean book and appropriate for ages 9 and up.

[JimtheDean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book for the most part. It’s part of a series that at this point looks like one book in three volumes. While the story is interesting, it ended abruptly…almost mid-story.

I look forward to reading the next book. Wish this one had ended with some sense of closure.

Story is primarily for teens I think. But still an interesting read.

[Zahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will keep it short, this book is amazing. The journey the characters go through is so good, once I started reading honestly I couldn't stop. This is my favourite, and I have read A LOT of good books.

[Daniel Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first chapter book and series, highly recommend for starters. Great character development, a little drama, little adventure, and non-stop action. Even had a few emotional spots that really kinda get you.