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Templar Trilogy #3
Order in Chaos
In the final novel in the Templar Trilogy, William St. Clair faces the end of the Order of the Temple of Solomon. Philip IV has arrested every Templar in France and seized the Order’s assets, unleashed the Inquisition, and burned the last Grand Master at the stake. St. Clair escapes into exile in Scotland with the Temple’s legendary treasure, and on the island of Arran the surviving Templars train with him in secrecy for a return to France. But St. Clair is growing disillusioned with the old Templar ways, and after taking his men into battle one last time as Temple Knights, he leads the survivors away in search of another legend, the fabled land that lies beyond the Western Ocean.
948 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 6, 2009
84 people are currently reading
1187 people want to read
About the author
Jack Whyte
53 books771 followersJack Whyte is an author and writer born and raised in Scotland, but has been living in western Canada since 1967, and in Kelowna, British Columbia, since 1996.
Whyte's major work to date is the A Dream of Eagles series (as it is titled in Canada, but known as The Camulod Chronicles in the United States and elsewhere). This series of historical novels presents the tale of King Arthur set against the backdrop of Roman Britain. This retelling of the popular legend eschews the use of magic (as in T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone) to explain Arthur’s ascent to power and instead relies on the historical condition (with some artistic license) of post-Roman Britain to support the theory that Arthur was meant to counter the anarchy left by the Roman departure from Britain in 410 AD and the subsequent colonization and invasion of Britain by various peoples from Northwestern Europe, including the Saxons, Jutes, Franks, and Angles). Whyte incorporates both traditional Arthurian names, places and events (albeit in gaelic or Latin form) as well as the names of various historical figures that have been suggested as being the possible basis for the original King Arthur legend. The tacit implication is that Whyte's version of history is the true story that has become distorted over time to become the legend and stories of magic that we know today.
Jack Whyte served as the official bard of The Calgary Highlanders and performed several tracks of poetry and song on the 1990 recording by the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders entitled Eighty Years of Glory: The Regimental Pipes, Drums and Bard of The Calgary Highlanders.
Whyte's major work to date is the A Dream of Eagles series (as it is titled in Canada, but known as The Camulod Chronicles in the United States and elsewhere). This series of historical novels presents the tale of King Arthur set against the backdrop of Roman Britain. This retelling of the popular legend eschews the use of magic (as in T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone) to explain Arthur’s ascent to power and instead relies on the historical condition (with some artistic license) of post-Roman Britain to support the theory that Arthur was meant to counter the anarchy left by the Roman departure from Britain in 410 AD and the subsequent colonization and invasion of Britain by various peoples from Northwestern Europe, including the Saxons, Jutes, Franks, and Angles). Whyte incorporates both traditional Arthurian names, places and events (albeit in gaelic or Latin form) as well as the names of various historical figures that have been suggested as being the possible basis for the original King Arthur legend. The tacit implication is that Whyte's version of history is the true story that has become distorted over time to become the legend and stories of magic that we know today.
Jack Whyte served as the official bard of The Calgary Highlanders and performed several tracks of poetry and song on the 1990 recording by the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders entitled Eighty Years of Glory: The Regimental Pipes, Drums and Bard of The Calgary Highlanders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 5, 2021
A satisfying conclusion to Jack Whyte's historical fiction trilogy on the Knights Templar. "Friday the 13th" still resonates as a date to inspire fear - and that cultural history begins on Friday the 13th of October in 1307 with the French King's shocking seizure and imprisonment of the members and assets of the Templars. In Whyte's story, a single garrison of Templars escape from France and settle on a desolate island in Scotland. While a foreign land for many of the French knights, it is the home of their leader Sir William Sinclair, and from this new home Sinclair must plan for a future where the Knights disappear to survive. A well-written series.
October 8, 2013
It's been a while since I read the previous one in this series, 'Standard of Honour'. I did actually enjoy the first two, even if I do remember thinking that the jump between one and two was a bit much and 'Standard of Honour' seemed to lose a lot of the momentum built up in 'Knights of the Black and White.' Having said all that, I couldn't really remember what happened in the second volume, I'll admit, but it didn't seem to matter. And I'd forgotten what happened at the start of this one by the time I'd finished, so no great loss.
Yes, there's once again way too much talking and discussion and general dialogue and way too little of...well, pretty much anything else. Sure, it starts well, with a bang of a start in the first few pages, but after that, very little. Really, you might as well wade through the Templars Wikipedia page, if all this is going to be about is their final days and dissolution. The lack of anything other than flannel, is surprising though, as the book covers a reasonably tumultuous event, namely the French King's destruction of the Templars. The very first Friday the 13th. October 1307.
Sir William St. Clair and the other Templar-folk who get forewarned of their impending doom, are (unfortunately for those action-lovers amongst us and typically for this book) not around when this happens. Having received a tip-off to set sail a few hours before, they watch the event from out at sea off the coast of La Rochelle. Even later in the story, the now disbanded Templars turning up late for one last ride to save the day by chasing off the English at Bannockburn, is related as a chat, after the event, between Sinclair, Robert the Bruce and various aristocratic friends. I mean, look at Robert Low's trilogy covering the self-same period on Robert The Bruce. I haven't actually read them (yet), but you're not telling me, looking at those covers, they're sitting around in front of roaring log fires talking? As they do here. So all we get are hours of fat-chewing before and after. Generally, all the way through, all we get is talk, talk, change of scenery, talk, talk, change of people, talk, sail to Scotland, discussion, talk. Etc. Reminded me of later 'Wheel of Time' nonsense. That's not good, by the way.
Then some of their 'conversations', many actually, are not between characters, as characters might have had the same conversations if we weren't reading what they were saying in real life. What they say, is clearly aimed at us. Imparting knowledge that surely the character knows, and the character doing the telling, knows they know. But we - the reader don't know. So it's really us that is being told. And that makes it over long, forced and stilted. Like reading a bad Wikipedia entry.
So what else could it be? A romance? A very long-winded one, if it is. You know from the off, in the first few pages where the two meet, how it will end. That is telegraphed in the usual way - they can't abide each other. So of course they're bound to fall in love. The older, stuck in his ways, monastic (and more importantly, life-long celibate) Templar fighting monk and the headstrong, newly widowed, baroness with a whole load of boxes crammed full with gold coins, Scottish noble-lady. Their 'romance', which isn't actually underway until the final hundred pages, develops as the Templars society crumbles. That's what this must be about. Romance and new beginnings. Yes, the lead up to and the realisation that it must be love from Will Sinclair's side, is nicely and deftly done. Though, I remember feeling that the moment of admission on his side, the end of anticipation on her side and the joy on both sides, could have been more forcefully written. But you can't have anything, when Templars need to sort out stocks and supplies and … At least we do get a marriage. Well, that'll please those who think Historical Fiction is only written about luv between people wearing funny, old-fashioned clothes. Hello Amazon and Goodreads!
To again be more fair than this deserves, when you strip out much of the endless detail about how to run a Templar community on a previously almost deserted Scottish island, then it is pretty well-written. The descriptions of Scotland are lovely and clearly written by a Scot living abroad. But that's too little to affect the overall meandering. And with that stripped out, you'd have very little else.
Could have been a lot better. Should have been a whole lot shorter.
Yes, there's once again way too much talking and discussion and general dialogue and way too little of...well, pretty much anything else. Sure, it starts well, with a bang of a start in the first few pages, but after that, very little. Really, you might as well wade through the Templars Wikipedia page, if all this is going to be about is their final days and dissolution. The lack of anything other than flannel, is surprising though, as the book covers a reasonably tumultuous event, namely the French King's destruction of the Templars. The very first Friday the 13th. October 1307.
Sir William St. Clair and the other Templar-folk who get forewarned of their impending doom, are (unfortunately for those action-lovers amongst us and typically for this book) not around when this happens. Having received a tip-off to set sail a few hours before, they watch the event from out at sea off the coast of La Rochelle. Even later in the story, the now disbanded Templars turning up late for one last ride to save the day by chasing off the English at Bannockburn, is related as a chat, after the event, between Sinclair, Robert the Bruce and various aristocratic friends. I mean, look at Robert Low's trilogy covering the self-same period on Robert The Bruce. I haven't actually read them (yet), but you're not telling me, looking at those covers, they're sitting around in front of roaring log fires talking? As they do here. So all we get are hours of fat-chewing before and after. Generally, all the way through, all we get is talk, talk, change of scenery, talk, talk, change of people, talk, sail to Scotland, discussion, talk. Etc. Reminded me of later 'Wheel of Time' nonsense. That's not good, by the way.
Then some of their 'conversations', many actually, are not between characters, as characters might have had the same conversations if we weren't reading what they were saying in real life. What they say, is clearly aimed at us. Imparting knowledge that surely the character knows, and the character doing the telling, knows they know. But we - the reader don't know. So it's really us that is being told. And that makes it over long, forced and stilted. Like reading a bad Wikipedia entry.
So what else could it be? A romance? A very long-winded one, if it is. You know from the off, in the first few pages where the two meet, how it will end. That is telegraphed in the usual way - they can't abide each other. So of course they're bound to fall in love. The older, stuck in his ways, monastic (and more importantly, life-long celibate) Templar fighting monk and the headstrong, newly widowed, baroness with a whole load of boxes crammed full with gold coins, Scottish noble-lady. Their 'romance', which isn't actually underway until the final hundred pages, develops as the Templars society crumbles. That's what this must be about. Romance and new beginnings. Yes, the lead up to and the realisation that it must be love from Will Sinclair's side, is nicely and deftly done. Though, I remember feeling that the moment of admission on his side, the end of anticipation on her side and the joy on both sides, could have been more forcefully written. But you can't have anything, when Templars need to sort out stocks and supplies and … At least we do get a marriage. Well, that'll please those who think Historical Fiction is only written about luv between people wearing funny, old-fashioned clothes. Hello Amazon and Goodreads!
To again be more fair than this deserves, when you strip out much of the endless detail about how to run a Templar community on a previously almost deserted Scottish island, then it is pretty well-written. The descriptions of Scotland are lovely and clearly written by a Scot living abroad. But that's too little to affect the overall meandering. And with that stripped out, you'd have very little else.
Could have been a lot better. Should have been a whole lot shorter.
July 1, 2011
I quite enjoyed the first book of this trilogy, but really didn't care for the second. I hoped that I would find this one an improvement on it, and it was.
This last installment of the Templar Trilogy commences in the year 1307, when the Knights Templar are disbanded by Philip IV of France. As in the previous book, there is not much to tie it to its predecessor. There are no cameo appeances by previous characters, etc. to give you some sense of belonging, a continuous thread or context to allow the reader to feel on familiar territory.
Once again, I didn't find the characters all that interesting, nor was the plot that interesting. After the dispersal of the Order (which happens very early on in the story) nothing much seems to happen.
The author did answer some questions the second one neglected to even discuss, so I was satisfied on that account. I did learn a few interesting things, so I don't consider reading it a complete waste of time. If I could give it a 2 1/2 rating, I would. I didn't really *dislike* it, but I didn't really like it all that much, either. I highly doubt I'll read any more of his books.
This last installment of the Templar Trilogy commences in the year 1307, when the Knights Templar are disbanded by Philip IV of France. As in the previous book, there is not much to tie it to its predecessor. There are no cameo appeances by previous characters, etc. to give you some sense of belonging, a continuous thread or context to allow the reader to feel on familiar territory.
Once again, I didn't find the characters all that interesting, nor was the plot that interesting. After the dispersal of the Order (which happens very early on in the story) nothing much seems to happen.
The author did answer some questions the second one neglected to even discuss, so I was satisfied on that account. I did learn a few interesting things, so I don't consider reading it a complete waste of time. If I could give it a 2 1/2 rating, I would. I didn't really *dislike* it, but I didn't really like it all that much, either. I highly doubt I'll read any more of his books.
June 24, 2019
Awesome book and series! Jack Whyte delivers a brilliant literary detailed account of the famed Knights Templar. Intertwined storylines with characters that come to life leaving the reader wanting more. Only thing I was disappointed in the series is there isn’t many descriptive battle scenes for me. I however did like the fact that the main characters grew and adapted to keep the secret society alive for the future. Where are they today? Are the treasures still hidden? I would like it if there was a fourth book and follow the Templar’s to Merica, that definitely would have changed history as we know it. Excellent!
August 28, 2009
Great conclusion to the Templar trilogy, leaves me wishing there was going to be one more.
April 16, 2025
Tellement moins bon que les deux premiers 😩 chronologie chaotique, intrigues saccadées, beh
February 12, 2018
Order in Chaos is the third book in Jack Whyte's Templar trilogy. I've had mixed feelings about it as I've read the story. On the one hand, I think it's about 400 pages too long (it runs 900+ pages) but on the other hand, whenever I sat down to it and spent some time with it, I found it flowed nicely and before I knew it, I'd covered 50+ pages. But on the other hand, I kept moaning about the lack of action. Then again, it did cover quite momentous events in the lives of the Templar knights and especially that of Will Sinclair, who must save and reestablish his knight.
So what is the story about? It's set in 1307 and the years following. The Knights Templar are well-established in France, wealthy and settled in their strongholds. But there is a threat to their existence. King Philip of France has ordered the arrests of all of the Templars in France, with the concurrence of his puppet pope, Clement. Philip wants the Templar wealth to help pay off his great debts. The leader of the Templars has sent Will Sinclair, one of his trusted advisors and a member of the Templar inner circle on a mission to gather the Templar treasure and as many of his people as he can and take them to safety and establish the Templar elsewhere.
Sinclair decides to go to Scotland, his home country and offer his services to the Scottish king, Robert Bruce. The story follows this journey and Sinclair's attempts to save and restructure his organization. As I mentioned, it's a long story and moves along this path until the Battle of Bannock Burn, between Scotland and England.
Along the way we meet Lady Jessica, who brings her dead husband's treasure to support Robert and also interacts with Sinclair; a monk who has lived a life of chastity. This brings about its own tensions and developments. You can throw in another sideline as well, the journey of a small band of knights to try and find the fabled land of 'Merica. Now for the most part, many of the major events described above are viewed on the periphery of the specific events surrounding Will Sinclair.
I could go on and on, as mentioned previously, the story is 900+ pages but you get the gist I think. The whole trilogy is an interesting concept and I'm glad I have finished it. Do I strongly recommend? No. But if you like that medieval type story, it's worth trying the first, Knights of the Black and White, to see what you think. :0) (3 stars)
So what is the story about? It's set in 1307 and the years following. The Knights Templar are well-established in France, wealthy and settled in their strongholds. But there is a threat to their existence. King Philip of France has ordered the arrests of all of the Templars in France, with the concurrence of his puppet pope, Clement. Philip wants the Templar wealth to help pay off his great debts. The leader of the Templars has sent Will Sinclair, one of his trusted advisors and a member of the Templar inner circle on a mission to gather the Templar treasure and as many of his people as he can and take them to safety and establish the Templar elsewhere.
Sinclair decides to go to Scotland, his home country and offer his services to the Scottish king, Robert Bruce. The story follows this journey and Sinclair's attempts to save and restructure his organization. As I mentioned, it's a long story and moves along this path until the Battle of Bannock Burn, between Scotland and England.
Along the way we meet Lady Jessica, who brings her dead husband's treasure to support Robert and also interacts with Sinclair; a monk who has lived a life of chastity. This brings about its own tensions and developments. You can throw in another sideline as well, the journey of a small band of knights to try and find the fabled land of 'Merica. Now for the most part, many of the major events described above are viewed on the periphery of the specific events surrounding Will Sinclair.
I could go on and on, as mentioned previously, the story is 900+ pages but you get the gist I think. The whole trilogy is an interesting concept and I'm glad I have finished it. Do I strongly recommend? No. But if you like that medieval type story, it's worth trying the first, Knights of the Black and White, to see what you think. :0) (3 stars)
January 3, 2019
Although this book is part of a Trilogy (I have read them all) you don't have to read the other parts to understand Part three. Some references are made to the first and second Parts but only in passing. So what did I think of this book. It was strong in many senses. Jack Whyte has a penchant for detail, and this book is no exception. Sometimes, however, in order to build the character there are too many details and he goes into some part deeply. His conversations, however, seem real, because he does add the details. The greatings and preliminaries of every conversation. The only weakness for me was the whole concept of going to the new world "Merica". That did not seem plausible to the story as it was almost two hundred years before Columbus made land fall there, and I am not sure that the Europeans had the technology or the will to travel the open North Atlantic. (While the Vikings did it before 1000 AD they actually island hoped, form the Orkaneys, to Iceland, to Greenland and then to North America). Considering that there has never been anything found that would remotely suggest that someone sailed to the New World in between the Vikings and Columbus, the whole concept did not sit well with me. Furthermore, America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, who didn't report until 1502 and 1503. Historically, Portugal was where the Templars probably would have gone as King Denis I offered them protection. Other then that it was a good story.
February 20, 2019
This is the third in Jack Whyte saga of the Templars - it starts on that fateful day of October 13th and follows an escaping group of Knights Templars to a haven in a land in turmoil - England and Scotland are at war - how can these men find safety when they need to hide in plain sight.
While this story is about the changing of an order - it is also the story of one man changing and finding hope in life as it changes him and those around him.
I enjoyed this story as with any that deals with history -It allowed my inner "history geek" to scour maps and Wikipedia for all the proper points of interest.
While this story is about the changing of an order - it is also the story of one man changing and finding hope in life as it changes him and those around him.
I enjoyed this story as with any that deals with history -It allowed my inner "history geek" to scour maps and Wikipedia for all the proper points of interest.
January 9, 2022
Others have already said much of what I thought of Order in Chaos. Repetitive and long-winded, yet, this was actually my favorite of the Templar series. Take out the love story, and a tauter, more manageably-sized story emerges. As it is, this is a 500-page story told in 900 pages.
Mr Whyte fully displays his talent for developing characters, and painting a vivid picture of his settings. The story bears his trademark deliberate pace, and is thorough - incorporating many elements of Templar lore we've come to expect since the publication of The Da Vinci Code, plus an interesting main story on the downfall of the Temple (even though told & retold too many times in my 900-page paperback). The Bush-ian "Merica" story line doesn't contribute much in the way of plot or story pages. As a nod to Templar in America theories, it's fine, but it's not developed enough to be more than a way to use up excess ink. Why Mr Whyte chose to pursue the Lady Randolph thread rather than play the Templar mythology further is somewhat of a mystery.
Mystery and lore is why we buy this kind of book. I feel this review would have contained additional stars had Mr Whyte concentrated on that rather than his oddly-conceived love connection - maybe even a good mechanism for turning his trilogy into a quartet.
Mr Whyte fully displays his talent for developing characters, and painting a vivid picture of his settings. The story bears his trademark deliberate pace, and is thorough - incorporating many elements of Templar lore we've come to expect since the publication of The Da Vinci Code, plus an interesting main story on the downfall of the Temple (even though told & retold too many times in my 900-page paperback). The Bush-ian "Merica" story line doesn't contribute much in the way of plot or story pages. As a nod to Templar in America theories, it's fine, but it's not developed enough to be more than a way to use up excess ink. Why Mr Whyte chose to pursue the Lady Randolph thread rather than play the Templar mythology further is somewhat of a mystery.
Mystery and lore is why we buy this kind of book. I feel this review would have contained additional stars had Mr Whyte concentrated on that rather than his oddly-conceived love connection - maybe even a good mechanism for turning his trilogy into a quartet.
April 1, 2023
Whyte is a master storyteller and in this Templar trilogy, Order in Chaos being the final book, he draws you in, illuminates past history, and tells the tale of believable characters. This final book entered into the world of the Knights of the Temple final years after pope and French king turn on the devoted order in a move to end their vast power and steal their wealth. This book includes the origin of Friday the 13th as it was they say the pope unleashed the inquisition on the knights of the order forcing false testimony which brought the order down in 1333ish
Enjoy Whyte’s engaging stories
Enjoy Whyte’s engaging stories
September 12, 2025
An absolutely epic ending to the story of the Templars that very logically weaves in the connection to Scotland.
This quote in the front of the book captures our love of myth well.
"It is difficult to distinguish fact from legend... I have found no consensus on what is fact: it depends on the viewpoint. Interestingly enough, legend -- which is by definition distorted -- gives a far more acceptable view of events. Everyone agrees on legend, but nobody agrees on facts."
Micheal Coney, The Celestial Steam Locomotive.
This quote in the front of the book captures our love of myth well.
"It is difficult to distinguish fact from legend... I have found no consensus on what is fact: it depends on the viewpoint. Interestingly enough, legend -- which is by definition distorted -- gives a far more acceptable view of events. Everyone agrees on legend, but nobody agrees on facts."
Micheal Coney, The Celestial Steam Locomotive.
January 28, 2020
A very interesting book dealing with why we remember Friday 13th. Friday 13th October 1307 over 5,000 Knights Templar were arrested ad falsely imprisoned by Philip IV of France and tortured to admit crimes that they were innocent of. This book deals with all these basis of conspiracy theories throughout the centuries, Knights Templar, Temple/Priory of Sion and the Freemasons. It centres on one man Sir William Sinclair who with a band of knights, sergeants and lay brothers escapes the arrests and takes the Templar treasure with him to Scotland.
He meets and falls in love albeit reluctantly with Jessica de Valery whilst also allowing the discovery of Merica (America). He falls in with Robert the Bruce and is instrumental in helping him win the battle of Bannockburn .
A good interesting read.
He meets and falls in love albeit reluctantly with Jessica de Valery whilst also allowing the discovery of Merica (America). He falls in with Robert the Bruce and is instrumental in helping him win the battle of Bannockburn .
A good interesting read.
May 23, 2021
Pop Sugar Reading Challenge-longest book on your tbr.
this was long and boring. Nothing really ever happens. It's mostly just discussions. the characters are all pretty flat and, with the exception of tam, unlikeable.
this was long and boring. Nothing really ever happens. It's mostly just discussions. the characters are all pretty flat and, with the exception of tam, unlikeable.
April 3, 2018
I'm a big fan of Jack Whyte, and once again enjoyed this book. That being said, it's not his strongest offering.
January 7, 2020
Book 3 of this exciting series.
February 9, 2020
another great book by Jack Whyte, He is such a great story teller . As a big fan of Templar lore and history this trilogy meant a lot to me
September 16, 2020
Though It Was Really GOOD! People More Religious Than Muslims 😳
May 16, 2022
Started off really good...started dragging the last third of the book. Definitely enjoyed the other two in the series a lot more.
May 4, 2023
A good ending to the Templar Trilogy.
May 27, 2024
a 3-a carte in serie, ceva mai buna .
September 5, 2025
I enjoyed the 3 book series very much. Jack Whyte tells a wonderful story that grasps the reader. This one is my favourite.
July 14, 2015
The last of the Templar Trilogy novels finalizes the sweep of the templar history. My knowledge of the templars is limited to historical fiction or other fiction referencing them, but not to facts as history may recount them. As a result, my enjoyment has been unfettered by facts. It has been an enjoyable trilogy that has become more so because it has been humanized by a group of individuals and their hi/stories.
This particular novel focuses on the end of the Templars as we know them beginning with the King of France's ploy to seize them and their assets. There is a bit of Catholic Church history explained with regards to the Papal period in Avignon and how it affected the Templars and their fortune. Like the first two books in the trilogy, this one really worked because of the central cast and characters. Through the eyes of the main characters, the reader can feel the injustice of being abandoned by the Church they took oaths to serve, the discomfort with the new realities they face to preserve their way of life, and, ultimately, the sense of anticipation at their new life.
My memory of the other novels is that they could stand alone without having to read the others. This would be no exception, though some of the subtleties of the novel wouldn't be as impactful or obvious without the background. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read them, sad that the person that recommended this series to me isn't around anymore so I could talk to them. If you enjoy a bit of historical fiction, don't mind a slower moving book, and are curious about a group of people charged with protecting the Holy Land for the Catholic church, then this is the series for you.
This particular novel focuses on the end of the Templars as we know them beginning with the King of France's ploy to seize them and their assets. There is a bit of Catholic Church history explained with regards to the Papal period in Avignon and how it affected the Templars and their fortune. Like the first two books in the trilogy, this one really worked because of the central cast and characters. Through the eyes of the main characters, the reader can feel the injustice of being abandoned by the Church they took oaths to serve, the discomfort with the new realities they face to preserve their way of life, and, ultimately, the sense of anticipation at their new life.
My memory of the other novels is that they could stand alone without having to read the others. This would be no exception, though some of the subtleties of the novel wouldn't be as impactful or obvious without the background. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read them, sad that the person that recommended this series to me isn't around anymore so I could talk to them. If you enjoy a bit of historical fiction, don't mind a slower moving book, and are curious about a group of people charged with protecting the Holy Land for the Catholic church, then this is the series for you.
June 2, 2013
I am so pleased that I stuck it out and continued reading this series (and even this book). It took me until page 700 or thereabouts to truly feel I was reading Jack Whyte at his best, but it sure was nice to read "that" Jack Whyte again.
The last 200 pages were where I finally found the plot that moved along at a decent speed; and suspense and anticipation abounded. I started caring about the characters and what happened to them and didn't have to wade through all that exposition and "telling" rather than "showing."
Jack Whyte is a good writer; I point the finger at the editors for not cleaning this series up and letting the obviously-interesting story-lines come through. (Not to mention the fact that there were some obvious grammatical issues that needed to be addressed: "see" instead of "sea" for example...or "...and shoulder-length hair the same color hung to his shoulders...." Well, yes. Shoulder-length hair SHOULD hang to his shoulders.) If this was a self-published novel, I might be more forgiving, but when you've got one of the premiere publishing houses at your back (Jove / Penguin), they should be taking better care of you.
But I digress. By the end, I could feel the weight and scope of the theme Whyte had taken on. He'd spanned hundreds of years and had some major events to incorporate into three books. And despite having to search for the "meat" of the stories, I even felt myself growing a bit nostalgic when Hugh de Payenne was mentioned at the end of this novel and the reader was able to come full circle with the Templar Knights that were...and what they had become.
The last 200 pages were where I finally found the plot that moved along at a decent speed; and suspense and anticipation abounded. I started caring about the characters and what happened to them and didn't have to wade through all that exposition and "telling" rather than "showing."
Jack Whyte is a good writer; I point the finger at the editors for not cleaning this series up and letting the obviously-interesting story-lines come through. (Not to mention the fact that there were some obvious grammatical issues that needed to be addressed: "see" instead of "sea" for example...or "...and shoulder-length hair the same color hung to his shoulders...." Well, yes. Shoulder-length hair SHOULD hang to his shoulders.) If this was a self-published novel, I might be more forgiving, but when you've got one of the premiere publishing houses at your back (Jove / Penguin), they should be taking better care of you.
But I digress. By the end, I could feel the weight and scope of the theme Whyte had taken on. He'd spanned hundreds of years and had some major events to incorporate into three books. And despite having to search for the "meat" of the stories, I even felt myself growing a bit nostalgic when Hugh de Payenne was mentioned at the end of this novel and the reader was able to come full circle with the Templar Knights that were...and what they had become.
August 19, 2013
While I did enjoy this book on its own merits, I didn't feel that it lived up to the mystery presented in the first of the series, nor the adventure of the second, but it did tell a simple story to answer the questions of how the Templars came to Scotland as well as the New World. That's the basic premise of the book. It doesn't have much of a build to a definitive climax...it just simply presents the happenings of the Templars after their fall. I've always found Whyte's strengths to be in his intimate character development, and he does that here at spells, though I couldn't help but feel worn out by the writing toward the end. The work also portrayed the sense that the writer may have been wearing down as well. His three-volume series of Templar books is indeed an in-depth tomb that satisfactorily answers questions, albeit fictionally, and the reader must remember that. Whyte fans will find satisfaction here, undoubtedly, but it is far from achieving the compelling nature of the Camulod saga that preceded it.
June 3, 2013
I enjoyed this third and final book of The Templar series, to my mind it was the best, maybe because there was a female as one of protagonists. It softened the story and made it more appealing (to me anyway!)
The story starts in La Rochelle in France where on 13th October 1307 King Phillip Cabat decides to arrest every member of the Templar order that can be found, on completely bogus charges. The order have to escape to The Arran Isles and seek sanctuary fro Robert the Bruce, who gladly helps the men The story details their experiences on the Island and how the Order clawed back harmony to the Chaos that they have been cast into, the changes they have to make in order to survive.
The female input makes the book a much more rounded story, Maybe not with the impact or adventure of the Camulod Chronicles which is really a fabulous peace of work, but a story worth reading anyway.
The story starts in La Rochelle in France where on 13th October 1307 King Phillip Cabat decides to arrest every member of the Templar order that can be found, on completely bogus charges. The order have to escape to The Arran Isles and seek sanctuary fro Robert the Bruce, who gladly helps the men The story details their experiences on the Island and how the Order clawed back harmony to the Chaos that they have been cast into, the changes they have to make in order to survive.
The female input makes the book a much more rounded story, Maybe not with the impact or adventure of the Camulod Chronicles which is really a fabulous peace of work, but a story worth reading anyway.
June 19, 2013
I enjoyed this third book of the trilogy the most. The three books are not sequels to each other, just deal with the same historical organization. There is very little linkage between the books, so there is no problem reading them out of sequence.
There are complex plots woven throughout the book, with exceptionally descriptive writing vividly describing people, settings, etc, so the reader can visualize a great deal, rather than simply read words.
Many of the book's events fit known historical information. It would be fascinating to have an authoritative source to identify what was historically accurate, including events, weapons and armaments used in fighting at that time, and what is fiction.
There are complex plots woven throughout the book, with exceptionally descriptive writing vividly describing people, settings, etc, so the reader can visualize a great deal, rather than simply read words.
Many of the book's events fit known historical information. It would be fascinating to have an authoritative source to identify what was historically accurate, including events, weapons and armaments used in fighting at that time, and what is fiction.
May 14, 2016
★ - Most books with this rating I never finish and so don't make this list. This one I probably started speed-reading to get it over with.
★★ - Average. Wasn't terrible, but not a lot to recommend it. Probably skimmed parts of it.
★★★ - Decent. A few good ideas, well-written passages, interesting characters, or the like.
★★★★ - Good. This one had parts that inspired me, impressed me, made me laugh out loud, made me think - it got positive reactions and most of the rest of it was pretty decent too.
★★★★★ - Amazing. This is the best I've read of its genre, the ones I hold on to so I can re-read them and/or loan them out to people looking for a great book. The best of these change the way I look at the world and operate within it.
★★ - Average. Wasn't terrible, but not a lot to recommend it. Probably skimmed parts of it.
★★★ - Decent. A few good ideas, well-written passages, interesting characters, or the like.
★★★★ - Good. This one had parts that inspired me, impressed me, made me laugh out loud, made me think - it got positive reactions and most of the rest of it was pretty decent too.
★★★★★ - Amazing. This is the best I've read of its genre, the ones I hold on to so I can re-read them and/or loan them out to people looking for a great book. The best of these change the way I look at the world and operate within it.
July 12, 2016
There are authors that can grab you in the first couple sentences or paragraph. Vince Flynn, Daniel Sylva are a 2 that can do this. Vince Flynn was the best ever at this HOWEVER Jack Whyte I put in this category. I have read the Knight series and the "Wallace, Bruce" series and 4 of the King Arthur series and how he writes within the 1 st paragraph or so he has your full attention. I have never liked reading about King Arthur cause I do not like fantasy but how he has structured this series it is the most realistic of what could of been King Arthur. I hear Mary Stewart's series is of similar basis. I have not read. I highly recommend Jack Whyte to anyone interested in the material he writes about.
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April 21, 2020First of all, kudos to Jack Whyte! This is quite an end to a trilogy! The Trilogy in whole was great.
About this book, I found this one was a bit slower than the first two. Though less eventful it might have been, the events were of great significance and effect! This might not have been the best of three, but you can't just ignore the fact that the events captured and the descriptions are purely amazing. The protagonist, Will Sinclair took some time to earn my favor. The Lady Jessie Randolph was quite a character! (my favorite, indeed).
Well, that's it guys, the end of a saga. The Templars have brought about their own end and now its time to move on.
About this book, I found this one was a bit slower than the first two. Though less eventful it might have been, the events were of great significance and effect! This might not have been the best of three, but you can't just ignore the fact that the events captured and the descriptions are purely amazing. The protagonist, Will Sinclair took some time to earn my favor. The Lady Jessie Randolph was quite a character! (my favorite, indeed).
Well, that's it guys, the end of a saga. The Templars have brought about their own end and now its time to move on.
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