Blaze of Silver

The de Granville Trilogy #3

by K.M. Grant

Can a knight sacrifice everything he holds sacred in service to his king? King Richard is being held for ransom in Germany, and England is in chaos without a sovereign. The de Granvilles must deliver the treasure that will win their King's freedom. But the Old Man of the Mountain, leader of the Assassins, is ready to take his revenge on Kamil. To do so he will orchestrate a great betrayal, and his tentacles of treachery reach far and deep. Kamil is determined to prevail―the Old Man must not win. But when all trust has been shattered, who can he turn to for help? The fate of a king, the bonds of a friendship, and the depth of an enduring love will all be in jeopardy as Will, Ellie, Kamil, and Hosanna face the ultimate loyalty test, and their final battle.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Romance, Adventure, Medieval, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2007

About the author

K. M. GRANT was inspired by her own family history to write How the Hangman Lost His Heart. Her ancestor, Colonel Francis Towneley, or Uncle Frank, was the last man in Britain to by hanged, drawn, and quartered. His head was passed down for generations of her family until it was finally reunited with his body just after World War II, when it was buried at St. Peter’s Church. It was Uncle Frank’s colorful legacy that showed her how exciting history could be. K. M. Grant is also the author of the de Granville Trilogy. She lives in Scotland and works as a broadcaster and journalist.

She has recently published her first novel for adults as Katharine Grant. The separate name is to ensure the distinction between works appropriate for young audiences and works with adult material. For more information, see The History Girls: Naming myself, by Katharine Grant.

Reviews

[Shayshkers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent ending to a good series. It took me so long to finish reading it though. It didn't grip me, or affect me, on the same level the ending of the second book did. It's nice to see things wrap up, and it's a little bittersweet, but I felt like the flow wasn't great. The beginning and middle dragged on at places and the ending happened so fast in comparison. That said, it's a sweet series and I'm glad to have read it.

[Alex Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blaze of Silver is an enormous improvement from Blood Red Horse, the first book of the trilogy. The central theme of the story - conflicting loyalties - is timeless, being just as relevant today as it was during the twelfth century. The characters are often faced with painful, difficult, and frustrating decisions - friendship or patriotism? love or honor? service or freedom? To side with one means to betray the other, and the choices they make are completely unpredictable, sure to catch the reader off guard.

Blaze of Silver is also a story of bitter betrayal and shattered expectations, described so well that the reader feels the fury and deep sense of injustice inflicted upon the characters as if it were happening to the reader himself. Whenever a piece of writing makes you feel so strongly, you know it's good writing!

But is it really injustice, or was it perhaps the right thing to do? K.M. Grant does a magnificent job of describing her characters' motivations without demonizing them - allowing the reader to see the world from the "traitor's" perspective.

To sum it up, this was a fantastic book - a story of jealousy, bitter disappointments, and "what-ifs" - but with an ending that is satisfying, worthwhile, and slightly unexpected! A magnificent conclusion to the de Granville Trilogy that I would recommend to anybody who likes heroic fantasy, historical fiction, horses, romance, or just any good book!

[Krisanne Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have put off reading the last one because I don't want to say good-bye to the characters, but I'm putting my big girl panties on and bracing for the end. Sigh.

It is with great sadness that I say good-bye to some of my very favorite characters ever: Will, Ellie, Kalim, and most of all, Hoseanna. I finished this book in two days, and immediately went to Amazon.com and ordered her other trilogy. Hopefully those books will help heal the hole in my heart. Historical fiction is one of my least favorite genres. Or should I say, "was" one of my least favorite genres. These books changed that for me. Grant brought the Crusades to life, and created unforgettable characters and a remarkable horse that will stay in my mind's eye forever. Sigh. Going to go drown my sorrows in another book.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is by far the best book of the three. Grant continues to make the characters more believable and more lovable. She spins the tail so that you end up partially in the dark and partially knowing things the characters don't know which can be frustrating but pleasing at the same time. I really feel like this was the most original of the three books as well as being action packed. Even when the action lulls she continues to keep your interest in a way that only the best of authors can.

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the rest of the books, I loved it. Everything panned out almost exactly as I had hoped it would, but definitely not predictable. I loved how all the characters were brought together by Hosanna. Overall the series was exciting and just really interesting and enjoyable.

[Trishelle Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

*sob* Although this book is pretty good, it's really the ending that gives it that extra star.
A great end to a fabulous trilogy!

[William Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

My cousin Sherilyn recommended these books to me, and since the first book, Blood Red Horse, didn't disappoint, I was excited to read the follow-ups. The entire de Granville trilogy follows the eponymous Norman French family during the reign of Richard the Lionhearted as he gears up to take part in the Third Crusade. Sir Thomas de Granville, a widower, has two sons called Gavin and Will, as well as a ward named Eleanor or Ellie, whom both the boys have a soft spot for. As Will begins his knighthood training, he is given a great horse—albeit one that isn't quite so "great" in terms of size—a blood red horse with an uncanny ability to empathize with human feelings and to inspire those same humans all around him, whom Will names Hosanna. As the de Granville men travel with Richard to the Holy Land, Hosanna becomes a rallying point for many of the English troops, and when he is captured by Kamil, Saladin's young orphaned protege and vowed Christian killer, he does the same for the Muslim soldiers he encounters, even tempering Kamil's bloodthirsty impulses at various times. However, as the events of the Third Crusade unfold and the terrible aftermath for those abroad with Richard and those at home is realized, Hosanna's ability to help his humans through their tragedy is thoroughly tested.

These books were definitely a joy to read—well researched, immersive, and fun. Grant's style is certainly approachable and also certainly written for teens, given that these are YA novels. Those who have no interest in war or horses may find these tough to get into, but even those with only lukewarm interest in those fields should find these books a worthwhile read.

[Rach H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so, so glad I finally finished this series. I started it thirteen years ago and I've finally finished it! It was fantastically suspenseful; reading this last book, with absolutely no idea what was going to happen, was such an energizing and stressful experience—just as I remember my first reads of the other two were, over a decade ago. I'm just—ecstatic about it. I love Will and Ellie and Kamil so much, and I'm so happy with how their relationships moved through the trilogy as a whole and this final book. I do have a single complaint, but it's not a failing in the text—it's simply that there was a specific thing I wanted (a beautiful reunion of these three protagonists who love each other very much) and I didn't get it. But hey, that's what daydreams are for, right?

These characters have meant so much to me for literally half my life, and I'm overjoyed to finally know how their story ends.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good end to a favourite trilogy


mild spoilers the OT3 of Kamil, William and Ellie will live on in my heart but I am glad Kamil found happiness with his own wife and daughter and the foal of Hosanna and Shihab

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for the series

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book a 4.5. Actually, I give this whole series a 4.5. :) It was historical fiction (more heavy to the fiction than to the historical) with some romance, and feel that I learned from the book. I learned more about the Crusades, King Richard's imprisonment, King John's attempt to take over the throne, and relations between early Muslims and early Muslim extremists.
Most of all, I fell in love with the story and the characters. The story kept me interested most of the time, and spent 1-3 hours on a few Saturdays reading when I should have been cleaning. :) There are some unexpected twists in the books. However, I feel that the end of the book is a bit... stretched. Not in believability necessarily, but the whole, "Five years later," feel. The massive jump in time and the little summaries, crammed into the last few pages of the book feel a bit thin. Besides, I loved what KM Grant did with the rest of the story. :) Couldn't she have filled in those five years with 200 more pages? :)I grew to know the characters, at least some of them. Will, Ellie, Hosanna, and Amal in particular. Marissa just made me want to tear my hair out, but I ended up feeling for her. Funny out that works.
All in all, I'm glad I read this series. It was highly entertaining, I learned from it, and besides, I just love a good fiction book. :) Or just a good book.
Now for the spoilers :)
I'm glad Gavin was able die in peace. It wan't peaceful circumstances, for sure, but he chose his time, with the dignity of a knight.
I'm glad Ellie ended up with Will. You just want them to end up together for all 3 books. :)
I'm glad Hosana got better. That's a miracle horse. Run past exhaustion, wounded in the crusades, poisoned, and run past exhaustion again.
I'm glad Amal died by his own choosing, not by the Old Man's torture.
I'm glad Kamil was still able to have a good life. If only there had been two Ellie's...
I'm glad the Old Man is at the bottom of the ocean.
I'm glad I read this series. :)

[Lady Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the end of Green Jasper, I was really wondering why I loved this series when I was a teen. By the end of this one, I remembered exactly why I loved it as a teen, and really, really like it now.

While Gavin's grave is still relatively fresh, life at Hartslove goes on. Will still moons after Ellie. Marissa moons after Will. Kamil moons after Ellie. Elric loves Will. It really sounds like a soap opera... except it's not. King Richard is still emprisoned in Germany, and Will is responsible for delivering half of ransom silver necessary to buy the king's freedom. He gives in to taking Kamil, Elric, Hal and Ellie on the journey but absolutely refuses to let Marissa come along. Mariss though, can't stand the thought of not going, so she claims to have heard God's calling and wants to become a nun. She figures that she can back out at the last moment, but unfortunately for her (and everyone else), a lot happens between England and Germany. Betrayal, murder, love, revenge and even a litte bit revelation mark the journey... and wow, what a ride it is.

The ending is perfect. Everything lines up the way it should, but it doesn't feel forced. Kudos to K.M. Grant for a wonderful conclusion to a pretty awesome trilogy!

[Linnae · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been so long since I read the first two, I probably should have started at the beginning again. I remembered there was a red horse involved, and a love triangle involving 2 brothers who both loved the same girl. It took me awhile to get up to speed again.

Set during King Richard's England, right after the Crusades, when he has been captured and the German Emperor is demanding a huge ransom for his return. Will has been put in charge of delivering the share of the ransom from his region. His friend Kamil, a Sarcaren (sp?), unwittingly becomes part of an elaborate revenge plot by The Old Man in the Mountain (whom he fled to England to escape).

Good but not awesome. Liked the ending--it seemed fitting for this particular book, as well as for the trilogy.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting series....I didn't like the first one, "Blood Red Horse" very much, the battles were a little to repetitive and the story line was almost non-existent, but the second one "Green Jasper" was fabulous! (It was almost like a different author had written it) This third book, "Blaze of Silver", might just be my favorite of the whole series. The characters are all so wonderfully written, and you've become so endeared to them that you find yourself genuinely caring about who lives and who dies. The only thing I wonder about is how closely these last two books followed true historical accounts of the crusades. hmmm...I guess I'll have to do a little research to find out.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Book 3 of the de Granville Trilogy, although it all started with Blood Red Horse. This one rocked! It was much better than Green Jasper (book 2) which had me worried.[return][return]Will, Ellie, and Kamil are growing up and growing apart. Kamil is drawn back to his Saracen self and Will is determined to win Ellie over. But first they have to pay King Richard's ransom and struggle on with the crusades.[return][return]As always, Hosanna, the red horse, is my favorite character. I grew up on the Misty series and every other horse series I could find. To me, this is just another great horse read! But I love historical stuff, too. Add in some strong female characters and I'm hooked!

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved listening to these books. I want to start over. The story is so beautiful and intense. The characters continue to do what's right even in the face of real adversity. They have to face so much to succeed. There were so many moments when I almost couldn't listen anymore, terrified of what was to come. Awesome!! Awesome!! The narrator Maggie Mash was perfect. I want a horse like Hosannah- faithful, smart, and gave so much to so many people. He almost died more times than I could bare. I think I cried through each CD. I liked the ending- Kamil with a red horse. Perfect. I wish the series continued. I really do.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had just occurred to me that Ellie was very Mary-Sue-ish.
The girl just has to be good at everything: horse riding, languages, medicine. And her milk shake brings all the boys to the yard because lo and behold, another love triangle (or a square if you count Marissa).
But since William is sort of the almost perfect boy next door too, I figured that they belonged together.

Even though I noticed all that, I still really liked the characters (most of them anyway) and I was very much invested in their stories. It wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be. There was character development, adventure, conflict, love, friendship and all that jazz. Yeah, I enjoyed it.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing that it took me over a year to finish this book, I'd have to say that I didn't think it was that great. But I did finish it, so I guess that says something. :) The author's writing style just didn't click with me - this wasn't one of those "can't put it down" books, obviously. It was nice to have some resolution at the end of this trilogy, but I felt like it was too little, too late. I waited so long (through three books) to see what happens, then I felt like it ended really quickly. I liked the author's decisions in how it ended, i.e. who ended up with who and where, but it was just too fast.

[Corri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well It's really about time that I finished this series. I did enjoy these books, they aren't dystopian, or fantasy, or paranormal. Its simple fiction based back during the Christian Crusades. And for that reason it was a lovely break from the normal teen reading. I did only give it three stars because it's not really...fantastic. Let me explain a little. The books are entertaining, and the characters are very well developed throughout the series, however, nothing fantastic really happens for that reason. It simply follows the life story of a boy who turns into a man who adores his horse. Which is good, but its not a end of your seat type of read.

[Barton Hills Sixth Grade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the blood red horse trilogy. It is by far the best. I have to admit the beginning and the middle of the first book is boring. But if you stick through it Green Jasper and Blaze of Silver(this book) Are amazing. The worlds history is a lot bloodier than you think. Even before WW1 and WW2 were the crusading times. The real battle doesn't take place on the battle fields. It is the battle of love, survival, and death. The love triangle is unforgettable as well as the surprises that happen. This book was my ultimate favorite out of the trilogy and this was my favorite trilogy I've ever read. By Emma Hagert

[Kathy Lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

laze of Silver is third in the Granville Trilogy by K.M. Grant.
It has the feel of an epic movie with sweeping views of forest, desert, sea, knights, nuns and horses. It is set during the Crusades, but I can't attest to how well it would stand up to a historical fiction label.

While there are interesting elements, fealty/loyalty, jealousy, unrequited love, relationships across barriers and good character sketches, I don't feel it stands on its own for Thumbs Up.

http://thumbsupaward.blogspot.com/sea...

[Kelly Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize how much I was enjoying these books until after I would read each one. For me, these books weren't major page turners, but I kept thinking about them afterward- and looked forward to completing the series. So though I gave the first two books only three stars each, I would give this series 4 stars overall. The characters were memorable, and each drew strong emotional responses from me as I read. Good story, great historical fiction.

[Michelle Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ending to a wonderful trilogy! I hope they make a movie out of this one. (hopefully they wouldn't ruin it like Eragon!) I recommend this book and the rest of them for everyone. It is full of excitment and intrigue!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another end to a good series. And what a good end too. Blaze of Silver, unlike many other series-ending books I've read, has a very nice ending to it. Not quite the happily ever after picture, but very close.

[Maegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a sweet ending! Everything turned out right. What makes me most happy is that Ellie, Kamil, and Will turn out happy with the whole relationship problem: Ellie and Will with their kids, and Kamil with his wife and child. Happy Ending!

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final chapter in the De Granville Trilogy. The Ransom is ready to be delivered to free King Richard. The Old Man on the Mountain is ready to take revenge on Kamil. Full of action, intrigue, friendship, love, betrayal, and forgiveness. Excellent!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the final volume of the deGranville trilogy. Will, the new Duke, is raising the ransom for King Richard. Accompanied by Ellie, Kamil, and the horse Hosanna, Will must face battle and betrayal from his closest friend and be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his king.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ransom for King Richard is being taken to Germany where deceit and evilness create an air of sadness, jepordizing a friendship of Kamil and perhaps sacrificing Hosana to save the king. A great ending to this trilogy.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was, by far, my favorite of the series. I read it very quickly - in just a few sittings, really, and probably could've finished it in a day if I had the time. Very captivating story, and I think one almost anyone could enjoy.

[Teagan Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This better make up for how dumb Green Jasper was. That's all i have to say. [[BEFORE

This didn't really make up for how dumb Green Jasper was. In short, its okay but I'd rather not have wasted my time when i could've been reading other things. [[AFTER