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Read The Templar Legacy (2007)

The Templar Legacy (2007)

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Rating
3.78 of 5 Votes: 4
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ISBN
0345476166 (ISBN13: 9780345476166)
Language
English
Publisher
ballantine books

The Templar Legacy (2007) - Plot & Excerpts

Okay. Here's the deal. If you go to Amazon.com, you're going to see this book picked apart by people who judge it because it doesn't conform to their ideas about Christianity, and because it offers a new way to look at the Catholic Church, etc., etc., etc. So my advice: if you're a devout Christian and you can't pick up a book that puts forth ideas you can't agree with, don't pick this one up because you'll hate it. On the other hand, if you can get past that, and realize that the author is writing a thriller/suspense story, and that it is FICTION, then you may find yourself getting into it. Yes, it's improbable, and yes, it's implausible and yes, things go down just a little too pat. But it's not meant to be great literature and it's a very fun & relaxing way to pass a few hours. I liked it SO much better than the last one (The Third Secret) and I had a lot of fun with the whole Templar treasure thing. Good grief...it's just a fun fiction novel! To be sure, it does get a little tedious after a while with all of the talk talk about the Templar treasure & the secrets left behind, but take it for what it is: a fun story by an author that knows how to do a fine plot.here's a brief look:Starting out in Copenhagen, bookstore owner Cotton Malone (who is a retired goverment agent of some sort) is hanging out having a coffee and sees a purse snatching. The purse belongs to his ex-boss in the government. He goes after her purse and as the guy is about to be caught, he does a very bizarre thing: he jumps from a tower and puts a knife across his throat while on his way down. As Cotton begins to investigate, he finds himself tangled up in a web of intrigue involving the Knights Templar, which leads him to France and Rennes-le-Chateau. He and his group get caught up in secret cryptograms, headstone inscriptions, art-inspired clues, as two rival groups all seek the same thing. You can't write this off as a DaVinci Code ripoff, because frankly, it's much better and packs more of a punch. Try it...you might enjoy it.

This is the first of the Cotton Malone series. The author, Steve Berry, has been described as "the thinking man's Dan Brown" and I can see why. I am certainly no biblical scholar but the book seemed to be well researched and real world mysteries are dealt with in a plausible way. I do wish, though, that readers who are offended by anything that challenges their religious views would just avoid those novels in the first place rather than read them and then trash the book's viewpoint.I enjoyed learning much more about the Templars and how they evolved through history. I also liked the settings in Copenhagen and France, and having been to most of the locales described in the novel, found myself transported back to those places.The plot was intriguing and while I thought the overall mystery to be sufficiently compelling and well paced, I felt the dialogue was a bit stilted. I've noticed this with other Steve Berry novels as well. The one thing that I appreciated the most was that Cotton Malone, our protagonist, served as a great foil for the reader. Just when I felt like saying, "That doesn't make sense," Cotton says, "That doesn't make sense." Since the mystery elements of the plot are quite complicated, it really helped when he asked the same questions I wanted to ask at exactly the right points. It was almost uncanny.So, yes, I will definitely be reading more of the Cotton Malone series.

What do You think about The Templar Legacy (2007)?

The Templar Legacy is basically a complete rip off of The Davinci Code, which was not that great of a novel to begin with. It has fewer twists and turns than the original, and is even more convoluted. Furthermore, Steve Berry does not remotely impress me with his writing skill. In The Templar Legacy, a former US Justice Department agent just happens to see a purse-snatcher kill himself by throwing himself off of a tower and slitting his throat just to make sure he completed the job. Cotton Malone's investigation into the matter leads him to a medieval Knights Templar organization that has been operating in secrecy for hundreds of year. Hmm, where did I see that at before? There are your anagrams, symbols and puzzles that need to be solved, not to mention gunfights with Templar monks, all very realistic. Basically, if not for The Davinci Code this novel would not exist. Hopefully, next time Steve Berry will try to be more original, if he has it in him.Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
—Carl Alves

once again i'm longing for half stars (2 vs. 3). i'm settling on this just being ok/2 stars, though, because:- the dialogue is not afraid to spell things out. as in, explaining the obvious, in a predictable, simplistic manner- the actual storyline meanders a little too much, at least for my taste in historical thrillers. i'd like these books to be, i don't know, thrilling.- there were a couple of spelling/grammar errors. true, it could happen to anyone. true, it's an enormous pet peeve of mine in general. but in a professionally published book, it smacks to me of sloppiness and often reflects on the overall quality of the book. - the 'big religious discovery' in this book, while interesting, was extremely disappointing in its resolution. complaints aside, it really was ok. it was fun to explore some slightly new historical territory (at least for me). i ended up watching a documentary about the templars while i was reading this book and found the two in relative harmony, which was nice. so there you go. 2 stars. =)
—Heather

I found this book after reading The Da Vinci Code. I was enthralled from cover to cover and have found through this book, The Da Vinci Code and 1 other book that I am now a closet Templar conspiracy theorist.Well written with good plot twists and suspense. Steve Berry is a gifted author with a special talent for suspense and history.Historical fiction lovers will get plenty from this book. Suspense lovers will not be disappointed. There is even some blood for the horror fans. I guess the only people who wouldn't enjoy this are those that like romance novels.This particular novel centers on the search for the Holy Grail and present day Knights Templar that exist in total secrecy. Cotton Malone, the main character, is pulled in to a plot of international intrigue when his former boss (from a secret government agency he retired from) turns up in his hometown and and has her purse stolen. When the man is pursued he commits suicide after uttering a latin phrase that is connected with the Knights Templar. Cotton must use his skills as a former government agent and his knowledge as a bibliophile to solve a riddle that is hundreds of years old. All the while, he is pursued by a sadistic man bent on eliminating him because he knows about the Templars.Regardless of your tastes, Berry has written 4 novels on 4 different topics and all 4 are fantastic. Just look at the reviews for his other books and you can trust that you are buying a great book when you get this one.
—Billy

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