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
