The Templar Legacy is a book by Steve Berry that details an adventure involving American agents, holdouts of the centuries old Templar brotherhood and the quest for the Great Devise. The Great Devise is a factual cache of treasure and knowledge that was hidden away from the French King, Phillip IV, during The Great Purge in 1307 when the Templars were wiped out for political reasons.
The story is very compelling, if a bit flimsy in parts. Some of the characters’ actions are a bit questionable compared to how I imagine people would react (and act) in real life, but if you just take the book at face value you’ll definitely be entertained, especially if you love religious mystery books and you might even learn something new about Church history. That’s one thing The Templar Legacy has going for it. As I was reading it, I wasn’t sure how much of the story was based on fact and how much was based on fiction, but the author was kind enough to include a section at the end of the book detailing what parts of the story were based on history and what he made up for the sake of the fiction.
I’ve always been attracted to religious mystery stories. I really enjoyed watching The Da Vinci Code, though I haven’t read the book yet. I also really enjoyed reading Angels & Demons, though the movie couldn’t hold my interest for more than 20 minutes. So, it was really easy for me to pick up The Templar Legacy and thoroughly enjoy it.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=talovecof-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0345504410&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrReligion is one of the greatest mysteries and greatest influential forces in the world. I think that at some point everyone realizes that there must be some greater force at work and they want to know and understand what that force is. For Christians, that force is God. The nature of God and Jesus Christ is a subject that this book deals heavily with. The author takes aspects of actual history, like the Templars, the Great Purge and the Great Devise, and crafts it into a story that will both educate you (if you’re not familiar with Templar history) and cause you to question what you believe.
Some people, like the Catholic Church, ban certain items from the consumption of ‘good Catholics’ because it may make them question what the Church has said about certain subjects. Years ago I had a friend that refused to watch the movie Stigmata with me because the Catholic Church said it wasn’t proper for good Catholics to watch it. Personally, I think that we should all question our beliefs regularly. It’s only through questioning what we believe that we can gain greater understanding.
If you enjoy religious mystery books, Church history, or even just a good mystery / thriller, I think The Templar Legacy will definitely be worth your time.
Bradley Farless 