Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "book-of-talon"

Assassination in Al-Qahirah by James Boschert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Forced from his home in France and on his way to Palestine, Talon de Giles senses something is amiss after fourteen days at sea. The tempest overhead pounds the vessel and excess water on board does not bode well. He wakes his fellow Templars, but they can do little. The vessel strikes razor-sharp rocks and the four men are tossed into the turbulent froth. Only Talon, Max, and Montague wash ashore with their lives and the clothes on their backs. With no idea where they are or which direction to go, they make do as best they can until opportunity presents itself.

Months later a caravan on its way to Al Iskandrîyah stops for the night near where the Templars camp. Talon’s training as a kidnapped child of the Assassini serves him well and he steals camels, weapons, food, and silver without anyone being the wiser. He also discovers that Alexandria is not far, so the three unkempt, bearded, scarecrow-like men head to the Egyptian city to arrange passage to the Holy Land. But the Templars are betrayed, Montague is slain, and Talon and Max are imprisoned on accusations of being Christian spies. Rather than reveal his true identity, Talon adopts the name of Suleiman and spins a tale that keeps them alive. For now. Emir Abbas Abdur Rahman ibn Athir Faysal, the man in charge of the prison, distrusts Suleiman and his story, so until he discovers the truth, Talon and Max will remain prisoners.

To remain in their cell means certain death, so the two friends watch, wait, and plan until the day arrives when they can escape. Being strangers in a strange city, they dare not stay in Al Iskandrîyah. Using his particular skills of stealth, Talon steals horses and they flee into the countryside. One day, they are high ground when they see a grove of trees where people mill about. When a caravan approaches the oasis, the grove is suddenly devoid of humans. Fearing an ambush, Talon and Max rush in to aid those being attacked. Their intervention saves the lives of Lady Khalidah and her two children, but Max is badly injured. They go with the noble family to their estate, where Lady Khalidah insists they stay until her husband returns to thank them. While Max recovers, Suleiman tutors the children. He’s wary of staying, but he won’t leave Max.

This third Book of Talon is a spine-tingling, edge-of-your seat thriller that centers around a man who covets another man’s wife and property and will do whatever he must to rid himself of his enemy. Interwoven into this tale are exotic locales, palace intrigue, assassination, betrayal, and a fascinating look into the underground world of Al Qahira (Cairo). Throughout the story there are scenes where the tension runs high and you forget to breathe. They culminate in a heart-thumping final battle on the Nile. As always Boschert drops readers into the midst of the action, spinning an intricate tale that snatches your imagination and doesn’t let go until the book ends. Even then, he leaves us with a tantalizing twist of what is to come in Talon’s next adventure, which may bring Talon closer to reuniting with his love Rav’an and friend Rexa . . . if they are still alive.




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Assassins of Kantara by James Boschert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The assassins infiltrate and strike without warning. No one defies the Master and lives, but this trio deserve special treatment. No one else matters, so death will come swiftly. But not for the three.

Talon de Gilles has always known this day would come. He comprehends exactly what awaits himself, his wife Rav’an, and his friend Reza. Perhaps not the particulars, but being raised by the Hashashini (or Assassins) make the peril all too real. A familiar face where it should not be. A servant who falls ill. Stealth where it is least expected. Now, the sanctuary Muscat offers is no more, leaving Talon and his family only one choice. To survive, they must flee in a manner in which the world once again swallows them from the Master’s long reach.

But danger trails no matter how far Talon travels. Many years have passed since he made a promise to a king. The time has come to fulfill his pledge, yet the journey is fraught with danger from bandits led by a Frank; the King of Jerusalem’s fragile health has his lords embroiled in a power struggle; and Salah Ed Din, leader of the Arabs, and his army will soon strike at the holy city. Equally disheartening is news that Talon has lost his mentor, a powerful leader among the Templars.

Perhaps Acre offers a better sanctuary. After all, his friend and fellow Templar Max oversees Talon’s trading ventures. But all is not as it should be there, as Talon soon discovers. Max has been imprisoned. All of their property has been confiscated. And an enemy from the past has been amassing evidence to arrest Talon on charges of witchcraft. Time is not on his side. Word reaches Acre that Talon is coming and Max’s health quickly fades. To extricate his friend and the rest of his entourage will require cunning, stealth, and luck. Even then, nothing is assured. And where to go next in search of a safe haven?

From Muscat to Cyprus and Constantinople, this seventh book of Talon’s adventures whisks readers away on a perilous and serpentine journey. Enemies, as well as friends, from the present and the past are interwoven into a labyrinthine maze of intrigue, vengeance, and greed. Subplots from previous titles in the series come to fruition, but not without sacrifice. At the same time, Boschert lays the groundwork for the future. Fans of Talon’s previous adventures will find this story compelling. Those meet him for the first time will be grounded in the myriad twists and turns of this plot, but may want to read the earlier books first to fully grasp the many nuances of this intrepid tour de force.




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