Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "jerusalem"

A Falcon Flies by James Boschert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Trouble comes at inopportune times. Just when all is going right for Sir Talon de Gilles, old charges of witchcraft resurface and he comes under close scrutiny by the Bishop in Acre and his henchman, Brother John. But Talon must leave his affairs in his friend Max’s capable hands, for Sir Guy de Veres requires his special talents. Salah ed Din, the Sultan of Egypt, has been too quiet, and Sir Guy fears what that silence might mean for the Templars and the king of Jerusalem in 1177. Additional peril comes from the Assassins of Rashid ed Din, who have been attacking Templar castles – a fact that Talon and Sir Guy experience firsthand when an assault comes from unexpected quarters. Talon’s suspicions help the Templars to gain the upper hand and capture several prisoners, one of whom reveals that Reza and Rav’an yet live.

News of his best friend and his heart’s true love rekindle hope. For six long years, Talon has feared both died soon after the Templars took him prisoner and shipped him back to his real family in France. He yearns to find Reza and Rav’an, but trouble intervenes once more when Salah ed Din’s true intent becomes known: he plans to attack the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Talon’s knowledge of the Egyptians proves invaluable, and his participation in the Battle of Montgisard gains him the edge he needs to be given special dispensation to leave the Templars and search for Reza and Rav’an. But the way to reunion is fraught with escalating perils that threaten to thwart him time and again. Then he hears that Rav’an is a sultan’s wife, her brother’s pawn in an alliance that promises only death if her secret becomes known.

From first page to last, A Falcon Flies keeps the reader spellbound with serpentine twists more numerous than coiled rope and more breathtaking than the plunges and climbs of a roller coaster. As always, Boschert introduces an array of intriguing and unique characters, not least of which is Talon’s servant, a young thief whom he rescues from death. Maps and translations are included to orient readers as they journey from Acre to Antioch, Jerusalem, Bagdad, and Isfahan. A Falcon Flies, the Fifth Book of Talon, is heart-stopping adventure not to be missed. It is also a journey of true love, where one man is willing to risk all to reunite with his beloved.




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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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