Тронът на тамплиерите

Templar #3

by Paul Christopher, Пол Кристофър

Един човек търси истината – срещу древно братство, което използва секретността като свое върховно оръжие. През 14 век тамплиерът Жан дьо Сен Клер бил натоварен да изведе натоварения със съкровища флот на ордена от френски води. За целта той използва така наречения „жезъл на Яков“ – навигационен инструмент, за който се смята, че е изобретен по същото време. Но рейнджърът полковник от запаса Джон Холидей притежава същия уред, открит в ръцете на египетска мумия отпреди четири хиляди години. Холидей подозира, че Сен Клер може би държи ключа към разкриването на тайната на безмилостните и загадъчни тамплиери.

Но има и такива, които смятат, че някои въпроси трябва да останат без отговор. И че отговорите, които търси Холидей, трябва да отидат с него в гроба...

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Historical, Suspense

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2010

About the author

Paul Christopher is a pseudonym used by the author Christopher Hyde.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love all the templar stories, no matter what is factual/non factual.

This however, I am struggling with to the extent of despising it.

I hate the references to the da vinci code, i find them irrelevant and having a cheap shot at a book that actually kept me fixated until the end. We all know half of the book was fiction but thats the story aspect.

I feel that anyone with access to a few decent search engines could have written this book, and indeed if i wanted a geographical tour of the world I woulda bought a dam guide book!

Am 2 thirds through it and fallen asleep every night after only about 5 pages, weird for a woman that can read a book in a day.

I have read the lost symbol and find this book very disappointing, cant say much more than that.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not going to spend much time reviewing this, the third book in Paul Christopher's Templar series, published in 2010. This is definitely Dan Brown "Da Vinci Code" territory but Brown did it so much better. Christopher not only rips-off Brown, but several times in the book, a character criticizes Dan Brown's book as fiction (which is actually funny!)!
Briefly, we have ex-Army Ranger ( and medieval military historian) John "Doc" Holliday, accompanied by a beautiful woman ( naturally) searching for the Templars' treasure, including a "Jacob's Staff." This staff is supposed to be a wonderful (magical?) nautical instrument used by Jean de St. Clair to pilot the Templar treasure fleet. How the staff works--and what happened to the Templar fleet (did they go to America?) are questions that are never answered. I like these kind of thrillers with religious/historical mysteries--Steve Berry does them very well--but I've lost patience with this series and will not continue it.
I may have lost some time with this book, but, luckily, I lost no money. I picked it up at a used bookstore to buy with some other books. Because (I think) the cover was damaged, I got the book for free. Unless the clerk made a mistake...?

[Jeremy Yoder · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mostly terrible and silly action thriller featuring the usual one-dimensional characters running through the usual interchangeable exotic locations in search of some kind of priceless McGuffin whose discovery will change the world as we know it. Notable for its random pop culture references, shout-outs to Google and slams against Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

[Knigoqdec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Тази книга леко ме подразни, може би защото е своеобразна трета част от една история, за която не знам нищо, но и не само.
Подразни ме тонът на автора, който ми се видя заядлив. Това не било така, онова не било така... ами аз пък предпочитам да избягвам мрънкащи автори, които сякаш държат да се изкарат най-гениалните на времето си. "Шифърът на Леонардо" може да е "онази глупава книга", но пък е поднесена приятно и в подходящ приключенски дух... или поне за мен господин Кристофър малко се... изхвърля?
Вероятно защото главният герой Холидей отдавна е по петите на тамплиерите, тази книжка ни хвърля веднага в издирването на поредната реликва, свързана с рицарите, без да ни дава кой знае каква информация за действащите лица. Сигурно грешката е моя, задето не съм обърнала внимание, че има и други истории от този автор, свързани с тамплиерите. Сега обаче позагубих малко желание да ги издирвам и ще си чета "глупави" книги.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another search into Templar history looking for artefacts. Another adventure with a good tale .

[Sean Menon · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Lost Symbol and enjoying it very much, I bought The Templar Throne by Paul Christopher in the Mystery/Thriller section.
In the beginning of the story, two wealthy men (Colonel John "Doc" Holliday and Maurice Bernheim) are enjoying a rich meal in France and talk about a mysterious nautical instrument called the Jacob's staff that was used by the Templar knight Jean de St. Clair to find treasure and possibly discover America long before Christopher Columbus. After the meal Holliday stops by at The Cathedral of Dol to learn more about Jean de St. Clair because he was buried there. This Cathedral was originally built in A.D. 834 and was added onto for the past 600 years. Holliday talked with the monk at the church named Brother Morvan and the monk said Holliday was the second person to the cathedral in order to learn more about Jean de St. Clair. During the same week a nun with red hair had gone to the Cathedral and said she was a professor of religion at Harvard and wanted to know more about Jean de St. Clair. The truth was that the nun was trying to find the true ark that contained the Holy Grail, the Crown of Thorns, the Holy Shroud, and the Ring of Christ. If the ark was found it would be priceless. After the visit to the Cathedral, Holliday went to Mont Saint-Michel which was a Disney like castle built a half a mile of f the coast of Normandy in France. Holliday met the nun and learned her name was Sister Margaret Emily. In the end they both agree that they will travel together in order to find the Jacob's Staff then using it to navigate the whereabouts of the true ark. Sadly, the CIA and the Vatican Secret Service do not want Holliday and his nun friend on finding the true ark. The Vatican Secret Service does not want them to find the true ark because if it is found, it could give proof that the Rex Deus group are the true descendants of Christ destroying the Roman Catholic Church. The CIA want to bring both Holliday and Sister Meg back to the United States so they do not offend the Vatican. Soon as Holliday and Sister Meg find more and more clues leading to the Jacob's Staff, the Vatican Secret Service orders assassins to follow and kill both Holliday and Sister Meg the nun. Obviously, the CIA are afraid that the FBI will become involved in this man-hunt and will become a global war between the Vatican and the United States. As Holliday and Sister Meg continue to wander all over France, the Vatican Secret Service and the CIA are trying their best and put an end to this deadly treasure hunt. Finally, after the escape from the British museum, they take a ride from a fisherman nearby, to Canada. After arriving at Canada, they put all their clues together and figure out that the true ark is located at Semplar Island which is an island that is highly protected and illegal to trespass. At a bar serving chicken wings and beer in Canada, Holliday and Sister Meg meet a man named Gallant that exepts the money to deliver Holliday and the nun to the island. After arriving at the island, Sister Meg finds the true ark sealed underground next to the lake. When Sister Meg finds the ark, she threatens to kill Holliday. The whole search for the true ark was a setup and Sister Meg was not a nun, instead she was the daughter of Katherine Sinclair who was the leader of the Rex Deus society. The Rex Deus society believes they are direct desendants of Jesus Christ. The soceity is very rich and can be compared with the Freemasons. After the threat, Meg forces Holliday to carry the ark to the helicopter that Meg had comanded to pick them up. Finally, Meg and Holliday arrive at the Rex Deus headquarters in Kentucky. Holliday is dressed with the finest cloths and is imported to a secret building followed by other members of Rex Deus in limos, Mercedes, Jaguars, Roles Royes, and Bently's. At the meeting desk the true ark is opened and all the billionaire members of Rex Deus finally see te true artifacts of Jesus. Soon after the opening of the box, the CIA burst through the doors and free Holliday from the Rex Deus society. In the end, Katherine the president of Rex Deus plans to plot a plan to kill the current president because the Rex Deus does not allow a black man running America. The Rex Deus is supposedly a Puritan group that is rascist against blacks and very Republican. Lastly, Holliday is saved and he is free. I thought this book was pretty good and was full of suspense until the very end. There was some violent material but the book still was a good read. I would only recommend this book to teens and adults because this book is sometimes violent, rascist, and very religious (Catholic). Great book!:)) :D

[Charlotte Bugler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well.. That was certainly a waste of my time.

I'm very disappointed in this book.

After reading the da Vinci code, I found two books of Paul Christopher which seemed to follow in the same genre at another book swap. I enjoyed the da Vinci code so much that I thought this will teach me more about other interpretations of religion. Secrets to be discovered!

However, 40 pages in, I can't tell you how much this Holliday guy was bitchin' off the da Vinci code! It was like a broken record!
We get it! You think the da Vinci code is poppy-cock! Move on and get on with your own story!

That's another thing, I felt the storyline was very inconsistent. I felt like there was a lot of skipping to different events which made it feel like I had missed a few pages.

Also, I know he was in the army and I haven't read any of the other books, but this guy was like an assassin who was 50! It didn't really.. Go.. If you know what I mean.
And another thing, he was killing so many people, (and hiding their bodies quite sloppily I may add) that I was surprised that he didn't have any repercussions!

No, wasn't happy at all with this book as I felt like I didn't learn anything about the Templars either.

I picked up 2 of his books at the book swap and after this book I'm not going to bother reading the other one, or any of his book for that matter, again.

Left them at another book swap for one poor, unsuspecting victim.

......Should have left a sorry note.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every good historial thriller series needs ties to politics, especially a run for the White House. Christopher introduces this aspect in The Templar Throne, but only as a peripheral theme. We learn a great deal more about Holiday and his search for the Templars and their rich history.



Teaming up with an unlikely woman, Holiday travels around the world (and into Canada, at length!) to find clues that bring some secrets about the Templars to light. Just when you think you have solved the mystery, Christopher tosses a new twist into the mix and leaves the reader wanting more.



With a woman intent on putting her son in the White House and the search for some Templar treasures, Christopher uses some of his characters to tell a great story. Unlike his previous series, Christopher uses his list of characters and storylines from one book to the next, a key to a good series. I thoroughly enjoy this new series and hope the next few books are just as thrilling.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. It read fast and had a fast moving plot. I enjoyed the characters and I am looking forward to reading more from this particular author. I found that the story of the Templar's has always fascinated me. What made this particular telling of the "story" is that the book mentions "The Da Vinci Code" quite frequently and not in a good light. Basically it comes down to one of the main characters (names escape me) that just calls the Da Vinci Code a crock of crap and just had no interest in opening his mind to the possibilities. The novel took a different stance on how the Catholic Church supposedly has secrets hidden away but it did not focus on that part of the Templar story. Very good read and because it is quick, I can recommend this to other readers as well.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rereading this series and enjoying it. I find it interesting that the Sinclairs are not the "good guys" like in most Templar books. The factions within the series is what makes it interesting to me. Standard chase novel, but very well written.

[Rusty Dalferes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in this series is OK, but is the beginning of the decline from the more impressive first two novels. I'll give it a moderate recommendation for fans of spy thrillers and Indiana Jones-style searches for historical objects.

This entry shows "Doc" Holliday finally retired from teaching military history at West Point, but looking into Templar knight Jean de St. Clair, who was apparently tasked with directing the fleets containing the Templars' vast amounts of treasure away from the coasts of France before the Templars' downfall. St. Clair was apparently aided in this task by the use of a "Jacob's Staff," a nautical navigation device that appears to be similar to an object Doc found in a previous book in the hands of a four thousand year old mummy, though the device should not have existed prior to the time of St. Clair. Doc's research into the knight shows that the Templar was associated with a Benedictine nun who was later beatified, and in attempting to find out more about this nun, meets Sister Meg, who is also researching the nun as a historical member of her own order. Their combined efforts cause them to go off on a journey to find the True Ark purportedly containing the Grail, the Shroud, the Ring, and the Crown of Thorns associated with Jesus. Their travels take them to France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Prague, Toronto, Nova Scotia, and more, all the while hounded by the Vatican secret service that appeared in the previous book, as well as a newly discovered secret society called Rex Deus formed by the descendants of Mary, mother of Jesus, comprised of powerful families in the US. Meanwhile, Doc's cousin, Peggy, and her fiancé Rafi get kidnapped, causing Doc to wonder who he can trust.

The plot was fine in its action and intrigue, and had some decent historical underpinnings, but this book represents the point in the series where it becomes apparent that all of the main characters jump blindly into situations without using any of the skills their characters are supposed to have to avoid falling into traps. Rafi and Peggy are kidnapped (again). Doc runs around the world without a plan and without taking any special security precautions (again), even though the previous two books have proven that he has powerful enemies and he's an experienced intelligence operative. In the world of thrillers based on Templar history, if you acknowledge Umberto Eco as the PhD expert who is erudite and literary, and acknowledge Dan Brown as possibly a Masters-level student with a decent ability to bring some historical mysteries to the masses, you might consider Paul Christopher as a History undergrad writing a senior thesis, falling into some novice repetitions of plot away from which his supervising professors might steer him. So, it's a decent plot, but too familiar to be deemed novel.

As with the second book, this one suffered from a chronic under- and mis-use of commas, along with a handful of other mechanical mistakes that could have been cured by a review from a skilled editor.

I'd give it a mild recommendation for fans of international thrillers, but with a warning that readers like me who feel the need to finish any series they start will likely become more and more frustrated with the quality of the stories from this point forward in the series.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must confess that stories of the Templars have always fascinated me. So too does this series by Paul Christopher which features the main character of Army Ranger Lt. Col. John Holliday. "The Templar Throne" is the third in Christopher’s ‘Templar’ series. Certainly, some scenes or events are a bit far-fetched, but it is a fast read and it is enjoyable! Despite some criticism, Christopher's descriptive powers are excellent. His characters and situations are vivid, as are his geographic settings. Simply put, the stories are entertaining!

"The Templar Throne" opens in the 14th century; Templar knight Jean de St. Clair was tasked with piloting the order's treasure-laden fleets off the coast of France. To this end, he used the Jacob's Staff-a nautical instrument supposedly developed in his own time. But retired Army Ranger Lt. Col. John Holliday possesses a Staff he found in the hands of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian mummy. Holliday suspects that St. Clair may hold the key to unlocking the mystery of the ruthless, enigmatic Templars. The plot explodes as we quickly discover that many others are interested in their potential discovery as well.

The story reads quickly and has a fast-moving plot. I especially enjoyed his key characters, and I am looking forward to reading more from this particular author. I found the book did have a fast pace and a somewhat cleverly developed storyline, but I just expected something else ~ perhaps more Templar? Still, there were surprises ~ many twists and turns with which to struggle. Regardless, I like the author's writing style and his characterization is very good. Entertaining ~ so I will read more.

[Beth Besso · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent book. I'm pretty sure I found a mistake at the beginning of the book. Two of the characters were eating in France, and John Holliday was eating a Croque monsieur. It was described to be "like a Reuben sandwich." I love Reuben sandwiches, and I couldn't remember, from what I remember, a Croque monsieur having corned beef and saurakraut in it. I looked up Croque Monsieur to check, and it's described to be a hot ham & cheese sandwich. Some websites make it sound like a sophisticated grilled ham & cheese sandwich, others like a Monte Cristo where the sandwich is deep fried and not grilled. Either way, all the sites agree that the ingredients are completely different from a Reuben sandwich. It's a small error, but it makes me distrust the author slightly.

The action in the book was good, but it was repetitive. Find something, fight or get captured, escape, repeat. It was also very predictable. There are no surprises in this book.

[Bruce Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another multi-country thriller in search of Templar treasure, this time the True Ark - a box containing relics of Christ. I don't know why the title of the book contains the word "Throne." There's no Templar throne in the novel. Doc Holliday starts out researching a particular Templar, Jean Sant Clare. He meets Sister Meg at his first site - Mont St. Michel in France. She is searching for the True Ark hidden by the Blessed Juliana of Prague. They team up when they learn that Sant Clare captained a ship that may have taken Juliana to the new world. They travel to Prague, Venice, Britain's St. Michael's Mount, Ireland, Iona, Toronto, Halifax, Canada and beyond searching for the ark.

A thrill ride with some Templar and Christian lore added. An intetesting escapist read.

[Warren Thoms · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. There was a lot of action but the story was a little thin. Doc is a very enjoyable character but in this book he teams up with a girl and she complains for most of the book. If I did not like the way someone was doing something, I would change things if I could or go my own way. She decides to complain for most of the book and there were a few times that I would not have minded if she had been caught. I know that these books usually throw 2 people together just want you to believe that everything is all great but it would never be but I did not like her character.

[Mark Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read - I learned a little history. But there was too much ridiculous “conspiracy theory” for me: Everything important over the past millennium was due to members a Rex Deus. While that may be true, it’s highly unlikely. For this reason, it’s hard to know what was true historical fact - which there was a lot of - and what was embellishment. The plot was also unbelievable. Our protagonists seem to miraculously escape every danger, just as they were about to die.

I didn’t like it enough to want to read he others I. The series.

[Judy O'Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read with a lot of detail based around The Templar Knights.
Interesting historical facts that revealed the authors knowledge.
However the far fetched storyline and constant coincidences of the main character with his traveller, did make me wonder why he didn't tumble this much earlier on !!
But then you had be kept quessing..

[C.M. Hindmarsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining and a good read.
Lots of globe travelling and the pace is fast.
I liked the protagonist and he was fairly well developed but the other characters seemed a bit one-dimensional and throwaway.
I would have given the book five stars but the climax left me wanting, just kind of fizzled.

[Yves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding novel and the finish à shocker leading right into the faster pace of the next book “The Templar Cross” which I am packing in my next trip out.

Conspiracies exist but which ones grow and get into that serious “money almost no object” environment where resources are constantly created overlapping need?

This book delivers.

[See · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical Paul Christopher's book. It has a lot of events and hardships to over come.


Although this book is well written and leads you into a lot of twisted plots, the ending comes at you very fast.

[Gail Marchant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an Indiana Jones like story
Holliday involved in another scam
The book reads like a information book about the Templar’s & the various organisations looking for relics
A good read & easy to understand

[Elaine Hargrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Dan Brown you will enjoy this book. I couldn't read it quick enough. Doc Holliday is our main character with female Sister Meg as his equivalent. Keeps you interested all the way. Very well done Paul Christopher.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author clearly doesn't like Dan Brown as all through the book there are negative responses from his characters toward the Da Vinci Code. It was an okay read but found the change nun's character to much, happens in a heartbeat, and without a lot of depth.

[Cynthia Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first Templar book I have read in this series. My take on it: improbable plot, very improbable plot, extremely improbable plot by the time I got to the end. I have several more - not sure if I will read anymore of them or not, maybe if I need a good laugh

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, but it's another of those with too many improbably things going on at once.

One thing that surprised me, was the author dissing other books (several times). It almost seemed like grade school - my father's bigger than your father! So there!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable book. Loved the twists and turns in it. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read ok for a wet weekend.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Becoming a little confusing in the over-arching storyline.

[Sussy_lwp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lleno de acción aventura y sobre todo misterio.
Super entretenido

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar over-the-top action as the previous books