The Templar's Code

Caedmon Aisquith #2

by C.M. Palov

The greatest secret in the history of mankind is a secret worth killing for...

During the Middle Ages a rumor was born about a mysterious and sacred Ancient Egyptian text. Known as the Emerald Tablet, it was said to contain the secret of creation.

But the greatest secret of all is who wrote it...

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Action, Mystery Thriller, Archaeology

544 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

Librarian note:
Czech editions of C.M. Palov books are published as Chloe Palov

Reviews

[Nakalanzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I picked this up because it promised a good read but boy was I underwhelmed! How, I wondered, would a former MI5 agent be tailed by a "Pretty boy bastard" so easily? How could they just move on meeting this guy all over the world and it never dawns on them that they might be carrying a tracker? This book borders on an amateur plot!! I was completely bored by how easily a former spy would so easily be bested by a gay prostitute. That, just doesnt cut it for me! I gave it one star simply because theres no recognised lower grade than this. Terrible writing, weak plot.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This is really an excellent thriller. It packs a wallop of a punch and so much more. Part action-adventure, part thriller, this novels takes you all over the East Coast and London and back again. We really know the main characters well and their relationship. Caedmon Aisquith is an eccentric Englishmen, while Edie Miller, his assistant/lover, had a troublesome past. We really feel for them and experience their pain, their heartache, and their quest for a great adventure. But they're a great team, when they're on the quest to find the great puzzle know to men, while evil lurks right behind them. Non-stop action, this would take you on a thrill ride on every page, packed with tons of knowledge and insight into the Knights of Templar. Buckle your seat belts. You'll root for Caedmon and Edie in this series of esoteric thrillers that's reminiscent of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

[Jose Esquibel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent follow-up to Ark of Fire. Highly recommended.

[Rik · Rating 1 out of 5]

'ohmygosh' this was pretty bad. Lengthy dialogue where we listen to the characters explain how the clue equals the solution, interspersed with Caedmon ate his first macaroon, makes for pretty dull reading, and poor writing. The main characters are followed around by the 'bad guy' but NEVER think to be on their guard, despite him trying to kill them at every turn - just ridiculous. If you would like to read and account of how someone solved a crossword (for example) then this is for you, as it doesn't get any more exciting.

[Bernie Charbonneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I have been fascinated with the Templar's for many years, anything new that is published I usually give it a look. Having not heard of Ms. Palov before and having read the book jacket, this looked to be a thriller in the same pose as Berry or Brown. Not disappointing, this novel involves the Templar's and of course a secret treasure that will change the world and earth as we no it.
Now I know people who read this novel will compare it to Mr. Brown's novels but since I enjoy this type of conspiracy I don't care who writes as long as they are good. This one is a good plot. If you do like the aforementioned authors and this type of conspiracy thriller, you will enjoy this novel.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another in my collection of conspiracy theory treasure hunter books. This one I picked up for cheap when the cover caught my eye. Unfortunately the Templar's were only really used as part of the backstory. I would have liked a bit more there.

I found the main characters pretty annoying. Neither was very likeable. Luckily I liked the main adversary less (he really has something about mentioning how much sex he's had. For money. With men.)

Overall it was a very average book. I can't see myself reading any more of the series.

[Bridget]

I love a good conspiracy theory and had so much fun reading The Templar's Code. The mind-bending plot with twists and turns along the way made it a very entertaining read. I really liked this book and if you're into secrecy/cover-ups/conspiracies, you should get this book up.

[Graeme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Templar themes made for an enjoyable read. Certainly the author is in the realms of Steve Berry, Andy McDermott with setting, pace and background, however the main characters certainly take a lot of time to get to know.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rubbish, poor story poorly written

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another conspiracy based treasure hunt, trying to desperately cling to the success that Dan Brown has had. And although, as most of us would likely agree, Brown doesn’t produce high end literature, he does produce fun readable romps, 400 pages of escapist fun.
This book is not that. It is not fun.
Two protagonists who are deeply unlikable, who converse in either witty quips or in passages from high school text books, who seemingly don’t have working fingers and point to everything with their chins, who seemingly don’t notice any of the chaos erupting around them and carry on in some kind of sociopathic bubble.
An ending that was so flat it definitely is not worth enduring the rest of the book. Not sure what the other Cædmon Aisquith book are like but it’s unlikely I will ever find out.

[Mark Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an exciting read, but as with many Templar stories, it difficult to place ancient religious artefacts with magical powers into a modern believable setting. The legendary Emerald Tablet doesn’t exist, and Moses never used it to perform the miracles he did, neither was Moses a tyrant, or an Egyptian God. I think I’d have taken it more seriously if it had been an ancient relic that was 100% make believe, instead of a relic that may or may not exist, and if it did, wouldn’t have had magical powers.
Knowing these facts takes the edge off the story, which is a shame, cause it was a good story. A treasure hunt, with the treasure hunters being pursued by a sadistic killer, that will stop at nothing, to accomplish his masters will.

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm..... where to start. Not bad, but definitely will not read the next ones. I had hopes that the series would improve, but no background or explanations for some of the theories used in the story.
I do like the Moses theory, but considering conventional thinking places him around the reign of Ramses II, the author might have given some further insight in an addendum or footnote.
This is only a small detail though - I just could not forget the fact that someone who used to work in intelligence makes some very dubious decisions.

[Arizona Spartan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always hard to follow a great book with a great sequel but Palov has pulled it off. Caedmon returns with Elie in tow searching for a Templar artifact on American soil. Mix in some Native American lore and sprinkle in 2 interesting villains, 1 of them created by WWII Germany (not a Nazi though), and we've got a great sequel with some great twists at the end. I enjoyed it as much as the first and have started book 3.

[Sriharsha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and dull. If it was put in the history section, it would have more sense (but not many would have picked it up either way).

Unnecessary pages, lengthy paragraphs and an attempt to sound very nuanced makes this book a 100% fail.

Too many characters, their back stories, the time jumps (not time travel don't worry) and lot of useless history lessons. Felt more like a preaching material than a thriller novel

Avoid it, really..

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I discovered much to my dismay that this book is the second part of a series about 30% of the way through when it became blatantly obvious that the author was referencing to events that took place in Book 1.

I DNF-ed about 30% of the way through this book because I became lost and bored and didn't care at all about the characters, the plot, or what happened to them in this book.

[Mavis Hewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose if you read a lot of Templar books, (by different authors) you are bound to get a load of facts you already know, put there for those who are reading their first. Contains some good bits, but also some weak bits.

[Katarzyna Jezierska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, exciting thriller with some historical connection. Clearly inspired by Dan Brown novels and sometimes with just a bit too much effort to keep the tension, but great read nonetheless. And a nice puzzle, did Templars really get engaged in some of the esoterics mentioned?…

[Arno ILIC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conspiracy theorists will love this book and think there is something to it. However, it is a made-up story that seems plausible. The intrigue and adventure of this book make it quite enjoyable. I look forward to more from this author. It is the first book of hers that I have read.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable journey into history.

[Eric Hands]

A very good read

Plenty of exciting things to the attention to detail is great 👍 ready to get the next one well read

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Its totally beyond awesome

[Don Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, read stand alone rather than in sequence not a problem a good easy fun read:)

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced, quick read.

[Mark Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun read. Predictable but entertaining nonetheless. Never a dull moment, engaging characters and interesting bad guys. A quick and easy book and look forward to others from this author.

[Katerina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book because the story sounded interesting. It has some really nice features, but there are also some weak ones.
I am sure the author has done a really thorough checking of the background story about the Emerald Tablet and that it is half a mystery half a historical novel. I enjoyed the historical novel part of it. The connections of the different parts of the story, the fact that the main characters are one British and one American so as to cover for both parts of the emerald tablet story. Caedmon and Eddie are covering up each other in the different parts of the mystery. Caedmon as an academic has the background knowledge as well as the needed sense of british history to help them in their quest, while Eddie, much simpler, has the needed ignorance so as for the author to explain the details to the reader, but also exactly the correct knowledge so as to fill in the bits that Caedmon can't solve by himself, as the part about Benjamin Franklin (she happened to read a biography of him some time ago), Thomas Jefferson (she was fond of him) and the Washington sightseeing (she has worked as a guide there and have lived a big part of her life there). The highlight was the pictures that the book includes of the important elements.
But as much as I enjoyed the historical part of the book, the same disappointing was the mystery part. Up to some point the fact that Savour could trace them was logical (e.g. the notebook he found with the reservations and some following them). But some parts were a bit too exaggerated to be my cup of tea. The parabolic plate, the spying strip. If Caedmon was a pure academic I could accept it more easily. But he has been a spy with MI5. If all spies of MI5 are like him, they must be really stupid. And it is Eddie to wonder in the end how Saviour manages to be always there!!! I also got a bit shocked with some of the murders, as for example with the guide. A bit of exaggeration from this part of the story.
Just a small detail in the whole story, because greek is my mother tongue the expression written in page 105 ~Nagamoti mana su stomai su~ doesn't really make sense in greek.

[Barbie Acevedo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fue tanta la emoción con la que empecé a leerlo que tal vez por eso mi decepción fue tan grande.
La historia se veía buena y muy interesante, pero la forma en la que la autora la desarrolla es tan absurda y aburrida. Fue como una mala copia del código Da Vinci, con la diferencia que la novela de Dan Brown es más entretenida y mejor escrita.
La trama es lenta, confusa, usa demasiadas descripciones que se sintieron como relleno y da giros inesperados que terminaron volviendo el libro todavía más confuso, de repente tenía que regresar las páginas para releer alguna parte porque con el pasar las páginas las cosas cambiaban radicalmente.
Tarde tanto en leer éste libro, a ratos me atrapaba la trama, entonces en uno de esos giros extraños que uso tanto la autora, me aburría y no volvía a tocarlo en semanas.
Sobre los protagonistas, ni hablar, Edie me pareció una de las protagonistas más tontas de la historia de la literatura, por más que la autora la quisiera hacer interesante y una digna heroína, no lo era. Menos con sus comentarios y observaciones tan fuera de lugar.
El final fue tan malo que me dieron ganas de aventar el libro por la ventana.
Jamás lo volvería a leer, no lo recomiendo a nadie.

[Sreedevi Viswambaran]

Mostly my feedback on books depends on many factors and one of those factors is my mood. May be while reading this book, I was impatient and kind of riled up against god-knows-whom. So I kind of skimmed through the book mostly. May be a series of mystical thrillers which I read this year added to this fatigue.

Its a thriller which you should be able to enjoy during a trip and there is no take away from the book – a read and forget kind of one. I am not going to rate this book as such. An average one for me.

Anyway I need to break away from the this curse of thrillers and move to something different to refresh my reading. Lets see

https://hazydreamsandreflections.word...

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

16th century Rhode Island. A colony slaughtered by the Knights of Malta. Fast forward to today...a dead archaeologist and a Templar treasure vault. Should have made for fascinating reading but the two main characters, Cardemon Aisquith and Edie Miller are more slap stick comedians than educated sluths looking for clues to the Emerald Tablet. I shook my head thru the first 300 or so pages, but am giving this book 3 stars because the last 250 pages became page turners with a slight twist. Not the best book I have read in my obsession with the Templars, but I powered through and got a bit of a reward in the end.

[Philippa Brunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit long winded, but a good story nonetheless. The writing was ok, but got a bit repetitive at times when the author decided to put in info that the reader had already heard before. The main protagonist was a bit annoying, as he kept trying to stop his female companion (who seemed clearly relegated to assistant, despite actually being his girlfriend)from doing anything helpful to move the quest on, when any physical fights happened. Also, the author seemed to overly favour the word 'esoteric', which appeared countless times. Are there no other words meaning the same thing?!

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sure that for real Templar nuts this is a great book. But for me, I think there's too much background information (something which I'm not normally against) but the amount of it is too much to remember to understand what's happening in the actual real story. There are also far too many side stories as well.

I found myself wanting to read this book to finsh it, but not in a good way and as a result I did'nt.