The Story

When Tristan was a baby, he was left at a monastery to be raised by monks, with no mention of who he was, or who his parents were. Fifteen years later, a group of Knight Templars spend a night at the monastery Tristan calls home, on their way to join the Crusades. One of the Knight Templars enlists Tristan as his squire, and he is soon on an adventure that not only takes him away from the monastery he’s always known, but across the seas to the Holy Land, before sending him on a quest to protect the Holy Grail and get it back safely home.

The Review

I was very much pleasantly surprised by this book. I expected to enjoy this, but not THIS much. It was absolutely fabulous. I haven’t read too many books about either the Crusades or about the Templars, so wasn’t really sure what to expect. This book had so much going for it though – the main character was an orphan (which I’ve stated before that I totally always have major soft spots for) and there was action, adventure, secrets and intrigue, famous fictional characters in new settings, and heart. Oh, it was everything I was craving at the moment I picked it up!

Tristan is an adorable kid – I totally wanted to adopt him as a younger brother. He’s brave and honourable and yet so unsure of himself; it gives him so much complexity and depth as a character that he totally seemed like a real person.

Now, let me take a moment to squeal about the cover of this book. I love love love it. The flourish behind the series title is gorgeous. The fact that Keeper of the Grail is done in a gothic font (my favourite kind!); the detailing around the edges of the front cover; the grunge look going on for the image on the cover. Oh, it’s all so pretty and gorgeous and drool-worthy!

I also loved that the Robin Hood story was tied into this one. It brought familiar characters in the expected time period into new lights. When Little John first appears as a blacksmith, I squealed. When Robard Hode (Robin Hood) first introduces himself, I felt as if I was meeting an old friend. And then when I realized who Maryam (Maid Marian) was, well, it totally made my joy complete. Typically Robin Hood is associated with the same time as Crusades and Richard the Lionheart and all that, but this book gives a totally different feel to the legend. Plus, the fact that Maryam was a girl who grew up just outside of Jerusalem was really cool.

That’s not to say that there wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy about this book. It ended at a total cliffhanger, which is always highly frustrating. It was like stopping an action movie part way through, right when the hero is about to be blown up, or like season finales for shows like Criminal Minds where they make you think that Hotch is maybe shot by a criminal that escaped from prison earlier that season (yes, I was totally bitter about that until they finally started the new season). Grr. At least then the author knows you’ll come back to read more of the trilogy, but still.

Overall, it was definitely a solid read, and very enjoyable.

The Bottom Line

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it – and not only for young boys looking for adventure stories. I couldn’t put it down and when I finished it I was highly disappointed that the book was actually done. Am definitely looking forward to the next one in the trilogy, though am really hoping that it doesn’t end on such a cliffhanger as this one did.

Other Reviews

Readingjunky’s Reading Roost, Fantasy Book Critic, Semicolon. Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Let me know and I’ll add your link.