Review: Lions of the Grail by Tim Hodkinson

Synopsis: First in an adventure-filled historical series following Irish Knight Templar, Richard Savage, as he is forced to spy on his homeland for the King of England.

1315 AD. Ireland and England are ravaged by bitter war. Rotting in an English prison, condemned as a heretic, Irish Knight Templar Richard Savage is given one chance of reprieve. But there is a catch. He must return to Ireland as a traitor, and work as a spy there for the King of England.

Savage returns to his homeland, but even here he can trust no one. He soon discovers the Scots intend to invade and someone in Ireland is helping them. The King of Scotland also claims to possess a mysterious holy treasure, and many are flocking to his cause. And what's more, Savage discovers he left more than just memories behind in Ireland...

Amid feasts, tournaments, invasion and war, can Savage decide whose side he is really on, discover whether this holy relic is real and, above all, stay alive?

As an avid reader of Hodkinson's Whale Road Chronicles, and having some fore-knowledge of the period in history, I was interested to see how the Scottish invasion of Ireland under the Bruces would pan out under Hodkinson's skillful narration.

This is the first in the series. So for those unfamiliar with the era, Edward Bruce fought alongside his brother Robert throughout his struggle for the Scottish throne, which culminated in the battle of Bannockburn, in which the Scots were victorious (1315). Continuing their war against England, especially after the Isle of Man fell under Scots loyal to England, Robert Bruce decided to open a second front in Ulster. As there had been no High King in Ireland for some time, Bruce figured that in making Edward King of Ireland, concessions could be made in return for localised support.  The Annals of Ulster record the event as follows:

U1314.2

Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, came to Ireland along with many gallowglasses in aid of Edward, his brother, to expel the Foreigners from Ireland.

This is where our story opens, in the events leading up to the invasion of Ireland by the Scots. Our protagonist, Richard Savage, is a Templar of Irish descent, imprisoned in England after the decimation of the Order by Philip of France in 1314. When the King of England, Edward II, needs to get a feel for what is happening in Ireland, he drags Savage out of his imprisonment and sends him across to Ulster to gauge the loyalty of those there and to scupper any plans for "a grand Gaelic alliance against England". As Savage is trusted by neither side, there is plenty of action, battles, captures, escapes, rescues, disguises, secret codes, assassins, an old enemy AND a holy relic.  There is enough to keep the reader entertained, much being centered around the town and castle of Carrickfergus, and ais is duly noted in the narrative "... one thing was sure - there would be more fighting ...".

Now, there has been plenty of speculation as to the relationship between the Knights Templars and Scotland. Treasure hunters claim that in the 14th century, the Knights Templar fled to Scotland with a trove of valuables because they received support and protection from King Robert the Bruce. Templar scholar and medieval historian Helen Nicholson said that any remaining Knights Templar were more likely to be found in Cyprus. One of the first to link the Templar fleet to Scotland was George Frederick Johnson, a Scottish exile in Germany in the mid-18th Century, who said that the Templars had sailed to Scotland. However, Johnson's claims proved to be as fraudulent as he himself was later discovered to be.

A number of actual historical figures make their appearance throughout, including the likes of Roger Mortimer, Richard de Burgh, Thomas de Mandeville, John de Bermingham and the Bruces - Robert and Edward. There is, of course, Edward II - though based upon the description of him in this instance, I find myself imagining him as Claude Rains in his role as Prince John in the 1938 adaption of Robin Hood. Similarly, I picture Lancaster as Basil Rathbone in his role from the same film.

Claude Rains and Basil Rathbone

The female character - to be honest - I could take or leave. Sometimes they are not necessary to the narrative - the cast of characters does not - in my opinion - always need to be "inclusive" or "politically correct" to tell a good story. There does not always have to be some "love interest" to lure in the female reader - sometimes their inclusion feels forced and detracts from the storyline. However, as one continues reading, the female character does have some sort of role.

What I find rather poignant about this whole episode can be summed up in this quote:

"   it's sad that a country that has struggled so long to gain it's own freedom should so soon seek to visit war and oppression on another ... "

I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series progresses.