Review: The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison

Synopsis: A Perilous Quest. A Deadly Legacy.

Italy, 1351. English knight Gerard Fox and the resourceful Willa have come through a death-defying journey across war-torn Europe. Now looking towards their future together, they must first find a way to reconcile with their difficult pasts.

In a small village between Florence and Siena, Fox and Willa are caught up in a deadly ambush. After rescuing the enigmatic woman who is the target of the attack, they take refuge in her opulent villa and learn her heartbreaking story – a tale of loss, deception... and a burning desire for freedom.

Soon, Fox and Willa are involved in a perilous quest to save her family's legacy... and to do so, they will have to solve a mystery that points the way to the fabled lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

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This second book follows on from the first - The Lawless Land - with ex-communicated Templar and English knight Gerard Fox and his companion, the ever resourceful Willa, now in Italy and on the trail of the hidden Templar treasure.

There is a bit of back and forth between the final days of the Templars in Paris (1314) and the "contemporary" storyline (1351) as the backstory and characters are introduced to and fleshed out for, the reader. There is the usual "cat and mouse" scenario as the details of the secret as slowly teased out, before the final stand-off, and a new adventure for our dynamic duo.

Its a fun, medieval action adventure to while away a couple of lazy days!

Review: The Lawless Land by Boyd & Beth Morrison

Synopsis: Canterbury, 1351. Excommunicated knight Gerard Fox is a battle-hardened warrior whose ancestral home was unjustly taken from him. Now, he roams across the known world of Europe looking for work as a man-at-arms. Equipped with only his Damascus-steel sword and war bow, Fox takes out tyrannical and dishonorable men in a land still blighted by the Black Death.

In his ongoing crusade to deliver justice, Fox comes to the aid of Lady Isabel, who is fleeing from her brutal betrothed. But she hasn't told him the whole story. Isabel is guarding a priceless holy relic. One many men would kill for.

Fox and Isabel soon find they are being chased across the continent and try to evade those who seek the relic. But as more assassins close in, Fox realizes they will stop at nothing to possess the sacred treasure that Isabel has sworn to protect...

The premise: a Knight Templar, a damsel in distress, a priceless relic, a pursuit, a villain, redemption. All of which make for an entertaining read.

It is the late 14th century - France and England are in the midst of what is referred to as The Hundred Years War; the deathly spectre of plague walks the land; and no-one is safe from landless marauders returning from the war. Into this we find Gerard Fox on his own personal mission, when confronted by a runaway carriage, being hotly pursued - should he interfere or not. Well, of course he does!

From this point onward, Gerard's own mission takes a back seat as he puts all his energy into ensuring this luckless lady achieves her end by placing a priceless relic, kept safe through a long female custodial chain, in the hands of one of the links. Along the way, Gerard and the lady are pursued by a shady French Cardinal and his agent, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the relic, whilst the lady's erstwhile and rather dangerous, jilted fiance is also in hot pursuit with his own agenda. Gerard enlists the aid of old friends as the Templar and lady make their way from England over to France. There are captures and escapes aplenty, tournaments, disguises, deceptions and impersonations, which culminates in a trial by combat between hunter and hunted.

The tension builds as we travel ever closer to our destination, and the narrative takes the reader along for a most exciting ride. A well researched story that captures and holds the imagination and attention of the reader. A series ...... one is left wondering.