Knight Templar – The Unseen Library

Publisher: Boldwood Books (ebook – 10 February 2025)

Series: Chronicles of the Black Lion – Book Two

Length: 369 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

If you’re in the mood for some excellent and exciting historical fiction, look no further than the outstanding read Crusade by fantastic author Richard Cullen. Cullen, who also writes as fantasy author R. S. Ford (see my review for his book Engines of Empire), provides a fantastic second entry in his Chronicles of the Black Lion historical series with Crusade. An amazing sequel to his 2024 novel, Rebellion, Crusade continues to follow his protagonist, Estienne Wace, former squire to William Marshal, on another powerful journey, this time into the Fifth Crusade.

Plot Synopsis:

Egypt 1219AD.

Abandoning the safety of England for the perilous shores of the Levant, Estienne Wace is thrust into the turmoil of the Fifth Crusade. Burning with righteous purpose, he is determined to reclaim the Holy Land in the name of Christ.

War rages along the banks of the Nile as a crusading army besieges the Saracen city of Damietta, certain that the price they pay in blood will return the glory and treasures they crave. But as the Black Lion roars, and the siege grinds on, Estienne’s unwavering faith is tested more and more by the grim reality of this brutal conflict.

As the siege turns on a knife edge, Estienne finds himself thrust upon a journey across the merciless desert. Stripped of everything, and forced into a dangerous alliance, he will grapple with the true meaning of faith, honour, and the price of salvation, in a land where nothing is as he once believed.

Crusade was a captivating and worthy sequel to Rebellion that provided readers with the intriguing next chapter in the life of Cullen’s main character. Easily read as a standalone historical adventure or a continuation of the author’s previous book, Crusade starts off strong and keeps the action coming quick and fast, as the protagonist is thrown into battle to seize the Saracen city of Damietta. There are some awesome sequences here, as Cullen produces some high-quality and intense medieval combat scenes that allow the reader to feel every hack and thrust of the protagonist’s sword. At the same time, the author also provides the reader with some introspection, as the protagonist has his first doubts about the crusade he has sworn to fight for.

Cullen quickly moves the reader into one of the more memorable parts of Crusade, as the protagonist finds himself separated from his crusader brethren and is instead captured and sold into slavery. Forced to cross the desert, Estienne faces innumerable hardships as he attempts to escape, including slavers, the elements, a surprise band of Mongolian raiders, and a gigantic and vengeful warrior who has sworn to hunt down and kill him. This proved to be a really fun part of the book, as the author provides innumerable perils, while also introducing or expanding on several interesting supporting characters. You really get stuck into Crusade’s story here, and it sets up the final third of the book extremely well, as a doubtful Estienne takes part in the final conflicts of the Fifth Crusade. Cullen features these final battles nicely, especially with some dual perspectives from Estienne’s gigantic rival, and you get some interesting closure as the final battles of the crusade emerge. Everything ends on a hopeful note, and you are left wondering what adventures will appear next in the series as the protagonist embarks on a new journey.

As with Rebellion before it, one of the things that I personally enjoyed about Crusade was Cullen’s excellent use of historical elements as he dove into the compelling events surrounding the Fifth Crusade. One of the lesser utilised crusades in historical fiction, the Fifth Crusade saw the armies of Christendom invade Egypt, with a combined force of multiple nations and knightly orders. This was a clever historical event to set a story in, especially as it fits in right after the First Barons’ War, which was the focus of Rebellion. Cullen clearly did his research when it came to this conflict, and I liked how he fit his protagonist in amongst the key events of the crusade. Estienne proves to be a good witness to the major conflicts of the war, and his subsequent wanderings in the desert also provided some interesting historical context, especially with the appearance of the Mongolians and other desert groups. I deeply appreciated this cool examination of this period, and I love that Cullen is taking the opportunity to feature some less well-known conflicts with his books. It will be interesting to see what wars or key historical events Cullen will set his next entry in the Chronicles of the Black Lion series around, but I am sure I will find it fascinating.

Richard Cullen continues to impress with his cool historical fiction. Crusade proved to be a great addition to Chronicles of the Black Lion series, and I enjoyed its excellent action, compelling historical inclusions and intriguing narrative. I look forward to seeing where Cullen will take his series next, and I am having fun with these awesome books.

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The Last True Templar Cover

Publisher: Head of Zeus (ebook – 14 September 2023)

Series: Tales of the Lawless Land – Book Two

Length: 492 pages

My Rating: 4.5

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The impressive sibling team of Boyd and Beth Morrison return with an epic and compelling sequel to their first impressive novel, The Last True Templar.

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the first book written by the pair of thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison, The Lawless Land. Following an excommunicated knight and a noblewoman as they try to keep a sacred relic out of the hands of a corrupt cardinal, The Lawless Land was an outstanding read that blended fascinating historical detail with an intense thriller storyline. The Lawless Land ended up being one of my favourite books of 2022 and I have been eagerly anticipating a sequel for ages. This second book in their Tales of the Lawless Land series, The Last True Templar, sets the awesome protagonists on a compelling new adventure, an elaborate treasure hunt through medieval Italy.

Italy, 1351. After their first exciting adventure together, exiled English knight Gerard Fox and his determined companion, Willa, have decided to embark on a journey throughout a Europe still recovering from the ravishes of war and plague. Determined to get married, the two seek a way to escape their complex pasts and move on to a future free of violence and persecution. However, fate has something far more adventurous planned for them.

Arriving in a small village between Florence and Siena, Fox and Willa suddenly find themselves witnesses to a deadly ambush. A band of skilled, masked bandits are targeting Luciana Corosi, the wife of a prominent Sienna businessman, determined to kill her and steal the payment she carries for a lucrative deal. Intervening, Fox and Willa manage to save Luciana’s life, before escorting her home. However, it soon becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems, especially as Luciana’s scheming husband, Riccardo Corosi, is behind the attempts of Luciana’s life.

Escaping from Riccardo’s clutches with Luciana, Fox and Willa soon find themselves embroiled in a complex scheme that reaches all the way back to the fallen Knights Templar. Years ago, Luciana’s father helped the Templars hide their vast treasure from the Church before being betrayed by Riccardo. Determined to save her family’s legacy and finally expose her treacherous husband, Luciana recruits Fox and Willa to her cause and requests their help in solving a series of clues leading to the treasure. But with Riccardo and his men hot on their trail, can Fox and Willa find the legendary treasures of the Knights Templar, or have they finally met their match?

The Last True Templar was an interesting and enjoyable follow-up that captures the heart of the original book while changing some key story aspects and the background setting. The result is a fantastic and exciting read that I had a wonderful time reading and which I managed to power through in a very short amount of time.

The plot of The Last True Templar is pretty damn cool as it places the author’s established protagonists into a whole new crazy medieval thriller scenario, this time involving the warring Corosi’s and their respective legacies. Fox and Willa’s inadvertent entry into the plot is well handled and nicely ties into their current wanderings, and their continued presence in events feels pretty natural, especially as they are both trying to help a friend and achieve their own personal goal of getting married. The authors do an effective job at building up and injecting the intriguing characters and real-life history that led up the events of the book early on and the story, and you soon get swept up in the resulting treasure hunt that is rich in Templar lore. The story is masterfully told from a range of different perspectives, including the antagonists, which allows for some compelling insights into everyone’s respective motivations, histories and plots. Several chapters are also set in the past, either to strengthen the history surrounding the missing Templar treasure or provide backstory and added drama for the characters.

The main story of The Last True Templar turns into an exciting, clever, and action-packed romp, as the authors set out some major thriller antics within a historical setting. Just like with The Lawless Land, the initial thriller aspect of this story involves the protagonists attempting to stay one step ahead of the villains while learning about the dark history that surrounds their motivation. However, the characters also get involved in an elaborate historical treasure hunt which sees them decode a series of historical clues to find the location of the treasure. A storyline involving riddles and the hunt for ancient treasures is classic thriller fare, and I really enjoyed seeing medieval protagonists undertake this, especially as it takes them across 14^th century Italy. The authors come up with a fantastic and elaborate series of mysteries, riddles and clues for this aspect of the story, and I loved the constant and desperate roaming through various well-described cities as they attempt to puzzle together dated references and hints.

The authors’ use of multiple perspectives really helps to enhance the race aspect of the story, as you get to see key events through multiple eyes, including the scheming and double-crossing antagonists. I loved seeing all the different moves each character made in The Last True Templar, and you are constantly on your feet as both groups get closer to the treasure while working to outsmart or outplay their opponents. There are also some amazing set pieces scattered throughout this novel, including an elaborate horse race through the streets of a city, several skirmishes, and even ship-to-ship boarding action. Everything leads up to an exciting and intense conclusion as both sides fight for the potential treasure, and all the compelling story elements come full circle. All the characters get a compelling conclusion to their storyline, whether they want to or not, and the book ends on a satisfactory note that leaves the series open for further entries.

I loved the fantastic historical detail that was contained in The Last True Templar as the authors really immersed readers in the period. The impressive depictions of the various Italian locations and cites was well done, and I could honestly see the settings in my mind’s eye as the protagonists visited them. Much of the background setting and character attitudes and actions, whether it be in battle, business, or exploration, had some noticeable historical accuracy, and I loved the elaborate descriptions that accompanied the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the author’s depiction of a historical Palio di Siena, which the protagonist was forced to participate in, and it honestly was one of the high points of the story. However, the best historical detail in The Last True Templar is reserved for the examination of the Knights Templar and the hunt for their treasure. The authors do an excellent job of exploring the legacy of the Templars, and I found it fascinating to see characters talk about them only a few decades after their fall. This examination of the Templars adds a great deal to the narrative, as not only is it strongly tied to several of the new character’s backstories, but it also proves to be very relevant to the various riddles the characters need to unravel. Each of the riddles is tied into a specific location or has some relevance to the Templars, and it was awesome seeing the characters work out and trying to solve them. There were even some very clever instances where the relevant landmarks referenced in the clues were no longer there or current, even after only a few decades, which added some intriguing difficulties into the larger treasure hunt. All these details, and more, were extremely interesting to me, and I had a wonderful time with how well the authors incorporated them into the plot.

I had a lot of fun with the characters in The Last True Templar, especially as we got to see more of Gerard Fox and Willa, both of whom were so well set up in the preceding novel. An excommunicated knight likely to be charged with heresy for not repenting for his unfairly given punishment and a brave, independent and highly capable former servant, Fox and Willa make for an intriguing pair, and I love the idea of an entire series dedicated to them wandering around helping people. The authors do an excellent job of reintroducing them in this sequel, and I really enjoyed how they were worked into this exciting story. Since both of their backgrounds were thoroughly explored in The Lawless Land, you don’t get a lot of extra history for them in this sequel. Instead, there is an intriguing storyline regarding their adventures in Europe and the struggles they have faced on the road together as a couple. Their main issue involves their desire to get married, however, due to Fox’s excommunicated status, something he takes seriously despite the unfairness surrounding the entire situation, they are unable to find a church or priest likely to approve the ceremony. This leads to some real strain on their relationship, and I liked how the authors dived into such compelling historical concerns for their character arc. Despite this, the two remain a strong duo with a fantastic blend of talents, and it was a real pleasure to see their second adventure together.

The rest of the character focus is completely reserved for all the new characters involved in The Last True Templar. In particular, you spend a lot of time with Luciana Corosi, an Italian matron who has been betrayed and manipulated by her evil husband. A smart businesswoman with a painful history, Luciana proves to be an excellent addition to the main cast, and she plays off Fox and Willa extremely well as they work together. I loved the intriguing history surrounding Luciana, especially all the betrayals she has experienced in her life, and it was great to see her finally try and reclaim her life and her destiny. While Luciana is great, this book is would be nothing without a fantastic villain, and this role is well filled by Luciana’s husband, Riccardo Corosi. A scheming former Templar who betrayed his order and Luciana’s father and turned his ill-gotten gains into a thriving business which he uses to control his city, Riccardo is a despicable antagonist you have a very easy time hating. The authors show much of the story from Riccardo’s perspective, so you get some great insights into his various schemes, and you quickly realise just how irredeemable he truly is. Partnered with a surprisingly loyal, if murderous, English knight, and a scheming female associate who plots against everyone, Riccardo is a great foil to the main cast, and I loved the various betrayals he brings to the table, even when it comes to his own followers. This proved to be quite a fun and compelling cast of characters and I loved seeing their fantastic story unfold.

Overall, The Last True Templar was an outstanding read and I loved seeing more adventures from the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison. This second Tales of the Lawless Land novel was very exciting and I loved the great new characters, intriguing historical detail, and compelling thriller centric plot. An impressive sequel from start to finish, I deeply enjoyed The Last True Templar and I hope we get more books from these amazing authors in the future.

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