Katherine Kurtz has collected eleven original stories based on the legendary Knights Templar in a book that serves as a sequel to her earlier collection, Tales of the Knights Templar. The stories, written by such authors as Andre Norton, Diane Duane and Kurtz herself, are separated by interludes that chronicle the actual history of the Templars and that also set the background for each successive tale. As with most collections, the stories vary widely from about average to pretty good. What's most compelling here is the Templars themselves, a mysterious order of knights founded in the late 11th century, ostensibly to protect pilgrims in and around Jerusalem. But the Templars grew to become one of the most powerful political and religious orders in the world, only to be brought down by a jealous King Philip IV of France. In the aftermath of their destruction, tales and legends that persist today sprang up around the Templars, creating fertile ground for Kurtz's band of imaginative storytellers. --Craig Engler


From Publishers Weekly
The Order of the Knights Templar is best known for its members' zealous deeds in the Holy Land, but the organization was also a formidable financial institution?wealthy enough to earn the enmity of the Catholic church and King Philip IV of France, who, in 1307, ordered the Templars hunted down. This dark period provides the backdrop for Kurtz's second Knights Templar anthology (after the mass market Tales of the Knights Templar, 1995), a hit-or-miss collection despite appearances by some popular fantasy authors as well as by the head of John the Baptist, the Shroud of Turin and the Holy Grail. A Templar official pays off a draft authorizing payment of "an amount without limit" to protect a holy artifact in Diane Duane's slight "Blank Check." Andre Norton's surprising "Stonish Men," with its New England colonials speaking like characters in a B-grade western, does little with the intriguing idea that Templars might have fled to America. Kurtz's own "Restitution" merely allows modern-day reincarnated Templar Sir Adam Sinclair (from her popular Adept series) to tie up a loose end from another story. Robert Reginald's "Occam's Razor," however, is a lively tale, with William of Occam called in by the pope to investigate some suspicious deaths. Also noteworthy is the dry, neo-noir "Selling the Devil" by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald. Educational interludes by Kurtz knit the collection together and fill in the context that too many of the stories leave out. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
A second volume of historical fantasy stories about the Knights Templar (after Tales of the Knights Templar, not seen), edited by respected fantasist Kurtz (the Deryni series, etc.). Following the First Crusade, the warrior-monk Knights Templar were commissioned in 1118 as a sort of 12th-century Highway Patrol; they rapidly developed into an impressive fighting force and soon diversified into shipping, banking, and other businesses until they were destroyed in 1307 by Philip IV of France. The Templars' reputation for matters mystical and romantic probably derives from their association with the Holy Grail--indeed, they spent the first decade of their existence excavating beneath King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, and who knows what they found? The galley at hand offers 10 new speculations (the publishers, however, count 11) from Diane Duane, Deborah Turner Harris and Robert J. Harris, David M. Honigsberg and Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg, Richard Woods, Robert Reginald, Andre Norton, Bradley Sinor, Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald, David Spengler and Julie Spengler, and editor Kurtz herself, who also supplies links between the stories. Of greatest probable interest to Templar fans and eclectic fantasists. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
An elite order of warrior-priests forged in the terror of the Crusades, the Knights Templar amassed knowledge and wealth enough to challenge the power of kings and popes. Seven hundred years after they were betrayed, mystery and wonder still surround the Templars' history. What mystic forces did they conquer in the Holy Land? How did their fleet vanish-and where did it go? What treasures did the fugitive Knights bear into the Unknown? And are the Templars part of the past-or are they still among us, shadowy magicians working their will on the world? SECRETS OF THE TEMPLARS Continuing the explorations of her acclaimed collection Tales of the Knights Templar, Katherine Kurtz, author of the classic Deryni series, presents eleven original stories that further delve into the myths of the holy fraternity. While the truth behind the Templars may never be fully known, their legends will never die. THE CRUSADE ETERNAL TRIPOLI "Blank Check," by Diane Duane: A Templar's faith-and the Temple's future-will be tested by a mystery woman's improbable demand... ACRE "The Company of Three," by Deborah Turner Harris and Robert J. Harris: A young Knight must decide if a gruesome supernatural relic is the Templars' most sacred treasure-or the cause of their damnation... AVIGNON "Occam's Razor," by Robert Reginald: A famed Franciscan logician must discover whether Pope Clement and King Philip were murdered-or cursed... THE NEW WORLD "Stonish Men," by Andre Norton: Pursued by brigands, two settlers discover a gift from the past-and a link to Eternity... POUGHKEEPSIE "Selling the Devil," by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald: The "satanic ritual" was bogus-but now something is butchering the participants!

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Continuing the monastic adventures of 1995's Tales of the Knights Templar and 2002's Crusade of Fire: Mystical Tales of the Knights Templar, editor Katherine Kurtz presents 11 more original stories that further explore the myths and legends of the noble order of the white-mantled knights whose mission it was to protect pilgrim routes to the Holy Land during the Crusades.

Included in the collection are stories by Diane Duane, Andre Norton, David and Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg, and Kurtz herself. In Duane's "Blank Check," a knight working as the head of a chapter treasury in Tripoli has his faith tested when a mysterious woman demands the unthinkable. Deborah Turner and Robert Harris's "The Company of Three" chronicles the last moments before the fall of a besieged city, when two devoted knights try to steal a terrifyingly powerful religious relic away from Islamic invaders. Norton's "Stonish Men" tells the story of the very last of the Knights Templar. Desperately fleeing for their lives on the high seas, a small group of knights reach the New World.

Also notable in this collection are the highly informative interludes after each story in which Kurtz briefly discusses the historically relevant aspects of the narrative. In the nearly 200 years of their existence and in the centuries that have elapsed since then, there has been much speculation as to the real purpose of the Knights Templar. Fans of historical fiction with strong religious themes -- like Stephen R. Lawhead's Celtic Crusades saga -- will surely enjoy this collection of absorbing short stories about the enigmatic warrior-monks. Paul Goat Allen

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The bestselling author of the Deryni fantasy series has compiled a new collection of stories about a mysterious and romantic order of medieval knights, featuring tales written by Andre Norton, Deborah Turner Harris, and other of today's leading fantasists.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The Order of the Knights Templar is best known for its members' zealous deeds in the Holy Land, but the organization was also a formidable financial institutionwealthy enough to earn the enmity of the Catholic church and King Philip IV of France, who, in 1307, ordered the Templars hunted down. This dark period provides the backdrop for Kurtz's second Knights Templar anthology (after the mass market Tales of the Knights Templar, 1995), a hit-or-miss collection despite appearances by some popular fantasy authors as well as by the head of John the Baptist, the Shroud of Turin and the Holy Grail. A Templar official pays off a draft authorizing payment of "an amount without limit" to protect a holy artifact in Diane Duane's slight "Blank Check." Andre Norton's surprising "Stonish Men," with its New England colonials speaking like characters in a B-grade western, does little with the intriguing idea that Templars might have fled to America. Kurtz's own "Restitution" merely allows modern-day reincarnated Templar Sir Adam Sinclair (from her popular Adept series) to tie up a loose end from another story. Robert Reginald's "Occam's Razor," however, is a lively tale, with William of Occam called in by the pope to investigate some suspicious deaths. Also noteworthy is the dry, neo-noir "Selling the Devil" by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald. Educational interludes by Kurtz knit the collection together and fill in the context that too many of the stories leave out. (May)

VOYA - Marlyn Roberts

Unfortunately, this collection of short stories will probably have limited appeal for the young adult age group. The introduction, the stories, and the factual "interludes" between the stories contain a lot of very interesting historical information. For example, in the introduction, readers learn the reason for the superstition about Friday the 13th: Friday, October 13, 1307, was the date that King Philip IV of France sent his officers to arrest all members of the Templars they could find. The first story, Diane Duane's Blank Check, is more like a dry history lesson disguised as a short story and this may keep readers from the remaining nine stories that are thrilling, mysterious, romantic, and gripping. Fantasy masters like Andre Norton, Alexandra and David Honigsberg, and Kurtz herself have contributed stories about the Order. Probably the best of the lot is Selling the Devil by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald, in which a Sam Spade-like modern-day Templar secret agent's latest assignment is to investigate a group attempting to conjure Satan. Kurtz's Restitution, about Adam Sinclair, the protagonist of her Adept series, and David and Julie Spangler's Keepers are wonderful, too. For readers who do develop an interest in the subject, there is a comprehensive bibliography that includes Tales of the Knights Templar (Warner, 1995), Kurtz's earlier collection of stories on the same subject. VOYA Codes: 4Q 3P S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses, Will appeal with pushing, Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

Kirkus Reviews

A second volume of historical fantasy stories about the Knights Templar (after Tales of the Knights Templar, not seen), edited by respected fantasist Kurtz (the Deryni series, etc.). Following the First Crusade, the warrior-monk Knights Templar were commissioned in 1118 as a sort of 12th-century Highway Patrol; they rapidly developed into an impressive fighting force and soon diversified into shipping, banking, and other businesses until they were destroyed in 1307 by Philip IV of France. The Templars' reputation for matters mystical and romantic probably derives from their association with the Holy Grail—indeed, they spent the first decade of their existence excavating beneath King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, and who knows what they found? The galley at hand offers 10 new speculations (the publishers, however, count 11) from Diane Duane, Deborah Turner Harris and Robert J. Harris, David M. Honigsberg and Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg, Richard Woods, Robert Reginald, Andre Norton, Bradley Sinor, Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald, David Spengler and Julie Spengler, and editor Kurtz herself, who also supplies links between the stories. Of greatest probable interest to Templar fans and eclectic fantasists.