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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Steve Berry's THE TEMPLAR LEGACY.
Ben from Deephaven, MN
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
We (I read to my wife Romaine) have read THE ROMANOV PROPHECY and THE AMBER ROOM.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Some of the suspense/thriller authors whom we have read are Dan Brown, Robert Ludlum, Clive Cussler, David Baldacci, James Patterson, Stuart Woods, Daniel Silva, Reed Arvin, John Grisham and Vince Flynn.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
We enjoy reading Steve Berry because you learn something as you are enjoying the story. His knowledgeable detail about the areas where the story unfolds frequently has our atlas out to trace the action. THE TEMPLAR LEGACY was particularly interesting to us because we have spent a lot of time in the area of France near Rennes, including living for a short time with a French family nearby and had learned of the Templars while there. THE TEMPLAR LEGACY, like the other two Berry books that we read, starts out slow and only really gets exciting in the last half. We don't mind --- as I said, we enjoy learning something as we enjoy the story.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
We definitely will read all of Steve Berry's books.
Debye from San Antonio, TX
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
No, I've never read any Steve Berry before. This was my first one.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read a number of suspense/thriller authors: James Patterson, Daniel Silva, Robert Ludlum and Dan Brown, to name a few.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
I liked the story a lot. I was already quite familiar with the subject and the mysteries surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau, the Priory of Sion and the Templars in general. It was interesting to see the subject treated in such a different matter.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
I had already picked up two of his books before reading THE TEMPLAR LEGACY and then bought the third. So I guess it's safe to say I'll be reading him some more.
I'm glad the main character in THE TEMPLAR LEGACY --- Cotton --- will be back for a few more adventures.
Donna from Orlando, FL
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
No, this is the first book I read by Steve Berry.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Dan Brown, James Patterson and John Grisham, etc.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
It was fantastic. I truly loved it...a fast read. A real page-turner.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
Yes, definitely. Just bought THE THIRD SECRET too!
Vera from Pinson, AL
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
This is the first book I have read by Steve Berry.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I have read Dan Brown's books.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
I loved THE TEMPLAR LEGACY. Once I started reading it, and especially toward the end, it was hard to stop reading --- even to work.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
I already want to get THE THIRD SECRET and also his older books. This type of fiction, which is a thriller with a touch of history and religion thrown in, is addictive. Thanks for the opportunity to read a great book!
Cy from Cherry Tree, PA
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
No, I had not.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Patterson, Grisham, Koontz, Reichs, Dan Brown, Scottoline, Michael Palmer, George Pelecanos, Crichton, Clancy, W.E.B. Griffin, Lisa Gardner, Iris Johansen and many more!
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
It was written about a period in history I do not usually enjoy reading about. But, as I got into this book, it began to take "root" and made me want to delve deeper into this subject. Mr. Berry's mixture of facts and his thoughts made this a real interesting read. Being a good Christian myself, it made my brain do flip-flops at and near the end.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
He has sharpened my interest in this subject and, yes, I would read Steve Berry's further thoughts about this period and the Templars.
Gail from Matthews, NC
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
No.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Dan Brown, Jonathan Kellerman and Nelson DeMille.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
It was entertaining. The story moved along quickly with enough historical detail to be interesting without slowing down the plot development. I felt it was similar in tone to THE DA VINCI CODE and wondered if Steve Berry was influenced/inspired by the success of Dan Brown's book.
There were a number of typographical errors in the promotional copy (and a few instances of repetitive vocabulary), which I assume will be corrected in the final editing.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
Yes. From the writer's notes at the back, it appears that Cotton Malone will be featured in other adventures and I would be interested in reading more of the series.
Jeanette from OKC, OK
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
Thank you for sending me an advance reader's edition. THE TEMPLAR LEGACY is the only book that I have read by Steve Berry.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
There are several suspense/thriller authors whom I enjoy. My most recent reads would include John Dunning, Tess Gerritsen and Katherine Neville.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
THE TEMPLAR LEGACY makes for a good suspense/thriller. After reading it I wanted to explore more books about this time in history. The way the religious history was written in without the direct opinion of the author was done well.
The characters Malone and Stephanie were fun to follow. I will be looking forward to the next one of Malone's adventures. I think what was most unique and enjoyable was that the story stayed within the storyline. It stayed within the secrets of the Templar's and not the sex lives of all the characters. Well done.
Jim from Waukesha, WI
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
First off, thanks for picking my name! I always look forward to your Friday email and winning an ARC from a favorite author was a very nice bonus.
As for Steve Berry, THE TEMPLAR LEGACY was the third book of his that I have read. His name first came to my attention when I saw a review of THE THIRD SECRET and I was interested enough to backtrack and start with THE AMBER ROOM. While it had some flaws, I enjoyed the plot and the history lesson enough to continue on to his second work, THE ROMANOV PROPHECY, which I enjoyed even more than THE AMBER ROOM. From there I jumped to THE TEMPLAR LEGACY so that I would be sure to have sufficient time to provide some feedback, but I will gladly double back to THE THIRD SECRET in the near future.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Among other suspense and thriller writers, I read quite a few but I particularly enjoy the likes of David Baldacci, Stephen Coonts, Nelson DeMille, P.T. Deutermann, Vince Flynn, Frederick Forsyth, Greg Iles, Joseph Kanon, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Christopher Reich, Daniel Silva and Martin Cruz Smith. There are others and I'm always checking out new names, but these are definitely on my "Don't Miss" list. And if I started listing favorite mystery writers, I'd be here for hours.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
As for THE TEMPLAR LEGACY, I enjoyed it very much. Like the other Berry books and most other thrillers that I've read, THE TEMPLAR LEGACY is not character-driven, and it's not loaded with character development or profound interpersonal dialogue, but the plot was very good and the few new bits I learned from the incorporated history lesson were interesting. Berry does a good job of not letting the history lesson drag down the pace of the book too much, but some plot slow-downs were evident, and they're probably inevitable when you're talking about a story that blends this much fact with its fiction.
Also, because THE TEMPLAR LEGACY is to be the first of four Cotton Malone books, there is plenty of time for Berry to flesh out the character and to add to the backstory there.
It's also worth reminding people that, like most books in this genre, consideration should be given before reading THE TEMPLAR LEGACY, especially if you're a Christian with delicate sensibilities or a shaky faith. But I don't think that any of my fellow Catholics are going to be issuing death threats against Berry, although I have to admit that the juxtaposing of recent events in the real world with one of the principal settings in THE TEMPLAR LEGACY did strike me as eerie at times.
Overall, I would give THE TEMPLAR LEGACY the following grades:
Storyline: A-
It's tough to ace this category when there are already so many other Templar-based works and so many Dan Brown knock-offs out there, but this is among the better of the genre.
Plot Development: A
Berry takes some familiar concepts and moves them in a new and interesting direction. He kept me guessing and I was never disappointed with any of the moves that the story took.
Pacing: B+
There are no places where the plot gets bogged down to the point where it's almost a chore to continue reading, but things do slow down a bit at times when Berry is dealing with the factual history that he has incorporated into the story.
Characters: B+
The good guys are likable, but flawed. The bad guys (the main one, in particular) are largely stereotypical and/or one-dimensional, which is the only real criticism I have in this area. In the end, the way that two of the three morally ambiguous characters are handled keeps this at an above-average grade.
Character Development: C
Thrillers tend to be heavy on plot and action and light on character exploration, and THE TEMPLAR LEGACY is no exception. When I want character development, I'll read authors I'd categorize as "fiction" writers. When I read Berry or other "thriller" writers, I want plot and action. I'm not likely to conflate Brad Thor and Haruki Murakami, for example, but people who confuse the two may end up disappointed here.
Dialogue: B
There's nothing particularly riveting about the things that Berry's characters say, but they don't put me to sleep, either, and their words don't come across as stilted or awkward. My standard for "ideal" in this area is Nelson DeMille and no one comes close to DeMille when it comes to writing great dialogue.
Settings and Atmosphere: A-
Berry does a good job of setting a scene and he makes it easy to envision what the characters must be seeing as the events unfold around them. While he was somewhat limited by the southern France nature of the storyline, I liked how he incorporated Denmark and its locales. He makes me want to go to Copenhagen to do some book shopping!
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
I will continue to read Berry's books and I will be backtracking to read THE THIRD SECRET in the near future. As long as he keeps writing at the high level that he's producing now, I will continue to read his Cotton Malone releases in the future, as well as any other titles that he writes. I like his work.... That's it from me. For Steve, thanks for another great read and keep it up! For the folks at Bookreporter.com, thanks for helping to keep me in the loop on the goings and doings in the book world, and thanks again for giving me the opportunity to get my hands on THE TEMPLAR LEGACY early.
Utonia from Ortonville, MN
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
No, THE TEMPLAR LEGACY is the first book I have read by Berry but I look forward to reading others by him.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Patricia Cornwell, John Sandford and Tami Hoag, just to name a few.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
I loved the book! It was really hard to put down, even on my work breaks!
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
Yes, I'm looking forward to his future books with Cotton Malone.
Helen from St. Charles, Missouri
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
No, I have not.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Dan Brown, Linda Fairstein, Michael Crichton, James Patterson, Catherine Coulter, Jeffery Deaver and Kathy Reichs, etc.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
I thoroughly enjoyed it. At times I found it hard to put down and, as was the case when I read THE DA VINCI CODE, I wanted to learn more about the topic.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
Absolutely, and I have already ordered THE AMBER ROOM. I look forward to reading further adventures of Cotton and the group. Thanks for the opportunity to be an advance reader.
Doris from Huntington Beach, CA
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
I have not read a previous book by Steve Berry but I will be exploring his other titles. I enjoyed the historical aspects. I appreciated the opportunity to read this book.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I have read suspense/thriller books by Daniel Silva and I have read THE DA VINCI CODE.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
Overall, I enjoyed the book, although I felt it was too long and went back and forth in time too much, which interfered with the flow of the book. The beginning of the book piqued my interest but as I continued towards the middle section I felt somewhat bogged down. Each time I came back to the book I would have to go back and reread sections to keep on track. It was difficult to connect with the characters. It seems the book became a little overly long trying to include all the information. The book came to a satisfactorily exciting conclusion.
Andrea from Miami, FL
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
I have never read a book by Steve Berry but I plan to read his previous books and definitely will read future books.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Some other suspense/thriller authors I have read are Dan Brown, John Grisham, Robert Ludlum, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Sara Paretsky and several more.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
Although I have not completed the book (am about 2/3 through), it has kept my interest even though all the details get a bit tedious. It is very apparent Mr. Berry has done a vast amount of research on the subject. I have no idea of the solution at this point. I would recommend this book to my friends.
Larry from Albany, GA
Have you previously read a book by Steve Berry?
Yes.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
All that I can locate.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
I would rate it a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
Probably.
Lee from Kewanee, IL
Have you ever read Steve Berry before?
To tell the truth, I started THE AMBER ROOM twice and couldn't get into it so I moved on. THE THIRD SECRET is in my pile to read.
What other suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Dan Brown.
What did you think of THE TEMPLAR LEGACY?
Life has gotten in the way and I am only about 2/3 done.
Would you ever read a future book by Steve Berry?
Sure.
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