From Booklist
The third in Kurtz's series of anthologies exploring the legend of the Knights Templar is another treat for lovers of historical fantasy. Kurtz opens with her own almost straight historical piece about the origins of the Templars, and Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald close with a humorous piece about a couple of modern Templars finding an occult mystery in the ranks of Kipling fans. In between, Kurtz's frequent collaborator Deborah Turner Harris explores Richard the Lion-Hearted, Susan Shwartz adds a moving pendant to Scott's Ivanhoe, Robert Reginald involves the Templars in a historical mystery with William of Occam doing the detecting, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison introduces her extravagant Keltiad to the Templars (or vice versa), and so on. The authors are all competent and even expert handlers of historical milieus, and those offering the farther-out tales of the Templars and the occult don't overindulge themselves. A historical fantasy collection worth well more than its price. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Crusade of Fire: Mystical Tales of the Knights Templar FROM THE CRITICS
VOYA - Michele Winship
Kurtz, author of the Deryni fantasy series, compiles the work of her fellow historical fantasy writers in the third collection of stories about the Knights Templar, the warrior monks who arose after the First Crusade to defend the pilgrims traveling to the holy land for almost two hundred years. Each story in this stand-alone volume presents a slice of the legend of the Templars. The Templars have been connected to the lore of both Arthur and Robin Hood, and the mystery surrounding the survival of their order persists into modern times. Although most authors, who include Susan Schwartz, Scott MacMillan, and Deborah Turner Harris, set their stories in an authentic historical context, some move the Templars into the future, with Patricia Kennealy-Morrison taking them beyond earth itself. An interlude precedes each story, providing additional history. Readers travel with the Templars as they journey to Scotland to fight with Robert the Bruce, to the Holy Land where they confront Saladin, and back to York with Rebecca, who still mourns her loss of Ivanhoe. Appealing to fans of both history and fantasy, this volume of six tales builds on the legend and explores the mystery surrounding the Templars. For those who seek further reading, Kurtz includes a partial bibliography as well as notes about the authors who have contributed to this collection. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2002, Warner, 304p,
Art & Photography
Book Info
