a disappointing read....

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ABOUT CERTAIN NOVELS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

i really do not like being negative or down about novels or any form of writing. as an aspiring writer, i know how difficult it is. but if your name is Raymond Khoury and you have displayed some astonishing talent as a screenwriter, you should be expected to come up with better than The Last Templar.

there are the obvious (sigh) Da Vinci Code comparisons. it takes a different angle from that one, but if you were into the whole "conspiracy theory" of that one, this one should get you all excited. on that comparison, the novel is not quite as condescending or aloof as, say, The Rule Of Four was to the reader.

a contrived, rushed and pious ending closes a book filled with preposterous plot twists and narrative devices. SPOILER if you thought the "ice berg surfing" incident in Dan Brown's Deception Point was farcical, wait until you get a load of what goes down in this one, as it were. END OF SPOILER.

as for this whole business of deconstructing faiths, the Christian and Catholic churches in particular, i am dubious as to just how far it is going in the world of literature, and have to ask why. by no means am i religious myself, but do hold a high level of respect for those who pursue a more spiritual existance, just as i respect those who believe in whatever they chose to believe in.

please could someone write just a good, old fashioned novel again. one not featuring codes, hidden messages from the past or just blatant Dan Brown bandwagoning. if it carries on like this, i may be compelled to stop being so lazy and write something myself. horror. shock.

LAST POSSIBLE SPOILERthe papal quote prominent on the cover of The Last Templar does not seem to actually feature in the novel, and nor is it that relevant, as things turn out. SPOILERS OVER!!

the book has sold enough already, so i suppose my review will mean nothing. read if you wish, but i am there at your shoulder to say i told you so.......

be excellent to each other!!