From Library Journal
Following a vision that foretells the formation of a new Temple of Solomon in Scotland, Brother Arnault de Saint Clair, a member of a secret magical order within the Order of the Knights Templar, becomes involved in the struggle for Scottish independence. The authors of the Adept series (featuring modern-day Templars) vividly re-create one of Scottish history's most compelling periods, as Robert the Bruce and William Wallace share the limelight with fictional, but no less credible, characters. Solidly researched medieval history and legends of Templar magic blend seamlessly in a fascinating tale of faith and high magic that belongs in most fantasy collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The creators of the Adept series, each a master of historical fantasy in her own right, take up the nightmarish Anglo-Scots wars of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. Arnault de Saint Clair and Torquil Lennox, two Knights Templar driven from the Holy Land, are assigned secret work aimed at finding a secure place for their fellowship's fifth temple. That place seems likely to be in Scotland, so the ruthless ambitions of England's Edward I to rule the Scots must be opposed. Meanwhile, the blackest ancient sorcery is working against the survival of Christianity, let alone independence, in Scotland. The tale sprawls more than even its large-scale story quite justifies but is packed with treats for the historical fantasy buff--such things as portraits of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Kurtz and Harris have lost none of their intensely visual quality, though, leading one to hope that this apparent prequel to the Adept will have a sequel of its own, featuring Robert the Bruce and the epic Battle of Bannockburn. Roland Green
From Kirkus Reviews
Following the recent volume of Knights Templar stories (On Crusade, 1998, edited by Kurtz), here's a Templar novel from this established collaboration team (Death of an Adept, 1996, etc.). As the 13th century draws to a close, the frail child Margaret of Norway, last of the Scottish royal house of Canmore, dies, allowing Edward Plantagenet of England his ambition of grabbing Scotland by force, or by absorption, in order to dictate who the next king of Scotland will be. Meanwhile, on Cyprus, the Templar inner circle accepts that it will never recapture Jerusalem and so will need a safe, secure retreat to build a new temple for housing its treasuresand Arnault de Saint Clair's vision shows him Scotland. It's also no coincidence that Arnault was present when Margaret diedby sorcery. With Torquil Lennox and Luc de Brabant, Arnault travels to Berwick, where Edward is ready to place his lackey, John Balliol, on the Scottish throne. But the Stone of Destiny, upon which the Scottish kings sit to be crowned, has lost its mystical potency. In another vision, Torquil learns that the last king of Scotland, Alexander III, was also killed by sorcery. What the Templars don't yet know is that the Comyn family, which secretly controls Balliol, worships the Pictish old gods and is plotting to overthrow the entire Christian tradition in Scotland. So the stage is set for an intricate power struggle, religious, secular, and sorcerous, connecting William ``Braveheart'' Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Scottish independence, and the fate of the Templars themselves. A skillful and involving blend of real history, speculation, and elements of controlled, credible fantasy. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
“Great adventure . . . Brilliantly evoked . . . A dazzling battle of good vs. evil.” —The Washington Post
“Exciting conflicts . . . This seamless combination of historical novel and fantasy offers rich background and . . . substantial suspense and adventure.” —Publishers Weekly
“The authors . . . vividly re-create one of Scottish history’s most compelling periods. . . . Solidly researched medieval history and legends of Templar magic blend seamlessly in a fascinating tale of faith and high magic.” —Library Journal
About the Author
Katherine Kurtz was born in Coral Gables, Florida, during a hurricane. She received a four-year science scholarship to the University of Miami and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. Medical school followed, but after a year she decided she would rather write about medicine than practice it. A vivid dream inspired Kurtz’s Deryni novels, and she sold the first three books in the series on her first submission attempt. She soon defined and established her own sub-genre of “historical fantasy” set in close parallels to our own medieval period featuring “magic” that much resembles extrasensory perception.
While working on the Deryni series, Kurtz further utilized her historical training to develop another sub-genre she calls “crypto-history,” in which the “history behind the history” intertwines with the “official” histories of such diverse periods as the Battle of Britain (Lammas Night), the American War for Independence (Two Crowns for America), contemporary Scotland (The Adept Series, with coauthor Deborah Turner Harris), and the Knights Templar (also with Harris).
In 1983, Kurtz married the dashing Scott MacMillan; they have a son, Cameron. Until 2007, they made their home in Ireland, in Holybrooke Hall, a mildly haunted gothic revival house, They have recently returned to the United States and taken up residence in a historic house in Virginia, with their five Irish cats and one silly dog. (The ghosts of Holybrooke appear to have remained behind.)
Deborah Turner Harris has a Ph.D. in medieval English literature. While on a postdoctoral fellowship at the Scottish University of St. Andrews, she met her husband, the writer Robert J. Harris, and the rest is family history.
In 1987, her first fantasy novel, The Burning Stone, was published under the editorial auspices of legendary editor Betty Ballantine. Betty subsequently introduced her to Katherine Kurtz, paving the way for a fruitful writing partnership. Working together, Kurtz and Harris have produced not only the five-volume Adept series, but also the two linked Templar novels set during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
In 2000, Harris returned to teaching as an honorary lecturer in medieval English literature at the University of St. Andrews. She and Bob have three grown-up sons. They continue to live in St. Andrews with their dog, Kyra.
