The Holy Lance (The English Templars Series Book 1) (English Edition) [Format Kindle]

As I've noted before, (in my Day of Fire review) being an author has its perks. Sometimes I'm asked to review books before they're available to buy and it's really nice to read something before anyone else gets to see it. Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science and reader of my own historical novels asked if I'd take a look at his debut The Holy Lance and, if I liked it, share my thoughts and maybe provide a strap-line for the cover.*

Now, it's very flattering to be asked to critique someone's work but sometimes it's poor and it's a chore to even finish it, never mind come up with an excuse not to review it. I'd rather not say anything than be hurtful after all.
I'm glad to report that, thankfully, Andrew Latham's The Holy Lance didn't need any excuses - it's a damn good read!

A historical fiction adventure very much in the mould of Cornwell, Scarrow, Robyn Young et al, the book centres around a Templar Knight's quest to retrieve a prized artefact: the titular holy lance. Michael Fitz Alan is an entertaining character, with all the leadership and martial qualities you hope for in a novel like this. Indeed, his violent exploits are often extremely visceral, with much blood spilled as he battles through the Holy Land on this, the first part of his quest.

The battle scenes really do stand out, being superbly written and bringing the action to vivid life in the reader's imagination, but there's more to the tale than just violence. Like Lord of the Rings, The Sword of Shannara or Bernard Cornwell's 1356 our hero is after a powerful artefact that will turn the tide of war in his favour. Yes, it's a theme that's been explored many, many times over the years, but that's because it's a good theme!

The author doesn't make everything as black-and-white as Tolkien's hobbits vs orcs though. This isn't a straight-forward tale of good versus evil - it's sympathetic to both sides in the conflict which makes for a realistic and satisfying read.

Latham's scholarship shines through in every page - indeed, I was writing my own Knight Hospitaller novella at the same time as I read this and I freely admit I learned a lot. Not only is it a great tale, you know the history has been thoroughly researched and, as in any top-class histfic title, it makes the book that much more enjoyable. It's a balancing act between too much and not enough scholarship in this genre and The Holy Lance straddles the tightrope with ease.

If I have a criticism it's the fact that the chapters are quite long, with the first being almost 10,000 words. Obviously, this is a matter of personal taste, but I like a short, punchy first chapter that starts things off with a bang and drags the reader in by the short and curlies, whether they like it or not. The Holy Lance doesn't have that and, I have to be honest, I feared the worst when it took me so long to finish the first few pages. It could easily put readers off which would be a real shame as things picked up after that and I was relieved to find myself really enjoying the story.

I'm probably not the best person to ask for a review if you're on a timetable as I don't have much time to read these days, but I finished this in just a few days and am very much looking forward to the next one. Which will probably be strange for Professor Latham to read, given this one isn't even out yet!

Histfic fans will really enjoy this and I'm proud to have been one of the first people to read it. The future promises much for Andrew Latham...be sure you're there when his first novel hit's the shelves on March 24th this year.

Steven A. McKay, author of Wolf's Head: Volume 1 (The Forest Lord) and The Wolf and the Raven (The Forest Lord Book 2)

* "Violent and visceral.... meticulously researched... superbly plotted.... The Holy Lance is historical fiction at its best!"

I recently had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Andrew Latham's 'The Holy Lance'. Initially I was hesitant, I have to admit. I am reasonably familiar with the Knights Templar in both popular myth and actual historical record, and am, frankly, a little sick of the endless connections made between the Templars and various supernatural or secret cult activities. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, to read the book and discover that, although it revolves entirely around a group of Templars and the eponymous artefact, there is not a hint here of the 'secret society and weirdo damned Templars'. This is a tale of knights, duty and the battling of inner demons, not the Rosicrucians or the Masons in armour trying to hide the body of Christ or some such.

Once I realised that it was a work of historical fiction about the real Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon and had not fallen into that most common and woeful trap of 'Dan-Browniness', I was properly enticed, and dived right in. In fact, despite the artefact at the heart of the tale being such a mythical, sacred item, the book remains grounded and realistic. After all, just because something is mythical has never stopped real people hunting it and believing in it (witness not only the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, but also the Nazi obsession with relics and occult objects.)

Inside, what I came across was a solid tale based during the Third Crusade, in the aftermath of the dreadful battle at the Horns of Hattin. Rather than being some 'Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail' knock-off, the story does not wallow in the supernatural, raising the spear of Longinus - the Holy Lance supposed to have pierced Christ on the cross - to be some kind of earth-changing relic. It is simply a religious relic, albeit an important one, sought by a number of the power groups active during the crusade, for its morale-boosting effects and the belief that it aids an army in victory. Richard Coeur de Lion sends the protagonist on a mission to recover the spear and aid his cause in the Holy Land. Completely as an aside from the main plot and characters, incidentally, I also have to point out that I love this unusually realistic portrait of the great Richard I, as opposed to the usual 'bearded action hero'.

I will not delve too deeply into the nuances and details of the plot, for that way lie spoilers and disappointment. What I will say is that this is a hunt, and something of a race, to acquire the Lance, run by more than two groups. The political situation is nicely put, with conflicting forces not always on opposing sides of the war. Indeed, the oiliest, wickedest bad guys in this nominally belong to the same side as the Templar protagonist. Characters struggling to regain prominence or to maintain it in a world where power and position are most important are pitted against unwilling hunters who are bound by duty and oath to service. Christians both pious and base struggle against each other, as well as against the agents of Saladin (also, incidentally, a refreshing and unusual characterisation) in an effort to bring the lance back to their faction. Don't forget that in this awful crusade, the English and the French probably hated one another more than either of them hated the Saracen!

Strangely, for me, the most important and most powerful thread (themes?, ideas?) in the novel, which so outweighs the main plot concerning the lance and the machinations of the powerful, is the personal journey of the protagonist. A former knight who joined the Templars to seek a way out of a world of blood, violence and base impulses, Michael Fitz Alan faces a daily battle against his inner demons and, while he is a strong, often irritatingly unyielding and deadly character, this dark, uncertain side of him is what makes him real to the reader. He is a character that sits well in his place in the plot and will drive the story on beyond this volume with ease.

The upshot is that the Holy Lance is an action packed, tense race to recover a holy relic, pitted against the hordes of the Saracen, power-hungry Christian nobles, his own masters of dubious ethics and various side-groups. Throughout the story, the character of Fitz Alan unfolds, and thus is born the series of the English Templars. Roll on book 2, I say.

Finally! A book that describes Templars as they really were: devout Catholic fighting men, rather than fantasy creatures or costumed, modern myths. Andrew Latham has with this comparatively short, action-packed book done the much-maligned Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem a worthy service by pulling them out of the realm of mystery and romance and putting back into a historical context and perspective.

The book does not attempt to paint a panorama of the Third Crusade much less the Holy Land at the end of the 12th century. Instead, it follows a single Templar troop (or banner, as Latham calls it) on a fictional but completely plausible mission to recover from deep inside enemy territory a controversial relic found during the First Crusade, the “Holy Lance,” i.e the lance that pierced Christ’s side before the crucifixion.

Historically, this relic -- discovered by a priest in Antioch -- inspired the Christians of the First Crusade (who were besieged in Antioch and suffering intense privation at the time) to successfully sortie out against the numerically superior besiegers. Within a decade after the First Crusade, however, the Holy Lance had been discredited and replaced by the True Cross as the most holy relic of Christendom -- only to be captured by the Saracens in 1187 during the debacle of Hattin. It is completely plausible, therefore, that Richard the Lionheart and other Christian leaders in the period immediately following Hattin would remember the Holy Lance and want to secure possession of it. It is just as plausible that such a relic, even a dubious relic, would have been kept in a monastery. Since after the collapse of the Kingdom of Jerusalem every part of the Holy Land except Antioch, Tripoli and Tyre was under nominal Saracen control, the recovery of the relic would inherently have entailed crossing into enemy controlled territory.

Based on this plausible mission into enemy-held territory, Latham has built a great war-story similar in structure to “Saving Private Ryan” about a small band of men on a dangerous mission with a guide of uncertain trustworthiness and unexpected enemies in their own ranks. Latham keeps his story focused and moving, with completely realistic situations and challenges, never once falling into the temptation of fantasy, legend or romance. His characters are fighting men, some of them mercenaries and others former mercenaries; they are violent and brutal, but they remain men grounded firmly in the 12th century, with 12 century motives and beliefs.

Latham is a master of suspense, not so much in the overall plot as in his ability to tease out each new danger and make the reader really sweat it out with the protagonists. The way time gets stretched to unbearable infinity when one is in danger or approaching danger is brilliantly conveyed. The dialogue is also convincing and comfortable, with neither unnecessary anachronisms that shatter the sense of time and place nor with stilted, artificially old-fashioned speech either. The use of Latin is excellent as an anchor to the period, but always translated so the reader is not left feeling like the author is talking down to him. The descriptions of equipment, landscapes, clothing etc. reflect the author’s meticulous research, and this is by far the best description of Templar daily routines I have ever seen in a work of fiction.

To create more dramatic tension, Latham has portrayed Conrad de Montferrat more negatively than history justifies, but compared to the character assassination and whole-scale historical inaccuracies found in other novels about this period, Latham is on the whole restrained and correct in his depictions of historical personalities. My biggest criticism is that although he has created several intriguing and sympathetic characters, I didn’t feel he fully explored or revealed them. At least not in this book. I hope he goes deeper into the hearts and souls of his characters in the next book of the series that I look forward to reading.

The Holy Lance is a cogently conceived, gripping tale, combining both historical accuracy and creative fiction. It offers an invaluable window into the minds of the Templars, the "Saracens," and all other factions involved in the 12th century wars between Saladin and Christendom, displaying each party's motivations, fears, and desires.

To me, the most intriguing descriptions are those of the war formations and fighting styles of the Templars and their enemies. The attention to detail is truly what makes this such a pleasurable read. You will find yourself empathising with friend and foe alike, and even some of the poor horses.

The story contains plot within plot, offering endless pleasure to aficionados of strategy. Simply, Professor Latham takes an already interesting epoch of history, and turns it into an irresistible tale with the additive fiction.

The ending is simultaneously surprising and logical. The only downside is it'll leave you impatiently wanting more.

Highly Recommended!

I was one of Professor Andrew Latham's students at Macalester, and while I was interested when I heard about this project, I had to admit I was skeptical. Could an academic really write a fiction novel that was readable? Worse, I have almost no academic interest or background in the Crusades from the Christian perspective. So I was skeptical that I would enjoy this book, but I picked it up out of my deep respect for Professor Latham. Yet enjoy it I did! "The Holy Lance" is 200 pages of action and suspense that will interest even those who have no interest in Crusaders or the Holy Land. I was unable to stop myself from plowing through it in a few hours.

The story follows Michael Fitz Allen, a knight sent to get a shiny object ("The Holy Lance"). As a general outline, this plot is pretty old, but it is well implemented and interesting in this case, avoiding the usual tropes. Fitz Allen is a religious zealot who happily hacks away at the enemies of Christ, and one feels morally ambiguous when rooting for him as he travels along this quest. The quest itself is also interesting - the Lance is widely recognized by characters in the book not to be a magical object (such as a Holy Grail) but a political one - a force multiplier. The book is (to the best of my knowledge) generally historically accurate, and I came away feeling like I learned something. As an Arabist, I appreciated that the Muslim side was given a voice - one particularly memorable scene between Fitz Allen and a captured prisoner neatly outlined the gulf between the Muslim and Christian view of the Holy Land.

Latham is a new author (in fiction) and some rare times it shows. Some things that could be improved upon in the sequel: Some plot threads seem to peter out without resolution and lack depth (What happened to Sinestro's plan to delay Fitz Allen? If Saladin's army is so big why couldn't he simply steamroll Richard in open battle after Acre? How did every political entity in the Holy Land learn of the Lance in a matter of days at a time when the only communication was word of mouth?). The book is also arguably too short; with just 200 pages and a large cast of characters, pretty much every character save Fitz Allen is rather one-dimensional (the book rides on the story and the setting rather than the characters). In addition, the characters entirely consist of straight edge religious zealots or hedonistic Machiavellians. Whatever happened to the middle ground? Surely something of it must have existed even in the 1100s. An extra 100 pages could have resolved almost every problem listed here.

But these are generally nitpicks. This book far exceeded my expectations, and introduced me into a genre of literature which I didn't even really know I liked. I would say it is certainly worth your money, and I look forward to the sequels. Deus Vult.