This was a genuinely thrilling action-adventure historical fiction novel, and the Crusades provide a fascinating backdrop. *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest* moves at a breakneck pace and really pulls you in, seamlessly weaving historical details into the dialogue and descriptions. Colin Falconer's writing strikes a great balance, and the story explores weighty themes like guilt, religion, and morality as Christian soldiers interact with the Mongol people. The emphasis is definitely more on the acti...

One of the best novels I've ever read is Colin Falconer's *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest*. It's a story of forbidden love between a Crusader knight and a Mongolian princess. The story begins when, by order of the Pope, a disgusting, smelly priest (who refused to bathe for fear of getting sick) is tasked with visiting the Khan of Khans in Mongolia. This is happening while Hulagu Khan is sweeping across Europe, and the mission is to ally with the Mongols against the Muslims to reclaim Jerusalem, t...

This is such a lovely story! I've become completely engrossed in the history of the Silk Road and the people who lived and traded along those routes. While searching for related books, I stumbled upon *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest* by Colin Falconer, and even though it's fiction, I couldn't resist making it my weekend read. I'm turning into a lady of leisure, it seems! It's an adventure-romance set during the Mongol Empire. A Christian Knight escorts a papal emissary on a long and perilous jour...

Having just finished reading Professor Frankopan’s ‘The Silk Roads: A New History of the World’, this take was a rather jolly read in comparison. ‘Silk Road: A Templar's Quest’ is a love story, set in an uncertain age, and it wasn't quite what I expected. Colin Falconer subtly points a censuring finger at the shackles that religion (primarily Christianity) places on the development of a civilization – something Professor Frankopan also highlights with no hesitation. Undoubtedly, a signific...

Once again, Mr. Falconer, you've crafted a beautifully told story. I firmly believe you possess a remarkable talent for weaving captivating narratives filled with varying degrees of drama, brutality, and romance. With each book, you demonstrate a fresh and unpredictable approach. In *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest*, I sense a genuine effort on your part to maintain historical accuracy, as much as possible, for the period around 1260 AD. While I haven't verified every detail, a certain authenticity...

A book like *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest* doesn't have any real highs or lows; it's a very ordinary story that unfolds without any complexity, in a simple, linear fashion. The plot isn't particularly captivating, but it's not boring either. The story is set in the 13th century, a time when Europe was in its Dark Ages and Asia was in the clutches of the Mongols. The story itself is just... ordinary. The characters are ordinary too. None of them have any particularly unique thoughts, nor do they ...

I really enjoy reading historical novels, and nonfiction too. I'm actually in the middle of another book right now, one I'll review as soon as I finish it, about the American frontier back when it was right here, just beyond the Appalachian Mountains. But *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest* is about a much earlier time, and it's set in a completely different part of the world. So in a way, it grabbed my attention on several levels. I definitely had my Google Earth app open for a lot of it. The story...

Colin Falconer has penned a truly fabulous book with *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest*. It’s not just an exciting and incredibly readable adventure, it's also one that's hard to put down. I'd been wanting to dive into *Silk Road: A Templar's Quest* for a while, but finally took the plunge when the price dropped. From the very beginning, I was completely mesmerized by Josseran's travels. I genuinely felt like I was right there with him, experiencing everything firsthand – I could almost smell the sc...

Colin Falconer's "Silk Road: A Templar's Quest" is aptly named, as the Silk Road itself emerges as the most intricate, vibrant, and well-developed character in the book. Falconer clearly invested in researching the route, capturing its evolving geography and climates, along with the diverse and captivating people who inhabited it during the 13th century. His descriptions of the route are vivid, informative, and evocative, matched by his meticulous and convincing portrayals of Mongolian culture, ...

These are exactly the kind of historical fiction books I dream of finding. Richly detailed, meticulously researched, with a natural harmony between dialogue and narrative – never too much of one or the other. It's a history lesson wrapped in a compelling adventure with engaging characters. Oh, and I'm a sucker for journey stories too; they're one of my favorite ways for an author to deliver a historical adventure. These are all facets I look for in historical fiction, and if they hit the right ...