Tuesday, February 21, 2017

*Review* The Blessed Knights by Mary Ting


Genre: YA Paranormal
Published: October 28, 2016
Pages: 234

Synopsis

***Silver Medal Winner for Readers' Favorite International Book Award for Young Adult-Fantasy*** 2016

Above a small hill lay a home.
And green men peer out under the dome.
Thirteen crisscrossing arches behold,
with angels singing must be told.
Cubes like teeth thus showed,
pierce one and the door shall glow. 
Part the sea like Moses, 
to see the bundle of red roses.
Only then you shall see,
what is destined to be free.
But beware, if you are not the heir,
for damnation you shall declare, 
for the false burden you shall bare.

Eli, Lucia’s half-demon love interest, has been stabbed with a true-cross dagger and captured by Cyrus, master of the possessor demons. The Chosen Knights must work together once again not only to save Eli, but also to decipher a clue to find the second missing page of Jacques de Molay’s journal. Meanwhile, Uncle Davin informs Crossroads’ Divine Elders of the danger ahead and learns there is much to fear. Countless children are being taken from all over the world to be turned into demons. Michael has no choice but to intervene. The Chosen Knights track down Mortem, the demon who is the key to finding Cyrus, and learn they must travel deep into the pit of a Hawaiian volcano. When they astral travel to the past in search of a clue and follow Jacques de Molay to Rosselyn Chapel in medieval Scotland, what they find will rewrite history.

Review

I was hired to proofread this book. The only aspects of the story that I influenced were the spelling and grammar. If you feel that my connection to the book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

I apologize in advance if this review seems a bit off the wall. You see, I read this book back in October, and while I largely remember the storyline, I have read a couple books from the Crossroads saga (for which this is a spin-off) since then, so my emotional experience is tainted somewhat. I promise to never make this mistake again. (I'm totally probably going to end up making this mistake again.) Moving on.

I really enjoyed returning to the mystery of the Knights Templar with Lucia's Blessed Knights. I did not particularly enjoy the rescue mission we had to go on to try and save Eli though. I really rather wish that rescue mission had not been necessary in the first place, although it was rather exciting and detailed at the time. I am also anxious to get to the next book in the story to see how the mystery will continue to play out. 

I also enjoyed the return of some old favorites from the Crossroads Saga. It was almost like spending a weekend white water rafting with friends from high school. The chance of dismemberment or death was definitely there, but it still felt relatively safe because of their presence.

While I wouldn't say that you HAVE to read the Crossroads Saga first, because this spin-off is definitely it's own story, I would recommend it because it lays the groundwork for the lives of Lucia and the other Alkins and the half-breeds that they meet in Hawaii. At the very least you'll have fewer questions about how that all works if you start with the Crossroads Saga. Just trust me on this. 

Overall I give The Blessed Knights 4 out of 5 stars because it was entertaining and exciting. - Katie 

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About the Author

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Ways to keep in touch with the author:

Newsletter Updates: http://eepurl.com/YMyCn

Website: www.authormaryting.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormaryting
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsBook
Twitter @maryting
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11283685-crossroads
Blog: http://www.marytingbooks.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authormaryting 
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