The Book of Tormod #1: A Templar's Apprentice

Kat Black's THE BOOK OF TORMOD: A TEMPLAR'S APPRENTICE tells of one Tgormod MacLeod, who knows things before they happen and who finds even his own family treats him differently because of his gift. When a Knight Templar asks him to delivery a secret message, his life takes a strange twist in this fine historical fantasy.

The Book of Tormod is the first book of what appears to be a promising new trilogy. Book of Tormod introduces us to thirteen year old Tormod MacLeod and his master, Alexander the Templar Knight. To my knowledge, this book is a first of a kind, combining historical facts with young adult fantasy fiction. Kat Black does this quite well, peppering her adventure novel with plenty of Templar lore. When reading the book, I kept picturing Alexander as played by Liam Neeson. In fact, the relationship between Alexander and Tormod is reminiscent of the play between Liam Neeson as Qui Gon Jinn and young Annakin Skywalker in the first Star Wars film. They are Master and Apprentice. These characters and a swashbuckling adventure story is what will make this book appeal to teenage male readers in a big way. My teenage daughter just finished the book and enjoyed it very much. Although she did note there were no female characters of significance in the story. Apparently that is going to change in Book II as the author in the Acknowledgements page lets her niece know the sequel is all her. Sounds like young Tormod will soon find love.

For Tormod MacLeod, a thirteen-year-old boy who lives in a small village in fourteenth century Scotia, life is dull. His days are filled with running messages for his father, who is a local fisherman, arguing with his brothers, and doing his daily chores. This boring life, however, is not fated to last, for Tormod has bigger, and more adventurous events written in his future. Tormod's long and dangerous journey starts on the night of the Beltane festival when a traveling Templar Knight, Knight Alexander, requests that Tormod deliver a secret message to the local Abbot. From there, Tormod joins the Templar and travels by sea and land to distant countries in pursuit of a powerful, secret treasure. With the armies of King Philippe le Bel of France fast on his trail, Tormod learns to fight, pray, and heal as he pushes himself to the limit of his mortal abilities and becomes the Templar's apprentice. While some of the language might prove difficult for the young reader to understand, this historical novel is spellbinding, and captivates the reader's attention from the first page and holds it until the very end. Reviewed by Kimberly Hudson

I loved this adventure thoroughly as well as my daughter (11) who picked it up as soon as I put it down and my son(10) who read it over her shoulder. Kat Black has skillfully re-imagined the most romanticized age of history... The days of medieval knights and kings. Weaving Magical items and clairvoyant knights into an historically accurate tapestry of the already mysterious exploits of the Knights Templar. This immersive tale draws you in to the life a young boy coming of age in medieval Scotland. How his true heart leads him to the highest adventure of the day. Written in Tormod's native brogue and with immaculate descriptive detail which lends a cinematic flair to this read. I expectantly await news of the sequel. A must have for fantasy and history fans alike.

I really enjoyed this book. Its written in the first-person, by Tormod himself. The book touches briefly on his humble beginnings as a sometimes-overlooked farm boy at home to becoming an esteemed Templar. A nice blend of history with a bit of god-granted supernatural abilities throughout. Enough detail to keep the reader informed, without over-doing it to the point you feel overwhelmed with unnecessary scenery & such. I'd recommend this book for anyone from age 12 & up. ***POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT*** The only thing that prevents a 5-star rating from me, is that I felt the story should've given more detail about Tormod's family at home. How did they feel about his leaving without their knowledge? Did they worry about him or did they shrug it off? Do they ever find out he's become something greater than a farm boy? Maybe its being saved for a sequel, but I would've liked at least a hint of their feelings.