''Requiem'' is a novel by

Robyn Young Robyn Young (born in Oxford in September 1975) is an English people, English author of historical fiction. She is most widely known for her ''Brethren'' trilogy, set in the Middle Ages. Her books have been published in more than 15 languages. ...

set during the end of the ninth and final crusade. It was first published by

E.P. Dutton E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company. It was founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. Since 1986, it has been an imprint of Penguin Group. Creator Edward Payson Dutton (January 4, ...

in 2008.

Plot summary

''Requiem'', like ''Brethren'' and ''Crusade'' before it, follows Will Campbell, a

Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

involved in a secret order known as the Anima Templi. After the

Fall of Acre The siege of Acre (also called the fall of Acre) took place in 1291 and resulted in the Crusaders losing control of Acre to the Mamluks. It is considered one of the most important battles of the period. Although the crusading movement continu ...

, Will returns to Europe to find out that his order agreed to help

King Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...

to conquer Will's homeland, Scotland. Will decides to leave the Templars and fight together with his people against English invaders. But after his return to Paris he must face an even bigger danger, a plot that will lead to the end of the Knights Templar.

Historical figures

The following characters in the book were real historical figures: *

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...

: King of England from 1272 to 1307. *

Guillaume de Nogaret Guillaume de Nogaret (1260 13 April 1313) was a French wiktionary:Statesman, statesman, councillor and keeper of the seal to Philip IV of France. Early life Nogaret was born in Saint-Félix-Lauragais, Haute-Garonne. The family held a small ...

: councillor and keeper of the seal to Philip IV of France. *

Hugues de Pairaud Hugues de Pairaud (also Perraud, Peraudo, Peraut or Desperaut) was one of the leaders of the Knights Templar. He and Geoffroi de Gonneville (the Preceptor of Aquitaine) were sentenced to life imprisonment on March 18, 1314. They were spared the fa ...

Visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

of the Knights Templar in France. *

Jacques de Molay Jacques de Molay (; c. 1240–1250 – 11 or 18 March 1314), also spelled "Molai",Demurger, pp. 1-4. "So no conclusive decision can be reached, and we must stay in the realm of approximations, confining ourselves to placing Molay's date of birth ...

: the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, from 1292 to his death on stake in 1314. *

Joan I of Navarre Joan I (14 January 1273 – 31 March/2 April 1305) ( eu, Joana) was Queen of Navarre and Countess of Champagne from 1274 until 1305; she was also Queen of France by marriage to King Philip IV. She founded the College of Navarre in Paris in 1305. ...

: queen regnant of Navarre and queen consort of France, wife of king Philip IV of France. * John de Warenne: 7th Earl of Surrey, appointed by Edward I of England the "warden of the kingdom and land of Scotland", one of the commanders at the

Battle of Stirling Bridge The Battle of Stirling Bridge ( gd, Blàr Drochaid Shruighlea) was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the combined English forces of John de Warenne ...

and the

Battle of Falkirk The Battle of Falkirk (''Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice'' in Gaelic), on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by King Edward I of England, the English army defeated the Scots, led by William Wal ...

. *

Philip IV of France Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (french: Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre as Philip I from 12 ...

: King of France from 1285 to 1314. *

Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of b ...

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

from 1294 to 1303. *

Pope Clement V Pope Clement V ( la, Clemens Quintus; c. 1264 – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his de ...

(Bertrand de Got):

from 1305 to 1314. *

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army a ...

: leader of a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The following historical figures are mentioned in the book or involved with the plot, but do not appear as characters themselves: *

Louis IX of France Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the ...

: King of France from 1226 to 1270. *

Guillaume de Beaujeu Guillaume de Beaujeu, aka William of Beaujeu ( 1230 – 1291) was the 21st Grand Master of the Knights Templar, from 1273 until his death during the siege of Acre in 1291. He was the last Grand Master to preside in Palestine. Biography Guillaum ...

: Grand Master of the Knights Templar from 1273 to 1291, mortally wounded during the siege of

Acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

. *

Thibaud Gaudin Thibaud Gaudin (1229? – April 16, 1292) was the Grand Master of the Knights Templar from August 1291 until his death in April 1292. Life The history of Thibaud Gaudin within the Order is rather mysterious. Born to a noble family in the area of ...

: Grand Commander of the Knights Templar under

, then Grand Master of the Knights Templar from 1291 to 1292.

Publication history

''Requiem'' was first released in the United Kingdom in 2008. In United States and Canada it was released under the title ''The Fall of the Templars''.

Reception

The novel received a mixed response from reviewers, with most citing the story's disjointed nature and disparity with the rest of the trilogy as the novel's shortcomings. John Washburn, in a mostly positive review for Myshelf.com, found that "this is a different novel but still quite good". In a similar review for ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'', Toby Clements stated that "Young's prose is fine, and the plot is satisfyingly complex, but in the end this book lives or dies on your attitude to the Templars, and in particular, the much romanticised

.". A. Jurek, of Curledup.com, was more critical of this concluding novel, stating that "Campbell's story essentially meanders through historical events such as the rebellion of William Wallace, sometimes drowning beneath the surface other story lines and events as he writhes purposelessly for many pages" and, with respect to the novel as a whole, opined "all this is a disappointment because Young can write better; in ''Crusade'', she sets a time bomb ticking in the very first chapter, and the book is a thrill to read. I wish she had done the same in ''The Fall of the Templars''."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Requiem (Young Novel) 2008 British novels Novels set during the Crusades Knights Templar in popular culture English historical novels Novels by Robyn Young Fiction set in the 1270s Dutton Penguin books Novels set in the 13th century