Ok ... so I am a sucker for the highlander trope in my fiction (sue me). I really enjoyed this book. It had enough historical minutiae to appease my fascination for obscure facts and progressive revelations that had me diving ever deeper into the mysteries that surround the protagonist ... an immortal Templar protecting a secret from a hidden cabal of Vatican infiltrators while hunting souls who refuse to move on. It probably would have gone much better if the author focused more on actually completing one of the several plot lines introduced in this book. As it is, the ending totally sucked (-1 star) ... it seemed rushed, a tad disjointed and left nearly every major question unanswered. I realize that this is just the first of what looks to be a trilogy ... except it isn't. It is simply a very long winded introduction to the next book which may or may not explain anything either. If I bother to get the next book ... I will let you know how that goes. ( )

Alex has learned that his grandfather has died and left almost everything to him. After reading a letter that his grandfather left for him, Alex finds an unusual book in a strange language that has beautiful pictures illustrating each section. There is also an older journal, which seems to be a translation. The letter explains that Alex’s grandfather was drawn to different places at different times relating to the books and the story of a Templar knight Gaspar. Alex starts to read the journal about how Gaspar came to become immortal.

Gaspar was a regular Templar knight that ran into trouble during the holy war. He is then made an offer to be a hunter of souls. He finds the souls then takes them to Hell, Heaven, or Purgatory. Through these actions, he is cleaning his own soul to try to get into Heaven.

There is also a third party trying to meet Gaspar, Dominicus. He is a priest intent on getting the secret of immortality. Dominicus is very determined and will do whatever it takes to bribe, cajole, or kill those with the information he needs.

I really loved this book. I admit I was a little lost after the first section but fell into the story quickly. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next with Gaspar. I admit I was disappointed in the ending just because I wanted to know what happens next. I cannot wait to read the second book. I hope it is published soon. ( )