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Review
Praise for "The Religion":
“This sprawling epic brims with religious passions, political intrigue and steamy romance. A thrilling plot.”—"Library Journal" (starred review)
“A robust tale that entertains and informs about the 16th century clash between Islam and Christianity. Think "Kingdom"" of Heaven" with more IQ points, history and narrative zip.”—"USA"" Today"
“Willocks has created a dazzling hero whose debut will leave readers eager for the next installment.”"—Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
“Stone walls crumble, war machines rumble, bodies fill the ditches, and once in a while there’s some terrific sex. A long, bloody, vastly entertaining story.”—"Kirkus Reviews" (starred review)
“A rollicking story.”—"Entertainment Weekly"
Times Literary Supplement
'a griping story with reliable factual underpinnings.' - Jane Jakerman
--This text refers to the
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I admit I was sceptical. I have always been suspicious of novels surrounding the Great Siege of Malta, possibly because it is the story of my own homeland. For such a significant episode in history, it has been largely passed-over in favour of others. Knowing the background and the places in which the events occurred, so well, I was anxious as to what I might find within the pages of "The Religion".
I was therefore pleasantly surprised. As a writer Willocks grips you straight into the first chapter. He combines high-flown poetic imagery with desciptions of the basest of human emotions and vices. The juxtaposition of the two make for a roller-coaster ride with very few pauses along the way.
The story follows the exploits of one Mattia Tannhauser, a Saxon-born ex-Janissary turned adventurer based in 16th century Sicily, who is persuaded by the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, via the palpable charms of the Maltese Contessa Carla and her fey companion Amparo, to lend his aid to the Order in the fight against the might of the Ottoman Empire. The Contessa engages him to help her find her illegitimate son left behind in Malta when she was forcibly married off. Their search, compounded by the siege and the malevolent presence of Ludovico Ludovici, representative of the Inquisitor General and father of Carla's bastard son, is only the main thread that weaves through a whole tapestry of events.
Willocks' account of siege warfare, the glory, the honour, the desperation, savagery and gore, place the reader forcibly in its midst. His main character, due to his background, is uniquely able to cross the lines of battle allowing the reader to observe the behaviour of both sides. He uses this perspective to voice the eternal duality of human nature, that while admitting to revel in the violence, he raises us up through love, philosophy and music and continually points out the futility of it all, a message as relevant then as it is now. There is no black or white in this book, both sides are painted realistically warts and all.
If you are looking for a book that you will find unable to put down and characters that engage you with their trials and tribulations, look no further.
I was therefore pleasantly surprised. As a writer Willocks grips you straight into the first chapter. He combines high-flown poetic imagery with desciptions of the basest of human emotions and vices. The juxtaposition of the two make for a roller-coaster ride with very few pauses along the way.
The story follows the exploits of one Mattia Tannhauser, a Saxon-born ex-Janissary turned adventurer based in 16th century Sicily, who is persuaded by the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, via the palpable charms of the Maltese Contessa Carla and her fey companion Amparo, to lend his aid to the Order in the fight against the might of the Ottoman Empire. The Contessa engages him to help her find her illegitimate son left behind in Malta when she was forcibly married off. Their search, compounded by the siege and the malevolent presence of Ludovico Ludovici, representative of the Inquisitor General and father of Carla's bastard son, is only the main thread that weaves through a whole tapestry of events.
Willocks' account of siege warfare, the glory, the honour, the desperation, savagery and gore, place the reader forcibly in its midst. His main character, due to his background, is uniquely able to cross the lines of battle allowing the reader to observe the behaviour of both sides. He uses this perspective to voice the eternal duality of human nature, that while admitting to revel in the violence, he raises us up through love, philosophy and music and continually points out the futility of it all, a message as relevant then as it is now. There is no black or white in this book, both sides are painted realistically warts and all.
If you are looking for a book that you will find unable to put down and characters that engage you with their trials and tribulations, look no further.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
THE RELIGION by Tim Willocks.
Picture this.
It is the year 1565. The Emperor of the Ottomans has despatched a huge armada. They set sail to Malta. Where they will face the Christian Knights of St John of Jerusalem. What follows is a huge fictional account, penned by Tim Willocks. The Island of Malta is besieged. Against this mighty struggle between these two opposing armies, enters Mattias Tannhauser.
THE RELIGION is a powerhouse historical novel. The best I have ever read. The seven hundred plus pages, just raced.
Mattias Tannhauser is the central character. He is completely unique. He can be brutal. He can be as barbaric as the enemy he is fighting. Yet he possesses an amazing and deep sincerity. He would rate well, with many modern day fictional heroes. He can be and occasionally is, manipulating. He can be as ferocious as the occasion dictates. Perhaps, even more so to those he considers his enemy. But to his friends, to his comrades in arms, he is a man to be relied upon. To be trusted with their lives.
The battle scenes are, in parts, horrendously graphic. This is not a book for the squeamish. Yet again, the love that blossoms between Mattias and Carla, and his `blood red rose`, Amparu, reveal the deeply passionate and emotional side of his character.
The story is a quest. Carla, has asked Mattias, to locate her young son. He is currently on the island of Malta, shortly to be besieged by the Turks. The Christian Knights of St John, are determined never to let the Island fall, to the followers of Islam. Through this mayhem, at times fighting for the Christians, and other times, having to fight against them, Mattias endeavours to locate the boy.
I do end this review with some warnings. The first, be prepared to be utterly caught up in the exploits of Mattias, and his comrades and of the two women he loves. The second, be ready to be shocked at the way in which warfare in the 16th century was conducted. The third, Be prepared to shed a tear through parts of this book. I did. The last two chapters, especially, will stay with me a long time.
This is an enthralling novel.
Picture this.
It is the year 1565. The Emperor of the Ottomans has despatched a huge armada. They set sail to Malta. Where they will face the Christian Knights of St John of Jerusalem. What follows is a huge fictional account, penned by Tim Willocks. The Island of Malta is besieged. Against this mighty struggle between these two opposing armies, enters Mattias Tannhauser.
THE RELIGION is a powerhouse historical novel. The best I have ever read. The seven hundred plus pages, just raced.
Mattias Tannhauser is the central character. He is completely unique. He can be brutal. He can be as barbaric as the enemy he is fighting. Yet he possesses an amazing and deep sincerity. He would rate well, with many modern day fictional heroes. He can be and occasionally is, manipulating. He can be as ferocious as the occasion dictates. Perhaps, even more so to those he considers his enemy. But to his friends, to his comrades in arms, he is a man to be relied upon. To be trusted with their lives.
The battle scenes are, in parts, horrendously graphic. This is not a book for the squeamish. Yet again, the love that blossoms between Mattias and Carla, and his `blood red rose`, Amparu, reveal the deeply passionate and emotional side of his character.
The story is a quest. Carla, has asked Mattias, to locate her young son. He is currently on the island of Malta, shortly to be besieged by the Turks. The Christian Knights of St John, are determined never to let the Island fall, to the followers of Islam. Through this mayhem, at times fighting for the Christians, and other times, having to fight against them, Mattias endeavours to locate the boy.
I do end this review with some warnings. The first, be prepared to be utterly caught up in the exploits of Mattias, and his comrades and of the two women he loves. The second, be ready to be shocked at the way in which warfare in the 16th century was conducted. The third, Be prepared to shed a tear through parts of this book. I did. The last two chapters, especially, will stay with me a long time.
This is an enthralling novel.
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After being sent a proof copy of this book I must admit to looking forward to reading it. There had been a lot of positive buzz on this book and I could not wait to see what the fuss was about.
Set in 1565 this novel revolves around the fact that Suleiman the Magnificent, Emperor of the Ottomans would like nothing better than to wipe the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem from the face of the earth. With this in mind he dispatches the largest flotilla in time immemorial to accomplish this task and so the scene is set for one of the most vicious sieges the world has ever known. Whilst this is going on a noblewoman desperately wants to return to the Island, to the Fortress of the Knights, to search for her lost child, an attempt that has been in vain until she requests the help of infamous fortune-hunter to help her run the blockade in set in place. Meanwhile a member of the Spanish Inquisition seeks to imprison her and will do anything in his sadistic grip to capture her.
This is all set around one of the most harrowing and epic sieges in antiquity. A word of warning this book is not for the faint of heart, from the gory prologue to the end of the book there is a lot of violence and blood. Tim Willocks captures the very essence of what it was like to live and breathe in this time and he brings this to the page perfectly which makes for a gripping read. Once I reached the Siege sequence I was very hard put to leave the book. That was possibly one of the greatest parts of any novel I have ever read creating scenes so epic that I was hard put for a comparison to anything I have ever read. Tim Willocks must have put a huge amount of time into researching the time as well as the Siege of Malta as he grasps every historical detail drawing the reader in. There are elements of religion as the events in this book resonate in today's world as much as they did 500 years ago.
What I loved most was the set of characters that drive the story forward from Mattias Tannhauser who really is a product of circumstances beyond his control to the vile and evil Inquisitor Ludovico Ludovici. Each one of these characters has had a lot of time and effort put into them which really sums up the whole book. Tim Willocks has worked hard to create a gripping and very realistic tale set around a brutal time where it was survival of the strongest.
Set in 1565 this novel revolves around the fact that Suleiman the Magnificent, Emperor of the Ottomans would like nothing better than to wipe the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem from the face of the earth. With this in mind he dispatches the largest flotilla in time immemorial to accomplish this task and so the scene is set for one of the most vicious sieges the world has ever known. Whilst this is going on a noblewoman desperately wants to return to the Island, to the Fortress of the Knights, to search for her lost child, an attempt that has been in vain until she requests the help of infamous fortune-hunter to help her run the blockade in set in place. Meanwhile a member of the Spanish Inquisition seeks to imprison her and will do anything in his sadistic grip to capture her.
This is all set around one of the most harrowing and epic sieges in antiquity. A word of warning this book is not for the faint of heart, from the gory prologue to the end of the book there is a lot of violence and blood. Tim Willocks captures the very essence of what it was like to live and breathe in this time and he brings this to the page perfectly which makes for a gripping read. Once I reached the Siege sequence I was very hard put to leave the book. That was possibly one of the greatest parts of any novel I have ever read creating scenes so epic that I was hard put for a comparison to anything I have ever read. Tim Willocks must have put a huge amount of time into researching the time as well as the Siege of Malta as he grasps every historical detail drawing the reader in. There are elements of religion as the events in this book resonate in today's world as much as they did 500 years ago.
What I loved most was the set of characters that drive the story forward from Mattias Tannhauser who really is a product of circumstances beyond his control to the vile and evil Inquisitor Ludovico Ludovici. Each one of these characters has had a lot of time and effort put into them which really sums up the whole book. Tim Willocks has worked hard to create a gripping and very realistic tale set around a brutal time where it was survival of the strongest.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Religion
Rip roaring read! best historical fiction i have read in a very long time. Names and dates,facts,spot on.Would make a great movie.
Published 3 months ago by beemac
Excellent!!!
Fantastic read! Excellent story, couldnt put this down.
Very graphic in places but i loved this about the book, made the
story much more believable. Read more
Very graphic in places but i loved this about the book, made the
story much more believable. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rod 88
well researched, but such a silly plot
Tim Willocks must have worked so hard on The Religion that it seems mean to pick holes in the book, but it is unfortunately ridiculous. Read more
Published 6 months ago by piscator
When is the sequel?!
I came later to this book than many other reviewers, having picked it up on a station bookstall as I am very interested in the history of Malta, and of the Knights of St John. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mrs. V. A. Lowe
A Massive Epic
The mysterious countess Lady Carla La Penautier seeks passage to Malta, the land of her birth, in search of the boy she bore as a young girl out of wedlock, a boy spirited away... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Stuart W. Mirsky
Modern Classic
A truly wonderful book. Those of a more nervous disposition may baulk at the extreme and graphic violence. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mickster1000
The Religion
I absolutly loved this. You commit to the characters immediatly. Bit brutal but a fantastic read. Love Amparo - bless her!!
Published 18 months ago by Dawn
Scintillating
Scintillating!
Dive in head first and lose yourself in this wonderful
historical romp. Read more
Dive in head first and lose yourself in this wonderful
historical romp. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. J. Gallagher
Fabulous
Couldn't put it down. That's unusual for me. Left all my chores undone right through Easter. Wife not happy but it's not often I become so absorbed in a book these days. Read more
Published on 5 April 2010 by Cardiff Reader
Just What the Doctor Ordered
Although I had not envisaged such a wait as the item came from the USA I was more than pleased that the item came as described and I will use the seller again knowing to allow just... Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2010 by Richard Paris
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