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In the oldest inhabited place on earth, atop a mountain known as the Citadel, a Vatican-like city-state towers above the city of Ruin in modern-day Turkey. Now, thanks to media coverage of a climber's assent, the eyes of the whole world are on a group that has prized its secrets above all things. For the Sancti—the monks living inside the Citadel—this could mean the end of everything they have built and protected for millennia . . . and they will stop at nothing to keep what is theirs.
For American reporter Liv Adamsen, driven by the memory of a tragic loss, an earth-shaking discovery awaits that will change everything . . .
A cliffhanger—literally—that aspires to towering heights but doesn't quite get there.
Why would a proper monk go climbing out of a mountain lair and then shoot gospel-gang signs at an eager public watching his every move before the face of God? ("The sign he's making is the Tau," says one knowing fellow.) Suffice it to say that said monk has a secret involving, of course, a secret library (think Umberto Eco), a heretical gloss on the Bible (think Dan Brown), a tough detective named Arkadian (think Martin Cruz Smith) and a militant order of religious guardians (think Indiana Jones). A few loose phrases of Greek and Aramaic waft through the pages of this debut by Toyne, a Briton resident in France, who packs a lot of well-researched information into this aspirational thriller. If you're looking to survive a siege, Toyne provides helpful instructions. The timing is off, though; it takes much too long to get to the meat of the story—understandably, perhaps, since it takes our monk a good while to ease himself across the sheer rock face, his progress marked by clerics of sinister demeanor ("Even if by some miracle he does manage to make it to the lower slopes, our brethren on the outside will apprehend him"). Toyne has a realistic bent, however, and the derring-do and scriptural intrigue never get too unwieldy or too unworldly. His characters, too, are well-rounded and credible; what's not to like about a monk who reads Nietzsche? A bonus: Toyne's battery of good guys include strong women characters, with no condescension; too many books of this kind treat women as afterthoughts, if not mere love interests. And there's some nice elaboration of the plot, keeping the reader guessing whether the heretics are good guys or bad, and just when the seventh seal is going to crack.
A promising debut. One hopes for a more tightly structured narrative next time around, but the right ingredients are all here.
I really enjoyed Sanctus, up until the last 50 pages or so. The beginning is a bit slow, but the chapters are only a few pages long, so you can finish a few and come back to it later. Once the pace picks up, though, you won't be able to put it down. There's so much mystery surrounding everything in this book. The central mystery is the secretive ancient relic that the Sancti are guarding in their mountain monastery, but with every point of view shift, there is something new to discover. It reminded me of the Da Vinci Code, until the farfetched, supernatural ending. I should have expected it though, the foreshadowing and clues along the way all hinted to it, but I was hoping the author wouldn't cross genres in the last pages of the book. It was rather disappointing. That said, I'm not going to give this book a poor rating. I thoroughly enjoyed 95% of this book and would read anything this author writes, even if the ending is lacking.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
27 out of 31 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.EagleSquadronSon
Posted August 23, 2012
Let me start by saying Sanctus and The Key are each a thrilling read. I
will definitely buy the third book in this trilogy. I cannot give this
book a fifth star because the author weakens the plot by interjecting
his political beliefs into these novels. Evident repeatedly throughout
these books are his prejudices which may summed up as, 1), Oil = Bad and
2), Christianity (Catholicism) = Evil. I find such preaching tiresome
and mundane.
23 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 16, 2012
Great read! The enhanced ebook version was so worth the extra two bucks. There are several videos to watch and with audio/music to set the mood at the start of each section. I can't wait for the second book. Hope its as good as the first and as another enhanced ebook!
18 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.smg5775
Posted August 21, 2012
I hate when I do not have enough time to just sit and read a book until
I'm done. Sanctus is a book that needs extended periods of time to read.
I would get to the end of a chapter and couldn't wait to see what
happened next and I'd have to get off the bus or back to work.
Fortunately, the short chapters made it easy to remember where I had to
leave off. While Sanctus is in the same genre as The DaVinci Code, it is
a totally different read. Liv, and the reader, could not tell who were
the good guys and who were the bad guys. You are taught to trust and
believe religious leaders but these guys were something else. I liked
how technology was used to make it easier for the bad guys and good guys
to track people. While the question was an old one, the use of
technology and how far each side would go to get what they wanted gave
Sanctus a fresh feel. I was hooked from the beginning as Samuel stands
atop the Citadel like the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro trying to
figure out why he was standing that way and why he wanted out of the
Citadel. At times I was a little confused when some characters were
introduced but once the explanation was received I could fit the
character into the plot. I look forward to the next book of the trilogy.
11 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 9, 2013
Sanctus was fantastic, I was baffled as to where it was heading, and that was good. great suspense and plenty of action, I enjoyed this book very much. I definitely recommend this especially if you liked the Da Vinci Code. I want to buy Simon Toyne's next book also, it looks like a continuation of some of the same characters in this one. thank, Larry W.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is my favorite suspense of the year. It has everything from
suspense, to action, mystery and conspiracies that stretch back to the
beginning of the human race. The author creates a mysterious sect that
is hiding an ancient artifact that no one except the highest ranking in
the group know what it really is. They have a very detailed history that
you discover over the course of the story and that keep you figuring
things out until the end of the story. The setting as well is fictional
but is so detailed that as you read you are wondering does it indeed
exist. And if so where exactly in Turkey will you find it. You can
easily picture it and imagine what it would look like should you be able
to visit. From the streets to the buildings to the security. At the
same time you are getting these great character and setting details. You
are on a roller coaster ride with the story. Once you get going it is
almost non-stop until the end. I thought this was an excellent debut
for this author and I was completely surprised by the ending. It was not
at all what I was expecting and it threw in one final twist to the
story. While this is the start of a trilogy it is a complete stand alone
that concludes the main story at the end. I am however really looking
forward to the next in the series to see what happens next as a result
of what happened here. If you are looking for a great suspense. Pick
this one up immediately. It is reminiscent of other religious thrillers.
But as it is completely fictional and not based on any one
"real" religious sect it can easily be classified in a
standard thriller category.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Stephanie_Ward
Posted September 17, 2011
Simon Toyne's debut novel, Sanctus, is a new must-read for the fall. The book follows a few main characters who are all intertwined in an ancient prophecy and a secret that will rock the world if discovered. Sanctus is filled with history, religion, mystery, and suspense. It asks the question of just how far someone would go to protect a long-hidden secret that would unravel the faith of millions if discovered.
Taking place in the city of Ruin in Turkey, Sanctus is a page-turning thriller that fans of Dan Brown are sure to appreciate. The novel compels the reader forward with the unanswered questions it poses, only to astound them with the revelation of what lay hidden deep within the Citadel at the very end of the novel. The religious mystery/conspiracy plot has been done before, but not with this kind of intensity and baffling twist. This is a definite must-read for fall!
Disclosure: I received my copy of this book free from Goodreads. However, this has no effect on my opinion of the book or my review.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 18, 2013
Great reviews! To bad I couldn't read it since it would not load!!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 7, 2012
I was really excited about this book, what with a secret, religious society and an ancient, mysterious relic, it seemed right up my alley. But that was before I read it. I am astonished that other reviewers compared this book with "The DaVinci Code" - what an insult to Dan Brown! None of Brown's cleverness, intricate plotting, nor research went into this novel. The premise was interesting and might have made a great book had someone with the talent of a Dan Brown written it, however, it failed on so many levels for me. I really wanted to like it, but instead felt like I had wasted several hours of my life that are gone forever. Skip this book and re-read "The DaVinci Code."
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BZak
Posted June 29, 2012
I enjoy reading stories about ancient groups that impact the present day. Sanctus has all the perfect elements for me and readers of Dan Brown, Steve Brown, Paul Christopher, James Rollins, Raymond Khoury and Chris Kuznewski. I was only slightly disappointed in the "quick"
ending until I discovered this is only the first book of a trilogy.
Can't wait until the next one!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 26, 2011
I bought this on my nook app on a whim. While it is a decent story I would wait for it to be on sale. It's kind of like "Dan Brown light" an interesting idea but could have been told a bit better. Still would make good beach reading.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 24, 2011
Better than Davinci Code.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LIsa_in_SC
Posted October 2, 2012
I purchased the paperback on a Carnival cruise ship and read it during one day at sea...couldn't wait to get home and order the 2nd book in the trilogy from B&N online. I would highly recommend it, interesting characters, unusual part of the world, and engrossing plot.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.b-lee59
Posted February 13, 2012
wow. the beginning hooked me completely with a monk diving off a mountain. an interesting plot that grows on you slowly (it was a bit hard at first to keep the characters straight) and kept me guessing. the ending was very dark for me; to think these men could harbor such hatred toward women for SO LONG depressed me no end. Still, i will await the next book in the trilogy. (let's hope it's only fiction!!)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.It's got everything you could want. If you are a Dan Brown fan this book is right up your alley. There are secret monk societies, ancient symbols to be decifered, a battle that has been around since the beginning of time, religion is present although they don't specify which one which is fine, police and former military men, murders. You will not be able to finish the page fast enough to find out what is going to happen next.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sanctus is a page-turning thriller set in modern day Turkey with a secret at its heart that dates back to the dawn of man. A monk climbs to the top of an ancient citadel carved from the very mountain itself. After holding a stoic pose for most of a day during which the world watches, transfixed, he plummets to his death. This starts a chain reaction of events pitting the ancient order of monks desperate to keep the secret at the heart of the mountain from the world against those seeking to uncover the truth.
American reporter Liv Ademsen is involuntarily drawn into the mystery, and along with a dogged police inspector and a shadowy organization opposed to the monks of the citadel begins a path that unwittingly makes her key to unlocking the secret and either fulfilling or denying an ancient prophecy.
Author Simon Toyne has a television background and it shows in the cinematic descriptions in this book. The setting and the action are described beautifully. The book is made up of small chapters which keeps the story moving quickly even as it switches between sets of characters. A thriller with a religious secret at the center will draw comparisons to Dan Brown, but I believe this book will appeal both to fans of his work as well as those who think Brown¿s novels fall short, myself among them.
I¿m struck by how well this book is written by a first time novelist. Necessary information is conveyed without feeling like the story is stopping for an ¿info dump¿. The characters are fleshed out and feel real, their decisions and actions don¿t feel like foregone conclusions; there are actual choices they could make that could send the story in different directions.
I enjoyed the conclusion and felt like it nicely wrapped up the story at hand, while also setting the foundation for the rest of the planned trilogy. One that I definitely intend on seeing to its conclusion. Highly recommended for any thriller fan. I was fortunate to receive an early review copy of this book.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Fast paced, entertaining, fast read. If you like Dan Brown you'll like this piece; very DaVinci Code-esque. Be aware this is the first of a series of three.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Near Ruin, Turkey, high on the side of a mountain is the Citadel Church where the Sancti monks guard "the Sacrament" as the sect has done for millennia. Brother Samuel escapes from a cell in this oldest known abode still in use. He climbs a ledge and leaps to his death while civilians and the media catch his suicide.
American newspaper reporter Liv Adamsen is shocked to learn the dead monk learns that her phone number was found etched onto a leather strap inside Samuel's stomach. She realizes that Samuel is her brother who she lost contact with years ago when he abruptly vanished. Needing to understand why he disappeared to become a monk and killed himself, Liv travels to Ruin. She and others will find out that the Sancti will kill to protect the "Sacrament".
This exciting Brownian thriller hooks the reader from the moment Samuel begins his escape from the Sancti knowing there is only one way out and never slows down as the religious sect risk all to keep the secret safe while the outsiders demand the truth. Fast-paced with several stunning twists, readers will wonder whether the monks are truly evil as they die for the Sacrament; just like Jews did to save Torahs from the Nazis.
Harriet Klausner
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 18, 2013
This author is as hateful as Raymond Khoury! Such a waste. ::sigh::
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 18, 2013
I am an avid reader if this genre. I prefer James Rollins more for this type of story line, but not bad - especially for a friday free.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
In the oldest inhabited place on earth, atop a mountain known as the Citadel, a Vatican-like city-state towers above the city of Ruin in modern-day Turkey. Now, thanks to media coverage of a climber's assent, the eyes of the whole world are on a group that has prized its secrets above all things. For the Sancti—the monks living inside the Citadel—this could mean the end of everything they have built and protected for millennia . . . and they will stop at nothing to keep what is ...