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Sancti Trilogy #1
Sanctus
Book by Toyne, Simon
578 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2011
About the author
Simon Toyne
32 books735 followersSimon Toyne was born February 29th, 1968 in Cleethorpes, England, but spent his formative years in Peterborough. He moved further south, to Goldsmiths College, part of the University of London, to study English and Drama then ended up working as a producer, director in commercial television for almost twenty years.
He quit in 2007, just shy of his fortieth birthday, to try and focus more on writing. His first book, Sanctus, became the biggest selling debut thriller of 2011 in the UK and also an international bestseller, translated into 27 languages and published in over 50 countries.
Simon lives with his wife and three children and splits his time between Brighton, the South of France and various cafes and bookshops in between and wherever his books are sold.
He quit in 2007, just shy of his fortieth birthday, to try and focus more on writing. His first book, Sanctus, became the biggest selling debut thriller of 2011 in the UK and also an international bestseller, translated into 27 languages and published in over 50 countries.
Simon lives with his wife and three children and splits his time between Brighton, the South of France and various cafes and bookshops in between and wherever his books are sold.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,085 reviews
December 25, 2018
Sacrament
Samuel placed his hands and feet into loops in his cassock to create a parachute and launched himself off the top of the mountain Citadel, with one objective in mind, to sail far enough away from the tower to land outside the boundary of the Citadel. It would cost him his life but the message and clues his body would reveal, about the Citadel monks and their secret, would shake the foundations of religions around the world. Outside the boundary, it was no longer the jurisdiction of the Citadel and the city authorities would have to investigate, but others will be watching and the repercussions and chain of events will be immense.
Sanctus is an edge of the seat reading experience, as the unrelenting action just keeps coming. A fantastic story told at pace, with an age-old vendetta being played out now that a fragile peace has been broken. One side wants to know and expose the secret of the Citadel, and the other will stop at absolutely nothing to keep the secret hidden. As an all-action thriller, this is excellent but add to it the deepest worldwide secret that one could imagine and it is a truly spellbinding story.
The fictional city of Ruin in Turkey where the Citadel is located is brought to life with excellent imagery. The locations in the Middle-East keep us hooked as we start to realise the cradle of civilisation and the foundation of many religions emanated from the region. The characters are really well drawn and Liv Adamsen (New York reporter) in particular is very well developed and is central to the plot. Liv has an extremely close connection to all this and is unavoidably drawn into the web of intrigue, mystery and danger.
I highly recommend this book and it is the first of the Sanctus Trilogy.
“Brother Samuel knows our secret”, the Abbot said simply. “He must not leave this mountain.”
Samuel placed his hands and feet into loops in his cassock to create a parachute and launched himself off the top of the mountain Citadel, with one objective in mind, to sail far enough away from the tower to land outside the boundary of the Citadel. It would cost him his life but the message and clues his body would reveal, about the Citadel monks and their secret, would shake the foundations of religions around the world. Outside the boundary, it was no longer the jurisdiction of the Citadel and the city authorities would have to investigate, but others will be watching and the repercussions and chain of events will be immense.
Sanctus is an edge of the seat reading experience, as the unrelenting action just keeps coming. A fantastic story told at pace, with an age-old vendetta being played out now that a fragile peace has been broken. One side wants to know and expose the secret of the Citadel, and the other will stop at absolutely nothing to keep the secret hidden. As an all-action thriller, this is excellent but add to it the deepest worldwide secret that one could imagine and it is a truly spellbinding story.
The fictional city of Ruin in Turkey where the Citadel is located is brought to life with excellent imagery. The locations in the Middle-East keep us hooked as we start to realise the cradle of civilisation and the foundation of many religions emanated from the region. The characters are really well drawn and Liv Adamsen (New York reporter) in particular is very well developed and is central to the plot. Liv has an extremely close connection to all this and is unavoidably drawn into the web of intrigue, mystery and danger.
I highly recommend this book and it is the first of the Sanctus Trilogy.
October 30, 2019
I gave up after 50 pages. Christian fiction is just not for me. I think people who are into religious thrillers with short chapters and countless of viewpoints might be in for a treat here but this was pure torture for me. I chucked the entire trilogy from my shelf and I am confident I'll never find myself regretting it.
December 4, 2014
Three Quarters Of The Book Was Great!
I loved this book until the last 30 pages. It was gripping right from the start, moved along at a fast pace with lots of action and an intriguing story line. However, it became too, much to comprehend during the final chapters. There is a sequel to this book and perhaps it will tie everything in together and make it somewhat more plausible.
I loved this book until the last 30 pages. It was gripping right from the start, moved along at a fast pace with lots of action and an intriguing story line. However, it became too, much to comprehend during the final chapters. There is a sequel to this book and perhaps it will tie everything in together and make it somewhat more plausible.
April 23, 2012
I usually don't go for the crappy religious conspiracy books (e.g. Dan Brown), but this one lured me in as potential brain candy. It was not particularly clever, but it kept me interested. And I never protested out loud over any obvious absurdities like I did with Dan Brown. That was a step in the right direction. What bothered me is that almost all the action takes place in a fictional ancient city in Central Anatolia, but completely misses the opportunity to draw the authentic cultural and historical setting of the geographic area. If the author had done so, it could have been a beautiful synthesis of Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco. All the characters acted and sounded like they were in some generic U.S. city. There was very little in the book to connect the story to the very rich and mysterious setting of Central Anatolia. The least he could have done was make the Turkish cops seem like Turks! Anyone who has ever been to Central Anatolia knows that it is NOT a very cosmopolitan, let alone westernized place. Has Simon Toyne ever been to Turkey? This could have been a brilliant book if he had.....
March 19, 2012
The pace at which I took reading this novel is not indicative of how much I enjoyed it. It seems that life sometimes gets in the way of an excellent read, making it hard to spend some time enjoying truly great writing. Simon Toyne can surely be called an 'excellent writer' based on this novel, which fills the reader with both curiosity and a sense of intrigue.
While looking an an ancient order of monks who live secluded in the centre of the busy city of Ruin, Toyne pulls the reader in from page 1. We learn that this order is so very secret that no one who enters will ever leave, alive. When a monk climbs high above the order's mountain home and stands, arms outstretched, international media attention ensues. When he falls to his death, the intrigue kicks up a notch. Toyne varies between the battle of the order to their their fallen comrade's body back, to the outside world and a detective trying to crack the code of symbols and codes left for the outside world to decipher.
It had me on my seat throughout and its short chapters (like James Patterson, but with far more meat in each) make it an easy read, as well as one that is highly enjoyable.
A great cliffhanger at the end, Mr. Toyne. Sign me up to read THE KEY!
While looking an an ancient order of monks who live secluded in the centre of the busy city of Ruin, Toyne pulls the reader in from page 1. We learn that this order is so very secret that no one who enters will ever leave, alive. When a monk climbs high above the order's mountain home and stands, arms outstretched, international media attention ensues. When he falls to his death, the intrigue kicks up a notch. Toyne varies between the battle of the order to their their fallen comrade's body back, to the outside world and a detective trying to crack the code of symbols and codes left for the outside world to decipher.
It had me on my seat throughout and its short chapters (like James Patterson, but with far more meat in each) make it an easy read, as well as one that is highly enjoyable.
A great cliffhanger at the end, Mr. Toyne. Sign me up to read THE KEY!
July 4, 2013
Following the resounding success of my Locus Quest, I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into my GIFTS AND GUILTY list.
Regardless of how many books are already queued patiently on my reading list, unexpected gifts and guilt-trips will always see unplanned additions muscling their way in at the front.
The word on Sanctus from my GR friends:
“Very good religious-conspiracy type thriller” – Cara Muphy (4 stars)Now, I read The Da Vinci Code back when it was the biggest thing since slice bread – and I liked it well enough to pick up a couple more of Dan Brown’s books from my Mum’s bookcase ( Angels & Demons , Digital Fortress ). I’ve rated all three at 2-stars here on goodreads, because they’re perfectly readable and entertaining, but overall they’re not really my kind of thing.
“A good thriller akin to the likes of Dan Brown” – Kindlebug (4 stars)
“Anyone interested in historico-religious thrillers should find this an exciting and worthwhile read.” – Katy Sozaeva (5 stars)
I think the fairest review I can give Sanctus is to say that Toyne’s novel is just as good as Dan Brown’s. If you liked The Da Vinci Code , if you like religious-conspiracy type thrillers, you will like this. If you felt so-so about Brown, as I did, you’ll likely feel the same here. So it gets another two-star rating from me.
This was a present from my mother-in-law. For some people that would be enough on its own to consign any book to eternal obscurity, but I actually like my wife’s Mum. She usually has pretty good taste in books but this one was wide of the mark and spent over a year languishing on my shelf before I decided to just read the damn thing and get it over with.
To start with I thought this might have some nice alt-history elements to lift it above Brownishness. The story focuses on The Citadel, a massive religious fortress carved/tunnelled into the side of a mountain in Turkey. It’s utterly ancient, predates the Vatican and is the true home of the church. They’ve got a secret there – the Sanctus of the title – and nobody knows what it is. The holy grail? The cross of Christ? The body of Christ? Etc. There’s a core group of monks who know what the Sanctus is and guard it – when a new members is inducted into the group, he is so horrified by the truth that he escapes, climbs to the top of the citadel and jumps (using his cassock as a makeshift wingsuit) to land outside the Citadel’s jurisdiction.
The story gets picked up by the local detective, the dead monk’s long-lost sister (who just happens to be an investigative reporter), the opposing secret society devoted to bringing down the Citadel, the good monks within the Citadel, the evil monks within the Citadel, the assassin-monks dispatched by the Citadel, etc.
The actual events of the story occur pretty quickly, cascading one after another as a good thriller should. The viewpoint cycles between all interested parties to keep the reader better informed than any one of them and the tension high. The chapters are all around 3-4 pages long to keep the pace snappy – but this drove me mental because no one chapter has any real momentum gathered.
But it’s all building up to the big reveal right at the end – what IS the Sanctus? And this was this was the biggest let down for me. It was just… silly!
See spoiler if you've not intention of reading the book:
After this I read: The Wind In The Willows
October 7, 2011
How this pile of steaming crap got to be an "International Best Seller" is the real mystery here. It was arduous work just trying to overlook the incongruity of a story set in "ancient" Turkey where all the characters spoke perfect English and used American idioms.
Especially off-putting was the flitting back and forth between locations, which challenged the reader to remember just who the hell was being talked about in each new chapter. Characters came and left in the space of a few sentences. Descriptions didn't lend to the imagery one was supposed to see because they were overwritten and trying to be too cute. A great discontinuity existed, as an example, between the "hi tech" lighting system and the torches monks carried to light their way in various tunnels. Never mind the ventilation needed to keep from asphyxiating themselves.
I could go on, but why bother? I struggled to finish it--I wanted to see if it got better towards the end. It didn't.
Especially off-putting was the flitting back and forth between locations, which challenged the reader to remember just who the hell was being talked about in each new chapter. Characters came and left in the space of a few sentences. Descriptions didn't lend to the imagery one was supposed to see because they were overwritten and trying to be too cute. A great discontinuity existed, as an example, between the "hi tech" lighting system and the torches monks carried to light their way in various tunnels. Never mind the ventilation needed to keep from asphyxiating themselves.
I could go on, but why bother? I struggled to finish it--I wanted to see if it got better towards the end. It didn't.
January 6, 2022
Plano, tonto y a partir de la mitad se vuelve bastante aburrido.
Y el Sacramento... Ay, madre mía...
Y el Sacramento... Ay, madre mía...
April 4, 2013
Sanctus is basically a Davinci Code-style beach book that makes no pretense to being great literature.
On the positive side I will admit that the central mystery presented at the beginning of the story kept me reading to the end (even though I almost gave up on the book several times) so I could see what it was all really about.
Now for the negatives:
A) This is a historical thriller grounded in EASTERN Church history (a secretive monastery located in what is now Turkey). The author seems to have no understanding of Greek antiquity in general and the Byzantine empire in particular. When he does refer to church history, it is always to Rome and the Pope.
B) Although the action takes place in modern-day Turkey, the characters and the milieu are cookie-cutter big city (American) cops, coroners and clerics without any hint of Islam, the third world or Turkish reality.
C) Why is this book called Sanctus? Because it sounds cool? I fail to see the connection
I cannot recommend this book.
On the positive side I will admit that the central mystery presented at the beginning of the story kept me reading to the end (even though I almost gave up on the book several times) so I could see what it was all really about.
Now for the negatives:
A) This is a historical thriller grounded in EASTERN Church history (a secretive monastery located in what is now Turkey). The author seems to have no understanding of Greek antiquity in general and the Byzantine empire in particular. When he does refer to church history, it is always to Rome and the Pope.
B) Although the action takes place in modern-day Turkey, the characters and the milieu are cookie-cutter big city (American) cops, coroners and clerics without any hint of Islam, the third world or Turkish reality.
C) Why is this book called Sanctus? Because it sounds cool? I fail to see the connection
I cannot recommend this book.
March 15, 2020
A religious thriller that takes place in a fictional place called Ruin where the book opens with an apparent suicide by a monk. His sister sees it happen on television and when she hears from the local constabulary that the dead person is indeed her brother who she thought being dead for 8 years she leaves for this fictional place in faraway Turkey.
When she arrives she and the actions of her brother awakens a religious force that will change the religious face of this world, well the Christian one.
An easy read with a lot of short chapters that actually feels like an easy speed read, not unlike James Patterson books who seem to have a lot of speed due to the many short chapters. In this books case 149 chapters.
While the book is actually quite entertaining it does not concern any real-life religious organisation that is placed into this story but a more fictitious religious landscape which at the end made this book feel more of scifi / fantasy book than a religious thriller. It left me feeling a bit shortchanged and appreciating Dan Brown a little bit more.
Still well written and bit of guilty fun.
When she arrives she and the actions of her brother awakens a religious force that will change the religious face of this world, well the Christian one.
An easy read with a lot of short chapters that actually feels like an easy speed read, not unlike James Patterson books who seem to have a lot of speed due to the many short chapters. In this books case 149 chapters.
While the book is actually quite entertaining it does not concern any real-life religious organisation that is placed into this story but a more fictitious religious landscape which at the end made this book feel more of scifi / fantasy book than a religious thriller. It left me feeling a bit shortchanged and appreciating Dan Brown a little bit more.
Still well written and bit of guilty fun.
June 7, 2015
The da vinci code this is not! It starts with a reasonable promise of good things to come; Brother Andrew making the ultimate sacrifice from the roof of the citadel...is this the dawn of the second coming? From this point on the story is utter drivel, whereas the da vinci code was a highly intelligent thoughtful read this is pure dross good guys v the bad guys...for some 600 pages...but I stuck with it to the bitter end! I rate it as one of the worst books I have ever read and am amazed at the reviews and the fact that Mr Toyne sees himself as an author. I implore you not to read but instead if you have not I urge you to read instead The Da Vinci Code that shows just how good a spiritual, religious extravaganza can excite and uplift you in the hands of a writing expert.....
May 11, 2013
Please note: I read and reviewed this book in July 2011 from a copy received from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review. I am about to read the 2nd book in the series, so formatting this review.
My Synopsis: A man has climbed the sheer, 1000-foot mountain out of which the Citadel is made. When the tourists who have visited Ruin, Turkey to see this ancient religious fortress arrive, they are astounded to see what looks like a large “T” on top of it; only to discover that it is a man who stands at the edge of the cliff, his arms outstretched and his head lowered. Several hours later, in front of the eyes of the tourist – and the whole world (as the media has appeared) – he jumps. What, if anything, does it all mean?
Liv Adamsen is an investigative journalist; she has just received word from the vital statistics department that her brother, missing for eight years, has been declared dead. Her world is crashing around her. How will she be able to accept the loss of her beloved brother? Then she receives a shocking phone call. What does she learn that sends her rushing to Turkey?
Kathryn Mann, head of the charity Ortus, is among the current generation of members of an ancient, secret tribe, determined to see the world changed through secret knowledge, if only they can free it. What is their goal, and will they survive to see it through?
The priests of the Citadel are afraid. The actions of the mysterious man threaten to undermine their very existence protecting a secret inside their mountain that could shake up the very foundation of organized religion. What is their secret, and why has it been hidden away all this time?
My Thoughts: This is the basic premise of the astoundingly original book “Sanctus.” (And does anyone else hear the theme from Omen every time they see that name?) A fast-moving, multi-threaded story, “Sanctus” contains ideas so explosive that it is sure to cause a firestorm of unrest. I absolutely loved it. The mysterious location, the strange ideas and rituals of the monks in the Citadel, the beautifully-evoked descriptions – it all added up to a book that maintained my interest, kept me guessing (and occasionally yelling “What!??! What is it?? PLEASE TELL ME!!” out loud, which I am sure gave the neighbors a start) and finally wound its way to a satisfying conclusion. Anyone interested in historico-religious thrillers should find this an exciting and worthwhile read. Those who are hungry for, or at least interested in, an alternate view of prehistory will love this book, too. Whatever you think of the ideas contained herein, there should be no reason not to enjoy the mastery over language and description exhibited by this extraordinary author. Definitely check this one out!
My Synopsis: A man has climbed the sheer, 1000-foot mountain out of which the Citadel is made. When the tourists who have visited Ruin, Turkey to see this ancient religious fortress arrive, they are astounded to see what looks like a large “T” on top of it; only to discover that it is a man who stands at the edge of the cliff, his arms outstretched and his head lowered. Several hours later, in front of the eyes of the tourist – and the whole world (as the media has appeared) – he jumps. What, if anything, does it all mean?
Liv Adamsen is an investigative journalist; she has just received word from the vital statistics department that her brother, missing for eight years, has been declared dead. Her world is crashing around her. How will she be able to accept the loss of her beloved brother? Then she receives a shocking phone call. What does she learn that sends her rushing to Turkey?
Kathryn Mann, head of the charity Ortus, is among the current generation of members of an ancient, secret tribe, determined to see the world changed through secret knowledge, if only they can free it. What is their goal, and will they survive to see it through?
The priests of the Citadel are afraid. The actions of the mysterious man threaten to undermine their very existence protecting a secret inside their mountain that could shake up the very foundation of organized religion. What is their secret, and why has it been hidden away all this time?
My Thoughts: This is the basic premise of the astoundingly original book “Sanctus.” (And does anyone else hear the theme from Omen every time they see that name?) A fast-moving, multi-threaded story, “Sanctus” contains ideas so explosive that it is sure to cause a firestorm of unrest. I absolutely loved it. The mysterious location, the strange ideas and rituals of the monks in the Citadel, the beautifully-evoked descriptions – it all added up to a book that maintained my interest, kept me guessing (and occasionally yelling “What!??! What is it?? PLEASE TELL ME!!” out loud, which I am sure gave the neighbors a start) and finally wound its way to a satisfying conclusion. Anyone interested in historico-religious thrillers should find this an exciting and worthwhile read. Those who are hungry for, or at least interested in, an alternate view of prehistory will love this book, too. Whatever you think of the ideas contained herein, there should be no reason not to enjoy the mastery over language and description exhibited by this extraordinary author. Definitely check this one out!
April 28, 2013
I have to say the amount of chapters does begin to wear after a while & detracts from the story as it jumps about but in reality doesn't get very far in terms of charactor developement nor depth of story. Having said that it's still an ok read & the twist at the end is a surprise for sure
May 18, 2012
It's been a while since I read anything non Historical, but had this recommended to me, so I bumped it up the pile.
I read it in short order, in every five minutes available.
Sanctus is intriguing, complex and absorbing from beginning to middle.
I use this odd turn of phrase because the second half os also intriging, complex and absorbing, but it is also exciting, action- packed, fascinating and explosive (quite literally).
Once you're about 25 pages in, the book is impossible to abandon. You just HAVE to know.
Essentially, the novel has the feel and components of every conspiracy/supernatural/quasi-religious novel ever, but manages to avoid being derivative, predictable, boring, dry, or silly - all things I have found in novels of a similar genre.
I won't detail the plot as that would be far too complex and spoil things, but a war between ancient sects over the greatest secret at the heart of organised religion has spilled over into the present day.
Toyne has, perhaps wisely - given the religious aspect of his plot, created a fictional location and sect set within the real world, twisting the real world so that it becomes his plaything, aiding his plot while remaining so familiar it's impossible not to recognise everything.
I delayed going for a pint that was already in and standing on the bar to read the last 10 pages, and there is simply no higher recommendation than that.
My only fear, given its ending, is that I can see no way that a sequel can match up, despite this being the first in a trilogy.
I read it in short order, in every five minutes available.
Sanctus is intriguing, complex and absorbing from beginning to middle.
I use this odd turn of phrase because the second half os also intriging, complex and absorbing, but it is also exciting, action- packed, fascinating and explosive (quite literally).
Once you're about 25 pages in, the book is impossible to abandon. You just HAVE to know.
Essentially, the novel has the feel and components of every conspiracy/supernatural/quasi-religious novel ever, but manages to avoid being derivative, predictable, boring, dry, or silly - all things I have found in novels of a similar genre.
I won't detail the plot as that would be far too complex and spoil things, but a war between ancient sects over the greatest secret at the heart of organised religion has spilled over into the present day.
Toyne has, perhaps wisely - given the religious aspect of his plot, created a fictional location and sect set within the real world, twisting the real world so that it becomes his plaything, aiding his plot while remaining so familiar it's impossible not to recognise everything.
I delayed going for a pint that was already in and standing on the bar to read the last 10 pages, and there is simply no higher recommendation than that.
My only fear, given its ending, is that I can see no way that a sequel can match up, despite this being the first in a trilogy.
July 18, 2024
Oh man. Where to start? Well, I finished it, so at least it kept my interest long enough to find out what happened at the end! Let's put it this way: this would have been better as a quick paced action movie. The (long) book was action-packed (even though it only took place over a day or two??) but unfortunately I had to keep re-reading chapters because important events were buried in paragraphs and I kept missing key information. There were also too many characters for me and I couldn't remember which one had the dark hair or the rough childhood or whatever.
Overall, it was alright, but I won't be reading the rest of the trilogy.
Overall, it was alright, but I won't be reading the rest of the trilogy.
September 7, 2011
The start is certainly engaging. A monk is initiated into a secret that motivates him to tell the world in the only way he has open to him - a very public suicide. A flash of supernatural effects, along with the ambiance of the ancient Citadel set the stage. I was intrigued!
The middle section, through written in short chapters with POV tossed between a wide number of characters, still dragged a bit. The characters were stock, for the most part. Evil monks driven by fanaticism to do horrible deeds - were present and accounted for. The most interesting monk is the one who committed suicide - I wish he'd been given more story than his sister, who was only mildly interesting to me - in a heavy smoker jaded journalist kind of way. I wanted more of Samuel's story. So, I plowed through the middle, wanting to know the secret, but not really relishing any of the characters.
Then came the ending, and why the novel raised from a 3 star read to a 4 star entertainment. I was pleasantly wooed by the action-packed surprise ending. Here, Toyne shined. The only thought that nags me now about the story is whether any of the historical components are factual. The DeVinci code, and yes, everyone seems to compare this with Brown's novel, was based in research by Brown's wife. That was part of what made it interesting to me. For Sanctus, I have no clue what percentage of the location is imagination or even myth. Pagan vs. the church is an old war though. Guess I'll do some research. I enjoyed the read, and was pleased to be invited to the party.
The middle section, through written in short chapters with POV tossed between a wide number of characters, still dragged a bit. The characters were stock, for the most part. Evil monks driven by fanaticism to do horrible deeds - were present and accounted for. The most interesting monk is the one who committed suicide - I wish he'd been given more story than his sister, who was only mildly interesting to me - in a heavy smoker jaded journalist kind of way. I wanted more of Samuel's story. So, I plowed through the middle, wanting to know the secret, but not really relishing any of the characters.
Then came the ending, and why the novel raised from a 3 star read to a 4 star entertainment. I was pleasantly wooed by the action-packed surprise ending. Here, Toyne shined. The only thought that nags me now about the story is whether any of the historical components are factual. The DeVinci code, and yes, everyone seems to compare this with Brown's novel, was based in research by Brown's wife. That was part of what made it interesting to me. For Sanctus, I have no clue what percentage of the location is imagination or even myth. Pagan vs. the church is an old war though. Guess I'll do some research. I enjoyed the read, and was pleased to be invited to the party.
March 13, 2015
What worked for me:
- The Gripping opening - was immediately pulled into story
- Premise/High Concept
- Samuel - great character
- Short Chapters - like a bag of potato chips...just want to keep reading/eating
- Fabulous writing skills - action words, fast-moving description, well-written
What Did not work for me:
- Middle of book was saggy
- Skimmed over last 1/3 of book - Just wanted the book to be over
- Too long - could have benefitted from some plot tightening
- A few darlings needed to be killed
- Author did not deliver on what I felt was promised to the reader at the beginning
- Deus Ex Machina Ending - Resolutions came from outside the protagonist, not any character change in Liv
- Lingering plot threads
- Ending was more fantasy/supernatural than I expected
- Disappointed by the ending - felt like the author took the "easy way out" by using supernatural elements to "explain everything"
- A few too many characters for me to keep track of - could not connect with any of them on a deeper level - felt superficial
Climax of the book was too predictable for me - no real twists - just weird
Repetitive information - rehashing the same info
- The Gripping opening - was immediately pulled into story
- Premise/High Concept
- Samuel - great character
- Short Chapters - like a bag of potato chips...just want to keep reading/eating
- Fabulous writing skills - action words, fast-moving description, well-written
What Did not work for me:
- Middle of book was saggy
- Skimmed over last 1/3 of book - Just wanted the book to be over
- Too long - could have benefitted from some plot tightening
- A few darlings needed to be killed
- Author did not deliver on what I felt was promised to the reader at the beginning
- Deus Ex Machina Ending - Resolutions came from outside the protagonist, not any character change in Liv
- Lingering plot threads
- Ending was more fantasy/supernatural than I expected
- Disappointed by the ending - felt like the author took the "easy way out" by using supernatural elements to "explain everything"
- A few too many characters for me to keep track of - could not connect with any of them on a deeper level - felt superficial
Climax of the book was too predictable for me - no real twists - just weird
Repetitive information - rehashing the same info
February 15, 2016
This read was actually much better than I was expecting after reading some mixed reviews. Part of me feared it wouldn’t live up to the hype yet it certainly kept me entertained from the start until the very end. For anyone looking for a face-paced thriller I would certainly recommend this book to you – so long as you’re willing to commit yourself to the trilogy as it is certainly a book which will leaving you wanting to read the next two instalments.
With twists, turns and surprises you’re curious throughout the book as to what the real secret is, the story moving at a great pace as we work towards our answers through the perspectives of a variety of characters. Each character is great in their own way, soon leaving you rooting for the best outcomes and the answers to our questions. It really is one of those books whereby I want to say more yet in doing so I fear I may let out a few spoilers (seriously, there is so much unknown which becomes clear over time). Honestly, if you’ve even contemplated buying the book for a microsecond I recommend going ahead and picking it up: you will not regret it and will soon find yourself disappearing into the book like so many others.
With twists, turns and surprises you’re curious throughout the book as to what the real secret is, the story moving at a great pace as we work towards our answers through the perspectives of a variety of characters. Each character is great in their own way, soon leaving you rooting for the best outcomes and the answers to our questions. It really is one of those books whereby I want to say more yet in doing so I fear I may let out a few spoilers (seriously, there is so much unknown which becomes clear over time). Honestly, if you’ve even contemplated buying the book for a microsecond I recommend going ahead and picking it up: you will not regret it and will soon find yourself disappearing into the book like so many others.
September 26, 2011
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.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
December 24, 2014
The ancient abbey at Ruin hold many secrets, but when a robed many climbs to the top of the mountain he draws the attention of the world media. He is standing holding the pose of the Tau, an ancient symbol
And then he jumps.
For Liv Adams this is the first time that she has seen her brother in eight years, having thought that he was already dead. She drops everything to rush to the city to find out what happened. For Kathryn Mann this moment may indicate that the promised prophecy scratched onto ancients pieces of slate my be coming true. But both do not realise the mortal danger that they are putting themselves in as the fanatical monks seek to get the body back, and stop their secret being revealed.
Overall this wasn't bad. It is written in a snappy fast paced style, as the story is told from various characters perspectives. There are not as many twists as I thought there might be, but it was being set up for the sequel.
It has echoes of the Da Vinci code, but it is a better written. 2.5 Stars.
And then he jumps.
For Liv Adams this is the first time that she has seen her brother in eight years, having thought that he was already dead. She drops everything to rush to the city to find out what happened. For Kathryn Mann this moment may indicate that the promised prophecy scratched onto ancients pieces of slate my be coming true. But both do not realise the mortal danger that they are putting themselves in as the fanatical monks seek to get the body back, and stop their secret being revealed.
Overall this wasn't bad. It is written in a snappy fast paced style, as the story is told from various characters perspectives. There are not as many twists as I thought there might be, but it was being set up for the sequel.
It has echoes of the Da Vinci code, but it is a better written. 2.5 Stars.
January 1, 2019
4 sterren en toch geen 5 maar wel erg nieuwsgierig naar deel 2 wat dat dan brengen gaat.
March 6, 2024
A man forms a Tau Cross on top of the Holy Mountain in Ruin & falls to his death. His death churns the monastery within the mountain, the heretics without & the inner workings of Rome. It is a great story of how the attempt to control knowledge affects everyone.
September 18, 2011
A bearded, green-clad monk throws himself of a mountain cliff in Turkey. In the United States, his sister already thinks he's dead as he disappeared eight years ago. She, Liv, is contacted by the police because her brother had her telephone number on him, or rather, in him. He's also swallowed some seeds with inscriptions. Liv travels to Turkey to try to find out why her long-lost brother Sam tried to kill himself. The order of brothers he belonged to is set to prevent her. No members are supposed to have any living relatives at all and they are afraid Sam might have revealed the secret the order is trying to keep.
As it goes this is an okay thriller. Barely. I did have some problems believing a couple of things. Liv and her brother Sam were supposedly conjoined twins. Liv didn't get her own birth certificate until she was separated from her brother a few days after birth and for some odd Scandinavian family rituals - that I, being Scandinavian, find very strange - gives her another last name. Right. The major problem is the conjoined twin part, because by definition these twins are alway monozygotic and thus, always, the same sex. There are some extremely rare chromosome diseases that might dictate otherwise. I find conjoined twins of different sexes an extremely tough camel to swallow. On page 321 the author does mention this oddity for what it is, but the explanation is an affront to any reader's intelligence: "If you believe in a virgin birth it leaves the door wide open for the possibility of all sorts of..." I'm willing to accept quite a lot and there is a lot I can overlook when reading a good story, but that was too much. I'm quite willing to believe lies if it's well done, but not just to accept a plot line because I'm told to believe. I'm not Mulder in X-files. The conjoined twin separation and different name is essential to the story because otherwise the order would not have accepted Sam to their midst. Members must be family-free.
The good points is that the book is quite well-written otherwise. The chapters are short and there is plenty of tension and momentum to keep you reading. The characters are quite uninteresting and some I don't see the purpose of. For example the side character of Bonnie that Liv is interviewing / following for the newspaper she works for. Bonnie is set on having a "natural" childbirth. Possibly the point is showing the physical trauma of bearing children into this world and it does connect to the ending - but it is nonetheless farfetched and a superfluous side plot.
The ending is surprising, I'll give Simon Toyne that. I did not see it coming. However it requires some even greater feats of suspending disbelief and since I never quite recovered from the two sexed conjoined twins, it left me rather unmoved. It comes down to Simon Toyne being a Dan Brown wannabe and not quite succeeding. If you like thrillers doused in religious mumbo-jumbo this might be a book for you. If not, do steer clear.
As it goes this is an okay thriller. Barely. I did have some problems believing a couple of things. Liv and her brother Sam were supposedly conjoined twins. Liv didn't get her own birth certificate until she was separated from her brother a few days after birth and for some odd Scandinavian family rituals - that I, being Scandinavian, find very strange - gives her another last name. Right. The major problem is the conjoined twin part, because by definition these twins are alway monozygotic and thus, always, the same sex. There are some extremely rare chromosome diseases that might dictate otherwise. I find conjoined twins of different sexes an extremely tough camel to swallow. On page 321 the author does mention this oddity for what it is, but the explanation is an affront to any reader's intelligence: "If you believe in a virgin birth it leaves the door wide open for the possibility of all sorts of..." I'm willing to accept quite a lot and there is a lot I can overlook when reading a good story, but that was too much. I'm quite willing to believe lies if it's well done, but not just to accept a plot line because I'm told to believe. I'm not Mulder in X-files. The conjoined twin separation and different name is essential to the story because otherwise the order would not have accepted Sam to their midst. Members must be family-free.
The good points is that the book is quite well-written otherwise. The chapters are short and there is plenty of tension and momentum to keep you reading. The characters are quite uninteresting and some I don't see the purpose of. For example the side character of Bonnie that Liv is interviewing / following for the newspaper she works for. Bonnie is set on having a "natural" childbirth. Possibly the point is showing the physical trauma of bearing children into this world and it does connect to the ending - but it is nonetheless farfetched and a superfluous side plot.
The ending is surprising, I'll give Simon Toyne that. I did not see it coming. However it requires some even greater feats of suspending disbelief and since I never quite recovered from the two sexed conjoined twins, it left me rather unmoved. It comes down to Simon Toyne being a Dan Brown wannabe and not quite succeeding. If you like thrillers doused in religious mumbo-jumbo this might be a book for you. If not, do steer clear.
September 2, 2011
“Sanctus” by Simon Toyne, published by William Morrow.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
In Ruin, Turkey, there is a monastery build on the side of a mountain. It is called The Citadel and it is a country unto itself. No one, except the Monks, have access to the facility that contains untold ancient artifacts, including its most sacred possession, The Sacrament.
Most monks are of the order “Sanctus” but there are a few that have obtained the order of “Sancti”. The Sancti have the privilege of seeing The Sacrament.
Brother Samuel has just been initiated into the Sancti and upon seeing The Sacrament climbs to the highest part of the monastery and jumps. He times his jump so that he lands in an area not controlled by the monks. The authorities find that he is brutally scarred and that he has swallowed some apple seeds that contain a riddle. He also has a phone number etched into his belt.
The phone number is his sister who lives in New York. This is baffling because no monk can have any living relative.
His sister arrives in Turkey to claim her brother’s body but his body disappears.
She finds help in a secret society that has been in opposition to the monks and their secret.
There is no end to the deceit, treachery, action, and mystery throughout the book. “Sanctus” comes with an ending that is very unusual and certainly, in certain minds, will find it controversial even though it is a work of fiction.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
In Ruin, Turkey, there is a monastery build on the side of a mountain. It is called The Citadel and it is a country unto itself. No one, except the Monks, have access to the facility that contains untold ancient artifacts, including its most sacred possession, The Sacrament.
Most monks are of the order “Sanctus” but there are a few that have obtained the order of “Sancti”. The Sancti have the privilege of seeing The Sacrament.
Brother Samuel has just been initiated into the Sancti and upon seeing The Sacrament climbs to the highest part of the monastery and jumps. He times his jump so that he lands in an area not controlled by the monks. The authorities find that he is brutally scarred and that he has swallowed some apple seeds that contain a riddle. He also has a phone number etched into his belt.
The phone number is his sister who lives in New York. This is baffling because no monk can have any living relative.
His sister arrives in Turkey to claim her brother’s body but his body disappears.
She finds help in a secret society that has been in opposition to the monks and their secret.
There is no end to the deceit, treachery, action, and mystery throughout the book. “Sanctus” comes with an ending that is very unusual and certainly, in certain minds, will find it controversial even though it is a work of fiction.
July 4, 2013
This religious conspiracy action thriller is clearly inspired by Dan Brown's oeuvre - same non-stop action, quick cuts back and forth to different parts of the plot in short chapters, and evil religious figures causing mayhem. This has more of an emphasis on the supernatural, though, and it is less grounded in reality than Brown's works. This is the first in a planned trilogy and I will most likely look at volume 2 to see what direction Toyne will be taking the characters and plot.
My main complaint is that even though most of the action takes place in a fictional ancient Turkish city (Ruin), there is virtually no description of the sights, sounds, culture, language, dress, customs, or other unique aspects of that part of the world. For all intents and purposes, you could simply replace every instance of "Ruin" or "Turkey" with "New York City", "Chicago", etc. and not have the reader notice anything is amiss. This is a major missed opportunity to create a more authentic, engrossing, and believable tale. As long as you can suspend your rather sizable disbelief in this regard, this debut novel is an exciting diversion.
My main complaint is that even though most of the action takes place in a fictional ancient Turkish city (Ruin), there is virtually no description of the sights, sounds, culture, language, dress, customs, or other unique aspects of that part of the world. For all intents and purposes, you could simply replace every instance of "Ruin" or "Turkey" with "New York City", "Chicago", etc. and not have the reader notice anything is amiss. This is a major missed opportunity to create a more authentic, engrossing, and believable tale. As long as you can suspend your rather sizable disbelief in this regard, this debut novel is an exciting diversion.
January 29, 2012
Absolute codswallop. Can't remember the last time I have read such piffle. I certainly won't be wasting my time on the rest of these implausible contrived books as they are released.
June 12, 2013
A fast paced thrilling ride that I really enjoyed! Full of secrets and conspiracies. Will definitely read the sequel.
January 28, 2022
This started well, but had I known it would degenerate into such grisly nonsense I would not have bothered. Luckily I borrowed it from Amazon Prime. I've sent it back!
Two stars, but only for the initial fifteen percent. I didn't bother to finish it, and I wouldn't read it again.
Two stars, but only for the initial fifteen percent. I didn't bother to finish it, and I wouldn't read it again.
July 12, 2022
A good book but after reading Toyne’s Solomon Creed grippers I was a little underwhelmed. That said, key lines came together to a finale that then teases the second part of the trilogy. I was a little unsure of motivations in some key characters but then religious links were intriguing.
I shall look forward to part 2 and hope for 4 stars or better.
I shall look forward to part 2 and hope for 4 stars or better.
July 20, 2011
By the one star rating, I think the cat's out of the bag and it's obvious I quite disliked this book.
The inhabitants of Ruin, Turkey wake one morning to find a man on top of the mountain citadel. His arms are stretched out in what they believe is the shape of a cross but is apparently the formation of a sanctus. The man's location immediately draws attention in part because of his actions but most importantly because he is wearing a monk's habit indicating he is a member of the enigmatic residents of the mountain within. The man retains his position for a while and then just as suddenly as he appeared, he jumps off the mountain to his death. But his death does not signify an end of the mystery but rather a continuation to a centuries old fight which had been quietly seething. The initial panic that had gripped the monks within is replaced by extreme relief when the mysterious man commits suicide. But their problems are just beginning and they soon discover that though the man on the mount was one of them, he had been hiding many secrets. Also interested by the man's appearance on the mountain is a group who seek the destruction of monks.
The chapters in this book are excessively short and I can only assume that this is way to force suspense. I believe part of the reason why this was necessary was because the story really had no real crux upon which to hang the unfolding drama. The reader is constantly being reminded of this big bad secret and the dangerous monks' efforts to protect it at all cost. But I never believed it. The forced sense of urgency never made me feel any suspense and never lured me in. Everything remained too vague, too "Uh there is big secret that will make it all worth it."
This book needed a very good edit. Parts of it needed to be cut out and other things needed to be added in to make the whole thing make sense. I was amazed at the number of times references were made to "The Lockheed Tristar". Wouldn't it have been so much simpler to just say "The plane." I doubt everyone reading this book is a pilot or works in aeronautics so I am unsure why this was the preferred method of referring to air travel. It was weird and forced and made me think the editor was too lenient in his critique.
I was also confused by the fact that though this story is set in Turkey, everyone speaks fluent English. And they speak it like the attended a New York City public school. On page 159, it is finally explained why everyone speaks English, supposedly, this area is a major tourist center. I didn't buy it.
I understand that I am supposed to suspend belief when reading something like this but this becomes harder and harder as the leaps away from common sense made it hard to believe the whole thing. So there is this big bad organization of murderous monks who are set to kill anyone who threatens their way of life. We are constantly told they are rich and powerful with their influence reaching into almost every facet of power and influence around the world. But apparently, this mighty organization, this leviathan, cannot somehow manage to obtain the picture of a woman they are searching for. A woman considered so important, so vital to solving the mystery of the man on the mountain that they will stop at nothing to get their hands on her and yet somehow they cannot obtain a picture of her? They are so desperate for the sight of this woman that they keep alive a man they now consider a liability because he is the only one who can identify her. The whole thing had me wondering why anyone thought I would for one second buy the whole set up.
But the final straw was the sheer idiocy of one of the main female character. She is picked up at the airport by a man claiming to be a police officer. She soon find out this is lie. She somehow manages to escape him through a series of convoluted events. But the next time she sees him, he seemingly gets her out of trouble and voila, she's falling in love. This is a grown woman, not a teenage girl, and before you can say Jimmy Cricket, she is expressing jealousy over him hugging another woman and discussing his natural essence, the beauty of his features and the deliciousness of his smell. All this after maybe forty five minutes.
Will this book do well? I have no doubt it will sell like hot cakes. With the book blurb discussing how it has been sold in thirty something countries and the marketing might of the publisher, I expect it will be a bestseller the moment it goes on sell. But for me, I have no intention of reading the rest of the series when it comes out. This one annoyed me enough.
**Review copy received from publisher.
The inhabitants of Ruin, Turkey wake one morning to find a man on top of the mountain citadel. His arms are stretched out in what they believe is the shape of a cross but is apparently the formation of a sanctus. The man's location immediately draws attention in part because of his actions but most importantly because he is wearing a monk's habit indicating he is a member of the enigmatic residents of the mountain within. The man retains his position for a while and then just as suddenly as he appeared, he jumps off the mountain to his death. But his death does not signify an end of the mystery but rather a continuation to a centuries old fight which had been quietly seething. The initial panic that had gripped the monks within is replaced by extreme relief when the mysterious man commits suicide. But their problems are just beginning and they soon discover that though the man on the mount was one of them, he had been hiding many secrets. Also interested by the man's appearance on the mountain is a group who seek the destruction of monks.
The chapters in this book are excessively short and I can only assume that this is way to force suspense. I believe part of the reason why this was necessary was because the story really had no real crux upon which to hang the unfolding drama. The reader is constantly being reminded of this big bad secret and the dangerous monks' efforts to protect it at all cost. But I never believed it. The forced sense of urgency never made me feel any suspense and never lured me in. Everything remained too vague, too "Uh there is big secret that will make it all worth it."
This book needed a very good edit. Parts of it needed to be cut out and other things needed to be added in to make the whole thing make sense. I was amazed at the number of times references were made to "The Lockheed Tristar". Wouldn't it have been so much simpler to just say "The plane." I doubt everyone reading this book is a pilot or works in aeronautics so I am unsure why this was the preferred method of referring to air travel. It was weird and forced and made me think the editor was too lenient in his critique.
I was also confused by the fact that though this story is set in Turkey, everyone speaks fluent English. And they speak it like the attended a New York City public school. On page 159, it is finally explained why everyone speaks English, supposedly, this area is a major tourist center. I didn't buy it.
I understand that I am supposed to suspend belief when reading something like this but this becomes harder and harder as the leaps away from common sense made it hard to believe the whole thing. So there is this big bad organization of murderous monks who are set to kill anyone who threatens their way of life. We are constantly told they are rich and powerful with their influence reaching into almost every facet of power and influence around the world. But apparently, this mighty organization, this leviathan, cannot somehow manage to obtain the picture of a woman they are searching for. A woman considered so important, so vital to solving the mystery of the man on the mountain that they will stop at nothing to get their hands on her and yet somehow they cannot obtain a picture of her? They are so desperate for the sight of this woman that they keep alive a man they now consider a liability because he is the only one who can identify her. The whole thing had me wondering why anyone thought I would for one second buy the whole set up.
But the final straw was the sheer idiocy of one of the main female character. She is picked up at the airport by a man claiming to be a police officer. She soon find out this is lie. She somehow manages to escape him through a series of convoluted events. But the next time she sees him, he seemingly gets her out of trouble and voila, she's falling in love. This is a grown woman, not a teenage girl, and before you can say Jimmy Cricket, she is expressing jealousy over him hugging another woman and discussing his natural essence, the beauty of his features and the deliciousness of his smell. All this after maybe forty five minutes.
Will this book do well? I have no doubt it will sell like hot cakes. With the book blurb discussing how it has been sold in thirty something countries and the marketing might of the publisher, I expect it will be a bestseller the moment it goes on sell. But for me, I have no intention of reading the rest of the series when it comes out. This one annoyed me enough.
**Review copy received from publisher.
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