This is the author note, which is published at the end of the book. It’s my chance to pull back the curtain a little and tell you what parts of the story are true, and where I’ve taken dramatic liberties. As a world traveller, I love bringing real places, cultures and history into my stories, and I feel it would be a mistake not to share the truth with you.

Be aware, there are spoilers here! I’d suggest you don’t read this until you’ve finished the book.

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Thank you so much for joining me and Eden for another adventure. I’m loving writing these books and sharing them with you totally brings them to life. This book was very international in its construction too—I started writing it in January 2024 in Goa, India, while staying in a tiny hut right on the beach. A few weeks later, Mrs. R and I visited Portugal to research the scenes set there, and I wrote a few scenes on that journey too. The rest was written at home in Nottingham, England, where I’m now composing this author’s note to you. 

If you’ve read the author’s notes in the previous books in this series, you’ll know what to expect. In the next few pages, I will detail the fascinating history behind the events of this book, the parts that are true, and those to which I’ve added my creative flair.

The legend of the Knights Templar has fascinated me for a while, and I realized it was high time they made it into one of my books. I am no Templar expert, and this book is not in any way a historical record, but there are some interesting events on which it is based.

This book opens with the final Templar Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, burning at the stake in Paris. This is well documented and took place on March 18th, 1314. Interestingly, and totally by chance, the day I sat down to write this scene was March the 18th 2024. Exactly 710 years later—spooky, right?

By the 18th of March 1314, Jacques de Molay had been in the custody of King Philip IV of France for approximately seven years. Many of the horrors which de Molay and the other knights endured during this time are documented, but I didn’t go into them here. Whatever your opinions on the Templars themselves, those arrested were treated horrifically by King Philip.

The order to arrest the Templars was given on October 13, 1307. King Philip’s men seized Templar properties and arrested many knights across France. The charges brought against the Templars included heresy, blasphemy, and various obscene rituals. It is widely believed that King Philip’s true motive for targeting the Templars was to seize their immense wealth and eliminate his debt to the order. However, despite the thorough search of Templar properties and the torture of many knights, none of the fabled Templar gold, relics or treasures were ever found. This has led to countless theories and speculation about the fate of the treasure, with some believing that the Templars were tipped off about their arrests and able to move the treasure in time. 

Some experts claim that the treasure was smuggled out of France before the arrests, possibly to Scotland or Portugal, where the Templars had strong connections. Others speculate that the gold was smuggled across the Atlantic, reaching the Americas before they were officially discovered by Europeans in 1492. Could the Templars really have been there almost two hundred years before? That’s another book, perhaps. This theory, while highly controversial, is not entirely implausible given the Templars’ extensive maritime experience and resources. As skilled sailors and navigators, the Templars had access to advanced shipbuilding techniques and possessed a deep knowledge of ocean currents and wind patterns. 

If the Templars did indeed reach the Americas before Columbus, they may have hidden their treasure in remote locations, such as the alleged Templar sites in New England and the Caribbean. Some even suggest that the Templars left behind clues and symbols, like the Newport Tower in Rhode Island, which bears a striking resemblance to Templar architecture. While these theories remain speculative and lack concrete evidence, they certainly capture the imagination of thriller writers like me!

Although the Templars making it to the Americas may require some imagination, their seeking refuge in Portugal while King Philip arrested their brothers in France is widely accepted. King Dinis I of Portugal, who had been a strong supporter of the Templars and was loosely related to a prominent figure in the order, negotiated with the Pope to create a new order, the Order of Christ. The Order of Christ then absorbed the Templars and their assets in Portugal. Basically, the same order, but with a new name. In the first chapters of this book, when Brother Thomas arrives at the Templar Commandery in Portugal to find his brothers hiding in plain sight, that’s exactly as it would have been, as I understand it.

The Order of Christ went on to become a powerful force in Portugal, playing a significant role in the country’s maritime explorations and colonial expansion. Many famous explorers, such as Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator, were members of the Order of Christ. The order’s influence extended beyond Portugal, with some theorizing that Christopher Columbus, who had married into a Portuguese noble family, may have had connections to the Order of Christ and, by extension, the Templars. There we go again with ideas of the Templars related to the discovery of the New World!

To this day there are several fascinating Templar sites throughout Portugal, including the Convento de Cristo in Tomar, Almourol Castle and Castle of Pombal. One slightly more fantastical site which features in this book is Quinta da Regaleira with its incredible Initiation Wells. Located in Sintra, near Lisbon, Quinta da Regaleira is an early 20th-century estate that was built by Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, a wealthy Portuguese businessman with a deep interest in esotericism, Freemasonry, and the Knights Templar. The estate features a series of underground tunnels, grottoes, and two Initiation Wells that were never used for water collection but rather for symbolic, ritual purposes. 

These wells, known as the Unfinished Well and the Initiation Well, are adorned with spiral staircases, carved symbols, and astrological references. The Initiation Well is believed to represent the journey of the soul through the nine circles of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, as described in Dante’s Divine Comedy. The estate also boasts beautiful gardens, filled with esoteric sculptures and hidden symbols that allude to alchemy, Masonry, and Templar mythology. Whether any of these symbols amount to a secret code or map, I don’t know, but they might! 

The curse Jacques de Molay issued in his dying breath is, as far as my research stated, true. I made efforts to get the wording right, although different sources claim slightly different things. Eerily, both King Philip and Pope Clement died within the specified timeframe, leading many to believe in the power of the Templar Curse. 

In fact, Pope Clement died just one month after de Molay’s execution, on April 20, 1314. King Philip, who was only forty-six years old at the time, died six months later, on November 29, 1314. His sudden death, likely from a stroke, shocked the kingdom and fueled the legend of the Templar Curse.

The curse didn’t stop there, however. Some believe that it continued to affect future French kings. For example, Louis XVI, who was beheaded during the French Revolution in 1793, was said to have been wearing a medallion with the Templar Cross when he was executed. 

Throughout history, many legends have circulated about the Templars and their alleged possession of powerful relics, such as the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Seal of Solomon. The Seal of Solomon, as described in this adventure, is a legendary magical signet ring which belonged to King Solomon, granting him the power to command demons and spirits.

King Solomon was a biblical figure and the ruler of the united Israel and Judah. He was renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and power, and is credited with building the First Temple in Jerusalem. According to biblical accounts, Solomon was gifted with divine wisdom and had the ability to communicate with animals and command spirits.

During their time in Jerusalem, the Knights Templar established their headquarters on the Temple Mount, the site of Solomon’s Temple. Some legends suggest that the Templars conducted extensive excavations beneath the Temple Mount, possibly in search of ancient relics and treasures associated with King Solomon and the Temple. While there is historical evidence of the Templars’ presence in Jerusalem and their interest in the Temple Mount, the extent and nature of their excavations remain a topic of debate.

Legend claims that the Templars used the Seal of Solomon, and other powerful relics, to amass their power and influence. Although there is no evidence to support this, they did become incredibly powerful in a very short space of time—which, of course, ultimately, was part of their downfall.

I loved having Eden and her crew visit the Siwa Oasis in Egypt during this book. Mrs. R and I traveled the three-hundred-mile desert road to Siwa in January 2023. Siwa is located in the Western Desert of Egypt, not far from the Libyan border—which we were constantly reminded of by the police and army checkpoints on the desert road. 

I have a saying in my travels, which I often find to be true: the harder it is to get somewhere, the better it is when you do. Siwa is a testament to this. Unless you charter a plane, it’s an eight-hour bus ride in and out on that one lonely road. Arriving in the small town feels like you could be on another planet. That feeling is amplified when staring out at the desert, and knowing the next civilization is hundreds of miles away. 

As described in Eden’s adventure, one of the main attractions in Siwa is the ruins of the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, which dates back to the 26th Dynasty (663-525 BCE). The oracle was believed to have been consulted by Alexander the Great during his visit to Siwa in 331 BCE. According to historical accounts, Alexander the Great visited the oracle to seek confirmation of his divine status and legitimacy as a ruler. The oracle allegedly pronounced him as the son of Amun, the supreme god in the Egyptian pantheon, thus cementing his claim to the Egyptian throne.

Many legends also suggest that King Solomon visited the oasis during his reign, seeking wisdom and knowledge from the oracle. Some go as far as speculating that the Seal of Solomon may still be there. That would certainly be an interesting twist!

Siwa’s location has made it a strategic point for various groups throughout history, including the Knights Templar. As skilled navigators and desert travelers, the Templars likely used Siwa as a stopping point during their journeys across the Egyptian desert. The oasis would have provided them with a reliable source of water, food, and shelter, making it an essential link in their desert trade and pilgrimage routes.

Given the Templars’ interest in ancient knowledge and relics, it is plausible that they would have been drawn to Siwa’s mystical reputation and its association with figures like Alexander the Great and King Solomon. The Templars may have sought to uncover secrets or obtain powerful artifacts believed to be hidden in the oasis.

That brings us to the Templars in the modern era and my totally fictional Order of the All-Seeing Eye. During this book, I was playing with the idea of power corrupting those in charge, rather than poking fun at any particular order. I think we can see this in all sorts of organizations, from large corporations, governments, and other bodies around the world. I felt I had to do this sensitively, hence why I made Grand Master Wolff quite such a ridiculous character. I enjoyed playing with the idea of a leader hell bent on returning the world to a sort of medieval state, too. 

In reality, there are several modern organizations that claim a connection to the Knights Templar, none of which my fictional order is based on—so please don’t come after me with your swords and rituals! Seriously, though, many of these organizations do good work and are nothing like my Order of the All-Seeing Eye—although now Grand Master Pyne is in control, I think they’ll turn their efforts to good. Maybe we will see them return in a future Eden Black book!

Now on to the cheery subject of the End of Days. Throughout history, various religions and cultures have put forth prophecies about the End of Days. These prophecies often describe a future period of great upheaval, destruction, and judgment, followed by the emergence of something new. In some faiths, the End of Days is associated with the coming of a figure who will usher in an era of peace. While the specifics of these prophecies vary widely, it’s fascinating to me that so many cultures share these ideas. I couldn’t resist referencing it in this book, and asking the question about what that might involve. Although a few minutes with modern day news media would make you believe that every day is the End of Days, I wanted to make the point here that, in my story at least, The End of Days is a change that’s long overdue.

It’s always my intention with the stories, that you come for the action but feel as though you’re spending time with characters you know and love along the way. I enjoyed, slightly cruelly, driving a wedge between Eden and her friends and family for the first part of the book.

I’m also enjoying working with Winslow’s character during these books, as he comes to terms with how his life has changed and learns that he couldn’t and shouldn’t do things alone. I think there is a lesson for us all (certainly for me) in there.

I was also pleased to finally develop The Council of Selene in this book. A few readers asked what might become of the council as they’d gone quiet for the last couple of adventures. As you’ll now know, it’s not the end of the council, but there’s a lot of change!

Now here’s a question I get a lot: What about the statues that look like Eden? I can’t, and don’t want to answer all the mysteries in one book. That’s one which you, and Eden, will have to discover soon.

Once again, thank you for your company and I can’t wait for our next adventure together.

Luke 

May, 2024.