This third book in the Blackthorn Key series contains even more intrigue than the first two, if that is even possible! After an attempt on the life of Minette, the king's sister, Christopher, Tom, and Sally are sent to back to France with her, to the court of Louis XVI. There they find not just the usual court intrigue and politics, but a centuries old quest for the treasure of the Knights Templar. Filled with code-breaking, riddle-solving, misdirection, and more adventures across Paris, hand this to anyone you think would like Dan Brown but is too young. I strongly suggest reading the series in order. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

In this third book, the author takes Christopher, Tom and Sally out of London and the Blackthorn Apothecary to Paris, France, to foil a plot to kill the French King and his wife and family.

The boys are pulled by Lord Ashcrombe to the English King's palace one night, so the King can express his "appreciation" for their efforts exposing the Plague con and recovering the city's money for the poor and inflicted.

But in typical Christopher fashion, he follows his nose, finds a dead wine taster, and heads down a set of stairs to encounter a poisoner who gets the better of him with a cord around his neck. When Tom gets him free, he has no voice and is forced to save the King by throwing a bottle, shattering the King's wine glass. For this, he and Tom and Sally earn not the King's wrath, but rather an assignment to track down the poisoner -- in the French court!

Because Lord Ashcrombe is able to decipher the last bit of code on a message the poisoner left behind, showing the plot isn't really to kill the King of England, but rather his sister, the wife of the French King.

But to get into the French court, Christopher must impersonate Lord Ashcrombe's nephew (with his Lord's permission, of course) and Tom is his "man." He's quite awful at impersonating nobility, and it quickly found out by a man who knew and loved his former master. Sally infiltrates the court as a minor Lady, and inadvertently cozies up to the absolute wrong noblewoman.

Meanwhile, Christopher and Tom are trying to head off the poisoner by finding the poisoner's objective before he can -- an ancient treasure, hidden from the French King centuries ago, by the Order of the Templars.

This is another fantastically plotted thriller that leaves you guessing right up to the very end. No, I'm not spoiling the ending. Read it for yourself and enjoy! I couldn't put this one down and my daughter ate it up.

A fantastic, roller coaster ride of a read!

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A superbly written addition to this riveting series.

The three young protaganists venture outside of the customary confines of the apothecary shop and step into the very adult world of spies, treachery and political intrigue. This is the best of the three stories presented, with plenty more story to tell, and I eagerly await the next few offerings!

Best of all, the author does not indulge in the happy-ever-after syndrome which spoils so many books written for young adults.

Another great book in Sands' fantastic series.

I received a copy of this book as a GoodReads giveway.

I picked up the first book in this series (The Blackthorn Key) at the house where I was staying on vacation last summer. I love historical fiction, and was looking for a nice light vacation read. It delivered in spades - I finished it in two days and quickly tracked down the next book (Mark of the Plague). I really love the characters: the apprentice Christopher, who rises from an impoverished life due to a combination of his own intellectual gifts and the love of a kind adult; Tom, who is a good and loyal kid despite having a dad who's a jerk; and Sally, another orphan whose smarts and loyalty make you root for her. This book takes the trio to France, where they must infiltrate Louis XIV's court to stop a plot to assassinate the Royal Family.

Obviously a book written for young adults probably simplifies history a fair bit, but this is mostly lightly done, and I'm willing to overlook the implausibility of a member of the merchant class being able to successfully pose as a nobleman in a court as famous as France's for its intricate protocols, because the plot is so much fun, the characters are so likable, and the historical research on a lot of matters is so good. Sands has clearly done his research on remedies and poisons, and on ancient codes and ciphers.

The ending makes it clear that this series is more than a trilogy, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

KEVIN SANDS DID IT AGAIN.

This time we followed Christopher as he uncovered one of the biggest conspiracies that up to this day never failed to fascinate theorists around the world. The Knights Templar.

The Knights Templar was a real-life military order of the Catholic church. People around the world are still wondering what was the real purpose of the Knights Templar and what happened to them? So in this book the genius, Kevin Sands created such a plot revolving around this conspiracy that was very compelling and exciting.

The series always had this connection to the catholic church which didn't hinder creative freedom to the overall plot but actually improved the overall reading experience with its mysterious vibes.

From the world-building of 1665 Paris to the familiar "Blackthorn Key" cryptic ambiance, this book definitely took the top spot for this series. The stakes were higher than ever and the sense of danger was always present keeping me at my toes as I read the gripping story of a conspiracy on top of another conspiracy.

The characters in this story were more developed and still complex yet understandable. Kevin Sands already mastered writing characters with hidden agendas. You won't know what hit you till it's too late and you've been fooled by your own sense of predictability. This author played with "How predictable is predictable" and use that against the reader for a carefully executed reveal.

The intensity of the final chapters of this book was beyond what I expected. The more clues you discover, the more questionable everyone gets. That's why I love this series so much. It narrows the pool of suspects but at the same time, it introduces questions not just for the ones you are suspecting but also the characters that were initially ruled out.

Everything about this was perfect. I can't wait to get my hands on books 4 & 5.
A WELL-DESERVED 5/5 STARS.

I absolutely love these novels. They may be for young readers, but as an adult, they hold up their weight and deliver a spectacular adventure every time. Just bought Call of The Wraith!