One day Grimpow and his friend discover a dead knight and remove a strange stone from the body. As the body disappears into nothingness, it becomes clear that this was not an ordinary knight. The discovery of the body and the stone set Grimpow on a quest for further knowledge.

Review: The book takes place at the time of the suppression of the order of the Knights Templar and as Grimpow discovers the special properties of the stone, it is clear that this order is central to his quest. When holding the stone Grimpow, who is illiterate, can read and understand every language. Gradually he and the reader realise that the stone in his possession is the Philosopher’s Stone. His quest brings him into contact with many people who assist and hinder him and he comes across many puzzles which he must solve to continue on his way. The reader is also in a position to work out the anagrams and the riddles as they are presented to Grimpow.

The Philosopher’s Stone is the symbol and gift of the sages and it has, with the knowledge that it is the key to, been protected by the Knights Templar. Because of their suppression, a new protector and sage is required, who understands the invisible road to enlightenment and who can ensure that its promise is not lost forever. There are strong echoes of Rosicrucian philosophy and freemasonry in the tale.

At its best this novel celebrates the importance of wisdom and learning. It calls for the acknowledgement of the importance of the role of humankind in reaching true enlightenment and it is an affirmation of reason against ignorance, fear and greed. At its worst it is patronising and elitist. The book is rather laborious in style which may be a fault of the translation. There was much promise of excitement, suspense and adventure but this was never fully realised.

2008-06-05