THE TALE Of The ENGLISH TEMPLAR by Helena P. Schrader – Historical Fiction, Knights Templar, 13th Century

Far from the romantic legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Helena P. Schrader’s The Tale of the English Templar faithfully captures the harsh decimation of the Knights Templar. Schrader offers a sobering, immersive look at one of history’s darkest betrayals. This is historical fiction worthy of legend with its feet planted firmly in research—not myth.

Set in the early 14th century, the novel captures the downfall of the Knights Templar at the hands of French King Philip IV. With the Pope’s reluctant cooperation, the Templars are accused of heresy and tortured until they confess to crimes they didn’t commit. The king’s true motive? Their immense wealth.

Among those captured is Sir Percy de Lacy, an English Templar who is swept up in a raid by local French soldiers and caught in a mass arrest on Friday, October 13th, 1307. What follows is a harrowing account of imprisonment, torture, and unlikely survival.

After being brutalized, Percy miraculously escapes the King’s dungeons, only to be found near-death and nursed back to health by Felice, the strong-willed granddaughter of a powerful and wealthy nobleman—with enigmatic Templar connections.

Felice arranges for Percy to be brought to her grandfather Geoffrey. Together they risk their lives to shelter Percy and ultimately join his mission to save others from the Templar purge raging outside their walls. Though still marked by what he’s endured, Percy heals enough to join Geoffrey in rescuing fellow knights. Driven by loyalty and purpose, Percy risks everything to aid the knights still in peril.

As the adventure unfolds, Felice’s arc rises as one of the novel’s most rewarding. From a teenage girl promised in marriage to a cruel Portuguese noble, she becomes a quiet revolutionary, challenging the roles available to women of her time. Her eventual alliance with Percy and Geoffrey becomes one of shared purpose and moral courage.

The meticulous historical detail includes graphic descriptions of torture and public execution. Readers should be prepared for the historically accurate burning of 54 Templars in an auto de fe, a public execution orchestrated by the Inquisition. These scenes are unflinching but not gratuitous. Schrader’s intent is clear: to help readers grasp the full horror of what was done to these men—and why.

There’s no clear-cut hero in this story. Instead, The Tale of the English Templar explores the ambiguity of morality and faith, and how loyalty, fear, and ambition intersect in dangerous times.

At its core, this is a book about conviction—what we believe, and what we’ll risk to defend it.

Fans of serious historical fiction will find much to admire here. Schrader’s characters are complex, her world brutal but vividly drawn. Readers looking for a fast-paced escape may find the philosophical reflection slows the narrative, but for those who enjoy layered, character-driven stories grounded in historical truth, this book delivers.

The Tale of the English Templar by Helena P. Schrader rewards readers with insight, depth, and a cast of characters who refuse to be forgotten.