To Sift Through Bitter Ashes — David Niall Wilson

Obsessed with acquiring the Holy Grail for the Lasombra clan, the vampire Montrovant sets out on a quest that leads him through the establishment of the Knights Templar, the lair of an ancient Egyptian evil, and the deserts of the Holy Land. Dark forces are pitted against him, and each ally must be watched in turn, as treachery leads to deceit and back again in a race against time, the Church, and the, mysterious Kli Kodesh, who is more ancient, even, than Montrovant's sire.

Only persistence, luck, and the power of his own will can see him through to his goal, and any mistake could mean his destruction.

This novel is the first book of The Grails Covenant, a trilogy set in the world of Vampire: The Dark Ages. While complete unto itself, the trilogy includes characters and plots that continue into The Trilogy of the Blood Curse, a trilogy for Vampire: The Masquerade that begins with The Devil's Advocate, to be released in October 1997.