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This was my first foray into Bernard Cornwells novel and I can easily say it will not be my last. All the reviews that praise his historical research and subsequent translation into an entertaining story are spot on! The battle scenes were gritty, foul and horrific.....not an ounce of sugar coating to be seenRecommendation for fans of medieval fantasy but don't expect any wizard to show up and save the day :)
Probably about 1 and 1/2 stars.Writing: adequate.Characters: flat. The villains are only villains because they are villains, and because the plot requires that there be villains. Actually, almost everyone does things only because the plot requires that they do them.I shall not be reading the remaining volumes in the trilogy, or, I suspect, anything else by Bernard Cornwell.
This book is beautifully written, and the story pulls you in from the first. A story of a young man, Thomas of Hookton, a man of questionable birth, who becomes an archer in the king’s army but it is about so much more. It is also a story of holy relics, revenge, and family. It does not shy away from the violence of the times or the cruelty of men.
Having been a big fan of historical fiction for as long as I can remember, I'm ashamed to admit this is my first Cornwell novel. Judging by how much I enjoyed Harlequin, it's definitely not going to be my last.Cornwell seamlessly blends historical fact and fiction and is one of the few historical fiction authors who stays as close to history as possible, but also makes these minor tweaks to it so that the story becomes, in a way, unpredictable. Sure, a quick Wikipedia search can show you whether...
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I even, after little consideration, went ahead and gave it 4 stars, surprising myself in the process. It wasn't until I sat down to do this review that I actually realised that, yes, I did really like it. I don't read Cornwell's Sharpe's series and am only interested in reading books of his such as the Saxon Series, Stonehenge & the Warlord Chronicles. This is the first in the Grail Quest series. The other two are Vagabond and Heretic. Here in Australia, this book...
This was a great book. It kept me turning pages throughout. It was all about the wars between the English and the French in the middle ages. It was quite a grewsome battle described in the book.This is the first of a trilogy which I recommend highly.Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Alright...this is painful for me to admit but I have to just get over it and say that this was my first Cornwell disappointment. I initially gave it three stars in a generous spirit but in the cold morning light I see it differently. I've been aware of his tropes, cliches, formulas, repeated phrases and stuff like that since my second book of his (The Pale Horseman) and it literally either been utterly irrelevant to my enjoyment of his novels so I can't just blame my wishy-washy reception to thi...
How to describe this book I can only say that it's breath-taking and captivating, I loved it right from the first page. I can consider it already as one of my most favourite books, it's appropriate for all adult ages especially for those who love historical fiction. I literally couldn't put it down and during the night I stayed awake to see what was going to happen next as waiting till the next day was unbearable! I highly recommend this book to all adult ages, if you love historical fiction thi...
The year is 1342, the English, led by Eduard to third devastate France. Their most powerful weapons are archers with long bows who are called Harlequin. Among them is Thomas of Hookton, the French troops killed his father who is the priest in village Hookton and ravaged the village. The French have stolen relic Spear St. George that his father kept in the church. Here Thomas kills his first enemy and decides to take revenge on the French, and returns the stolen spear. Connects to the army as an
I haven't gotten deeply into any series by Mr. Cornwell since I went through a lot of the Sharpe books placed in/during the Napoleonic wars. These take place as the 100 Years War is getting under way.First I'll say this....Bernard Cornwell can really lay out the bloody, cruel, reality of the time. This book isn't for anyone with a weak constitution. Be prepared for the casual cruelty of humans. Rape, pillage, rapine, casual murder....not so casual murder...revenge, "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. P...
I find myself in a funny and odd situation as I read this. I’m a big fan of epic fantasy, and yet, for some reason, I have generally ignored regular historical fiction.WHY? I DON’T KNOW.For let me put this very clearly: all the action, characterization, siege warfare, interpersonal conflicts, lords, ladies, general grunts, and the clergy are all heavily represented in BOTH genres. Indeed, both historical fiction and epic fantasies are separated ONLY by the author’s willingness to add a little ma...
There are parts of this book that are fast-paced and exciting ... unfortunately they are too far separated by rather boring sections where the characters are not developed enough to create an emotional attachment ... I remember liking Cornwell's writing ... but not this time
The main theme of the book is the role of the archer, specifically the English archer – there are some Welsh archers (Pat, for example) but they have the grace to wait in the background. It seems to have been true that archers were a particularly dangerous force on the battlefield but, assuming we are not guilty of exaggerating their importance, why did other countries not seek to replicate them? Cornwell himself has no answer other than that it must have been a very difficult skill to acquire a...