Scan barcode
capra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
git_r_read's review
5.0
I like when I find a well-told story, especially to listen to and I enjoy historical fiction. This is one of those blessed combinations.
Add in the main character to follow and root for, cringe when he gets beaten, cheer when he wins the prize.
Thomas is an archer, has a good heart, wants to do what's best and has a lot of obstacles set in his path like all good protagonists do. I am curious to see what's going to happen next.
Bernard Cornwell is a prolific writer and researches meticulously since this is fiction based on fact as I believe most of his books are. He's been on my to look for list for a while.
This book is also listed as The Archer's Tale which I had on my wishlist here on Goodreads. I found it on Audible with this title, so if you are interested in this book, don't let the title difference confuse you.
I can recommend this book, series and author.
Add in the main character to follow and root for, cringe when he gets beaten, cheer when he wins the prize.
Thomas is an archer, has a good heart, wants to do what's best and has a lot of obstacles set in his path like all good protagonists do. I am curious to see what's going to happen next.
Bernard Cornwell is a prolific writer and researches meticulously since this is fiction based on fact as I believe most of his books are. He's been on my to look for list for a while.
This book is also listed as The Archer's Tale which I had on my wishlist here on Goodreads. I found it on Audible with this title, so if you are interested in this book, don't let the title difference confuse you.
I can recommend this book, series and author.
kipahni's review against another edition
2.0
Not near as good as his other books. Great fighting scenes but the characters were too meh.
letsreadmorebooks's review against another edition
3.0
i picked this book up on a whim. historical fiction set in medieval europe isn't a go-to genre for me. but i generally enjoyed it. i appreciate that all but a couple events are based on actual events. unfortunately, the two female characters are ancillary to the story and one-dimensional, which was disappointing (but to be expected). and the final battle (the battle of crecy) went on for ~50 pages, about 49 pages too many for me, so it took me forever to finish the book.
eososray's review against another edition
2.0
Considering how much I enjoyed the previous seven Bernard Cornwell books I have read, I was disappointed with this one.
It is the story of a young man in the mid fourteenth century who only ever wanted to be an archer. Events conspire to push him into a more complicated role than he was wishing for.
At the start of the book I was worried it was going to be boring and then within a couple chapters I was relieved that it had picked up. By the time I made it three quarters in I was uninterested again which I thought was a bad sign as the last quarter of the book is all battles.
My conclusion is that while I liked our hero, the story of the Grail was not to my liking, thus the uninterest in the story.
It is the story of a young man in the mid fourteenth century who only ever wanted to be an archer. Events conspire to push him into a more complicated role than he was wishing for.
At the start of the book I was worried it was going to be boring and then within a couple chapters I was relieved that it had picked up. By the time I made it three quarters in I was uninterested again which I thought was a bad sign as the last quarter of the book is all battles.
My conclusion is that while I liked our hero, the story of the Grail was not to my liking, thus the uninterest in the story.
mmk4725's review against another edition
2.0
I liked this book in the beginning. I began to get bored mid way through the book. I really didn't like the characters. Yet more pages of a war description.
Won't be reading the next book in the series.
Won't be reading the next book in the series.
lreay89's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book and though the story was engaging and historically accurate. I’ve not read any books that focus on Edward III campaign in France or the battles that started the 100 years war so it was refreshing to learn about this important historical time.
I agree with some of the other reviews - there were episodes of violence, especially towards women that I found unnecessary. I think it’s very obvious nowadays that war didn’t bring the best out in the men that fought so it was unnecessary and gratuitous to describe so much rape in so much detail. I am fully aware these atrocities took place without having them described to me so often during the book.
What was especially unbelievable to me (as a female reader) was the description of the aftermath of violence towards a particular female character which involved her having a mental breakdown (this part I agree with and found realistic) which was then spoiled by the sudden sexual relationship developing with another male character.
Literally one minute the female was inconsolable and the next she was jumping into bed with another man. If the whole episode had been removed it wouldn’t have effected the story at all. Something for Bernard to think about for future books!
Otherwise the book was well written and kept me engaged. As long as the rape is skipped over this book is a good read and kept me occupied before my c-section and subsequently during night feeds.
I enjoyed this book and though the story was engaging and historically accurate. I’ve not read any books that focus on Edward III campaign in France or the battles that started the 100 years war so it was refreshing to learn about this important historical time.
I agree with some of the other reviews - there were episodes of violence, especially towards women that I found unnecessary. I think it’s very obvious nowadays that war didn’t bring the best out in the men that fought so it was unnecessary and gratuitous to describe so much rape in so much detail. I am fully aware these atrocities took place without having them described to me so often during the book.
What was especially unbelievable to me (as a female reader) was the description of the aftermath of violence towards a particular female character which involved her having a mental breakdown (this part I agree with and found realistic) which was then spoiled by the sudden sexual relationship developing with another male character.
Literally one minute the female was inconsolable and the next she was jumping into bed with another man. If the whole episode had been removed it wouldn’t have effected the story at all. Something for Bernard to think about for future books!
Otherwise the book was well written and kept me engaged. As long as the rape is skipped over this book is a good read and kept me occupied before my c-section and subsequently during night feeds.
claudiavds's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
joshgauthier's review against another edition
4.0
For one of my first experiences with historical fiction, Cornwell's [b:The Archer's Tale|68531|The Archer's Tale (The Grail Quest, #1)|Bernard Cornwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407709312s/68531.jpg|425641] was a well-crafted introduction to the genre. While the narrative POV felt odd at times and there were a few points where it felt like improbably occurrences took place to serve the story, such flaws do not outweigh the skill with which Cornwell tells his story. "The Archer's Tale" is an often brutal portrayal of the realities that faced soldiers, peasants, and nobility alike at the start of the Hundred Years War. His conflicted and flawed characters love and do battle in a war-torn landscape marked by engaging detail and commitment to realism. And as the story progresses, Cornwell reveals himself to be a skilled storyteller as he weaves together strong characters with story-lines of faith, loss, and redemption, all set against a tapestry of social, military, and historical turmoil. Fit for fans of historical fiction and high fantasy alike, "The Archer's Tale" is a satisfying read for anyone not overly bothered by depictions of medieval warfare.
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
3.0
I used to love Bernard Cornwell, but I'm afraid that I'd have to downgrade that to "I like Bernard Cornwell — but in moderation". Cornwall is like cheese. You sometimes crave for it, but too much and it spoils the food a little.
The thing about Cornwell is that he writes the same books with the same characters. Your enjoyment of his books, then, will largely depend on how much you like the repeated elements. His protagonist is almost always a young man who is good at warfare, is driven by revenge and has an on-again-off-again relationship with God. He is also halfway good with the women that he meets — never rape-y, though not quite a gentleman. Also, as gritty and realistic as his battles are, after you've read the ones in his Warlord Chronicles, every subsequent battle will read more or less the same. Even the more modern battles in the Sharpe stories read the same, even though those battles involve cannons and rifles.
I was hoping for The Archer's Tale — or Harlequin, as they call it in the UK — to depart from this formula. Since the trilogy is called The Grail Quest, I was hoping for it to be, well, a quest for the Holy Grail. Maybe books two and three will touch on that but, for now, book one is mostly another run-of-the-mill Cornwell book. The titular Grail isn't even in this book, which is odd, replaced instead by a mythical lance.
I also want to add that women are there to clean wounds, be raped or be fallen in love with — which is odd, because Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles feature a handful of great female characters. A pity.
Will the next two books involve Thomas and a hodgepodge group of men travelling to the Middle-east? Will they see Jerusalem? Will they be hunting for the Holy Grail? These are speculations before reading the synopses for the next two books. I am just putting them here, in hopes that the next two books will fulfil my wishes. Otherwise, this will certainly end up as yet another disappointment.
The thing about Cornwell is that he writes the same books with the same characters. Your enjoyment of his books, then, will largely depend on how much you like the repeated elements. His protagonist is almost always a young man who is good at warfare, is driven by revenge and has an on-again-off-again relationship with God. He is also halfway good with the women that he meets — never rape-y, though not quite a gentleman. Also, as gritty and realistic as his battles are, after you've read the ones in his Warlord Chronicles, every subsequent battle will read more or less the same. Even the more modern battles in the Sharpe stories read the same, even though those battles involve cannons and rifles.
I was hoping for The Archer's Tale — or Harlequin, as they call it in the UK — to depart from this formula. Since the trilogy is called The Grail Quest, I was hoping for it to be, well, a quest for the Holy Grail. Maybe books two and three will touch on that but, for now, book one is mostly another run-of-the-mill Cornwell book. The titular Grail isn't even in this book, which is odd, replaced instead by a mythical lance.
I also want to add that women are there to clean wounds, be raped or be fallen in love with — which is odd, because Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles feature a handful of great female characters. A pity.
Will the next two books involve Thomas and a hodgepodge group of men travelling to the Middle-east? Will they see Jerusalem? Will they be hunting for the Holy Grail? These are speculations before reading the synopses for the next two books. I am just putting them here, in hopes that the next two books will fulfil my wishes. Otherwise, this will certainly end up as yet another disappointment.