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usbsticky's review against another edition
5.0
When I read the description of this series I couldn't remember if I'd read it already because all the English archer stories are pretty much the same: an impoverished young man who is forced to go to war to avoid something bad happening at home. I had read Ken Follett's series and Ronald Welch's archer books and liked them all. I thought I'd already read this series but it turns out I had not.
I liked this series so much that I read through all 4 books without writing the review. So now I don't remember the details and they run together anyway. The long and short of the series is that Thomas of Hookton joins a lord's army and follows him during the 100 Years War against France.
In each book Cornwell puts Thomas in one of England's famous battles. And during the rest of the book he usually has to avoid and overcome a villain(s) who tries to kill him and has a romantic interest(s) who is irresistibly attracted to him (sooner or later). Thomas is also usually surrounded with good friends and has some a superior who protects him and advances his interest. This is basically Cornwell's cookie cutter plate which he uses for every story.
What I like about Cornwell's writing is that it's easy to read and follow, the historical setting is very well written and informative, the characters are interesting and the action scenes are well done. I'm usually not a fan of the villains, the elements of conflict and the damsels. The reason for the villains is that I like the protagonists and hate to see him suffer (before winning). And I don't particularly like the romance because they are repetitive and does nothing but provide a weak point for the villains to attack.
I'm just going to repeat this review for all 3 books because the blueprint for them is the same except for the cities, battles, villains and damsels. But overall I liked the series a lot.
I liked this series so much that I read through all 4 books without writing the review. So now I don't remember the details and they run together anyway. The long and short of the series is that Thomas of Hookton joins a lord's army and follows him during the 100 Years War against France.
In each book Cornwell puts Thomas in one of England's famous battles. And during the rest of the book he usually has to avoid and overcome a villain(s) who tries to kill him and has a romantic interest(s) who is irresistibly attracted to him (sooner or later). Thomas is also usually surrounded with good friends and has some a superior who protects him and advances his interest. This is basically Cornwell's cookie cutter plate which he uses for every story.
What I like about Cornwell's writing is that it's easy to read and follow, the historical setting is very well written and informative, the characters are interesting and the action scenes are well done. I'm usually not a fan of the villains, the elements of conflict and the damsels. The reason for the villains is that I like the protagonists and hate to see him suffer (before winning). And I don't particularly like the romance because they are repetitive and does nothing but provide a weak point for the villains to attack.
I'm just going to repeat this review for all 3 books because the blueprint for them is the same except for the cities, battles, villains and damsels. But overall I liked the series a lot.
libertyindiarose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
slathran's review against another edition
4.0
So first of all i have to say that i`m a fanboy of Cornwell, so i really appreciate his works (except fpr Stonehenge tbh) and this one is a quite good one if you want to start with Cornwells books.
It´s a typical story for him set at the beginning of the hundred years war. There`s more than one story line and a quite typical main character for Cornwell. While reading you`ll get into typical characteristics of Cornwells books. A very good story writing, the historic setting, the dark reality of war and authentic characters. So if you like historical novels or want to get started with it try this one. I would say that i like the Last Kingdom Series more, but for the start this one might be better, because there are only three books to read, not thirteen.
It´s a typical story for him set at the beginning of the hundred years war. There`s more than one story line and a quite typical main character for Cornwell. While reading you`ll get into typical characteristics of Cornwells books. A very good story writing, the historic setting, the dark reality of war and authentic characters. So if you like historical novels or want to get started with it try this one. I would say that i like the Last Kingdom Series more, but for the start this one might be better, because there are only three books to read, not thirteen.
guachypachy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gatorelgato's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
tashabye's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
3.5
I think this is just a mood response. Cornwell's writing is still really good and the characters were interesting, it's the battle scenes that I was just not as interested in reading at the moment. Historically, I have loved this author.
bloggingwithdragons's review against another edition
2.0
I was disappointed with this book. Though written well and obviously researched, I felt that this book was nothing more than a setup for future installments in a series. I wasn't attached to the main characters and felt that the story was bogged down by all of the constant battle descriptions. I understand that this is historical fiction, with a main character as an archer in King Edward's army--battles are to be expected--but I thought I'd be getting something more along the lines of the "Da Vinci Code." To my dismay, the whole holy grail quest part of the story isn't really realized until 3/4 of the way through the book. Though Cornwell lays the foundation for what could be a thrilling story with complex villains steeped in dark religion, I am still undecided about reading the next books in the series and glad that I got "The Archer's Tale" from the library.
patremagne's review against another edition
4.0
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 or not the Black Prince or any other person died at Crecy, but even if you know there's still suspense in the way Cornwell weaves his words, and his depiction of the battle at Crecy was thrilling to hear. I have a huge interest in the Hundred Years' War, so it's great to hear an accurate (for the most part) account of one of the most important battles of the century-long conflict, especially in a time where it doesn't seem like a lot of modern historians are willing to write readable nonfiction on the subject.
Andrew Cullum was an excellent narrator, able to pull off a large variety of characters in unique ways.
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 or not the Black Prince or any other person died at Crecy, but even if you know there's still suspense in the way Cornwell weaves his words, and his depiction of the battle at Crecy was thrilling to hear. I have a huge interest in the Hundred Years' War, so it's great to hear an accurate (for the most part) account of one of the most important battles of the century-long conflict, especially in a time where it doesn't seem like a lot of modern historians are willing to write readable nonfiction on the subject.
Andrew Cullum was an excellent narrator, able to pull off a large variety of characters in unique ways.