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51 reviews for:
Sharpe's Assassin: Richard Sharpe and the Occupation of Paris, 1815
Bernard Cornwell
4.13 AVERAGE
51 reviews for:
Sharpe's Assassin: Richard Sharpe and the Occupation of Paris, 1815
Bernard Cornwell
4.13 AVERAGE
Formulaic, cliché'd and almost entirely predictable - but still a fun enough read.
My memory of reading the older Sharpe books some 15-20 years ago suggests this is one of the weaker ones... but that could be my ailing memory and changing taste in novels. Regardless, there's always a time and place for this sort of unabashed "by gosh you're a b*stard Sharpe, but a damn fine b*stard and bloody glad you're our b*stard" cheese-fest
My memory of reading the older Sharpe books some 15-20 years ago suggests this is one of the weaker ones... but that could be my ailing memory and changing taste in novels. Regardless, there's always a time and place for this sort of unabashed "by gosh you're a b*stard Sharpe, but a damn fine b*stard and bloody glad you're our b*stard" cheese-fest
Always enjoyed Bernard Cornwell stories, but I may have read one too many. Main characters seem interchangeable amongst the Sharpe’s and Saxon Series.
This is an action-packed tale that's a lot of fun to read. I'm obviously coming in in the middle of this tale of Richard Sharpe and his exploits. Still, it's easy to understand what's going on as this book is post-Waterloo and Sharpe finds more challenges on being ordered on into France. I did check out the author on Goodreads and find this series compared with Horatio Hornblower - which I very much agree with. Sharpe is a heroic character which is a character archetype that's much needed these days. (For modern readers, Captain Kirk is compared with Horatio Hornblower too - Kirk is just a version that's in outer space.) My rating is 4 stars for a great story that doesn't quite rise to what I seek (moral clarity for example) to give 5 stars.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Good to spend a little more time with Sharpe and Harper!
It's been 15 years or so since [a:Bernard Cornwell|12542|Bernard Cornwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1504578807p2/12542.jpg] last returned to perhaps his most famous creation Richard Sharpe, in [b:Sharpe's Fury|29395|Sharpe's Fury (Sharpe, #11)|Bernard Cornwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1438541607l/29395._SY75_.jpg|891864].
In chronological order, that was then, novel # 11 of 23 (including short stories in that count).
While Cornwell continued on with his 'Saxon Stories / Last Kingdom' series starring Uhtred of Bebbanburg (read those. Enjoyed those), I've always held a soft spot for the soldier-up-from-the-ranks of Richard Sharpe, so I was quite happy to hear that he would be returning to that character.
This is that return, chronologically novel # 23 of 24, taking place almost immediately after the Battle of Waterloo (worth reading [b:Sharpe's Waterloo|328986|Sharpe's Waterloo (Sharpe, #20)|Bernard Cornwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558839728l/328986._SY75_.jpg|3167398] again - you don't need to, but it gives context). There's no historical battle (for the setting) this time around; instead we have Sharpe getting caught up in/foil an a plot to assassinate the Duke of Wellington - who, here, seems to have mellowed somewhat towards Sharpe - and the returning King Louis XVIII, with a large portion of the novel set in and around the environs of Paris (in particular The Louvre).
Good to have Sharpe and Harper back together!
In chronological order, that was then, novel # 11 of 23 (including short stories in that count).
While Cornwell continued on with his 'Saxon Stories / Last Kingdom' series starring Uhtred of Bebbanburg (read those. Enjoyed those), I've always held a soft spot for the soldier-up-from-the-ranks of Richard Sharpe, so I was quite happy to hear that he would be returning to that character.
This is that return, chronologically novel # 23 of 24, taking place almost immediately after the Battle of Waterloo (worth reading [b:Sharpe's Waterloo|328986|Sharpe's Waterloo (Sharpe, #20)|Bernard Cornwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558839728l/328986._SY75_.jpg|3167398] again - you don't need to, but it gives context). There's no historical battle (for the setting) this time around; instead we have Sharpe getting caught up in/foil an a plot to assassinate the Duke of Wellington - who, here, seems to have mellowed somewhat towards Sharpe - and the returning King Louis XVIII, with a large portion of the novel set in and around the environs of Paris (in particular The Louvre).
Good to have Sharpe and Harper back together!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read the previous Sharpe novels some time ago and really enjoyed them. However, this one is a step up. Sharpe and Harper seem more gritty and viscous, maybe the long years of bloody war have changed them, maybe the author wanted them be more violent to suit a modern audience?
The scene in the restaurant with Sharpe, Harper and Fox was well realised (I pictured it in a SAS: Rogues Heroes style....), amusing and full of threat.
Another scene that sticks in my memory is the short conversation with Sharpe and Harper just before the final fight, I won't spoil it, but I now know the love and respect between these men.
Now onto Sharpe's Command...... 😁
The scene in the restaurant with Sharpe, Harper and Fox was well realised (I pictured it in a SAS: Rogues Heroes style....), amusing and full of threat.
Another scene that sticks in my memory is the short conversation with Sharpe and Harper just before the final fight, I won't spoil it, but I now know the love and respect between these men.
Now onto Sharpe's Command...... 😁
A fitting final installment to the main sequence of books, giving the readers a sense of completion and closure.