Harlequin: Book 1 (The Grail Quest)

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Turns out, some of the strangest stuff that I’d dismissed, was historically accurate. History is wild, man. Okay, so it's a good book but you need to be aware that this is not a happy fantasy. It's a book about war and all the pain that goes with that, especially when it's a war fought with pointy and edged things some of sharp steel either wielded by hand or attached to a yard long shaft of wood. I’m aware that Cornwell writes historical fiction; by the close of this book, I thought he’d pushed the fiction a little too far, forgetting the historical part. My Ancient & Medieval History group constantly raves about the works of Bernard Cornwell. Harlequin, or The Archer's Tale, was my first B.C. read and I now understand the reverence and praise the group gives to Mr. Cornwell. He writes historical fiction. One of the most respectful words I can speak when referring to a writer in this genre is Realistic. Harlequin is definitely Realistic. If you like books about Kings and Courtiers, Belles and Balls, Romance and Chivalry this is NOT the book for you.

If you've read Cornwell's Saxon Stories then you're probably familiar with the formula. Intelligent soldier plays the hero, wins lots of battles, schemes, and has a slew of women on the side. The Archer's Tale mostly follows this formula as well. El desenlace final es insuperable, la batalla de Crecy. El ejército inglés arrinconado, tras un periodo de acoso y de tierra quemada por parte de los franceses, consigue escapar de una última trampa entre los ríos Sena y Somme. Escaso de suministros, escaso de flechas, escaso de hombres, eligen bien el terreno en una colina sobre el pueblo de Crecy y esperan al infinitamente superior ejército francés con miles de caballeros y ballesteros...y pagados de si mismos, sucumben al peor de los pecados, la soberbia. El desastre está muy bien narrado por Cornweel y merece la pena.....leñe, si casi dan pena los pobres gabachos.Thomas of Hookton is later briefly mentioned in Cornwell's novel Azincourt, set around the events leading up to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 as having "died as a lord of a thousand acres."

Like I said, it’s odd. Or rather, I’m odd. And I’m really liking this. It’s great Epic Fantasy, people… even if it is a meticulously researched and accurate accounting of ACTUAL HISTORY.I love Bernard Cornwell and have read this story a few times before, although it has been some years. I needed a book for a road trip and was delighted to find this title in unabridged form for the first time. It is magnificent. Cornwell is unequaled in medieval historical fiction, and this narrator pays it the honor it deserves with an amazing performance. I rate this as one of the top five audio books I've ever listened to.