Krishna
Bernard Cornwell is a familiar author to you if you have been following our reviews. We have reviewed several books in his Saxon series (So far, from The Last Kingdom to The Flame Bearer) and the excellent Arthurian Trilogy called Warlord Chronicles (consisting of The Winter King, The Enemy of God and The Excaliber). This is also the start of a series called ‘The Grail Quest series’). The story of Thomas who is the central character here, starts from this book.
Father Ralph is a priest in a small village called Hookton who is erudite. Meanwhile, upper class Thomas, whom his father wants to make into the noble profession of priesthood is interested instead in the lowly skill of archery and becomes legendary by stealth practice. As good as his grandfather (mother’s side) who was a skilled archer. We find that Ralph has in the church the lance that St George was supposed to have used to kill the dragon and therefore a priceless relic. Hanging in plain view in a small village in a church!
We learn that besides archery, Thomas has achieved another accomplishment, that of making pretty Jane pregnant. She is pestering him to marry her and he fears his father finding out about his peccadilloes.
Meanwhile the French arrive for plunder. Led by Sir Guillaume d’evecque, but really driven by a nameless noble, they come specifically to Hookton, seemingly looking for something specific. Ralph is killed and the lance is taken away. Before he dies, Ralph reveals to Thomas that the man who came is the brother of Thomas and we learn that both of them are sons of Ralph himself.
Thomas goes on Crusade to recover the lance, as he promised his father. He becomes the trusted lieutenant of Skeet and knows of a way inside a defended castle even as Skeet’s soldiers are repulsed back in an attack on the castle. Thomas suggests that there are rotting timbers at the back which can let some men in surreptitiously.
Meanwhile Jeanette, the Countess finds herself the object of a unwanted attention by Sir Simon, an impoverished noble. She is almost raped but rescued by Skeet and gets close to Thomas when she discovers that he, Thomas, is planning to kill Sir Simon by trickery. Thomas does this as he insults Simon and gets beaten up badly by Simon’s goons. But the hunt goes wrong and now Thomas is on the run. Will saves him and sends with the Countess who was going to her cruel uncle. He rejects her but agrees to keep her son, away from her.
He rapes her casually and locks her in. Escaping, she is near death raving mad and Thomas tends to her. But the moment he takes her to Edward’s son, she defects to the royal favour. They try to take Caen, a heavily fortified city. They manage to gain entrance by wading through a river and the slaughter begins.
When Thomas saves a young girl of fifteen, Eleanor from a British person trying to rape her, she follows him and he is attacked and hanged by Sir Thomas. He is saved by Eleanor and they fall in love. He learns that she is the bastard daughter of his enemy Sir Guilleme Levecq but he gets to admire the man. He also learns that the dreaded Hellequin got the lance and run away, as well as the fact that it was Hellequin who killed his father.
Then they are trapped in the country where the French pen them down first on one side of the river and then another. They manage to squeeze through, by Thomas finding a fjord and then leave with French full army in pursuit. Jeanette warns him that they will be caught and defeated by the French.
The French corner the English and the king decides to fight from the hill top. They are vastly outnumbered by the French and Harelequin is also there with Sir Simon, who has pledged him allegiance and wants only to avenge his excommunication by the King and the Prince of England.
The first attack is repelled by the English.
The battle is well told where Thomas achieves the aim of capturing the lance but not Vexille. However, he manages to lose Vexille and Sir Simon is killed. Sir Guillerme takes a very wounded Will Keaton back to his Father for cure. Thomas goes with him.
You recognize the author’s style and skill, but it does not embed in your mind like the Saxon series (reviewed elsewhere) or with the Arthur series. (Warlord Chronicles)
Nice read, nevertheless. 6/10
– – Krishna (Feb 2019)