Vagabond

VAGABOND is the second book in the Grail trilogy, following THE ARCHER'S TALE. It continues Thomas of Hookton's duel mission - to lead archers in the English king's army and to find the holy grail, if it exists. Thomas is skeptical about its existence because he has never seen it, and because his father was thought to be a bit crazy. As with the first book, VAGABOND accurately reflects the history of the Hundred Years War. Because the characters develop throughout the trilogy, it's best to begin with THE ARCHER'S TALE. Don't miss the third book, HERETIC.

Cornwell picks up the saga of Thomas of Hookton and his Grail quest in this second volume of his treatment of the Hundred Years War. From the Battle of Neville's Cross at the beginning to the French siege of La Roche-Derrien at the end, fans of Cornwell's battle scene descriptions will enjoy a feast of arrows and gore. In between there are plenty of new and old villains, the return of Jeanette, and enough ups and downs to keep the pages turning. If you have read the first volume, "The Archer's Tale," you can't stop now--read "Vagabond," and you won't be disappointed.

In "Vagabond", Thomas of Hookton is the expert longbowman hero that we follow on his quest of the Holy Grail. Actually, as in the first book, "The Archer's Tale", Thomas is not all that interested in the Grail; he'd just rather be an archer; however, he keeps getting sucked into its pursuit by others who hound him about it. These others are generally cruel and hateful characters whose interest in the Grail is to obtain political or religious power, or monetary fortune. They are a threat to Thomas and have all done evil to him and his friends,thereby becoming enemies upon whom Thomas must seek revenge. Thomas is a hero to admire, not because he is particularly charismatic, but because he is humble, honorable, clever, and skilled. He is caught in dangerous times and situations, and carries out his duties for England and his friends as best he can. This sequel was not as exciting as the first book, but the battle scenes in both books are fascinating, vivid, and gory. Author Cornwell bases these on actual historical battles. This book opens with the Battle of Neville's Cross in which the confident Scots, invading England while England is busy battling in France, nevertheless are slaughtered. The amazing battle of La Roche Derrien in France is the ending scene, in which all but one of Thomas' enemies is vanquished, but the Grail is still undiscovered. This lets us know that another sequel will follow. I have learned a lot about this era of the famous longbow archers and of the 1000 year war between England and France, and Thomas' personal adventures in this period make me eager to continue reading whatever sequels are coming.

The Grail Saga continues with the brilliant second installment. Vagabond is historical adventure in all its finest. It's got swordfights, knights, huge battles, damsels in distress, holy relics, and, of course, archers. It's a period book that never forgets the sweep of medieval history, of our fascination with such a dynamic time. This second work continues the journey of Thomas of Hookton, the young, appealing English archer. He is a great protagonist, as he has many internal doubts and is a very complex young man. Born of a torrid and disgraced family, Thomas has to make his own way in the world, while fending off a whole host of truly evil opponents.As the book description says, all of Europe is ablaze with violence and war. The Hundred Years War has begun, with unimaginable violence taking place between England and France. Vast armies of knights and men at arms clash in unbelievably violent hand-to-hand encounters. A new, dominant force has entered the European battlefield that almost no one can match, the English archer. With huge longbows, the English archers can unleash a rain of steel that will destroy any army in front of it. The battle descriptions that Cornwell offers are really top notch, some of the best ones I have ever read. He does not mince words, fully describes the abject brutality that these encounters entailed. Cornwell really has a gift at describing battle in clear, understandable terms that get the point across and help the overall story immensely.But Europe is ablaze for another reason. The Grail is lost and must be found. The cup of which Christ took his last drink is rumored to exist somewhere on the continent, and many different factions are desperate to get their hands on the symbol of God's power on Earth. It is said that those who possess the cup will have the power of war and peace, making themselves the masters of all men. With this attraction, groups such as the Vatican, the Dominicans, and various other European royalty cannot ignore the powerful relic. However, the most aggressive, and dangerous pursuers are the mysterious family of Cathar heretics known as the Vexiles. Their leader, known as the Harlequin, is hell-bent on getting the grail back.Thomas of Hookton has knowledge of the Grail, as its pursuit had much to do with his fathers violent death. He now has possession of a mysterious guidebook, bequeathed to him by his late father. However, it is very mysterious, and Thomas struggles to understand its mysteries. Meanwhile, he has to escape various rivals who want to kill him, for Thomas is a clever and cultured fellow, destined to attract jealous rivals. And, if that was not enough, he is a very valuable fighter, for he is an archer, king of the new battlefield. It is interesting to watch Thomas develop, as he sometimes longs for a "normal" lifestyle as a non-descript mercenary. Yet the mystery of the Grail burns inside him, and he cannot ignore it, for the other searches will not

Bernard Cornwell has always had a talent for writing great novels and will always be known for the Sharpe serires, but this Grail Quest series is probably his best. This book is the best for any fan of historical fiction, or history in general. It is one of those rare books that I could hardly put down and found myself constantly thinking about it when I was not reading it. To be honest, I was worried when the book first started as Thomas had seemingly become somewhat holier since the first book ended, but that simply turned out to be a mistaken interpretation on my part, as Thomas is quickly up to his neck in the same chivarly and devilry as in The Archer's Tale.As with his other books, Cornwell has blended the fictional events and the historical events so well as to make it almost impossible to tell when the history ends and the fiction begins. Thankfully, Cornwell is one of the few honest historical fiction writers to actually offer historical notes with his books to tell what's what.