Book Thoughts: The Archer's Tale
Mar. 27th, 2007 03:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
texchanThe charge was nearing the line of those Genoese who had died in the arrow storm. To Thomas, staring down the hill, the attack was a flurry of garish horse trappers and bright shields, of painted lances and streaming pennants, and now, because the horses had climbed out of the wet ground, every archer could hear the hooves that were louder even than the enemy's kettledrums. The ground was quivering so that Thomas could feel the vibration through the worn soles of his boots that had been a gift from Sir Guillaume. He looked for the three hawks, but could not see them, then forgot Sir Guillaume as his left leg went forward and his right arm hauled back. The arrow's feathers were beside his mouth and he kissed them, then fixed his gaze on a man who carried a black and yellow shield.
~ The Archer's Tale, Bernard Cornwell
The Archer's Tale, the first book in Bernard Cornwell's Grail Quest Series, opens with the sacking of Hookton, a small English village, on Easter eve, 1342. During this raid, the village's holy relic, The Lance of St. George, is stolen by a mysterious man wearing black armor. The main character, Thomas, who is the bastard son of Hookton's priest, is the only survivor. He was never fond of his father, but, during the early morning hours after the attackers withdraw from Hookton, he finds himself kneeling next to his dying father, promising to avenge his death and retrieve the holy relic stolen from Hookton. It is a promise Thomas will come to regret, but on that spring day, it seems an easy enough vow to make to comfort a dying man.
The problem, Thomas quickly realizes, is that he has no idea who took the lance, no idea where it was taken, and no idea how to find it. He doesn't even know where to start looking. Instead, he joins a band of archers and goes off to war, fulfilling his dream of becoming an archer, fighting for England against the French.
Thomas quickly forgets his vow. He loves his work, and he loves the chaos and destruction of war. But, his vow was more than just a promise made to his dying father; it was a promise to God, and such vows have a way of sticking to you, no matter how much you wish otherwise ... as Thomas quickly learns.
Yep, I'm back with yet another historical novel. Looks like these might be my "thing" for the spring, or something. And, for historical fiction, I really can't think of any author I'd rather spend time with than Bernard Cornwell. And, I have to say, The Archer's Tale did not disappoint.
I liked the book quite a lot, although it took me longer to get into the story than was the case with his Saxon Novels. I have to admit that, at first, I did not like Thomas. He is a complex character, and, to me, it was difficult to feel like I knew him or could identify with him. The story is action-packed, and Mr. Cornwell has this ability of making the places come to life and the battle scenes scream off the page. I felt as if I was sitting in the middle of all of it, hearing the clash of sword on sword, the thumping of hooves, the screams of the men. Sights, sounds, and smells are all written with such vivid clarity that I found myself drawn into the story, despite my lack of empathy for Thomas.
By the midpoint of the novel, though, I realized I had sold Thomas a bit short. Yes, it was hard to feel that I knew or understood him as a character. And, yes, that made it difficult for me to identify with him. But, this came to make sense as I realized that Thomas wasn't hiding from me ... he was hiding from himself. As the novel progressed, I saw Thomas mature as a person, an archer, and a soldier, and I also saw him come face-to-face with his own life and the quest laid upon him. Needless to say, by the end of the book, I came to admire and appreciate Thomas as a complex, multi-dimensional character, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
The Archer's Tale, the first book in Bernard Cornwell's Grail Quest Series, opens with the sacking of Hookton, a small English village, on Easter eve, 1342. During this raid, the village's holy relic, The Lance of St. George, is stolen by a mysterious man wearing black armor. The main character, Thomas, who is the bastard son of Hookton's priest, is the only survivor. He was never fond of his father, but, during the early morning hours after the attackers withdraw from Hookton, he finds himself kneeling next to his dying father, promising to avenge his death and retrieve the holy relic stolen from Hookton. It is a promise Thomas will come to regret, but on that spring day, it seems an easy enough vow to make to comfort a dying man.
The problem, Thomas quickly realizes, is that he has no idea who took the lance, no idea where it was taken, and no idea how to find it. He doesn't even know where to start looking. Instead, he joins a band of archers and goes off to war, fulfilling his dream of becoming an archer, fighting for England against the French.
Thomas quickly forgets his vow. He loves his work, and he loves the chaos and destruction of war. But, his vow was more than just a promise made to his dying father; it was a promise to God, and such vows have a way of sticking to you, no matter how much you wish otherwise ... as Thomas quickly learns.
Yep, I'm back with yet another historical novel. Looks like these might be my "thing" for the spring, or something. And, for historical fiction, I really can't think of any author I'd rather spend time with than Bernard Cornwell. And, I have to say, The Archer's Tale did not disappoint.
I liked the book quite a lot, although it took me longer to get into the story than was the case with his Saxon Novels. I have to admit that, at first, I did not like Thomas. He is a complex character, and, to me, it was difficult to feel like I knew him or could identify with him. The story is action-packed, and Mr. Cornwell has this ability of making the places come to life and the battle scenes scream off the page. I felt as if I was sitting in the middle of all of it, hearing the clash of sword on sword, the thumping of hooves, the screams of the men. Sights, sounds, and smells are all written with such vivid clarity that I found myself drawn into the story, despite my lack of empathy for Thomas.
By the midpoint of the novel, though, I realized I had sold Thomas a bit short. Yes, it was hard to feel that I knew or understood him as a character. And, yes, that made it difficult for me to identify with him. But, this came to make sense as I realized that Thomas wasn't hiding from me ... he was hiding from himself. As the novel progressed, I saw Thomas mature as a person, an archer, and a soldier, and I also saw him come face-to-face with his own life and the quest laid upon him. Needless to say, by the end of the book, I came to admire and appreciate Thomas as a complex, multi-dimensional character, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
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Date: 2007-04-03 05:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-03 06:31 pm (UTC)*fwaps self and runs off to add you*
PS: I looove your icon. Tigers! GRAWR! (reminds me of my kitty. LOL)
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Date: 2007-04-03 06:33 pm (UTC)