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The eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling Harlequin, this is the second instalment in Bernard Cornwell's Grail Quest series. In Harlequin, Thomas of Hookton travelled to France as an archer and there discovered a shadowy destiny, which linked him to a family of heretical French lords who sought Christendom's greatest relic. Having survived the battle of Crecy, Thomas is sent back to England, charged with finding the Holy Grail. But Thomas is an archer and when a chance comes to fight against an army invading northern England he jumps at it. Plunged into the carnage of Neville's Cross, he is oblivious to other enemies who want to destroy him. He discovers too late that he is not the only person pursuing the grail, and that his rivals will do anything to thwart him. After hunting and wounding him, Thomas's enemies turn him into a fugitive. Fleeing England, he travels to Normandy, determined to rescue Will Skeat, his old commander from Harlequin. Finally Thomas leads his enemies back to Brittany, where he goes to discover an old love and where his pursuers at last trap their reluctant pilgrim. Vagabond is a vivid and realistic portrait of England at a time when the archer was king of Europe's battlefields.
After surviving the carnage of Crecy, archer Thomas of Hookton finds himself a hunted man while tasked with the impossible search for the Holy Grail. Thomas must navigate the brutal political and religious landscapes of 14th-century England and France, where his status as a common archer makes him a pawn in the schemes of powerful, heretical lords. Opposed by ruthless rivals who seek the same relic, he is forced into a life of flight and combat, shifting from the battlefields of northern England to the dangerous terrain of Normandy and Brittany. The narrative follows a third-person perspective that emphasizes the visceral, tactical realities of medieval warfare and the precarious nature of Thomas's quest.
This work is characterized by the author's signature focus on the gritty, mechanical realities of medieval combat and the logistical challenges of the era. The narrative structure relies on the protagonist's movement across a fractured European landscape, which serves to highlight the instability of the period. Readers likely find the blend of historical accuracy and high-stakes adventure to be the primary draw, as the story avoids romanticizing the brutality of the 14th century. The pacing suggests a deliberate escalation of conflict, moving from large-scale military engagements to the intimate, desperate struggle of a man on the run.
Page Count:
384
Publication Date:
2002-01-01
Publisher:
HarperCollins
ISBN-10:
0002259664
ISBN-13:
9780002259668
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