Vagabond (The Grail Quest, Book 2)

Cornwell, Bernard

ISBN 10: 0007310315 ISBN 13: 9780007310319

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2013

Synopsis

The eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling Harlequin, this is the second instalment in Bernard Cornwell's GRAIL QUEST series, in a bright and bold repackage.It is 1346. While King Edward III fights in France, England lies exposed to the threat of invasion. Thomas of Hookton, archer and hero of Crecy, finds himself back in the north just as the Scots invade on behalf of their French allies.Thomas is determined to pursue his personal quest: to discover whether a relic he is searching for is the Holy Grail., But once again it is the archers whose skills will be called upon, and who will become the true heroes of the battle.

About this title

Review:

Vagabond, the second entry in the "Grail Quest" sequence, has been eagerly anticipated by those who read the first book, and it doesn't disappoint. Thomas has managed to survive the battle of Crécy. Still nursing his wounds, he is dispatched by the king on a mission to look into the matter of his father's inheritance, which is obscurely connected to the Holy Grail. This most precious relic of the Christian faith is a much sought-after object, offering the power of total victory in war to its owner. But Thomas finds himself in the middle of a battle against an army invading the North of England, and other shadowy forces pursuing the grail are prepared to slaughter anyone who stands in their way. In the ruins of his birthplace, Thomas discovers more about his father, and a dangerous voyage to France brings him up against his cousin and arch-enemy, Count of Astarc Guy Vexville. The stage is set for a merciless showdown.

Thomas is a protagonist drawn quite as pithily as his much-loved predecessor, and the sheer verve of Cornwell's storytelling here is irresistible. We are plunged into a distant age: bloody, colourful and dangerous. Roll on, volume three! --Barry Forshaw

Review:

‘Crackling with good deeds, fine characters and sparkling set pieces, it confirms yet again Cornwell’s reputation for masterly historical novels’ DAILY MAIL

‘It is all spectacular, rattling good stuff: war and torture; love, lust and loss’ THE TIMES

‘The battle scenes, as always, are masterful; and the vignettes of everyday living, in times of extreme hardship, have the ring of simple truth’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

‘A very fine writer’ ECONOMIST

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0007310315
• ISBN 13: 9780007310319
• Binding: Unknown Binding
• Number of pages: 512