Heretic

Already a seasoned veteran of King Edward's army, young Thomas of Hookton possesses the fearlessness of a born leader and an uncanny prowess with the longbow. Now, at the head of a small but able band of soldiers, he has been dispatched to capture the castle of Astarac. But more than duty to his liege has brought him to Gascony, home of his forebears and the hated black knight who brutally slew Thomas's father. It is also the last place where the Holy Grail was reported seen. Here, also, a beautiful and innocent, if not pious, woman is to be burned as a heretic. Saving the lady, Genevieve, from her dread fate will brand Thomas an infidel, forcing them to flee together across a landscape of blood and fire. And what looms ahead is a battle to the death that could ultimately shape the future of Christendom.

From Publishers WeeklyCornwell is a master of the historical action novel, and he outdoes himself again with this gripping third volume in his Grail Quest series, set during the bloody Hundred Years' War (The Archer's Tale; Vagabond). For years, English archer Thomas of Hookton has been searching for the Holy Grail. Thomas is not certain it ever existed, but obscure clues link his family to the mysterious vessel. In 1347, driven by his desire to plumb the truth of the Grail as well as to earn money from the plunder of French lands and property, Thomas and a small group of soldiers capture a castle in Gascony, the homeland of Thomas's father. Thomas hopes to hold the castle against the French, raid the countryside for loot and draw the attention of his evil cousin Guy Vexille, a French nobleman who murdered Thomas's father and who may have information about the Grail. Vexille appears, but so does the army of a local lord, sent to besiege the castle, and the vicious brother of a treacherous and cunning bishop who is determined to secure the Grail. Fighting honorably amid extreme brutality, Thomas is aided by loyal English archers, English and French men-at-arms, local bandits, a Scottish mercenary and a heretic girl with unusual powers. Outnumbered by his enemies, he faces the might of a huge cannon and the power of the Church's greed-not to mention the dreaded Black Death. Most daunting of all, however, is the decision Thomas must make when he finally discovers the truth about the Holy Grail. Graphic battlefield action, strong characters and sharp plotting are Cornwell's trademarks, and his fans will love this latest melee.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From BooklistThomas of Hookton, English archer and illegitimate son of a disgraced French priest, returns in the third and final volume of Cornwell's best-selling Grail Quest series. As the Hundred Years' War rages on, Thomas continues to fight for the earl of Northampton and the Crown while remaining devoted to the quest he first undertook in The Archer's Tale (2001) and refined in Vagabond (2002). Spurred on by a series of enigmatic clues, he remains determined to unearth the greatest treasure in all of Christendom--the Holy Grail. Together with his ragtag band of loyal followers and a beautiful woman accused of heresy, Thomas lays a trap in Gascony for his evil cousin and sworn enemy Guy Vexille. Both determined to win the ultimate prize, Thomas and Guy ultimately meet in a decisively gruesome battle. Though triumphant, Thomas must eventually contemplate the price of his victory and decide if the sacred trophy he sought is worth the havoc it will continue to wreak on mankind. Oozing with all the blood, gore, and action that fans of Cornwell's graphically detailed historical fiction have come to expect, the conclusion of this gripping trilogy is on target to please a ready-made audience. Margaret FlanaganCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved