Just Finished Reading: Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell

England: 1346. On returning to his native soil after surviving the victory over the French at Crecy, Thomas of Hookton travels to Durham in search of a monk who lives there. Thomas needs to quiz him about the object of a quest the King has sent him on. Like many of the day Thomas seeks the Holy Grail as a guarantor of God’s peace on Earth. In a time of international strife nothing could be more precious. But Thomas is not alone in his search. As well as trusted companions there are darker forces dogging his every step. Amongst them are Thomas’s brother and a French priest under clear instructions to claim the Grail at any cost. Forced against his will to return to France, Thomas finds himself in a town besieged by forces loyal to the French king. Massively outnumbered their only hope is in the killing power of English bowmen but unknown to the few defenders the French lords have an answer to this deadly weapon – an answer that could turn the tide of the whole war.

This is the second part of Cornwell’s Grail trilogy and despite the first book being very good I actually found myself enjoying this much more. The storyline, characterisation and wonderfully descriptive prose drew me into a world very different from our modern experience. It was a world of few certainties except death and the power struggles of the rich and powerful. It was a world where men where expected to fight and die at the order of their lord and one where few questioned the rightness of it. It was a world where power and money are the only arbiters and where the only way a commoner can rise above his station in life is through the skill in arms he possesses. It was also a world on the cusp of change where Medieval Feudalism was starting to unravel and where opportunities for self-made men began to appear. All of this, and more, is conveyed in this superb piece of historical fiction. I have enjoyed just about every book Cornwell has written and this is no exception. It hums along at an enjoyable pace and is peppered with tough and brutal action. I am far from being familiar with the period but this novel has the feeling of reality about it. I am looking forward to volume three which, I imagine, will be read sooner rather than later. Recommended.