Harlequin, book one of the Grail Quest trilogy by renowned historical fiction author Bernard Cornwell, is the tale of Thomas of Hookton, an English archer who fights in (what would be known later as) the Hundred Years War against the French. Thomas decided to be a soldier a few years prior, when his father was killed and their town's holy relic stolen by a mysteriously malicious family member. Now, Thomas is dedicated to obtaining the relic and killing the one who stole it. Will he succeed? I don't know, because I stopped after reading 33%.
I like Bernard Cornwell, and the prior four works I read from him were really good. This one, however, just didn't do it for me. The tale is very fast-paced, which makes for a quick read, but also results in minimal character development. The writing itself seemed a little off, too- it appeared as though he was getting taxed for every comma and period used (so sentences ran on, with few breaks). The historical element seemed accurate, but it was too focused on minor skirmishes to provide the grand, sweeping view of the conflict I was desiring. I did want to know what happened next, but not enough to read the whole thing- a plot synopsis was sufficient for me. In short, it wasn't bad; it just wasn't that great.
Rating: B-
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