Thomas is protecting the Treasure of Hookton, a holy relic, on the eve of Easter when his English village is attacked by the French. The place is ransacked, men murdered, women raped and kidnapped, homes burned, and everything worth stealing, stolen, including the Treasure. In an attempt to save his home, Thomas takes up his bow against the invaders. A son of a priest, Thomas promises his dying father to bring the relic back. He also silently swears to avenge his death.

He soon finds himself in the English army marching through France. Smart and very skilled with his bow, he rises fast among the archers. His conscience, in the form of a friend and fellow soldier named Father Hobbes, keeps reminding him of his promise to his father and his god, which Thomas would rather forget. Unfortunately for Thomas, his road to redemption is not easy. He runs afoul of a knight, and in an effort to help a lady, finds himself hanged. He survives and once again finds himself an archer only this time facing enemies he didn't know he had and a large French army wanting very much to kill him.

This is my fifth Cornwell novel this year. I like his writing, enjoy the characters immensely, and like the action, which in some way is always attached to an army. While I liked this book, I didn't like it as much as the others I read. No reason really, just didn't get into it as much.

Thomas is an engaging character but I felt bad for him the entire time. His family was killed, home wrecked, a friend constantly reminds of any bit of guilt he might feel, and he's not so lucky with the ladies. There is a good villain though, Sir Simon, who has it out for Thomas and a few other characters which make it interesting. There's a lot of information and characters in this book that will obviously feature heavily in the sequel so I'm looking forward to Vagabond to tie up a few loose ends.

Excellent historical novel set around the Hundred Years War. Marvelous depiction of the battle of Crecy from the point of view of an English longbowman. ( )

This is my third Bernard Cornwell book and I love this author. I have been to Normandy and Picardy. I recognized the places and some of the fortresses that were involved in the story making the story very real for me. I liked the detail of the battle scenes. I liked the twists and turns in the story. I liked the characters good and bad. Bernard Cornwell is a writer that has not disappointed me yet. There is a similarity to his main male character in the books but not enough to distract from the story at hand. The Archer's Tale is a good read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. ( )

Thomas, a son of a village priest, wants to become an archer like his maternal grandfather but his father would prefer him as a priest. The French raid the village and steal a relic from the church - St George's lance - and the last words of Thomas's father send him on a quest to find it and bring it back. This quest takes him to France, taking part in the English destruction of the French countryside and the battle of Crécy, the beginning of the Hundred Years War. It took me about 100 pages to get into the story properly but I very much enjoyed it.

Thomas Hookton watches as his village, family and friends are destroyed and vows revenge against the destroyer. He drifts into life as a bowman in the English Army, losing sight of his vow to avenge the death of his father. The story follows Thomas' experiences, and begins to unravel the mystery of his origins and his connection with the man he has sworn to kill. Cornwell has done a superb job of bringing the battle scenes to life on the page. HIs technical knowledge of the weaponry and techniques of the era is backed up by a flair for descriptive detail. He is less effective in bringing his characters to life and, in particular, in exploring what drives them. As an example, the Countess of Armorica "the blackbird" is a major character in the early part of the book. A substantial portion is told from her point of view. Ultimately, she just wanders off. Little effort is made to help the reader understand what motivates her. Thomas himself is an insipid character, evoking little sympathy or feeling from the reader. I'd recommend the book on the basis of descriptive detail and accurate portrayal of the era but it's unlikely I'll read the rest of the series. ( )