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Heretic
  
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Heretic [Abridged] (Audio Cassette)

by Bernard Cornwell (Author), Tim Pigott-Smith (Narrator)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 10.47 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Heretic + Vagabond + The Archer's Tale
Total List Price: CDN$ 44.19
Price For All Three: CDN$ 36.23

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  • This item: Heretic by Bernard Cornwell

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  • Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell

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Product Details

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk

Heretic is the third book in Bernard Cornwell's much-acclaimed Grail Quest series, a series that many were initially cautious about because it represented something of a change of pace for the master historical novelist. But Cornwell quickly demonstrated that this period of history was well within his remit, and the sequence has proved to be among his most mesmerising work.

Heretic begins with a bloody battle outside Calais in 1347, a short time before the city fell to the English. The sympathetic Thomas of Hookton is bending every sinew at the service of his master, the Earl of Northampton; after risking his life time and again, Thomas finds himself commissioned to track down the most sacred relic in Christendom, the Holy Grail. He travels to Gascony, seat of power of his nemesis, Guy Vexille. Utilising his archers, Thomas conducts a fierce guerrilla war against Vexille, and yearns for a face-to-face encounter. But then Thomas is routed and finds his campaign in shreds, facing the twin enemies of the church and the plague.

In this third book, Bernard Cornwell ups the ante in every sense: along with the splendidly realised battle scenes (a Cornwell trademark), the evocation of the Middle Ages is more crowded and bustling than one might have thought possible without subsuming the protagonists. But most of all, it's the character of Thomas that powers the narrative; having his hero fall in love (sensitively handled here) sets off the ultimate conflict with his mortal enemy perfectly. Leave the 21st century behind and venture into a dark and foreign era--it's a journey you won't regret. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Cornwell 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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Heretic
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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story with plenty of action, April 11 2004
By Helen Simpson (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Heretic (Hardcover)
Unlike the some of the other reviewers this was my first Bernard Cornwell book and won't be my last!! However I wasn't aware, when I read it, that it was the last in a trilogy so it might be preferable to read the other two first.
I found myself getting gradually absorbed into the story, feeling compelled to follow the main characters through their quest for the Grail, honour and acceptance.
The battle scenes were very descriptive as was general life in mid fourteenth century France, all making this an excellent and persuasive read.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The quest continues..., Mar 6 2004
By Patrick Stott (Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Heretic (Hardcover)
The Holy Grail was the most sacred of all treasures in medieval times, sending armies on quests for the fabled cup all over Europe. Thomas of Hookton, a young English archer of some considerable skill, finds himself in France searching for the grail, but instead finds himself a bundle of trouble.

Thomas saves a girl from being burned at the stake for witchcraft and suddenly finds himself excommunicated from the church, and an enemy of his friends. To make matters worse, English archers in France were popular amongst bandits- because of the high price on their heads. Thomas and his newfound love soon find shelter in a monastery, which holds further clues to the whereabouts of the mythical grail.

The monastery proves to be an unsafe hideout, as Thomas' ambitious and ruthless cousin also seeks the grail, and would quite like to see Thomas and his heretic girlfriend dead. Things come to a head when Thomas is reunited with his former friends, but ends up besieged in a castle. While the English longbow was the most deadly infantry weapon of the era, it was no match for the early cannon, subtly named Hell Spitter, dragged in from Italy to knock down the castle. The Italian gunners however bring something far more deadly with them in the form of the Black Death.

Bernard Cornwell brings to life a number of aspects of the medieval age, like the deep reaching influence of the church, and how allegiances among soldiers were made and broken. He also offers a view into the harsh realities of medieval life, like the desperate poverty of peasants, who were an easy target for both soldiers and bandits alike. Cornwell pulls no punches when it comes to graphic descriptions of violence and war, and how something as simple as a broken limb could prove fatal.

While Robin Hood may have been noble enough to steal from the rich and give to the poor, Thomas of Hookton stole from the poor when he had to, and killed the rich when they deserved it. This is a fast moving and historically accurate story with characters flawed enough to be real people, tangled in one of the most futile but enduring treasure hunts of all time.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Heretic, Aug 27 2009
By Sontobo "Golfer" (Ottawa,ON Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Grail Quest #3 Heretic (Paperback)
I have read many of Bernard Cornwell's books and the method with which he ties historical events into an exiting and very readable story is amazing. I highly recommend all of his books.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Suspect Motives
The greatest impediment to enjoying a novel (for me) is when characters act in ways that don't make sense, thus poisoning the rationale for the story line. Read more
Published on April 6 2004 by Gauffroi

4.0 out of 5 stars A series worth reading
I'm a big fan of Bernard Cornwell, and found this series very satisfying. I count on his books for their historical detail, great characters, insights into human nature and... Read more
Published on Feb 11 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars 3rd book in the series
Set in 14th century France, where the peasants trying to survive were beset by greedy barons exacting rent and taxes, invading armies that pillaged and burned villages, a corrupt... Read more
Published on Jan 23 2004 by Fred Camfield

3.0 out of 5 stars Not his best.
I am a big fan of Bernard Cornwell's novels, however, the last of the Archer trilogy was a bit of a disappointment. Read more
Published on Jan 21 2004 by Randy Gurlock

3.0 out of 5 stars Stale
Recently I have found some of Cornwell's books disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I've read all of his books and buy them as soon as they come out, particularly the Sharpe and... Read more
Published on Jan 2 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars IS THAT ALL THERE IS?
HERETIC is the third(and perhaps last)novel chronicling the adventures of English longbowman, Thomas of Hookton, during the early years of the Hundred Years' War. Read more
Published on Dec 28 2003 by charles falk

4.0 out of 5 stars Average Ending to a Great Series
In Heretic, author Bernard Cornwell takes the reader back to the world of medieval Europe, as war and disease wrack the continent. Read more
Published on Dec 26 2003 by Patrick Devenny

4.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Cornwell (but read previous books first)
This is a great book and an enjoyable read. One point that should be made up front is that it is definetly part 3 of an on-going story and if you have not read the Archers Tale or... Read more
Published on Dec 2 2003 by Veritas

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!!
Best of the trilogy; could hardly put it down! The man can WRITE I loved the! Aurthurian books and Stonehenge, but this is great, I have no interest whatsoever in the Sharpe... Read more
Published on Nov 24 2003 by dandysmom

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not as good as the first two
The concluding part of Cornwell's trilogy, Heretic, promised to provide a fabulously roaring end to the tale of Thomas Hookton, English Archer during the early years of the... Read more
Published on Nov 10 2003 by ilmk

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