546. Vagabond (Bernard Cornwell)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Vagabond, the second entry in the "Grail Quest" sequence, has been eagerly anticipated by those who read the first book, and it doesn't disappoint. Thomas has managed to survive the battle of Crécy. Still nursing his wounds, he is dispatched by the king on a mission to look into the matter of his father's inheritance, which is obscurely connected to the Holy Grail. This most precious relic of the Christian faith is a much sought-after object, offering the power of total victory in war to its owner. But Thomas finds himself in the middle of a battle against an army invading the North of England, and other shadowy forces pursuing the grail are prepared to slaughter anyone who stands in their way. In the ruins of his birthplace, Thomas discovers more about his father, and a dangerous voyage to France brings him up against his cousin and arch-enemy, Count of Astarc Guy Vexville. The stage is set for a merciless showdown.

My rating: 5 stars

489. Heretic (Bernard Cornwell)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
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.

My rating: 5 stars

430. Gallows Thief (Bernard Cornwell)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
It is Britain in the 1820s. After the wars with France, with unemployment high and soldiers paid off, the government lives in mortal fear of social unrest. The solution is draconian punishment for any crime, and thousands die on the gallows. But despite this, it was possible to petition the King and instigate an investigation. Cornwell's new hero Rider Sandman is a hero of Waterloo struggling to repay his family debts when he becomes involved in the case of a man waiting to be hanged in Newgate prison. Given the job by the Home Secretary of investigating the man's guilt or innocence, Sandman finds himself knee-deep in labyrinthine plots involving bribes, sedition and a massive conspiracy of silence.

My rating: 4 stars

38. The Archer's Tale (Bernard Cornwell)

Chicks dig the long bow.

Synopsis from Amazon:
Thomas of Hookton, the bastard son of the eccentric local priest, is the sole survivor of a horrific assault launched on his seaside village by Norman raiders. As his father lays dying, he reveals to Thomas the secret of his aristocratic heritage. Vowing revenge on the French nobleman who orchestrated the raid and subsequently stole a treasured relic, he joins a select group of archers prepared to wage war in France in the name of King Edward III. Battling his way through the French countryside, Thomas' quest takes on greater danger and significance as he makes a bitter enemy from within his own ranks, uncovers a dark family secret, and becomes embroiled in an idealistic scheme to reclaim the vanished Holy Grail.

My rating: 5 stars