History Literature / TheGrailQuest

** In ''Agincourt'', Cornwell includes his versions of the KingIncognito and BandOfBrothers RousingSpeech scenes from Shakespeare's ''Henry V''.

* ShoutOut: [[Franchise/TheDarkTower "And so, in the dusk, Roland to the dark tower came."]]

* LetsFightLikeGentlemen: One skirmish in ''Harlequin'' is between equal numbers of English and French knights and mounted men-at-arms, arranged with a formal challenge. The archers mock them for thinking they're the "bloody Knights of the Round Table".

'''''The Grail Quest''''' series by BernardCornwell (originally a trilogy, but now extended to four books) is about an archer called Thomas of Hookton, bastard son of a French priest, who lives during the HundredYearsWar. When his DoomedHometown is attacked, he lends his archery skills to the English army, while hunting for the people who killed his father and stole a relic purported to be the lance of St. George. Eventually his path leads him on a quest for the HolyGrail.

** In Agincourt, it's the famous Battle of Agincourt ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin what else]]).

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Thomas first serves under a troop of archers led by the commoner William Skeat, who becomes something of a father figure to him, until circumstances force him to leave. Later Thomas hits it off well with the Earl of Northampton, who becomes his liege.

* AnnoyingArrows: Usually averted since English longbows are serious business on the field, their arrows being able to pierce chain mail armour. However, arrows can't pierce the more expensive plate armour, though the force of enough hits can help wear down a man wearing it.

* FieldPromotion: King Edward makes Will Skeat a knight before the battle of Crécy.
* FourStarBadass: The Earl of Northampton, who becomes Thomas's liege lord and orders-giver (sort of like [[Literature/{{Sharpe}} the Duke of Wellington to Sharpe]]), and fights in the thick of nattles.

* AntagonistTitle: The first book. The main villain of the trilogy is Sir Guy Vexille, called "the Harlequin" [[spoiler:and Thomas's cousin]]. Today "Harlequin" just refers to a kind of clown, but it's an Italian term meaning [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "the Devil's horseman"]] However, the English archers are also called the samr thing in French, "hellequin".

* HeroAntagonist: Let's face it -- the Sire Roland de Verrec is a genuinely good and honourable man, expecially compared to the antiheroic Thomas Hookton. He starts out as an enemy, before honour (and love) lead him to change sides.

Another Cornwell novel, ''Agincourt'', is set in the same continuity but is more of a SpiritualSuccessor than a true sequel.

* BadassPreacher: Father Hobbe in ''Harlequin'', who holds his own in a melee with a SimpleStaff.

* HeroesPreferSwords: Largely averte. When he has to fight hand-to-hand Thomas favours a falchion (still a sword, but more akin to a cleaver) or a pole-axe, while pretty much every man-at-arms on both sides will bring a mace or an axe to the field in order to defeat their enemies' armour.

* BadassPreacher: Of particular note is Fra Ferdinant, an old monk pushing 60 -- who at the start of ''1356'' kills three trained soldiers with an old sword which doesn't even have a proper handle.

The Grail Quest series by BernardCornwell (originally a trilogy, but now extended to four books) is about an archer called Thomas of Hookton, bastard son of a French priest, who lives during the HundredYearsWar. When his DoomedHometown is attacked, he lends his archery skills to the English army, while hunting for the people who killed his father and stole a relic purported to be the lance of St. George. Eventually his path leads him on a quest for the HolyGrail.

!!Tropes:

* HeroesPreferSwords: Largely averted -- when he has to fight hand-to-hand Thomas favours a falchion (still a sword, but more akin to a cleaver) or a pole-axe, while pretty much every man-at-arms on both sides will bring a mace or an axe to the field in order to defeat their enemies' armour.

* TheMagnificent: By ''1356'', Thomas is known among the French as ''[[HeroicBastard Le Batard]]'', and often introduces himself as such.

* ShoutOut: [[Franchise/TheDarkTower 'And so, in the dusk, Roland to the dark tower came.']]
* TakeThat: The books contain a couple towards ''{{Braveheart}}'', mostly around the blue facepaint.
* TallDarkAndHandsome: Thomas.

* HeroesPreferSwords: Largely averted -- when he has to fight hand-to-hand Thomas favours a falchion or a pole-axe, while pretty much every man-at-arms on both sides will bring a mace or an axe to the field in order to defeat their enemies' armour.

* ShoutOut: [[TheDarkTower 'And so, in the dusk, Roland to the dark tower came.']]

* CorruptChurch: A Cornwell staple, though individual priests are protagonists.

The Grail Quest series (originally a trilogy, but now extended to four books) is about an archer called Thomas of Hookton, bastard son of a French priest, who lives during the HundredYearsWar. When his DoomedHometown is attacked, he lends his archery skills to the English army, while hunting for the people who killed his father and stole a relic purported to be the lance of St. George. Eventually his path leads him on a quest for the HolyGrail.

The Grail Quest series (originally a trilogy, but now extended to four books) about an archer called Thomas of Hookton, bastard son of a French Priest. When his DoomedHometown is attacked, he lends his archery skills to the English army, while hunting for the people who killed his father.

* ''Heretick''

And, [[TimeSkip set ten years later]], ''1356''