History Literature / TheGrailQuest

* ''Harlequin''

* HiddenInPlainSight: [[spoiler: Father Ralph, the priest of Hookton and Thomas's father, is also believed to have had possession of a Holy Grail. He has an unassuming clay cup which he uses to give out communion wafers, and which several characters, including Thomas, take one look at and dismiss as rubbish.]] No points for guessing what it REALLY is.

* HeroAntagonist: Let's face it -- the Sire Roland de Verrec in ''1356'' 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.

* AnnoyingArrows: Usually averted since longbows and crossbows are serious business on the field, arrows and bolts being able to pierce chain mail armour. However, they can't pierce the more expensive plate armour, though the force of enough hits can help wear down a man wearing it.
* AntagonistTitle: The first book. The main villain of the trilogy is 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 same thing in French, "hellequin".

* GoodShepherd: Some priests are portrayed positively, despite the CorruptChurch.

* NobleDemon: Sir Guillaume d'Evecque

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Averted. Rape is largely seen as just another fact of life in this series. Thomas himself never partakes, though he doesn't seem to show a particular aversion to it and some of his best friends are vicious rapists.
* RapePillageAndBurn: How Thomas's DoomedHometown ends up, and how sieges end for the losing town.

'''''The Grail Quest''''' series by Creator/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 UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar. 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'' provides example of the following tropes:

'''''The Grail Quest''''' series by Creator/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.

* ShoutOut: From ''1356'': [[Franchise/TheDarkTower "And so, in the dusk, Roland to the dark tower came."]]

* ValuesDissonance: Inevitable due to the setting. For instance, the revelation that her mother may have been a Jew is a major source of distress to Jeanette.

** In ''1356'' it's the famous Battle of Poitiers.
** In ''Agincourt'', it's the famous Battle of Agincourt ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin what else]]).
* FriendlyEnemy: Sir Guillaume d'Eveque leads the raid that results in the death of Thomas's father. Later, he and Thomas become allies, and Thomas marries his daughter.
** Roughly paralleled in ''Agincourt'' with Nick, Lanferelle and Lanferelle's daughter.

** Also, ''Agincourt'' is the US and international title while it is ''Azincourt'' in the UK (after the original French).

** ''Agincourt'' has Cornwell's twists on the KingIncognito and BandOfBrothers RousingSpeech scenes from {{Shakespeare}}'s ''Theatre/HenryV''.

* TallDarkAndHandsome: Thomas

* DeadpanSnarker

* FriendlyEnemy: Sir Guillaume d'Eveque kills Thomas's father. Later, he and Thomas become allies, and Thomas marries his daughter.

* 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.

Another Cornwell novel, ''Agincourt'', is set in the same continuity but is more of a SpiritualSuccessor than a true sequel. Its protagonist Nick Hook is also an archer, but he's unrelated to the now-famous Thomas.

* ChristianityIsCatholic: Due to the setting. But Catharism, branded heresy, also plays a role in the plot.

* GoodScarsEvilScars: Sir Guillaume is brutally scarred from an encounter with the Harlequin.

* ArcherArchetype: Thomas of Hookton starts out this way -- a haughty loner, unskilled in hand-to-hand combat but lethal at range -- before growing into a capable leader of men.

* HonourBeforeReason: King John of Bohemia allies with the French at the Battle of Crécy and dies charging into combat when the day is lost. He's also blind.