Bernard Cornwell crafts an extraordinary story in The Archer's Tale, a grand and glorious epic concerning duty, love, and valor and set during the Hundred Years War. As dawn breaks on Easter, 1343, a band of French marauders ambushes the English village of Hookton. Only a youngster named Thomas survives, and the horrible tragedy is forever etched upon his memory. In particular, he recalls a black-clad knight, bearing a distinct flag, who is exceedingly brutal. Grown to become a master archer, Thomas lives for revenge. He must track down the knight and recover a holy relic stolen during the raid. He joins the invading forces of King Edward III and serves well, yet his eyes are constantly scanning the horizon, searching for the flag he can never forget.