Harlequin cover art

Harlequin

 Preview

Audible Standard 1-month free trial

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo + applicable tax after 30-day trial. Cancel Anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

Harlequin

Written by: Bernard Cornwell
Narrated by: Andrew Cullum
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $41.07

Buy Now for $41.07

About this listen

The first book in Bernard Cornwell's bestselling Grail Quest series, in a bright and bold repackage.

The year is 1342. The English, led by Edward III, are laying waste to the French countryside. The army may be led by the King, but it is the archers, the common men, who are England's secret weapon. The French know them as Harlequins.

Thomas of Hookton is one of these archers. But he is also on a personal mission: To avenge his father's death and retrieve a stolen relic. Thomas begins a quest that will lead him through fields smeared with the smoke of fires set by the rampaging English, until at last the two armies face each other on a hillside near the village of Crécy.

 Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Thriller & Suspense England

Continue the series
Vagabond cover art
Vagabond Written by: Bernard Cornwell
Heretic cover art
Heretic Written by: Bernard Cornwell
All stars
Most Relevant
Great Listen, excellent narration by Andrew Cullum. I had read Edward the Black Prince back in the day and was into 14th century Anglo-Franco affairs, when my Grandmother recommended this book. I was enthralled. Great story cleverly woven around historical events at the time, the start of the 100 years war(s). English long bow archers constantly winning the day, French Noble Knights being felled in droves by basically well trained English peasants. This actually happened, changing the way that war was to be waged. It is a trilogy, and although I thought the first book was by far the best, I plan on Audible-ing the other two.

Harlequin - Excellent Historical FIction

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Bernard Cornwell is a genius in writing excellent period books. Attention to detail and character development throughout the story gives the reader or in this case the listener wanting more. Thomas is a young archer who matured and grew very quickly into being a well liked character and bowman. Some characters left you hanging as to what happened to them at the end. The main reason why Thomas went in pursuit for the lance finally concluded in the story while the story ended. Will there be a sequel? BRAVO!

Harlequin is a Historical Literary Masterpiece

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved everything about the book. Both the story and narrator were first class.

My only criticism is that this is part of a 4 part series and Audible is missing book 2 in the series link and only when you search for it by name do you find it, in abridged version only!

Bernard Cornwell: Top mates.
Audible: Fail.

Great story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I read the novel version of the Grail Quest series years ago and decided to revisit them in audio format - this is a masterful unabridged recording of the first book by Andrew Cullim ( Complete with Historical Note at the end for Cornwell fans ) - For some reason audible provided the first and third book, unabridged by Andrew Cullum but the 2nd book only exists in a heavily abridged format with a different narrator. I should also add that to me this series was a perfect trilogy, and the 4th book that exists is really more of a "where is he now" follow up. Until the complete version of the second book is made available I recommend skipping here and heading to the library to get the full story.

Be warned the 2nd Book is missing from Audible

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It’s a good story , I listen to the first half of the book. I tried to buy book two of this four book series, it’s missing. Amazon only offers a abridged version . I stopped listening to Harlequin, if I can’t hear the whole complete book . Read something else. Bernard Cornwell has so many great series, Sharpe series. The Last Kingdom series. I advise anyone to read or listen these books instead

Book two missing from series

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.