16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Terrific Swashbuckling Medieval Romance!! Excellent!, January 1, 2004
Filled with swashbuckling adventure, sweeping pageantry and the story of a passionate romance, Marsha Canham outdoes herself with this superb historical novel. "The Last Arrow" is the final book in a trilogy which began with Ms. Canham's "Through A Dark Mist," followed by "In The Shadow Of Midnight." It is not necessary to read the first two books, however, in order to thoroughly enjoy this one. The author gives a wonderful summary of her previous two novels here, and this book certainly stands on its own very well. I have read many series novels and rarely does an author succeed in continuously creating fresh ideas and storylines throughout. One of Ms. Canham's major achievements with this trilogy is that her plots are always original, never repetitious or contrived, and her characters continue to grow and acquire depth as the years, and pages, pass. The backdrop for this adventure-filled romance is medieval England, Wales, Normandy and Brittany during the reign of King John "Lackland."
Lady Brenna Wardieu, daughter of Lord Lucien Wardieu, Baron de Gournay, (called the Black Wolf), is the book's heroine. Lovely, but not ladylike, Brenna has tagged after her warrior brothers since she could crawl. With much tutoring and practice she has become a master of the longbow, rivaling the best archers in the land. Feisty, with the heart of a noble knight in her woman's breast, she meets her match in Griffyn Renaud de Verdel, a mysterious mercenary who unknowingly trespasses on her father's land. Taken aback by her skill with the bow and arrow, Griffyn could have still overpowered Brenna. He allows her, instead, to capture him and bring him to face her family. She discovers that Griffyn and her brother Robin have already met. The two men jousted in the past at a tourney. Griffyn lost - the only loss he had sustained in many years. The consequences were tragic. He is intent on a rematch at the great upcoming tournament in Chateau Gaillard, Normandy.
This wonderful adventure begins long before the treachery at the French tournament. There are fascinating plots and subplots, filled with meticulously researched historical detail and peopled with extraordinary characters. England's troubled times and her evil king are woven into the story with great skill, as is a unique version of the Robin Hood tale. Political intrigue, hatred, revenge and fated love abound. Family sins and throne-rocking secrets are exposed. Royal power is unleashed. Some pretty unsavory, depraved characters murder, maim and threaten. Love and passion sizzle. Armored knights ride to battle and a royal princess is rescued. This novel has it all - from cliff-hanging escapades to steamy sensuality. The action doesn't stop until the last sentence on the last page.
As usual Ms. Canham writes with elegance and flair. Her characters are lifelike, varied and, occasionally, quite humorous. This wonderful book is definitely a keeper!
JANA
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite stories of all time, August 2, 2003
When she captures a trespasser on her father's lands, Lady Brenna Wardieu knows that Griffyn Renaud cannot be trusted despite the fact that he turns out to be an acquaintance of her brother, Robin. And she is right. Griffyn has been hired to challenge Robin in an upcoming tournament and kill him. His only obstacle is Brenna who is determined to find out the truth about him. He is also very attracted to the Lady Brenna and it's becoming harder and harder to go about destroying her brother. There is a lot more to this story, but it's too complicated to go into without ruining the story.
The Last Arrow is an engrossing read that keeps you guessing until the end. Not only is there a great romantic conflict, but there is also a lot of action, a truly evil villain and some great secondary characters. While The Last Arrow can stand on it's own, I really recommend that you read it in context with the series: Through A Dark Mist, In The Shadow Of Midnight, and The Last Arrow. If you like Medeival Romance, I can't recommend these stories enough.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kudos yet again, Ms. Canham!, July 5, 2004
I defy anyone to name a writer who does better secondary characters than Ms. Canham and the stories are SO much richer for this.
I was also amazed at the poignancy, the gladness & sadness I felt, to see our hero from Through A Dark Mist some 2+ decades later. She has aged him realistically and Lucien is paying for all the physical trauma he suffered over the years and that just really touched me and made the story seem so real.
As usual, Ms. Canham takes us on a great roller coaster ride full of drama, deceipt, passion, & humor with a strong hero AND heroine. I despair of the day I run out of her books. I tend to space them apart, with 1 or 2 other stories in between, so I always have the anticipation of another Canham on the shelf. And it's an even greater plus that her stories lean towards 500 pages, usually, so there's more of her to love! :-)
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