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We learn in the prologue that Thomas is the illegitimate son of the Hookton parish priest, an educated man of mysterious noble origins. Thomas learns Latin and French from his father (which is puzzling because we find out later that the priest's native tongue is langue d'Oc) and archery from his maternal grandfather. French pirate overrun Hookton killing everyone except Thomas. They are led by the priest's nephew who wants an important relic his uncle has hidden in the Hookton church.
Thomas then joins the King's army in order to find and take revenge on the man who massacred his family and his town. Like Sharpe, Thomas soon comes to the attention of a powerful historical figure, the Earl of Northhampton. He also has Sharpe's knack of making deadly enemies of the venal and the villainous -- in this case a knight who serves in the Earl's command. Two women of noble status play key roles in Thomas' life as he fights his way from Brittany to Normandy and into France. The climax of the book is the battle of Crecy.
"The Archer's Tale" is filled with the wealth of historical detail that gave the Sharpe series its air of authenticity. The reader learns the minutae of using the English longbow in battle, about life in a medieval army, and about medieval life in general. Lest I give the wrong impression, the book is stuffed with plenty of exciting, gory, mayhem too. Thomas is an altogether worthy replacement for Sharpe. His intriguing antecedants and his secret quest promise further adventure.
Some of the characterization is a little stereotyped. Particularly the villains. There is a fairly weak reason given for Sir Simon's initial enmity - seems to be just an instant dislike, which is echoed in the later `Vagabond' with Sir William Douglas - which then rests on a more solid foundation after Thomas steals both his desired woman and then attempts to murder him. The dark cloaked Harlequin (or Guy Vexille, Count of Astarac - who turns out to be Thomas' cousin ) is also somewhat standardized as the thinking villain amongst the remaining bumbling ones. Indeed, most of the battles are won by the English (or people associated with Thomas) due the enemy's lack of foresight, intelligence, or experience.
Nevertheless, this is a good story and you come away with the impression of some accuracy. The pace moves along nicely, there are some complete subplots and the right mix of reality and general adventurousness. All in all a well rounded tale and it'll make the reader reach for both `Vagabond' and the eventual `Heretic'.
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