The Last Arrow

Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Swashbuckling Medieval Romance!! Excellent!
Review: 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

Rating:
Summary: Incomparable!
Review: Had enough of the Robin Hood legend? You haven't heard the best one yet until you've read Marsha Canham's exceptional variation on the theme in The Last Arrow. I guarantee you; it's not only different from any you've read, but more exciting and more vividly told than any other rendition you may have come across... ...The Last Arrow is a stand alone sequel to two outstanding reads: Through a Dark Mist and In The Shadow of Midnight. Marsha Canham has a brilliant writing style and an uncommon talent with plot and characterization that combine to sweep the reader away. I used to believe her seafaring books were her forte, but her medievals are incomparable.

Rating:
Summary: Kudos yet again, Ms. Canham!
Review: 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! :-)

Rating:
Summary: Kudos yet again, Ms. Canham!
Review: 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! :-)

Rating:
Summary: A superior page turner!
Review: I happened upon The Last Arrow, while awaiting the sequel to The Pride of Lions. I didn't realize it was the third in a trilogy. All I can say was that the story of Brenna and Griffyn kept me on the edge of my seat. There was no way I would put this book down until I knew everything behind Griffyn, and what about Robin and Marian? I will now go back and get the first two books and, I'm sure, read The Last Arrow again--Thank you Marsha

Rating:
Summary: Worthy of the Robin Hood legend!
Review: I read THROUGH A DARK MIST years ago and only recently learned that Ms. Canham had followed it up with two more novels, IN THE SHADOW OF MIDNIGHT and THE LAST ARROW. Having finished the series, I can say that it was a true treat and worthy of the legend. Ms. Canham has a talent for crafting intricate stories filled with wonderfully unique characters and this series is a fine showcase for her ability.

Only a couple of quibbles prevent me from giving this series five stars:

Although he got better toward the end of THE LAST ARROW, Robert Wardieu d'Amboise did not seem to mature much since IN THE SHADOW OF MIDNIGHT. At twenty-four he was given to temper tantrums he would not have indulged in at thirteen. His startling lack of control over his emotions is curious in a man who held iron control over his passions for many years, determined to save himself for Marienne. And then to throw that gift of chastity away when marriage to his true love was but a week away? Something doesn't ring true to character here....

Then there's Griffyn's child. Nothing more is said of the child and no explanation is given of his fate. If Ms. Canham was setting up for another novel featuring Griffyn's child (whose sex was left undetermined), something should have been said. A suggestion for Ms. Canham: The child would have been about five years old in THE LAST ARROW. If the child is a girl, she would make the perfect heroine for a ten year old introduced in this story.

All in all though, this series was magnificent. I especially appreciated the realism of the series. Even beloved characters die just as they would in real life. This is rare in the romance genre.

Bravo, Ms. Canham!

Rating:
Summary: Best I've read
Review: I really love this book. I have read it five times now, and each time I read it I find something else, some small phrase with a world of meaning that I missed the first four times! This is definitely the number one book on my list of books. It is also the first book I read by Marsha Canham. I have now read the other two books with the Black Wolf and the trials of his family and I agree that it is possibly her best book. After reading it five times, however, I've really gotten interested in the character Griffin and, knowing the way she goes back on a previous book in her plotlines makes me think I am missing one somewhere. If there is a tie-in with Griffin, how his father was tortured for hiding the charter, I would like to read it. However, since it says at the end of The Last Arrow that she found her RobinHood in the third book of this trilogy, I suspect that Griffin is supposed to be a character we never get to explore the past of.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written!
Review: I really loved this book. It was well-plotted, and very realistic (a bit too realistic in some spots!) and really held my attention. Though there were a few errors only someone who had been to Sherwood Forest might know (the Major Oak is a modern name for the tree, and it's not in rocks or a gully but in the middle of woods near a well-traveled medieval road)overall the book was very true to the times. Even apart from accuracy, the love between Brenna and Griffyn held me spellbound. And the love scenes! Very sensual! Bravo! Miss Canham!

Rating:
Summary: A great auhow has another winner
Review: In 1214 England, the country is bankrupt, the government is corrupt, and the people are destitute. After a little more than a decade on the throne, King John, who allegedly eliminated Richard's children and his own siblings from contention, is now desperate to find a legitimate heir to his crown. He has his men searching England and France for the lost princess of Brittany before his enemies find her and end his monarchy. ...... In France, hired assassin Griffin Renard de Verdelay, who has justified cause to loathe the English ruler, has been hired to eliminate the lost princess. He meets Lady Brenna Wardieu, who thinks he is a poacher and takes him prisoner. When they reach her father's nearby keep, Griffin and Brenna's brother Robin (more popularly known as Robin Hood) recognize each other as friendly opponents in jousting contests. As plots unravel and secret agendas surface, love blossoms. Robin and Marianne, and Brenna and Griffin fall in love. However, regal politics may not have room for strange bedfellows so love may not be strong enough to overcome the different objectives of the foursome. ....... Readers will shake their head and say: "not another Robin Hood tale". Many readers agree that there has been a glutton of Robin Hood tales with most of them rehashing the previous ones. However, THE LAST ARROW is a unique telling of the legend. Marsha Canham shows her talent and fortitude by refreshingly constructing a story line highlighted by two lead protagonists that excludes Robin while flowing down a current within the current of the legend. Medieval romance fans, especially fans of the Hood, will want to read this classy novel. ......Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A book alive with history
Review: It was with great trepidation that i stared to read this book, being knowledgable of the myth and history. But , and i will admit this..i was very pleasantly surprised. This book has it all..love, passion, and arrows!! A must read!