The Jester

Taken back to the middle ages, wow, James Patterson

I was taken aback with this book. I never thought of James Patterson writing a novel taking place in the middle ages. It was different and although it seemed strange (because of the author)it was an interesting book. I kept reading it because I am a real J. Patterson fan. His writing style is enough to keep the reader going. I also read his book "The Murder of King Tut" and was intrigued by it. I have read and studied a lot about ancient civilizations and this one seemed to follow with everything I had learned in the past.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't put it down!

I could not put this book down once I started reading it. I didn't find any part of it slow, it was well written and it kept me wanting to read "just one more chapter". I even dreamt about the book after staying up late reading. While I do enjoy his 'stand alone' books more then his series... James Patterson doesn't fail to please me when I read his books.

From a ordinary farmer, to the crusades, and then on to fight the greatest war ever seen between lords and their subjects.. Hugh is an absolutely loveable character. His men are loyal, and his love for Sophie -his wife, and his need to avenge her keeps the reader on their toes.

Hugh De Luc is an ordinary inn keeper, little does he know that after he joins AND deserts the crusades that he coems back with the greatest prize in all of christendom. It takes him some time, and a couple of bloody fights to realize what it is. Once he does though, nothing can stop him, or his army of "simple" people on their march to the castles to take down the Dukes that have wronged them for so long. Along the way he finds some unexpected friends, one of whom he wants to hold forever..

I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction ,or James Patterson. Even though Patterson doesn't typically right historical fiction he did a wondeful job. A+ ! :)

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Revised review..not a total mess afterall

Because of the positive reviews on this book. I persisted in completing it. About 75 pages into it I became intrigued with the characters and the description of the middle ages. It has an outstanding bibliography on the period too. I still think the quick transition from modern times to the middle ages was confusing. Also, the fact that there was no wrap up in the modern age which started the book was disappointing. But overall it was a decent read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What a mess

Maybe this shouldn't count as a review as I am still struggling to finish this book.Not sure I'll finish it. I've loved all Paterson"s mysteries but this "historical" story just doesn't cut it. However, it does apply to current and past times that many wars are fought under the guise of religion. I am amazed at the high rating of many readers. Maybe I'll prod on am I missing something?

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing

What a great read... I was interested, then scared, then touched... You feel so many different emotions throughout the book... I've read it twice already...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Brilliantly written story about the crusades and a common mans j

Brilliantly written story about the crusades and a common mans journey for freedom and what comes out of the journey. The story will touch your heart in so many ways as well as shedding light on the brutalities and injustices of how the world was so long ago. The trails Hugh endures developes the incrediable leader role he thrust into while finally bringing his lifes journey full circle. This story will make you sad, happy, cheer and be outraged and will tug at so many emotions.

Exciting!

Enjoyed this book completely!

Not Patterson's style

Boring, epic tome about life in the middle ages. True Pattersonians may have issues with it like I did!

Pleasantly surprised

I dont really get into story lines like this one but once I got a few chapters in I was hooked. Very interesting and passionate storyline. Recommend.

Loved this book!!

I've had the hardcover of this book. I've read it about a dozen times over the years. I like James Patterson's mystery books but would love some more historicals.

A disgrace to the time period!

I found this book to be a disgrace to the time period....the ignorant vocabulary Patterson uses in this book just makes me cringe...he should have stayed with the language of the time because I'm almost positive they were not dropping the 'f' bomb during this time period...read the book in about 3 hours and I'm glad that is all the time that was needed to waste on it.

I'm not a Patterson hater and I really enjoyed 'When the Wind blows' and 'The Lake House'.

Historical Fictiob at it's best

The historical novel takes place during the crusades and has likeable characters and a killer plot. I had never read anything that far back historically. I have red it twice and recommended it to many friends. There is some spicy language and jokes, but although I have read many James Patterson novel, I still like it best.

best book ever

I really enjoyed it very much. I couldn't wait to read every available moment. Wish it would have gone on forever. A++ in my book!

Awesome book for Medevil lovers...

A movie would be great.

The Jester

Known for his murder mysteries, Patterson and co-author Andrew Gross decided to try something new and have given us a fun, fast-paced adventure set in war-torn medieval Europe.
Hugh De Luc is a happily married innkeeper until he heads off to fight in the Crusades. The gruesome fighting and wanton disregard for life change and sicken him so he deserts and heads home only to find his wife taken captive and his infant son dead.
At this point, Patterson is on more familiar ground. Hugh De Luc must find out who did it and try to bring him to justice. Unfortunately, medieval customs and laws interfere with that search. Throw in some religious relics and a menacing group of French knights who believe they are condemned to hell and you have the indgredients for a fine book.
Patterson's descriptions of medieval life ring true, although the ending may not have worked out so well in a real medieval scenario. Nevertheless, it was lots of fun and a big improvement over the Women's Murder Club series.
I give this one a grade of A with five stars.

Couldn't put it down.

I have stopped buying James Patterson books because they are no longer worth the money. Especially when he is partnered with an unknown author who makes the reading worse. However, when I saw this book was co-authored by Andrew Gross, I gave it a chance. I am so glad I did. This plot line was so entertaining, with characters I really understood that I couldn't put it down. This was not a Patterson production, it was Andrew Gross all the way. Except for the profanity and I have not read that in any of Gross's subsequent books. He's lucky he cut himself loose from Patterson's shadow, but I'll bet Patterson is unhappy with it.

Crude language!

The book was fast paced and the plot was good. The profanity was through the roof and detracted completely from the overall rating of the book. You can get the point across without using foul language or blasphemy. I'm no prude but the language in this book would make a sailor blush.

The Jester

If I had known that this book was set in the era or "Braveheart", I probably wouldn't have purchased it, but once I began reading it, I became interested in it and ended up enjoying it. I wasn't disappointed with the purchase of it and have put it in my library. It's a unique book.

My thoughts

Hugh de Luc is an innkeeper in Veille du Pére, a village in southern France. He goes to join the Army of the Crusade after his liege lord makes clear that they will never truly be free until he is defeated. He begins fighting in the Battle of Antioch, but when the army actually enters the city he sees something that makes him question what he is fighting for. He sees a church nearby, enters, and kills the two members of the opposing army, the Turks, that have killed the priest there. Shortly after a third Turk enters, much larger than the other two Hugh killed. He tries to defend himself, but it becomes evident that the Turk is a better fighter. The Turk has Hugh pinned to the ground and is about to deliver the death stroke when Hugh begins laughing and admits to the Turk that he doesn¿t truly know what he is fighting for. The Turk agrees and spares him. At this point, however, a group of particularly savage soldiers, called Tafurs, come in the church and kill the Turk, despite Hugh¿s pleas. Hugh wants something to remember the Turk¿s mercy by and takes a gold cross and the deceased priest¿s staff and heads home to Veille du Pére. When he reaches his home, he finds that his inn has been burned down and his wife, Sophie, has been taken. The other villagers say a group of riders passed through, bearing no crest, wearing no armor, only tunics with a single black cross, and headed straight for Hugh¿s inn. Hugh believes this to be the work of his liege lord, so he starts heading in what he perceives to be the right direction. Hugh travels for days and ends up as a bloody mess, barely alive, in the bottom of a ravine, where he is rescued by the Lady Emilie and taken to Borée to recover. While there, he tells Emilie his tale and why he wants to go to Treille. Emilie asks to help and gives him a reason to be there: to become the new jester (ergo the title). He trains with Borée¿s jester, Norbert. Once his training is complete, he heads to Treille and is an immediate hit with the nobles. Eventually, he makes his way to the dungeons and finds that Sophie is not there. He makes a narrow escape and heads back to Borée. There, Hugh finds out that Black Cross and his riders were after relics from the Holy Land, from the Crusade and believe that Hugh has the most sought after of them all. Hugh also finds that Black Cross and his men are Tafurs from the Crusades. With this information, he heads back to Veille du Pére and finds that the riders returned and have burned down the rest of the village. Hugh convinces the villagers that the only way to be freed from their liege lord¿s tyranny is to set up defenses around the town. When Black Cross and his men come back, they are ambushed and defeated, all except Black Cross himself. During this encounter, Black Cross finally tells Hugh what they had been searching for: the holy lance that a soldier stabbed into the side of Christ as he was dying on the cross. Hugh then makes it his mission to dethrone Lord Baldwin, his liege lord, and war follows.

I really disliked the fact that the holy lance kept being used to kill people. If Christ¿s blood was on it, wouldn¿t that wash it away or at least contaminate it? That was the only thing that really bugged me about the book.

I like how James Patterson¿s chapters are really short. You know how you have kind of an uplifting feeling when you finish a chapter of a book? Well, with Patterson¿s books you sit

Terrible...crap...worst...

This book is the worst I have ever read, I think. I like James Patterson, usually. But the lack of any basic historical authenticity, which any respectable writer must aim for despite it being a work of fiction, and the stereotypical anti-Christian bias that I sensed very early in the book, just disgusted me. So little research was done, to give the impression the book was churned out in a weekend. In fact, it's my belief that the word 'crusade' did not even come into being until after the Reformation. It's a mistake for non-Christians to write a book about a time when the whole of Christendom, despite its warts, was imbued with an urgency to rush to defend the pilgrims who regularly visited the Holy Land. Certainly, there were those who had self-interest at heart, but of the ones who sold castles to afford to fight for God, as they felt they were doing, this was painfully lacking in the book. No objectivity at all. This is an ignorant take on what has become a mistaken stereotype by those who have no interest in showing it otherwise. It is just deplorable, and I'm glad I picked it up at a secondhand book store and didn't pay full price for this piece of crap.