1356

Fra Ferdinand has recovered La Malice, a magnificent sword.  However, he is not the only one who wants it.  A priest, Father Marchant, searches for it, hoping to acquire it so its power can be used for the Church.

Brother Michael has been sent from Carlisle to Avignon with a message for Le Batard.  He finds the man embroiled in a battle for a castle.  Le Batard leads a group of mercenaries known as the Hellequin, or the devil's beloved.  The Earl of Northampton wants Le Batard aka Thomas Hookton, to find La Malice and bring it to him.

The Lord of Douglas has come from Scotland to help the French fight the English.  He is frustrated by the lack of initiative shown by King Jean.  He is also frustrated by his nephew Robbie's refusal to fight the English.

Cardinal Bessieres creates The Order of the Fisherman to acquire the sword.  He gets Robbie to be the first knight of the order by showing him that his oath to Thomas is invalid.  Father Marchant is to be the guiding light of the order.

Hookton goes south to Montpellier in search of information.  There his wife, Genevieve and son, Hugh, are taken captive by Roland de Verrec, a knight who believes in chivalry.  Hookton must find a way to get them back.  Later, Hookton and his entourage fall into a trap while looking for La Malice.  Fortunately, before anything can happen, Hookton and his entourage are saved.  He and his archers join the Black Prince's forces.

Edward, Prince of Wales, the Black Prince, is cornered by France's King Jean at Poitiers.  Negotiations lead to Edward being offered the chance to be taken hostage and ransomed.  However, the French decide to attack instead.  They vastly outnumber the English.  All of author Bernard Cornwell's characters take part in this major battle.  It provides an exciting conclusion to this historical novel.  I was unable to put it down because it was so gripping.