Book #24 of 2024
A good friend who knows I love British history recently gave me the first two books in Simon Fairfax’s A Knight and a Spy series: 1410 and 1411. I just finished 1410, and it is rollicking good fun. Its hero is young Jamie de Grispere, son of wealthy cloth merchant Thomas de Grispere. Jamie has spent his youth on the border between England and Scotland learning how to fight battles under Sir Robert de Umfraville. After his apprenticeship is complete, he is called back to London, where Sir Richard Whittington, spymaster for Prince Hal – the future Henry V – has need of him.
Meanwhile, the master Italian assassin, Christofor Corio, narrowly escapes capture in Paris after he kills a French nobleman who raped his sister. He ends up in the same inn that houses Thomas de Grispere. Thomas decides to employ him as a bodyguard after Christoforo saves him from a gang of thieves.
In Cornwall, a huge wrestler named Mark accidentally kills another wrestler in a match. Even though he is absolved of any blame, the dead wrestler’s family vows revenge, so he leaves for London with a traveling friar.
Jamie, Christo, and Mark all end up together, and 1410 chronicles their adventures as they go undercover to foil the dastardly plots of England’s foes. If you like adventure series like Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars books, or even that classic ’80s television series, The A-Team, then this is right up your alley. Jamie is larger than life; he is almost superhuman in his swordsmanship. Christo is like a ninja, able to move unseen and unheard, while performing incredible acrobatic feats with his daggers. Mark is a gentle giant of extraordinary strength. Throw in an enormous horse that will only obey Jamie’s commands and a devoted wolfhound he rescues from an abusive owner, and you’ve got all the boxes checked.
Their first assignment is go to the French court in Paris and see what the sinister Duke of Burgandy is up to. It turns out he is planning to retake Calais from the English with the help of a huge siege engine he is building in nearby Saint-Omer. While interacting with various personages at the French court, Jamie quickly learns that he must keep his wits about him and trust no one.
Their second assignment is to go to Wales and infiltrate Owen Glyndower’s forces and find out if, when, and where they plan to attack England. Jamie must walk a fine line between pretending to be a renegade from the English court and getting important information out to Sir Richard Grey, who is loyal to Prince Hal.
Throughout these assignments, there are lots of suspense, swordplay, intrigue, and even a little romance. It’s all great fun, with the good guys winning the day, and the bad guys getting their just deserts. Fairfax does a good job of conveying what life was like in medieval England and France, using relatively authentic language. He’s obviously done his homework where it comes to how swordsmen fought, as well as the historical background for the plot. These books are something fun to escape into, especially now that summer is about to begin. I’m already into the second book, 1411!
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