[Mock]

Simple question in my opinion . . . Strange request, I know, but does anyone know any GOOD (fantasy) books featuring an archer as the many character?

[Gabriele]

Bernard Cornwell's The Archer's Tale (Harlequin in the UK) and the sequels Vagabond and Heretic. It's historical fiction with a slight Fantasy overtome (the Grail plays into it) and takes place in 14th century France and England mostly. Lots of action and battles, and some intrigue mixed in. :D

[ThornofCamorr]

Theres a pretty cool female archer in Jaquelyn Carey's Banewreaker/Godslayer duo.

[algernoninc]

My favorite archer at the moment is Raif Severance in J V Jones' Sword of Shadows. He does swords too.
I second the mention of bernard cornwell hero for a better description of the archer trade than J V Jones.
The first archetypal archer in fantasy I guess would be Tolkien's Legolas [if you disqualify the childhood favorite Robin Hood].

From my recently discovered authors i understand K J Parker has some interesting things to say about archers in the Fencer books, but i haven't read them yet.

[JamesL]

Waylander by David Gemmell. He's not strictly an archer, but he has the most awesome duel-loading crossbow and is damned good at using it. On top of that, it's one of Gemmell's best novels.

[Gabriele]

[if you disqualify the childhood favorite Robin Hood].

Which reminds me that Stephen Lawhead writes a trilogy about Robin Hood with a twist because he sets the action in Wales. The first two, Hood and Scarlet are on my TBR pile so I can't say how much archery there will be, but considering the fact the Welsh were good archers, there should be some.

[Michael B]

Waylander by David Gemmell. He's not strictly an archer, but he has the most awesome duel-loading crossbow and is damned good at using it. On top of that, it's one of Gemmell's best novels.
Jarek Mace in Gemmell's Morningstar is a more of an archer than Waylander. The best description I can give of the plot is that it is a story in which the hero is a bent Robin Hood. :D

[JamesL]

Jarek Mace in Gemmell's Morningstar is a more of an archer than Waylander. The best description I can give of the plot is that it is a story in which the hero is a bent Robin Hood. :D

Funny that, I don't recall Jerek Mace using a bow. Then again, I've only read that novel once and it was some time ago. Not one of my favourite Gemmell novels.

[Mock]

Hmm, I'll look up Morningstar and Hood; I've already read Waylander and Cornwell's trilogy.

I've been considering Jones for a long time ... :confused:

[Michael B]

Funny that, I don't recall Jerek Mace using a bow. Then again, I've only read that novel once and it was some time ago. Not one of my favourite Gemmell novels.

Mace did. In fact there is couple of great lines on an archer competition: Legend has it that Jarek Mace won by splitting his opponent's s at fifty paces. He did not. He lost.

On a side note Gemmell uses some of the characters in his later books, eg a big and thick brawler with half a brain cell and who drinks, gambles and screws when he is not fighting.