The story in one page
Richard Shelton, a young man raised by the ambitious Sir Daniel Brackley, discovers that his guardian masterminded his father's murder to usurp the Tunstall estate. After joining a band of vigilante outlaws who hunt Sir Daniel with distinctive black arrows, Dick struggles to navigate a shifting landscape of political betrayal. Along the way, he falls for Joanna Sedley, a young woman under Sir Daniel's control, and fights to liberate her from his grasp. As the Wars of the Roses rage, Dick must decide whether to seek revenge, reclaim his legacy, or find a quieter life with his chosen bride.
Who's who
- Dick
Young ward seeking to reclaim his stolen family estate.
- Sir Daniel Brackley
A treacherous guardian who murders for land and power.
- Joanna Sedley
A young woman Dick attempts to rescue and eventually marries.
- Ellis Duckworth
Leader of the Black Arrow band seeking vengeance.
- Lawless
A former outlaw who eventually chooses a life of piety.
What it's really about
- Inheritance
- The drive to reclaim one's stolen birthright and property.
- Allegiance
- Switching sides amidst shifting political power and warfare.
Why it's memorable
- A man running while being baited by arrows like a bull in a ring.
- A wedding breakfast held while an army marches off to a war.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Dick and Joanna marry and retreat to the forest, leaving the violent political era behind them. Lawless spends his final years as a monk, while the ambitious future king marches toward his short reign.
For your book club
- The protagonist prioritizes his personal moral code over political gain.
- The story pits individual survival against larger, ruthless power struggles.