This was an extremely graphic account,

so if the sight of blood and gore bothers you in any way,

it is highly advisable not to read this book.

The story, however, was quite engaging,

as it was set in the captivating era of medieval times.

During this period, life was full of challenges and adventures,

and the author did a great job of bringing this world to life.

The characters were well-developed,

and their actions and decisions added depth and excitement to the plot.

Despite the graphic nature of some of the scenes,

the overall story was a great read for those who enjoy historical fiction.

It offered a unique perspective on the medieval world,

and left the reader with a sense of wonder and admiration for the people who lived during that time.

Wow, what a book!

There are indeed some not so pleasant things in this one. However, it is still a great book.

The story unfolds in a captivating way, taking the reader on a journey filled with various emotions.

Despite the presence of those less pleasant elements, they add depth and authenticity to the narrative.

The author has managed to create a world that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

The characters are well-developed, and their actions and decisions drive the story forward.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good story that challenges their perspective and leaves them with something to think about.

It may not be all sunshine and rainbows, but that's what makes it truly remarkable.

Great book!

This is the second time I have read it.

I initially went into it with the intent to like it simply because of my last name.

However, as I delved deeper into the story, I found myself completely captivated by the content.

The author's writing style is engaging and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Each character is well-developed and has their own unique personality, which makes it easy to become invested in their lives.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

It's one that you won't be able to put down until you've reached the very end.

I must say that after reading some of the negatives, I'm left perplexed.

Why would these supposed over-educated individuals ever finish such a disastrously written book in the first place?

I'll tell you why. It's because it is simple, easy to read fiction with all the little twists necessary to make the reader continue reading.

I enjoyed it immensely because it was just that, simple and fun.

Sometimes, in a world filled with complex and convoluted literature, it's nice to have a break and just enjoy a book that doesn't require a great deal of mental effort.

This book provided that escape for me, and I'm sure it did for many others as well.

Sure, it may not be a literary masterpiece, but it doesn't have to be.

It serves its purpose of entertaining the reader, and for that, I'm grateful.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light and enjoyable read.

Don't let the negative reviews deter you from giving it a chance.

You might just be pleasantly surprised.

At first, I truly regretted picking up The Jester. The book's style, with its incredibly attenuated chapters, made it extremely tough for me to engage with the characters. I had to restart the book no less than three times. The quick cuts were so irritating that I simply couldn't get any traction with the characters. I really didn't care at that point.

However, once the book was the only one I had on the train, I finally managed to reach the 1/3 mark in the book. And after that, I was committed to seeing it through to the end.

I have a theory about this book. I don't know either of the authors (unlike many of the books I read and review), and I'm not sure if this is actually the case. But I firmly believe that this book was originally a screenplay. The exceedingly short chapters seem to reflect an attempt at cinematic cuts. And the graphic violence portrayed, especially in the early Crusades segments, appears more like a description in a screenplay, with more pyrotechnics and macabre scenes of torture rather than deeper human interaction.

Despite these reservations, the story is relatively satisfying. It sometimes feels like the French Robin Hood with a holy artifact (discovered with an appropriately French provenance, considering that the "Holy Grail" is still virtually its own "industry" in France to this day). Don't misunderstand me. I appreciate the way the plot regarding the artifact is handled in The Jester. I had my suspicions about the actual artifact (especially with an explicit foreshadowing early in the book), but I spent some time following a delightful "red herring" with regard to its identity.

In conclusion, The Jester is well worth reading. The actions are brutal and realistic for the era. In a couple of scenes, I thought I was reading George R. R. Martin instead of James Patterson and his co-author. Still, even though I had trouble getting into the book initially, I'm glad I read it. Even if I occasionally had flashbacks of The Black Arrow, Ivanhoe, and The Adventures of Robin Hood as I read it. The story essentially proves the Preacher of Ecclesiastes (in the Hebrew Bible) to be correct. There may be nothing truly new under the sun, but at least there are sections where the sun manages to break through the clouds.

This unusual novel is set during the Crusades. It centers around a miller named Hugh who takes on the responsibility of leading the army.

After his return, he discovers that his home and family have been completely devastated. The story then follows Hugh as he embarks on a journey filled with adventure, danger, and a personal quest. This quest leads him into a major leadership role and also makes him develop a maddening thirst for religious relics.

The book has been rated 3.5 stars, which indicates that it is a fascinating story. It combines adult language and humor, which some readers may find appealing. I, for one, really enjoyed the plot. However, I think the book could have been even better if the author had removed the foul language from the fable.

Overall, this is a unique and engaging novel that offers an interesting perspective on the Crusades and the people who lived during that time.

I managed to reach chapter 11 of the book, but unfortunately, it just wasn't my genre.

I really gave it a try, hoping that I would be able to get into the story and become fully immersed in it. However, despite my best efforts, I found it difficult to connect with the characters and the plot.

The writing style might have been a factor as well. It didn't quite resonate with me, and I often found myself losing interest and having to force myself to keep reading.

Perhaps if it had been a different genre that I'm more familiar with and enjoy, I would have had a completely different experience. But as it stands, I had to admit that this particular book just wasn't for me.

I'm still glad that I gave it a chance, as it's always good to step out of your comfort zone and explore new things. But sometimes, you just have to accept that certain books are not going to click with you.

This was an incredibly wonderful and imaginitive historical thriller.

I would definitely say that the entire book is constructed around the fascinating premise that "In times of trouble, the only one who can speak the truth is the Jester."

It is set during the era of the crusades, a time when religious persecution and rule were widespread.

The basic story is old and archetypal. The institution seizes the protagonist's family from him, and he embarks on a journey of revenge to reclaim what he has lost.

However, the true gem of this story lies not in the story itself, but in the art of storytelling.

I thoroughly relished this page-turner. It's such a pity that I traded it to some guy on a train in Europe.

Nevertheless, the memories of the thrilling narrative and the unique premise still linger in my mind.

It was a captivating read that took me on a journey through a tumultuous historical period and introduced me to a world where the Jester held a special power.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical thrillers and engaging storytelling.

The latest book by Patterson that I had the pleasure of reading was “The Jester.”

When I first rented this book, I was under the impression that it would be a thrilling criminal novel. However, to my great surprise, as I delved into the pages, I discovered that it was actually a captivating history book!!

At the beginning of my reading journey with “The Jester,” I felt a tinge of unease, not quite sure what to anticipate from Patterson. But soon enough, I realized that the master of suspense had yet another trick up his sleeve – he could write history books with equal finesse.

The story follows a simple man named Hugh De Luc, who decides to join The Crusades in the hope of finding adventure and fortune in XI century France. But after experiencing the horrors of the “holy war,” Hugh returns to his village only to find his wife and son brutally murdered by the cruel liege lord, Baldwin. From that moment on, Hugh’s sole mission becomes to uncover the truth and seek vengeance for the deaths of his loved ones.

This proves to be no easy feat in medieval France, where a peasant like Hugh has little chance of finding justice against the powerful nobles.

Overall, this book was a delightful surprise. The author manages to keep the action flowing at a rapid pace, never straying from the main topic. What I particularly liked was the realism of the characters he created. In many history novels, we often read about knights who adhered strictly to the code of honor or poor villagers who had no opinions and couldn’t think for themselves. But Patterson presents a more accurate picture, where most of the knights were less than honorable and the peasants were indeed human beings with dreams and feelings.

The author also incorporates plenty of humor (hence the title of the book) and a love story (although this part may be a bit less realistic, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers). Some of the fight scenes, while very engaging, were perhaps a touch unrealistic (it’s like imagining an amateur fighter from the local YMCA going up against a professional MMA fighter and emerging victorious), but nevertheless, this was a great, enjoyable book to read. I truly hope that Patterson will grace us with more history books in the future!!

Here is a link to other books I have read and reviewed: http://adamvb67.wordpress.com

I would rate this 3 - 3.5 ⭐️.

To be honest, I only read it because my grandfather, who is a voracious reader - having read every single James Patterson, David Baldacci, and JD Robb book ever published - has been asking me to read it for quite some time.

The beginning of the book is a little slow-paced, but it surely gains momentum as it progresses.

However, my main concern is that I prefer to lose myself completely in a story. While good authors deserve recognition for their work, I don't want to be constantly reminded of who wrote it while I'm reading. I want to feel as if I'm right there, truly experiencing what the characters are going through.

Unfortunately, there were several occasions where I actually had to pause and say to myself, "yeah, a man definitely wrote this. It would not actually happen this way."

Overall, it's a good book for history buffs. It does have some slightly graphic content.

Despite its flaws, it still managed to hold my interest and I'm glad I finally read it at my grandfather's insistence.

An innkeeper embarks on a journey to the Crusades and upon his return, he brings back a historical treasure. This treasure is so valuable that the nobles are willing to resort to murder and pillage to obtain it. It's a situation that is far from being all bad, but it's certainly not good either.

Back in those days, the main reason for me to read Patterson was that I could typically finish his books in a single day, and they were quick and easy reads. However, when it comes to Patterson (and Gross) writing historical fiction, I just have to say no! Out of 12 books, I would rate this one only 3.

I guess it's no surprise that a historical mystery penned by two thriller writers lacks historical accuracy. However, if you can endure and overlook that aspect, it offers an enjoyable and often farcical adventure through medieval France.

Set during the crusades in 11th century France, the cheeky commoner and innkeeper Hugh deLuc joins the crusaders, lured by the promise of freedom and riches upon his return from Jerusalem, where he is to slay the infidels. After witnessing the harsh reality of the crusades, with many common foot soldiers massacred on the battlefields, Hugh returns home only to find his inn burned, his wife kidnapped, and his baby son killed by the evil lord who rules his fiefdom.

Thus commences Hugh's second life as a jester as he endeavors to locate his wife. Unbeknownst to Hugh, he is suspected of bringing a holy relic back from the Holy Lands, and the nobles will stop at nothing to obtain it.

I suspect Patterson and Gross had a great deal of enjoyment while writing this novel. They have taken numerous liberties with the people, customs, and traditions of that era but have crafted a fun, albeit far-fetched, tale that makes for a good, quick read, featuring short, sharp chapters and a fast-paced plot. 3.5★