It takes a remarkable writer to make an old story as fresh and compelling as the first time we heard it. With The Winter King, the first volume of his magnificent Warlord Chronicles, Bernard Cornwell finally turns to the story he was born to write: the mythic saga of King Arthur.
The tale begins in Dark Age Britain, a land where Arthur has been banished and Merlin has disappeared, where a child-king sits unprotected on the throne, where religion vies with magic for the souls of the people. It is to this desperate land that Arthur returns, a man at once utterly human and truly heroic: a man of honor, loyalty, and amazing valor; a man who loves Guinevere more passionately than he should; a man whose life is at once tragic and triumphant.
As Arthur fights to keep a flicker of civilization alive in a barbaric world, Bernard Cornwell makes a familiar tale into a legend all over again.
Amazon.com Review: Essentially this is a modern political thriller, told in flat American diction. Narrated by Derfel, an ordinary, likable man who rises through the ranks to become Arthur's friend and advisor in peace and war, the story doesn't follow the traditional patterns. Mordred is Uther's infant grandson, the legitimate king; Arthur is one of Mordred's guardians, sworn to hold the kingdom against the Saxon warlords until Mordred comes of age. Warfare is incessant. Arthur's dream of peace and unity seems unattainable. Derfel's own story--his strange origin, his love for Nimue, his worries and his triumphs--parallels Arthur's as he fights for and beside him.
Bernard Cornwell downplays the magic that enlivens the traditional stories, depicting it more as a combination of superstition and shrewd wits. I recommend this with reservations; though it's absorbing to read, the emphasis on battles and politics means that this will greatly appeal to some fantasy readers, but disappoint others.
Good I got this at an airport and wasn't exoecting anything but nI was surprised at how good it was and compares better to the author's whole series of Arthurian legends. It is good.
Cornwell's finest novel Probably Cornwell's finest work - the Arthurian legend brought to life as it was, or as it would have been, had it been true. Set in Britain circa 490AD Cornwell paints a magnificent picture of a mediavel fantasy transplaced into the gritty reality of the Dark Ages. There is no classic Camelot and knights of the round table, but a grittier tale using a familiar host of characters that makes for an absolutely gripping read. I challenge any one to read this book and not feel compelled to purchase and read the whole trilogy.
Arthur as flesh and bone How can I say this without revealing too much detail? One thing that really touched me about this book is how incredibly real the narrator is. Derfel Cadarn, a very real man now in his last days of life, telling the story of a very real Arthur. A man who I believe many will be able to relate to. Of course the unique style of Cornwell shines. He has a knack of painting a beautiful mosaic and then desecrating it with the harsh reality of tyranny, war and life in a harsh period. The Winter King gives a very vivid and convincing vision as to what fifth century Britain was like. A Britain plunged into turmoil with religion, war and savage barbarism. A post-Roman Britain seeking some way of resolve and peace. A Britain that saw the real Arthur.
Camelot this is NOT. VERY different from other Arthur tales. I finished this book late last night after a very quick, very intense tear through the novel; I could not put it down. I will be starting book 2, Enemy of God, of this trilogy today. This is definitely not your typical Arthur. Oddly enough, there is little proof that Arthur existed in the great way he is now known in legend to have been. Obviously, the magic, Excalibur, Camelot, the Round Table and the 'Holy Grail' type additions were very well used literary tools to create a legend bigger than itself in many tales. What Cornwell has accomplished in this novel is to bring the story back down to earth in a very real and incredible way; this is an Arthur who lived in a real world, with superstitions and gods of many religions, but no magic to speak of, rather just man's overwhelming ability to allow fear and misunderstanding to create belief in magic, spells, wizardry and monsters. To be fair, that may disappoint Arthurian legend lovers of the mystical tale. This is not the stylized Arthur that we read about in most literary works or, in more recent years, we see on film. The tale is told by an elderly monk who, before becoming a Christian, was an orphan raised by Merlin (not a Wizard in this tale, rather a Druid leader of Britain). He, our storyteller, was Derfel Cadarn, Derfel 'the mighty', and he was a fierce and feared warrior, a Lord of war, a leader of men, a sworn man of Arthur, and a mighty killer. He is also an excellent storyteller who weaves a tale of 5th century Britain, a land at war with itself whilst also being invaded by the Saxons (who the author Cornwell also writes about in his excellent Saxon Chronicles which I highly recommend). This was an island of many nations and many kings, before it was England, just after the departure of the Romans and just as the island was at its lowest point in history, the beginning of the dark ages. The fact that not much is known about the people that became so legendary in myth and tales of magic, allows Cornwell to weave a book of fiction that represents the period very well and freed him to create a tale that he did not have to meld in to history. In other words, Cornwell was able to create an entire story, using famous names that have no story, thus allowing us to experience a completely different version of the tale. I avoided this trilogy for a while because the Arthur tales are a little too fantasized for me; I prefer more historically based fiction. Thankfully, I came to my senses and read this book. It was excellent. I read a review below that stated that someone struggled with this book because of all the characters, a claim I don't understand. Cornwell kindly provides a list of ALL the characters and a short summary of who they were, at the beginning of the book so you can always flip to the front if you don't remember a name. A detailed map is provided in the back to give you an understanding of where the many characters are from and where they go. I definitely recommend this book. Although our storyteller does tell Arthur's tale, the book does tend to be more Derfel's tale and how he experienced life as a sworn man of Arthur. It follows Derfel to Amorica (Britanny, France) where he spends years fighting in Arthur's place for the kindom of Benoic (which reminded me of Jonathan Swift's kingdom of Laputa, the floating island where everyone was more interested in learning and beauty, where, in this tale the king spent all his money on knowledge all his money on knowledge and allowed the kingdom to crumble around him). This is Derfel's tale of Arthur and it is a wonderful story. Enjoy!!!
GET A KINDLE EDITION AND I'LL UPDATE THIS WITH A REAL REVIEW Now, you self annointed internet police can begin yelling at me for not posting a real review.
Kindle editions of his Saxon series were great, can't understand why not these?
Anything Goes Trivia
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