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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
You should know two things about me: (1) I can't stand reading most fantasy, and (2) I adore any retelling of the King Arthur myth. As you can imagine, these polarizing emotions compete when I do read Arthur-inspired stories. However, The Winter King comes out mostly on top.
The pace is slow, which is pretty on brand for the first book in a series. While this is one of my least favourite things about reading fantasy, it was made much easier by the fact that I love reading about Arthur and his knights.
Also, the main character is of the author's own creation, which definitely makes the story more unique than other retellings, but at times I wanted to focus on the "recognizable" characters that I have come to love, like Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere, who appear but aren't central to the plot. Granted, I don't fault the author for this, since he's entitled to making this choice.
At no point was I bored and, though the author doesn't have the most beautiful writing style and doesn't spend a lot of time "showing" the characters' personalities, I still got a really strong sense of who they were as people.
I will be continuing with the series.
The pace is slow, which is pretty on brand for the first book in a series. While this is one of my least favourite things about reading fantasy, it was made much easier by the fact that I love reading about Arthur and his knights.
Also, the main character is of the author's own creation, which definitely makes the story more unique than other retellings, but at times I wanted to focus on the "recognizable" characters that I have come to love, like Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere, who appear but aren't central to the plot. Granted, I don't fault the author for this, since he's entitled to making this choice.
At no point was I bored and, though the author doesn't have the most beautiful writing style and doesn't spend a lot of time "showing" the characters' personalities, I still got a really strong sense of who they were as people.
I will be continuing with the series.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Eh, nothing amazing but also not terrible
I read and loved the last kingdom series so much that I avoided reading another series of his for fear I would not like it. I’ve been itching for another great historical fiction series and decided to give this one a try since it’s only a trilogy. It feels different enough from the last kingdom series that I didn’t find myself trying to compare them and just enjoyed the story!
This series is telling the story of Arthur, though we don’t meet Arthur until maybe a quarter of a way into the book. I was surprised that the story was not being told by Arthur, but instead is being told by Derfel, who was a ward of Merlin, warrior of Arthur, and now presumably a Christian priest, though I wasn’t mad about it. I feel this decision allows Arthur to keep that air of mystery, and Derfel’s connections to both Merlin and Arthur and life as a warrior allow for a more fulsome story to be told. The story did not progress as I thought which really kept me hooked to know what would happen next or how some situation would turn out. I also appreciated that the characters were not so black and white, and honestly you both like and dislike most of them at the same time.
This book hooks you from the start. It does slow down after the first few chapters where you’re just learning a lot about the characters and the context, but does pick back up and finished really strong. I’m excited to read on!
This series is telling the story of Arthur, though we don’t meet Arthur until maybe a quarter of a way into the book. I was surprised that the story was not being told by Arthur, but instead is being told by Derfel, who was a ward of Merlin, warrior of Arthur, and now presumably a Christian priest, though I wasn’t mad about it. I feel this decision allows Arthur to keep that air of mystery, and Derfel’s connections to both Merlin and Arthur and life as a warrior allow for a more fulsome story to be told. The story did not progress as I thought which really kept me hooked to know what would happen next or how some situation would turn out. I also appreciated that the characters were not so black and white, and honestly you both like and dislike most of them at the same time.
This book hooks you from the start. It does slow down after the first few chapters where you’re just learning a lot about the characters and the context, but does pick back up and finished really strong. I’m excited to read on!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I was really excited to finally get to this audiobook - I heard great things about the book years ago from The Library of Allenxandria's Youtube channel. One little known fact about me is that I used to love the Arthurian legend tales and retellings - I even took a college course on them. Cornwell brought that love back in a different way for me. This retelling is a darker, grittier version of the Arthurian tales that I'm used to.
Characters: 5/5 - Although it took me a bit to acclimate to the main POV in this book, (For some reason I thought it was going to be a different POV), I loved seeing these classic characters in a different light. It deromanticized (is that a word? that's totally a word) some that are often showin a much better light, like Lancelot, and gave us a closer look at others that are often only seen at a distance like Nimue.
Atmosphere/Setting: 4/5 - I loved the atmosphere. I felt it at all times. The setting was less of a focus point for Cornwell. I would have liked more.
Writing Style: 3/5 - This is a category that could definitely change on reread - especially if I read in physical format. I read through the audiobook only this time and there were a few things that were difficult for me to follow: 1) the timeline - while it felt like it jumped times, the narrator didn't specifically say that, so it was confusing trying to follow when things happened; 2) the pacing felt inconsistent which made it hard to follow at times on audio - and maybe that's why it felt like it jumped timelines also. So maybe that is Cornwell's writing, maybe that was the narration of the audiobook, maybe both.
Plot: 4/5 - Taking a half point here for pacing (see Writing Style above), but I loved where this plot took us. Another half point for the ending, which was very climatic but didn't really have any falling action. It felt like we stopped at the top of the cliff instead of coming down. I needed at least a paragraph or two afterwards to kind of calm down in my reading when finishing a book.
Intrigue: 5/5
Logic: 5/5 - Once I got used to this POV and narrative, it all made logical sense to me.
Enjoyment: 5/5 - Enjoyed it and I want to continue the series, though maybe as an immersion read instead.
Audiobook Narrator: Jonthan Keeble - 5/5 - He did a fantastic job!
Total: 36/8 = 4.5
Characters: 5/5 - Although it took me a bit to acclimate to the main POV in this book, (For some reason I thought it was going to be a different POV), I loved seeing these classic characters in a different light. It deromanticized (is that a word? that's totally a word) some that are often showin a much better light, like Lancelot, and gave us a closer look at others that are often only seen at a distance like Nimue.
Atmosphere/Setting: 4/5 - I loved the atmosphere. I felt it at all times. The setting was less of a focus point for Cornwell. I would have liked more.
Writing Style: 3/5 - This is a category that could definitely change on reread - especially if I read in physical format. I read through the audiobook only this time and there were a few things that were difficult for me to follow: 1) the timeline - while it felt like it jumped times, the narrator didn't specifically say that, so it was confusing trying to follow when things happened; 2) the pacing felt inconsistent which made it hard to follow at times on audio - and maybe that's why it felt like it jumped timelines also. So maybe that is Cornwell's writing, maybe that was the narration of the audiobook, maybe both.
Plot: 4/5 - Taking a half point here for pacing (see Writing Style above), but I loved where this plot took us. Another half point for the ending, which was very climatic but didn't really have any falling action. It felt like we stopped at the top of the cliff instead of coming down. I needed at least a paragraph or two afterwards to kind of calm down in my reading when finishing a book.
Intrigue: 5/5
Logic: 5/5 - Once I got used to this POV and narrative, it all made logical sense to me.
Enjoyment: 5/5 - Enjoyed it and I want to continue the series, though maybe as an immersion read instead.
Audiobook Narrator: Jonthan Keeble - 5/5 - He did a fantastic job!
Total: 36/8 = 4.5
I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - The Brothers Gwynne
“The bards sing of love, they celebrate slaughter, they extol kings and flatter queens, but were I a poet I would write in praise of friendship.”
If you love stories consisting of memorable characters you love and despise, fantastic storytelling, stunning action sequences and moral lessons, then you will adore this historical telling of the chronicles of Arthur and the story of his life.
The Winter King is the first book in The Warlord Chronicles which is a unique take on the story of Arthur during the dark ages. I have always loved the tales of Arthur and his warriors, and this is not an exception. It is the best book I have read which has the story of Arthur as its main concept.
“Fate is inexorable."
Cornwell chooses certain aspects and adapts others from the common stories so the reader cannot predetermine the events which shall occur, and so the story which is told is a new one. He produces this book in a masterful style overflowing with immersive action and fantastic characters.
The sole point of view is Derfel, was born a Saxon but raised a Briton in the kingdom of Dumnonia, which is a kingdom residing in southern Briton. He features as the main character in the Winter King. He is a man who values loyalty and kindness, and proves it many times. It is hard not to fall in love with him as the stories progress and you witness his faults and virtues.
The prose of Bernard Cornwell is superb as the description and storytelling flows brilliantly. It is fluid and smooth making it an easy job to continue reading this large book as the plot line constantly develops in a manner which disallowed me from being bored at any point.
The Winter King is a definite five star rating in my opinion due to one of my favourite writing styles I have encountered and the way it captured many of my favourite aspects in stories.
Impending exams are absorbing most of my leisure time, but almost every moment of freedom I have gained in the last few days consisted of me reading this. It took a serious level of self-control to resist devouring this novel with a few long sittings.
This is one of, if not my favourite historical fiction novel I have had the pleasure to read and I shall be instantly be borrowing my father’s copy of Enemy of God, which is the second book of this series.
My extended BookNest review:
The Winter King - BookNest
“The bards sing of love, they celebrate slaughter, they extol kings and flatter queens, but were I a poet I would write in praise of friendship.”
If you love stories consisting of memorable characters you love and despise, fantastic storytelling, stunning action sequences and moral lessons, then you will adore this historical telling of the chronicles of Arthur and the story of his life.
The Winter King is the first book in The Warlord Chronicles which is a unique take on the story of Arthur during the dark ages. I have always loved the tales of Arthur and his warriors, and this is not an exception. It is the best book I have read which has the story of Arthur as its main concept.
“Fate is inexorable."
Cornwell chooses certain aspects and adapts others from the common stories so the reader cannot predetermine the events which shall occur, and so the story which is told is a new one. He produces this book in a masterful style overflowing with immersive action and fantastic characters.
The sole point of view is Derfel, was born a Saxon but raised a Briton in the kingdom of Dumnonia, which is a kingdom residing in southern Briton. He features as the main character in the Winter King. He is a man who values loyalty and kindness, and proves it many times. It is hard not to fall in love with him as the stories progress and you witness his faults and virtues.
The prose of Bernard Cornwell is superb as the description and storytelling flows brilliantly. It is fluid and smooth making it an easy job to continue reading this large book as the plot line constantly develops in a manner which disallowed me from being bored at any point.
The Winter King is a definite five star rating in my opinion due to one of my favourite writing styles I have encountered and the way it captured many of my favourite aspects in stories.
Impending exams are absorbing most of my leisure time, but almost every moment of freedom I have gained in the last few days consisted of me reading this. It took a serious level of self-control to resist devouring this novel with a few long sittings.
This is one of, if not my favourite historical fiction novel I have had the pleasure to read and I shall be instantly be borrowing my father’s copy of Enemy of God, which is the second book of this series.
My extended BookNest review:
The Winter King - BookNest
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Violence, War