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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing 'historical realism' version of King Arthur tales. Should appeal highly to a range of fantasy, history, military, King Arthur fans.
Slow to get rolling, but once Arthur appears, action ensues… a lot of focus on battles and armies, like most Cornwell books. Well researched chronicle of dark ages Britain.
The cover of my book says 'The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur'. Ummm...kind of. It should really say 'A Novel of Derfel, with appearances by Arthur'. But Derfel doesn't sell books (Derfel who?), and Arthur does, so there you have it.
As already mentioned, this book follows Derfel. He becomes one of the commanders for Arthurs army, but this book starts well before that. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had just read it as Derfels story, and not for Arthurs storyline. There are times when Derfel is doing things away from Arthur, which irked me at the beginning because I was looking for a book about Arthur. But by the end I enjoyed the story for what it was and cared about most of the characters we have met so far. The book started out strong, but slowed down a bit in Part 2. The major problem I had though was Arthur's reaction to Guinevere and how their marriage came about. I didn't think it fit with his character at all and it really didn't sit well with me. There are some difference here from the typical Arthur storyline, so if you're looking for something a little different, you may find it here.
I will probably read the next book at some point, but I don't think I will rush out to get it.
As already mentioned, this book follows Derfel. He becomes one of the commanders for Arthurs army, but this book starts well before that. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had just read it as Derfels story, and not for Arthurs storyline. There are times when Derfel is doing things away from Arthur, which irked me at the beginning because I was looking for a book about Arthur. But by the end I enjoyed the story for what it was and cared about most of the characters we have met so far. The book started out strong, but slowed down a bit in Part 2. The major problem I had though was Arthur's reaction to Guinevere and how their marriage came about. I didn't think it fit with his character at all and it really didn't sit well with me. There are some difference here from the typical Arthur storyline, so if you're looking for something a little different, you may find it here.
I will probably read the next book at some point, but I don't think I will rush out to get it.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was an enjoyable read, but I believe I should have waited a bit longer before starting this series after finishing the Last Kingdom series. While I was pleased to be back with Cornwell, narrated by Keeble as is proper, I found the stories to be quite similar. In comparison, I must say that Uhtred is the superior character. However, Merlin is intriguing and may potentially carry this series for Derfel.
I started reading/listening The Last Kingfom series by the same author and found some of his other works, this among them. When I noticed that this was narrorated by the same man Jonathan Keeble - who is now one of my top 3 narrators) I knew I had to try it.
The story of Arthur is always so bogged down by the myth that it is a rare story where I feel like I connect with the characters. But this book did not have that problem. It is clear that Mr. Cornwell went to great lengths to demonstrate that all of these characters are humans not myths. They are fallable, imperfect humans. And that made this so much better of a atory.
The only thing that did catch my attention(not entirely in a bad way) was the similarities to the Last Kingfom series. I think there were a couple of lines that were almost word for word, but that wasn't a huge deal because most of the story was distinct from his other series.
A great book. Can't wait to start book 2.
The story of Arthur is always so bogged down by the myth that it is a rare story where I feel like I connect with the characters. But this book did not have that problem. It is clear that Mr. Cornwell went to great lengths to demonstrate that all of these characters are humans not myths. They are fallable, imperfect humans. And that made this so much better of a atory.
The only thing that did catch my attention(not entirely in a bad way) was the similarities to the Last Kingfom series. I think there were a couple of lines that were almost word for word, but that wasn't a huge deal because most of the story was distinct from his other series.
A great book. Can't wait to start book 2.
Warum habe ich so lange gewartet bis ich Cornwall gelesen habe? Sehr gutes Buch!
This is the story of Authur, from the perspective of Lord Derfel, a former slave who grows up in Merlin's household and becomes a warrior. Fantastic writing, plausible history (of a time period and person we don't know much about).