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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
This book has a significant amount of rape and sexual assault. It's not graphically depicted that I remember, but it comes up quite a bit and I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention that
That said, I really enjoyed this book. I love frame stories and the narrator does an excellent job with it. The narrator does an excellent job in general though. It's King Arthur if he was real, not a king, and there was no real magic involved. A great grounded feel to the book
Arthur, however, is not the main character and doesn't show up for the first quarter of the book. His delayed arrival and my slight distaste for Merlin's character are the biggest weaknesses. Otherwise you get battle, romance, and plunder. I certainly plan on continuing the series
It's an older book, but it checks out
That said, I really enjoyed this book. I love frame stories and the narrator does an excellent job with it. The narrator does an excellent job in general though. It's King Arthur if he was real, not a king, and there was no real magic involved. A great grounded feel to the book
Arthur, however, is not the main character and doesn't show up for the first quarter of the book. His delayed arrival and my slight distaste for Merlin's character are the biggest weaknesses. Otherwise you get battle, romance, and plunder. I certainly plan on continuing the series
It's an older book, but it checks out
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow derfel !!!!
adventurous
challenging
tense
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
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book was kind of my first foray into historical fiction and particularly of this time period and location but since I love the A Song of Ice and Fire series so much, I thought this would be related enough for my enjoyment. Turns out I was right! Cornwell masterfully mixes mythology with realism of what Dark Ages-Britain would have been like in a way that is both fascinating and compelling. While a book with a map and a list of characters and places to keep track of seemed incredibly daunting, the story kept up the pace and made the familiar cast of characters come to life and feel three-dimensional. I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
I'm interested in the subject matter, so I enjoyed it. I think the attraction of this book lies in the historical knowledge of the author. However, I often found myself having difficulty caring about any of the characters; none of them is all that likable. A number of scenes made me feel that characters were jumping through plot hoops as well.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Picked this up as a last-ditch effort to find a suitable filler for the Game of Thrones-shaped hole in my heart.
Boy, did this book fill it.
Though Cornwell's writing can be a bit clunky at times, the first book in this historical fantasy trilogy explores through fiction the political machinations and religious clashes of seventh-century post-Roman Britain, the mists of which obscure the story of the man whom legend would come to call King Arthur. This is not your typical tale of Camelot: Cornwell places the man Arthur soundly in his appropriate historical and cultural context, describing not glittering knights and chivalry but embattled pagan sects and Celts in painted leather.
The narrator and main character, a Saxon warrior, is only part of the multi-cultural audience to the great drama of Arthur and Guinevere, but his perceptive take on the events surrounding the rise of the powerful warlord Arthur is fresh and intriguing while still being familiar to the modern reader.
Cornwell has done meticulous research, and this book reads with the confidence of a well-read armchair historian. His afterword, in which he describes the research he did for the book as well as the history behind the development of Arthurian legends, is worth reading in and of itself.
Not for the faint of heart, "The Winter King" has enough mud, blood, paganism, and historically-accurate depictions of Druidism to satisfy even the most ravenous "historical fantasy" fans like me.
Very much looking forward to starting the sequel, "Enemy of God."
Boy, did this book fill it.
Though Cornwell's writing can be a bit clunky at times, the first book in this historical fantasy trilogy explores through fiction the political machinations and religious clashes of seventh-century post-Roman Britain, the mists of which obscure the story of the man whom legend would come to call King Arthur. This is not your typical tale of Camelot: Cornwell places the man Arthur soundly in his appropriate historical and cultural context, describing not glittering knights and chivalry but embattled pagan sects and Celts in painted leather.
The narrator and main character, a Saxon warrior, is only part of the multi-cultural audience to the great drama of Arthur and Guinevere, but his perceptive take on the events surrounding the rise of the powerful warlord Arthur is fresh and intriguing while still being familiar to the modern reader.
Cornwell has done meticulous research, and this book reads with the confidence of a well-read armchair historian. His afterword, in which he describes the research he did for the book as well as the history behind the development of Arthurian legends, is worth reading in and of itself.
Not for the faint of heart, "The Winter King" has enough mud, blood, paganism, and historically-accurate depictions of Druidism to satisfy even the most ravenous "historical fantasy" fans like me.
Very much looking forward to starting the sequel, "Enemy of God."
This was such a fantastic take on the legend of King Arthur. I was excited to see a new take on King Arthur that wasn't just a retelling of the classic stories everyone knows. Set in an age after the Roman's abandon Britain and the start the of the Saxon invasion, this book is much more grounded in historical accuracy. While they mention "magic", it isn't the same magic as you would see in a high fantasy book, but more superstitions relating to the old Gods before Christianity. The characters are engaging and there are certainly some deviations from the classic stories and characters. Cornwell makes the battle scenes riveting, in fact he may be the best at crafting exciting battle scenes for me. This was a great book for anyone who loves historical fiction and the legend of King Arthur presented in a new way. I highly recommend it.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No