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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
* This is a re read. I orginially read this book back in 2012 I think
The amount of research and detailing is impressive. Slow start but it picks up about halfway through. Its not a enthralling read but something about it keeps me interested to keep reading.
The amount of research and detailing is impressive. Slow start but it picks up about halfway through. Its not a enthralling read but something about it keeps me interested to keep reading.
Extremely enjoyable retelling of the legend of King Arthur. Full review coming soon...
This is going to be a short review of the entire trilogy. This is my favorite book series of all time. I have read it multiple times since I was fourteen years old, and still love it. I should start out by saying that being a lover of historical fictional and Celtic myth, this book is right up my alley. However, I would argue that this series one of the coolest re-tellings of Arthurian Myth that I have ever read.
The important thing to note when reading book 1, is that it is set in early Medieval Wales, and will throw a lot of Celtic names and culture at you very quickly. Pushing through the first few chapters, I think readers will find that this book series is worth it
The important thing to note when reading book 1, is that it is set in early Medieval Wales, and will throw a lot of Celtic names and culture at you very quickly. Pushing through the first few chapters, I think readers will find that this book series is worth it
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I know I have gained Christ and through His blessing I have gained the whole world too, but for what I have lost, for what we have all lost, there is no end to the reckoning. We lost everything."
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow. This is now my favorite King Arthur retelling. Cornwell doesn't just use realism as trope here, but as a way to reinforce things he wants to say about the characters. Guinivere's chastity is called into question, Arthur's kindness gets him into wars, and Lancelot takes advantage of the work of poets to make himself more honorable than he his. Merlin is an aloof Gandalf-like figure that arrives precisely when he needs too, and mordred is the rightful, if awful king.
Throughout all of this is a tinge of sadness. We know how the King Arthur story ends, in part because Derfel is telling this in the future. And that's what King Arthur has always been about for me: sadness about faded wonder and glory, and hope that it will come again.
Throughout all of this is a tinge of sadness. We know how the King Arthur story ends, in part because Derfel is telling this in the future. And that's what King Arthur has always been about for me: sadness about faded wonder and glory, and hope that it will come again.
adventurous
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:
Complicated
★★★★ - Absolutely riveting read about the rise of Arthur in fending off the Saxons and other Britons to unite Britania under the rule of the high king. I haven't read any Arthurian tales since way back in high school, so the material was fresh and captivating. Cornwell's Arthur differs quite a bit from how he's presented in other stories, and the changes are almost exclusively for the better. The real scene stealer is Derfel, one of Arthur's loyal warriors who narrates the story and completely won me over.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
This was ok...but i never was a fan of Arthur...i like fantasies written with the Arthurian Legend in mind, but idk why i am not keen on Arthur's story. It was a little bit of a drag. But ok. I won't be reading this in quite a long time again...maybe a few years lol