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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
This book, this whole series, is hands down Cornwell’s best work. Emotional and evocative. Exciting and suspenseful in a way that many of his more recent books are not. These are the novels that gained him the title of Britain’s Storyteller.
A escrita foi extremamente lenta para mim, em alguns momentos até cansativa, porém nem sempre isso é um defeito. Para essa obra a lentidão da escrita não diminui em nenhum momento a qualidade da obra.
As cenas são perfeitamente descritas, especialmente as de batalha. Os diálogos são igualmente bem escritos. Com certeza planejo ler mais coisas de Bernard Cornwell!
As cenas são perfeitamente descritas, especialmente as de batalha. Os diálogos são igualmente bem escritos. Com certeza planejo ler mais coisas de Bernard Cornwell!
Characters 6
Atmosphere 6
Writing style 2
Plot 3
Intrigue 3
Logic 6
Enjoyment 5
Atmosphere 6
Writing style 2
Plot 3
Intrigue 3
Logic 6
Enjoyment 5
I’m not a huge historical fiction reader generally, and certainly not of this time period, but this made me wish I was. What an interesting time period — although the appeal of the book is extremely helped out by the Arthur framework. It’s fun to spot all the classic characters and see what Cornwell does with them.
Also it very much appealed to my post-ASOIAF reading mindset: exactly the mix of magic, fighting and politics I was extremely primed to appreciate.
Also it very much appealed to my post-ASOIAF reading mindset: exactly the mix of magic, fighting and politics I was extremely primed to appreciate.
Jeg er vild med denne serie af Bernard Cornwall. Så stor detaljerigdom og spænding, blandet med historiske fakta og myter. Sublimt skrevet.
I am in no way qualified to judge Bernard Cornwell, but for me this was a struggle. Clearly very well written and researched but very dry and difficult to read at the same time. The Winter King differed in aspects to the more widely known Arthurian legends, mainly in how the characters were related to one another and their ages, which took a little getting used to.
As a fictionalized account of the final attempt of the Britons to defend their land from invading Saxons and Irish, this is an engaging tale, with likeable heroes. As a tale of Arthur, it disappoints.
The major problem with Cornwell's characterization is that the villains are without redeeming qualities. They are invariably a combination of the following qualities: brutal, vicious, duplicitous, selfish, and cowardly. This makes Arthur come off as particularly obtuse. For example, I don't have a problem with Cornwell re-writing Lancelot to make him ignoble, but to make him as wholly reprehensible as he is, and to have every credible character except Arthur realize what a useless and narcissistic person he is, just makes Arthur look stupid. It's hard to imagine how such a man could be a great leader of soldiers in an age of social and religious conflict when he can't seem to judge them well.
Arthur's poor judgment, at least when it comes to people, is problematic in this work, but it completely drains the second book, Enemy of God, of the tragedy that is inherent in the Arthurian story.
The major problem with Cornwell's characterization is that the villains are without redeeming qualities. They are invariably a combination of the following qualities: brutal, vicious, duplicitous, selfish, and cowardly. This makes Arthur come off as particularly obtuse. For example, I don't have a problem with Cornwell re-writing Lancelot to make him ignoble, but to make him as wholly reprehensible as he is, and to have every credible character except Arthur realize what a useless and narcissistic person he is, just makes Arthur look stupid. It's hard to imagine how such a man could be a great leader of soldiers in an age of social and religious conflict when he can't seem to judge them well.
Arthur's poor judgment, at least when it comes to people, is problematic in this work, but it completely drains the second book, Enemy of God, of the tragedy that is inherent in the Arthurian story.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes