wolfmantula 's review for:

Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell

5.0

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When I first started reading this series, I knew it was going to be good, but I didn’t realize just how good it was going to be or how much it was going to wrap me up in its incredible story, make me fall in love with all of the fallible characters or Cornwell’s beautiful writing that just stayed in my head all day long. I went through a captivating journey from The Winter King, then to The Enemy of God, to its emotional finale, here, in Excalibur. I’m not sure how I feel about my time in Dumnonia coming to an end, but one thing I do know is that this was a perfect ending to a journey that was well worth the time I put into reading and listening to. 

Excalibur really ramped up the emotionality of the series, hearing Derfel tell this story of Arthur and seeing his passion for the man he called his lord, his wife, his children & the incredible companions as he puts their lives and fates on paper, shows just how wonderful of a character he truly is throughout this entire trilogy. Cornwell also turned the intensity up to one hundred and left some truly intoxicating scenes where I could feel the high stakes throughout. Some that were shocking and some just gruelingly gritty, from pulsating duel of fates-like duels, a death ritual, to a band of warriors holding down an army for one last fight, which could only be described as perfection. 

“For we had won. We had turned the fields beside the river into a slaughterhouse. We had saved Britain and fulfilled Arthur’s dream. We were the kings of slaughter and the lords of the dead, and we howled our bloody triumph at the sky.”

The historical aspects of the story is so well told, that I had to keep reminding myself that this isn’t a real story, but this is the story that I think I’ll always remember of Arthur, because it feels the most realistic. It won’t be King Arthur and Camelot, pulling a magical sword out of a stone, a lady in the lake or a magical wizard. No, it’ll be this story, it’ll be the story of a warlord, not a king, that all he wanted was a free Britain. It’ll be the story of Derfel, Arthur’s most trusted friend, it’ll be the story of a country at war with itself while also fending off Saxons who look to take over Brittain and Christians that are pushing for the removal of the pagan religion. A story of a Druid named Merlin, who didn’t use magic, but Druidic manipulation to make pagan followers believe he was powerful. A story of Guinevere, who only wanted the very best for her love, and sometimes went just a bit too far. And a story of Nimue, a Druid that would stop at nothing to make sure things went according to hers or Merlin’s plan, no matter the cost. This is the story I’ll always remember, it’s a tragic story, but one that feels so real, that it should be added as the true history of who Arthur was and his impact on Britain.

Cornwell has such a wonderful way of building characters, introducing new characters, and making you fall in love with every single one of them along the way, and then just ripping your heart out at the very end, making you just want to weep for the joy of being able to know their stories. And then there was Jonathan Keeble, who’s narration made this story come to even more life as he made me feel every everything, I’ve said it over and over again, and ill say it one more time, this is just a madterclass on narration. The way he brings the characters to life and makes me feel exactly what they are feeling from anger, to happiness, to despair, he evoked it all and turned a really good series, into an unforgettable series, with an unforgettable performance. When I re-read this, and I will definitely re-read this one day, his narration will be why because I believe Keeble should be talked about in the same conversation as the great, Steven Pacey and one of my personal favorites, Joe Jameson.