seclement 's review for:

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

5.0

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There are a lot of different depictions of the Arthur legends, but this is a classic for a reason. This is an epic book, just one of 3 about Arthur by Cornwell, so I suggest you read it at a time when you can devote a few hours to reading at a time so that you can get immersed in the tale. There are so very many characters, which can get confusing, but helpfully there is a key to the characters in the book. The map and justification for the places he chooses and the names he uses - because of course there are so many different candidates for places in the Arthurian legends - are very helpful as well. I read this just after a trip around Wales and England to sites purported to be associated with Arthur, so it was a timely read, but it was also just the sort of escapism I needed in 2020. It is not a cheery book...in fact it is brutal in many places and none of the characters are without fault...but it does indeed transport you to a different world. His depiction of the characters is much better than the romantic depictions you get in some versions of the legend, in my opinion, but by "better" I mean it feels more realistic and in keeping with the time that these events could have taken place (if they ever did). This is not a genre of book that I normally read, but the story is well told and timeless. The prose is descriptive but not tedious, and despite being a long book there are definitely many points where you won't want to put it down.