bluerosereads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, and Sexism
thomas_hense's review against another edition
5.0
There is no magic, no aspects of fantasy. I found this series while looking for another historical fantasy but instead found one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read.
intoxicatedcake's review against another edition
4.0
A new and interesting take on the Arthur story. Or,rather, new to me as more of an origins story than an "in progress" Camelot. Good read and am interested to see where he goes with the story.
kylieqrada's review against another edition
4.0
Continuing in the vein of the first book, I could not inhale this fast enough. It's so hard to rate and review these books because they are so jam-packed FULL of amazing writing, riveting plot, and lovable and hateable characters on one hand, while on the other hand, continuing to catch me off guard with problematic elements just when I think I've escaped them. With this book, we draw much closer to the central Arthurian legend, though, which was exciting, and made me even more invested in the story than I was previously. Although, as I got nearer to the end, and the main characters got older, I did start to sense the inevitability of a new cast in the continuations, which proved correct, unfortunately. I'm sure I'll come to love the next cast as much as I loved the first, as so often happens with epic fantasy series (Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings being the prime example), but it's still so hard to let Publius, Caius, and Luceiia go. 4 stars that could easily be a 5 with some sensitivity editing.
jessiqa's review
4.0
This is the second book in Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, a saga of the Arthurian Legend. These are historical novels, as opposed to the fantasy books that generally populate the Arthurian genre.
This book follows Publius Varrus, as did the last one. He's a blacksmith, but also the leader of the army at the Colony. They run into a spot of trouble at the Colony, thanks to an old foe, but once that is cleared up, they make some very powerful friends. The threat of Saxon raiders comes closer to home in this book as does the need for true laws at the Colony. All of this is setting things up for that which is to come. You know it's a long series when Merlyn isn't born until the end of the second book.
Arthurian legend is one of my favorite genres of all time. This deep-seated love is borne of an awesome Brit Lit class my junior year in high school. Mrs. Nixon introduced me to The Once and Future King by T.H. White and I was hooked. My home library has not been the same since. I started this particular series believing that it was a trilogy. Learning my mistake after I had already finished the first novel, I was fully set to continue with the series anyway. The first had me drawn in that much, even though there wasn't a single character in it who I knew from all my other readings in the genre. The same is true mostly of The Singing Sword until Merlyn and Uther Pendragon (cousins) are born at the end of the book.
My point is that the story and the history and the anticipation of my beloved story are all well enough to keep me interested. I knew that the metal from the skystone would become Excalibur, how could it not? The joy is in getting there, in learning about the end of Roman Britain and the rise of all the warrior-kings. I'm thoroughly engrossed in Whyte's telling of how these historical facts intermingle with the Arthurian legend.
I just started book three. I can't wait to see where this leads me.
This book follows Publius Varrus, as did the last one. He's a blacksmith, but also the leader of the army at the Colony. They run into a spot of trouble at the Colony, thanks to an old foe, but once that is cleared up, they make some very powerful friends. The threat of Saxon raiders comes closer to home in this book as does the need for true laws at the Colony. All of this is setting things up for that which is to come. You know it's a long series when Merlyn isn't born until the end of the second book.
Arthurian legend is one of my favorite genres of all time. This deep-seated love is borne of an awesome Brit Lit class my junior year in high school. Mrs. Nixon introduced me to The Once and Future King by T.H. White and I was hooked. My home library has not been the same since. I started this particular series believing that it was a trilogy. Learning my mistake after I had already finished the first novel, I was fully set to continue with the series anyway. The first had me drawn in that much, even though there wasn't a single character in it who I knew from all my other readings in the genre. The same is true mostly of The Singing Sword until Merlyn and Uther Pendragon (cousins) are born at the end of the book.
My point is that the story and the history and the anticipation of my beloved story are all well enough to keep me interested. I knew that the metal from the skystone would become Excalibur, how could it not? The joy is in getting there, in learning about the end of Roman Britain and the rise of all the warrior-kings. I'm thoroughly engrossed in Whyte's telling of how these historical facts intermingle with the Arthurian legend.
I just started book three. I can't wait to see where this leads me.
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