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A review by pedroalmeida
The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell
4.0
I came upon this take on the Arthurian legends by recommendation by someone dear to me and by the lure of pretty covers, an indulgence to which I’m joyfully guilty. Contrary to perhaps many of the readers, I do not see myself as an Arthur fan but that I think may have added to the magic of the story.
“The Warlord Chronicles” by Bernard Cornwell is a set of three books comprising “The Winter King”, “Enemy of God” and “Excalibur”, which take on the trodden but timeless story of Arthur, a leader of the Britons when England laid swarmed by the invading Saxon at the end of the 5th century. The tale is framed narrative told by Derfel Cadarn a shield-brother to Arthur during the length of his life-long campaign against the Saxon.
Though best described as historical fiction (not withstanding the questionable authenticity of historical Arthur), The Warlord Chronicles mix a tint of the fantastic namely under the hands of the pagan Druids, whose conflict with the rising Christianity make a good deal of the venomous web of intrigue, running side by side with the political struggle between the petty kingdoms of Britain. The story also includes the anachronistic but iconic Merlin and Lancelot, both presented with a personality twist that adds great flavour to the tale.
Cornwell is a prolific writer having written the Sharpe novels along with others tomes of historical fiction. He is a skilled man, capable of weaving fierce page turners and, perhaps more rewarding, of digging deep into History to portray as accurately as possible the customs of the time – something he probably acquired during his career as a journalist.
Throughout the novels and in the first two book in particular, one can almost feel the structured nature of his prose, how the complex chronology and every unfolding event seems to have been meticulously thought out long before any actual writing – a trait common to organized and proficient writers. But, alas, it also robs the story of its mystery as much of what passes is utterly predictable.
Don’t take me wrong. The prose is extremely well-written (if not slightly over-descriptive) and the characters are expertly drawn but for the most part the books lacks the rabid flurry of inspiration. But I guess that is probably something to expect from historical fiction.
Luckily, however, the third book seems to echo the nature of the author more strongly, as characters are more willing to discuss and reflect upon themes likely committed to the (un)consciousness of the writer and the action unfolds more franticly and more on the brink of the unexpected. It is in the final book, I think, that Cornwell speaks more truly as if he had dropped his notes on Annales Cambriae and Historia Brittonum and let the keystrokes run their course.
The series is a rewarding read, profoundly instructive and imaginative and by the time it was over my heart ached and mourned for Arthur, The Once and Future King.
“The Warlord Chronicles” by Bernard Cornwell is a set of three books comprising “The Winter King”, “Enemy of God” and “Excalibur”, which take on the trodden but timeless story of Arthur, a leader of the Britons when England laid swarmed by the invading Saxon at the end of the 5th century. The tale is framed narrative told by Derfel Cadarn a shield-brother to Arthur during the length of his life-long campaign against the Saxon.
Though best described as historical fiction (not withstanding the questionable authenticity of historical Arthur), The Warlord Chronicles mix a tint of the fantastic namely under the hands of the pagan Druids, whose conflict with the rising Christianity make a good deal of the venomous web of intrigue, running side by side with the political struggle between the petty kingdoms of Britain. The story also includes the anachronistic but iconic Merlin and Lancelot, both presented with a personality twist that adds great flavour to the tale.
Cornwell is a prolific writer having written the Sharpe novels along with others tomes of historical fiction. He is a skilled man, capable of weaving fierce page turners and, perhaps more rewarding, of digging deep into History to portray as accurately as possible the customs of the time – something he probably acquired during his career as a journalist.
Throughout the novels and in the first two book in particular, one can almost feel the structured nature of his prose, how the complex chronology and every unfolding event seems to have been meticulously thought out long before any actual writing – a trait common to organized and proficient writers. But, alas, it also robs the story of its mystery as much of what passes is utterly predictable.
Don’t take me wrong. The prose is extremely well-written (if not slightly over-descriptive) and the characters are expertly drawn but for the most part the books lacks the rabid flurry of inspiration. But I guess that is probably something to expect from historical fiction.
Luckily, however, the third book seems to echo the nature of the author more strongly, as characters are more willing to discuss and reflect upon themes likely committed to the (un)consciousness of the writer and the action unfolds more franticly and more on the brink of the unexpected. It is in the final book, I think, that Cornwell speaks more truly as if he had dropped his notes on Annales Cambriae and Historia Brittonum and let the keystrokes run their course.
The series is a rewarding read, profoundly instructive and imaginative and by the time it was over my heart ached and mourned for Arthur, The Once and Future King.