Rating: 
Summary: Great read but mildly disappointing
Review: After reading the first two books of the series and being blown away by their rare historical accuracy compared to other Aurthurian tales, I was a little disappointed by the way Excalibur seemed to lose the momentum of it predecessors. It almost seems as if Cornwell was rushed to publish it. Still, it was a great read that I enjoyed and didn't want to put down until I was done. It's a must if you've read The Winter King and Enemy of God.
Rating: 
Summary: not quite as great as the others
Review: ok so dont shoot me down in flames for that comment and there were certainly parts of the book that were so much better than other parts. im not saying i didnt love it, its just that i thought maybe cornwell was getting bored with it all. however points to watch out for if you are reading it;1. the ending-fantastic; 2. the part with merlin and morgan set in what one can only imagine to be highland scotland (or the like); 3. finally the wonderfully powerful description of merlins final journey; i still loved this book, but i just felt that it was all too much for cornwell and that the time had come for the warlord chronicles to end.
Rating:
Summary: An epic that grabs your attention.
Review: I kept imagining that I was not reading on my midwestern couch by electric light. I was sitting in a castle keep and a bard was telling us of Arthur by the smoky fire.
This is undoubtedly the best Arthur story. In it there are obstacles to overcome, enemies to slay, doomed hopes and the power of love to overcome all. It is a story of human endurance.
It also gives a unique and telling picture of the Britain losing it's Celtic and Roman identity. A new age is being born as the old one dies.
I was recently asked why the Arthur stories are important. Back in those keeps and today, those stories set a standard for behavior and an inspiration for better things during the thousand year darkness of the Middle Ages. Who know how those stories made people aspire to something better?
As far as I'm concerned - they still do that. Human nature isn't any different now. We can still learn from these stories - and if not , they are at least rip-roaring entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Superb.
Review: This was a magnificent conclusion to what is easily the best telling of the Arthurian legend that I have come across. Cornwell's portrayal of Ancient Britain is as compelling as it is realistic, and his characters are superbly developed, as we have come to expect from this wonderful author. While the tale is one of the more realistic versions available, it doesn't sacrifice a single shred of romanticism. It is a wonderful novel, filled to bursting with gripping political and religious intrigue as well as the battle scenes, which are some of Cornwell's best. Nor does the ending disappoint. It is wonderfully sad and poignant. You really do have to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Bernard Cornwell's vision of Arthur is unparalleled
Review: I just finished the last book in Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy and was very impressed with his unique perspective on the Arthurian legend. While most books in this genre follow the traditional "Round Table" formula, Bernard Cornwell has blazed a new path and even pokes fun at the standard retelling by emphasizing that history was "written" by people who could afford to pay bards to compose it. The narrator of this book, like its prequels, is Derfel Cadarn, a warrior in Arthur's service, who is oath-sworn to uphold Mordred's throne, but who finds that his duties often conflict with his sense of right and justice. Cornwell's novel eschews romantic notions of the Dark Ages and instead gives details about daily life that are far from pleasant, e.g., the constant "de-lousing" process. However, far from being a Tolstoy-esque recanting of minute details, this novel outpaces its predecessors with a whirlwind of battle scenes and a breathtaking account of shifting loyalties, ruthless leaders and timeless passions. To anyone serious about the Arthurian legend, this is a must-read!
Rating:
Summary: The Last Enchantment
Review: "Excalibur" is the third and final installment in Cornwell's Arthur trilogy. All three books are excellent. Cornwell has taken the mythical Arthur and put him in what is perhaps his true historical setting -- 5th century Britain. In so doing, he brings Arthur, Guinevere and the rest of the characters from the Arthurian legend to life as real people caught up in the events of the time. He does a masterful job of bringing these people to life against a background of war, intrigue, and the crude manners of the period, while adding in a touch of the old magic of the druids and keeping close to the familiar events depicted in the myths. If you are ready to read this book, though, then you should know all this. You should have already read the first two books. If you liked them, this one will not let you down. These books will bring Arthur and his companions alive again in the imagination of anyone who reads them.
Rating:
Summary: Take your time
Review: because unfortunately the story ends here. I wish it didn't, however, it is the most rewarding series on historical fiction I have ever read. If you were smart, you bought all three so there was no wait time between them. I had to start with Winter King to see if it was good, and after the first chapter, I ordered the other two.
Rating:
Summary: A fitting finale
Review: A solid finale to the Warlords trilogy. I appreciated Cornwell's series for the simple fact that he avoids mysticism and fantasy. Instead, Cornwell looks at the King Arthur legend more from an historical standpoint than a mystical one. He takes the premise that Arthur very well could have been a real person, one who was trying to unite the Britons against the invading Saxons within a very realistic 6th century setting. Of equal interest, especially in these days of the Bush administration, is the clash between the overbearing Christians and the diminishing pagans and Druids. Of particular focus within this volume is the "final" battle between Arthur's army and the combined Saxon forces of Aelle's and Cerdic's armies. As always, Cornwell puts the reader right in the middle of the action, so that we hear, see, and smell the battle going on around us. This is a book to be enjoyed for both its historical and plotline aspects.
Rating:
Summary: excellent and plausible retelling
Review: Cornwell's interpretation of the Arthurian mythos is compelling and superbly written. He breathes new life into the legends by presenting the well-known characters as realistic figures, neither saints nor demons. Few of his villains are without some kind of redeeming feature, and none of his heroes are without flaw. Arthur, a bastard by birth, is generous and kind but ruthless and vain; Gorfyddyd, a tyrannical ruler bent on overlordship of all Britain, is a loving and doting father and Merlin, the inveterate trickster, is never without some surprise up his sleeve but is ultimately human and filled with doubt in the gods and in himself.
Many of the integral parts of the mythos (the Grail quest, Merlin's magical prowess, the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere) are retold in an utterly plausible manner.
Cornwell's Britain is not a utopian Camelot but a patchwork quilt of loosely affiliated kingdoms warring with one another and fighting off Saxon marauders who themselves are divided into different warlords' followings. His description of religious conflict is one of two faiths, Christianity and Celtic paganism, at times vying for supremacy, at times seeking to co-exist, and always plagued by internacine rivalries and differences of doctrine and ideology.
We view all these people and conflicts through the eyes of Derfel, a Saxon-born slave who fights his way to the top of Post-Roman British society, allowing us to see the legend from a unique and rarely-explored perspective. The result is a spellbinding journey through war and peace, faith and folly, in a three volume work that, but for its recent publication, would no doubt be regarded as a great classic of Western literature.
This last volume left me wanting more. What do you say, Mr. Cornwell? Once more unto the breach?
Rating:
Summary: Cornwell Redeems Himself
Review: I began this trilogy HATING book number one. Book two changed my opinion and drew me into book three. With this last installment, Cornwell has completely redeemed himself in my eyes. Characters I had found dull and poorly developed in book one are now characters I miss since I've finished the series.
While I still found occassional glimpses of Cornwall's overly- flowery scenic descriptions and while the stroke by stroke battle descriptions were still quite long - I stayed enthralled. This book is by FAR not the traditional story of Arthur - the characters are there along with new ones, but the tale of Lancelot really threw me for a loop. I liked the twist! I also liked the inclusion of Arthur's children - nice to know that the family line was not as doomed as in other renditions. It is also a tale that is VERY military based. The descriptions of the battles are detailed, detailed, detailed. A student of military strategy would find particular interest in this book over any of the other Arthurian tales I've read. Looking for romance - there is a bit- but not the love triangles and romantic liasons that so many authors dwell upon when writing about Arthur. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing the word Camelot in these books. I would encourage Cornwell to continue the saga - what was Derfel's life like at the monestary, what happened to Arthur's son, what did Nemue do next? There are still so many unanswered questions!
Overall - a fast read, interesting story line, enough twists to be very fascinating despite what you think you know about the Arthurian legend.
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