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Rating: 
Summary: A Slow Read, but Good
Review: *I originally sumitted the wrong review, that which I wrote to go along with Jack Whyte's first book "The Skystone". I had to write a whole new one when I realized my mistake. Oops!* The hardest part for me, in this novel, was the complete character change-over from the earlier books in the Camulod Chronicles series. In the previous book, "The Eagle's Brood", many of the older characters from "Skystone" and "Singing Sword" still lived on, and played an important role. In this book however, the reader must get used to a complete lack of our old favorites. While good, this book is a slower read then the rest, while by no means boring. Merlyn and Uther prove very fascinating characters, full of grit and integrity, but flawed, like all of Whyte's characters. This is part of what makes his books so orginal, fresh, and delicious. A good addition to the his series, but not the best book of them all.
Rating:
Summary: Historical fiction on a grand scale. . .
Review: Although this is ostensibly a review of "The Saxon Shore", it in actuality covers all four books of the series to date ("The Skystone", "The Singing Sword", "The Eagles' Brood", and "The Saxon Shore"), primarily focusing on the last two, since I've already written a review of the first two. Now, that I've totally lost you, I'll begin again. . .This series, The Camulod Chronicles, outlines the story of King Arthur as it might have been in a historical perspective, beginning with the end of the Roman occupation of Britain. If there were such a person as Arthur, he would have lived during this time. Most likely, he was a composite character, based on some of the more influential warlords and petty kings of the day. As an aside, I am reminded of a vacation in southern England that my family took in 1995. My sons, who were 11 and 13 at the time, could not understand my excitement in viewing the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, asking "How can this be the birthplace of someone who never was?" But, that's a different story. . . The first two books of the series, which outlined the founding of Camulod (or Camelot) and Avalon and the forging of the sword Excalibur, were told from the viewpoint of an old Roman soldier. These last two books, which detail the birth of Arthur and his early boyhood years, are told from the viewpoint of Merlin, or, "Merlyn" in the Chronicles. As an avid reader of Arthurian legend and all its various retellings, let me tell you that the character of Merlin is probably one of the most varied of them all, probably due to the fact that he was actually a minor character in Mallory. Hence, the details are free to be filled in by the current chronicler. Merlin ranges from an evil wizard living backward in time to a benevolent sorcerer to merely a human being who is just a little smarter than most. The most esoteric version of Merlin can be found in Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle in which Merlin is the son of Charis, the last princess of Atlantis, and Taliesen, the greatest of the Celtic Bards. Except for the exotic birth, Jack Whyte's Merlyn has much in common with Lawhead's Merlin in that both were mortal men, though a little larger than life in that they were fierce warriors, outstanding field generals, and outstanding scholars. Also, neither possessed the true gift of magic, though they were believed to by the masses of humanity. The Camulod Chronicles begin earlier than Mallory's "Le Morte D'Arthur", in a time that historically did occur, hence the tales carry an air of realism. The descriptions of the Roman influence on Britain in the late Fourth and early Fifth centuries are fascinating. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the pages just keep on turning. The story is easy to follow as well as fun. There are those critics who complain that some of the dates given are inaccurate, as well as some of the situations. As Don Henley sang, "Get over it." This is historical *fiction* at it's finest, with the emphasis on *fiction*. Granted, there are differences between this series and others of its kind, but the abundant variety of viewpoints and details are what make Arthurian literature the great store that it is. The only "disconcerting" thing I've found so far is that the character of Vortigern (who was an actual person, by the way) is far more sympathetic in these tales than in others I've read. But, then, Jack Whyte has turned out such a magnum opus that I can only admire and respect his poetic license. I have begun the fifth book of the series, "The Fort at River's Bend" and the level has not dropped. I will keep reading these books as long as Mr. Whyte keeps writing them (book 6 is in print and book 7 is due to be published later this year). So far, I consider this to be among the best Arthurian series' I have ever read. I would recommend them to anyone who has an interest in the Arthurian legend, anyone who has an interest in historical fiction, or both. As a bonus, anyone who likes these books would most likely like Stephen Lawhaead's Pendragon Cycle and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. The order you read them in is not important, though somewhere in the mix you should read Mallory to see where it all began. I love Arthurian fiction and fact, and, after reading these books, I'm sure a lot of the rest of you will, too.
Rating: 
Summary: Critical Review
Review: I only review books that I like. It seems to me childish and petty to attack an author's work simply because you don't like it. I usually don't bother to finish books I don't like, let alone waste time reviewing them. Why would anyone continue to read a book that bores them? I have bought and read all six of Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles: The Skystone; The Singing Sword; Eagle's Brood; The Saxon Shore; Fort at River's Bend and The Sorcerer. It is a great series, and I enjoyed each one of them. It is to be expected that Whyte departs from the (rather sketchy) history Aavailable of the period, in a fiction series. And yet he has done his research, obviously, which is important to me in historical novels. There have been several very good books written about the pre-Arthurian period in England, many of which I've read. Jack Whyte's worked ranks right at the top, with me. I am familiar with what history is available, having read much of the period, and his research effort is obvious. He begins with a couple of Roman legionaires as his protagonists, before the Legions pulled out of England: Publius Varrus and Caius Brittanicus. The series then follows their lives and their family's lives through a series of gripping adventures, as they strive to maintain order and peace on the colony they have created in the South of England. Publius Varrus, a blacksmith, creates a great and beautiful sword from a meteorite before he dies, which he names Excalibur, King Arthur's famous blade. Of course, eventually the series chronicles the lives of Merlyn (Merlin) and Arthur. I was caught up in the story, and I strongly recommend it. It is entertaining and a delightful way to learn a bit of history. Buy them, you won't be sorry. Joseph Pierre,
author of THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: Our Journey Through Eternity
Rating:
Summary: I've read them all, and I love them!
Review: I only review books that I like. It seems to me childish and petty to attack an author's work simply because you don't like it. I usually don't bother to finish books I don't like, let alone waste time reviewing them. Why would anyone continue to read a book that bores them? I have bought and read all six of Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles: The Skystone; The Singing Sword; Eagle's Brood; The Saxon Shore; Fort at River's Bend and The Sorcerer. It is a great series, and I enjoyed each one of them. It is to be expected that Whyte departs from the (rather sketchy) history Aavailable of the period, in a fiction series. And yet he has done his research, obviously, which is important to me in historical novels. There have been several very good books written about the pre-Arthurian period in England, many of which I've read. Jack Whyte's worked ranks right at the top, with me. I am familiar with what history is available, having read much of the period, and his research effort is obvious. He begins with a couple of Roman legionaires as his protagonists, before the Legions pulled out of England: Publius Varrus and Caius Brittanicus. The series then follows their lives and their family's lives through a series of gripping adventures, as they strive to maintain order and peace on the colony they have created in the South of England. Publius Varrus, a blacksmith, creates a great and beautiful sword from a meteorite before he dies, which he names Excalibur, King Arthur's famous blade. Of course, eventually the series chronicles the lives of Merlyn (Merlin) and Arthur. I was caught up in the story, and I strongly recommend it. It is entertaining and a delightful way to learn a bit of history. Buy them, you won't be sorry. Joseph Pierre,
author of THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: Our Journey Through Eternity
Rating: 
Summary: Very ordinary
Review: I'm astounded by those who rate this book five stars. Whyte has created an interesting approach to the Arthurian legend in placing it within a remnant of Roman Britain but the writing is at best ordinary and, at least this particular book, needs significant editing. (At over 700 pages this one just drags on and on.) I keep reading the series because I enjoy variations on the legend and Whyte may have created something more historically "accurate" than any of the other authors but I don't recommend The Saxon Shore to anyone other than Arthur junkies. Certainly reviews here that claim this is five star literature are overblown.
Rating: 
Summary: Even worse than Whyte's previous efforts
Review: If you liked Whyte's previous sophomoric efforts, you'll love this. In addition to being the same dumb, hackneyed story lines and stock characters we are used to from the previous books, this one has the additional feeling of being pure filler: in no real way does the story get advanced. Arthur begins as a baby, and ends as a small boy. There are adventures, but nothing important happens. As usual, in Whyte's books, the bad guys are left alive so they can sneak up and do new evil, and as usual the bad guys are pure plot devices and in no way characters. With all the (totally ahistorical) democratic rhetoric, Merlin's brother shows up out of nowhere and they immediately hand him half the power in Camelot. Anyone who would read this, I guess, has already read the previous lame offerings in this series and doesn't object to laughably boring plots which rely heavily on coincidence, caricatures who never grow or change, and historical detail that sounds like it comes from a museum brochure rather than any real scholarship. So go for it. But please, if you want something exciting that will also make you think, look at the really good Arthurian efforts out there--Gillian Brandshaw, A.A. Attanasio, or Barbara Taylor Bradford to name just a very few...
Rating:
Summary: Even worse than Whyte's previous efforts
Review: If you liked Whyte's previous sophomoric efforts, you'll love this. In addition to being the same dumb, hackneyed story lines and stock characters we are used to from the previous books, this one has the additional feeling of being pure filler: in no real way does the story get advanced. Arthur begins as a baby, and ends as a small boy. There are adventures, but nothing important happens. As usual, in Whyte's books, the bad guys are left alive so they can sneak up and do new evil, and as usual the bad guys are pure plot devices and in no way characters. With all the (totally ahistorical) democratic rhetoric, Merlin's brother shows up out of nowhere and they immediately hand him half the power in Camelot. Anyone who would read this, I guess, has already read the previous lame offerings in this series and doesn't object to laughably boring plots which rely heavily on coincidence, caricatures who never grow or change, and historical detail that sounds like it comes from a museum brochure rather than any real scholarship. So go for it. But please, if you want something exciting that will also make you think, look at the really good Arthurian efforts out there--Gillian Brandshaw, A.A. Attanasio, or Barbara Taylor Bradford to name just a very few...
Rating:
Summary: Jack Whyte took out the fantasy of Arthur and put in reality
Review: This is my first review on amazon but I think the effort that will go into it is only half of what it should be because the Saxon Shore was such a good book that I will be hard pressed not to find things to say about it. The Saxon Shore is the fourth book to the Camulod serious written by Jack Whyte. They all are a fabulous blends of History and Arthurian legend. In this particular book gives a detailed account of Merlyn's life and how he became the wizard we all think of him as. It is a new look at an old legend from a point of view that should have been put to use long before Whyte came along. The change in Merlyn from man of myth and legend like other Arthurian novels to a man of arms with problems and sorrows just like anyone else places this book on a level of its own. Although it is a very long book it is worth nearly every minute. It is a fantasy book, history lesson, and a great way to spend a rainy day all put into one. If you have every fell in love with knights, chivalry, or kings this book will restore that childhood dream or if it never left keep it burning bright. I know it has done so for me. If you ever just want to get away form life and find like me that a book helps this one is great for just that purpose. It has the ability to take you out of this time and to place you thousands of years ago with the characters your reading about. It makes Arthur seem like he really existed rather then just a character for our enjoyment. I look forward to reading the rest of the serious as soon as possible.
Rating: 
Summary: Superb writing
Review: To get the full power of the Camaloud Cronicles, you must start from the beginning (The Skystone) and read them all in sequence. Wonderfull tale!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but padded
Review: While I enjoyed book 4 in this series,I can't help but feel that this is just a bridge between the days of the colony and what is obviously about to follow in book 5.The scenes are graphic and very well written and I have never before read historical works which spring to life in such reality.Mr Whyte is without doubt a master story teller but I just wanted to hurry through this one to get to "The Fort at River Bend" (which fortunately,I already possessed)
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