Rating: 
Summary: Get twisted farther into Arthurian....... History?
Review: The Warlord Trillogy is by far the best Arthur novels that I have ever read. Cornwell is a perfect storyteller and historian. In this second novel of Arthur we get plunged deeper into the legend that we all know, but in a very different way. This trillogy is not about magic, dragons and romance, but we see Arthur in a REAL dark ages setting. Cornwell makes this story as if it were really recorded down in history. Merlin, is a druid, not a wizard, he has no magic, though he may think he does. Arthur is not a King, but a Warlord, with a sword that is only said to be magic, but with no proof of it.These changes make Arthur so much more believible. I personally, as a Medieval studies Major, believe in Arthur, but we have to understand what he was like without the stories we all grew up on. Cornwell has done just that. The most real Arthur and companions you will ever read about. In Enemy of God, we learn more about the middle of the legends we all know. Arthur still prepairs the throne for the to be king Mordred, while Merlin and Nimue search for the Gold Cauldren in British history. Throughout the story we find new twists to old legends in believable situations and by the end of this second book we are just waiting for the third to pick up. Kudos for Cornwell. This is a wonderful book. A must have for any fan of Arthur.
Rating:
Summary: Get twisted farther into Arthurian....... History?
Review: The Warlord Trillogy is by far the best Arthur novels that I have ever read. Cornwell is a perfect storyteller and historian. In this second novel of Arthur we get plunged deeper into the legend that we all know, but in a very different way. This trillogy is not about magic, dragons and romance, but we see Arthur in a REAL dark ages setting. Cornwell makes this story as if it were really recorded down in history. Merlin, is a druid, not a wizard, he has no magic, though he may think he does. Arthur is not a King, but a Warlord, with a sword that is only said to be magic, but with no proof of it. These changes make Arthur so much more believible. I personally, as a Medieval studies Major, believe in Arthur, but we have to understand what he was like without the stories we all grew up on. Cornwell has done just that. The most real Arthur and companions you will ever read about. In Enemy of God, we learn more about the middle of the legends we all know. Arthur still prepairs the throne for the to be king Mordred, while Merlin and Nimue search for the Gold Cauldren in British history. Throughout the story we find new twists to old legends in believable situations and by the end of this second book we are just waiting for the third to pick up. Kudos for Cornwell. This is a wonderful book. A must have for any fan of Arthur.
Rating: 
Summary: Another well-written political thriller
Review: This is a well-written political thriller set in fourth-century Britain, not the Arthurian legend that everyone's familiar with. As such, it's a fitting sequel to "The Winter King". As in that book, Cornwell takes some Arthurian legends from different eras and mixes them together, adding his own touch of historical realism. The portrayal of Saxon-Celtic conflict as well as Christian-Pagan conflict is very well done. An excellent book, though one that will disappoint some by painting a vision of Arthur that clashes with their own. As always, Cornwell's storytelling is top-notch.
Rating:
Summary: A spearpoint for modern conciousness.
Review: With "Enemy of God," Cornwell continues to rouse readers with his gutsy, historically probable, and morally insightful reinvention of the King Arthur legend. Like its predecessor ("The Winter King"),this second installment of a planned trilogy conjures up the most fascinating magic of all -- the inner sanctum of the human heart. Read of bitter enemities, held in check by political necessity. Marvel at the determination of those who swear oaths, as their loyalty is put to severe tests of suffering and humilation. Feel the tension as Druid and Christian factions must come together in mutual aid for an all-out war against the menacing Saxons. All this, and descriptive details which make this ancient Britain seem like it might still exist -- right there on the other side of the front door. Derfel, the former Saxon slave and champion of Arthur, sits old and haunted by his youth. But through his secret writings, he recaptures his youthful adventures with insights into love, lust, revenge, dark fears of mortality, and the hunger for honor in a world teetering at the jagged edge of barbarism. Cornwell does not only tell a thrilling tale grounded in historically possible soil. He endows his characters and their world with profound observations on life, death, and spirituality. The reader is offered insights into our relationship to the dead, how religious orthodoxy precariously conceals spriritual doubts, and the need for mythology to help people face loneliness. And that's just the first three pages! If you like your misty legends to come forth in bold, believable characterizations, then Cornwell's Arthur books are definitely for you. Again and again, a reader will put the book down for a moment or two, and reflect, "Yes, yes -- that's the way it may well have been." Exciting indeed -- but moreso when these legendary events have something to say about where civilization is today, and what has been lost in the process. Bravo, Mr. Cornwall. You've given the legend of Arthur a finely honed spearpoint with which to pierce our modern, myth-stripped consciousness!
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