Rating: 
Summary: The Winter King
Review: King Arthur takes command and fights fierce battles in this realist retelling of the legend, narrated by the young warrior Derfel.Cornwell's recreation of Dark Ages Britain is wonderful, complete with many facets of utter barbarity, religious strife, ethnic diversity, politics and war. Some of his best passages here are the "battles" between opposing magicians and shamans (we can never be sure if the magic is real, but the characters certainly believe in it). With Arthur and Aelle talking high politics, a witch and two shamans are having a private war; spitting, hopping on one foot, piling stones in significant patterns. It's great stuff. Derfel is an attractive everyman sort of character, a powerful warrior but a bit of a romantic. Other characters are quite strong as well--in fact Cornwell, who doesn't always do well with villains, women and secondary characters, outdoes himself here. Setting is heavily described, so much so that I found the plot to drag just a bit here and there. Still, plenty happens, and the exciting and believably authentic battle scenes should please most readers--especially since this was why we would read a Cornwell Arthur story in the first place! But even the battles aside, this is a good book and more elegantly written than I would have expected.
Rating: 
Summary: Start Here
Review: Like historical fiction? This writer is the Master Story Teller. Great story, character development, and a can't-put-it-down read. The BEST I have ever read! Finished, don't stop there! Get all three books so there is no wait time between them!
Rating: 
Summary: Gone from the shelves after it appeared. Faery magic?
Review: Starts off rather nicely (lots of books which get published today seem to) but it didn't really carry through. This was a rather pedestrian tale, in the final analysis, w/little staying power once you've closed the covers -- though it's readable enough. I think it suffered from the decision to make it a trilogy since you don't really see that in the beginning and when the story finally winds down to its climactic battle (and "winds down" is not a poor way of putting it), it leaves the reader rather cold. As though the book just ground to a halt, mid-stream, with everything still to be determined! The story, itself, while workmanlike, is also quite uninspired. Not much insight here into the times portrayed or the people who filled those times. The only real character of interest is Merlin as a quick change artist, although his presence is telegraphed well before he reveals himself to the seeking Arthur. Who Arthur really was and what he did remains something of a mystery -- but he sure wasn't much, or worth all those legends, if this was him. I hate it when the promise of the first few pages gets broken and scattered between the covers of a book. But that's what happened here. --- Stuart W. Mirsky (swmirsky@usa.net
Rating:
Summary: Enter the time of Arthur
Review: This book ROCKS! This book is the 1st in the Warlord Chronicles. Winter King begins with the story of Derfel, a young Saxon boy who is enlisted in Lord Merlin's services. Derfel trains to use the sword, shield and spear while the other characters and story unfold. Merlin, Arthur, apprentices, family relations, and armies face issues of loyalties, exile, survival, and war. The Winter King is about the return of Arthur. It has vivid and suspenseful battles. If you read this, you will get a taste of life during Arthur's time. I couldn't put this book down and read it cover-to-cover non-stop. I enjoyed the Warlord Chronicles even more than the excellent Grail Quest series, also authored by Bernard Cornwell. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: Great book, brief review...
Review: This is not Richard Harris singing of Camelot. Read the series. You will never think about the legend of Arthur in the same way again.
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