Rating: 
Summary: The same Cornwell???
Review: Can this be the same author who wrote the horridly disappointing "The Winter King"??? I was so incredibly unhappy with the first installment of this trilogy that I think I even had the author's name wrong in my review - it made NO impression.
HOWEVER - I trudged forward and started Enemy of God and within the first few pages, I was amazed at the difference in Cornwell's writing. Gone were the endless attempts at flowery scenic descriptions. The book was still very visually fulfilling, but not over-done this time. Gone were the scattered introductions of unimportant characters. In their place were truly well-developed portraits of the key players in this tale. It was two different people had written these two novels.
Only at the very end of the book - within the last 50 pages - did a small trace of the long-winded Cornwall reappear and it was relatively painless since this time as I actually CARED what happened next. If you are thinking of this trilogy - skip the first one. He offers enough information in the second book that you can pick up the characters without difficulty and start with an enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: The same Cornwell???
Review: Can this be the same author who wrote the horridly disappointing "The Winter King"??? I was so incredibly unhappy with the first installment of this trilogy that I think I even had the author's name wrong in my review - it made NO impression.
HOWEVER - I trudged forward and started Enemy of God and within the first few pages, I was amazed at the difference in Cornwell's writing. Gone were the endless attempts at flowery scenic descriptions. The book was still very visually fulfilling, but not over-done this time. Gone were the scattered introductions of unimportant characters. In their place were truly well-developed portraits of the key players in this tale. It was two different people had written these two novels.
Only at the very end of the book - within the last 50 pages - did a small trace of the long-winded Cornwall reappear and it was relatively painless since this time as I actually CARED what happened next. If you are thinking of this trilogy - skip the first one. He offers enough information in the second book that you can pick up the characters without difficulty and start with an enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Protest at your summary
Review: Cornwell does NOT have one man carrying a gold cauldron. He has one man carrying a silver cauldron that is decorated with a tracery of gold. If you cannot get your critique right, then refrain from offering one. And since when was Edling a Saxon word?
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.
Rating:
Summary: Another Enchanting Tale from Cornwall
Review: Enemy of God is the second book of a trilogy from Bernard Cornwall, and follows The Winter King. The trilogy presents the entire Arthurian Legend from a unique perspective. Erasing the images of a beautiful and pure Camelot, dashing, handsome knights gallant, and even the famous "Round Table", Cornwall tells the tale based on the reality of life in Medievil times. It's a gritty but fascinating revisitation of an ancient legend.
I expected the Enemy of God would have the classic lull that many #2s in a trilogy suffer, but was pleased to find it as gripping as the first book. In the Winter King, the tale is told by a slave[] warrior,[] lord,[] monk: Derfel, who, in his old age, is retelling the tale of old to Queen Igraine. He picks up the tale in The Enemy of God, seamlessly weaving book one into book two. Igraine, who has been steeped in the glorious Arthurian Legend, is sometimes at odds with Derfel's retelling, which gives him the opportunity to break through the embellishments of the bards over the years and tell her what really happened. This was a fantastic tale, and a wonderful read. If you enjoy Arthurian tales, this book is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Saga Continues
Review: Enemy of God is the second book of three. The Winter King was the first book in the series. Everything I wrote in my review of The Winter King continues to apply here. Having brought peace to the contentious kindoms of the Britons, Arthur is now faced by hostile Saxons, as well as by factional strife among the Christian population and personal betrayal. The pagentry of mythical Camelot is not here. The reality is a squalid and brutal post-Roman Britain, sliding rapidly into the chaos of the Dark Ages. Fertile ground for an excellent tale. And Cornwell delivers. This book will hold your attention from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Enemy of God
Review: Excellent continuation to "The Winter King." Cornwell has done a really good job creating the characters for this series. They, in combination with the adventure and romance, make this book thoroughly enjoyable. I am not the fastest reader in the world and work quite a number of hours per day, but I finished this book in less than a week. This book, as the first, is narrated by Derfel Cadarn (a forgotten personage in Arthurian legend) as a very old monk. He tells his stories of battle as one of Arthur's warlords in Arthurs quest to achieve a peaceful Britain. At the same time he tells the story of the other characters and their life goals, which aren't necessarily the same as Arthurs. I loved the book. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I liked the other two even better. This is the best series I have ever read. If you are reading this review means that you are interested in this subject -- so go ahead and buy this series, you'll really enjoy it, I promise.
Rating:
Summary: A "timely" book
Review: Given recent world-wide events, this is a fascinating book. It works well on several levels... a well-paced page-turner... a look at the corrupting force of power... a literary work of historical fiction. But what is perhaps most interesting is Cornwell's depiction of religious fanaticism. The historical time depicted in "Enemy of God" is that transition between the polytheist world of paganism and the monotheist world of Christianity. Traditions which, at this point, are second nature to Christians were quite new in AD 400 - 500. Also, as Cornwell points out, Christianity was oftentimes embraced by those who had little to lose in their life. Therefore, their desperation made them willing to sacrifice their lives for the promise of better things in the afterlife. This mindset -- as it does today among religious fanatics of whatever ilk -- led to unnecessarily desperate acts during times of war. After all, what did they have to lose? Cornwell blends all of these facts together with a wonderful story. He diverges from the more traditional Arthur/Lancelot relationship known through the current renditions of Camelot. I look forward to the third -- and concluding -- volume of this trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: A "timely" book
Review: Given recent world-wide events, this is a fascinating book. It works well on several levels... a well-paced page-turner... a look at the corrupting force of power... a literary work of historical fiction. But what is perhaps most interesting is Cornwell's depiction of religious fanaticism. The historical time depicted in "Enemy of God" is that transition between the polytheist world of paganism and the monotheist world of Christianity. Traditions which, at this point, are second nature to Christians were quite new in AD 400 - 500. Also, as Cornwell points out, Christianity was oftentimes embraced by those who had little to lose in their life. Therefore, their desperation made them willing to sacrifice their lives for the promise of better things in the afterlife. This mindset -- as it does today among religious fanatics of whatever ilk -- led to unnecessarily desperate acts during times of war. After all, what did they have to lose? Cornwell blends all of these facts together with a wonderful story. He diverges from the more traditional Arthur/Lancelot relationship known through the current renditions of Camelot. I look forward to the third -- and concluding -- volume of this trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding and Original Retelling or the Arthurian Tales
Review: Having read Caxton's Mallory's Morte d'Arthur, and a fair number of Middle English scraps of Arthurian lore, I had been looking forward to finding a good modern retelling for quite some time. Frankly, the originals are striking conceptually, but relatively unrewarding as literature -- one keeps thinking, while reading them, that they would make a good book. But it seemed to much to hope for -- too difficult a task for nearly any author to achieve an even partial success. Cornwell has succeeded fully. The characters are full and real and strikingly well conceived, even while being a fair reflection (in a broad sense) of the original texts with which I am familiar. The actions of the characters make perfect sense in context, and their actions are complex and difficult to foresee, as they should be. The story is firmly grounded in the realities 5th Century Britain, which gives it a feeling of, well, realism. The author clearly not only knows his history, but his strategy and his philosophy, yet he never comes across to the reader as overbearing or heavyhanded -- these essential items for an epic like this are kept in the background, where they should be. You get the idea. Cornwell has done it, and really done it right. It's a big story, and it hasn't been told very well for a long, long time -- and now Cornwell has retold it best of all. Please direct comment or flames to heliwotdabny@aol.com
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