Rating: 
Summary: An exciting tale that educates as well.
Review: I really enjoy Bernard Cornwell's books -- particularly the Sharpe series, so I was pleased to learn of this series. As with the Sharpe books, Mr. Cornwell has clearly done extensive research so that the book not only tells an interesting tale, it also educates the reader about what life, politics and war were like in Britain in the Middle Ages. Unlike most of his other books, it took about a hundred pages or so before I got hooked (normally, I get hooked on page one). Once I got past the first hundred pages or so, the rest of the book, and the series ("Enemy of God" and "Excalibur") flew by.
One of the things that is particularly interesting about this series is that it takes a well-known myth -- King Arthur and the Round Table -- and retells it as it may have actually happened. All in all it is a very entertaining read.
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Summary: A gripping and moving novel; I couldn't put it down.
Review: I have long been a fan of the Arthurian legends, and have enjoyed reading different accounts, ranging from works by Malory to Mary Stewart to Marion Zimmer Bradley. While Bradley's The Mists of Avalon is a perennial favorite of mine, Cornwell's trilogy, however, is the best account of Arthur I have read to date. Vol. 2, Enemy of God, was given to me as a gift, and I read it before The Winter King. I started reading it half-heartedly, and was soon absolutely enthralled. It also helped me to truly appreciate The Winter King,which I then had to read immediately! Cornwell portrays the main characters in a realistic, human manner, and is not without a sense of humor in the telling of this fabulous tale. I look forward to exploring Cornwell's Sharpe series, but not before I rush out and buy Excalibur, the third installment of the trilogy. I am so happy to have discovered this wonderful author! Cornwell is a master storyteller.
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Summary: A Real Trilogy About a Real Warrior
Review: Cornwell does a great job of giving an old story a new twist. He doesn't write about romance, but of war lords and battles. All three books are completely engrossing and vivid. A must read for anyone interested in Arthurian legends.
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Summary: At Last, a Believable Arthur
Review: Having suffered through tale after tale of magical events, I'm glad someone has taken the time to create a believable story of how it might have happened.
Maybe it is my aging cynicism that welcomed Cornwell's story so much. Suffice it to say that Cornwell makes you want to still believe that there were men and women who lived their lives adventurously and passionately enough to set the myth in motion.
Cornwell takes some liberties with the normal Arthurian precepts. Whether he does it as part of his own plot or to create a more historically genuine story it is hard to tell. Either way, it makes for a good read.
Cornwell has honed his skills over the years on his Sharpe and Starbuck series, set in the Napoleonic and American Civil wars, respectively. He delved into pre-medieval English history with his novel, Stonehenge. In The Winter King he brings his skills and insights together and serves the reader well. For intricate military writing, historical drama, or another look at the classic Arthur, this book is a must read.
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Summary: A compelling novel about an ambiguous King
Review: Bernard Cornwell takes you to a magnificent trip in an era that has little to do with what we live. Atrocity, abusiveness, vulgarity, passion, love, pain, intelligence, obstinacy, vanity, ambition; all included in an marvelously written novel which will deluge you with emotions.
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Summary: A Real Arthur
Review: From the first eloquent paragraph, I knew this would be a different tale of Arthur, and Bernard Cornwell did not disappoint. Told by Derfel, a Saxon slave who becomes Arthur's right-hand man, the story visits all of the traditional Arthurian cast, but with wonderful twists, including a less-than-omnipotent Merlin, a seductress Guinevere, and a pompous, arrogant, and cowardly Lancelot.The character Cornwell renders best, however, is post-Roman/pre-Saxon Britain, full of brutality, intrigue, hope, and pain. I am not typically a fan of the framed story-in-a-story novel (Derfel recounts his tale in old age to a young queen), but Cornwell uses it well to imbue the story from the very beginning with the sense of loss that Derfel, who ultimately fights so hard and loses so much, must feel. A terrific read, but best when read as part of the trilogy.
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Summary: Fantastic
Review: This beginning to the Warlord Chronicles left such an impression on me that I am currently digging through boxes from my recent move in order to find the trilogy to begin reading it again. Simply fantastic with well crafted characters possessing realistic qualities, personality quirks and motivations. I was so conflicted when I got to the end because I was happy that I had finally come to the conclusion but disappointed that it had to stop there. Which brings me to having to read it again....
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Summary: A thoroughly engrossing read
Review: Like other reviewers, I was somewhat skeptical of The Winter King, given the fact that these types of books are so often filed in the fantasy section of most bookstores, a genre that generally doesn't interest me. But Cornwell has written this as historical fiction, staying faithful to the feeling and events of the dark ages. And in so doing, he elegantly wraps a literate page turner. The characters are well-developed, and there is tension and suspense throughout, with a climactic battle scene second to none. Cornwell paints a picture of the action scenes expertly, a difficult task for many authors. The action is told by Arthur's warlord, Derfel. At the point of writing, Derfel is an old man, and is writing his story down for the sake of posterity, but primarily at the request of the young, beautiful queen, Igraine, who is fascinated by the legend of Arthur. This is a device that works wonderfully, going back and forth between the remembrances of Derfel and the present-day discussion between the aged Derfel and Igraine, a somewhat flirtatious relationship. Although I am eager to get my hands on the second volume of this trilogy, I also appreciate the fact that this is a terrific book that stands by itself.
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Summary: A historical novel not a fantasy novel!
Review: I have read most of the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. I have mostly found them a good read being a fan of historical fiction. I was hesitant to read a book on "Aurthurian England" for I have found the hackneyed legends sorrounding Aurthur's myth tiresome. But WOW this is an incredible novel that brings to life a possible historical basis of this sparsely documented time in British history. It is a rich and exciting portrayal of Arthur and plausible explanations of the people and events that brought about the legend of Excalibur. I must say it is the best of his novels I have read so far and am excited about continueing with the series. I have found that those who have not enjoyed this book have been looking for a fantasy novel of a traditional sense about Avalon etc. This is not it.
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Summary: A great retelling of the Arthur legend.
Review: I was wary at first when I got this book because I thought it would be the same old story about King Arthur. I was totally surprised while reading it. This story is a fresh retelling of Arthur and I couldnt wait to get my hands on the other two novels in this series. The story draws you in and makes you addicted. I practically read the whole book in two days. This book is worth every penny.
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