Rating: 
Summary: Arthurian Legend at its Best
Review: A fantastic book - the best fantasy book i've read...easily. With characters that have a real depth to them, and locations described so wonderfully, you cannot help but follow eagerly in the footsteps of Derfel and his companions. The storyline is an intricately woven masterpiece combining the legend of Arthur with factual knowledge of the people and places. Thankyou Mr.Cromwell!!
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Summary: A timeless tale of early Britain..
Review: This is by far one of the best books I've ever read. Bernard Cornwell shows us many different views on the characters in the tales of King Arthur and it makes you want to just never put the book down and read until you just can't hold yourself up anymore. Although it starts out a little slowly, this story, told in first person by Derfel to Igraine is witty, graphic, and it makes you feel like you're really there. There is romance, war, and political drama weaved into this fantastic tale of history. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating: 
Summary: A 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. Cornwell takes some Arthurian legends from different eras and mixes them together, adding his own touch of historical realism. An excellent book, though one that will disappoint some by painting a vision of Arthur that clashes with their own.
Rating: 
Summary: Mud rather than mystery
Review: While I enjoyed this novel, I found the telling of the Arthur tale slightly diminished by the emphasis on reality rather than the mystique one usually expects in the tale. There is a grittiness in the story that is reminiscent of Michael Crichton's novel, Timeline, which may appeal to the reader.The story left me with a similar feling that the original Batman movie did, with its heavy atmosphere of darkness weighing me down.
Rating:
Summary: Cornwell's Best Work
Review: Nothing in modern Arthurian romance literature compares with this chronicle of Arthur. This is the story the way it should have been, the way it was surely meant to be, and the way I know it happened if it happened at all. And of course it did. Cornwell, always the riveting storyteller, has eclipsed himself by several orders of magnitude. He has heard what surely must have been said, seen what absolutely must have happened, and reported the whole in a way that brilliantly and totally imbues an otherwise mystical world with realism and real magic. If you don't read these books you missed one of the great experiences in print in the modern age.
Rating:
Summary: Arthurian Legend at its BEST
Review: I have been a big fan of Arthurian Legends for a long time. When I found this book I was excited. That excitement was nothing compared to what the book held! I was fascinated from the get go. Extremely well written. Detail beyond detail. I really liked the played down "magic", it added an almost real history feel to it. The characters are well defined. I just can't say enough about this book! All the books after keep the same intensity. This has to be the best Arthurian series I have ever read!
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Summary: A More Realistic Arthur
Review: This is not your traditional King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur isn't a king, there are no knights and there is no round table. On the other hand, this is a well-written tale of late 5th century Britain. The Romans have gone and chaos reigns politically, socially, and religiously. What real historical record actually exists suggests that a warlord actually lived who led the fight of the celtic Britons against the invading Angles and Saxons. Was this Arthur? We'll probably never know, but Cornwell has taken elements of the traditional Arthur and combined it with what little is known of the period to produce an engrossing and plausible story. Some aspects may disappoint fans of the traditional Arthur. For example, Lancelot is not exactly the great warrior of legend. The book is a page-turner, though. It will hold your interest all the way through. It held mine, anyway. As historical fiction, this is some of the best I have come across. I recommend it highly: 5 stars.
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Summary: on the other hand. . .
Review: I'm of two minds about this book and its sequel (I haven't read the third yet). It's very well-written--Cornwell has a graceful style in both description and dialogue. I love retellings of the Arthur legend. But perhaps this is just one too many. While I admire the book, I put it down easily and don't really look forward to resuming the story, as I do with my favorites. I definitely recommend the series--it just doesn't make the hair stand up on the back of my neck, I guess.
Rating:
Summary: I guess I'll just read it again
Review: An excellent book! The fact that it is not like the classical story we're all familiar with makes it more interesting to read, because you won't start off already knowing what is going to happen. Beatifully written. I immediately ordered the next book in the series, but since I'm in Brazil it takes a while to get here. I think I will just read The Winter King again while the other is in the mail.
Rating:
Summary: "The Winter King" is worth buying
Review: This is an excellent novel. Playing off history and the Arthurian legends, it shows the old legends in a new light - as the events most likely would have occurred. As the plot continues it grows more and more interesting, although the beginning is all but slow. Buy "The Winter King" for an entertaining read.
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