Rating: 
Summary: Essential reading material for fans of the Arthurian legend.
Review: "The Sorcerer" is the 6th book in a projected 9-volume series called "The Camulod Chronicles", dealing with the forging of Arthur's Britain. [What follows is a collective review of "The Camulod Chronicles".] Never before has an Arthurian series been presented with this level of reality and credibility. When finished, the drama will span an entire century, from the fall of Hadrian's Wall in 367 AD, to the departure of the Roman legions in 407, to the crowning of Arthur in 449, to, finally, the death of Arthur in 470. The first two books are narrated by Publius Varrus, describing how he and tribune Caius Brittanicus founded a secret colony in southwestern Britain (the future "Camelot"), trained their own independent army, and prepared for the inevitable day when the Roman legions abandoned Britain. The next four books are narrated by Merlyn Brittanicus, describing how he and his cousin Uther Pendragon became, respectively, Legate Commander of Camulod and King of the Pendragon in Wales, and, subsequently, how he raised Uther's son Arthur in preparation for his heritage as High King of Britain. Two future installments will be narrated by Lancelot du Lac, describing the reign of King Arthur. And there will be a ninth book (the next one to be published, actually), a stand-alone third-person perspective companion piece about Uther Pendragon. This entire series gives us the Arthur legend as we've long wanted to behold it, stripped of anachronisms and medieval trappings, utterly devoid of Disney magic. You'll feel like you've walked the lands of 4th-5th century Britain yourself. If there ever was a King Arthur, this is the way it could have happened. Fans of historical fiction must read "The Camulod Chronicles".
Rating:
Summary: Last in the series
Review: This is the last of the books in the Camulod Chronicles series, I'm sorry to say. I really enjoyed Jack Whyte's writing. He tells a great tale, and has provided me with enormous pleasure in the reading. This has been, of course, the saga of Roman Legionnaires left in Britain, and their offspring and their struggles for survival; five books, in all. Two of the descendants, of course, were the mythical figures, King Arthur and the sorcerer, Merlyn (Merlin.) The story would have been fascinating no matter what the characters' names. It was a pure delight to read. Whyte did his research carefully, draws his characters believably, and in the process gives us a very enjoyable history lesson. If you like to read well-written historical novels, then this is for you. Joseph Pierre,
Author of THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: Our Journey Through Eternity
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular book in a Spectacular series!!!!!!
Review: A friend at work suggested this series and was I ever glad I took him up on it. From the Skystone all the way to Sorceror Metamorphosis I couldn't get enough time in the day to read. The only disappointment I had was when I was finished. Love to see a continuing book from Jack Whyte. WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU JACK????HELLO
Rating:
Summary: The Legend grows. . .
Review: Although this is ostensibly a review of "The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis", it in actuality covers all six books of the series to date ("The Skystone", "The Singing Sword", "The Eagles' Brood", "The Saxon Shore", "The Fort at River's Bend", and "The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis"), primarily focusing on the last two. This series, The Camulod Chronicles, outlines the story of King Arthur as it might have been in a historical perspective, beginning with the end of the Roman occupation of Britain. If there were such a person as Arthur, he would have lived during this time. Most likely, he was a composite character, based on some of the more influential warlords and petty kings of the day. As an aside, I am reminded of a vacation in southern England that my family took in 1995. My sons, who were 11 and 13 at the time, could not understand my excitement in viewing the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, asking "How can this be the birthplace of someone who never was?" But, that's a different story. . .
The first two books of the series, which outlined the founding of Camulod (or Camelot) and Avalon and the forging of the sword Excalibur, were told from the viewpoint of an old Roman soldier. The last two books, which detail the birth of Arthur and his early boyhood years, are told from the viewpoint of Merlin, or, "Merlyn" in the Chronicles. The last two books, which detail Arthur's adolescence and subsequent coronation as High King of Britain, are also told from Merlyn's point of view. As an avid reader of Arthurian legend and all its various retellings, let me tell you that the character of Merlin is probably one of the most varied of them all, probably due to the fact that he was actually a minor character in Mallory. Hence, the details are free to be filled in by the current chronicler. Merlin ranges from an evil wizard living backward in time to a benevolent sorcerer to merely a human being who is just a little smarter than most. The most esoteric version of Merlin can be found in Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle in which Merlin is the son of Charis, the last princess of Atlantis, and Taliesen, the greatest of the Celtic Bards. Except for the exotic birth, Jack Whyte's Merlyn has much in common with Lawhead's Merlin in that both were mortal men, though a little larger than life in that they were fierce warriors, outstanding field generals, and outstanding scholars. Also, neither possessed the true gift of magic, though they were believed to by the masses of humanity. In the sixth book, we are also given a glimpse into Merlyn's future as he begins to withdraw from the public eye, just as Arthur begins his ascendancy into it. The Camulod Chronicles begin earlier than Mallory's "Le Morte D'Arthur", in a time that historically did occur, hence the tales carry an air of realism. The descriptions of the Roman influence on Britain in the late Fourth and early Fifth centuries are fascinating. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the pages just keep on turning. The story is easy to follow as well as fun. There are those critics who complain that some of the dates given are inaccurate, as well as some of the situations. As Don Henley sang, "Get over it." This is historical fiction at it's finest, with the emphasis on fiction. Granted, there are differences between this series and others of its kind, but the abundant variety of viewpoints and details are what make Arthurian literature the great store that it is. For the most part, the common characters that the Camulod Chronicles share with other retellings are true to form, though the treatment of Vortigern is more sympathetic than any other I can recall. As I type this, I am awaiting the arrival of the seventh book of the series, "Uther". I will keep reading these books as long as Mr. Whyte keeps writing them. So far, I consider this to be among the best Arthurian series' I have ever read. I would recommend them to anyone who has an interest in the Arthurian legend, anyone who has an interest in historical fiction, or both. As a bonus, anyone who likes these books would most likely like Stephen Lawhaead's Pendragon Cycle and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. The order you read them in is not important, though somewhere in the mix you should read Mallory to see where it all began. I love Arthurian fiction and fact, and, after reading these books, I'm sure a lot of the rest of you will, too.
Rating:
Summary: The Legend grows. . .
Review: Although this is ostensibly a review of "The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis", it in actuality covers all six books of the series to date ("The Skystone", "The Singing Sword", "The Eagles' Brood", "The Saxon Shore", "The Fort at River's Bend", and "The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis"), primarily focusing on the last two. This series, The Camulod Chronicles, outlines the story of King Arthur as it might have been in a historical perspective, beginning with the end of the Roman occupation of Britain. If there were such a person as Arthur, he would have lived during this time. Most likely, he was a composite character, based on some of the more influential warlords and petty kings of the day. As an aside, I am reminded of a vacation in southern England that my family took in 1995. My sons, who were 11 and 13 at the time, could not understand my excitement in viewing the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, asking "How can this be the birthplace of someone who never was?" But, that's a different story. . . The first two books of the series, which outlined the founding of Camulod (or Camelot) and Avalon and the forging of the sword Excalibur, were told from the viewpoint of an old Roman soldier. The last two books, which detail the birth of Arthur and his early boyhood years, are told from the viewpoint of Merlin, or, "Merlyn" in the Chronicles. The last two books, which detail Arthur's adolescence and subsequent coronation as High King of Britain, are also told from Merlyn's point of view. As an avid reader of Arthurian legend and all its various retellings, let me tell you that the character of Merlin is probably one of the most varied of them all, probably due to the fact that he was actually a minor character in Mallory. Hence, the details are free to be filled in by the current chronicler. Merlin ranges from an evil wizard living backward in time to a benevolent sorcerer to merely a human being who is just a little smarter than most. The most esoteric version of Merlin can be found in Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle in which Merlin is the son of Charis, the last princess of Atlantis, and Taliesen, the greatest of the Celtic Bards. Except for the exotic birth, Jack Whyte's Merlyn has much in common with Lawhead's Merlin in that both were mortal men, though a little larger than life in that they were fierce warriors, outstanding field generals, and outstanding scholars. Also, neither possessed the true gift of magic, though they were believed to by the masses of humanity. In the sixth book, we are also given a glimpse into Merlyn's future as he begins to withdraw from the public eye, just as Arthur begins his ascendancy into it. The Camulod Chronicles begin earlier than Mallory's "Le Morte D'Arthur", in a time that historically did occur, hence the tales carry an air of realism. The descriptions of the Roman influence on Britain in the late Fourth and early Fifth centuries are fascinating. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the pages just keep on turning. The story is easy to follow as well as fun. There are those critics who complain that some of the dates given are inaccurate, as well as some of the situations. As Don Henley sang, "Get over it." This is historical fiction at it's finest, with the emphasis on fiction. Granted, there are differences between this series and others of its kind, but the abundant variety of viewpoints and details are what make Arthurian literature the great store that it is. For the most part, the common characters that the Camulod Chronicles share with other retellings are true to form, though the treatment of Vortigern is more sympathetic than any other I can recall. As I type this, I am awaiting the arrival of the seventh book of the series, "Uther". I will keep reading these books as long as Mr. Whyte keeps writing them. So far, I consider this to be among the best Arthurian series' I have ever read. I would recommend them to anyone who has an interest in the Arthurian legend, anyone who has an interest in historical fiction, or both. As a bonus, anyone who likes these books would most likely like Stephen Lawhaead's Pendragon Cycle and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. The order you read them in is not important, though somewhere in the mix you should read Mallory to see where it all began. I love Arthurian fiction and fact, and, after reading these books, I'm sure a lot of the rest of you will, too.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is not up to par with the series...
Review: First off, I love the way Mr. Whyte writes. It's been a while since I last found a series of modern works worth reading, and the Camulod series really satisfies the true reader. The words fly through the brain effortlessly and the thousands of pages are turned with amazing speed. A good read, and that is no lie. But! After all that, I am gravely disappointed that Arthur was not given more attention. This book, and this series, just ended - WHAM! Halfway through "Sorcerer," I panicked. Arthur was still only 15. That was when I finally excepted that Jack had no intention of telling the actual Arthur story. He instead has told the events leading up to the Arthur legend - the story of the making of Camelot. He has left the actual Arthur story largely untold. I guess this is what he intended, and I will not blame him, yet I am left languishing for the actual tales of Arthur in his manhood. Maybe... just maybe... there will be another book after "Uther" ??? I can always hope... In any event, I am a Jack Whyte fan and promote his work shamelessly.
Rating:
Summary: Gosh - I just expected more...
Review: First off, I love the way Mr. Whyte writes. It's been a while since I last found a series of modern works worth reading, and the Camulod series really satisfies the true reader. The words fly through the brain effortlessly and the thousands of pages are turned with amazing speed. A good read, and that is no lie. But! After all that, I am gravely disappointed that Arthur was not given more attention. This book, and this series, just ended - WHAM! Halfway through "Sorcerer," I panicked. Arthur was still only 15. That was when I finally excepted that Jack had no intention of telling the actual Arthur story. He instead has told the events leading up to the Arthur legend - the story of the making of Camelot. He has left the actual Arthur story largely untold. I guess this is what he intended, and I will not blame him, yet I am left languishing for the actual tales of Arthur in his manhood. Maybe... just maybe... there will be another book after "Uther" ??? I can always hope... In any event, I am a Jack Whyte fan and promote his work shamelessly.
Rating:
Summary: Good book but not the best
Review: Good book, and best of the series so far.Nice series but I think that Parke Godwin's and Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian series are more engaging and much better written. Whyte's stories and characters are somewhat artificial and cartoonish, i.e., angelic hypermasculine superheroes, stilted dialogue.
Rating:
Summary: Fulfillment!
Review: Having just finished book 6 "The Sorcerer" I feel totally sated as though I've eaten a very rich chocolate mousse to finish off a banquet of many courses. Jack Whytes very plausible explanations of the"sword in the stone" tale and other of his rounding off of characters is brilliant.I've still got book 7 to get but maybe a short pause to digest the previous books will be in order and I'll save "Uther" for another day.
Rating:
Summary: CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS STORY
Review: I am enjoying Jack Whyte's version of this archetypal saga very much. I have read quite a few different versions and interpretations of the Arthur epic. I think the scot version is as good as any others I have read, despite the nit-picky reviews this series has gotten on these pages. If you love the story then you should hear it from as many sources and opinions and historic angles as possible, yes? No one will ever know the actual facts, but everyone knows the archetype;(that is what archetypes are all about anyway), this one is a constant in our society, and mass consciousness. Long live the King.
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