Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful continuation of the series.
Review: I have been enthrauwled by these books and have trouble waiting for the next one to come out. He writes in a way that makes you almost believe that this is not fictional but an actual historical novel.
Rating: 
Summary: This novel makes history live
Review: I have read widely about the first five centuries of British history and I am constantly amazed at the lucid way in which Jack Whyte tells his story and weaves in the known fabric of history. His story telling skills are superbly demonstrated through his wide knowledge of the english language. This series is a delight to read and I simply could not put them down. I will read them again and again. His skill at weaving these stories is such that they are not enhanced by the occasional scenes of depravity described in the early books. This aside they are a wonderful read well worth the time if you are interested in early British history, people, philosophy, religion and action. All are well reasoned except for the puzzling ultimate acceptance of the domination of the early Roman church in Britain's religious affairs.
Rating:
Summary: Why, WHY do I have to wait another year for the sequel?
Review: I have so enjoyed these Chronicles. "Fort" in particular, probably because I'm not getting any younger and it gives me the chance to relive my days as a female kid who loved to explore woods and ruins. I'm not kidding, though - it's REALLY irritating to have to wait probably yet another year for the conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Unputdownable!!
Review: I loved The Fort at Rivers Bend and read late into the night to finish it.After several attempts on Arthurs life,Merlyn and his close friends and supporters relocate to a secure fort to enable Arthur to be raised and educated safely.Accompanied by 3 other boys,he is taught the lessons that he will need to become a wise,just and noble king.He is also given intense training in all the martial arts that he will need to gain,keep and maintain his throne and kingdom in the future.The boy is growing into the man under the wise and loving tutelege of his friends and the country is about to be made aware of his existence in book 6 The Sorcerer(which is sitting on my bedside table!)
Rating: 
Summary: I really WANT to like it, BUT.....
Review: I wanted to like this book. I really did. I have had this book for almost two years now, and I am barely half-way through.I am NOT a slow reader -- I average two 500-page books per month, sometimes more than that. In the time I have owned this book, I have finished fantasy books, several history books, numerous alternate history books, and a lot of theology/church history. This book continues to sit there -- much like the plot. The book drags in so many places that I found myself skimming to find some action. Not hard to do in this book -- you can skip over pages of text and never miss an important plot development. Unfortunately, there is so little plot development that it becomes quite clear that (as another reviewer has noted) you could skip this book almost altogether and move on to The Sorceror: Metamorphosis and not miss much. I love this series. I enjoy the idea of putting Arthur into cultural context, but there are scholarly works on that subject that are more enjoyable to read than this book has been. I finished Metzger's Canon of the New Testament quicker.
Rating:
Summary: I really WANT to like it, BUT.....
Review: I wanted to like this book. I really did. I have had this book for almost two years now, and I am barely half-way through. I am NOT a slow reader -- I average two 500-page books per month, sometimes more than that. In the time I have owned this book, I have finished fantasy books, several history books, numerous alternate history books, and a lot of theology/church history. This book continues to sit there -- much like the plot. The book drags in so many places that I found myself skimming to find some action. Not hard to do in this book -- you can skip over pages of text and never miss an important plot development. Unfortunately, there is so little plot development that it becomes quite clear that (as another reviewer has noted) you could skip this book almost altogether and move on to The Sorceror: Metamorphosis and not miss much. I love this series. I enjoy the idea of putting Arthur into cultural context, but there are scholarly works on that subject that are more enjoyable to read than this book has been. I finished Metzger's Canon of the New Testament quicker.
Rating:
Summary: Skip this one
Review: I was captivated by Whyte's first four Camulod novels (4 stars each) and was of course looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it was hands down, the most unrewarding book I've read in a LONG time. Nothing interesting at all. Merlyn and young Arthur hide in an old abandoned Roman fort (at River's Bend). They fix up the fort, Arthur grows up, Merlyn falls in love, and they hear a few rumors from back home in Camulod. That's pretty much all that happens in 461 pages. Take my advice and skip this one. His next book, SORCERER, begins with a short prologue (one and a half pages) that recaps the events of FORT AT RIVER'S BEND perfectly and saves you quite a bit of time.
Rating:
Summary: A Vital Link
Review: I was quite surprised to see so many negative comments in the reviews. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book, finding it a vital link in the chain that is the series. Yes, there was not so much action, but there was important thoughtful background to the business of becoming a king in those turbulent times. What helped to bring it alive for me was my many visits to Mediobogdum, the Fort at River's Bend and as I read I was able to develop a very clear mental picture of the scene as I believe Jack Whyte intended it. Incidentally the picture on the cover of the Canadian edition almost exactly portrays the the view from the west wall of Mediobogdum while the castle on the cover of the US edition is in the wrong side of the valley and resembles a construction from an entirely different era. It does however capture the way the fort is perched on a mountainside.
This is not a book to read alone, it should be read in the series in the order that was intended. I highly recommend it to readers of the entire series.
Rating:
Summary: A Vital Link
Review: I was quite surprised to see so many negative comments in the reviews. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book, finding it a vital link in the chain that is the series. Yes, there was not so much action, but there was important thoughtful background to the business of becoming a king in those turbulent times. What helped to bring it alive for me was my many visits to Mediobogdum, the Fort at River's Bend and as I read I was able to develop a very clear mental picture of the scene as I believe Jack Whyte intended it. Incidentally the picture on the cover of the Canadian edition almost exactly portrays the the view from the west wall of Mediobogdum while the castle on the cover of the US edition is in the wrong side of the valley and resembles a construction from an entirely different era. It does however capture the way the fort is perched on a mountainside.
This is not a book to read alone, it should be read in the series in the order that was intended. I highly recommend it to readers of the entire series.
Rating: 
Summary: Dismal, dreary, dull....need I say more?
Review: I've waded through the first 4 Camulod books hoping they would get better, but The Fort at River's Bend finally did me in. The premise of the 'real' story of Arthur and Merlyn is a wonderful idea, and could have been a phenomenal read by a different writer. Whyte, however, isn't a good writer. His prose is laborious, dull, and long-winded to say the least. Merlyn is one of the stupidest characters I've ever come across, he rambles on in his head about nothing for page after page. The same information comes up on multiple pages with no new insights at all. The dialogue is stilted and unnatural, and the characters all sound alike. Also, a good editor was vital for this kind of series, but unfortunately Whyte didn't have one. There are so many inconsistencies and mistakes throughout the whole series that it made it impossible for me to enjoy the books. The Fort at River's Bend is the worst however because absolutely nothing happens. 461 pages of a storyline that could have been condensed into less than 100. I'm sorry to say I won't be reading any more of Whyte's books. The idea is captivating, the telling of it unfortunately is mind-numbing.
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