Rating: 
Summary: Gritty realism without the magical elements
Review: I am going to study my Master of Arts in English, and as a medievalist, I found Jack Whyte's fiction interesting. The story, told in the personal voice of Publius Varrus after his days of youth, makes the book another of those discourses on the functions of writing as defence against amnesia, and writing's role of affirming the selective process through which memory progresses. The beginning of the book, with the reminiscences of battle sequences in his days of youth and his exploits of love, were charged with a gritty realism, as a departure from most of the medieval and Renaissance romances which idealized elements of violence and love, and projected them into a transcendent realm of spirituality, such as "Gerusaleme Liberata" and the romances of Chretien de Troyes. It definitely does not have the fusion of quantum science, Norse mythology and a comparative approach towards religions that A.A Attanasio's series, starting with "The Dragon and The Unicorn", has, but it makes up for it with its emotional depth of character, especially its narrator who accommodates various times and experiences within his narration. Jack Whyte reminds me of another Mary Renault or Dorothy Dunnett in his revisions of history, both intellectual and non-intellectual. This book is a recommended read for those who would like an alternative to the fantasy novels which are charged with magic and the fantastic elements of carnival.
Rating: 
Summary: Purists, state your credentials!
Review: I am college educated with a degree in literature, and like to think I am fairly intelligent. I have given up on "modern fiction"--too much gratuitous sex, for the most part, and not enough ideas. I read a lot of fantasy fiction these days, and I think many of the best writers are working there now. I have read a number of Arthurian legends, and I was both surprised and delighted by this book and the three sequels I have read so far. (Is the 5th out in paper yet?) So I am distressed when I find reviews that so patronizingly castigate this man for historical inaccuracy (the genre is historical FICTION and the subject is MYTH). It is also a little jarring to be told a book I greatly enjoyed is so desperately wanting in literary merit. I was enchanted by the idea, the grit, the politics, the settings and most of the characters. It would be very helpful to me if those who so disapprove of these books (and others in this genre) would give us an idea of what constitutes for them a good read, or a good historical source. I am loath to use the reviews as a buying guide because I don't know if I'm dealing with literary elitists, historical purists, or people who don't "get" the Historical/Fantasy Fiction genre. For those of us who "get it", this is a great escape to better (if less sanitary) times! (And to the feminist who was so offended--honey, if it's written by a man, the sex is ALWAYS going to be fantastic (as in fantasy) and the guys are ALWAYS going to be the heroes! Read The Mists of Avalon for the female perspective.)
Rating: 
Summary: Historical accuracy? So what? The writing is lame.
Review: A decent book, kept my interest and entertained me. I read for entertainment and won't criticize this book for historical innaccuracies. I'll criticize it for being like a 500 page comic book as far as characters and dialogue is concerned. Unreal, fantastical cookie-cutter superheroes. But all in all worth reading for light entertainment if you can ignore the poor writing, ridiculous characters and their preposterous interactions.
Rating:
Summary: High Adventure At The Crossroads of History
Review: With The Skystone, Whyte embarks on the perilous venture of de-mythicizing the Arthurian Legend. He takes some risk in this endeavor as much of the literature presents this subject in a mystical context. In contrast, Skystone and the subsequent volumes of the Camulod series, is long on swords and short on sorcery-a skillfully crafted literary feast for the reader more interested in historical fiction than in the Arthurian mystique. Whyte is firmly grounded in the material culture of the times enabling his characters to adapt the tools and weapons of the era to their own peculiar circumstances. The vision and skills of the protagonists are every bit as important to the building legend as the advent of the nickel-iron meteor, the lady, and the sword. His descriptions of daily life are detailed and credible as are his interpolations of events that might have occurred when the seat of Empire moved to the East. Perhaps there was time for something like Camelot before chaos. In any event, The Skystone is a rip-roaring adventure that even the most selective reader can enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: What is historical fiction?
Review: I picked up and started reading Whyte's 4th book in this series, "The Saxon Shore", before realizing it was a series. Naturally, I've now had to start at the beginning with "Skystone", and admit I did so with some trepidation, fearing that this book may not be as good. My fears were needless. "Skystone" does not dissapoint. I won't get into character development, depth, blah-blah-blah in my review, because I don't care about that. I love to read and I want to be entertained. I enjoy historical fiction because it is interesting to see other people's prospectives and theories on the occurances of historical events. When I read fiction, I know right off the bat there will be a certain amount of artistic license taken by the author. Go to it! Entertain me! Some of the reviews of this book on this forum really beat up Jack Whyte for not being precisely historically accurate. Excuse me, but doesn't fiction mean something invented by the imagination? Where in the rule book does it say an author's historical details must be 100% correct to write a book classified as "historical fiction?" The book wasn't intended to be a textbook. If I wanted accurate historical detail of the Romans and the Britons in the 4th and 5th century, I would read non-fiction. I prefer an interesting and entertaining story with some basis in history. If I am troubled by inaccurate details, I will write my own story, and let Jack Whyte write his. Thank you, Jack Whyte, for exploring in such depth and sharing your ideas and theories on the most fantastic of legends, Camelot!
Rating:
Summary: Fun read, interesting combination of fiction and history
Review: This novel is set in Roman Britain, during a period preceding the Dark Ages. The premise that some of King Arthur's ancestors were Roman, or Celtic-blooded Roman citizens, is plausible. Consider the mestizo example in Latin America; conquerors often interbreed with the native population. The book's general earthiness in description appears to be an increasingly popular style. In this novel, it at times devolves into the language of "stroke books," which I suppose sells, but it detracts from the story's progression. The tale is told as a first person narrative, but I find it hard to believe anyone would include in their journal the mechanics of what intimate body part went where; perhaps that is nitpicking. The quest to distill legend into fact, and thus find an exotic metal for forging a sword, is told here within a mundane political/social context. Whyte tells an entertaining story, though he can lose your interest at times with excessive detail. The book is definitely written from a man's perspective, which is refreshing when compared to the present deluge of PC heroic fantasy. Whyte makes his characters fallibly human, though Seneca leans toward the cartoon bad guy model. A good read, at times wordy. While I am not a huge fan of gratuitous sex scenes, at least they are colorfully depicted here. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: The Skystone
Review: I truely loved this book, I have read many novels concerning the legend of King Arthur and this is the only one that set up the backdrop of his Britain. It is told from a military point of view which makes it even more informative, and interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review: I saw this book on the book shelf and picked it up, thinking "Hey, I love historical fiction. I wonder what the author can do with Arthurian Historical Fiction! " However, I was unable to get past the first 100 pages, for several reasons. First of all, I found the character developement rather weak, the sex and language rather overused, and a weak grip of historical accuracy haunted this book. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with sex or violence in a book, but in this peice I found that the swearing gave the book a clogged-up character and was rather distracting. It didn't seem natural, it didn't flow. If you want to read some good historical fiction, read "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfeild. Although it's not about Arthur, it has violence, sex and profanity well interlaced with historical accuracy and sympathetic characters which creats a much more solid book than this peice. All in all, I was very disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: History Embracing Legend
Review: I'm a big fan of the Arthurian legends and have a habit of reading anything and everything on the subject. "The Skystone" was a surprising read, melding beloved myth with believeable fact. Whyte has been able to create very realistic characters and situations without taking away the wonder of the tale. I now own the first four of the series and devotedly await the release of others.
Rating:
Summary: the skystone
Review: the Skystone and the other books in the Camulod Chronicles are wonderfully written. Jack Whyte takes a story that has captivated me since my youth and retells it with such realism. The Arthurian tale no longer seems like fantasy, but in actuality an amazing reality. To not only read about Arthur, but to read about his Romano/celtic heratage and the ideals that help shape the man is a real treat. Historical fiction at its best
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