Excalibur, A Novel of Arthur (The Arthur Books #3)
by Bernard Cornwell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bernard CornwellEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-07-16
ISBN: 0312206488
Number of pages: 436
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Book Reviews of Excalibur, A Novel of Arthur (The Arthur Books #3)
Book Review: An EXCELLENT ending to a good trilogy.
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a very good trilogy, but the finale, this book, was by far the best. The Winter King, book 1, and Enemy of God, book 2, were both well written, entertaining and interesting (I gave both 4 stars as they were good but not great), but this book finishes off the trilogy with war, carnage, destruction and misery; it had its good things too, but we are talking about dark ages England and what else would you expect of Arthur. This was definitely a 5 star read.
Again, as with the first 2 books, this is a different tale of Arthur. There is no sword in a stone, no grail quest, and little magic; other than superstition and luck, there is a reference to a curse that, in the book, seems real enough. But, for the most part, this is real world soldiers and warlords facing enemeies, deception, battle and chaos as the world is perched on the verge of Armageddon; at least that is how the book tells it.
Our storyteller is again Lord Derfel Cadarn, Derfel "the Mighty". Son of a Saxon (and that Saxon, you will find, adds an interesting twist to the story), but raised by Merlin (a druid with what is described as much power, but which even Merlin admits is mostly smoke and mirrors) Derfel (a Welsh name pronounced "Dervel") is one of the mighty men of Arthur's fighting force. One of Arthur's round table; well, sort of, the oath sworn men are called the men of the round table oath though no round table existed. There is no Camelot, though that title is also addressed.
What you have here, just as was in the first 2 novels, is a tale of the Britons fighting to save themsleves from fanatical religions, attacking Saxons and backstabbing traitors. The tale finishes well, cleaning up all loose ends nicely. I read in one review that the book was a let down becuase it "fizzled" at the end. I would disagree. The book does end quite abruptly; I was reading and realized I had only a handful of pages left and wondered how it was going to end so quickly, but it does end without leaving the reader hanging. I believe the ending was perfect; a necessary abrupt cliff where everything just falls, but you will know all you need to know by the time you reach the back cover.
I have read many of Cornwell's books and would call myself a huge fan of Cornwell's work. I prefer and recommend highly his current and continuing work, collectively known as the Saxon Chronicles (The Last Kingdom, The Pale Horseman, Lords of the North, and Sword Song), but this trilogy was very good and Cornwell provides his ubiquitous details of battle, strategy and tactics, and weaponry of the times in his usual highly accurate and descriptive manner. Don't take that as a dig on this trilogy. This was a wonderful trilogy, I just enjoy the other a little more but that may simply be because I am a student of the Northmen who populate the Saxon tales.
Back to this story; why does this book rate 5 over the 4 I gave to the first 2 books? Well, for starters, the entire tale comes to a head here and suspense and mystery is all laid out, a prize for having completing the trilogy. Also, the characters become more real in this tale as they have aged and lived full lives. They become more honest with themselves and their comrades, lovers, spouses and enemies. Finally, the tale brings to an end, without destroying myths, the tale of the Arthur that we all know without destroying the possibilities of the myths.
You really should read books 1 and 2 before coming to this novel and I highly recommend you enjoy each; but I encourage you that you will come to an excellent end with this final installment.
Arthur lives in glory in these tales as does Derfel and it is Derfel that we truly get to know in these books and through him we learn Arthur's tale. Derfel is a wonderful character and I am sad to now leave him behind. This trilogy was very enjoyable and stands up to Cornwell's high standard of writing and historical knowledge.
Enjoy!!!
For more dark age England, other than the Saxon Chronicles mentioned above, I also recommend Cornwell's Grail Quest Trilogy which takes place during the 100 years war (those books are, The Archer's Tale, Vagabond, and Heretic).
Summary of Excalibur, A Novel of Arthur (The Arthur Books #3)
In The Winter King and Enemy of God Bernard Cornwell demonstrated his astonishing ability to make the oft-told legend of King Arthur fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final volume of The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell tells the unforgettable tale of Arthur's final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams.
This is the tale not only of a broken love remade, but also of forces both earthly and unearthly that threaten everything Arthur stands for. Peopled by princesses and bards, by warriors and magicians, Excalibur is the story of love, war, loyalty, and betrayal-the work of a magnificent storyteller at the height of his powers.
This is the tale not only of a broken love remade, but also of forces both earthly and unearthly that threaten everything Arthur stands for. Peopled by princesses and bards, by warriors and magicians, Excalibur is the story of love, war, loyalty, and betrayal-the work of a magnificent storyteller at the height of his powers.
The third novel in the Warlords Chronicle, Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur immerses the reader in the Britain of the Dark Ages. Merlin, the greatest of the Druids, believes that the ancient gods are deserting Britain, and that the invading Saxons can't be defeated without the gods' help. Mordred reigns with a brutal hand, and Arthur sees his dreams of peace evaporate. The author provides exciting descriptions of swordplay and battles, interspersed with somewhat gruesome depictions of ordinary life in those days--greasy, waist-length beards serving as napkins, lambs bloodily sacrificed before festivals, and rampant lice.
But at the heart of Excalibur--what makes the Arthurian legends eternally fascinating--is the larger-than-life company of heroes, from Sagramor the warrior to Taliesin the bard, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arturus Rex himself. Cornwell treats them all with warmth and dignity, revealing their human qualities without unnecessarily reinventing them. This three-part saga of magic and bloodshed will grip readers from the first page of The Winter King, through Enemy of God, to the last page of Excalibur. --Blaise Selby
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