The Winter King (The Warlord Chronicles, #1)

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The Winter King (The Warlord Chronicles #1)

4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 · rating details · 10,866 ratings · 540 reviews

It takes a remarkable writer to make an old story as fresh and compelling as the first time we heard it. With The Winter King, the first volume of his magnificent Warlord Chronicles, Bernard Cornwell finally turns to the story he was born to write: the mythic saga of King Arthur.

The tale begins in Dark Age Britain, a land where Arthur has been banished and Merlin has disap...more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published April 15th 1997 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published January 1st 1995)

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Jan 30, 2013 StoryTellerShannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-very-best-reads, historical-fiction, owned

This is a mix of legend and History, and, King Arthur will probably always be that way since there's so much info. missing.

In this tale the focus is open the original Britons fighting the influx/invasion of Saxons and dealing with the petty British kingdoms. All want to rule and there are a number of very detailed and well-written battles.

First person POV.

The typical cast isn't what it appears to be. For instance, Lancelot is a coward and villain whose bards paint him differently.

The interpe...more

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Apr 18, 2007 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: see review

Shelves: historical-fiction, arthurian

I really can't say enough about this book. There are a lot of reasons to enjoy books and this one scores highest in so many categories. It is just very fun to read.

Who would I recommend this book to?
If you loved The Lord of the Rings but the smallest part of you that doesn't care about poetry kind of wished it had a little more action . . .
If you loved watching the movie Braveheart but wish it was a little more accurate historically . . .
If you were excited about the 2004 movie King Arthur, whi...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, series

This is the first of a trilogy in a magnificent telling of the Arthurian legend. Yeah, that one: Arthur, Merlin, Uther Pendragon, Guinevere, Morgan, Mordred, Lancelot, Galahad — the whole cast, as far as I know (well, Morgause appears to be missing).

I haven’t read any of the others Arthurian books, so I can’t comment on any linkages between this and the agglomeration of other tellings. My knowledge of this history/legend/mythos comes mostly from what I’ve picked up here and there, with a heavy d...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Alex Telander rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

There have been many books written about the legend of King Arthur, the knights of the Round Table, Lancelot and Guenevere; a story that is known the world over and been talked about for more than a millennium. Some of those stories have tried to remain true to the original myth — though it still remains unknown whether there really was a man who went by that name — and others have gone off into their own world, using these familiar characters. Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles is one that r...more There have been many books written about the legend of King Arthur, the knights of the Round Table, Lancelot and Guenevere; a story that is known the world over and been talked about for more than a millennium. Some of those stories have tried to remain true to the original myth — though it still remains unknown whether there really was a man who went by that name — and others have gone off into their own world, using these familiar characters. Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles is one that remains relatively true to the heart of the story, while at the same time revealing the strong themes of Britain in the fifth century, and in so doing, has become one of the main canons of Arthurian literature.

The story of the rise of Arthur and his helping of Britain begins with its narrator, Derfel, now an old monk working away in a decaying monastery. He professes to his Bishop Sansum that he is writing the story of Jesus Christ the savior in the words of the Britons so they may better understand him, when he is really recording the story of the greatest warrior to ever live, so it may be well and correctly remembered for future generations, as compared to the tales and songs the bards sing where the true heroes are not always recognized and appreciated.

The story begins with King Uther who does not have a certain heir and is not doing well. His son and crown prince was killed in a recent battle against the Saxons, while his bastard son, Arthur, has been sent to Armorica. But he has a grandson, who is also named Mordred, and who he decrees is the heir to Britain, and shortly after Uther dies. Derfel is an orphan living in Merlin’s commune, only the renowned magician hasn’t been seen in many years, and it is rumored he is in search of the lost treasures of Britain. Mordred and his mother are brought to Merlin’s commune where he is to be raised and educated under the Druidic religion.

Arthur comes back with his men just in time to stop King Gundleus of Siluria from attempting to kill Mordred and take over the throne of Dumnomia. While Mordred is raised and educated, Arthur essentially rules Dumnomia, looking to unite the British kingdoms as one against the Saxons who are looking to take more land. Then he meets Guenevere and his heart is stolen, as well as the meeting of the character of Lancelot, who is renowned as a great fighter and warrior, though it seems the man is actually a coward.

The Winter King is a great start to the trilogy that furthers the story, but has plenty of fascinating subplots that Cornwell is renowned for in his historical fiction, such as the Isle of the Dead, where the mad are left to roam and where Derfel must find a woman he loves. In the afterword, Cornwell explains what history there is to work from, and why he went the way he did with his particular story. Thankfully, the book doesn’t end on too much of a cliffhanger, setting up well for its sequel, Enemy of God.

Originally written on March 17, 2012 ©Alex C. Telander.

For more reviews and exclusive interviews, go to BookBanter.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Sakura87 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autori-inglesi, fantasy, novecento, storico, saga-ciclo

Derfel, monaco vecchio e stanco, decide di mettere per iscritto la sua vita.
Dalla sua penna leggiamo le gesta di Artù e di tutti i personaggi più conosciuti del ciclo bretone, tra lotte di dèi vecchi e nuovi, battaglie campali, intrighi tra regni e un pizzico di magia druidica.

Non male, ma assolutamente non all’altezza della Bradley.
Lo stile suona abbastanza povero alle orecchie, e i dialoghi banali. Manca la realistica e cruda brutalità medievale resa alla perfezione in romanzi come quelli dell...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Magdalena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, myths-legends

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So everyone knows about the Arthurian legends and that there isn't much historical evidence (if any) that Arthur existed. That said, this book strikes me as an accurate account of what it would have been like if such a warlord lived. The historical setting- Saxon raids, Irish conquerors, religious disputes, traces of Roman civilization, all that good stuff, is pretty accurate. Bernard Cornwell evidently did serious research into the way of life in 500ad, and it all gives a very authentic vibe. T...more So everyone knows about the Arthurian legends and that there isn't much historical evidence (if any) that Arthur existed. That said, this book strikes me as an accurate account of what it would have been like if such a warlord lived. The historical setting- Saxon raids, Irish conquerors, religious disputes, traces of Roman civilization, all that good stuff, is pretty accurate. Bernard Cornwell evidently did serious research into the way of life in 500ad, and it all gives a very authentic vibe. Things are portrayed as they were, with warriors wearing light armor to be more agile, Saxons wearing simple and crude armor (I absolutely praise the lack of impractical yet fancy demon-horned helmets), druids spiking their hair with dung, the lack of actual magic, and much more humanized characters.

The narrator, Derfel Cadarn, is old and feeble, retelling Arthur's story to the current young queen Igraine. At this point (Book #1), some parts of the story are compromised due to his own beliefs (as pointed out by Igraine). Chiefly, his hatred towards Lancelot and the accusations of cowardice, and the praise to the Star of Powys and her beauty. We can't know if his descriptions are somewhat biased in some aspects, but that makes for an entertaining story. (On a lesser note, I also quite enjoyed Igraine's impatience to know what happens in the end, for I felt the same way. Derfel, however, kept the story linear, without jumping to spoilers, much to her discontent.)

The main character, Arthur, is a very decent fellow. He empathizes with everyone (and by everyone I do mean everyone. Except Saxons.) and tries to be fair in judgement, tactful, respectful, brave, and honorable. Perhaps his major flaws are his love of Guinevere, his stubbornness, and his ambition. His ultimate goal is to unite Britain against foreign invasions and to secure his protegee the throne of Dumnonia, while leading that peace himself. Despite all this, he insults Powys by first betrothing the powisian princess and then abruptly marrying Guinevere out of mad, passionate, foolish love. (Lust?) And so the ultimate war begins, facing enemies on all sides- Franks fighting Armorica on the south (a kingdom Arthur had sworn to protect), Irish Blackshields and Kernow on the west, Siluria and Powys on the north, and Saxons on the East. War and madness all over the place, how much more real can this time period get?

In the legends Merlin is a majestic, wise, kind even, Druid. In the book I thought he was more of a scumbag, using everyone for his own amusement, not caring for peoples' suffering. But yes, he was wise and feared by all, with the impatience at people's stupidity that I guess could only come with the knowledge and power he possessed. All in all, I liked him.

As for a minor pet peeve, there is a ton of spit in this book. Everyone spits at everyone to insult them, to ward off evil, to release some anger, to prove a point, to curse... You get the idea.

In conclusion, excellent, excellent book. Had me surprised at reading so much so suddenly without even realizing how much I had read. Recommended to people who want a realistic legend, who enjoy the Dark Ages, who like accurate historical settings, who believe chivalry shouldn't be dead, and who like ancient battles. I for one, am absolutely thrilled to read the next book in this series :)(less)

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Dec 02, 2011 Bettie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: published-1995, winter-20112012, medieval5c-16c, historical-fiction, fraudio, adventure, britain-england, epic-proportions, magicians, mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 09, 2013 Wendy B rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, favourites, historical-fiction, series

I'm not necessarily a fan of historical fiction, or of the Arthurian legend, but a friend recommended this to me and I ended up loving the book so much that I bought the entire series and have read it twice.

It is the story of King Arthur, as told in the first person by his friend Derfel. It includes the regular cast of characters and the expected monumental moments, but Cornwell skillfully twists them in a realistic way. What we think we know as Arthurian "truths" are, according to this book, t...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arthurian-legend, england, historical-fiction

This book, along with the two that follow it, really break the mold when it comes to Arthurian legend. These stories are told much more factually, set against feudal Britain. The bit of magic that shows up doesn't dominate the story like all other Arthurian legend. It is much easier to picture this Arthur as having actually existed and the things that happen as having actually happened. It's not even told from the viewpoint of a character that we are used to seeing in King Arthur stories. It pai...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Graham Tapper added it · review of another edition

Bearing little resemblance to the story of Arthur, with which we are all most familiar and certainly a million miles from the current BBC TV hit - Merlin, Cornwell's story is probably more faithful to the likely history, bearing in mind how little is actually recorded of this eternal British hero.

Cornwell sets his tale in late 5th Century Britain, not long after the retreat of the Roman Empire to defend it's capital from the heathen hordes. Eastern Britain is already occupied by the German Saxon...more Bearing little resemblance to the story of Arthur, with which we are all most familiar and certainly a million miles from the current BBC TV hit - Merlin, Cornwell's story is probably more faithful to the likely history, bearing in mind how little is actually recorded of this eternal British hero.

Cornwell sets his tale in late 5th Century Britain, not long after the retreat of the Roman Empire to defend it's capital from the heathen hordes. Eastern Britain is already occupied by the German Saxon tribes, seeking land, treasure and slaves and they continue to push westwards into the various kingdoms of the British tribes, who seem more concerned with fighting amongst themselves than bandying together to fight a common enemy.

The Arthur of this version of history is not even a true son of King Uther, who's kingdom occupies Devon, Dorset and Somerset of current day Britain. The true heir to the throne is a baby, the weak and crippled Mordred, whom Arthur has sworn to protect and see safely to his throne when of age.

Arthur, though, takes far too many oaths, more than he can ever honour and this is ever his undoing. In this, the first book of Cornwell's trilogy, it is his breaking of his promise to marry the daughter of a, till then ally King, choosing instead to marry with unseemly haste, Guinevere and so plunge into inevitable war the very kingdom he has promised to defend for Mordred.

The story is that told in retrospect by Derfel, of Saxon birth but British by choice and one of Arthur's primary warriors in his army, when in later life he has taken to the cloth and become a monk. Derfel's part in the story is central and he spares no gory details of the battles in which he, Arthur and a cast of larger than life characters participate.

Cornwell is the master of weaving an enthralling story out of historical events and, bearing in mind how little fact he has with which to work, the tale is certainly up to his usual high standard.

So long as you are prepared to accept Cornwell's version of the story, the setting and especially the characters that he assigns to the cast of actors, some of which certainly jar with the "classic" Arthurian tales, especially where Lancelot is concerned, you will find this a superb book and one that will leave you hungry for the following two.(less)

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Dec 12, 2008 Reinhold rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Eine wahrhaft wunderbare Trilogie

Ehe Bernard Cornwell diese Trilogie verfasste machte er sich einen Namen als BBC-Reporter. Die Notwendigkeit der sehr genauen Recherche hat er in dieser Trilogie mitgenommen. Wenn auch historisch belegbare Aufzeichnungen über Arthur selbst fehlen, so gibt es doch eine Menge geschichtliches Wissen das Cornwell wunderbar in dieses Werk einbaut.

Diese Trilogie erzählt die Geschichte Arthurs ganz anders als wir es aus der Legende kennen. Arthur hat seine Schwächen, Me...more Eine wahrhaft wunderbare Trilogie

Ehe Bernard Cornwell diese Trilogie verfasste machte er sich einen Namen als BBC-Reporter. Die Notwendigkeit der sehr genauen Recherche hat er in dieser Trilogie mitgenommen. Wenn auch historisch belegbare Aufzeichnungen über Arthur selbst fehlen, so gibt es doch eine Menge geschichtliches Wissen das Cornwell wunderbar in dieses Werk einbaut.

Diese Trilogie erzählt die Geschichte Arthurs ganz anders als wir es aus der Legende kennen. Arthur hat seine Schwächen, Merlin ist "nur" ein Druide, Guinevere ist eine Frau mit überragender Intelligenz, die aus ihrer Rolle ausbrechen möchte und Lancelot ist ein narzisstischer Feigling. Die wichtigsten beiden Punkte bei den handelnden Personen jedoch sind, dass einerseits jede der Hauptfiguren mit einer schier unglaublichen Tiefe ausgestattet ist; und praktisch jede von ihnen eine Veränderung im Laufe ihres Lebens durchmacht. Bezogen auf die Charakterentwicklung ist Cornwell in Gebiete vorgestoßen, die selten erreicht werden. Keine der Figuren ist schwarz oder weiß, alle sind in Graubereichen angesiedelt - aber Cornwell liefert für fast jede Eigenschaft eine Begründung, er erläutert die Motivation die einen Charakter dazu werden lässt, was er ist.

Erzählt wird die Geschichte von einem alten Mönch mit Namen "Derfel". Er war als Kind einer druidischen Todesgrube entkommen, wurde von Merlin großgezogen und danach zum Krieger ausgebildet. Er wurde zu einem der großen Heerführer Arthurs und zu seinem Schwager. Er schreibt die Geschichte seines Lebens nieder, die Geschichte der Kriege gegen die Angeln und Sachsen, die Geschichte des Aufstieg und Falls Arthurs und des Aufstieg und Falls von Mordred und natürlich die Geschichte des Kampfes des Druidentums gegen das Christentum. Aber auch mit der ganzen Geschichte entfernt er sich weit vom Mythos. Der Name Camelot taucht nicht ein einziges Mal auf, und "Tafelrunde" wird als eine Verballhornung geschildert. All das hat seinen Mythos verloren, doch genau dadurch entsteht der Mythos neu; weniger glänzend zwar, dafür aber um so glaubwürdiger. Der Erzähler ("Derfel") ist ein Kind seiner Zeit und so erzählt er auch alles als mit den Augen seiner Zeit gesehen. Er spuckt permanent aus und berührt Eisen um das Böse abzuwenden. All das jedoch erzählt er in einer bildhaften, warmherzigen Weise. Zugegeben die Schlachtszenen sind alles andere als warmherzig dennoch sind sie sehr bildhaft. Nichts für schwache Nerven. Cornwell durchbricht die Grenze zwischen historischem und Phantasyroman. Wahrlich eine Meisterleistung.

Sprachlich muss man das Werk eindeutig als über dem Mittelmaß stehend beurteilen, wenngleich es bestimmt nicht als außergewöhnlich bezeichnet werden kann. Es ist aber so gut geschrieben und formuliert, dass sich die Mehrheit der Romanciers ein Beispiel nehmen können.

Ein einziger Schwachpunkt ist Cornwell unterlaufen. Er teilte das Buch in drei Bände auf. Keiner dieser Bände kann ohne die anderen existieren - das ist das Wesen einer Trilogie, jedoch versucht Cornwell dies trotzdem zu ermöglichen, indem er die wichtigsten Fakten in jedem Band wieder anklingen lässt. Dies ruft zwar die Fakten erneut in Erinnerung, aber es ist manchmal (besonders am Anfang eines Bandes) eher enervierend denn hilfreich. Die extrem enge Verstrickung der Bücher miteinander, ist auch der Grund warum man nicht ein einzelnes Buch aus dieser Trilogie beurteilen oder rezensieren kann. Es ist ein Gesamtwerk und muss auch als solches gelesen werden. Stellen Sie sicher, dass sie alle drei Bücher (1. Der Winterkönig, 2. Der Schattenfürst und 3. Arthurs letzter Schwur) zur Hand haben, wenn Sie mit dem Lesen beginnen.

Dieses Buch hat so viele Pluspunkte, dass man Gefahr läuft einige zu übersehen. Ich möchte versuchen sie nochmals zusammenzufassen. Es hebt sich sprachlich vom Mittelmaß ab, es erzählt seine Geschichte in herrlichen Bildern, es zeichnet die meisten Personen mit einem ungeahnten Tiefgang, es liefert Charakterentwicklungen in selten gesehenem Umfang, es stellt die Sage um Arthur in einem neuen - sehr interessanten Bild dar, es ist historisch untermauert. Es ist eine Neuerzählung des Mythos, der weder den Vergleich mit den besten historischen Romanen scheuen muss, noch muss er sich fürchten wenn man ihn mit der besten Phantasyliteratur vergleicht. Der einzige Schwachpunkt - die Verteilung auf drei Bände - wiegt nur wie eine Feder auf der negativen Waagschale. (less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Dark-Draco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-fiction, historic-fiction, arthurian

This is King Arthur's story told from the perspective of Derfel, one of Arthur's fighters and friends. Britain is at war, with the Saxon's that surround it and within its own borders, each tribe out to get all it can. When Uther, the High King, dies, his sickly son Mordred, still a Babe, needs protection. Arthur, hero of Brittany, returns to take up the protectorship and has plans to bring peace. At the start of the story, Derfel is an orphaned Saxon child, taken under Merlin's wing and living a...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Iceman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Esta opinião visa toda a obra no seu conjunto não especificando nenhum dos volumes em particular.

Esta é uma obra que já reli por diversas vezes.. Na minha primeira leitura, há uns 10 anos, fui levado por um entusiasmo e um fascínio tão grande que e durante muito tempo, considerei esta obra como a da minha vida, aquela que recomendava sempre que me solicitavam alguma opinião sobre bons livros (ainda recomendo).

Senti-me novamente maravilhado e, embora agora não a considere como a obra da minha vid...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Aaron Dembski-Bowden rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was one of those great moments where you come across a book that feels like it was specifically written for you.

I finished The Winter King, turned the last page, and went to make some coffee. The first thing I did when I headed back upstairs was open it at page 1 and start it again.

I'm not sure what I can say about this that'll actually do it justice. The characters' journeys through the story were variously gripping, heart-wrenching and tense, whether on the battlefield, travelling betwe...more This was one of those great moments where you come across a book that feels like it was specifically written for you.

I finished The Winter King, turned the last page, and went to make some coffee. The first thing I did when I headed back upstairs was open it at page 1 and start it again.

I'm not sure what I can say about this that'll actually do it justice. The characters' journeys through the story were variously gripping, heart-wrenching and tense, whether on the battlefield, travelling between towns, or spending months inside cities suffering siege, or waiting for negotiations to end. I wasn't bored for a second. I didn't skip a single sentence to flip ahead to something more interesting, which I'm occasionally guilty of elsewhere.

No character was uniformly detestable or utterly noble - it was much too real and well-written for that. Everyone had some realistic foible or flaw that affected them (and the wider narrative), and everyone had a journey of ups, downs and side-to-sides. Rather than build to a crescendo, it rose to several along the way and saved the best for last, when practically every character came together in a massive, massive nexus to decide the fate of the kingdom.

The Dark Age magic (druid rituals, and the Isle of the Dead) was handled with a balance of gritty mystery and understandable displays of superstition from those in its presence. The battles were brutal - not quite as unforgivingly visceral as, say, Steven Pressfield - but no less emotional and evocative. They were just fantastic. Similarly, the romance, friendships and relationships were unfailingly portrayed as totally believable and real, each with moments of awkwardness, unreserved intimacy, warmth and betrayal.

The entire book bled atmosphere and immersion, showing the world in all its filthy, earthy glory. A Britain fallen into disrepair and darkness, with the unwanted light of Roman civilisation finally gone. Echoes of their influence remain, but their craftsmanship, architecture and road-building can no longer be recreated by the warring tribes that call the land home. Instead of hearkening back to the Romans as bringers of culture and light, the superstitious Britons curse them as often as admire them (for obvious reasons...)

I loved it, cover to cover.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Billy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Camelot this is NOT. VERY different from other Arthur tales...,

I finished this book late last night after a very quick, very intense tear through the novel; I could not put it down. I will be starting book 2, Enemy of God, of this trilogy today.
This is definitely not your typical Arthur. Oddly enough, there is little proof that Arthur existed in the great way he is now known in legend to have been. Obviously, the magic, Excalibur, Camelot, the Round Table and the 'Holy Grail' type additions were...more Camelot this is NOT. VERY different from other Arthur tales...,

I finished this book late last night after a very quick, very intense tear through the novel; I could not put it down. I will be starting book 2, Enemy of God, of this trilogy today.
This is definitely not your typical Arthur. Oddly enough, there is little proof that Arthur existed in the great way he is now known in legend to have been. Obviously, the magic, Excalibur, Camelot, the Round Table and the 'Holy Grail' type additions were very well used literary tools to create a legend bigger than itself in many tales. What Cornwell has accomplished in this novel is to bring the story back down to earth in a very real and incredible way; this is an Arthur who lived in a real world, with superstitions and gods of many religions, but no magic to speak of, rather just man's overwhelming ability to allow fear and misunderstanding to create belief in magic, spells, wizardry and monsters. To be fair, that may disappoint Arthurian legend lovers of the mystical tale. This is not the stylized Arthur that we read about in most literary works or, in more recent years, we see on film.
The tale is told by an elderly monk who, before becoming a Christian, was an orphan raised by Merlin (not a Wizard in this tale, rather a Druid leader of Britain). He, our storyteller, was Derfel Cadarn, Derfel 'the mighty', and he was a fierce and feared warrior, a Lord of war, a leader of men, a sworn man of Arthur, and a mighty killer. He is also an excellent storyteller who weaves a tale of 5th century Britain, a land at war with itself whilst also being invaded by the Saxons (who the author Cornwell also writes about in his excellent Saxon Chronicles which I highly recommend). This was an island of many nations and many kings, before it was England, just after the departure of the Romans and just as the island was at its lowest point in history, the beginning of the dark ages.
The fact that not much is known about the people that became so legendary in myth and tales of magic, allows Cornwell to weave a book of fiction that represents the period very well and freed him to create a tale that he did not have to meld in to history. In other words, Cornwell was able to create an entire story, using famous names that have no story, thus allowing us to experience a completely different version of the tale.
I avoided this trilogy for a while because the Arthur tales are a little too fantasized for me; I prefer more historically based fiction. Thankfully, I came to my senses and read this book. It was excellent. I read a review below that stated that someone struggled with this book because of all the characters, a claim I don't understand. Cornwell kindly provides a list of ALL the characters and a short summary of who they were, at the beginning of the book so you can always flip to the front if you don't remember a name. A detailed map is provided in the back to give you an understanding of where the many characters are from and where they go.
I definitely recommend this book. Although our storyteller does tell Arthur's tale, the book does tend to be more Derfel's tale and how he experienced life as a sworn man of Arthur. It follows Derfel to Amorica (Britanny, France) where he spends years fighting in Arthur's place for the kindom of Benoic (which reminded me of Jonathan Swift's kingdom of Laputa, the floating island where everyone was more interested in learning and beauty, where, in this tale the king spent all his money on knowledge all his money on knowledge and allowed the kingdom to crumble around him). This is Derfel's tale of Arthur and it is a wonderful story.(less)

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Jun 28, 2012 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Winter King is the first in Bernard Cornwell's "Warlord Chronicles" Trilogy, which is another take on the famous Arthurian legend. The book introduces familiar characters such as Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Galahad among others yet it paints many of them in a new light compared to other books and movies.

The story is told from the perspective of Derfel (pronounced Dervel) Cadarn, an aged Christian monk commissioned to record his first-hand experiences with Arthur and the peace h...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Lucinda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The winter king is the first novel in the acclaimed Warlord chronicles trilogy that is set around the myths & legends of King Arthur and Merlin from the Dark Ages. It is a book that sheds new light on the Arthurian legend which combines myth with historical accuracy and the brutal action of the battlefield with such spellbinding realism. You can tell that this book is going to be good just by basing it on the background of the author and how utterly sucsessfull he was with the no.1 bestselli...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Jacob rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is a phenomenon that seems to ensnare writers and force the question of what a historically accurate telling of Arthurian legend would look like. In most instances it doesn't seem to work out too well. The elements clash in a manner that makes one portion of the story falter and thus collapses the entirety of the idea. Bernard Cornwell however nails the concept perfectly and I think the reasoning for this lies in the execution of the narrative. By framing the tale as a re-telling of the st...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Nate rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’ve enjoyed reading Mr. Cornwell’s books for some time now, first the Sharpe’s Rifles series and then assorted others. Looking about I saw his series on Arthurian Lore and was intrigued knowing Mr. Cornwell’s love of bringing as much history as possible into his stories and the legends of King Arthur and his knights being so twisted by Sir Thomas Malory’s le Morte de Arthur and Hollywood’s take.

I’m going to open by saying wow. I was very impressed by Mr. Cornwell here. This is arguably one of h...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Courtney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bernard Cornwell is brilliant! I had never read anything by him before, had never heard of him, but found the series on Arthur too seductive to pass up (as a fanatical dark ages/King Arthur fan). To me, the books perfectly captured the Arthur mythology in way that made it realistic, mixing romance with history (an imagined version), and small, personal details and friendships with large scale battle scenes. I often find that Arthurian fiction is either too dark or too light, neither realistic an...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Dick Edwards rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first of a trilogy about King Arthur, although Cornwell admits that Arthur may never have existed. The story is told by a 15 year old warrior named Derfel, who becomes Arthur’s man. He admires Arthur, but recognizes his faults. Arthur is a great man, but not perfect. He goes to marry Ceinwyn by pre-arrangement, but sees Guinevere and is so stunned that he marries her instead. It is not clear to me how Ceinwyn reacts to this outrage. The narrator, Derfel, is sent by Arthur with only 6...more This is the first of a trilogy about King Arthur, although Cornwell admits that Arthur may never have existed. The story is told by a 15 year old warrior named Derfel, who becomes Arthur’s man. He admires Arthur, but recognizes his faults. Arthur is a great man, but not perfect. He goes to marry Ceinwyn by pre-arrangement, but sees Guinevere and is so stunned that he marries her instead. It is not clear to me how Ceinwyn reacts to this outrage. The narrator, Derfel, is sent by Arthur with only 60 men to Ynes Trebes to fight with King Ban (father of both Lancelot and Galahad, who are half-brothers) against the Franks. Derfel immediately gets into a fight with Lancelot, who is a singularly unpleasant and insulting man. Galahad is much more friendly and nicer. He tells Derfel that he once had immense lust in his heart for one of his father’s harpists. While Galahad was away, Lancelot raped the harpist, but no one did anything about it. Lancelot was an extreme coward, who hid from the enemy and sent false reports back home to make himself look heroic. He was also spoiled rotten by his mother. Probably the most salient feature of this book to me is that most of the enemies encountered and battles fought are against other Britton/Roman/Celtic tribes, rather than against Saxons. One can see why the Saxons were able to conquer Britton when so many of the local tribes were at each other’s throats. Derfel and Arthur seem to be from Dumnonia, or what is now Cornwall. In the last battle, Arthur and his colleagues are fighting tribes to the north of that area, partially from what is now Wales. The Blackshield Irish attack near the end of this battle, and Derfel/Arthur think they are going to support the enemy, but these Irish support Arthur. After the battle, Arthur speaks to all the tribes and urges them to unite against the Saxons. Since this is the first of a trilogy, one expects the subsequent books (Enemy of God, and Excalibur) to focus more on the conflicts with the Saxons. Before this last battle, Derfel has a chance to spend some time with Ceinwyn, and falls hopelessly in love with her.(less)

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Jan 16, 2011 Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely brilliant interpretation of the Arthurian epic. Cornwall brings the whole Arthur tale to vivid life without the mumbo-jumbo of wizards and sorcery. Sure, there's Merlin at the centre of everything (even when he's disappeared) but Cornwall's Merlin is a druid who is more shaman than wizard and you're never quite sure whether he has any magic in him or whether it's all conman tricks and the effective use of superstition. Still, this s Merlin is just as effective in his world as anyone e...more

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Sep 04, 2010 Teri rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 08, 2010 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being 'Sharp' fan I decided to look into other books by Bernard Cornwell. Seeing that Cornwell wrote a trilogy based on the King Arthur mythology I was curious his take on the legend.

I can honestly say hands down that Bernard Cornwell's interpretation of a historical King Arthur is the best I have ever read, I highly recommend the Warlord Chronicles to anyone. He paints a time and world that is dark and gritty. Life is tough and death means nothing.

Through the eyes of Derfel Cadarn the reader s...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Glee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good Arthur tale, but I expected a bit more. Everything I've read by this author so far has been exceptional. He covers British history, especially military history, but weaves real events into stories of (mostly) fictional characters that are used to advance the story and create a context for the historical events. And I really like historical fiction. This is the first of a trilogy and I will probably read the other two just because I like this author and I love knights, Camelot, Lancelot (boy...more

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Nov 25, 2009 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yet another series I started because a friend, Tony again, bought the first edition for me. And just as Tony was right about Martin's series and Tom was right about Ender's Game, The Arthur Books do not disappoint. I will review all three in one space here.

Cornwell strives to tell us a realistic version of the legend of King Arthur, which means this series is almost exclusively historical fiction. Drawing on rare historical references that tell us Arthur was likely a well respected dark ages wa...more Yet another series I started because a friend, Tony again, bought the first edition for me. And just as Tony was right about Martin's series and Tom was right about Ender's Game, The Arthur Books do not disappoint. I will review all three in one space here.

Cornwell strives to tell us a realistic version of the legend of King Arthur, which means this series is almost exclusively historical fiction. Drawing on rare historical references that tell us Arthur was likely a well respected dark ages warlord, not a king, Cornwell goes to great length to dispel many preconceptions about the legend. Lancelot, for instance, is not a great warrior, but a skilled politician who knows how to get what he wants and how to make others think what he wants them to. Guennevere is not a lonely housewife aching for attention, but a power-thirsty and brilliant strategist. And Merlin is not a great wizard, but a religious figure, a Druid, whom many suspect speaks directly to the gods, and whom most think can manifest magic. Speaking of magic, that is one of my favorite elements of this series: with one exception, Cornwell keeps the use of "magic" so vague that the reader is left to decide if Merlin and other Druids are doing anything or if the dark ages' population is simply superstitious. That is a special talent, I think.

While ostensibly an Arthur story, the novels actually focus on one of Arthurs allies, Derfel (pronounced Dervel), who is also one of Merlin's preferred Britons. Derfel is a Saxon who survived a Druid's murderous impulses before the start of the series and who eventually gains Arthur's trust. He is exceedingly loyal and unwaveringly brave, just as are many. In Cornwell's conception of the Dark Ages that seems to be an overwhelmingly important trait. Derfel is multi-dimensional and well developed, as are Arthur, Guenivere, a woman named Ceinwyn and a few other characters, Nimue and Merlin amongst them, but most people in this novel, even some very important ones, are not. That is probably the greatest flaw of the series. I read the entire series and still had trouble remembering some names and/or how they had been involved with the story before.

While a definite flaw, it is less important in this series that it might be in others. Why? Because these books are definitely plot based. The battle scenes are well detailed and, I understand, authentic to how Dark Ages' wars were fought. The conflicts between Christianity and Paganism, as well as those between British kings and/or the Britons and the Saxons, are all well conceived. And the era is portrayed very well. The pacing of the plot generally works well, until the end of the novels when it feels like Cornwell was likely trying his best to stay within a page limit.

The story is told, by the way, in the first person from Derfel's perspective. Most of the time, I think this works very well, but there are moments (like Arthur's courtship of Guenevere, which was a turning point in the first book) when I really wished I had had a third person narrator.

Overall, the series is worth reading, if you enjoy historical fiction, or if you always liked the Arthurian legend. Cornwell does a very good job showing us what the era might have actually been like, instead of what the myths would have us believe. All three books were page turners. All three were entertaining. And all three were fun reads. (less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Kit Fryatt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, fantasy

The most subtle and self-reflexive of Cornwell's books that I've read so far. The framing device asks us to reflect on mythic accretion in the Arthur story, and by implication, on the very notion that there was a historical reality to accrete *to*. Cornwell's note suggests that he takes a mainstream view of the evidence, i.e. that there may have been a 5th-century British warlord, maybe or maybe not called Arthur or a name like it, who had a number of successes in repelling Saxon invasions, and...more The most subtle and self-reflexive of Cornwell's books that I've read so far. The framing device asks us to reflect on mythic accretion in the Arthur story, and by implication, on the very notion that there was a historical reality to accrete *to*. Cornwell's note suggests that he takes a mainstream view of the evidence, i.e. that there may have been a 5th-century British warlord, maybe or maybe not called Arthur or a name like it, who had a number of successes in repelling Saxon invasions, and who subsequently became legendary und so weiter. Commonsensical as this sounds, for me it simply raises the question of why we seem to need there to be a historical kernel to our myths, and why we insist on their deep antiquity. Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes are plenty old enough for me; at this stage we're further from them in time than they possibly could be from any "historical" Arthur. Maybe we need to accept that storytellers just make shit up.

Nonetheless, Cornwell's attempt to find 5th-century analogues for familiar persons and (to a lesser extent) events in Arthurian myth is very convincing. He handles Guinevere, Merlin and Nimue particularly well. Alas, the trope 'rape makes women kickass' haunts his presentation of Nimue, but it is nuanced and shaded more subtly than you might expect. He is unnecessarily hostile to Lancelot. His narrator Derfel is is a predecessor to Uhtred, but less hard of thinking. (It is fascinating to watch Cornwell back away from the Mary Sue.) Similarly, you can trace a line from dashing, charming Arthur to Alfred, gripy of bowel and half-daft with piety; they have the same innovating intelligence. Cornwell's Arthur and Merlin also owe a lot to T.H. White's, despite their being polar opposites in terms of setting and procedure, Cornwell all grit and authenticity, White all anachronism and archery (see what I done with the words there). (Derfel also, by the way, has a slightly unlikely good word to say about bowmen; awww, it's sweet, really, or at the very least there should be a drinking game.) It is somewhat low, I think, of Cornwell not to find room for White in his note.

Where the novel really shines, though, is in its evocation of competition, conflict and occasional uneasy collaboration between paganism and Christianity. This, you think, is sort of how it must have been. Not--this is well researched--but this is a plausible rendition of how it feels to exist at a time of religious change and novelty, even if every detail is technically wrong (and a few of them are). Cornwell is no prose stylist--if you put his books close to your ear you can hear all four journalistic fingers beating away at the keyboard as he doesn't bother to revise clunkers like using "rich" literally in one sentence ("We'll be rich!") and metaphorically in the next ("The valley was rich with sound.")--but in his treatment of religion here he gets close to the Higher Historical of writers like Broch, Renault and (among contemporaries) Mantel. Why does he go and forget it in the Saxon series, with its lumpy allusions to Thor and Odin? (less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Lolly's rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, arthurian-legend, part-of-a-series

This is not a nice book. This is not a tale of King Arthur of which Disney would approve. It's not romantic, glossy, subtle, or sanitized. There are no chivalrous knights, the kind which spring from the pages of Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table. There are no lessons of magical shape-shifting as in T.H. White's The Once and Future King. And there are certainly no rites celebrating the strength of female divinity as portrayed in Marion Zimmer Bradley's The ...more This is not a nice book. This is not a tale of King Arthur of which Disney would approve. It's not romantic, glossy, subtle, or sanitized. There are no chivalrous knights, the kind which spring from the pages of Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table. There are no lessons of magical shape-shifting as in T.H. White's The Once and Future King. And there are certainly no rites celebrating the strength of female divinity as portrayed in Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon.

This is a down-and-dirty book. It's brutish, thuggish, full of crude men, cruel battles, harsh realities and bleak futures. Set in the dawn of the Dark Ages, the days when Rome has been crushed, its influences eclipsed and all traces of Roman law and infrastructure are being savagely snuffed out by the sweeping hordes of Vandals and Visigoths, Saxons and Franks, The Winter King is a tale of a time when life is short and one's value is determined, if you're a man, by the strength of your sword arm and, if you're a women, by the power and wealth behind your father's name. It is a story of the one man devoted to peace in this time of chaos. Arthur, some say king of Britain, some say warlord, a man of myth and legend who manages to come to new life between the pages of Cornwell's novel.

Yet, despite the barbaric nature of the story which unfolds in The Winter King, there's nothing gratuitous about it. The opposite, in fact. Everything, from the death of a soldier to the rape of a captive woman to the sacrifice of a prisoner of war is carried out in the most casual, matter-of-fact manner, a method of storytelling which only enhances the tale's sense of realism, giving the narrative a level of depth and gravity missing from many books which glorify the spilling of blood and go into almost gleeful detail whenever degradation or humiliation occur. In this manner, Cornwell accurately and vividly paints a portrait of a land in turmoil, where all traces of Rome's colonization are slowly being eroded, pillaged, buried and forgotten. A land under constant threat from marauders without and treachery within, where your ally today can become your enemy tomorrow for the right amount of gold. A land convulsed by religious dissent just as much as it was by invasion and politics, its Old Gods fighting for supremacy with the new god of the White Christ, pagan against Christian, magic against piety.

Though Cornwell is a talented tale-weaver, there are a couple of nitpicks I have with the book. First off, he tends to repeat himself, giving a description of someone or something only to repeat it a couple of paragraphs later. Now, if the repetition occurred at a greater distance, with the vast and often complex array of place-names, characters and descriptions, that reminder of who rules where and invaded or conspired with which tribe can be a much needed aid. However, even I, the most addlepated of blondes, can remember information long enough not to need a refresher of said information three paragraphs later. Second, the spitting. Everyone. Spits. A lot. Whenever I put the book down for a break, I felt as though I needed to take a bath from all the flying phlegm. Now I'm sure all the spitting, to ward off evil, to seal a curse, to call on lucky spirits, to show disdain, is historically accurate or at least appropriate, but after a while it was just plain gross and distracting. Hell, I would've settled for a few bouts of pissing or defecation in place of the spitting, just to break the mucus monotony.

However, despite those little quirks, which did tend to ease up towards the end of the book, this was a well-written, fast-paced, compellingly-told story. The battle scenes were written in an almost terse manner, revealing the carnage and destruction wrought without reveling in it. The dialogue never felt stilted or awkward, which can sometimes occur in the best of adventure novels, making character interactions feel real and absolutely human. And Cornwell has a deft hand at piecing together the often disparate Roman and Ancient British place names with the even more prehistoric monuments and landscape features, giving the reader an almost tangible sense of that isle's immense history. As much as I've enjoyed reading other interpretations of Arthurian history, those with a feminist slant, those with a more modern, Americanized, "democracy for all" slant, Cornwell's novel is the one which feels as though it were the actual truth, a factual account of this shadowy period of history which somehow became lost to time.(less)

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Aug 25, 2008 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Arthor meets Braveheart meets The 300 (except without the crappy dialogue and slow motion every 2 seconds). What can I say? It's an attempt by a great author at a great historical fiction subject, and he knocks it out of the park. The protagonist is a great character...Arthur is a great character. There's plenty of action, but it doesn't carry the story. The settings is wonderfully detailed without boring the reader to death and the prose is wonderful.

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Dec 12, 2012 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love historical fiction in general but this story particularly appealed to me because of my love of Mallory and all of the other mythical Arthur sources. It was great to meet well-know characters, like Galahad, Guinevere and Merlin, on completely different terms. This version of the Arthur story is set in the era in which a historical Arthur may have existed, and it is a fascinating era. Within living memory of Roman rule and at the advent of Saxon supremacy, this book portrays a world torn be...more

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About Bernard Cornwell

Cornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his mother's maiden name, Cornwe...more Cornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his mother's maiden name, Cornwell.

Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times, but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.

He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a Green Card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.

As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find that there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.

Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel Sharpe's Company published in 1982.

Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) He also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British, in 1987.

After publishing 8 books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987 and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.

A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and a political thriller called Scoundrel in 1992.

In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.

Cornwell's latest work is titled Azincourt and was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.(less)

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Books by Bernard Cornwell

The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1)

Lords of the North (The Saxon Stories, #3)

The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2)

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“Life is a jest of the Gods and there is no justice. You must learn to laugh… or else you'll weep yourself to death.” — 110 people liked it

“I do understand that you can look into someone’s eyes,” I heard myself saying, “and suddenly know that life will be impossible without them. Know that their voice can make your heart miss a beat and that their company is all your happiness can ever desire and that their absence will leave your soul alone, bereft and lost.” — 25 people liked it

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The Winter King (The Warlord Chronicles #1)

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