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The Skystone

(Camulod Chronicles #1)

Jack Whyte (Goodreads Author)

4.18 · Rating details · 9,257 ratings · 505 reviews

How do you find a new way to approach a story as familiar as any in the English language? If you're Jack Whyte, you begin your retelling of the Arthurian saga by taking one giant step backward to the latter days of the Roman Empire in Britain, sometime between the first breaching of Hadrian's Wall and the legendary days of King Arthur. Publius Varrus is the last legionnair ...more

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Paperback, 494 pages

Published August 1st 2004 by Tor Books (first published 1992)

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· 9,257 ratings · 505 reviews

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Start your review of The Skystone (Camulod Chronicles, #1)

Jan 21, 2015 Markus rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016, historical-fiction, arthurian-legend

The Roman Empire is on the verge of total collapse. For the thousands of Romans and other peoples spread out across the known world, the cornerstone of civilisation is crumbling. And in the colony of Britannia, two ageing soldiers plan for the future in the event of the withdrawal of the legions and what they perceive as the end of the world.

The Skystone is the first book in a series that’s much more historical fiction than fantasy, even though I found it on the fantasy shelves of a Washington b ...more

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Dec 04, 2007 Colleen Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction

Update 4/2020: Still one of my favorites. It’s like being immersed in Roman Britain, there’s so much depth to the historical detail, but it never bogs the story down. It’s incredibly exciting and full of characters about whom you come to care deeply. I love it so much.

This is one of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read, and trust me, I've read a lot. I first heard about Jack Whyte's series through another favorite author of mine, Diana Gabaldon. She spoke so highly of his works that ...more

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Mar 26, 2008 Brad rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, canadian-lit, historical, arthurian

The best description I can conjure of my experience with Jack Whyte's The Skystone is "languid." I don't want to describe his inaugural Camulod novel as "boring" or "slow" because neither is quite accurate and both carry far too many negative connotations, but Whyte does love to take his time.

And damn!...does he ever take his time. It took nine novels and thirteen years to complete his retelling of the Arthurian legend. This series is not for the impatient. Nor is the first book.

Whyte plods an The best description I can conjure of my experience with Jack Whyte's The Skystone is "languid." I don't want to describe his inaugural Camulod novel as "boring" or "slow" because neither is quite accurate and both carry far too many negative connotations, but Whyte does love to take his time.

And damn!...does he ever take his time. It took nine novels and thirteen years to complete his retelling of the Arthurian legend. This series is not for the impatient. Nor is the first book.

Whyte plods and winds his way through the telling of the story of Publius Varrus and Caius Brittanicus. A pair of Roman soldiers stationed in Britain in the dying days of the Roman Empire. They are the men who give birth to the Arthur legend, both literally and figuratively, and it is Varrus who creates the Lady of the Lake -- a statue cast out of the eponymous Skystone -- and eventually, Excalibur.

Jack Whyte is nowhere near the finest writer of his generation, nor even a contender for the finest writer of fantasy-historical fiction, but there is something compelling about his Camulod books, perhaps because they feel possible, and part of that possibility is the languid pace. Nothing happens fast. This is a story of generations. It is a story of time and patience and potential, not a Hollywood action film of the bang-pow here-and-now. A plan like Caius Brittanicus' would take time, and it would take the loyalty of a man like Publius Varrus and the skill of them both to pull it off, but it couldn't happen overnight, and Whyte never lets it.

What The Skystone does well is to make a beginning, to set the stage, to get us ready for everything that is to come so very slowly. Whyte sets himself the task of a beginning, and here, he succeeds very well. By the end of the series the languid pace may be a little too slow; it may actually be a little bit boring, but in The Skystone it is simply languid, and that is the perfect pace to set for a tale the author intends to drag out over a decade of writing.

Don't be afraid to read the books now. They are all there, all ready to be read. But when you are finished make sure you imagine what it was like to be a faithful reader way back in 1996. Languid they may be, but languid must have been excruciating. ...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Artemas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, favorites, roman-historical-fiction

*review for the entire Camulod Chronicles

If you asked me what my favorite series was as a 6th grader my answer would have been the original Shannara trilogy. The answer to the same question asked in 2005 would have undoubtedly been A Song of Ice and Fire. *notice how I was a fan BEFORE the TV show. ;) After reading over 900 books, hundreds of thousands of pages, and countless series spanning multiple genres, I can now say with certainty that Jack Whyte’s Camulod Chronicles stands above all other ...more

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May 18, 2020 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

The Legend of Arthur and of his Knights of the Round Table were among the first stories I read for pleasure and not as a school assignment. I re-read them so many times in those early days, that now I feel I am still entirely too familiar with the myths, and I don’t need a refresher course. But Jack Whyte has an added incentive in trying to bridge the gap between the last days of the Roman Empire and start of the Viking raiding parties. He starts the familiar story a few generations earlier.
Rece
The Legend of Arthur and of his Knights of the Round Table were among the first stories I read for pleasure and not as a school assignment. I re-read them so many times in those early days, that now I feel I am still entirely too familiar with the myths, and I don’t need a refresher course. But Jack Whyte has an added incentive in trying to bridge the gap between the last days of the Roman Empire and start of the Viking raiding parties. He starts the familiar story a few generations earlier.
Recently I was satisfied to read a couple of good series dealing with early Middle Age, “ The Saxon Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell and the Aelric novels by Richard Blake, both unfinished. Jack Whyte has here a good companion for these historical epics, both because of the period covered and because of the similar quality of the writing. I would throw in a third name, also deservedly famous in the historical romance field, in order to convey a better image of the sort of novel this first Camulod episode is: Ken Follett. Whyte reminds me of Pillars of the Earth somehow in the grandiose scope and attention to detail, but also less positively in the bodice-ripper, soap-opera vibe that may act as a major attraction to some readers, but for me it dates the book very accurately to the early 90’s when such lurid, almost cringe-worthy descriptions of sex and rapture were common both in popular novels and in cinema. A sort of ‘Emmanuelle’ set in the late 4th century.

I have used a long introduction because at the end of the lecture I discovered I don’t really have any spectacular scenes, inspiring writing or edgy quotes bookmarked. Nada!
It doesn’t necessarily mean the book was bland or poorly written, but it does suggest the fact it will not make a splash on my end of the year top list. Nevertheless, I did spend long reading sessions with the book, turning pages compulsively, and deciding to read just one more chapter before going to sleep, which demonstrates that:
1 – Jack Whyte is a gifted storyteller, who knows his history and is able to invent and imagine in the places where the sources of actual information are minimal
2 – I am really interested in the setting, enough to ignore standard fare in terms of characterization and plot.

>>><<<>>><<<

The title of the first episode is relevant enough to be used as the centerpiece for a synopsis: Publius Varrus is a professional soldier in one of the Roman legions in Britain. His martial prowess has raised him to the highest position a non-commissioned soldier can achieve, that of ‘primus pilus’, or first lance. When Publius receives a life-threatening and crippling wound in an ambush, while saving the life of his commander Caius Brittanicus, he retires to Colchester, his former city on the coast, where he inherited a forge and a special white metal dagger from his grandfather. This dagger is made with material from a meteorite, and Publius dreams of finding another such skystone of fire and of making a sword that would be renowned through the ages.
A combination of mortal danger when Publius beats up a despicable Roman senator and a sponsorship from his former legion commander Caius, will lead the re-profiled soldier into blacksmith to an isolated colony in the south-west part of Britain. There Caius will eventually find rumours of a large meteorite in a hidden valley and a voluptuous lady that might become the love of his life.

The famous names every reader is familiar with (Arthur, Camelot, Excalibur, Merlin, Guinevere, etc) do not make an appearance in this first volume of the series, which is more concerned with details of Roman legion structure, iron smithing and bedroom sports. Still, there is a Celtic tribe in the neighborhood ruled by a colourful king named Ullic Pendragon, which is a sort of strong giveaway of things to come.

I liked the subject well enough for me to already pick up the second book in the series. Among the things I would like to find out in that book are better descriptions of actual battles, not only mentions of conflicts happening somewhere off-screen or having the main character pass out at the start of the bout. Cornwell really excels at details of tactics, deployment of troops and vivid descriptions of personal combat. Whyte reads like he is still trying to find his voice and is more interested in trivia about the period. I would also like to have a better description of the Celts, Picts and Saxon cultures, not only of the Romans. In short, less talk, less gratuitous sex and more action. Hopefully, “The Singing Sword” will deliver.
...more

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Nov 25, 2017 Ozymandias rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-dark-ages, fiction-roman, fiction-roman-empire, historical-fiction, fiction-british, fiction-arthurian, fiction-late-antique

Plot: 2 (strong opening leads nowhere)
Characters: 4 (generic and interchangeable)
Accuracy: 0 (gets almost every fact wrong)

I thought this book started out well. The gloomy, nostalgic tone and visceral writing style did a good job establishing a welcoming world. The battle scenes were particularly vivid and confusing in a fog of war kind of way. But after a while the overbearing narration starts to seem rather, well, overbearing. Where hearing every event described as if it was the Most Significa ...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Tasha rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I can only rate this one a mediocre 3 star read. The storytelling was very descriptive and meandering, and while I could settle down for the easy, slow pace, I wanted more. There were some pretty good action scenes where I felt like we were getting rolling and then it would slow down again to a descriptive, slow pace. I don't generally mind a slower pace and felt like I could settle in and continue on with some extra patience on my part. Then we would hit a sex scene and man did it feel self-ind ...more

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Jul 09, 2016 Mark Halse rated it it was amazing

This is one of my favorite series however I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. Most highly I recommend it to those who like an in depth and meandering plot. A story that pulls you in and isn't in a rush to let you go.

THE SKYSTONE, like the rest of this series, takes it's time and this style isn't for everyone. For instance, this series is a historical take on the legend of King Arthur and this book takes place three generations before Arthur is born. Three. And if you enjoy being completely su ...more

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Mar 11, 2008 Brandy rated it it was amazing

I have had a fascination with the King Arthur legend ever since high school when I wrote my senior paper on it. One reviewer complained that this story has been told a million times, why would we read yet another version. I would argue that the the reason this story has been told over and over again is that we love the whole idea, that for one bright shining moment there was a real prince and princess who defeated the Saxon horde and granted peace and prosperity to their kingdom. The reason that ...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Terri rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, britain-fiction

I always try and say something semi constructive in a review, but there really isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been said by fellow Goodreads member, Tasha (who read Skystone at the same time as me).
So, I am going to take the cop out option and direct you there as I echo her sentiments... http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...... and if you do not want to read her review, then here you go.
The sex and the timing of the sex was a big joke, the flow was uninspiring, the writing for me ...more

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May 04, 2010 David rated it really liked it

Shelves: completed

WOW!

This "historical" novel set in Britain towards the end of the Roman Empire is utterly FANTASTIC! It is full of action, tough Roman soldiers, druidic and Christian priests, despicable villains, and a rousing plot.

Publius Varras is close friends with Caius Brittanicus (his former commanding officer). Varras is a former legionaire with a old war wound that left him with a limp. In addition, Varras was once a Smith. His grandfather created a special sword and a special dagger from the metal sme ...more

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May 01, 2011 Denae rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended-by-a-friend, challenge-2011-osga-read, challenge-1010-by-2020, read-in-2011, nook

I really did not care for the beginning section of the book. It was boring. Once it got past the initial stage, I really enjoyed it. The story is told as the memories of Publius Varrus, a former Roman soldier of noble blood who is also a blacksmith. Much of it concerns his relationship with Caius Brittanicus, an even higher noble who is his military commander for years and becomes a very close friend. The title comes from a rock which fell to earth thirty years prior from which Varrus' grandfath ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 Brad added it · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned

I think I gave this three stars back when I first started on goodreads, and I remembered it fondly enough to go ahead and download it from audible, thinking it would be a nice way to pass the time on my long commute. White's story is compelling, and he does many cool things with his Arthurian retelling. I forgot how homophobic it is, however.

For some reason I could cope with homophobia better a decade or more ago, but not today. All the homophobia did, and it is an underlying current throughout ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 David rated it it was amazing

Excellent story. Rich detail. Great characters. Now I just need to read the rest in the series...

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Feb 27, 2015 Benjamin Thomas rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy-arthurian, historical-fiction-britain, favorites

This book is the first novel in the “Camulod” series, a nine book set that encompasses the Arthurian mythos from a historical perspective rather than a “fantasy” perspective. I had been reluctant to begin, even though I had heard plenty of good things about the entire series. This was mostly due to the fact that I have read numerous Arthurian accounts, many of them relatively recently, and was unsure of starting yet another one.

So glad I did give it a try though! Right from the beginning it remi This book is the first novel in the “Camulod” series, a nine book set that encompasses the Arthurian mythos from a historical perspective rather than a “fantasy” perspective. I had been reluctant to begin, even though I had heard plenty of good things about the entire series. This was mostly due to the fact that I have read numerous Arthurian accounts, many of them relatively recently, and was unsure of starting yet another one.

So glad I did give it a try though! Right from the beginning it reminded me of perhaps my favorite Arthurian series, Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles. That is to say, this book started out with gritty warfare told from the perspective of the Roman warriors on the front lines, down in the dirt and mud, fighting for their legates, their legionnaires, and for the glory of Rome. The story begins in the final days of the Roman Empire in Briton (~375 AD – 425 AD) and involves several flashback sequences that help establish the two major characters for the novel, Publius Varrus and Caius Brittanicus, both solid Roman soldiers. A career-ending injury to Publius leads to major changes and we quickly pull back from the day-to-day soldiering and begin to see the larger picture of what everyday life was like for citizens in Roman Briton during that era. By the end of the book we get to experience even larger issues as we live through what amounts to the abandonment of Briton by the Roman Empire, just after the overrunning of Hadrian’s Wall and the final shake-up of emperors.

The story is told from Publius’ first person POV as he transforms his life from soldier to blacksmith. There is not a clue that we are in the Arthurian world throughout the first half of the book…it’s pure historical fiction. And excellent historical fiction it is. Well-rounded characters I came to care about and worthy goals I hoped they could achieve. Publius’ quest for Skystones (meteor rocks) is the central driving force but it is not until the second half of the book that we get some clues that this is taking place several generations before Arthur and the gang’s appearance. It is fascinating to read how terms such as dragon's nests, the Lady of the Lake and the Pendragon clan are introduced via perfectly natural non-fantasy methods. No magic what-so-ever in this book.

I suspect this entire series will be a fascinating read. I expect we will see Whyte continue to incorporate traditional Arthurian names, places and events as well as the names of various historical figures that have been suggested as being the possible basis for the original King Arthur legend. This implies, of course, that Whyte's version of history is the true story that has become distorted over time to become the legend and stories of magic that we know today. It should be a great ride.
...more

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Jul 20, 2014 Beorn rated it liked it · review of another edition

For the first half to two-thirds of this book, I was treading water and anticipating writing withering comments and put downs about it when I came to this review, but, even though it is a remarkably sedate pace, it gradually grows on you a little. Kind of like moss. Or the gradual build up of dust.

I suppose for the opening book in a series, the pace is bound to be slow and aim to set the scene, but the thing that most strikes you about this book is just how sedate and pedestrian the story goes a For the first half to two-thirds of this book, I was treading water and anticipating writing withering comments and put downs about it when I came to this review, but, even though it is a remarkably sedate pace, it gradually grows on you a little. Kind of like moss. Or the gradual build up of dust.

I suppose for the opening book in a series, the pace is bound to be slow and aim to set the scene, but the thing that most strikes you about this book is just how sedate and pedestrian the story goes as it winds and wanes its way to a conclusion it could easily have reached at least a hundred pages earlier. I know there is the argument of giving yourself a feel for the characters and laying the plotlines down but those key elements are already pretty much laid down in the first half of the book, making most of the latter half rather self-redundant.

What I liked about this book - and probably a fair amount of why I decided to be generous and give it three stars instead of two - is that rather than the usual 'Arthurian' tactic of writing the story as a fantasy novel with dragons, wizards, magic and all that guff, Whyte actively sets out to set this book very much firmly in historical fiction, even scoffing at the idea of "magic" and "dragons" at a few points in the story.

The dialogue and word structure is less pompous and pretentious than in his previous books that I've read but still a little OTT at times but no more than some other historical fiction writers can be guilty of. Also the narrative structure can be a little half-baked at times because at one stage you're given the impression he is writing his memoirs as an old man, at other times he zips back, forward and all over the place in time and expects you to keep up.
There are a couple of anachronisms and errors that irk me, as a history lover, such as using the name 'Franks' for the people the later period Romans would have referred to as 'Germans', wrongly claiming that Deva was still occupied and going strong in 365AD when it's long been the consensus that the fortress had been abandoned by then and a few other niggles. Also, from a purely selfish point of view, the characters visit and spend a little time in Deva (modern day Chester, my hometown) yet for no reason, it is left off the illustrative map at the front, even though the Isle Of Man and countless other places the characters don't visit are clearly marked...

Overall, an okay, adequate start to a series that at least hasn't put me off a casual interest in seeing where the next book takes us. Not the most riveting, addictive start to a series making you want to run out and get the next book but an okay, relatively enjoyable time. ...more

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Jan 28, 2015 Deborah Pickstone rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite-authors, top-ten-2015, roman, history-of-all-things, geocaching, all-time-faves, arfur, dark-ages, reinterpretation

I dithered around with this and almost didn't read it - and it was a wonderful story, fast moving and exciting. Several more volumes to go.....that makes me a very happy bunny!

In fact, I liked it so much that I was surprised to see comments in reviews about this being a slow-moving story (I have come back to add this). Isn't it fascinating how very differently people experience the same writer? Is that down to what a person's expectations are - especially in view of this being a retelling of a l ...more

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Apr 17, 2010 Mary Overton added it · review of another edition

Book 1 of a King Arthur retelling for those who like their legends with hearty dollops of sex & violence. Fascinating conjecture on the possible historical roots of Arthurian romances. Fun, quick read. Dreadful literature. Rosemary Sutcliff's YA historical novels are much superior.

"Early on in our association, Britannicus and I [the two protagonists - 'I' being the Roman soldier and iron worker, Publius Varrus:] had discovered that we had both been born in Colchester, the oldest Roman settlement ...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Judy rated it liked it

Recommends it for: lovers of historical fiction

Shelves: uk, fiction, 2011-reads

The Skystone deposits the reader in pre-Arthurian Great Britain smack dab during the time of the waning Roman occupation. The account of Roman warfare, rule and order is impressive. In addition, I felt like an observer during the descriptions of iron-smelting and smith-ing. I liked this book for the historical angle and the story was good. Its probably getting a bigger knock than it should with my giving it 3 stars because it is following a couple of books that were exceptional. However, my best ...more

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Sep 25, 2009 Mike rated it it was amazing

Shelves: misc-fiction

I can't remember reading a more entertaining and interesting work of historical fiction than The Camulod Chronicles. The depiction of life in post-Roman Britain is fascinating and frequently horrifying. The chaos that resulted from the withdraw of the Roman legions from Britain as the Roman Empire collapsed was horrific. The romanized Britons left behind were beset by invasions on their coasts of the barbaric tribes of Angles, Jutes, Danes and others. The interior of the land became lawless and ...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Chris Sherwood rated it it was amazing

An amazing take on the Arthurian legends! Starting about 3 generations BEFORE Arthur the writer sets the stage for the downfall of the Roman Empire and the withdrawl from England of all support from Rome.

The author does a wonderful job of stitching together various aspects of the Arthur legend's iconic pieces: Excalibur, The Lady of the Lake, Uther Pendragon, Merlyn, etc... in such a way as to make them utterly believable and almost scientific.

You will not think about the legend of King Arthur t ...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Jennifer added it

Before I tell you anything else, allow me to say that there are 9 books in this series and I read ALL 9 of them in just under one month! This series brilliantly takes on the Arthur Legend via the end of Roman Empire's presence in Britain. The story begins with the Roman soldiers and settlers who were essentially abandoned by the Empire and builds from there. Again, this is another series that tends to appeal to more men than women. Jack Whyte, like Bernard Cornwell, is another one of those ficti ...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Joe S rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, historical

Although this review is placed with The Skystone, It's really a review of all the Camulod Chronicles books, which I've positively devoured.

Whyte's portrayal of the possible history and politics of Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans is some of the best historical fiction I've read. Whyte manages to add fantastic character and plot development to something that all the history teachers I've ever had made boring and dry. If there were more great historical fiction writers like Whyte teachin ...more

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May 15, 2018 ☽ rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: garbage-fiction, 2018

This is the driest thing I've read in ages. Ages. A complete and utter chore to trudge through. It has a very vague semblance of plot that is soooo drawn out and slow; nearly absent to the point where you're questioning if any of this is leading anywhere.

Whyte has a habit of unnecessary-info dumping quite often. As a result, a great deal of scenes are skipable since they don't add anything to the meager plot. They're tangents that tend to lead nowhere. The writing itself is super dull, except f ...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Bobby rated it really liked it

My likes of

The Skystone (Camulod Chronicles, #1) by Jack Whyte

were varied. Thoroughly enjoyed the characters and action segments but found several of the everyday events and locations over-descriptive and tedious. Still an above average tale and a worthy addition to anyone's Historical Fiction library. Also loved the ending! ...more

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Apr 17, 2014 Chuck Slack rated it it was amazing

I've always been a fan of historical fiction. Authors like Wilbur Smith entertain while providing a historical narrative. Jack Whyte is really good at this craft. I read his William Wallace, Robert the Bruce series which was excellent. This book tells the story of the end of the Roman rule in Britain.

It is told quickly, yet descriptively. A great read and for people that enjoy historic fiction, fantastic! ...more

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Oct 04, 2017 Lee Scoresby rated it did not like it

It was actually a pretty good story, but with some awful writing. It began with so many flashbacks that it took almost a hundred pages to figure out what time the book was actually set in. Then the misogyny, racism, and homophobia set in. Seriously, a "limp-wristed homosexual" to refer to a child-murdering pedophile? Blech! ...more

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Dec 09, 2015 Hassan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own

If you're not paying attention, this book reads as just another possible chapter in the history of Roman Britain. If you read closely though, you can see hints of the Arthurian legend in the shadows, waiting and growing, biding its time, until it is called forth to center stage. A wonderful read. ...more

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May 04, 2012 Wanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: canadian-eh, when-words-collide, historical-fantasy, arthurian-celtic

Interesting twists on the Arthur legend are being set up in this first book of the series. I liked the Roman characters and look forward to reading the next book.

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Dec 10, 2015 Camille Siddartha rated it it was amazing

I loved this version of arther....

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About Jack Whyte

Jack Whyte

675 followers

Jack Whyte is an author and writer born and raised in Scotland, but has been living in western Canada since 1967, and in Kelowna, British Columbia, since 1996.

Whyte's major work to date is the A Dream of Eagles series (as it is titled in Canada, but known as The Camulod Chronicles in the United States and elsewhere). This series of historical novels presents the tale of King Arthur set against the ...more