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Camulod Chronicles #6
The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis
Throughout the widely praised Camulod Chronicles, Merlyn Britannicus has been driven by one sacred dream--to see Britain united under one just, powerful king. In The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis, it is time for the Sorcerer to fulfill his promise--to present the battle-proven Arthur as the Riothamus, the High King of Britain. When Arthur miraculously withdraws the Sword of Kingship from the stone in which it is set, he proves himself the true and deserving king--sworn to defend the Christian faith against invaders, and to preserve Britain as a powerful, united force.
The Sorcerer has fulfilled his promise. The King is crowned, Britain is united--and the face of history and legend is forever changed.
The Sorcerer has fulfilled his promise. The King is crowned, Britain is united--and the face of history and legend is forever changed.
512 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
75 people are currently reading
1667 people want to read
About the author
Jack Whyte
62 books772 followersJack 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 backdrop of Roman Britain. This retelling of the popular legend eschews the use of magic (as in T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone) to explain Arthur’s ascent to power and instead relies on the historical condition (with some artistic license) of post-Roman Britain to support the theory that Arthur was meant to counter the anarchy left by the Roman departure from Britain in 410 AD and the subsequent colonization and invasion of Britain by various peoples from Northwestern Europe, including the Saxons, Jutes, Franks, and Angles). Whyte incorporates both traditional Arthurian names, places and events (albeit in gaelic or Latin form) as well as the names of various historical figures that have been suggested as being the possible basis for the original King Arthur legend. The tacit implication is 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.
Jack Whyte served as the official bard of The Calgary Highlanders and performed several tracks of poetry and song on the 1990 recording by the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders entitled Eighty Years of Glory: The Regimental Pipes, Drums and Bard of The Calgary Highlanders.
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 backdrop of Roman Britain. This retelling of the popular legend eschews the use of magic (as in T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone) to explain Arthur’s ascent to power and instead relies on the historical condition (with some artistic license) of post-Roman Britain to support the theory that Arthur was meant to counter the anarchy left by the Roman departure from Britain in 410 AD and the subsequent colonization and invasion of Britain by various peoples from Northwestern Europe, including the Saxons, Jutes, Franks, and Angles). Whyte incorporates both traditional Arthurian names, places and events (albeit in gaelic or Latin form) as well as the names of various historical figures that have been suggested as being the possible basis for the original King Arthur legend. The tacit implication is 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.
Jack Whyte served as the official bard of The Calgary Highlanders and performed several tracks of poetry and song on the 1990 recording by the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders entitled Eighty Years of Glory: The Regimental Pipes, Drums and Bard of The Calgary Highlanders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
November 17, 2016
This is the sixth and final novel in the main “Camulod Chronicles” series which tells the story of Arthur, Merlyn, and the rest from a historically realistic and scientifically plausible way. (There are three other books still to come in the series but they are companion pieces to this main set).
This book sees the culmination of all of the fascinating history that has led up to the final crowning of Arthur, making him the king of kings in England. But it begins when Arthur is still only around 14 years old with Merlyn continuing with his education. While Arthur is technically the reason for this entire series, it is once again, not really about him. Once again, Merlyn relates the events from a first person perspective and follow along with his extraordinary life. There are some slowish parts in the first half of the book, mostly surrounding discussions of the influx of Christianity, but they are necessary to the way the final chapters unfold. Merlyn undergoes his own metamorphosis in this book, becoming the more traditional version of the sorcerer we think of today. Of course, just like the rest of this series, it isn’t actual magic but rather his intelligent use of natural chemicals and techniques that allows him to be seen as performing acts of great sorcery and thus his reputation as a sorcerer is born.
A very satisfying conclusion to one of my all-time favorite “historical-fantasy” series. I look forward to turning now to the companion novels, which I understand describe many of the same events but from different perspectives.
This book sees the culmination of all of the fascinating history that has led up to the final crowning of Arthur, making him the king of kings in England. But it begins when Arthur is still only around 14 years old with Merlyn continuing with his education. While Arthur is technically the reason for this entire series, it is once again, not really about him. Once again, Merlyn relates the events from a first person perspective and follow along with his extraordinary life. There are some slowish parts in the first half of the book, mostly surrounding discussions of the influx of Christianity, but they are necessary to the way the final chapters unfold. Merlyn undergoes his own metamorphosis in this book, becoming the more traditional version of the sorcerer we think of today. Of course, just like the rest of this series, it isn’t actual magic but rather his intelligent use of natural chemicals and techniques that allows him to be seen as performing acts of great sorcery and thus his reputation as a sorcerer is born.
A very satisfying conclusion to one of my all-time favorite “historical-fantasy” series. I look forward to turning now to the companion novels, which I understand describe many of the same events but from different perspectives.
August 13, 2011
Unlike the previous book, the Sorcerer maintained a higher level of excitement. Unfortunatly, it felt like the author trying very hard to wrap up the series. On several occasions, blocks of time disappeared and it was not constructed as neatly as the previous books. Regardless, the book is very engaging as we reach what is really the beginning the Arthurian Legend.
November 25, 2022
Ho deciso di dare come voto ⭐️⭐️.
Purtroppo di questo libro non ho gradito molto la lentezza , gli avvenimenti e la quantità immane di personaggi (anche inutili)… è un peccato perché a me affascina molto la storia di Merlino ed Artù, però purtroppo non mi ha preso per nulla ed ho rischiato un blocco assurdo.
Non ho gradito particolarmente nemmeno come il personaggio di Artù è stato sviluppato , troppo piatto e scorbutico alcune volte.
Per alcuni versi mi ha ricordato moltissimo «Il ciclo dell’Eredità» di Paolini, soprattutto per lo stile di scrittura.
Purtroppo di questo libro non ho gradito molto la lentezza , gli avvenimenti e la quantità immane di personaggi (anche inutili)… è un peccato perché a me affascina molto la storia di Merlino ed Artù, però purtroppo non mi ha preso per nulla ed ho rischiato un blocco assurdo.
Non ho gradito particolarmente nemmeno come il personaggio di Artù è stato sviluppato , troppo piatto e scorbutico alcune volte.
Per alcuni versi mi ha ricordato moltissimo «Il ciclo dell’Eredità» di Paolini, soprattutto per lo stile di scrittura.
February 6, 2022
This series continues to be excellent, and I'd recommend the entire collection to anyone with an interest in Arthurian legend. I was pleased to note that the editorial issues I noted in earlier books in the series seemed to be (mostly) cured in this entry, so I'm giving it the full five stars.
The sixth book in the Camulod series in order of publication (though it's #7 in the narrative chronology, as "Uther" was set at the same time as "Eagle's Brood") finds Merlyn, Arthur, and the rest of the Camulod refugees leaving their refuge in northern Mediobogdum to return to Camulod. Along the way, they meet old friends (and brothers-in-law of Merlyn) Conner and Brander, finding out from them that their old rivals Peter Ironhair and Carthac are once again wreaking havoc in Cornwall and Cambria. Realizing that, in order to bind all the peoples of Britain together, Arthur would have to have knowledge of, connections to, and some degree of authority over both the Roman descendants in Camulod and the native population of Cambria, Merlyn negotiates a deal whereby Huw Strongarm would take up the mantle of War Chief of Pendragon while keeping the king's title open for Arthur, and also arranges for the warrior Llewellyn to take on Arthur as an apprentice in Cambrian ways of life and martial skill. They also meet Bishop Germanus, who convinces Merlyn that Arthur should be crowned as a Christian king of all Britain. Through all of the trials of the story, which brings more than a few tragedies to Merlyn's life, he shifts from a wise mentor to Arthur into a mysterious, stealthy agent of destruction for the enemies of Camulod and a united Britain, cultivating a reputation as someone with mystical powers.
As I've stated for all the other books in this series, if you're looking for a magical, fantastical retelling of the Matter of Britain, this is not the series for you, because the entire tale is told as a real-world history of post-Roman Britain. That said, the details of life, society, technology, and military matters of that era are abundant in this story, and all of the legion of characters get realistic emotional arcs that thoroughly explain their decisions and actions. While packed with minute historical detail, the plot is never abandoned, so the amount of action is enough to keep even the most ADD-addled reader engaged. Again, I can't recommend this series highly enough.
Unlike one or two of the other entries in this series, this was mostly error-free from an editing standpoint, apart from one or two geography mix-ups (Isca vs. Ilchester) or misspellings (Anglican vs. Anglian), so the one star I removed from my reviews for the past couple of books is added back to the total score.
I give this book (and the series) my most fervent recommendations for fans of Arthurian legend, fans of historical fiction, and fans of military adventure stories.
The sixth book in the Camulod series in order of publication (though it's #7 in the narrative chronology, as "Uther" was set at the same time as "Eagle's Brood") finds Merlyn, Arthur, and the rest of the Camulod refugees leaving their refuge in northern Mediobogdum to return to Camulod. Along the way, they meet old friends (and brothers-in-law of Merlyn) Conner and Brander, finding out from them that their old rivals Peter Ironhair and Carthac are once again wreaking havoc in Cornwall and Cambria. Realizing that, in order to bind all the peoples of Britain together, Arthur would have to have knowledge of, connections to, and some degree of authority over both the Roman descendants in Camulod and the native population of Cambria, Merlyn negotiates a deal whereby Huw Strongarm would take up the mantle of War Chief of Pendragon while keeping the king's title open for Arthur, and also arranges for the warrior Llewellyn to take on Arthur as an apprentice in Cambrian ways of life and martial skill. They also meet Bishop Germanus, who convinces Merlyn that Arthur should be crowned as a Christian king of all Britain. Through all of the trials of the story, which brings more than a few tragedies to Merlyn's life, he shifts from a wise mentor to Arthur into a mysterious, stealthy agent of destruction for the enemies of Camulod and a united Britain, cultivating a reputation as someone with mystical powers.
As I've stated for all the other books in this series, if you're looking for a magical, fantastical retelling of the Matter of Britain, this is not the series for you, because the entire tale is told as a real-world history of post-Roman Britain. That said, the details of life, society, technology, and military matters of that era are abundant in this story, and all of the legion of characters get realistic emotional arcs that thoroughly explain their decisions and actions. While packed with minute historical detail, the plot is never abandoned, so the amount of action is enough to keep even the most ADD-addled reader engaged. Again, I can't recommend this series highly enough.
Unlike one or two of the other entries in this series, this was mostly error-free from an editing standpoint, apart from one or two geography mix-ups (Isca vs. Ilchester) or misspellings (Anglican vs. Anglian), so the one star I removed from my reviews for the past couple of books is added back to the total score.
I give this book (and the series) my most fervent recommendations for fans of Arthurian legend, fans of historical fiction, and fans of military adventure stories.
July 13, 2012
This is the sixth book in the "Camulod Chronicles" a realistic, historically grounded telling of the King Arthur legends. Although there are further books in the series, this was initially planned to be the culmination of the series. In a preface to one of the earlier books Whyte explains how the kernel for this series was his idea of just how a young Arthur pulled off pulling the sword from the stone, and it's that act that acts as the climax of this book and a series that began with its forging--from a skystone--a meteor.
And that in itself gives you a flavor of the books. It's not magic that makes Excalibur special--but metallurgy and craftmanship. A lot of this series could be called military fiction, and through the books we've been taken through the introduction of the stirrup, the invention of the flail and lance, and here the conception of knighthood. In a way, ultimately, I find that a bit disappointing. I've read a lot of books based on King Arthur. In Gillian Bradshaw's series, Camelot is conceived to be a "firebreak" that seeks to preserve the flame of civilization from antiquity. In T.H. White's, admittedly anachronistic conception, Camelot wasn't an attempt to preserve the past, but a premature glimpse of the future--of Marta Carter and a conception of the rule of law. In the end Whyte seems a bit more prosaic, orthodox, that I might like.
I do still like how this does work with the legend to give us a Camelot and King Arthur that might have existed during the Dark Ages and was part of the transition from antiquity to the medieval. In that I don't feel a sense of tragedy for what could have been. Because Whyte's Camulod is simply one of many transitions to what will be. But I definitely thought it worth a read. I'm told Bernard Cornwell and Stephen Lawhead also wrote historically-basted Arthurian tales, but for now at least Whyte's books stand as unique in its historical grounding. There are Arthurian books with stronger prose and characters, but the attempt to eschew all magical elements certainly makes this one unique. And I did grow to care enough about this version of Merlin (he carries the narrative in all but the first two books) that I do feel I'm going to miss this world, although I think I'll stop here, where Whyte first intended.
And that in itself gives you a flavor of the books. It's not magic that makes Excalibur special--but metallurgy and craftmanship. A lot of this series could be called military fiction, and through the books we've been taken through the introduction of the stirrup, the invention of the flail and lance, and here the conception of knighthood. In a way, ultimately, I find that a bit disappointing. I've read a lot of books based on King Arthur. In Gillian Bradshaw's series, Camelot is conceived to be a "firebreak" that seeks to preserve the flame of civilization from antiquity. In T.H. White's, admittedly anachronistic conception, Camelot wasn't an attempt to preserve the past, but a premature glimpse of the future--of Marta Carter and a conception of the rule of law. In the end Whyte seems a bit more prosaic, orthodox, that I might like.
I do still like how this does work with the legend to give us a Camelot and King Arthur that might have existed during the Dark Ages and was part of the transition from antiquity to the medieval. In that I don't feel a sense of tragedy for what could have been. Because Whyte's Camulod is simply one of many transitions to what will be. But I definitely thought it worth a read. I'm told Bernard Cornwell and Stephen Lawhead also wrote historically-basted Arthurian tales, but for now at least Whyte's books stand as unique in its historical grounding. There are Arthurian books with stronger prose and characters, but the attempt to eschew all magical elements certainly makes this one unique. And I did grow to care enough about this version of Merlin (he carries the narrative in all but the first two books) that I do feel I'm going to miss this world, although I think I'll stop here, where Whyte first intended.
January 5, 2016
I was a bit worried that this book wouldn't deliver on its promise in the title - that we'd get to see Merlin transform into a sorcerer - because it doesn't happen until the last part of the book. But when it happens, it's really good, so in the end I really enjoyed this book. Same good story as the first five, with an extra bonus at the end.
October 12, 2013
I loved this book, and the entire series! In my mind the best telling of the tale of Arthur that has ever been put to paper Mr. Whyte does an incredible job paining a picture and allowing you to feel the emotion in this and all his work!
June 19, 2017
One of the weaker installments of this series. Readable, but not highly entertaining.
April 30, 2019
Loved this one. The true emergence of the legends start here and it is fabulous.
August 28, 2019
The continuation of the series sees the further development of young King Arthur and his mentor, Gauis Merlyn Brittanicus.
I continue to be impressed with the character development and storyline. These are characters that the reader can invest in, knowing that they won't be thoughtlessly killed off. The depth of Merlyn's discoveries about himself and those around him are very well done.
If I have one critique of this work, it is that Whyte tends to wait until you are about two thirds to three quarters of the book to get to the point that the title implies. I have to be honest in saying that I found that part a bit annoying. I can live with it not being there in the beginning, but I would have appreciated it more at say the halfway point. That way, the transformation doesn't seem to be a bit rushed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look very much forward to the next one. This is a series that I know will be on my retirement re-read list when I have a lot more leisure time. It was well worth the time spent reading it.
I continue to be impressed with the character development and storyline. These are characters that the reader can invest in, knowing that they won't be thoughtlessly killed off. The depth of Merlyn's discoveries about himself and those around him are very well done.
If I have one critique of this work, it is that Whyte tends to wait until you are about two thirds to three quarters of the book to get to the point that the title implies. I have to be honest in saying that I found that part a bit annoying. I can live with it not being there in the beginning, but I would have appreciated it more at say the halfway point. That way, the transformation doesn't seem to be a bit rushed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look very much forward to the next one. This is a series that I know will be on my retirement re-read list when I have a lot more leisure time. It was well worth the time spent reading it.
January 26, 2020
E così archivio anche la saga delle Cronache di Camelot. Devo dire che mi sono piaciuti più i primi libri dove c'è l'inizio del sogno, quello di fondare una città indipendente sia militarme che economicamente da parte degli antenati di Artù, che gli ultimi libri in cui si parla della vita del grande condottiero e re. Perchè se nei primi libri vediamo l'unione di più famiglie che credono in un ideale comune e un numero impressionante di personaggi, tutti molto ben delineati, negli ultimi libri ci sono principalmente solo Merlino e Artù. Whyte dà poco risalto a coloro che gli stanno intorno, sia tra gli amici che tra i nemici, e risulta un lunghissimo monologo da parte di Merlino su tutto ciò che fa Artù. Diventa noioso e faticoso da leggere, perchè narrando tutto in prima persona, Merlino ci toglie la magia e la poesia dell'epoca. Lui vede solo doveri, addestramenti, allenaze, matrimoni favorevoli, tutto con un calcolo dietro che non lascia spazio a fantasie di alcun genere. E' l'unica pecca che ho trovato a questa bella saga.
April 25, 2022
This one is probably my least favorite out of the series because it had me so emotional the entire time. It is absolutely fantastic and I couldn't put it down, but the number of times I cried over the loss of a major character was getting ridiculousby the end. In Metamorphosis Merlyn, Arthur, and all of the companions return to Camulod from Mediobogdum to fight the war against Ironhair and Carthac. Arthur and the boys are now young men and warriors in their own right and get their frst taste of battle and leadership. Merlyn also makes the transition from leader of Camulod to sorcerer by the end. It ends with Arthur finally seeing the brilliant Excalibur and pulling it from the stone during his coronation as high king of Brittian.
March 8, 2025
The last book in the series, where the Arthurian legend is really begun. I found this book highly satisfying in its culmination yet also (sorry) overly detailed in its battle descriptions! Lots of battles, lots of invaders, lots of death, lots of change happening amongst the major characters - but all in all a walloping end to a riveting tale and history I was quite ignorant of. I always read these books when I am in the mood for a more challenging read and this did not disappoint. Sad to be done with the series.
March 21, 2024
La prima parola che mi viene in mente è bello.
La giusta conclusione della saga, seguendo il senso cronologico, visto che gli ultimi due libri della collana narrano fatti paralleli al filone principale.
Svela i giusti elementi, pianificando la strada agli eventi che caratterizzano il mito. Da questa lettura possiamo capire come si avvia la carriera magica di Merlino e quella cavalleresca di Artù, secondo due vite distinte ma intrecciate.
Ottima conclusione.
La giusta conclusione della saga, seguendo il senso cronologico, visto che gli ultimi due libri della collana narrano fatti paralleli al filone principale.
Svela i giusti elementi, pianificando la strada agli eventi che caratterizzano il mito. Da questa lettura possiamo capire come si avvia la carriera magica di Merlino e quella cavalleresca di Artù, secondo due vite distinte ma intrecciate.
Ottima conclusione.
January 17, 2020
This is one of my favorite series written by a local man from my area. How I was turned onto this series is a story onto itself. The books in the a Dream of Eagles series are the authors take on the King Arthur Legends and he places the story in the context of actual historic events. I have read it twice and if I ever have the time I will read them all again.
March 13, 2022
Probably my favorite in this long, rewarding series, focused mostly on Merlyn. And one of the most powerfully majestic endings I've ever read! Rarely in a book do I stop reading and sit there open mouthed, reveling in the beauty and grandeur of a great story told so well. But this one stopped me on more than a few occasions.
May 19, 2022
I finished this a few months back (put in an estimate). Overall, it was okay. I find that as we move from the more known facts of Roman Britain into the murkier Arthurian legend, the books lost some of their grounding and became slightly more moralistic and repetitive. Still an interesting story and I am curious to see where it ends, but don’t enjoy the writing or style as much!
October 23, 2022
Though I don't resonate with the portrait Whyte gave of Merlin, Arthur and the main figures of the Arthurian legend (the most mystical and sacred factors are reduced to tricks and strategies), the book is well written and the historical accuracy and depiction of war tactics, politics, geography and uses of the time are excellent.
July 17, 2017
The saga continues and Arthur is crowned King. Whyte does a good job making it sound real. Tons of true history interwoven with the legend, but the book moves along at a good pace. This is book 6 of 9 in the Camulod cycle, so I'm not quite to the end yet :-)
October 20, 2017
Con questo libro il ciclo ariva al suo culmine e fine: l'incoronazione di Artù ( i successivi due sono una seconda versione del terzo volume). L'interesse per la trama scende sempre di meno, addirittura questo il finale sembra affrettato e non ben costruito.
September 24, 2018
So...Arthurian novels are a dime a dozen. I loved this whole series for its historical setting for the plausible ways in which Merlin and Arthur come to be without diminishing the other classic renderings.
June 9, 2021
It was fine and continued the story as expected. There were passages at times where I was unsure if it was real or a dream sequence. I also found the final section was too brief in relation to the rest of the story. A lot happened in very few pages.
July 18, 2023
A wonderful bridge into the coronation of Arthur. I love how Whyte creates a uniquely British world and fills it with highly detailed background and credible characters with complex psychologies. We’ll done Mr Whyte!
September 28, 2017
This was awesome. The last couple of books and the beginning of this one seemed a little slow, but read on; you'll be glad you did!
April 20, 2019
This is the "end" of the main Camulod chronicles story.
It was a fine book, but a bit rushed in the final 100 pages.
It was a fine book, but a bit rushed in the final 100 pages.
September 4, 2019
Another great read. Lots of surprises both good and unexpected. Although Merlin really is only a magician, not a sorcerer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2020
A stunning improvement compared to the previous book. The style and pace is back to the level of the previous books.
July 4, 2020
3.75 stars
January 7, 2021
The ending felt rushed, and the deaths of many of the primary secondary characters abrupt and quickly moved on from.
December 20, 2021
This was a great one. Finally King Arthur and Merlyn the Sorcerer are revealed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews