Excalibur

It is a rare thing for an author to draw me into a story so deeply that I didn't want it to end...and when it did I felt as if I had said good-bye to a group of friends (and fiends) I'll never see again. A bittersweet finale to a 1,500 page saga that gripped me right from page one, book one. Although he kept the magical elements of the tale at arm's length in the first two books, in this final instalment Cornwell makes them an integral part of the narrative ramping up the violence, despotism, and heroism for a climax that I'm still replaying in my head. I doubt I'll ever be able to read another take on the legend of Arthur without comparing it...unfavourably... to this one. And despite his efforts to de-romanticize the story using show more realistic characters and earthy asides regarding living conditions in 5th century Britain, Cornwell has succeeded in weaving a tall tale which fits comfortably between historical fiction and high fantasy. Beautifully done. show less

Excalibur is the conclusion to Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian trilogy, and is the best of the series. In Excalibur Cornwell masterfully brings to a conclusion plot points he's been weaving for hundreds of pages, and never once misses a step. Every character is given a satisfying - if bittersweet - ending, every plot point wrapped up satisfactorily.

Where this book really excels is in the battles. The other two entries had battles and warfare, but Excalibur brings it to a head here. I've maybe never read such gritty battle scenes before, and Cornwell does a great job contrasting the chaos and density of the shield wall with the tense personal nature of the duel. The battles are a definite high point in a series with very few low points.

I do show more wish there was perhaps an epilogue where a few of the more secondary and tertiary characters were explored a bit more and given a tiny bit more screen time - but this is Arthur's story, after all, and it's only right that the spotlight be given mostly to Arthur.

I admit post-Roman pre-Saxon Britain is not an area I've ever truly been interested in. Sure, I think everyone, especially boys, are on some level fascinated with Arthur and Guinevere and Lancelot and all the rest. Who wouldn't be? War, magic, the Round Table and the height of chivalry. Armored cavalry has a certain raw beauty and appeal, and Cornwell is well aware of this fact and uses it to great effect. That said, if we move past the legend and myth of Arthur, there really isn't much to love about this era of Britain at first glance. The might of Rome is broken and half-forgotten, we know little to nothing about the Druids, and we're still a long way off from Alfred's great glory.

This trilogy has changed that for me, a bit. This small era of Britain's history is almost entirely lost, and that makes it terribly interesting to me. Who were these people, really, with their strange gods and forts of earth, clinging to the remnants of Rome and their own scattered and half-remembered customs? We may never truly know, but Cornwell has written here a masterful work showing what might have been, if there really was a man named Arthur who was not a king and more than a king. show less

Excalibur is the final book in Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles trilogy, which reimagines Arthurian legend. Cornwell presents a brutal and believable 5th-century Britain. The story is told through the eyes of narrator Derfel, a Saxon captured as a child, who became Arthur's loyal warrior and friend. He is looking back on events of the past, which he witnessed firsthand. The plot is filled with dramatic action – Saxon invaders threaten, Christianity clashes with pagan beliefs, and political alliances are constantly shifting.

Cornwell excels at rendering mythical figures that feel like real people of history, marked by both achievements and failures. The gruesome battle sequences are intense. The reader can easily envision the show more shield-wall tactics and the clash of swords of early Middle Age warfare. The prose is vivid, occasionally rising to poetic heights. Cornwell’s Arthurian tale feels authentic to its historical setting while also retaining the core of the original myths. This book provides a satisfying and powerful conclusion. I very much enjoyed the entire trilogy and highly recommend all three books. show less

As with the first two of Bernard Cornwell’s take on the Arthur legend, here we have a tale that uses little of the well-known legends, such as a magnificent Camelot or the Lady of the Lake. The famous characters of Guinevere, Merlin, Galahad, and Lancelot all appear, yet they all differ from the usual depictions in literature and film.

Merlin is a famous druid here, thus in some respects he does fit in with the wizard character that he’s best known for. For a narrator we have Derfel, one of Arthur’s most trusted warlords. He makes a good lead character. He effectively replaces the role usually occupied by Lancelot.

One of the biggest changes in this compared to other Arthurian retellings is Lancelot’s character. He’s portrayed show more as a self-obsessed coward, not as an infallible hero.

I liked the characters, the author’s plotting skills, but – as with all Bernard Cornwell novels I’ve read to date – certain poor elements of style distract me from the narrative.

Three style aspects in particular let this otherwise talented author down in my eyes. One is the amount of long-winded sentences. Most of these could’ve been reduced in length. Why Mr Cornwell feels the need to keep a sentence running with superfluous “ands”, other conjunctions, and commas I don’t know.

The quote below isn’t long-winded, but it demonstrates a wasteful amount of words through needless repetition:

>Mordred (…) was all in black. A black cloak, black breastplate, black trews, black boots and a black helmet.‘When you’re old, Gwydre,’ I said, ‘you can still tell men that you met Merlin.’ show less

This series really grew on me. At the beginning, I wasn't sure about it, but I deliberately slowed down for awhile when I was reading this because I didn't want it to end. This is a very enthralling, more grounded take on Arthurian legend. The author works hard to make the world feel real, from the descriptions of characters' appearances, clothing, food to the inner workings of each kingdom and how the political system works. It was all very realistic, which is a quality at which the author excels. But he also included otherworldly incidents involving Druidic magic, that may or may not have been real, it all depends on whether we believe the narrator's interpretation and memory. I really loved these books, despite some of the disturbing show more content. If you're looking for a realistic, sometimes brutal depiction of what Arthur would have been like as a real person, then look no further. This is the series for you. show less

The conclusion to Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles was an epic experience. While I read the first two volumes in Kindle, I switched to Jonathan Keeble's wonderful audiobook narration for the final book.

In this novel, the themes of religious conflict between the pagans and Christians continue one of Cornwell's favorite themes. I loved the ending of the story where Arthur sails away and we don't know exactly where he ends up. The story of Merlin and Nimue is also well told here. I very much enjoyed this novel but my favorite in the series is probably "The Enemy of God."

Overall, Cornwell does very well in handling the Arthurian legends and firmly setting them in the aftermath of the Roman era in Britain (circa 475 to 525 AD). It's firmly on show more the historical fiction side, but there is the occasional gesture to the supernatural which is quite enjoyable.

This is the 11th Cornwell novel I've read and it's interesting to see how certain themes and tropes come up again. Cornwell has a beautiful way of writing about the ruins of Roman civilization in Britain. In this story, we see Aquae Sulis (modern day Bath) and its incredible baths. Of course, we also get to experience Cornwell's magnificent battle scenes! There was also a certain catchphrase - "Fate is inexorable" - used here which also comes up multiple times in Cornwell's Saxon Stories. Finally, we also get to see Cornwell's highly critical view of clergy (with an exception here and there). show less

The finale of Cornwell's Arthurian trilogy. For lovers of historical fiction, the character and plot development are unmatched. I read frequent complaints about the author's use of violence (in and out of battle) as excessive and off-putting, yet I can't disagree more. Dark Age Britain wasn't exactly a rosy place to be, and although this work is based upon myth, Cornwell injects realism into the series with battles, destruction, sadness, and death.

This work would be better titled 'The Tragedy of Arthur', as even though it neatly ties a colossal story together in an original retelling, it leaves the reader depressed for the fate of Britain. Cornwell is a giant of historical fiction, and this work serves as the finale of his magnum opus.