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Loading... O Rei do Inverno (original 1995; edition 1997)by Bernard Cornwell (Author), Ana Maria Chaves (Translator), Paula Teixeira (Translator), Ana Maria Chaves (Editor), Estúdios Planeta (Cover designer) — 2 more, Bill Gregory (Cover artist), Tom Johnson (Cover artist)
Work InformationThe Winter King by Bernard Cornwell (1995)
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Excellent! ( ) I enjoyed this more realistic take on the legend of Arthur. Here he is not presented as a King, but as a Warlord who is trying(and many times failing) to unite Britons against the invading Saxons, but just as often, he is battling other Britons who are vying for more power. This was first published in 1996 and I think, even though this is more definitely historical fiction (less fantasy), this influenced a lot of the grimdark fiction that came after this in the fantasy genre. It is dark, violent, gory, ruthless, and at times hard to read, especially the sexual assault scenes. The author was trying to accurately portray the violence of daily life that was inescapable during this time, and in that regard he was successful. As far as the story goes, the plot meandered a bit before an overarching story revealed itself. A lot of time was spent establishing the characters and this world. The characters are well-rounded and interesting. Arthur is a flawed, tragic human whose nature has him fighting himself as much as his enemies. Merlin is a crazed, single-minded asshole who is only looking to reestablish Britain's "natural gods" and to kick out any invaders. Our narrator is very sympathetic, and at the beginning of this story, has a bit of hero-worship for Arthur going on. As the story progresses, and as he matures, our narrator learns that Arthur is still a hero, but he's also just a man, not some God-like being. And that's what I find interesting about this novel, it reimagines a legend and mythic character as a real person, with ambitions, flaws, and weaknesses. I'm looking forward to seeing how this story plays out, even though I know if it follows the legend, it won't end well for Arthur... High King Uther has died, leaving his infant grandson as heir and his bastard son and gifted warlord Arthur as his protector in a country that has fallen into chaos, with threats from both within and without. Told in the first person from the flawed perspective of one of Arthur’s sworn soldiers, Derfel, in his old age, The Winter King humanizes many of the characters from the legendary tale of Arthur, bringing both perspective and realism to the story. I picked this up on the recommendation of some of the readers of /r/Fantasy, who suggested it as an Arthurian tale that might not drive me nuts. Unfortunately, I really just do not click with ye olde Arthur of the Britons, and I was honestly glad to be finished with this story, even though it was really written very well. I did kind of get a kick out of some of the locales of this book, though, as on one of my trips to England I went to Glastonbury and got to see the holy thorn and the tor, and see some of the locales legend has associated with the story, and this is the first Arthurian tale I’ve picked up since that visit. Either way, very good historical fiction; I’d have loved it more if they’d changed all the names to protect the guilty. Bernard Cornwell is lauded for his historical fiction, and justly so. I've read many versions of the Arthurian legends, from Tennyson and Mallory to Stewart, E.B. White, Bradley, and others. This is not one of the chivalric versions, though Mr. Cornwell does include Lancelot, Excalibar, and other late embellishments. In fact, this may be the first one I've read where Lancelot is less than heroic, and I can't wait to see where this goes in the series. Arthur is a Briton warlord trying desperately to unite the various warring kingdoms against the invading Saxons. The story is told by Derfel, one of Merlin's orphans who becomes one of Arthur's warriors and later a Christian monk. It's an outstanding book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. While not much is known about 600 AD Briton, the era known as the Dark Ages, Mr. Cornwall has used what sources he could and embellished with fantasy elements to fill in any gaps. This book is probably the closest to the 'real' Arthur that we'll get, and it's a fabulous series that I highly recommend. no reviews | add a review
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HTML: 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. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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