Excalibur (The Warlord Chronicles), cover images may vary - Softcover

Cornwell, Bernard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312206488 ISBN 13: 9780312206482

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Press, 1999

Synopsis

In The Winter King and Enemy of God Bernard Cornwell demonstrated his astonishing ability to make the oft-told legend of King Arthur fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final volume of The Warlord Chronicles, Cornwell tells the unforgettable tale of Arthur's final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams.

This is the tale not only of a broken love remade, but also of forces both earthly and unearthly that threaten everything Arthur stands for. Peopled by princesses and bards, by warriors and magicians, Excalibur is the story of love, war, loyalty, and betrayal-the work of a magnificent storyteller at the height of his powers.

About this title

Review:

The third novel in the Warlords Chronicle, Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur immerses the reader in the Britain of the Dark Ages. Merlin, the greatest of the Druids, believes that the ancient gods are deserting Britain, and that the invading Saxons can't be defeated without the gods' help. Mordred reigns with a brutal hand, and Arthur sees his dreams of peace evaporate. The author provides exciting descriptions of swordplay and battles, interspersed with somewhat gruesome depictions of ordinary life in those days--greasy, waist-length beards serving as napkins, lambs bloodily sacrificed before festivals, and rampant lice.

But at the heart of Excalibur--what makes the Arthurian legends eternally fascinating--is the larger-than-life company of heroes, from Sagramor the warrior to Taliesin the bard, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arturus Rex himself. Cornwell treats them all with warmth and dignity, revealing their human qualities without unnecessarily reinventing them. This three-part saga of magic and bloodshed will grip readers from the first page of The Winter King, through Enemy of God, to the last page of Excalibur. --Blaise Selby

From the Publisher:

Praise for Bernard Cornwell's King Arthur series:

"Medieval times burst to life in Cornwell's canny retelling of the King Arthur myth." --People

"The action is gripping and skillfully paced, cadenced by passages in which the characters reveal themselves in conversation and thought, convincingly evoking the spirit of the time." --Publishers Weekly on Excalibur (starred review)

"The best Arthurian fiction since Gillian Bradshaw, if not Mary Stewart herself." --The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction on Enemy of God

"The strength of the tale lies in the way Cornwell tells it through the creation of flesh-and-blood players who make a historical period come magically alive." --The Washington Post on The Winter King

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0312206488
• ISBN 13: 9780312206482
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 436