The Winter King (Bernard Cornwell)

It is ~A.D. 480. King Uther is dying, and his heir—grandson Mordred—is but an infant. As Uther passes, he calls upon one of his bastard children to protect Mordred (and the kingdom of Dumnonia, located in southwest Britain)—a man named Arthur.

Arthur's task is difficult, for the land is on the brink. The Saxons have landed on Britain's eastern shores, and the British kingdoms to the north busy themselves fighting each other . . . and, soon, Dumnonia. Fragile alliances are made and broken, Merlin (off searching for the treasures of Britain to command the gods' favor) hasn't been seen for years, and hope appears lost. Can Arthur unite the Britons against an imposing Saxon foe?

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This is book one of esteemed author Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy. I first read these 13 years ago, when we were living in England (and, incidentally, I had just started to blog—here is my initial post reviewing the entire trilogy). Then as now, I appreciate what Cornwell is trying to do: effectively, write historical fantasy. He is trying to portray who Arthur might have been (if he did indeed exist) and place him in his appropriate historical setting. But he also recognizes the power of the legend that has grown up around Arthur in subsequent centuries, so he deliberately introduces and allows some anachronisms, familiar names, and supernatural elements. So in this tale—all told through Derfel, Arthur's warrior-turned-monk and writing years later—we see familiar names like Excalibur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Galahad, and more. And familiar settings abound, if you are familiar with British history and the northwest French coast (to include Mont St. Michel). 

Last time around, I loved it. This time (having read so much more on Arthur), I liked it. Merlin's character is outstanding; a weird combination of Gandalf and Deadpool (you read that correctly). Arthur's character is done well (though one indiscretion, which is central to this book's plot, seems out of character). Lancelot and Guinevere were annoying, in my opinion—too over the top—and detract from an otherwise excellent work. I really enjoy how Cornwell combines and reconciles what little history we know of the fifth century with the legends that would arise centuries later. I'm glad I re-read this and look forward to reading more.

Rating: A-