Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114626 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 436 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312206482
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com 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 Publishers Weekly
Readers of Mallory and other sources of Arthurian lore may be struck by their conflation of bloody savagery and Christian pieties. In his new Arthurian novel, Cornwell (The Winter King) dramatizes the confrontation of Christianity?here depicted as the political tool of self-righteous brutes, opportunists and hypocrites?with the old religion of the Druids. Chief among the Druids are Merlin and his nemesis, Nimue, who cast spells and preside over rituals of fire and human sacrifice in order to bring about a return of the old gods, saving Britain from the Saxons. Priestess Nimue wants to sacrifice Arthur's son Gwydre to this end, but Merlin resists, as do Arthur and his warrior friend Derfel: for this they suffer terribly. The tale is told by Derfel, now an old monk in the service of an illiterate and sadistic bishop who would punish Derfel if he knew what he were writing. This frame works well to flavor and deepen the whole. The book is a military tale?alliances, strategies, battles, betrayals?and is stirringly told as Arthur routs the treacherous Lancelot and his Saxon backers. It is also the tale of the reconciliation of Arthur, honest to a fault and tortured by his wife's betrayal, with Guinevere, extraordinary in her bravery, wisdom and forthrightness. Equally central is Derfel's devotion to his mate, Ceinwyn, for whose life he sacrifices his shield hand, averting Nimue's curse. 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. Ways of ancient ritual, battle and daily life are laid out in surprising detail. One feels the element of fantasy only in the incredible integrity of Derfel and Arthur, men who sacrifice all for a vow?but our reluctance to believe may be only a sign of our times.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
In a compelling finale, historical novelist Cornwell concludes his three-part retelling of the Arthurian legend (The Winter King, LJ 5/15/96; Enemy of God, LJ 7/97). Despite the rather misleading idealized jacket cover, Excalibur portrays not romantic Camelot but a nasty, brutal fifth-century Britain in which heads and other body parts literally pile up. Indeed, this novel is even more graphic than its predecessors in its depictions of gore and violence. Although Arthur temporarily halts the invading Saxons at the battle of Mynydd Baddon (during which Lancelot meets a coward's death and Guinevere is reconciled with her husband), his dream of a unified Celtic kingdom is doomed. Thwarting him is the vicious Mordred who makes a pact with Nimue to bring back the old Druid gods and destroy the new Christian deity. Cornwell's attention to historical detail, his penchant for lively storytelling, and his vivid characters make this a good choice for all collections.?Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

excellent and plausible retelling
Cornwell's interpretation of the Arthurian mythos is compelling and superbly written. He breathes new life into the legends by presenting the well-known characters as realistic figures, neither saints nor demons. Few of his villains are without some kind of redeeming feature, and none of his heroes are without flaw. Arthur, a bastard by birth, is generous and kind but ruthless and vain; Gorfyddyd, a tyrannical ruler bent on overlordship of all Britain, is a loving and doting father and Merlin, the inveterate trickster, is never without some surprise up his sleeve but is ultimately human and filled with doubt in the gods and in himself.
Many of the integral parts of the mythos (the Grail quest, Merlin's magical prowess, the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere) are retold in an utterly plausible manner.
Cornwell's Britain is not a utopian Camelot but a patchwork quilt of loosely affiliated kingdoms warring with one another and fighting off Saxon marauders who themselves are divided into different warlords' followings. His description of religious conflict is one of two faiths, Christianity and Celtic paganism, at times vying for supremacy, at times seeking to co-exist, and always plagued by internacine rivalries and differences of doctrine and ideology.
We view all these people and conflicts through the eyes of Derfel, a Saxon-born slave who fights his way to the top of Post-Roman British society, allowing us to see the legend from a unique and rarely-explored perspective. The result is a spellbinding journey through war and peace, faith and folly, in a three volume work that, but for its recent publication, would no doubt be regarded as a great classic of Western literature.
This last volume left me wanting more. What do you say, Mr. Cornwell? Once more unto the breach?

Without question, the best modern arthurian novel.
The tale of Arthur has been told many times since the middle ages, each telling bringing something new to the story, but hands down, The Warlord Chronicles is the absolute best version of the modern era. Gone are the romantic elements that have permeated the story since the middle ages and replaced with an absolute reality and profound humanity that is not present in any other Arthurian novel.
Bernard Cornwell is one hell of a writer and is best known for his successful Richard Sharpe series, historical novels of the Napoleonic Wars, so you know you're in good hands as you read this book. Cornwell takes his liberties with the tale, yes, but he knows just how far he can go with the characters and events to keep things always interesting. Even if you've read many other Arthurian novels, I guarantee it, this one will surprise you.
Excalibur is the final book in the Warlord Chronicles trilogy, and I'm tempted to say the best one, but you MUST read the first two in order to fully appreciate this tale. Here one learns of the final fate of all the characters, the idealistic Arthur, his faithful man-at-arms Derfel, the treacherous Guinevere, the slimy Lancelot and of course Merlin who is single minded in his ploy to bring the Old Gods back to Britain. The Warlord Chronicles are destined to become classics of modern literature and the standard by which all other Arthurian novels will be judged. Not to be missed.

Excellent
I must admit, the only reason I did not give the two previous books in this trilogy five stars is because the final book in the series was SO good I had to reserve it the best rating possible. It is very rare that I feel strong emotion when reading a book, or for me to become emotionally attached to the characters, but in this case, both occurred. Excalibur builds upon the solid foundations of the last two books, developing characters and plot to even further. The author still manages to surprise you, even if you know your Arthurian trivia. Most importantly, the conclusion was spectacular. Some might find it frustrating, but now I couldn't imagine it ending any other way. I won't give any more away.... Mr. Cornwell, if you are reading this, I beleive this could be a very successful film/series of films. The old Excalibur set the mould for the Arthur of the Romances, but this takes "The King" in entirely an new direction. This could become (unfortunately with much simplification) the definitive Dark-Age Arthur film. Anyway read the first two novels, then read this one... I practically didn't sleep until I finished it. Wonderful... I HIGHLY RECCOMEND!