Excalibur
A Novel of Arthur
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
From the No. 1 bestselling author of WAR LORD comes an epic retelling of the Arthurian legend, from the bestselling Last Kingdom series
'The best Arthurian legend I have ever read' 5***** READER REVIEW
'Bernard Cornwell is the best historical adventurist there is' 5***** READER REVIEW
'The pinnacle of historical fiction' 5***** READER REVIEW
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After rebellions and betrayals by those he believed loved him most, Arthur looks at his most weak.
His Saxon enemies decide to strike before he regains his strength, plunging Britain into war. It will require all Arthur's leadership and military cunning to win this last battle.
But in this final struggle of the warlord, the intrigues of Mordred, now the adult heir to the throne of Britain, and the dark magic of the priestess Nimue could conspire to bring about Arthur's downfall.
Even his trusty blade Excaliber may not be sharp enough to save him . . .
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From the epic and bestselling author who has gripped millions, Bernard Cornwell concludes The Warlord Chronicles, bringing the Arthurian legend to thrilling new life.
'A powerful and dramatic retelling of the Arthurian legend' Sharon Penman
'Of all the books I have written these are my favourites' Bernard Cornwell
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.
Customer Reviews
How the story should be told
Bought the first book as a shot in the dark and wasn't sure at first but after finishing all three I'd say that it's one of the best reads I've had. The legend of Arthur totally different from the fairytale bt how it should have been told with gritty realism and just enough of th dark mystery left in. Hollywood should have went with this plot when making the film. One of the stories you don't want to end but a word of advice would be to purchase via the three books in the one set option to save yourself a few quid I dint notice this option until I was buying the last book.
Excalibur
Very good read. Would recommend buying this book.
Wow!
I feel a bit emotional having just finished reading this final book in this Arthur trilogy. Highly recommended. What an amazing read.