The Skystone: The Forging of Arthur's Britain Vol. 1 (Camulod Chronicles)
3 journalers for this copy...
From the back cover:
We all know the story - how Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, how Camelot came to be, and the power struggles that ultimately destroyed Arthur's dreams. But what of the time before Arthur? What were the forces that helped create him?
And how did the legend really come to pass?
Before the time of Arthur and Camelot, Britain had become a dark and deadly place, savaged by warring factions of Picts, Celts, and invading Saxons. The Roman citizens who had lived there for generations were suddenly faced with a deadly choice. Should they leave and take up residence in a Roman world that was currupt and utterly foreign? Or stay and face the madness that would surely ensue when the Roman legions - Britain's last bastion of safety for the civilized - leave? For two Romans, Publius Varrus and his friend Caius Britannicus, there can be only one answer. They will stay, try to preserve what is best of Roman life, and create a new culture out of the wreckage. In doing so, they will plant the seeds of the legend.
For these two men are Arthur's great-grandfathers and their actions will shape a nation...and forge a sword known as Excalibur.
I loved this book! Jack Whyte has taken the foundation of Arthurian legend and woven a brilliant version of how it "really happened." The Camulod Chronicles are packed with historical detail and vibrant characters. In these early books, the elements of Arthurian legend are almost incidental to the more intimate stories of the characters' lives.
I'm sending this off to PepperVL, who won it in tonight's ALS. Happy reading!
We all know the story - how Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, how Camelot came to be, and the power struggles that ultimately destroyed Arthur's dreams. But what of the time before Arthur? What were the forces that helped create him?
And how did the legend really come to pass?
Before the time of Arthur and Camelot, Britain had become a dark and deadly place, savaged by warring factions of Picts, Celts, and invading Saxons. The Roman citizens who had lived there for generations were suddenly faced with a deadly choice. Should they leave and take up residence in a Roman world that was currupt and utterly foreign? Or stay and face the madness that would surely ensue when the Roman legions - Britain's last bastion of safety for the civilized - leave? For two Romans, Publius Varrus and his friend Caius Britannicus, there can be only one answer. They will stay, try to preserve what is best of Roman life, and create a new culture out of the wreckage. In doing so, they will plant the seeds of the legend.
For these two men are Arthur's great-grandfathers and their actions will shape a nation...and forge a sword known as Excalibur.
I loved this book! Jack Whyte has taken the foundation of Arthurian legend and woven a brilliant version of how it "really happened." The Camulod Chronicles are packed with historical detail and vibrant characters. In these early books, the elements of Arthurian legend are almost incidental to the more intimate stories of the characters' lives.
I'm sending this off to PepperVL, who won it in tonight's ALS. Happy reading!
Thanks for sending this! I'm looking forward to reading it as I like just about everything about the Aurthurian legend but the Arthur/Lancelot/Guenivere triangle. I'm interested to see how Whyte weaves the history.
Wow. The Arthurian legend didn't play much of a role in this book at all, but the characters were wonderful and though it was a slower read than I'd hoped, I really enjoyed being brought into the history and the characters lives. Britain in the dying days of the Roman Empire was a fascinating place, and Whyte weaves a very believable story of how it was, and how a legend came to be.
Great fun.
This is now going to Elsi.
Great fun.
This is now going to Elsi.
It's fun to get books from online friends -- and even more fun to get them hand-to-hand instead of through the mail. Nessa brought this one to me at our meet-up on 22 January.
