A trade from the Cape Carteret library paperback exchange. King Arthur yet again. From the first couple of pages, it promises to be a good read, and my husband was excited when he saw the name of the author. This one may end up PC.

Well, I've tried to get into this twice now - once over the summer and again tonight. It's well-written enough, and interesting enough, but it's just not grabbing me. If I'm meant to read it, another chance will come along.

Since my husband expressed an interest, I am passing it to him and will ask him to put it on the exchange shelf at his office if he decides not to keep it when he is done.

This book came home. Actually, it came home a while ago in a box of TBR books my husband brought with him when he moved back in after a long stretch of working outside the area. Mind, this was nearly three years ago and we're just now getting around to going through the box...

I may have a home for this one, but in the meantime I'll put it with the others that are Available.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Donated to the ongoing Friends of the Library book sale. Paperbacks are only 10 cents - get a good book and help out a worthwhile cause!

I got it from a used book store.
I like Cornwell's Sharpe Series which follows Sharpe through British campaigns in India 1799ish, then through the Penisular War against Napoleon in the early 1800s. I also like the Grail Quest series following English archer, Thomas of Hookton through the Hundred Years War in France and England around 1350. Same with the Saxon Series which focuses on the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, England during the 9th-century reign of Alfred the Great during the Viking Invasion. All were good reads and the chance to investigate parts of history I knew little about. This one appears to be more of a lark, but we'll find out.

I give 'The Winter King' 7.5 out of 10.

Historically, little is actually known about King Arthur. However evidence indicating a slowing/reversal of the Saxon advance across Britain in the 500s strongly suggests a powerful leader. (Be sure to read the 5 pages of author's notes at the back before starting!) Nonetheless, author Bernard Cornwell has done his usual detailed research and then woven an enjoyable story with plausible characters and events – and one that describes the living conditions at the time. Don't expect shining castles and fair maidens in at times of mud huts. Do expect a time of superstitions and a rising tide of Christianity over Druidism which can lead to entertaining results.

This is a time when the Romans have recently left as the Roman empire and civilization is falling apart, the German tribes are no longer in check by the Romans. The Germanic Saxons are invading Britain and the Germanic Franks are invading the Roman provinces of Gaul. The (Catholic) church was only a few hundred years old. (The Saxons eventually take over all of what is now England, leaving the Britons in Wales and the northern tribes in Scotland. The Saxons themselves are nearly wiped out by the Vikings in the 800s while the struggle by Christianity was still ongoing).

The most difficult aspect for the reader is keeping track of the characters and place names as they are all in Briton (Welsh) – (think Brittany, Britain and Ireland). The map and the list of characters on the opening pages are essential, but don't entirely make up for the strangeness of the names involved. But eventually the reader comes to recognize the important characters.

In summation, I found the tale sufficiently engaging to take up the second book of the trilogy.

I will be setting the book free in the near future.

Good reading to those who follow!!