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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't often read fantasy books as I find the world building slow and dull. Despite this, in a promise to myself that I will read beyond my standard selections, I picked this up at a Lifeline Bookfest. Overall, it is a solid read, however, the ending came at me from nowhere, and the epilogue blew my mind as it went where I would never have expected!
This was the kind of long, epic book that I love to get lost in. I really enjoyed the back story to the Arthurian legend, but I found Whyte's writing to be tedious at times. To me it seemed that he repeated himself...over and over again. He didn't just say "she was sad." He said how she looked when sad. How she felt when sad. What she ate when sad. How she stood when sad. How her expression changed when sad. How her posture changed when sad. How others observed her sadness. Before you knew it, 10 pages had gone by and you had learned nothing more. She was still just sad.
I found myself skimming toward the end, which is pretty unusual for me. So I must have been bored with the prose and ready to learn the outcome. Which, in itself, was kind of anti-climactic. He takes 10 pages to say someone is sad, but launches the entwined lives of Arthur and Merlyn in 10 sentences.
Nonetheless. I enjoyed the story and think it is something that fans of Arthurian legend should read.
I found myself skimming toward the end, which is pretty unusual for me. So I must have been bored with the prose and ready to learn the outcome. Which, in itself, was kind of anti-climactic. He takes 10 pages to say someone is sad, but launches the entwined lives of Arthur and Merlyn in 10 sentences.
Nonetheless. I enjoyed the story and think it is something that fans of Arthurian legend should read.
Much like the rest of the series, a very well written and gripping tale filled with great characters. This series is so interwoven with history and accuracy, you forget that these characters are not real. After three books from the viewpoint of merlyn, we get the full story of the man who sired King Arthur. One of the best of the series.
While the writing was good in certain sections, I found this book very slow, hard to get through, and easy to put down. Too many of the characters are also just not likeable enough to be redeemed when they do morally wrong. Already knowing this story from one side from the rest of the series, I don't feel this one focusing more on Uther brought anything new or unique enough to warrant this book. Definitely not my favorite in the series.
It was with great reverence and a bit of trepidation that I returned to my reading of the Camulod Chronicles. The first 6 novels of this amazing series form a complete series by themselves and I was a little worried that even though I had greatly enjoyed those novels, this next one might be more of a “filler” novel. After all, it tells the story of Uther Pendragon, a life that was already mostly covered during the events of book 3, [book:The Eagles' Brood|372494], where he is shown growing up with his cousin Merlyn. The shear length of the book also added to my concern, weighing in at over 900 paperback pages. So…at the risk of suffering through a lengthy filler novel, I plunged in anyway, tossing my fears aside for the simple reason that I trust this author, Jack Whyte, to provide me with yet another amazing novel, much as he had with the first 6 books.
And he did just that. Most of the first half of the book was, indeed, a repeat of the events of [book:The Eagles' Brood|372494] but while that book was told from the first person perspective of Merlyn Britannicus as he looked back on long-ago events, this book was from Uther’s third person perspective as those events unfolded. It’s quite a different viewpoint because the two characters are so different from another.
The second half of the book covered Uther’s life after leaving Camulod (Camelot) as he becomes King of Cambria and leads his alliance in an aggressive defense against Lot of Cornwall. These events were not covered in previous books in the series other than a passive mention of Uther being off doing his thing in the West. So I was happy to fill in these holes. We do know the end result of Uther’s campaigns, of course, and so the second half of the book does read a little like a tragedy. But to read of Uther’s actions, his thoughts and growth as a character, his relationship with Ygraine, their child Arthur, the difficulty with dealing with various allies as Uther tries to counter the devious Lot…all of that was truly awesome.
Historical novels that center on warfare can often get bogged down in endless battles but the battles that take place in the final 200 pages of this book were absolutely intriguing. To watch Uther’s brilliance at overcoming difficult odds, designing a new brand of warfare when desperately needed, and demonstrate ideal leadership qualities was extremely fulfilling. The battles themselves are like a combination of a strategic chess match and well-choreographed action sequences filled with all the bloody horror one would expect from up close and personal sword play, flails impacting helmets, pounding horse hooves, etc. I never once felt bogged down or wished for the plot to speed up even though this is a very long novel. But don’t get the impression this is strictly a war novel. That’s really only a small part of Uther’s life and of this novel.
Once again, a Jack Whyte novel gets my highest recommendation. But definitely start at the beginning of the series ([book:The Skystone|151723]) in order to be privy to the numerous interactions and history leading up to the rise of Arthur himself. Only two more books to go in the larger series and I am already dreading the moment when I will have turned the last page.
And he did just that. Most of the first half of the book was, indeed, a repeat of the events of [book:The Eagles' Brood|372494] but while that book was told from the first person perspective of Merlyn Britannicus as he looked back on long-ago events, this book was from Uther’s third person perspective as those events unfolded. It’s quite a different viewpoint because the two characters are so different from another.
The second half of the book covered Uther’s life after leaving Camulod (Camelot) as he becomes King of Cambria and leads his alliance in an aggressive defense against Lot of Cornwall. These events were not covered in previous books in the series other than a passive mention of Uther being off doing his thing in the West. So I was happy to fill in these holes. We do know the end result of Uther’s campaigns, of course, and so the second half of the book does read a little like a tragedy. But to read of Uther’s actions, his thoughts and growth as a character, his relationship with Ygraine, their child Arthur, the difficulty with dealing with various allies as Uther tries to counter the devious Lot…all of that was truly awesome.
Historical novels that center on warfare can often get bogged down in endless battles but the battles that take place in the final 200 pages of this book were absolutely intriguing. To watch Uther’s brilliance at overcoming difficult odds, designing a new brand of warfare when desperately needed, and demonstrate ideal leadership qualities was extremely fulfilling. The battles themselves are like a combination of a strategic chess match and well-choreographed action sequences filled with all the bloody horror one would expect from up close and personal sword play, flails impacting helmets, pounding horse hooves, etc. I never once felt bogged down or wished for the plot to speed up even though this is a very long novel. But don’t get the impression this is strictly a war novel. That’s really only a small part of Uther’s life and of this novel.
Once again, a Jack Whyte novel gets my highest recommendation. But definitely start at the beginning of the series ([book:The Skystone|151723]) in order to be privy to the numerous interactions and history leading up to the rise of Arthur himself. Only two more books to go in the larger series and I am already dreading the moment when I will have turned the last page.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
This is challenging to review. On the one hand, I read it, and didnt put it down. On the other hand, I cant really say that this book “worked” for me. The parallel narrative with the previous book made me slightly curious about filling in the gaps, but also made the book drag a bit at times (and the points where the author “fast forwards” while reminding you of Merlyn’s perspective were very jarring). The main issue I had is that the character development and progression of Uther is just not great. Honestly, Merlyn’s wasnt either, and I found myself missing Publius Varrus and the general tone and theme of the first two books. There’s a lot of chaos in this one - armies appearing out of nowhere to put Uther into bigger and bigger messes that, while atmospheric, never really made a lot of sense. If Lot is so unlikable and nuts, how is he convincing thousands of mercenaries to show up and fight whomever they see on the road? Maybe the world was really like this, but from a reader’s perspective, it just felt like senseless chaos, and Uther’s abnormally developed sense of honor was completely at odds with the situations he found himself in. Concepts didnt develop in this book the way they promised to in the first 2-3. We didnt learn more about the concept of Camulod, or even Cambria, and overall the philosophical style of the first two books was totally absent.
Maybe all of this was intentional (to some extent, it surely was), but the books are definitely trending in a direction I’m less curious about, and thats disappointing. I’ll keep reading, but I look forward to the next less than I did before.
As a note, I read this after The Eagles’ Brood because that’s how my books were numbered. Realizing now that maybe that was not the correct reading order, but while reading it felt reasonable/natural.
Maybe all of this was intentional (to some extent, it surely was), but the books are definitely trending in a direction I’m less curious about, and thats disappointing. I’ll keep reading, but I look forward to the next less than I did before.
As a note, I read this after The Eagles’ Brood because that’s how my books were numbered. Realizing now that maybe that was not the correct reading order, but while reading it felt reasonable/natural.
I really, really tried to like Jack Whyte. I wanted to like him, but my god are his books an absolute grind to get through. While Uther is my 3rd and final attempt at getting into Jack Whyte, these complaints can be applied to his other books in varying degrees.
1) Horribly flat characters. Character development goes something like this: Bad man is bad, good man is good. Thats it.
Also, I think Whyte has some large person-worship, because it seems the only characters that get physical descriptions are described as "the big man."
2) The dialogue is atrociously unbelievable. As I believe I read in another review for another one of his books; why is it that even the rough-and-tumble characters speak in stuffy, proper english? It just further serves to make his writing even more flat and empty.
3) Irritating pacing. For example, particularly in this book, we're forced to read through way too many pages of awkward sex scenes (I'm no prude, but with Whytes writing style, they read like my grandmother describing a porno flic to me), but all the battles, tactics and politics which could have served to give some kind redeeming quality to this numbingly boring read, are skimmed over.
I tried, I really did, Jack, but your books may be the very definition of "bland".
1) Horribly flat characters. Character development goes something like this: Bad man is bad, good man is good. Thats it.
Also, I think Whyte has some large person-worship, because it seems the only characters that get physical descriptions are described as "the big man."
2) The dialogue is atrociously unbelievable. As I believe I read in another review for another one of his books; why is it that even the rough-and-tumble characters speak in stuffy, proper english? It just further serves to make his writing even more flat and empty.
3) Irritating pacing. For example, particularly in this book, we're forced to read through way too many pages of awkward sex scenes (I'm no prude, but with Whytes writing style, they read like my grandmother describing a porno flic to me), but all the battles, tactics and politics which could have served to give some kind redeeming quality to this numbingly boring read, are skimmed over.
I tried, I really did, Jack, but your books may be the very definition of "bland".
Favorite Quotes
I knew even then, the first time that I saw you, that I loved you.
I suspect that much of life is like that. We seldom see what is closest to our eyes.
A man is a fool to live in hopes of a better tomorrow. I have a thousand, better ways today to spend what time remains ahead of me, and I have brighter, lighter and more pleasant places in which to spend it.
She knew exactly how he was feeling, because experience had taught her that the kind of excitement she was feeling at that moment was never, ever one-sided. On the contrary, she knew that it was born of acute and mutual anticipation, and she knew, too, that it would not be denied.
Their sudden intimacy was like the explosive combustion that engulfs and consumes a moth that has fluttered too close to a candle flame; a completely unexpected turn of events that took both of them unawares and swept them irresistibly up and out of themselves as it hurled them into each other’s arms.
I knew even then, the first time that I saw you, that I loved you.
I suspect that much of life is like that. We seldom see what is closest to our eyes.
A man is a fool to live in hopes of a better tomorrow. I have a thousand, better ways today to spend what time remains ahead of me, and I have brighter, lighter and more pleasant places in which to spend it.
She knew exactly how he was feeling, because experience had taught her that the kind of excitement she was feeling at that moment was never, ever one-sided. On the contrary, she knew that it was born of acute and mutual anticipation, and she knew, too, that it would not be denied.
Their sudden intimacy was like the explosive combustion that engulfs and consumes a moth that has fluttered too close to a candle flame; a completely unexpected turn of events that took both of them unawares and swept them irresistibly up and out of themselves as it hurled them into each other’s arms.
This definitely became a chugging type of book for me to read. It provides the story behind one on the characthers, Uther, that is one of the main characters in the main series so it was interesting to read about his side of things. But at time it just seemed to get dragged down. It does provide some answers to question that popped up in the main series. It was an interesting read but not something I would pick up and read again.