A friend gave me the 'Warlord Chronicles Trilogy' for my birthday remembering I said I like Arthurian stories. This book is the first of the three.
This Arthurian story is a combination between legend and history. No elegant knights on quests to rescue fair maidens. Instead it is a tale of medieval battles, magic, superstitions, torture, rape, pillage and slaughter. The story is told from the perspective of Derfel Cadarn many years after the events. He is retelling the saga to Igraine, Queen of Powys, while he is a brother in a monestry. However, at the time of the main event he was a boy who was the ward of Merlin and later a soldier who fought at Arthur's side.
Arthur in this version is a warlord. The bastard son of Uthur and protector of Mordred a infant heir with a disability. It is a time of war. Saxon armies are ready and waiting to invade. There is in-fighting amongst the local kings. There is the conflict between the old religions and the new Christians. Morgan, Lancelot, Galahad and Guinevere are all part of this story, just not necessarily in the persona that is expected.
A not-so-romantic version of an old tale that is very worth reading for anyone who likes medieval history and Arthurian re-tellings.
I remember reading this when I was a young teenager - 14 maybe? You're right, this certainly isn't the Disney version. I should read it again and see what I think of it now.
ReplyDeleteDid you like it when you were younger?
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