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Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur is the third and final book in The Warlord Chronicles series by Bernard Cornwell. The trilogy tells the legend of Arthur seen through the eyes of his follower Derfel Cadarn.
[edit] Plot introduction
[edit] Plot summary
"The third novel in the Warlord Trilogy, Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur immerses the reader in the Britain of the Dark Ages. Merlin, the greatest of the Druids, believes that the ancient gods are deserting Britain, and that the invading Saxons can't be defeated without the help of the gods. Mordred reigns with a brutal hand, and Arthur sees his dreams of peace between the British Kingdoms evaporate. The author provides engrossing descriptions of battle tactics, interspersed with somewhat gruesome depictions of ordinary life in those days--greasy, waist-length beards serving as napkins, lambs bloodily sacrificed before festivals, and rampant lice. But at the heart of Excalibur--what makes the Arthurian legends eternally fascinating--is the larger-than-life company of heroes, from Sagramor the warrior to Taliesin the bard, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Arturus Rex himself. Cornwell treats them all with warmth and dignity, revealing their human qualities without unnecessarily reinventing them. This three-part saga of magic and bloodshed will grip readers from the first page of The Winter King, through Enemy of God, to the last page of Excalibur."[1]
[edit] Characters in Excalibur
[edit] References
- ^ Accessed May 23, 2006Amazon.com. Editorial Reviews.
[edit] Release details
- 1997, UK, Michael Joseph ISBN 0-7181-0057-3, Pub date 2 October 1997, hardcover 1st edition
- 1998, US, St Martins Press ISBN 0-312-18575-8, Pub date 1 June 1998, hardcover
- 1998, UK, Penguin Books ISBN 0-14-023287-7, Pub date 1 October 1998, paperback
- 1999, US, St. Martin's Griffin ISBN 0-312-20648-8 , Pub date 16 July 1999, paperback
