"The Winter King" (Warlord Chronicles Book 1 of 3) Review



Wow. What an incredible book!

This, to me, falls into that 'grey area' between historical fiction, and fantasy. But bear with me. If you enjoy 'grounded' fantasy with a rich background lore (The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire) you will definitely enjoy this. However, if you also enjoy historical fiction, you will enjoy this as well. I actually heard of this, because at the time that "A Dance with Dragons" (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 5) came out, my national bookstore had a table set up with other titles, with a sign saying "Like This? Try These..." and the warlord books were on that table.

This book 'strips away' the fantastical elements of Arthur, Camelot and Merlin we are used to hearing about and sets it in history. From the sound of the names, it appears that Arthur and the lands are Welsh, but I could be mistaken. Also, the Author's Note is worth reading [found at the back], and can be read either before or after the text. It's located at the end so I myself read it afterwards. This pretty much explains the setting of the book, as well as why the author chose a particular time, name,s location etc.

I really can't say enough about this book, nor too much. It will definitely appeal to fans of both the 'real' fantasy genre, as well as historical fiction. It's definitely worth checking out, and a great read.

This is actually the first book by Bernard Cornwell I'd read. Up next will be "Enemy of God" (Book 2), and "Excalibur" (Book 3, final book).

5/5

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