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Camulod Chronicles #9
The Eagle
Beginning with The Skystone, the first in his riveting Camulod Chronicles, Jack Whyte has embarked on an ambitious and remarkable re-telling of the Arthurian cycle, giving us a fresh and compelling take on a story that has been beloved for centuries.
The Eagle brings us at last to the heart of the tale, the creation of fabled Camelot and the love story that enshrined its glory. Whyte takes us into the minds and lives of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, three astonishing but fallible people who were bound together by honor, loyalty, and love. Three who created the glory that was Britain's shining dream…and, some say, caused its downfall.
The Gaulish nobleman Clothar-known in our time as Lancelot-is drawn to the young High King's court by tales of honor and nobility, where he meets a man whose love of law matches his own. More, he finds in Arthur a life-long friend whose dream of uniting the people of Britain in peace Clothar embraces. And Clothar meets Arthur's queen, a wondrous beauty whose passion and ideals match those of her husband. Together they work to bring Arthur's dream to life.
But dark forces rise in opposition to Arthur's plans for creating this noble island nation and it is hard to tell friend from foe in the swirling chaos that ensues. Many tales have been told of the dream that shined and died. This one will astonish even the most jaded.
The Eagle brings us at last to the heart of the tale, the creation of fabled Camelot and the love story that enshrined its glory. Whyte takes us into the minds and lives of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot, three astonishing but fallible people who were bound together by honor, loyalty, and love. Three who created the glory that was Britain's shining dream…and, some say, caused its downfall.
The Gaulish nobleman Clothar-known in our time as Lancelot-is drawn to the young High King's court by tales of honor and nobility, where he meets a man whose love of law matches his own. More, he finds in Arthur a life-long friend whose dream of uniting the people of Britain in peace Clothar embraces. And Clothar meets Arthur's queen, a wondrous beauty whose passion and ideals match those of her husband. Together they work to bring Arthur's dream to life.
But dark forces rise in opposition to Arthur's plans for creating this noble island nation and it is hard to tell friend from foe in the swirling chaos that ensues. Many tales have been told of the dream that shined and died. This one will astonish even the most jaded.
674 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
46 people are currently reading
1751 people want to read
About the author
Jack Whyte
62 books772 followersJack Whyte is an author and writer born and raised in Scotland, but has been living in western Canada since 1967, and in Kelowna, British Columbia, since 1996.
Whyte's major work to date is the A Dream of Eagles series (as it is titled in Canada, but known as The Camulod Chronicles in the United States and elsewhere). This series of historical novels presents the tale of King Arthur set against the backdrop of Roman Britain. This retelling of the popular legend eschews the use of magic (as in T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone) to explain Arthur’s ascent to power and instead relies on the historical condition (with some artistic license) of post-Roman Britain to support the theory that Arthur was meant to counter the anarchy left by the Roman departure from Britain in 410 AD and the subsequent colonization and invasion of Britain by various peoples from Northwestern Europe, including the Saxons, Jutes, Franks, and Angles). Whyte incorporates both traditional Arthurian names, places and events (albeit in gaelic or Latin form) as well as the names of various historical figures that have been suggested as being the possible basis for the original King Arthur legend. The tacit implication is that Whyte's version of history is the true story that has become distorted over time to become the legend and stories of magic that we know today.
Jack Whyte served as the official bard of The Calgary Highlanders and performed several tracks of poetry and song on the 1990 recording by the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders entitled Eighty Years of Glory: The Regimental Pipes, Drums and Bard of The Calgary Highlanders.
Whyte's major work to date is the A Dream of Eagles series (as it is titled in Canada, but known as The Camulod Chronicles in the United States and elsewhere). This series of historical novels presents the tale of King Arthur set against the backdrop of Roman Britain. This retelling of the popular legend eschews the use of magic (as in T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone) to explain Arthur’s ascent to power and instead relies on the historical condition (with some artistic license) of post-Roman Britain to support the theory that Arthur was meant to counter the anarchy left by the Roman departure from Britain in 410 AD and the subsequent colonization and invasion of Britain by various peoples from Northwestern Europe, including the Saxons, Jutes, Franks, and Angles). Whyte incorporates both traditional Arthurian names, places and events (albeit in gaelic or Latin form) as well as the names of various historical figures that have been suggested as being the possible basis for the original King Arthur legend. The tacit implication is that Whyte's version of history is the true story that has become distorted over time to become the legend and stories of magic that we know today.
Jack Whyte served as the official bard of The Calgary Highlanders and performed several tracks of poetry and song on the 1990 recording by the Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders entitled Eighty Years of Glory: The Regimental Pipes, Drums and Bard of The Calgary Highlanders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
February 11, 2016
*review for the entire Camulod Chronicles
If you asked me what my favorite series was as a 6th grader my answer would have been the original Shannara trilogy. The answer to the same question asked in 2005 would have undoubtedly been A Song of Ice and Fire. *notice how I was a fan BEFORE the TV show. ;) After reading over 900 books, hundreds of thousands of pages, and countless series spanning multiple genres, I can now say with certainty that Jack Whyte’s Camulod Chronicles stands above all others as my favorite.
Was this series perfect? Of course not, but that doesn’t matter. Jack Whyte’s gift shines like Excalibur as he weaves his tale with an almost magical style that made me experience strong feelings, both good and bad, for nearly every character. No other author has come close to making me feel the loss of a fictional character compared to those who passed beyond the mortal realm along my journey through Camulod.
This series is a re-imagining of the Arthurian Saga that will stand the test of time; told in such a way that the reader begins to believe that everything within this tale actually happened in ages past.
Did Camelot ever exist? Regardless of what historians have to say, it exists in my heart.
If you asked me what my favorite series was as a 6th grader my answer would have been the original Shannara trilogy. The answer to the same question asked in 2005 would have undoubtedly been A Song of Ice and Fire. *notice how I was a fan BEFORE the TV show. ;) After reading over 900 books, hundreds of thousands of pages, and countless series spanning multiple genres, I can now say with certainty that Jack Whyte’s Camulod Chronicles stands above all others as my favorite.
Was this series perfect? Of course not, but that doesn’t matter. Jack Whyte’s gift shines like Excalibur as he weaves his tale with an almost magical style that made me experience strong feelings, both good and bad, for nearly every character. No other author has come close to making me feel the loss of a fictional character compared to those who passed beyond the mortal realm along my journey through Camulod.
This series is a re-imagining of the Arthurian Saga that will stand the test of time; told in such a way that the reader begins to believe that everything within this tale actually happened in ages past.
Did Camelot ever exist? Regardless of what historians have to say, it exists in my heart.
January 25, 2020
Decent series that crapped the bed in the last two books. Feels like the author got sick of writing the series, and decided to wrap things up as quickly and in the more unsatisfactory way possible. Seriously, you do NOT spend seven books building up to the main body of the Arthurian mythos, then decide to offscreen (and retcon) most of said mythos. Arthur dies offscreen, and the only thing we are told for certain is that it definitely WASN'T because of any betrayal by Lancelot/Guinevere/Mordred, just...something else entirely. Why even bother, then?
This series would have been a solid 4 stars if it had just ended at the natural breakpoint at the end of book 7, with Arthur being crowned king. Then it could sit as a pretty decent historical-ish 'prequel' to the Arthurian mythos we're all familiar with, leaving intact the audience's presupposition that the actual story of Arthur's reign would follow basically the same narrative structure as the legends, but adapted to fit the more realistic setting of the story. Smashing that framework for a lazy and unsatisfying ending actually (IMO) devalues the quality of the series as a whole.
This series would have been a solid 4 stars if it had just ended at the natural breakpoint at the end of book 7, with Arthur being crowned king. Then it could sit as a pretty decent historical-ish 'prequel' to the Arthurian mythos we're all familiar with, leaving intact the audience's presupposition that the actual story of Arthur's reign would follow basically the same narrative structure as the legends, but adapted to fit the more realistic setting of the story. Smashing that framework for a lazy and unsatisfying ending actually (IMO) devalues the quality of the series as a whole.
October 17, 2017
Sigh…and so this wonderful series, very likely my favorite series of all time, comes to its conclusion.
The 9th and final novel in “The Camulod Chronicles” is centered around and told from the point of view of Clothar, the Gaul from the previous book in the series, and who we know today as Lancelot. While books 8 and 9 form a duology within the larger series, this one really zeroes in on Clothar’s loyalty and love for Arthur and Camulod (Camelot) with much of the book detailing events of Arthur’s reign as King. Arthur’s primary goal of uniting the myriad kingdoms, tribes, and factions of Britain into a benevolent and peaceful whole is the background for the novel although we are also treated to Clothar’s activities in Gaul as he acts as Arthur’s representative in building up alliances there as well. It was fascinating to watch how the concepts of knighthood and the games of competition (later to become jousts) developed.
Truth be told, I had long been fretting over this approaching final volume. The previous books all number among my favorites (with the slight deviation that was book 8) and I was dreading the end. Not only would it bring to a conclusion, one of my all time (if not THE all-time) favorite series, it would also have to deal with the epic, sad conclusion that we all know from the legend of King Arthur. Indeed, Mordred is introduced in this volume and the Arthur-Lancelot-Guinevere triangle is dealt with but I will not spoil just how this all plays out. Suffice it to say that the ending is quite emotional but in an amazingly satisfying way. The author of this series, Jack Whyte, proves yet again how to take an established mythology, extract the best parts of what makes it a story, make it incredibly realistic (this really might have happened!) and leave a little on the table to grow into its very own mythology.
After closing the final page on this long series of long novels, I simply leaned back in my chair, sighed… and smiled. I will cherish these books always and never hesitate to recommend them to one and all.
The 9th and final novel in “The Camulod Chronicles” is centered around and told from the point of view of Clothar, the Gaul from the previous book in the series, and who we know today as Lancelot. While books 8 and 9 form a duology within the larger series, this one really zeroes in on Clothar’s loyalty and love for Arthur and Camulod (Camelot) with much of the book detailing events of Arthur’s reign as King. Arthur’s primary goal of uniting the myriad kingdoms, tribes, and factions of Britain into a benevolent and peaceful whole is the background for the novel although we are also treated to Clothar’s activities in Gaul as he acts as Arthur’s representative in building up alliances there as well. It was fascinating to watch how the concepts of knighthood and the games of competition (later to become jousts) developed.
Truth be told, I had long been fretting over this approaching final volume. The previous books all number among my favorites (with the slight deviation that was book 8) and I was dreading the end. Not only would it bring to a conclusion, one of my all time (if not THE all-time) favorite series, it would also have to deal with the epic, sad conclusion that we all know from the legend of King Arthur. Indeed, Mordred is introduced in this volume and the Arthur-Lancelot-Guinevere triangle is dealt with but I will not spoil just how this all plays out. Suffice it to say that the ending is quite emotional but in an amazingly satisfying way. The author of this series, Jack Whyte, proves yet again how to take an established mythology, extract the best parts of what makes it a story, make it incredibly realistic (this really might have happened!) and leave a little on the table to grow into its very own mythology.
After closing the final page on this long series of long novels, I simply leaned back in my chair, sighed… and smiled. I will cherish these books always and never hesitate to recommend them to one and all.
October 28, 2012
I really loved this entire series (all 9 of them) Each and every one was a really exciting fast paced story that would stand alone, but read in sequence add up to a wonderful story about Arthur and his knights.
The story starts a long time before Arthur is born, when Excalibur is forged and Camulod (Camelot) is born. How his ancestors created it and how Arthur himself came to be High King of all Britain, with Merlyn his mentor.
It is a fictional account of course feasible enough, if Arthur ever really existed!
I am so sorry to have finished this series, but have the set sitting on my shelf ready to go again, which I am positive will happen!
The story starts a long time before Arthur is born, when Excalibur is forged and Camulod (Camelot) is born. How his ancestors created it and how Arthur himself came to be High King of all Britain, with Merlyn his mentor.
It is a fictional account of course feasible enough, if Arthur ever really existed!
I am so sorry to have finished this series, but have the set sitting on my shelf ready to go again, which I am positive will happen!
March 13, 2015
When I think about how exciting the first six books in this series were, I can't help but think about how these last two books, "Clothar the Frank" and "The Eagle" we're utter disappointments. While all the books in this series were lengthy and detailed, this book lacked the sizzle of its predecessors and spent too much time describing the lead up to an important event only to summarize the actual important event in a paragraph or two. As an example, there is a point in the book where Clothar, King Arthur's most trusted friend, and the book's narrator, happens upon his cousin's castle only to discover it is under siege. The chapter focussed more on how Clothar planned on sneaking into the besieged castle and his plan to save his cousin than the actual execution of his plan; 10 pages of travel and planning compared to 1 & 1/2 pages of battle. Not a ratio I enjoyed. In addition to that complaint, I was also saddened to learn that the story I expected, one that told of the last days of King Arthur, was not to be. In fact, and without trying to ruin it for everyone who reads this, Arthur's demise goes something like this: (Clothar writes in his journal). "There were many tales about what happened to Arthur, but they all ended with his death." Seriously. That is the death scene you are going to give one of the most timeless and beloved heros in English literature? Not the way it should have ended. Too bad to see what was otherwise a great series end on a whimper.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2018
It's strange to think how long ago I came across The Camulod Chronicles. When I started with Skystone, I was in a much different place. I was just coming out of high school, and I was fresh, ready to stretch into my youth and take on the world. It has been 10+ years, and I am a little more weathered now. I started and stopped with The Eagle. I love the book, but I'm afraid I love it because of the excellent work that proceeded it.
The Eagle itself seemed hurried, rushed, and remained surface level. It's as if the process of the series left Mr. Whyte tired, and so by the last few pages, we're left with a quick and wrapped up closing of events. This was hard to experience considering the conclusion of the other books which had more depth and craft.
However, despite that feeling, I love this series through and through and am thankful for the experience. I grew up reading about the King Arthur legend, and to have it brought to life and have it made to seem a little more real is a priceless gift. Thank you Jack Whyte! Fantastic series!
The Eagle itself seemed hurried, rushed, and remained surface level. It's as if the process of the series left Mr. Whyte tired, and so by the last few pages, we're left with a quick and wrapped up closing of events. This was hard to experience considering the conclusion of the other books which had more depth and craft.
However, despite that feeling, I love this series through and through and am thankful for the experience. I grew up reading about the King Arthur legend, and to have it brought to life and have it made to seem a little more real is a priceless gift. Thank you Jack Whyte! Fantastic series!
April 28, 2020
I finally have finished this 9th of 9 books in the Camulod series about Camelot. This is the second book narrated by Lancelot, or Clothar as he is better known in the book. It does wrap most things up in the series, and it finishes it all off.
However, I have to say it, while I really love the entire series, this ending felt just rushed. Arthur's life, which was built up with great moment, and prepared for by Merlyn, and his ancestors, seems so brief and almost pathetic in its end. We never seem to see the great feats of his knights or their legends. Now, Whyte does a good job making all of these guys more realistic than their legends, but by making so much of this about the lead up makes Publius Varrus and Merlyn the real heroes of this story. That is fine, actually, but this ending just seems weak after so many strong books.
However, I have to say it, while I really love the entire series, this ending felt just rushed. Arthur's life, which was built up with great moment, and prepared for by Merlyn, and his ancestors, seems so brief and almost pathetic in its end. We never seem to see the great feats of his knights or their legends. Now, Whyte does a good job making all of these guys more realistic than their legends, but by making so much of this about the lead up makes Publius Varrus and Merlyn the real heroes of this story. That is fine, actually, but this ending just seems weak after so many strong books.
August 19, 2009
Book two in The Golden Eagle series, companion set to A Dream of Eagles set. This is the continuation and finale to the story of Clothar, The Lancer, who is sent by Arthur back to Gaul to act as Arthur's ambassador. It is about the greatest love story in literature, and also about the final fall of Arthur, whose story came to height in the the Dream of Eagles series. Amazing conclusion to one of the best series of books I have had the pleasure to read. I recommend starting with Book One, The Skystone, and travelling through history and time and adventure to this amazing conclusion.
October 31, 2007
This finale helps the series, which had been falling for the past 2 or 3 books. But it's good to see the end, too. I would have liked a bit more love triange, but that's not the way the author chose to portray this well-known story, so be it.
August 8, 2011
This is the best series I have ever read... It tells the story of King Arthur, yet makes it so realistic one thinks i is all facts instead of legend... Very well written!
October 23, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this series. The story was epic and very interesting, but half of it is the history of the world, weapons, and military tactics and sometimes it seems like the story takes a backseat. Felt like a chore to read at times.
June 9, 2012
I had to take a couple of days to let this one sink in. The Eagle is another outstanding effort from Mr. Whyte with a great tale and solid ending, continuing the realistic historical approach Whyte has usef throughout the Camulod chronicles. This particular volume describes the formation of King Arthur's knights of the round table and serves as the second half of the adventures of Lancelot.
This volume bothered me a bit more than some of its predecessors because Whyte frequently strays from traditional Arthurian material. The story is all his own, and it's very good, but it frequently had me scratching my head at his chosen direction because it did veer so far from the tales which I've been familiar. I enjoyed the last chapter, which offered a nice, round ending that made sense to me, but I felt a bit like it had been tacked on at the end to resolve some of Whyte's more confusing choices.
As in the previous books in the series, Whyte's strengths lie in the one-on-one personal moments between characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the history lessons presented, but they often become monotonous when breaking up excellent character building scenes, which are typically much more compelling for me due to Whyte's ability to convey emotion.
I'm giving this book 4 stars because I didn't find it to be as moving as the last few in the series, but it's still a wonderful book, and it leaves me thinking I may have found a new favorite author. I look forward to reading non-Arthurian books by Jack Whyte to see if his writing holds up to what he's done with King Arthur. Amazing stuff!
This volume bothered me a bit more than some of its predecessors because Whyte frequently strays from traditional Arthurian material. The story is all his own, and it's very good, but it frequently had me scratching my head at his chosen direction because it did veer so far from the tales which I've been familiar. I enjoyed the last chapter, which offered a nice, round ending that made sense to me, but I felt a bit like it had been tacked on at the end to resolve some of Whyte's more confusing choices.
As in the previous books in the series, Whyte's strengths lie in the one-on-one personal moments between characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the history lessons presented, but they often become monotonous when breaking up excellent character building scenes, which are typically much more compelling for me due to Whyte's ability to convey emotion.
I'm giving this book 4 stars because I didn't find it to be as moving as the last few in the series, but it's still a wonderful book, and it leaves me thinking I may have found a new favorite author. I look forward to reading non-Arthurian books by Jack Whyte to see if his writing holds up to what he's done with King Arthur. Amazing stuff!
August 20, 2013
OMG- it's over... seriously the Camulod chronicles are over. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself about this. Jack?!?!??!?!? How could you end this so unsatisfyingly?!?!?!?!? Seriously, a paragraph to speculate about what people think happened to Lance & Guin?!?!??!?!? If I didn't love each character like I knew them, inside and out- I would feel a tad betrayed by such a thing. But I feel maybe for Jack Whyte who actually birthed each & everyone of them- maybe saying goodbye was hardest for him and that's really why he couldn't do it.... The entire story is amazing and deserves to be read and cherished and SHOULD be required reading if you have to pick up The Once & Future King (This is written in bit more modern style but the storyline is just as convoluted.) It was an azaing story and Jack's writing style did get faster paced and stronger the further into it he got (some of the earlier books dragged a bit too much in the detail. But Clothar was an amazing hero who was quite well fleshed out and not mired in as much of the battle logistics as he (and some of his predecessors were)could have been but still remained as believable as an invincible hero.
I'm quite distraught over reaching the end. I think this why I put off reading this last one for over 3 years... I still have the Whyte's Templar's book on my "to be read" shelf but I just don't have the nerve to start it... sigh...
I'm quite distraught over reaching the end. I think this why I put off reading this last one for over 3 years... I still have the Whyte's Templar's book on my "to be read" shelf but I just don't have the nerve to start it... sigh...
September 7, 2012
Another amazing series by Jack Whyte. If you enjoy being immersed into the story, these tales will certainly provide you with the right tools.
From Wikipedia:
'The novels are a rendition of the Arthurian legend that attempt to propose a possible explanation for the foundation of Camulod (an alternate spelling of Camelot), Arthur's heritage and the political situation surrounding his existence. The setting series begins during the Roman departure from Britain and continues for 150 years ending during the settlement of Britain by the Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
The Skystone - 1992
Publius Varrus, Roman-occupied Britain
The Singing Sword - 1993
Publius Varrus, Roman withdrawal complete
The Eagles' Brood - 1994
Uther and Merlyn control Camulod
The Saxon Shore - 1995
Merlyn raises Arthur
The Fort at River's Bend (The Sorcerer, Vol 1) - 1999
Arthur grows to manhood
Metamorphosis (The Sorcerer, Vol 2) - 1999
Merlyn becomes a sorcerer
Uther - 2001
Stand-alone novel about Uther (covers same time period as Eagle's Brood)
Clothar the Frank - 2004
Lancelot arrives in Arthur's court
The Eagle - 2005
Concluding novel, Arthur's reign ends'
From Wikipedia:
'The novels are a rendition of the Arthurian legend that attempt to propose a possible explanation for the foundation of Camulod (an alternate spelling of Camelot), Arthur's heritage and the political situation surrounding his existence. The setting series begins during the Roman departure from Britain and continues for 150 years ending during the settlement of Britain by the Germanic Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
The Skystone - 1992
Publius Varrus, Roman-occupied Britain
The Singing Sword - 1993
Publius Varrus, Roman withdrawal complete
The Eagles' Brood - 1994
Uther and Merlyn control Camulod
The Saxon Shore - 1995
Merlyn raises Arthur
The Fort at River's Bend (The Sorcerer, Vol 1) - 1999
Arthur grows to manhood
Metamorphosis (The Sorcerer, Vol 2) - 1999
Merlyn becomes a sorcerer
Uther - 2001
Stand-alone novel about Uther (covers same time period as Eagle's Brood)
Clothar the Frank - 2004
Lancelot arrives in Arthur's court
The Eagle - 2005
Concluding novel, Arthur's reign ends'
April 13, 2012
An amazing retelling of the King Arthur legend. The rest of the Camulod Chronicles set the scene for Arthur, but this is the meat of it. Brilliantly told from Lancelot's perspective, "The Eagle" blends fact and mythology together so beautifully that one nearly believes it's a historical account.
January 18, 2013
A fitting end to possibly my favourite series I have ever read.
February 6, 2022
A satisfying, if possibly somewhat abrupt, conclusion to one of the best series related to King Arthur ever made. I give it a strong recommendation to fans of historical fiction or the Matter of Britain.
The final book in Whyte's Camulod series is once again told from the point of view of Lancelot, or Clothar the Frank, as he follows Arthur, now at least the nominal High King of all Britain, to secure his realm, threatened by forces from the north of the isle. Along the way, Clothar helps Arthur establish and refine an order of Knights Companion from the best and brightest of the various parts of the armies of Camulod. Clothar and Arthur also run into a young girl named "Maia," the tomboyish sister of a potential queenly match for Arthur, who of course is later discovered to be Gwinnifer, the Guinevere of legend. In an effort to establish both trade relations and military alliances, Arthur sends Clothar back to Gaul, where he negotiates a deal with locals to train them in the stringent and effective Camulodian style of warfare to fend off an invasion of Huns. Clothar and Arthur also become aware of Mordred, Arthur's son produced from a tryst with the woman Morag, who unbeknownst to Arthur was his half-sister.
The story progresses well for the vast majority of the book, with Whyte's standard granular level of detail of life in post-Roman Britain and Gaul combined with a plot simply laden with action and adventure. I will say that after reading through nine novels in the series, I felt that the conclusion seemed a bit abrupt, leaving off a number of the side-quests and major plotlines of the later stages of Arthur's reign as depicted in the original Arthurian sources (Mabinogion, Chretien de Troyes, etc.) -- and for this reason, I took away one star from a perfect five-star review. That said, this book, and indeed the entire series, is incredibly satisfying to read, and I recommend it strongly.
I did not note any major editorial issues with grammar, spelling, or syntax, so I'm pleased to note that, after a few books in the middle of the series strayed from a good final revision, this concluding entry finished with a good, clean copy.
As I've noted in reviews of all the others in this series, this has rapidly become my favorite modern series dealing with the Arthurian legend, so I can't recommend it highly enough to fans of the Matter of Britain, historical fiction, or adventure stories.
The final book in Whyte's Camulod series is once again told from the point of view of Lancelot, or Clothar the Frank, as he follows Arthur, now at least the nominal High King of all Britain, to secure his realm, threatened by forces from the north of the isle. Along the way, Clothar helps Arthur establish and refine an order of Knights Companion from the best and brightest of the various parts of the armies of Camulod. Clothar and Arthur also run into a young girl named "Maia," the tomboyish sister of a potential queenly match for Arthur, who of course is later discovered to be Gwinnifer, the Guinevere of legend. In an effort to establish both trade relations and military alliances, Arthur sends Clothar back to Gaul, where he negotiates a deal with locals to train them in the stringent and effective Camulodian style of warfare to fend off an invasion of Huns. Clothar and Arthur also become aware of Mordred, Arthur's son produced from a tryst with the woman Morag, who unbeknownst to Arthur was his half-sister.
The story progresses well for the vast majority of the book, with Whyte's standard granular level of detail of life in post-Roman Britain and Gaul combined with a plot simply laden with action and adventure. I will say that after reading through nine novels in the series, I felt that the conclusion seemed a bit abrupt, leaving off a number of the side-quests and major plotlines of the later stages of Arthur's reign as depicted in the original Arthurian sources (Mabinogion, Chretien de Troyes, etc.) -- and for this reason, I took away one star from a perfect five-star review. That said, this book, and indeed the entire series, is incredibly satisfying to read, and I recommend it strongly.
I did not note any major editorial issues with grammar, spelling, or syntax, so I'm pleased to note that, after a few books in the middle of the series strayed from a good final revision, this concluding entry finished with a good, clean copy.
As I've noted in reviews of all the others in this series, this has rapidly become my favorite modern series dealing with the Arthurian legend, so I can't recommend it highly enough to fans of the Matter of Britain, historical fiction, or adventure stories.
October 23, 2022
A nice book, although I ended the series with the feeling that I finally got very little information about Arthur's reign
The narrator, Clothar, spends most of the novel outside of Britain - in Gaul - on interesting but secondary missions compared to the main plot prepared and announced during the first six books: the reign of King Arthur. Just as Clothar regularly complains that he receives little information about what is happening in Britain, I have the feeling that I finished the series without really knowing what Arthur's reign was like.
Entire years are summed up in a few lines. Unlike all the other books in the series, the narrator is not present at almost any of the major events in the kingdom and in Arthur's life - apart from the creation of the order of knights. Apart from the opening scene, most of his interactions with Arthur take place in Camulod or by mail.
I also regretted the little space left to Gwinnifer and Mordred: their characters are introduced, slightly developed but only contributing in a very secondary or indirect way to the plot. Apart from Gwinnifer’s decision not to produce an heir, they do not perform any action of the first rank.
Paradoxically, in the context of the series as a whole, Arthur himself is reduced to a secondary character in comparison to Publius Varus and Merlyn Britannicus. More distant, he is less endearing. For want of having been around him enough, his death affects the reader less than the failure of his ancestors' project. This failure is also frustrating: Camulod's sudden collapse, like a house of cards, is difficult to understand and seems out of step with the gradual domination achieved over several thousand pages... Although we know from the outset that the story to come is one of failure, the reader would be entitled to expect a more detailed, if not more tragic, causality than a simple arithmetic relationship: "there were too many enemies finally". Whereas the author's attachment to historical verisimilitude is appreciable throughout the series, the distant and anti-climatic circumstances of Arthur’s and Camulod's disappearances are a bit of a disappointment.
All in all, this 9th opus is a pleasant adventure novel to read - a positive surprise after the rather disappointing 8th opus - which closes a fascinating and highly enjoyable series that we leave with great regret! … and somehow hungry with the feeling of having barely scratched the surface of the story of Arthur's reign.
The narrator, Clothar, spends most of the novel outside of Britain - in Gaul - on interesting but secondary missions compared to the main plot prepared and announced during the first six books: the reign of King Arthur. Just as Clothar regularly complains that he receives little information about what is happening in Britain, I have the feeling that I finished the series without really knowing what Arthur's reign was like.
Entire years are summed up in a few lines. Unlike all the other books in the series, the narrator is not present at almost any of the major events in the kingdom and in Arthur's life - apart from the creation of the order of knights. Apart from the opening scene, most of his interactions with Arthur take place in Camulod or by mail.
I also regretted the little space left to Gwinnifer and Mordred: their characters are introduced, slightly developed but only contributing in a very secondary or indirect way to the plot. Apart from Gwinnifer’s decision not to produce an heir, they do not perform any action of the first rank.
Paradoxically, in the context of the series as a whole, Arthur himself is reduced to a secondary character in comparison to Publius Varus and Merlyn Britannicus. More distant, he is less endearing. For want of having been around him enough, his death affects the reader less than the failure of his ancestors' project. This failure is also frustrating: Camulod's sudden collapse, like a house of cards, is difficult to understand and seems out of step with the gradual domination achieved over several thousand pages... Although we know from the outset that the story to come is one of failure, the reader would be entitled to expect a more detailed, if not more tragic, causality than a simple arithmetic relationship: "there were too many enemies finally". Whereas the author's attachment to historical verisimilitude is appreciable throughout the series, the distant and anti-climatic circumstances of Arthur’s and Camulod's disappearances are a bit of a disappointment.
All in all, this 9th opus is a pleasant adventure novel to read - a positive surprise after the rather disappointing 8th opus - which closes a fascinating and highly enjoyable series that we leave with great regret! … and somehow hungry with the feeling of having barely scratched the surface of the story of Arthur's reign.
August 16, 2025
DNF at around the 50% mark.
The Eagle is the final book in Jack Whyte's "Camelud Chronicles", a retelling of the Arthurian legend set in post-Roman Britain. While it's the final novel in the series, it provides enough exposition to serve as a stand-alone story -- which is helpful, since I haven't read any of the other Camelud books.
The Eagle provides an interesting take on the Arthurian legend, essentially setting him in the time just after the Romans have withdrawn from Britain, trying to unite the various tribes and fend off encroaching Saxons and Northmen. Lancelot (here named Clothar) serves as the narrator and protagonist.
While the concept was interesting, I gave up halfway through. The Eagle epitomizes "tell, don't show" in its prose. There are long chains of paragraphs where Lancelot is simply describing to the reader, through his own thoughts, all the historical and cultural background the readers need for the plot. Worse, Mr. Whyte uses a repeated narrative device where he will build up tension at the end of one chapter, and then jump ahead until after Lancelot knows the danger is over and he explains for the reader what happened. It kills all feelings of suspense in what might be some otherwise interesting plot developments.
Also, maybe the novel will tie things together at the end, but the first half unfolds as a series of unrelated anecdotes, with no central problems or worries for the characters.
Language: R
Violence: R
Sexuality: R
The Eagle is the final book in Jack Whyte's "Camelud Chronicles", a retelling of the Arthurian legend set in post-Roman Britain. While it's the final novel in the series, it provides enough exposition to serve as a stand-alone story -- which is helpful, since I haven't read any of the other Camelud books.
The Eagle provides an interesting take on the Arthurian legend, essentially setting him in the time just after the Romans have withdrawn from Britain, trying to unite the various tribes and fend off encroaching Saxons and Northmen. Lancelot (here named Clothar) serves as the narrator and protagonist.
While the concept was interesting, I gave up halfway through. The Eagle epitomizes "tell, don't show" in its prose. There are long chains of paragraphs where Lancelot is simply describing to the reader, through his own thoughts, all the historical and cultural background the readers need for the plot. Worse, Mr. Whyte uses a repeated narrative device where he will build up tension at the end of one chapter, and then jump ahead until after Lancelot knows the danger is over and he explains for the reader what happened. It kills all feelings of suspense in what might be some otherwise interesting plot developments.
Also, maybe the novel will tie things together at the end, but the first half unfolds as a series of unrelated anecdotes, with no central problems or worries for the characters.
Language: R
Violence: R
Sexuality: R
October 5, 2019
Equally good to the rest of the series. I guess I expected it to be Arthur's voice, but instead Clothar (Lancelot) finishes the tale so we get to hear what happened with him as well as with Arthur. Still some mystery and rumor surrounding Arthur :-).
Thought I was done but I see there is a prequel. Original title was apparently Vulcan's Laughter, and now it may be The Burning Stone - there are multiple titles for all the books depending where they were published/reissued... here's the best website I have found for giving the multiple titles :-)
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/ja... Enjoy.
Thought I was done but I see there is a prequel. Original title was apparently Vulcan's Laughter, and now it may be The Burning Stone - there are multiple titles for all the books depending where they were published/reissued... here's the best website I have found for giving the multiple titles :-)
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/ja... Enjoy.
January 14, 2018
Of all the Arthurian fiction I have read, Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles are probably the most realistic. The female characters diminish in importance, unfortunately, in the later books. I would have preferred to see more development of Gwennifer in The Eagle.
An enjoyable read, but I miss the magic and second sight that I find in Mary Stewart's retelling of the Arthurian legend.
An enjoyable read, but I miss the magic and second sight that I find in Mary Stewart's retelling of the Arthurian legend.
January 17, 2020
This is one of my favorite series written by a local man from my area. How I was turned onto this series is a story onto itself. The books in the a Dream of Eagles series are the authors take on the King Arthur Legends and he places the story in the context of actual historic events. I have read it twice and if I ever have the time I will read them all again.
September 24, 2018
So...Arthurian novels are a dime a dozen. I loved this whole series for its historical setting for the plausible ways in which Merlin and Arthur come to be without diminishing the other classic renderings.
October 12, 2021
Truly a masterpiece
This has been my favorite series of all time. It is bittersweet that this story ends. Masterfully woven into the Britannia when the legions were recalled and thus interwoven into the timeless tale of King Arthur.
This has been my favorite series of all time. It is bittersweet that this story ends. Masterfully woven into the Britannia when the legions were recalled and thus interwoven into the timeless tale of King Arthur.
November 22, 2022
I like Jack Whyte's writing and detail, he's great in writing about wars, battles, anduses of the time, however, the fact that all the spiritual and mystical aspects of the Arthurian legend are absent from these chronicles is a weak spot for me.
June 20, 2017
What a great series!
November 21, 2017
Best in the series, which surprised me after book 8.
December 20, 2017
Unlike other books in the series , this one isn't bogged down with over descriptive ramblings form the author , but even then , it is a long read with not a lot happening in it
July 23, 2018
What an amazingly series...Jack Whyte is a master!
March 15, 2019
As satisfying as the end to the saga as it was, I still cried through the last chapters.
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