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From Amazon
The story of The Saxon Shore, the fourth novel in Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, is largely that of Merlyn, who continues his struggle to preserve the refuge of Camulod and protect the infant king, Arthur. Merlyn, in Whyte's version, is a fascinating mix of pragmatism and naïveté, blending the observational skills of Sherlock Holmes with the oratorical gifts of Marc Antony. Because he thinks a bit more deeply than most around him, thinking things through and staying a step ahead, it's easy to see how he gains a bit of a reputation as a magician. He also has his failings, most particularly an over-confidence that leads him to believe he is just as right about matters he is ignorant of (such as leprosy) as he is about things he actually understands. It's also interesting to note that Merlyn's failings are in many ways the failings of his community. Preserving Roman ways has meant preserving Roman attitudes toward outsiders and barbarians, and on a trip to Eire and a later journey through the south of Britain, Merlyn learns just how out of touch Camulod has become with its new neighbours.
Thus the story leads us inexorably to a new generation that knows little or nothing of Roman culture. In this way, The Saxon Shore continues with the same strength as preceding volumes. Jack Whyte's most splendid achievement is the creation of an historical period so well grounded in fact that the legend becomes real and Arthur lives again. --Greg L. Johnson --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.
From Publishers Weekly
The fourth book in Whyte's engrossing, highly realistic retelling of the Arthurian legend takes up where The Eagle's Brood (1997) left off. Narrated by Caius Merlyn Brittanicus from journals written at the end of the "wizard's" long life, this volume begins in an immensely exciting fashion, with Merlyn and the orphaned infant Arthur Pendragon in desperate straits, adrift on the ocean in a small galley without food or oars. They are saved by a ship commanded by Connor, son of the High King of the Scots of Eire, who takes the babe with him to Eireland until the return of Connor's brother Donuil, whom Connor believes has been taken hostage by Merlyn. The plot then settles into well-handled depictions of political intrigue, the training of cavalry with infantry and the love stories that inevitably arise, including one about Donuil and the sorcerously gifted Shelagh and another about Merlyn's half-brother, Ambrose, and the skilled surgeon Ludmilla. As Camulod prospers, Merlyn works hard at fulfilling what he considers his destinyApreparing the boy for his prophesied role as High King of all Britain. Whyte's descriptions, astonishingly vivid, of this ancient and mystical era ring true, as do his characters, who include a number of strong women. Whyte shows why Camulod was such a wonder, demonstrating time and again how persistence, knowledge and empathy can help push back the darkness of ignorance to build a shining futureAa lesson that has not lost its value for being centuries old and shrouded in the mists of myth and magic. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Dream of Eagles series (Saxon Shore),
By
This review is from: The Saxon Shore (A Dream of Eagles, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am someone very interested in the setting of these books. I'm interested in the roman empire, and it's fall. I'm interested in the dark ages. I'm interested in the Romano British. I'm interested in the ancient Celts of Britain, Hibernia, Wales, and Brittany who come before during and after the Roman conquests. I'm interested in the Saxons and Angles and other Germanic tribes. I'm also interested in the legends of king Arthur as well as historical tie ins to those legends. This series should have been just for me!I'll throw in that though I'm a fan of these topics, I'm not a historian on these times or peoples. I've never done a history degree, and though I touched on many historical readings of the dark ages, I have never done any thorough or academic research of the period. I don't claim to be an expert. I'll still state my observations and opinions. There were some things about this book that I liked. I liked learning a few things about roman Britain, where the cities were, and how the military was organized and such. However one thing the author wrote into this story made me doubt the historical accuracy of the rest of the book. There is an important character who comes from the Roman aristocracy, old blue blood of Rome if you will. He's not only born of old respected ancestry but also born into great wealth. He is introduced as a general. At one point in the book he says that his son is joining the Legions as a rank and file soldier, just like he did. Not as an officer, not with special privileges... a common foot soldier. I can not swallow that both he and his son joined the Roman legions as common legionnaires. From what little I know of late Roman society, aristocrats did not join the legions as common soldiers nor did common soldiers get promoted up to being generals. In this story I am asked to believe that this character of very high birth joined as a common foot soldier and worked his way up to commanding a legion through honest hard work and personal excellence. I'm also asked to believe that his son is embarking on the same path. I could be totally wrong but I feel the author is imposing modern western middle class values of hard work into a society where those values do not belong. In my mind it destroyed all credibility that the author possessed. Aside from making certain characters buy into modern values, and making me question the authenticity of the story, I do have other critical comments. I found the pacing odd. sometimes it glossed over long periods while at other times it was detailed. I suppose this is what happens when you tell a tale that goes over lifetimes and even generations. Personally I like tales of action and high adventure and at times I was disappointed when the narrator would summarize periods of great trial and conflict with very brief descriptions. This first books can be read as the life story of a man, a Roman veteran. but the focus of the story is more towards the end of his life as he starts to build a new community. This will be important in the later books. Afterwards it follows the stories of others who follow the ground work he helps to set. With the passing of one hero we begin to focus on another. i have not finished the series but I would not be surprised if the second hero who is focused on is eventually overshadowed by a third. But I can not say as I have not read that far. Overall I enjoyed the beginning, but lost interest as the books progressed until I just stopped reading them. I would not recommend it to anyone whole heartedly. I might reservedly recommend it to those who, like me, are interested in the historical setting that it takes place within. i may eventually pick it up again and continue reading. It wasn't horrible.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jack Whyte took out the fantasy of Arthur and put in reality,
By aeisenberg NDP World Lit 2 (Pontiac, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Saxon Shore (The Camulod Chronicles Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is my first review on amazon but I think the effort that will go into it is only half of what it should be because the Saxon Shore was such a good book that I will be hard pressed not to find things to say about it. The Saxon Shore is the fourth book to the Camulod serious written by Jack Whyte. They all are a fabulous blends of History and Arthurian legend. In this particular book gives a detailed account of Merlyn's life and how he became the wizard we all think of him as. It is a new look at an old legend from a point of view that should have been put to use long before Whyte came along. The change in Merlyn from man of myth and legend like other Arthurian novels to a man of arms with problems and sorrows just like anyone else places this book on a level of its own. Although it is a very long book it is worth nearly every minute. It is a fantasy book, history lesson, and a great way to spend a rainy day all put into one. If you have every fell in love with knights, chivalry, or kings this book will restore that childhood dream or if it never left keep it burning bright. I know it has done so for me. If you ever just want to get away form life and find like me that a book helps this one is great for just that purpose. It has the ability to take you out of this time and to place you thousands of years ago with the characters your reading about. It makes Arthur seem like he really existed rather then just a character for our enjoyment. I look forward to reading the rest of the serious as soon as possible.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but padded,
By
This review is from: The Saxon Shore (The Camulod Chronicles Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
While I enjoyed book 4 in this series,I can't help but feel that this is just a bridge between the days of the colony and what is obviously about to follow in book 5.The scenes are graphic and very well written and I have never before read historical works which spring to life in such reality.Mr Whyte is without doubt a master story teller but I just wanted to hurry through this one to get to "The Fort at River Bend" (which fortunately,I already possessed)
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