Customer Reviews

The Sorcerer, Vol. 2: Metamorphosis (A Dream of Eagles, Book 6)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first book in the series was amazing, now on the sixth book I cannot force myself to finish. Whyte spends too much time on mundane details, very slow moving, very difficult to finish.

First off, I love the way Mr. Whyte writes. It's been a while since I last found a series of modern works worth reading, and the Camulod series really satisfies the true reader. The words fly through the brain effortlessly and the thousands of pages are turned with amazing speed. A good read, and that is no lie. But! After all that, I am gravely disappointed that Arthur was not given more attention. This book, and this series, just ended - WHAM! Halfway through "Sorcerer," I panicked. Arthur was still only 15. That was when I finally excepted that Jack had no intention of telling the actual Arthur story. He instead has told the events leading up to the Arthur legend - the story of the making of Camelot. He has left the actual Arthur story largely untold. I guess this is what he intended, and I will not blame him, yet I am left languishing for the actual tales of Arthur in his manhood. Maybe... just maybe... there will be another book after "Uther" ??? I can always hope... In any event, I am a Jack Whyte fan and promote his work shamelessly.

Having just finished book 6 "The Sorcerer" I feel totally sated as though I've eaten a very rich chocolate mousse to finish off a banquet of many courses. Jack Whytes very plausible explanations of the"sword in the stone" tale and other of his rounding off of characters is brilliant.I've still got book 7 to get but maybe a short pause to digest the previous books will be in order and I'll save "Uther" for another day.

Although this is ostensibly a review of "The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis", it in actuality covers all six books of the series to date ("The Skystone", "The Singing Sword", "The Eagles' Brood", "The Saxon Shore", "The Fort at River's Bend", and "The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis"), primarily focusing on the last two. This series, The Camulod Chronicles, outlines the story of King Arthur as it might have been in a historical perspective, beginning with the end of the Roman occupation of Britain. If there were such a person as Arthur, he would have lived during this time. Most likely, he was a composite character, based on some of the more influential warlords and petty kings of the day. As an aside, I am reminded of a vacation in southern England that my family took in 1995. My sons, who were 11 and 13 at the time, could not understand my excitement in viewing the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, asking "How can this be the birthplace of someone who never was?" But, that's a different story. . .

The first two books of the series, which outlined the founding of Camulod (or Camelot) and Avalon and the forging of the sword Excalibur, were told from the viewpoint of an old Roman soldier. The last two books, which detail the birth of Arthur and his early boyhood years, are told from the viewpoint of Merlin, or, "Merlyn" in the Chronicles. The last two books, which detail Arthur's adolescence and subsequent coronation as High King of Britain, are also told from Merlyn's point of view. As an avid reader of Arthurian legend and all its various retellings, let me tell you that the character of Merlin is probably one of the most varied of them all, probably due to the fact that he was actually a minor character in Mallory. Hence, the details are free to be filled in by the current chronicler. Merlin ranges from an evil wizard living backward in time to a benevolent sorcerer to merely a human being who is just a little smarter than most. The most esoteric version of Merlin can be found in Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle in which Merlin is the son of Charis, the last princess of Atlantis, and Taliesen, the greatest of the Celtic Bards. Except for the exotic birth, Jack Whyte's Merlyn has much in common with Lawhead's Merlin in that both were mortal men, though a little larger than life in that they were fierce warriors, outstanding field generals, and outstanding scholars. Also, neither possessed the true gift of magic, though they were believed to by the masses of humanity. In the sixth book, we are also given a glimpse into Merlyn's future as he begins to withdraw from the public eye, just as Arthur begins his ascendancy into it.

The Camulod Chronicles begin earlier than Mallory's "Le Morte D'Arthur", in a time that historically did occur, hence the tales carry an air of realism. The descriptions of the Roman influence on Britain in the late Fourth and early Fifth centuries are fascinating. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the pages just keep on turning. The story is easy to follow as well as fun. There are those critics who complain that some of the dates given are inaccurate, as well as some of the situations. As Don Henley sang, "Get over it." This is historical fiction at it's finest, with the emphasis on fiction. Granted, there are differences between this series and others of its kind, but the abundant variety of viewpoints and details are what make Arthurian literature the great store that it is. For the most part, the common characters that the Camulod Chronicles share with other retellings are true to form, though the treatment of Vortigern is more sympathetic than any other I can recall.

As I type this, I am awaiting the arrival of the seventh book of the series, "Uther". I will keep reading these books as long as Mr. Whyte keeps writing them. So far, I consider this to be among the best Arthurian series' I have ever read. I would recommend them to anyone who has an interest in the Arthurian legend, anyone who has an interest in historical fiction, or both. As a bonus, anyone who likes these books would most likely like Stephen Lawhaead's Pendragon Cycle and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. The order you read them in is not important, though somewhere in the mix you should read Mallory to see where it all began. I love Arthurian fiction and fact, and, after reading these books, I'm sure a lot of the rest of you will, too.

I loved the first four books of Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, but apparently he lost his way in Fort At River's Bend (book 5). Now in Sorcerer, he has recovered quite a bit, but still fails to hold a candle to his previous works.

Finally, Whyte resolves dozens of our expectations and dangling questions. Certain characters have died, as we knew they must. Camulod is becoming less Roman, and more like the Arthurian Britain we all know. Merlin has now become the sorcerer, and Arthur has pulled the sword from the stone and become King of all Britain.

Unfortunately, the manner in which he did all this... left me far from impressed. While Whyte had spent immense detail on every little meaningless event in previous books, he then chaotically rushed through these MAIN events we have been waiting for since The Skystone.

It's a shame, but after six books- I am no longer interested in how this series will turn out.

It is not often that I find a book, let alone a series, that remains in my thoughts for weeks after finishing it, but this one did.

Jack Whyte has been criticized some in this forum for his weak character developement, but I can't see it. He did such a great job of creating his characters and making me love them that I felt very real shock and grief when both Dedalus and Ambrose died. I kept fearing that Donuil would be next! I had to keep reading to make sure the people I had grown to love through the books made it!

I will say that as a woman, I was a bit bored by the seemingly endless battles and battle strategies, but I can see that they were necessary to the story. I did find the weaponry and descriptions of sword crafting very interesting, and it opened my eyes to things I've never wondered at before.

Thank you, Jack Whyte, for your totally plausible, exceptionally well-written interpretation of a wonderful legend. Of the 6 months I spent savouring your words, I wouldn't say a moment of it was wasted time.

This is (I think) the sixth volume in the series. Now after something like 3000 pages we have just gotten to the Sword in the Stone episode, Arthur now being about 18 years old. I shouldn't say this, but the author is not a young man -- he dedicates one of the books to his grandchildren. Here's long life to you, Jack!

The series is compulsively readable, however. As a member of some King Arthur clubs on the Internet, I have been taken to task for liking these books. They say they are historically inaccurate, in, for example, the same sense that the movie Gladiator was criticized for showing the Romans using fire-shooting catapults on a campaign in the northern German forests. Also, there is no evidence that the British at this time used cavalry to great advantage because they had discovered stirrups. Well, la-di-da. Who cares? It READS convincingly as pseudo-history, and that's all that matters in this sort of story. The latest one is particularly good, after two or three dull ones.

The author had a new slant on the Uther/Ygraine tradition that was really good, and there are other felicities. There's also a lot of boring dreck. On the whole, though, a good series.

I am enjoying Jack Whyte's version of this archetypal saga very much. I have read quite a few different versions and interpretations of the Arthur epic. I think the scot version is as good as any others I have read, despite the nit-picky reviews this series has gotten on these pages. If you love the story then you should hear it from as many sources and opinions and historic angles as possible, yes? No one will ever know the actual facts, but everyone knows the archetype;(that is what archetypes are all about anyway), this one is a constant in our society, and mass consciousness. Long live the King.

So the magnificent saga from a roman general's dream to a self-sufficient kingdom in Britain drew to and end after a long and thorough story. One more part is needed to make the circle full, Merlyn started at least one of his volumes referring to Arthur dying in his arms an the kingdom in ruins, but in a way the main story ends here: the king is given his singing sword. I felt sad when it ended. This volume is vintage Whyte, with action following logically from whatever has taken place earlier. Somehow, however, some of the changes seem forced, with Merlyn striking his head or getting sick just at a crucial junction to send the story on a new route. Besides, magical visions, such as the meeting with Ironhair do not belong in a story that is just a description of what happened. Too much supernatural coincidences make the rest less believeable, and a deus ex machina or a dream seem too easy ways out of a tight spot. However, Merlyn's revenge in the war in Cambria is a magnificent part of the plot and covers other problems. I still wondre about the leprosy, it never got anywhere further than Merlyn's own thoughts. If, and when, the final part of Merlyn's story reaches the end, I would also like a more detailed map to keep track on what happened where. At this stage, I envy those who have yet to discover this magnificent interpretation of what could have been.....

Whyte continues a familiar story with quite a different approach.

Merlyn Brittanicus continues his tireless journey to make a High King out of young Arthur but finds his carefully thought-out plans disrupted by his long time nemisis Peter Ironhair. Consumed by his deep hatred for Ironhair, Merlyn set out to destroy his enemy once and for all at all costs. If you have read the first books of the series, you will remember Publius Varrus' similar determination when he dealt with Seneca.

This final chapter manages to provide a seemingly logical ending to the Camulod Chronicles series. However, you get the feeling that Whyte tried too hard to link too many of the past events from his earlier five books to this final book so that he gloss over certain events. That just leaves readers feeling that something is missing. Certainly, it does not give you the same feeling as when you finish reading Book One - The Skystone.

For those readers who prefer a more wholesome ending to the Arthur / Merlin story, Mary Stewart and Bernard Cornwell's series are highly recommended.