Customer Reviews

The Skystone

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Jack Whyte has mixed legend with history to bring the best tales of the Arthurian myths.

The Skystone introduces the reader to Publius Varrus and Caius Britannicus, the founders of Camulod and Arthur's great grandfathers. The book is written from the eyes of a Roman soldier, Varrus, at the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire. Varrus meets Caius saving Caius' life while on duty in Africa. Varrus discovers Caius is to be his commander in Briton. A strong bond of friendship grows between the soldiers and Caius shares his dream with Varrus of starting his own colony in Briton. The end is coming, and once the Romans pull out of Briton, it's each man for himself to defend against the Saxons, Hiberians, and Scotii.

Jack Whyte has filled this book with plenty of military tactics, battles, politics and religion at the end of the 4th century to keep this book "real". He also introduces us to the birth of new weapons and defenses. This was the book I've been looking for ages to read. Fabulous!

I stumbled across this at my local library, while searching for another title. It is no suprise to me now that I cannot remember what else I was looking for, as the minute I opened this book I was immediately pulled into this intriguing world Jack Whyte has built.

Gaius Publius Varrus is a Roman soldier in the 4th century, traveling the world and fighting off pagan armies with his close friend and superior, Caius Brittanicus. In both men, a deep love for their empire, the Roman province of Britain, and each other drives them forward. All this would provide ample material for a good book, but Whyte has more up his sleeve.

The story really starts when Varrus leaves the army after a crippling wound leaves him unable to fight, at least by Roman standards. He travels home to Britain and begins pursuing his life-long ambition of becoming an iron-smith, which he does very happily and succesfully for some years. Britannicus also returns from the army a decade or so later, and although the reunion is sweet, a big problem looms on the horizon.

The Roman Empire is falling.

Thus beings this sweeping tale, filled with action, gore, sex, and plenty of intresting dialogue, characters, and places. As you follow Varrus and Britannicus as they attempt to build Camulod and save themselves, their friends, and their family from the ruin which will become their world, you will become hopelessly lost in these pages. So you might as well buy it and get it over with, so you can go on and read the other books in Jack Whyte's "Camulod Chronicles" series (which just keep getting better and better, by the way). A warning, however: material is extremely violent and sexual in some places, and probably is way too mature for anyone under 14. However, I don't think the sexuality or violence takes away from the story in the least, as some other critics have mentioned. Rather, I believe it only adds to the story to reveal important traits of Jack Whyte's characters.

Calling all lovers of historical novels,and in particular,Arthurian lovers---This is a wonderful book!It begins in Britain as the Roman legions are leaving,and we meet the 2 great grandfathers of King Arthur. The pace is incredible,the story plausible and the characters totally believable--real people with human foibles but of a very high standard of human expectations,and sets the scene for what is to follow.I can't wait to read all the other 4 books in this,The "Camulod" series.I promise that you won't be disappointed!

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.

It's very rare that you start reading a book and your interest is piqued after the very first paragraph! This book is extremely well written and the characters and descriptions make you feel like you are really in Roman Britain. I'd like to meet the main characters. They're very interesting people. I can't wait to read the second volume in the Dream of Eagles series!

The Skystone

The Skystone (A Dream of Eagles: Book 1)
by Jack Whyte
Penguin Canada, 1993
620 pages
ISBN: 0-14-017050-2
Mass Market Paperback
Historical Fiction

Centurion Publius Varrus and his General, Caius Britannicus, are on the verge of retirement from the finest fighting unit in the Roman Legion. Publius returns to the trade of his father as a smithy, and then joins Caius to build a defendable and self-sufficient colony in the heart of Britain. Hadrian's wall has been overrun and the Roman Empire is quickly sliding into ruin. Knowing Rome will eventually be forced to withdraw her legions from their island home, both men want to be prepared for the end of the world as they know it. Between the two of them they unknowingly set the stage for an independent Britain and one of the greatest legends of all time: Arthur and his sword Excalibur.

The Skystone is the first of the Camulod Chronicles, now known as A Dream of Eagles. Canadian author, Jack Whyte creates a cast of strong characters whom we meet through the eyes of an aged Publius, who is looking back over a lifetime of unprecedented change during the 5th century A.D.

This fabulous pre-Arthurian tale presents the first plausible explanation of the origins of the Arthurian legend I've ever come across. The names and places and people are all laid out for us in a fascinating depiction of a tumultuous time that made way for the world we know today. From an explanation as to the origins of the Lady of the Lake and the Pendragons, to a foreshadowing of the forging of Excalibur and, amidst it all, the vivid description of the end of an age, Whyte has written an entertaining, moving and unique novel that begins what may come to be accepted as the true story of that time-shrouded figure we all know as King Arthur.

The entire series of A Dream of Eagles is sitting on my shelf, and I can't wait to read each and every book.

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009

I ordered two books from Better world book. 2 cents for one and 25 cents for the other...i assumed they would be used books in worn condition but they came brand new and about 10 days ahead of the date i was expecting them....great first experience!

The Camulod Chronicles are amazing. This series is one of the most best I have ever read. Jack Whyte ties together the end of the Roman era with beginning of the dark ages in rich detail-- covering such things as the evolution from the short sword to the broad sword and the transformation from infantry to heavy calvary. While related to and providing the foundation for the King Arthur legend, these books tell their own story and are historically based. There are no wizards, dragons or anything magical -- everything has a rational historical basis. What the book details is invading hordes of saxons, wild bands of long bow carrying celts, ax wielding scots and at the center of it all a community, Camulod, based on roman ideals striving to survive in England after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Excellent reading, you can't put them down once you start. I finished the whole series in two months.

I fell upon this book completely by surprise. Arthur stories are great. I have read up to book 4. This series I particularly like how the author has grounded the arthur myths and beginnings in history. No over-the-top magic to be found, but that's what makes it great.

The series actually starts a few generations before Arthur. Though the books currently end with Arthur taking the throne, Jack Whyte has stated that he is continuing work on the series till its rightful end.

Plenty goodies to be told and retold.

When I first saw this book my initial reaction was "Not another take on the King Arthur myth!" Now that I've read it, I must say, this isn't just another take on the myth. This is the Arthur Myth in a whole new light.

Jack Whyte presents Caius Brittanicus and Publius Varrus, the Roman forbearers of King Arthur and founders of Camulod. the novel starts off with the penetration of Hadrians wall by the Barbarian Hordes and takes us up to the end of the 4th Century. In it you will meet Picus Brittanicus, father of Merlin, and learn how Excalibur came to be. The characters are totally believeable and real. Each one has his/her faults as well as his/her strong points.

What I loved about this book is the fact that Whyte took his time and painstakingly recreated the Roman World. His description of the battles, the Roman Army, Roman life... It was all fantastic. This is more of a historical fiction than a fantasy novel, so if you are looking for wizards and warlocks, you will be disappointed.

I must say that some parts of this novel, and certainly in the ones that follow, contain "adult" themes. You might want to consider this before allowing young adults to read it.

Finally, the true measure of the first novel in a series is it's ability to get you excited about the next installment. As soon as I finished book one I immediately picked up book2, so it's a hit!