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.
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