Enemy of God: The Epic Battle of Good vs. Evil in The Arthur Books #2

Manazon: When dealing with Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and the rest of that fabled group, i.e., The Dark Ages, there is much leeway for an author. Mr. Cornwall used all of that leeway to make strong statements about how this core of people could've, would've acted.

To say nothing of his filling out the other characters, both those who were real people in history, and the supporting characters both mentioned in historical documents and those created from whole cloth. This intertwining of possibilities to make a whole document, is very well done by Mr. C.

I do wish he could've filled out the characters with some more humanity understood by people in the present phase of society. Of course when he wrote this the Western societies & culture was so strong and accepted as 'real' and good, I understand how and why he wrote it this way. But in this world of 2023 with the modern attacks on Western Society by the heel-nippers and out dislike by many on the early-to-mid 20th century enemies of Western History, his works, as written, become targets of banning by libraries, even burning books saying too much praise for western, white society, that the younger generation has no basis...

United States on Sep 04, 2023

Mark: The author is fantastic at historical fiction. A different take on Arthur and his story. I love this author and would recommend any and every one of his works

United States on Aug 10, 2023

Aj Sanders: This series is one of my favorites of all times. Cornwell tells the story of Aurthur in a believable way and with superb storytelling skill. I have a problem putting his books down once I pick them up. Top 3 favorite authors of all time.

United States on Aug 08, 2023

ErskineMay: I had dismissed Bernard Cornwell as a lesser author of predictable prose, but the first two books in this trilogy have shown me how very wrong I was. Although imagined, because the period is so badly documented, they are compelling and feel really authentic. OK, they’re not masterpieces but they are very good indeed.

United Kingdom on Jul 31, 2023

Peter Grimwood: Love all Bernard Cornwell's stories but these trio are the best.

United Kingdom on Jul 27, 2023

Leslie DeLange: Arthur's story is still a tragedy, but I like this interpretation better than most. Arthur is a human hero with a wish for peace and justice. He spends his days working to achieve those goals for Britain. Unfortunately, he never seems to achieve either of those goals in his personal life. As usual, Cornwell's battles are detailed and spellbinding. His characters are intriguing; some very likeable, others not at all nice. I can't wait to start Book 3!

United States on Jul 15, 2023

Farhad Shawkat: Seamlessly continues the story from where we previously left off. Another five-star book in what is so far a perfectly written series. As I am not particularly biased towards previous versions of these characters and the Arthurian legend in general, can’t say there’s really anything at all that has bothered me, in terms of how the author has transformed events and characters to suit his narrative.

With every book of his that I read, Bernard Cornwell rises the ranks towards the top of the list of my favourite authors. It would be difficult for me to choose between The Winter King and Enemy of God – both are excellent. Another feature of this series is the prose and dialogue – This is the first time in all these years of reading books on a Kindle that I have finally decided to highlight quotes and paragraphs.

You will cheer your favourites on, you will despair at their most heart wrenching moments, and you will love this book. Once again, highest possible recommendation.

United Kingdom on May 13, 2022

Peter - The Reading Desk: The second book of the Warlord Chronicles, Enemy of God takes this epic Arthurian story up another notch. The political manoeuvrings, personal quests, mix of diverse personalities, and the unpredictable relationships between male and female characters, makes for captivating reading.

The compelling feature of this novel is the extent and depth of how characters are developed and how the plot is full of unique twists and surprises. Within this environment of hidden machinations and power struggles, Arthur is winning battles he feels he needs to fight and striking alliances where he can. His vision is a unified Britain that can defend against the Saxon invasions. While his war strategy can be clever, personal relationships often deteriorate which harbour resentment and retaliation.

Derfel narrates the story from a first-person perspective and it was very clever to create him as a new character (within the context of the traditional Arthur story) without preconceived baggage. Derfel is highly trusted by Arthur, not only for his loyalty but his capability to deliver on Arthur’s plans. He finds himself appointed Lord Derfel, Dumnonia’s Champion and betrothed to...

United Kingdom on Sep 17, 2019

CaroleQ: Enemy of God

The second in Bernard Cornwell’s trilogy of books dealing with King Arthur. Written again through the eyes of Derfla the former warrior turned monk it paints a picture of the mythological figure which bears little resemblance to the tales that came in later centuries.

Arthur strives to bring the Britons together under one leader in order to meet the challenge of their greater enemy the Saxons. He succeeds in achieving that though the resolution with the Saxons is not one he would have personally liked and he fears it will only give them a temporary peace.

Merlin continues his quest for the treasures of Britain and he and Derfla have to put themselves into extreme peril to gain some of them. Merlin believes that used properly the treasures will be an asset in restoring the Britons to their true place as leaders of Britain. Just when it appears that all is falling into place the treasures go missing.

Derfla has now settled down and with that new status comes major responsibilities. He now has a family and their well-being and safety is paramount. He also has the responsibility of raising the boy-king Mordred which is not without his...

United Kingdom on Jun 27, 2018

Paladin75: This is the second in the Arthurian trilogy as written by Bernard Cornwell. This is a must read for anyone interested in Arthurian lore; it is quite possibly the best rendition of Arthur I've ever read, and I've read more than a few sagas featuring Arthur. Most people, when they think of Arthur will either reference the Chretien de Troyes work (which did serve to revitalize interest in Arthur, and he took his inspiration from the older Welsh traditions) or the John Boorman movie, Excalibur, which was partially based on de Troyes' work. I read de Troyes' work as a kid, and then years later as an adult, I picked up a more literal translation. If I could sum that up in one word, it'd be "flowery". Small wonder that the concept of chivalry should be born from it as it tells tales of impossible feats by impossibly courteous and solicitous men who are also trained killers. Still, since the age of ten I've always wanted to be a knight and who better than a knight of the Table Round?

Anyhow, as I've gotten older, my taste in literature has made a predictable curve toward more realistic fare- that is not to say that I do not love fantasy because I do- whether it is in games, movies...

United States on Nov 13, 2014