Bernard Cornwell’s King Arthur Trilogy
After finishing his Last Kingdom Saxon Stories series, I was eager to read The King Arthur Trilogy by Bernard Cornwell. The King Arthur Trilogy features three books covering the story of Nennius, one of the earliest historians to mention Arthur, and the rise of the mythical King Arthur. Written in the dramatic detail Bernard Cornwell does best, this Arthurian series is a must-read for any British historical fiction lover.
This post is a part of my What to Read series, where I share themed reading lists and book guides based on genre, time period, theme, or author.
You can peruse more of my What to Read reading guides here!
The Books in The King Arthur Trilogy
This Arthurian series features three books: The Winter King, Enemy of God, and Excalibur. The books were originally published in the 1990s, so there are a lot of cover variations out there.
A Note on the Series’ Name
It should be noted that the series is sometimes called The Warlord Chronicals. For example, there’s a Kindle edition under that name. This causes a bit of confusion with a similarly titled volume from Bernard Cornwell’s Last Kingdom Saxon Stories* series.
*Relatedly, The Last Kingdom series used to be called simply The Saxon Stories series. However, with the popularity of The Last Kingdom show, the series is now referred to by the name of the show. You can read more about this series from Bernard Cornwell here.
Descriptions of The King Arthur Trilogy Books by Bernard Cornwell
The Winter King
The novel is set in Dark Age Britain in a land where Arthur has been banished and Merlin has disappeared, where a child-king sits unprotected on the throne, where religion vies with magic for the souls of the people. It is to this desperate land that Arthur returns, a man at once utterly human and truly heroic; a man who loves Guinevere more passionately than he should; a man whose life is at once tragic and triumphant.
Enemy of God
Having defeated the last holdouts of civil war in southern Britain, Arthur has secured Mordred’s throne. But he must still face raging conflicts between the old ways and the new, as well as foes more powerful and more dangerous–because they pose as friends.
Excalibur
The unforgettable tale of Arthur’s final struggles against the Saxons and his last attempts to triumph over a ruined marriage and ravaged dreams as forces both earthly and unearthly threaten everything Arthur stands for. Peopled by princesses and bards, by warriors and magicians, Excalibur is the story of love, war, loyalty, and betrayal.
My Thoughts on The King Arthur Novels
I listened to this series on Audible and found myself purposely choosing to tidy up around the house so I could listen to the audiobooks all day long. They were truly that engrossing! Once I listened to the first volume, I was quick to pick up books two and three.
There are many characters in the series that will be familiar to lovers of the Arthurian legend. There is Merlin, of course, and Guinevere, plus pesky Lancelot and other well-known knights of the round table. However, the characters themselves are so much richer than I have seen before. Their stories are incredibly well thought-out and motives described with keen detail.
The novels are narrated by Nennius, one of the earliest historians to mention Arthur. Though the narrator and Cornwall’s trademark historical research, the series combines the best part of early British historical analysis with historical fiction.
Where to Buy The King Arthur Trilogy Novels
The King Arthur Trilogy books are available individually from Amazon or Bookshop.org (linked in the images below). They are also available as a paperback set, or as a three-part kindle series via Amazon here. I highly recommend listening to the books as audiobooks; the narrator from the series on Audible did a great job!
Looking for more great historical reads?
Be sure to check out my historical fiction reading list here!
