The Winter King

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

"You think the world is simple, that good is good and bad is bad, that up is up and down is down."

This is a novel that retells the story of King Arthur and Merlin.

But it's told through the eyes of an orphan and soldier, Derfel.

I love that perspective because he's down to earth and insightful, even though he's somewhat biased toward his 'heroes.' Again, a story where you think you know who is good and who is evil, but it's more complex.

This is a fictional account of King Arthur, fantasy and historical fiction combined. It's well written and a great story of the early history of Britain that we think of as the “Dark Ages.” The novel makes this era come alive with all the factions fighting and the religious changes from pagan beliefs as Christianity starts to take hold.

I also loved the "Merlin" character. Funny, witty, self-deprecating, and an obsession with cheese.

And if you enjoy it like I did, it’s Book 1 of a trilogy so you can keep the fantasy/historical fiction fun going!