Books : The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9)

Rating: - A Most Remarkable Series
Uther (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 7)The Skystone (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 1)The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9)The Lance Thrower (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 8)The Singing Sword (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 2)The Eagles' Brood (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 3)The Saxon Shore (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 4)The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 6)The Fort at River's Bend (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 5)Uther (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 7)
A truly exciting series. Incredibly well written. In the backdrop of the story, it provides one with an eye-opening view of a period in history known by most of us only through the eyes of Hollywood. Not only is this a remarkable concept of an old legend filled with the years of Mr. Whyte's labor in researching life during that era, but told in a way that keeps the reader enrapt in the reading and always anxious for more. Thank you Mr. Whyte

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Rating: - A disappointment
When I finished reading the Eagle, the last of the Camulod series by Jack Whyte, I was disappointed. After reading the previous books in the series I expected to get up close with King Arthur. Instead I got a look at the world through the eyes and experiences of Lance. It was interesting but not at all what I expected.
In every book in the series Whyte seems to delight in minute detail on mundane aspects of the story and only in the last chapter does he get to the meat of the tale. Then he wraps everything up nice a tidy but without the flavor that I would expect.

I enjoyed the Knights of Black and White and am currently reading the follow up Standard of Honor. Perhaps Whyte is a better story teller now.

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Rating: - Inconsistent End to a Superlative Saga
While the background and environment Jack Whyte has so meticulously unfolded over the Camulod Chronicles remains as intact and believable as before, the characterization and ultimate humanity of the story itself left much to be desired.

It is clear, even from the author's notes and prologue, that any Arthurian story was going to be around the central relationship triangle. However, the "Shining Light of Camelot (Camulod)" was never really realized in the Eagle. I felt that Jack Whyte had created and lived with such a wonderful character in the form of Caius Merlyn Britannicus that any Arthur character would be anticlimactic at best. One gets the impression walking away from The Eagle that Whyte left his true story at the end of The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis with the iconic moment of Arthur being crowned Riothamus.

Perhaps it's too painful to write the dissolution of the ideal of Camulod, but the pathos and purposeful philosophy of the characters is simply lost in The Eagle.

For what it's worth, taking the Eagle as a purely stand-alone novel outside of the Chronicles themselves would ease the expectation.

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Rating: - Good but not as good as I expected.
I deeply love and respect the scholarship and writing of the Camulod Chronicles. I am a high school English teacher and have reached the stage that I cannot read some writer"s works, especially if they have poor style. However, the style of Whyte's latest work is the same and the writing is wonderful as is the research. However, he seems to have run out of steam. The book does answer all unanswered questions and has a much more plausible ending than many of the "Arthur" books and short stories I have read. I also think that anyone who can write 9 books in a series deserves many, many kudoes. Bless you, Jack Whyte. I recommend your series to all my sophomore students who are also interested in King Arthur.

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Rating: - The Eagle: a great ending for a great series
I have always been a huge fan of the Merlyn - King Arthur mythology. I have read many series and books. I purchased the Whyte 9 volume set and spent the last month reading them. By far the Camulod series is my all time favorite. I never get choked up over fiction, but the final 3 words in "The Eagle" brought tears to my eyes. I have to admit that I will be Camulod withdrawal for awhile.

I have to respectfully disagree with the other reviews posted. I gave this book a five star rating and I am so glad that I ignored the negative reviews. In the 9 series books we have 8 written in the 1st person, and 1 (Uther) in the 3rd. That translates to the fact that 1st person books are more than just a narrative, they are the PERSONAL narrative of the author and is therefore naturally more about the author and their experiences than any other. In the final two books of the Camulod series the author is Clothar, returning to Britain after an absence of many years, and he lets you know he is the sole survivor of the Knights Companion of Arthur in the opening pages of his memoirs. The Knights Companion receive little attention in the previous books as well, as Merlyn writes about Arthur and the politics of the time and not about the personal adventures of the Knights. So it puzzles me that the other reviewers would be disappointed in the final book. This is Clothar's story of his service and personal friendships as a Knight Companion to the High King of Britain. It is not a story about the other Knights Companions and was never intended to serve in that capacity. Before and particularly after Arthur is wounded, the High King faces his mortality, his responsibility to his kingdom, and that he ensure that it survive him. What better way to ensure the survival of a kingdom but to make peace with your neighbors, to establish trade, to make alliances far and wide: with Anglians, the Scots, the Franks in Gaul etc.. Indeed, Arthur is pleased that his British troops are marrying and having families in Gaul. When Arthur is requested to send an emissary to Gaul, he is eager to do so. He returns Clothar to Gaul, because he is the only logical candidate among his Knights to send. Indeed with the collapse of Camulod after Arthur's death, his service in Gaul ensures that the legend of Arthur and the Knights Companion would survive. Where else would the mythology of King Arthur and His Knights and his beloved Queen survive? I particularly appreciated the treatment that the author gave to the so-called love triangle of the High King, his queen, and Clothar. I never could understand how a Knight sworn to fealty to his High King could so ultimately betray him, and yet be forgiven and rewarded with Queen's hand in marriage. That part of the Hollywood and other author's Camelot stories always troubled me greatly. So I thank Jack Whyte for his version of how the story could have been. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Jack Whyte makes the point many times throughout the series that stories are embellished with each retelling of a story. Remember Clothar's extreme frustration when he finally meets Merlyn and tells him all the variant and wild stories he heard of the High King's first battle against the mass invasion and his efforts to sift the truth from the fanciful narratives. At the end, Clothar doesn't have Merlyn to tell him what happened in Britain, so he repeats the tales and knows that there are seeds of truth in each tale that he repeats. It would be illogical for the narrative to end in any other way. This is a repeating theme throughout the series, separating the truth from the fiction and it prepares the reader for the way the series ends. Examples of this abound throughout the series: Ambrosius pretending to Merlyn, Merlyn the sorcerer appearing two places at once is just one, Clothar trying to understand the divine gift of Excalibur etc. Jack Whyte grounds his series in reality and history of the times, in the superstitious awe of a population of humanity struggling to create a civilization out of anarchy.

The politics of the time, and the creation of a High King, endorsed by the Christian Church, paved the way for future Kings and Queens of Britain, to where the Church held great power in Britain. To the extent that King James in an effort to supersede the Church in Rome had the Bible rewritten and named "King James Bible" which is still in use today. King James wanted more power from the Church in Rome. Jack Whyte laid a foundation in history for such a relationship between political leaders and religion, to develop in the tug-of-war for power that continued for the succeeding generations of future monarchs of Britain.

The reviewers want more stories of the Knights Companion. I do too.
How about it Jack? "Uther" stands alone from the series, it didn't have to be written, but it answered many questions that Merlyn did not have answers to, and added greatly to the Camulod series. Perhaps if all the fans beg nicely, Jack Whyte will consider giving us a series of Camulod books based on the personal stories of the Knights Companions. Please Jack??!!?!?!?!!!!!