Customer Reviews

Uther (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 7)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After finishing the first six books of the Camulod Chronicles, I was both delighted and confused to see that the publication of a seventh book was imminent. Delighted because I regard Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles to be one of the best retellings of the Arthurian legend, confused because the title was "Uther". By the end of book 6, "The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis", Uther is long dead and his son Arthur just installed as High King of all of Britain. I ignored the anachronism and ordered the book anyway.

My faith in Jack Whyte was rewarded as "Uther" turned out to be one of the crowning jewels (sick pun intended) of the Camulod Chronicles. In the time line, "Uther" covers the same period as book 3 of the series, "The Eagle's Brood". Where "The Eagle's Brood" was told from the point of view of Merlyn, "Uther" is told from the point of view of. . . Uther. I suppose this book can be considered an alternative historical fiction, but I won't go there. . .

This book continues in the same sweeping, luxurious style of the others in the series with the only difference being in narration. The first two books were narrated by Publius Varrus, the next four my Merlyn himself. The all-seeing, all-knowing author narrates "Uther", and I feel that this point of view offers a nice change of pace in the series and works well. Although this book covers the same time period as a previous installment, the overlap of actual events is minimal. In "The Eagle's Brood", Merlyn regards Uther as a pariah. In "Uther", we are given the balancing story in which some of the major mysteries from earlier in the Chronicles are solved.

Overall, the whole series is different from most in its handling of Uther. In the original Mallory and all of the retellings I had read up to this one, the character of Uther is not a particularly well-developed one. He appears as almost an incidental character who co-incidentally sired Arthur. If he is given any ink, as in Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy, it is to describe him as a brusque, brutal, and lustful creature with no redeeming qualities other than his great physical strength and prowess as a warrior. Mr. Whyte has made Uther into a man of high nobility, deserving of our respect, admiration, and sympathy. And, this is only fitting if we are to consider that his son Arthur was renown for his nobility, personal strength, and sense of justice. Although Arthur never knew Uther as an adult, we all grow up hearing that the fruit seldom falls far from the tree.

I have read dozens of retellings of the Arthurian saga, and am nowhere near having my fill. I regard the Camulod Chronicles as one of the best. I look forward to reading book 8 of the chronicles as soon as it is written.

In Uther, Jack Whyte attempts to tie up all the tantalizing threads that he left dangling at the end of The Eagle's Brood. He does his best to explain the enigma of Uther, solve the mystery of Deirdre's brutal murder, and clarify the vague circumstances of Arthur's parentage. He makes a valiant effort, but comes up short.

It isn't a dismal failure. Jack Whyte is, after all, a remarkable writer. But it's difficult to write yourself out of a corner, and he'd boxed himself in pretty tightly at the end of Eagle's Brood. What he gives us here is at least one new character, Nemo, who is almost completely unsympathetic and whose actions are utterly bizarre and incomprehensible despite Whyte's efforts to provide good motivation. As for Uther, Whyte has only limited success at demystifying his erratic personality, mostly because the author is forced to use the third person in order to tell this part of the tale. His previous books, which are first person narratives, are much more immediate and visceral.

There are other disappointments, as well. The love scenes are painful reading, but mercifully short. Whyte's battle scenes, although written with the same painstaking detail as in previous books, are difficult to wade through here. The outcome is a given, and the slow progress of Uther's troops is laborious and layered in dread. This is one time where I would have appreciated a little less detail.

What does the author do right? He immerses us, once again, in a world that is brutal and black and frightening and that strikes me, anyway, as utterly realistic. Against that backdrop he sets human beings who are trying to make sense of it all, trying to create a civilization out of chaos. In this book, as in all the others, he takes myth and roots it firmly in history. It's a worthy effort, just not his best.

When his father died, Uther became King of Cambria ruling over the feral Pendragon tribes. At around the same time his cousin Caius Merlyn Britannicus becomes the monarch in Camulod.

However, Uther's life as the sovereign of Cambria is wrought with constant skirmishes with his offensive neighbor King Lot of Cornwall. Uther travels all over England on adventures that would destroy a lesser person especially his fights against the treacherous Lot. Still, Uther falls in love with his arranged bride, Ygraine of Ireland. Surprisingly, she returns his feelings even though she mistrusts males after being a victim of the bellicose Lot. Their love culminates with the birth of the future king.

UTHER: THE CAMULOD CHRONICLES is a fascinating look at the Arthurian legend by focusing on Arthur's parents mostly his sire. The plot is cleverly designed so that the story of the house of Uther fits quite comfortably within the previously established legend as scribed by Jack Whyte in his other Camulod Chronicles. This is a must read by Arthurian fans as is the previous works in this series, especially THE EAGLE'S BROOD (Merlyn's companion tale).

Harriet Klausner

At seven volumes, Whyte's Camulod Chronicles are already well fleshed-out, and the young Arthur Pendragon has just become king. While I hope that we will have another seven volumes on Arthur's reign, I found myself underwhelmed by Whyte's latest offering, Uther. Uther follows the plot structure of The Eagles' Brood, though it fails to live up to the greatness that was that work for a few reasons. First, most readers know the plot already. This novel merely fills in the gaps (Deidre's fate, how Uther gets to know Ygraine, the war against Lot, and Lot's fate) that were left to speculation. Second, we are without Merlyn's wondrously analytical mind, and are forced to endure Uther's less inquisitive action-oriented thoughts, which are nowhere near as deep. Had I been able to read this novel immediately prior to Eagles' Brood, I probably would have been far more impressed, though at this point, I want to hear the continuing story of Arthur's world, not of Merlyn and Uther's, which after The Sorcerer is essentially wiped away forever.

I would like to start by saying that I enjoy this series immensely. The historical aspects of the story fascinate me, and while I enjoy the Arthurian legends from the traditional "fantastical" telling, I find that the story is equally enjoyable with a little "reality" injected.

All that aside, I feel that where Whyte falls short as a story teller is that it is difficult to tell one narrator from the next. One can close one's eyes and imagine Publius, or Merlyn, or Uther having the same thoughts in any given situation presented in the novels. They're all so damn reasonable!!! This was not such a big deal with Publius and Merlyn. They were both products of a civilized Roman or nearly Roman upbringing. However, I was REALLY disappointed in Uther. Whyte would make passing references to Uther's "Dark Rages", but only very rarely does the reader get to view Uther doing anything truly rash or unreasonable.

Even in the traditional legend, the character of Uther is a dark one. Whyte missed the boat in trying so hard to exonerate Uther, and make him more likable.

I am a die-hard fan of Jack Whyte, and love his books to peices. The point of views expressed in novels, the characters, the dialogue, the landscape, the history (presented in a none-too-boring way), the romance (and yes, even the very skanky sex) make his books both rewarding for the reader and inspiring. 'Uther' is startling different then his other Camulod Chronicle novels.

Readers grow almost to hate Uther in books such as 'The Eagle's Brood' and 'The Saxon Shore', due to the often mistaken and harsh judgements of his infamous cousin Merlyn, from whose eyes the books are portrayed. Upon delving into 'Uther', however, I found myself not only loving his character, but approaching the other books with a new understanding. The plot is simple, unlike the other books, and instead of focusing on future plans and dreams of its characters it seems to just naturally go with the flow, following Uther's exciting, sexy, and violent life as it unfolds. Overwhelming pity is at times the strongest emotion when reading this book, as the man Jack Whyte is portraying is misunderstood and seems slighted by destiny. In all, a fabulous read. I couldn't help but read it cover to cover in one sitting, litterally not putting it down. It's a grabber.

What Uther does for the series is what J.R.R.Tolkein's, The Silmarillion, did for the Lord of the Rings. It's a collection of contextual notes and thoughts the author had lying around that answers some questions and enriches the history of his series (my explanation for why it is written in the person it is written in). Unforunately, its release is very untimely and I am willing to bet that it has something to do with money and the publishers. Although that is pure speculation. I can't divine any other reason why Whyte would release this book which is more of an appendix to the storyline, UNLESS, unless he had to tell Uther's side of the story before going on with Arthur's. We can only hope.

Sadly, while the information it divulges is really enlightening, it disrupts the beautiful magic and engaging story that Whyte had woven up to that point. I encourage people just starting in on the series to not read it until after the main story is finished.

Some author's don't realize that often the most engaging part of a story are those parts left untold. Those deeds and tails left to the readers imagination form some of the greatest ties between story and reader when left to our speculation. In that sense I almost wish I hadn't read Uther at all, but then I love to read so there is no way I could have restricted myself even knowing what I know now.

To the reviewer who was upset that this was an installment in a series... well, I for one don't understand how someone fails to enjoy the complexity that can only come from a story written over several volumes. The best TV shows, movies, video games, and books are all parts of series. And if you didn't want to read a book in a series there are literally dozens of indicators on the cover, in the first pages, and in the acknowledgments virtually shouting at you that this is part of series and should be considered that way.

And as a personal note, I thoroughly dislike author's that demean the intelligence, committment and attention spans of their readers by using up large portions of successive volumes retelling the story and explaining character profiles. I can understand the need for a quick summary in a t.v. show where someone might have missed an episode due to some other committment but the need utterly fails in regard to books and even movies.

I have read just about every spin-off of the Authurian Legend that has been written (Mary Stewarts (fantastic), Stephen R. Lawhead's (mostly good), T.H.White's (inventive)),and countless other minor variations and Jack Whyte's telling is by far my favorite of them all. He has the amazing ability to make the legend's seem like very real people and after the reading is through restore them properly to their legendary status.

The series comes highly recommended even if Uther seems rather out of place.

Enjoy.

I've read all the books to date, and waited long months while this one took its time to hit the shelf. I find Whyte's writing absorbing, and his depth and detail incredible. The stories, as one work, are a testament to the man's incredible imagination, and the historical backdrop is rich. Uther, long-awaited as it was, lived up to my expectations in most regards. The story of Uther is tragic, and Whyte writes excellent tragedy, a requiem for romance in every line. He fleshed out a real man from the legend, and created terrific balance with the other novels. The disappointment came in only a few places. Some of the retelling of the other stories was not accurate, for example, Uther says of Lot, "He insulted my dead mother!" when Veronica wasn't dead. There were countless places in the book that made me think the galleys weren't read, because of obvious punctuation problems and word choice errors, that were printing errors, publication problems having nothing to do with the author. The story around the death of Deirdre was satisfying, finally getting to hear and believe Uther's side of the story, made all the more tragic when we realize throughout that Uther and Merlyn never got to sort it out and regain their trust and love of each other. The warfare is, as expected, meticulous, and well drawn out through the novel, leading up to the Fall of Uther. Whyte managed to detail the events that in the third novel were only Merlyn's guesses, and the story, for us, is complete. Whyte is to be highly commended for this series, and this novel, for his attention to a larger vision of the Arthurian legend he created. He is not without fault, but in a saga seven books long, one can expect at least a few slips. The books are treasures.

Having waited for months for the finale of Mr. Whyte's spendid series, I was extremely disappointed with this volume. Instead of picking up with Arthur's reign, we are transported back to volume 3-The Eagle's Brood-to get Uther's view. While this novel does complete several missing pieces from volume 3, it was too late and much too wordy. It should have been edited to about 2/3 its size and released as volume 4. Newcomers to the Camulod Chronicles should read this volume right after The Eagle's Brood before going on to The Saxon Shore, The Fort at River's Bend, and Sorceror:Metamorphesis. Or skip it altogether.

Jack Whyte's books are my second favourite series of all time (which is saying a lot), and I was very excited for the opportunity to really know the other "Prince of Camulod," Uther. The realistic interpretation of the Arthurian legend and its ingenious development I find much more satisfying than the endless and widely varied fantastical interpretations, but maybe that's just the historian in me. Also being female, I always felt that the "juiciest" parts of the series were the powerful and romantic male characters and their relationships with one another, especially Merlyn (Cay) and Uther who are aptly described as "different sides of the same coin." One was the Romanized heir to Camulod; one the darker (in every sense of the word) Celtic prince. In the series, Merlyn's life and person is explored thoroughly and satisfyingly, and I was glad it was Uther's turn to live through the grand and tragic events of his very different life. In the previous books he was always a brooding and enigmatic counterbalance to Merlyn's clean nobility, and Uther's story was obviously fertile ground for more of Whyte's beautiful character developments. I expected Uther would have twice the personality of Merlyn, and that his famous rages and conflicts would be delved into in much more detail, especially in the area of his friendship with Cay and his feelings towards his parents, both of which are hinted at but only touched upon in this book. If Cay were his bosom companion, and his parents a Celtic king and a Roman lady, I would think that Uther would have much more to dwell upon than the fact that Camulod was a nicer place to live. We should have seen the mirror image of Cay's relationship with Uther, which would also give more insight into Cay for the benefit of the rest of the series, and a contrasting gritty feel for the inner life of a native Celt. The latter was explored a little but not enough. However for those who deplore the casual references to sex, well, that would be part and parcel of such a life, and a welcome change from the demure mystical romance of other Arthurian tales. Whyte has never pulled his punches to satisfy our post-Victorian sensibilities, and I'm glad he didn't start here.

I understand that the subject of Camulod itself need not be rehashed, but I was dissapointed that we really DIDN'T get to know, in the grand tradition of this series, how Uther really felt and how these important people affected his life as an adult. The elaborate opening chapter dealing with Veronica was almost wasted. As well, it was never really explained how, since Cay spent half his childhood with his Pendragon relations, they later considered him a suspicious stranger. Or how a Pendragon king would allow his only son to spend most of his life away from the people he would one day lead. Although I enjoyed the book, like a lot of people I wished there was less anthropological detail and more exploration of Uther's volatile personality and love life - this book could have been exploding with Uther's charm and danger. I thought Nemo a fascinating character, but found it odd that she never batted an eye over being punished by her beloved Uther, or that Uther never used her devotion, therefore creating tragic (on her part) conflicts.
If Uther portrayed in earlier books as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know," we never get to fully realize why, or how tied into Cay's life he was. So in conclusion, this was a good and much appreciated book, but it lacked the romance and depth of its predecessors, when it should have been the most tragic and romantic of them all. Uther was supposed to have been a blazing star falling towards a sad destiny, but this book only lets us catch a few glimmerings of his descent.