The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9) (Hardcover)

by Jack Whyte (Author) "CHARIOTS..." (more)
Key Phrases: knighthood ceremony, throwing lances, Seur Clothar, Arthur Pendragon, King Pelles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The ninth and final installment in Whyte's Camulod (Camelot) series offers an imaginative if rambling account of the end of the Arthurian era. Narrated by Clothar of Benwick (Lancelot), King Arthur's best friend and loyal companion, the novel is grounded in the author's "interpretation of Lancelot" as "an archetypal hero." Faced with fractious local rulers and Saxon invaders, Arthur hopes to unite Britain to fend off the invasion. But two regional kings—the treacherous Symmachus and the ambitious Connlyn—unite to frustrate, and ultimately destroy, Arthur's dream. The basic plot, however, is overburdened with a stew of subplots and backstories: Clothar's affair with a betrothed woman adds heft but not substance, and the detailed recounting of the paternity of Arthur's son, Mordred, the fruit of an unwitting incestuous affair with his half-sister, is distracting. The author also sends Clothar off on a seven-year detour to Gaul where he trains a cavalry force and saves his cousin's kingdom from the Huns. Clothar returns to Britain to find that events have taken a dangerous turn and a final showdown looms with Camulod's enemies. Fans of Whyte's exhaustive retelling of the Camelot legend will welcome this final chapter. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Whyte concludes his nine-volume retelling of the Arthurian legend with a rousing final chapter in the saga of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. With the threat of a Saxon invasion looming, Arthur attempts to cobble together a united Britain but is thwarted by jealous rivals. Meanwhile, Clothar (Lancelot), a romantic young nobleman, pledges his loyalty to Arthur and the ideals of Camulod (Camelot). As the two men work feverishly to turn their vision of Camulod into a reality, the stage is set for the ultimate clash between Arthur and his enemies. As one might expect, the doomed love triangle of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere plays a pivotal role in this epic reworking of this classic literary staple. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (December 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312870078
• ISBN-13: 978-0312870072
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #226,967 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 9 in The Camulod Chronicles (Dream of Eagles) Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Eagle, May 14, 2006

By	steve schmucker - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9) (Hardcover)

I loved the series and couldn't wait to read the final. All of the other books were well written and detailed. This book however was very hurried I felt, especially the last chapter. The fate of most of the characters was plopped on the last page! I was truley diappointed at the end. The other books being so well laid out, I figured this one would be just as good. The book starts off great but then its all down hill.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars End of a saga - slightly limping to the finish., August 1, 2006

By	Alan Montgomery "Opera lover" (Oberlin, Oh USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9) (Hardcover)

Reading the entire Camulod Chronicles (or Eagles Brood in Canada) has been quite rewarding. The build up to Arthur being crowned was most entertaining. But with the shift to "Lancelot" - here named Clothar - Whyte got bogged down in details that weren't necessarily good story telling. Lance Thrower and The Eagle both follow Whyte's vision of the end of the Arthurian era. But while it doesn't bother me that Mordred is not evil but instead a pawn for power of others, it does bother me that so little is made of the Knights of the Round Table and their missions. Lip service barely touches the subject. And the most important part of it, for some of us at least, the search for the holy grail (which should have been a part of the healing of Arthur's wound) is totally ignored. It never comes up. Perhaps it would have helped if Mr. Whyte had read the story over in the wonderful tellings of others before he launched his re-invented tale. Is it enjoyable? Yes, but it isn't what the 8 previous volumes told us to expect.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable betrayal of fans, September 9, 2006

By	Richard N. Bateman (Victoria BC Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Eagle (The Camulod Chronicles, Book 9) (Hardcover)

I have read all of the books in this series, some of them three times. The first few, those dealing with Roman England, were great. However Jack has basically abandoned the series fans here because he is no longer interested in the subject. The Eagle in particular is ALL about Lancelot in Europe. Arthur and England merit a few dismissive lines, literally.

We should not be surprised. Jack stated long ago on his blog that he was not interested in writing the King Arther story, but only the story of Roman England. He has written the last two books in the series, Clothar and The Eagle, only to appease the terms of his publishing contract, and to get around those terms he has NOT written about King Arthur in these two books, but rather about his current interest which is medieval Europe. His fans have paid the price.

I cannot fairly advise series fans to buy this book.

Will I buy his future books? Sorry, but if I can't trust the author, the love affair is over.