ChopinFC's Reviews > Enemy of God

5 Stars (Incredible)

Enemy of God (The Warlord Chronicles, #2) is an incredible continuation into the life and story of Britons and their most heroic leader Arthur, and it is an incredible effort by Sir Cornwell!

There's really not much critique to say about a book that is so polished, so well written, so entertaining with delightful and memorable characters! In this latest effort, Cornwell improves in nearly every single aspect of the storytelling! The characters are more aptly developed, the stage where massive battles take place are more impressive, the magic imbued into the story is more prevalent and effective! Yet, still the shining beacon of the narrative are its unforgettable characters!


Arthur vs Saxons

Narrated by Arthur's friend Derfel Cadarn (a former slave raised by the wizard Merlin), this volume tells of Arthur's struggles to bind the warlords together and strengthen the throne that he holds for the beastly Mordred, who is to supposed to inherit the throne of Britain. Yet not all goes as plan, as Mordred is growing up to be a sickly evil child who likes to torture animals, and rape other girls. The story unfolds at a rapid pace, and many plots and twists will see Arthur and Derfel do all they can to unite Britain and coalesce all the war factions together- as they will ultimately have to face the Saxons in mortal battle.

Realistically gory battles and doomed romantic exploits flavor the narrative, while the strong characterizations bring the men and women behind the legends to vivid life. Despite the gore and the ferocity of the battles, there's a nice balance with a lover affair between our main protagonist and narrator Derfel for the beautiful fair-haired Ceinwyn. The tale is stuff of the legends, and I can't speak more highly of it. The way Cornwell incorporates their love affair in the story is so brilliant, that you have to read it to experience in full delight!

Perhaps the most controversial and my favorite character is Merlin the master druid, or magician. God I love the way Cornwell writes Merlin!! He's is witty, sarcastic, omnipotent and ambitious as hell. Yet, in his true form, Merlin is a true Briton who will do anything to 'restore' the old Gods to Britain and help Arthur and Derfel in their conquest. In the process Merlin placed further strains on the fragile peace, when he set out on a quest to retrieve the last of Britain's 13 treasures; the fabled Cauldron.


What can I say about a near perfect historical-fiction series? It's mesmerizing. It's captivating and filled with unforgettable characters and battles. The fable continues and on to the final exciting chapter 'Excalibur'!

5 Stars