584:, a 3–4.5 cavalry spear. This may have been a response to the 1977-78 articles by M.M. Markle which propose the alternative use of the Sarissa by Alexander's cavalry. However, this still remains a controversial issue among modern historians. This theory, based mostly on archeological findings and sceptical reading of historians, would likely not have been available during the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries, the era when Merlyn and the other Britannici would have been able to learn such information.
316:. The army enters Cambria and soon find the men who had stolen the horses dead, they then encounter a force of Dergyll's archers, however Merlyn tactfully avoids any confrontation. The two leaders agree to an alliance and in proof of their loyalty to the alliance, they exchange a small contingent of auxiliary forces. While discussing this Merlyn discovers that Ironhair, who had led one of the political parties in Camulod, was now supporting a contender for the Pendragon throne.
308:. Upon returning to Camulod, Merlyn discovers his half brother Ambrose has integrated the infantry and cavalry in order to reduce enmity between the two military branches. A group of Cambrian raid an outlying farm of the colony, however before the military can follow a heavy winter sets in that kills the oldest members of the community.
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along with the other family and friends of Merlyn. An attempt is made on Arthur's life by a group of men loyal to
Ironhair, and the council of friends which had come to surround Merlyn decided that in order to protect this future king he must live outside of the community which knows of his existence. Merlyn decides to settle Arthur in
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One evening, a member of the community disappears and, while searching for said man, Donuil feels that someone was watching in the woods. Merlyn's retinue and Athol's warriors are put on alert, and in the morning an army attacks the walls. The strength of the cavalry successfully routes the attacking
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The party stays at the stronghold and Merlyn, in conversation with Athol, reveals that he was married to one of Athol's daughters, Deirdre. Athol accepts Merlyn into his family. During the same conversation Merlyn also reveals the identity of the child, Arthur, and Athol pledges himself as an ally to
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After the encounter with the scavengers, a group of Scots sent by Donuil's father to ensure his safe return find the party. Soon the two galleys of the Scots are hauling a barge to Eire where the barge capsizes south of Athol's kingdom. The
Comuludian knights travel through the Irish wilderness under
533:
The novel spends considerable time developing a dynamic world in which the legend of King Arthur could have taken place and given rise to the modern stories about Arthur. The novel paints a picture of post-Roman
Britain that is mystical and caught in a chaos between the enlightened rule of Rome and
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Series. Politically the region is ruled by a council of respected individuals within the colony, a number of whom are military rulers or members of the families which control the twelve villas which govern the lands. Their military strength relies on their cavalry, which is far advanced compared to
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Merlyn and the forces return to
Camulod and years of peace ensue. Merlyn and Ambrose make a trip to Northumberland and discover that the alliance between Briton-Romans and the Norse that had maintained the strength of the kingdom is failing. They return to Britain and begin the education of Arthur,
241:
Saxon Shore begins with Merlyn and the infant Arthur stranded in a small boat on the southernmost extreme of the Irish Sea. An Irish pirate ship captained by Connor, a prince of Eire, captures the boat. The Celts then throw the child overboard. Disregarding his life, Merlyn kills one of the pirates
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Merlyn then proceeds home, where he quickly becomes embroiled in factions politics that have arisen in the
Camulodian council. By using his military authority and appealing to the older council, Merlyn disbands the parties. Ironhair, one of the faction leaders, becomes enraged by this and makes an
246:, and tries to understand the reasons why Merlyn would sacrifice his life for the child. In the conversation, the captain comes to realize that his brother, Donuil is Merlyn's captive at Camulod, so he releases Merlyn in the agreement that the child will be returned if his brother returns to Eire.
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are positive, placing particular emphasis on the unique nature in which Whyte draws detail together with entertaining narrative in creating a new interpretation of the
Arthurian legend. Frances Reiher comments "Whyte has taken an engaging approach to the long-established character of Merlin. Much
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Britanicus - a member of one of the oldest families in
Camulod. He has inherited the command of the colonies military forces because of this. His wife has died 3 years before the beginning of the book. He has been educated by Druids along with his Roman elders, who have taught him much about both
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In the spring a large contingent of the military, 500 foot soldiers and 500 cavalry, leave
Camulod to take revenge for the raid which killed 50 of their comrades. Led by Merlyn, the force travels near the leper colony that was visited with Lucanus and the whole colony is found dead. The military
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army in two charges. The attack of the wild men of the south is an unruly advance force of the eminent attack by the MacNyalls, Sons of
Condran, and Sons of Garn. Athol decides that Merlyn, Arthur, Donuil and their company must return to Briton to avoid this attack and ensure Arthur's safety.
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On the trip to Eire the party has encounters with a leper colony, where
Lucanus, a physician and Merlyn's longtime friend, leaves the party to deliver a wagon-load of supplies to the impoverished lepers. When the party arrives there, a crew of marauders was harvesting marble from a variety of
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The Scots or Gaels- a Celtic tribal group that is ruled by the King Athol. The Kingdom is focused on the Western Coastal corridor of Ireland where Athol's Stronghold is located. The region is mostly heavily forested land. This is the group referred to by the Romans as the
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Merlyn and his Grandson. While staying in the stronghold of the Scots, Merlyn and his men demonstrate the use of cavalry to the Scots who had previously never seen its use in battle. During the exhibition a bear enters the clearing and attacks. Merlyn uses his memory of
460:- The Celtic kingdom of the deceased Lot. The crest of the kingdom is a bear. This is presumably in southwesternmost corner of Britain where the modern Cornwall is though there is no definite depiction of where this region is either in the books map or in context.
558:"historically more dense and action crammed with marvolous" Fantasyliterature.com reviewer Ryan Skardal praised the novels for their strong use of detail and their well written depictions of military action and other details. The academic journal
36:
380:'s Northumbrian forces and invited to return to Camulod. When he returns, Merlyn offers Ambrose the position of second in command of the Armed forces of Camulod, in order to better integrate the ability of the Cavalry with the Infantry.
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that is new and intriguing brightens a legend that in many forms has always been enchanting." Publishers Weekly called the book a "engrossing, highly realistic retelling of the Arthurian legend". Kirkus review compared the novel to
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Shelagh- Donuil's bethrothed, she also has the dreams of foresight like Merlyn. She and Merlyn have a love interest in each other, however they decide not to pursue this in light of her betrothal to Donuil and Merlyn's pledge of
215:. It is part of the A Dream of Eagles series, which attempts to explain the origins of the Arthurian legends against the backdrop of a historical setting. This is a deviation from other modern depictions of King Arthur such as
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Sons of Condran- Tribe on the Isle of Eire that is politically opposed to the Scots. Their home regions are to the north of the Scots. The head of the clan is Condran and Brian, one of his sons, is the commander of the
250:
assassination attempt on Merlyn's life. Meanwhile, Donuil returns to Camulod with Merlyn's nearly identical half-brother Ambrose. Once Donuil returns, Merlyn creates a party which is to escort Donuil back to Eire.
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Pendragon - the heir to Uther Pendragon. He is the illegitimate son of Uther and Ygraine, Lot's wife. His mother was the daughter of Athol Mac Iain. Because of this Arthur could potentially claim the thrones of
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Turga- The woman procured by Merlyn to take care of and feed Arthur after Connor's ship finds Arthur and Merlyn. She becomes the perpetual caretaker of Arthur among Athol's tribe and during Merlyn's return to
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The party of Merlyn returns to Camulod without Donuil, who returns to Eire in order to stave off the events of one of Merlyn's dreams. While traveling back to Camulod the party encounters a group of marauding
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occult Celtic knowledge and Roman military tactics and understanding respectively. Merlyn was previously married to the daughter of King Athol of the Scots, Deirdre. Merlyn has dreams that often become true.
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Donuil - a prince of the Scots, whose kingdom is in Eire, held captive by Camulod as an assurance of peace. While living in Camulod he develops a fondness for the government and becomes soldier of Camulod.
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threat of barbaric peoples, but only encounter a boar larger than any other ever hunted by the Scots. Within several weeks of leaving Comulud the party arrives in the capital of Athol's kingdom.
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and jumps in after Arthur. The pirates recapture Merlyn and the floating child and return them to the ship. The captain greets Merlyn and the child, revealing the origin of the crew,
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the ignorant rule of other peoples. The colony of Camulod exhibits the struggle between this transition of cultures, creating struggle for Merlyn and the other characters.
416:
In his effort to make his depiction of post-Roman Britain realistic, Jack Whyte makes the political setting of his book closely align with historical political entities:
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called the work "interesting and engrossing" though noted that some serious editing would have helped prevent the novel occasionally getting bogged down in detail.
401:
Dergyll- The cousin of Uther Pendragon and the most clear man to inherit due to the hidden existence of Arthur. He controls a sizable amount of the Pendragon lands.
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helps build a more complicated view of Merlyn as an individual as well as expand upon the traits which allow Merlyn to become the sorcerer described in Legend.
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Lucanus- A physician trained in Alexandria to become a doctor of the legion, now residing as the prime medical caregiver in Camulod. He is schooled in
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Athol Mac Iain- King of the Scots of Eire. An old King who rules a large section of Western Ireland, he is the father of Donuil and Conner.
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363:. Merlyn also intends to raise the child as if he is his own, adopting him so as to allow Arthur to become protector of Camulod as well.
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289:, heavy lances, to charge troops, acquiring a spear from infantry that were to be part of the demonstration and charging the bear.
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market-place. Merlyn decides that they will be unable to gain passage on any ships there, after a brief skirmish with the locals.
370:'s medicine. His mentor was also a strong believer in chastity as a means of enlightening the soul. He is older than Merlyn.
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established in South-Western England. The establishment of this colony is depicted in the earlier books in the
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Merlyn and placing him in many challenging situations related to leadership, the novel more than the earlier
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Arthur and Merlyn travel to Ravenglass aboard Connor's galley and are welcomed by the Ravenglass King Derek.
469:- A kingdom in modern Northern England/Southern Scotland, that is a conglomerate of ethnic groups including
551:
394:, or NCO, acting as the second in command of the small company of Cavalry that accompanies Merlyn to Eire.
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The Preface explains this style as Merlyn writing his memoir of how he met Arthur and came to raise him.
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The story is narrated by Merlyn in a first person perspective framed as journals from Merlyn's life. By
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Mod- a druid who had apprenticed to the same teacher as Merlyn, who is now in service of Dergyll.
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Female characters within the novel, and throughout the whole series, have strong personalities.
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Ironhair- a political agitator who flees the kingdom of Camulod once his motives are discovered.
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Ambrose- Half brother to Merlyn on his father's side. Ambrose was formally a leader of King
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which rely much more on mystical and magical elements and less on the historical.
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MacNyalls- A tribe that is allied to the Sons of Condran in attacking the Scots.
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Sons of Garn- a tribe allied with the Sons of Condran in attacking the Scots.
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and the political events surrounding this. The book is a portrayal of the
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This article is about the novel by Jack Whyte. For other uses, see
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0312865961/
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family, as warlord-kings. This Celtic state is in modern Wales.
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set against the backdrop of Post-Roman Britain's invasion by
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When Merlyn references the lances of Alexander's Cavalry as
258:: a Roman temple, and a large and impressive administrative
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Bernard Cornwell's novels series about the Arthurian legend
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force also clears the Berbers from their pirate outpost in
500:. They are colonizing Caladonia, a land occupied by the
492:. They are perceived by the Scots as a barbarian people.
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Reiher, Frances from School Library Journal found at
473:, Celts, Vikings and the Germanic tribes such as the
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477:. The Kingdom was established by the King
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697:Ziegler, Michelle (Autumn–Winter 1999).
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199:Britannicus's effort to return the baby
747:An introductionn to Anglo-Saxon England
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678:. online. Kirkus Reviews. 20 May 2010
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191:is a 1995 novel by Canadian writer
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699:"The Camolud Chronicles (Review)"
768:. University of Oklahoma Press.
807:Novels set in sub-Roman Britain
723:pp 325 1999 Mass Market Edition
450:Celtic horsemen because of the
423:- This kingdom is ruled by the
283:Alexander the Great's bodyguard
749:. Cambridge University Press.
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21:Saxon Shore (disambiguation)
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802:Canadian historical novels
764:Gaebel, Robert E. (2004).
745:Blair, Peter Hunt (1995).
676:"The Saxon Shore (Review)"
608:"The Saxon Shore (Review)"
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324:south of Hadrian's Wall.
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817:Modern Arthurian fiction
780:preview can be found at
177:The Fort at River's Bend
132:Paperback (French Flaps)
40:First edition (Canadian)
16:1995 novel by Jack Whyte
644:. Fantasyliterature.com
568:Historical inaccuracies
82:The Camulod Chronicles
545:Generally reviews of
812:Novels by Jack Whyte
797:1998 Canadian novels
217:Once and Future King
610:. Publishers Weekly
504:in modern Scotland.
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541:Literary reception
412:Political entities
390:Dedelus- Merlyn's
195:chronicling Caius
775:978-0-8061-3444-4
447:A Dream of Eagles
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338:Characters
322:Ravenglass
193:Jack Whyte
50:Jack Whyte
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642:(Review)"
588:Footnotes
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425:Pendragon
398:celibacy.
392:Centurian
378:Vortigern
99:Publisher
682:16 March
648:16 April
614:16 March
458:Cornwall
361:Cornwall
328:Epilogue
260:basilica
235:Cornwall
219:and the
66:Language
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452:stirrup
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287:Sarissa
205:Camulod
130:Print (
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475:Saxons
433:Arthur
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345:Merlyn
343:Caius
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201:Arthur
197:Merlyn
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74:Series
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139:Pages
89:Genre
80:(AKA
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114:1995
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