Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King.
Softback. £5.99. Penguin

This is a fantasy tale from an author best known for his historial warfare novels - the Starbuck USA civil war adventures, and perhaps closer to my own heart, the Sharpe Napoleonic war books.

The Winter King wears this war novel heritage on its sleeve. Where there is magic, this is kept in the background and just hinted at, and the possiblity is always left open the whole wizard game might be nothing more than a con artist trick by people with a little knowledge of herbs and alchemy.

And this is no beautiful realm of clipped grass and nice shiny suits of armour. Cornwell has - as always - done his research on the period, and fixed the tale in the real pre-Norman invasion days when the UK was a hotch-potch mix of feuding saxon, welsh and celt warlords. Rome is still a living memory, with some towns clinging to the ways of the fallen empire.

The tale is narrated by Derfel, a warrior of the time raised by Merlin, and this book is more to do with his story (and that of his pagan witch girlfriend), with only the odd walk-on part for Arthur who is not yet king. Derfel is getting dragged into the political machinations surrounding the vacant throne for the over-kingship of the isles, with various sub-plots involving the pagan resistance to Christianity and the new ways draining their old gods of power.

It's gritty, dirty, bloody stuff, and we suspect very true to the period - not to mention well-written by a man who does know his boys-own adventure. Give it a go - but just don't expect too many unicorns and elves hopping around the hedgerows! The Winter King's not that kind of book.


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