The Skystone by Jack Whyte

You’ll be forgiven for overlooking that Jack Whyte’s The Skystone is an adaptation of Arthurian legend. Believe it or not, Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are nowhere to be found. Instead, Whyte’s story is about Roman general Caius Britannicus’ dream for Britain. The Skystone is set amidst the Roman withdrawal from Britain… Whyte has a talent for action scenes, and he adds a few political intrigues, feuds, and rivalries to keep his reader occupied. However, the bulk of The Skystone is about meticulously building a colony that can give rise to Arthur, a king who can unite the British against their invaders. As such, although there are a few duels and romances, The Skystone is primarily concerned with reflection, consideration, and especially dialogue. Whyte’s heroes work their way carefully through ideas that a contemporary reader would take for granted, and Whyte has a talent for solving mysteries within the framework of a 5th century Roman soldier’s worldview. Perhaps the most difficult mystery of all is that of the Skystone. It produces a better quality of metal than anything else Varrus and Britannicus have ever encountered. Where did it come from, and where can more be found? At the start of the novel, Varrus only has enough to make a knife, but what if there was enough to make a sword? A 5th century audience might find such a sword magical. Read the rest.