Skystone by Jack Whyte is an interesting take on the King Arthur legend. Most of the tales of King Arthur focus on the mystical aspect. What Whyte attempts to do in this the first book of the Camulod Chronicles is to tell the tale from a straight-forward historical perspective. He weaves a realistic story about what could have actually taken place if the story were stripped of its magical elements. The story is told through the eyes of Roman army officer Publius Varrus and his commander in battle Caius Brittanicus. After an almost fatal injury that Publius suffers on the battlefield, he decides to return home and join his former commander at his villa in Aquae Sulis in southestern England. Publius and Caius soon form a plan to create a functioning and totally self-sufficient military village. The story takes off from there and is a really unique way of retelling this age-old story. By the end of the book we also get an insight into how the sword Excalibur came to be. A fantastic book and series that is worth diving into.