Sword at Sunset vs The Fall of Arthur: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Britons, Arthur, Knights and knighthood, Kings and rulers, Adaptations, Arthurian romances

Cover of Sword at Sunset

Sword at Sunset Rosemary Sutcliff · 1963 ★★★★☆ 3.9 480 pages · ≈ 8 h 53 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Fall of Arthur

The Fall of Arthur J.R.R. Tolkien · 2013 ★★★★☆ 3.8 240 pages · ≈ 4 h 27 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Fall of Arthur is the quicker read — about 4 hours vs 8 for Sword at Sunset.
Sword at Sunset is the easier read (Moderate), The Fall of Arthur more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side