The Sword and the Circle vs The sword in the stone: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Arthur, Knights and knighthood, Legends, Adaptations, Arthurian romances, Folklore
The Sword and the Circle
“In the dark years after Rome was gone from Britain, Vortigern of the narrow eyes and the thin red beard came down from the mountains of Wales, and by treachery slew Constantine of the old royal house and seized the High Kingship of Britain in his place.”
A retelling of the adventures and exploits of King Arthur and his knights at the court of Camelot and elsewhere in the land of the Britons.
vs
The sword in the stone
Despite the boasting of grown men, only young Arthur is able to draw a sword from a stone, thereby becoming king.
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The sword in the stone is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 5 for The Sword and the Circle.
- The sword in the stone has the widest readership — 29068 ratings behind its score.
- The Sword and the Circle runs the darker storyline; The sword in the stone stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Sword and the Circle | The sword in the stone | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (29068) |
| Hardcover | 4.5 (4) | — |
Reception
| The Sword and the Circle | The sword in the stone | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 4 | 29068 |
| Editions | 12 | 7 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 26395 |
| Reading it now | — | 800 |
| Written reviews | — | 1666 |
| Wikipedia attention | 273 | 1648 |
| Pages | 272 | 32 |