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

Cover of The Sword and the Circle

The Sword and the Circle Rosemary Sutcliff · 1981 ★★★★☆ 3.9 272 pages · ≈ 5 h 02 m · Light Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The sword in the stone

The sword in the stone Grace Maccarone · 1992 ★★★★☆ 3.9 32 pages · ≈ 36 min · Light Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.9 — either is a safe pick by score.
The sword in the stone is the quicker read — about 1 hours vs 5 for The Sword and the Circle.

Side by side