Point of View

Enemy of God is told as a memoir by an aged Christian monk, Derfel Cadarn. Derfel is a contemporary of Arthur, the so-called "Enemy of God," and indeed serves as his right-hand man in war. He writes as a key figure in the great drama of late fifth-century Britain, employing the first-person past tense, and frequently quoting prodigious amounts of dialog. Derfel resents Arthur being dubbed an "Enemy of God" and spends a good deal of time showing how as a pagan, Arthur shows only toleration to Christians. In return, Christians defile him and taunt all "non-believers" that they will inevitably go to hell. As a Christian this harsh attitude is hurtful. At one point Derfel has to admit to himself that while writing his stories, he feels less Christian than before and several times slips up, swearing by the Gods rather than the Christians' one...