Robin Rowland criticised critics who disliked the film for its Dark Age setting. Rowland pointed out that several Arthurian novels are set in the Dark Ages, like Rosemary Sutcliff's "Sword at Sunset" and Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy ("The Crystal Cave", "The Hollow Hills" and "The Last Enchantment"). However, these works have little in common with the film's story and Sarmatian angle. In response to criticism of the setting, consultant on the film Linda A. Malcor said: "I think these film-makers did a better job than most could have done when it comes to giving us something besides knights in tin foil and damsels in chiffon... deserve a lot of praise for the effort that they made." Fellow Arthurian scholar Geoffrey Ashe's opinion was negative.