Customer Reviews

Taliesin: Book One of the Pendragon Cycle

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Please, please do not get hung up on the fact that earlier editions of this book included potatoes! This is a powerful fantasy with a lot to say about loyalty, love, purity, and integrity in everyday "real life." One fascinating aspect of the book is Lawhead's ability to weave together stories that you might not have thought of together before--Atlantis, Taliesin, and Arthur all are eventually brought to life against the fading background glory of the Roman Empire. Miracles and magic mingle with nitty-gritty questions of survival, and moral dilemmas are neither ducked nor glossed over. This book is, and will stay, on my keeper shelf as a Christian response to those writers who seem to think fantasy must be tawdry and shocking to be any good.

Lawhead incorporates the Arthurian fantasy world with the Ideals of Christendom for an enjoyable scenario. Sometimes it is very slow paced, while others are fascinating and exciting. It was interesting, but i've not read any of the sequels following it in the past few years since reading this.

I guess i'm the middle ground on this. The other reviews paint it either horribly or as something wonderful. Well, it's neither. While Lawhead is NOT at all at his best in these books, He is harley a complete failure in writing them. Taking an archaeology course last semester I was surprised at all the details and such that I recalled from these books that allowed me to grasp the rest of what my professor was saying. They are mostly accurate and have many fast-paced delightful scenes, but they also find a way to be monotonous. There were several things he should have condensed. The reason I finished the series is a loyalty to Lawhead's books, and a thought that perhaps they would speed up somewhere in there as his books often do. While it had it's moments, the series isn't something I'd pick up again. And perhaps I'd only reccamend it if you don't have a history of reading Lawhead, because his other books are so amazing that these seem drab, when really they are fairly good books.

Lawhead wrote his famous trilogy of Christian fantasy novels on the Arthurian legend:

1 _Taliesin_, 2 _Merlin_ 3 _Arthur_.
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The problem was it had taken so long for Lawhead to get Arthur on the throne, there was too little space now for anything more, except his downfall.

So by popular demand, two volumes were added in the middle of the saga at the time while Arthur reigned in full glory as Britain's high King.

These welcome additional volumes were 4 _Pendragon_ (story of the invading Black Boar- i.e. the Vandal horde) and 5 _Grail_ (story of the revolt against Arthur by one of his own knights in league with hard-hearted witch Morgian).

So here's the revised order to read them to keep the story straight: 1Taliesin, 2Merlin, 3Arthur partI [Pelleas], 3Arthur partII [Bedwys], 4Pendragon, 5Grail, 3Arthur partIII [Aneirin].

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Now the problem was a rather sad situation: at the final end, Arthur is missing, presumed dead, and as always in these retelling of the Arthur legend, there is the vague hint that one day when Britain's need is great, we will see the return of the King.

Hence: one last volume, set in our own perilous future: volume 6 _Avalon_.

Enjoy a wonderful journey!

...unless you are a charismatic Christian who
cannot open a novel unless it somehow involves
the greatness and correctness of Christianity.
I slogged through page after page of overdescriptive
prose (hint to aspiring writers: writing at length
about someone's boredom is boring) only to have it
dawn on me that the whole work is just a set up for
lots of misguided pagans to discover the True Way.

I love and respect the works of CS Lewis. I don't
have a problem with Christian fiction. I have
no problem with writers expressing their world view--
that's the whole point of writing. But for God's sake
(really), don't be dishonest about it.

Taliesin by: Lawhead puts the reader into a world the has long been forgotten in fact but not in myth. It gives a truely magnificient sensation of feelings as you plow into the pages of history. Eventhough this reading is fiction, it has many well known "facts" that are sewn into the words. The spark of life is given to the characters through the words of Lawhead and they do not lose their potency throughout the story. This novel of celtic tradition and roman legend will capture you and push you to the limits of the imagination.

Don't listen to the readers who complained about this book not being up to the normal standard within the fantasy genre. Taliesin is a very different mode of fantasy fiction. In fact, Lawhead has spearheaded an unexplored genre: the historical fantasy novel. Within this novel, and the ones that follow in this series, Lawhead has created a world based on factual research. Keep in mind that while Lawhead has based his world on facts, he has also taken the liberties granted to him within the fantasy genre. What has resulted is an interesting blend of factual ballast and fictional narration. The books in this series are great reads because Lawhead brings the myths of western civilization to life. Those readers who have read Beowulf will find interesting similarities.

P.S: This book takes longer to read than a Robert Jordan novel because Taliesin is written at a higher reading level. A combination of complex sentences, facts, and long digressions contribute to the three weeks that some readers have devoted to this book. If you like it and your reading chops are up, you will finish it in a day or two.

Could be a good story, but the excessive detail drags the whole book down. There is no real central issue which the book revolves around; just following the lives and experiences of various characters. The whole third section of the book seems to be devoted to a Christian agenda. Followers of Calvin converting Merlin to Christianity? Long exposes on the meaning of the 'one true god.' Now Taliesin refers to others as Pagans. Seems to be the central motif of the later part of this book. Many much better fantasy novels revolving around these characters.

Before reading Taliesin I was somewhat of a 'Fantasy' critic.
Never before have I read anything so thought provoking or emotionally gripping. Each event in the book has you feeling the sound, and smell of the scene.
I have always been interested in British history and although Taliesin may not be technically perfect it is realistic.
Those who have given reviews on this book and are history 'perfectionists' need to lighten up. For a start you are obviously in the wrong section. So what if he mentions potatoes, use your immagination and get a life.
You must be religeously neutral in your outlook.
To believe that Taliesin could not have been christain? Remeber English historians have portrayed the Keltic people of the British Isles as barbarians and itelectually challenged. Just as the Romans did before them. To portray heros of native races as pagans has always been the greatest way to place slander on them.
Well enough philosophy. If you just want a fantastically entertaining read. BUY IT!
Then read the rest of the Pendragon series.
On the track of Arthur if you want totally unbiased historical fact read "The Holy Kingdom".
The Holy Kingdom
Adrian Gilbert, Alan Wilson, Baram Blackett
20 years in the making!

I don't know why, but some people get so wrapped up in everything being so authentic. I had a teacher like that once, he was so annoying. Always trying to pronounce everything correctly and using big words no one understood. He usually said everything wrong anyway. Well, back to the subject at hand. I believe this is one of the best authors ever. Why you may ask? Well, for a number of reasons. Stephan Lawhead has taken a very old legend from a land most of us only dream of visiting. I myself am a college student and will most likely not get a chance to go to the UK anytime soon. After taking this old legend, he weaves in elements of Christianity. I love loosing myself in books, and I have found that I can really feel for each of the characters as I read. I was crying when Taliesin was killed. I got excited when The Iron Lance was found and brought safely back. I felt as if I were really traveling with Quentin and Toli from In The Hall Of The Dragon King. I strongly suggest you read any and all of Stephen Lawhead's books. Another great young adult author I have just been discovering of late is Susan Cooper....check out her "Dark is Rising" Sequence. They are very much like Lawhead's books, but more for younger readers.