What do you think?
Rate this book
The Pendragon Cycle #1
Taliesin
It was a time of legend, when the last shadows of the mighty Roman conqueror faded from the captured Isle of Britain. While across a vast sea, bloody war shattered a peace that had flourished for two thousand years in the doomed kingdom of Atlantis.
Taliesin is the remarkable adventure of Charis, the Atlantean princess who escaped the terrible devastation of her homeland, and of the fabled seer and druid prince Taliesin, singer at the dawn of the age. It is the story of an incomparable love that joined two worlds amid the fires of chaos, and spawned the miracles of Merlin...and Arthur the king.
Taliesin is the remarkable adventure of Charis, the Atlantean princess who escaped the terrible devastation of her homeland, and of the fabled seer and druid prince Taliesin, singer at the dawn of the age. It is the story of an incomparable love that joined two worlds amid the fires of chaos, and spawned the miracles of Merlin...and Arthur the king.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
1068 people are currently reading
17574 people want to read
About the author
Stephen R. Lawhead
103 books2,701 followersStephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium, Patrick, and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion.
Also see his fanpage at Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephenlawhead...
Stephen was born in 1950, in Nebraska in the USA. Most of his early life was spent in America where he earned a university degree in Fine Arts and attended theological college for two years. His first professional writing was done at Campus Life magazine in Chicago, where he was an editor and staff writer. During his five years at Campus Life he wrote hundreds of articles and several non-fiction books.
After a brief foray into the music business—as president of his own record company—he began full-time freelance writing in 1981. He moved to England in order to research Celtic legend and history. His first novel, In the Hall of the Dragon King, became the first in a series of three books (The Dragon King Trilogy) and was followed by the two-volume Empyrion saga, Dream Thief and then the Pendragon Cycle, now in five volumes: Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, and Grail. This was followed by the award-winning Song of Albion series which consists of The Paradise War, The Silver Hand, and The Endless Knot.
He has written nine children's books, many of them originally offered to his two sons, Drake and Ross. He is married to Alice Slaikeu Lawhead, also a writer, with whom he has collaborated on some books and articles. They make their home in Oxford, England.
Stephen's non-fiction, fiction and children's titles have been published in twenty-one foreign languages. All of his novels have remained continuously in print in the United States and Britain since they were first published. He has won numereous industry awards for his novels and children's books, and in 2003 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Nebraska.
also write under the name Steve Lawhead
Also see his fanpage at Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephenlawhead...
Stephen was born in 1950, in Nebraska in the USA. Most of his early life was spent in America where he earned a university degree in Fine Arts and attended theological college for two years. His first professional writing was done at Campus Life magazine in Chicago, where he was an editor and staff writer. During his five years at Campus Life he wrote hundreds of articles and several non-fiction books.
After a brief foray into the music business—as president of his own record company—he began full-time freelance writing in 1981. He moved to England in order to research Celtic legend and history. His first novel, In the Hall of the Dragon King, became the first in a series of three books (The Dragon King Trilogy) and was followed by the two-volume Empyrion saga, Dream Thief and then the Pendragon Cycle, now in five volumes: Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, and Grail. This was followed by the award-winning Song of Albion series which consists of The Paradise War, The Silver Hand, and The Endless Knot.
He has written nine children's books, many of them originally offered to his two sons, Drake and Ross. He is married to Alice Slaikeu Lawhead, also a writer, with whom he has collaborated on some books and articles. They make their home in Oxford, England.
Stephen's non-fiction, fiction and children's titles have been published in twenty-one foreign languages. All of his novels have remained continuously in print in the United States and Britain since they were first published. He has won numereous industry awards for his novels and children's books, and in 2003 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Nebraska.
also write under the name Steve Lawhead
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 919 reviews
March 27, 2025
Magnificent writing but ultimately flawed ...
Stephen Lawhead's storytelling is certainly ambitious. In Taliesin, he has proposed nothing less than a fanciful, fluid blending of three mythologies into a single epic history - the twilight and final cataclysmic collapse of the fantastic empire of Atlantis; the inspiring life of Taliesin, Celtic bard and shaman, thought to be father to Merlin, during the withdrawal of the Roman Empire in Britain and the onset of the Dark Ages; and the endlessly repeated (and despite today's protestations to the contrary, never proven) legend of Joseph of Arimathea's carrying the Holy Grail to Britain accompanied by the dizzying, wildfire spread of Christianity throughout Europe in the centuries following Christ's crucifixion in the Holy Land!
No doubt about it ... Lawhead's prose is certainly up to the task! His evocative, mellifluous descriptions of exotic settings include sight, motion and sounds in abundance. The pages seem to exude even smells with an uncanny sense of realism:
"And the smells - a pungent perfume concocted of the thick, greasy scent of food cooking in heavy olive oil; the rich, earthy odor of the cattle stalls beneath the stadium; the light, airy tang of sun-warmed salt air off the sea."
The almost effortless creation of a seamless chronology is achieved by the telling of a series of linked shorter tales - the Atlantean princess Charis' years spent dancing in the bull ring; the inspiring transformation of the Celtic son, Elphin, from luckless bumbler to respected king and feared warlord; and, Taliesin's relentless love for Charis in the face of overwhelming opposition from her father, Avallach. Reminiscent of the bible tale of Moses in the bulrushes, Elphin's finding of the infant Taliesin caught up in the family's salmon nets and the chance discovery of his wife, Rhonwyn, is probably the warmest, most moving piece of purely romantic writing that I've ever been privileged to read!
In spite of all of these obvious strengths, ultimately the novel failed for me. While it seems eminently reasonable to portray Arthur's forebears as wrestling with their conversion from Celtic pagan beliefs to Christianity (why else would they have ultimately been so obsessed with the recovery of the Holy Grail?), I believe that Lawhead fell into the trap of presenting Christianity as not only Taliesin's choice but also his choice, the right choice and the only choice. My opinion only, of course, but I believe the novel would have been much more effective stopping at the simple portrayal of Christianity as the historical choice that Taliesin made for himself and his family! Somewhere in the final third of the novel, zealotry slipped over the top and I began to feel like Lawhead was trying to preach to me through Taliesin and, frankly, I just didn't care for it!
The writing was so darn good, I can't bring myself to give the novel a failing grade outright but I'm left with a disturbing feeling of ambivalence as to whether I'll read MERLIN, the next novel in the entire five novel series THE PENDRAGON CYCLE. We'll see ...
Paul Weiss
Stephen Lawhead's storytelling is certainly ambitious. In Taliesin, he has proposed nothing less than a fanciful, fluid blending of three mythologies into a single epic history - the twilight and final cataclysmic collapse of the fantastic empire of Atlantis; the inspiring life of Taliesin, Celtic bard and shaman, thought to be father to Merlin, during the withdrawal of the Roman Empire in Britain and the onset of the Dark Ages; and the endlessly repeated (and despite today's protestations to the contrary, never proven) legend of Joseph of Arimathea's carrying the Holy Grail to Britain accompanied by the dizzying, wildfire spread of Christianity throughout Europe in the centuries following Christ's crucifixion in the Holy Land!
No doubt about it ... Lawhead's prose is certainly up to the task! His evocative, mellifluous descriptions of exotic settings include sight, motion and sounds in abundance. The pages seem to exude even smells with an uncanny sense of realism:
"And the smells - a pungent perfume concocted of the thick, greasy scent of food cooking in heavy olive oil; the rich, earthy odor of the cattle stalls beneath the stadium; the light, airy tang of sun-warmed salt air off the sea."
The almost effortless creation of a seamless chronology is achieved by the telling of a series of linked shorter tales - the Atlantean princess Charis' years spent dancing in the bull ring; the inspiring transformation of the Celtic son, Elphin, from luckless bumbler to respected king and feared warlord; and, Taliesin's relentless love for Charis in the face of overwhelming opposition from her father, Avallach. Reminiscent of the bible tale of Moses in the bulrushes, Elphin's finding of the infant Taliesin caught up in the family's salmon nets and the chance discovery of his wife, Rhonwyn, is probably the warmest, most moving piece of purely romantic writing that I've ever been privileged to read!
In spite of all of these obvious strengths, ultimately the novel failed for me. While it seems eminently reasonable to portray Arthur's forebears as wrestling with their conversion from Celtic pagan beliefs to Christianity (why else would they have ultimately been so obsessed with the recovery of the Holy Grail?), I believe that Lawhead fell into the trap of presenting Christianity as not only Taliesin's choice but also his choice, the right choice and the only choice. My opinion only, of course, but I believe the novel would have been much more effective stopping at the simple portrayal of Christianity as the historical choice that Taliesin made for himself and his family! Somewhere in the final third of the novel, zealotry slipped over the top and I began to feel like Lawhead was trying to preach to me through Taliesin and, frankly, I just didn't care for it!
The writing was so darn good, I can't bring myself to give the novel a failing grade outright but I'm left with a disturbing feeling of ambivalence as to whether I'll read MERLIN, the next novel in the entire five novel series THE PENDRAGON CYCLE. We'll see ...
Paul Weiss
February 27, 2009
Of all of the great books I've read around the King Arthur legend, this is my favorite. It is acutally about Merlin's parents, and involves the lost city of Atlantis and it is a beautiful but sad love story. At least that is what I feel when I remember the book; it has been years since I read it. [time passes:] I just looked it up to see if it is still in print, which it is. And what's more interesting is that the description on Amazon talks of a message and symbolism in the story akin to C.S. Lewis. I don't remember that, so I want to read it yet again, which makes it a 5 on my criteria scale.
February 25, 2011
While the above Goodreads description of this book reads like it was a publisher's book-jacket blurb (and it probably was!), the basic description of the premise of this series opener is correct --and aside from its overwrought language, the implied assessment isn't far off the mark, either, as my rating shows. (If I could give half stars, I'd probably have added one.)
That isn't to say that there aren't eye-rolling flaws here. Atlantis, according to Plato (who apparently created the legend out of whole cloth), was destroyed "9,000 years before Solon," or ca. 9600 B.C. In this book, Atlantis was real, but was destroyed in the late 300s A.D. (the mention of the Roman emperor Theodosius near the end of the novel anchors that date). This has something of the same effect produced in the various episodes of the old Xena, Warrior Princess TV series, in which Xena could encounter everybody from the biblical Abraham to Julius Caesar. (And anybody in between --Trojan War? David and Goliath? Sure; easy as pie!) In itself, that strains credibility like a rubber band, and it creates serious problems of internal consistency. The kind of cataclysm that destroyed Atlantis, for instance, would certainly have caused tidal waves in western Europe on the scale of the Asian ones of several years ago, but they don't happen here. And while Atlantis has trading relations with places in the Roman Empire like Phrygia, King Avallach apparently has heard of the "Roman tribe" only vaguely; and though Atlantean seers know about Mithraism and the cult of Isis, they haven't heard of Christianity. To put it bluntly, that's not believable. (It's also not realistic to portray Christianity as relatively new and unknown in Western Britain at this time; Theodosius had made it Rome's state religion in, I think, 380, but it had been widespread long before that, even in western Britain; St. Patrick came from there, in this era, and was already a third-generation Christian. And Isis was not the "female aspect" of Mithras; the two religions were completely unrelated, the one being Egyptian, the other Anatolian.) Atlantean culture, as the author depicts it, is a sort of grab-bag of elements from Greece, Crete (where he gets the "bull dancing" that plays such a large role) and the Semitic East, from which he gets the worship of Bel --though Bel or Baal was actually a sky/rain god, not a sun god as he is here. Lawhead also takes chronological liberties with his title character, who was a real person attested in actual Welsh sources, but really born around 530 A.D. While I'm nit-picking, I also don't think an infant could be wrapped in a water-tight bundle, as Taliesin was here, without suffocating!
All of that said, Lawhead's storytelling ability here draws you in and enthralls you early on, so that you leave those concerns lurking in the background (or, at least, I did!). :-) The two alternating strands of narrative, Charis' and Taliesin's, which will finally intertwine, are eventful and attention-grabbing; the characterization is sharp (Charis was initially hard for me to relate to because her age in the first part of the book wasn't specified --I eventually deduced it to be 12 or 13-- but she grows into a splendid heroine); the Atlantean and Celtic worlds are vividly evoked, and some key scenes are drawn with great power. There's human drama here that grows out of believable human interrelationships (the magical element is muted; it takes a back seat to the natural events, or sometimes blends with the idea of spiritual reality); we have chaste romances that would warm any heart, violence and treachery, love and loss --and the powerful lesson that what we need for psychological wholeness is the guts to love in the face of loss, here in a world that's not perfect yet by a long shot. Some characteristic features of Lawhead's work are easily discernible: his strong female (and male) characters; his fascination with things Celtic; concepts like the Otherworld, the "time between times," the genuine creative power of music, and Druid mysticism in general. His evangelical faith shines through clearly as well (he reconciles it with the pre-Christian Celtic background in a way that C. S. Lewis, who was clearly one of his literary influences, would doubtless have approved!). Blended with the latter is a view of the coming Dark Ages, and Arthur's coming role in withstanding the darkness, that invests these with a cosmic spiritual significance. No spoilers here, but the ending of this novel is one that I did not see coming; and the quality of the writing in the last pages reaches a level that, so far in my reading life (and I'm 58) I've seen equaled, but not bettered.
To conclude, I picked this book up only because it was a common read in a group, but it proved to be well worth the time. And if I don't rush to add the sequel to my to-read shelf, it's only because there are too many books there already; eventually, I would like to follow up on this series.
That isn't to say that there aren't eye-rolling flaws here. Atlantis, according to Plato (who apparently created the legend out of whole cloth), was destroyed "9,000 years before Solon," or ca. 9600 B.C. In this book, Atlantis was real, but was destroyed in the late 300s A.D. (the mention of the Roman emperor Theodosius near the end of the novel anchors that date). This has something of the same effect produced in the various episodes of the old Xena, Warrior Princess TV series, in which Xena could encounter everybody from the biblical Abraham to Julius Caesar. (And anybody in between --Trojan War? David and Goliath? Sure; easy as pie!) In itself, that strains credibility like a rubber band, and it creates serious problems of internal consistency. The kind of cataclysm that destroyed Atlantis, for instance, would certainly have caused tidal waves in western Europe on the scale of the Asian ones of several years ago, but they don't happen here. And while Atlantis has trading relations with places in the Roman Empire like Phrygia, King Avallach apparently has heard of the "Roman tribe" only vaguely; and though Atlantean seers know about Mithraism and the cult of Isis, they haven't heard of Christianity. To put it bluntly, that's not believable. (It's also not realistic to portray Christianity as relatively new and unknown in Western Britain at this time; Theodosius had made it Rome's state religion in, I think, 380, but it had been widespread long before that, even in western Britain; St. Patrick came from there, in this era, and was already a third-generation Christian. And Isis was not the "female aspect" of Mithras; the two religions were completely unrelated, the one being Egyptian, the other Anatolian.) Atlantean culture, as the author depicts it, is a sort of grab-bag of elements from Greece, Crete (where he gets the "bull dancing" that plays such a large role) and the Semitic East, from which he gets the worship of Bel --though Bel or Baal was actually a sky/rain god, not a sun god as he is here. Lawhead also takes chronological liberties with his title character, who was a real person attested in actual Welsh sources, but really born around 530 A.D. While I'm nit-picking, I also don't think an infant could be wrapped in a water-tight bundle, as Taliesin was here, without suffocating!
All of that said, Lawhead's storytelling ability here draws you in and enthralls you early on, so that you leave those concerns lurking in the background (or, at least, I did!). :-) The two alternating strands of narrative, Charis' and Taliesin's, which will finally intertwine, are eventful and attention-grabbing; the characterization is sharp (Charis was initially hard for me to relate to because her age in the first part of the book wasn't specified --I eventually deduced it to be 12 or 13-- but she grows into a splendid heroine); the Atlantean and Celtic worlds are vividly evoked, and some key scenes are drawn with great power. There's human drama here that grows out of believable human interrelationships (the magical element is muted; it takes a back seat to the natural events, or sometimes blends with the idea of spiritual reality); we have chaste romances that would warm any heart, violence and treachery, love and loss --and the powerful lesson that what we need for psychological wholeness is the guts to love in the face of loss, here in a world that's not perfect yet by a long shot. Some characteristic features of Lawhead's work are easily discernible: his strong female (and male) characters; his fascination with things Celtic; concepts like the Otherworld, the "time between times," the genuine creative power of music, and Druid mysticism in general. His evangelical faith shines through clearly as well (he reconciles it with the pre-Christian Celtic background in a way that C. S. Lewis, who was clearly one of his literary influences, would doubtless have approved!). Blended with the latter is a view of the coming Dark Ages, and Arthur's coming role in withstanding the darkness, that invests these with a cosmic spiritual significance. No spoilers here, but the ending of this novel is one that I did not see coming; and the quality of the writing in the last pages reaches a level that, so far in my reading life (and I'm 58) I've seen equaled, but not bettered.
To conclude, I picked this book up only because it was a common read in a group, but it proved to be well worth the time. And if I don't rush to add the sequel to my to-read shelf, it's only because there are too many books there already; eventually, I would like to follow up on this series.
November 10, 2009
This five-book series is entitled The Pendragon Cycle, and I will review them all here. I have now taken and taught classes on King Arthur, and this stands as my favorite treatment of the legend. Lawhead is one of my favorite authors anyway, and he does his homework. His writing reflects the oddity of the many Arthurian source texts - Merlin is always problematic, the hugely variable character of Arthur, Guinevere's choices and actions,etc.
Considering if Arthur existed he likely lived around 400AD (long before courtly love or a true England), Lawhead puts us in exactly the right time period. His books reflect the darkness and turmoil of the age, but they also delve into Christianity in the British Isles before the solid establishment of the Catholic church. I also love Lawhead's portrayal of Guinevere, even though it deviates bit from the original sources.
I would recommend these - there are fantastic/magical elements, especially in Taliesin and Merlin, but that is an essential part of all the original sources (and most ancient and Medieval texts). There are some graphic areas, especially with battles, but not overly detailed (hey, I can't watch ER and I was okay).
Considering if Arthur existed he likely lived around 400AD (long before courtly love or a true England), Lawhead puts us in exactly the right time period. His books reflect the darkness and turmoil of the age, but they also delve into Christianity in the British Isles before the solid establishment of the Catholic church. I also love Lawhead's portrayal of Guinevere, even though it deviates bit from the original sources.
I would recommend these - there are fantastic/magical elements, especially in Taliesin and Merlin, but that is an essential part of all the original sources (and most ancient and Medieval texts). There are some graphic areas, especially with battles, but not overly detailed (hey, I can't watch ER and I was okay).
March 25, 2024
Re-reading this first book in Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon series was pure nostalgia! I remember first reading the series years ago after a friend recommended it. I have high hope's for the new film series of the Pendragon Cycle being released by The Daily Wire sometime this year.
In this first book, I like how Lawhead ties in the Atlantis myth, and draws inspiration from the Welsh Bard Taliesin. The way Lawhead writes about the ancient Celtic religion, the coming of Christianity to the British Isles, and the very different dynamic characters such as Charis, Merlin, Hafgan, Avallach, Morgann, and others, makes for a very good read indeed! Taliesin is a very poignant story.
In this first book, I like how Lawhead ties in the Atlantis myth, and draws inspiration from the Welsh Bard Taliesin. The way Lawhead writes about the ancient Celtic religion, the coming of Christianity to the British Isles, and the very different dynamic characters such as Charis, Merlin, Hafgan, Avallach, Morgann, and others, makes for a very good read indeed! Taliesin is a very poignant story.
March 9, 2013
This book made me angry. I've read several takes on the Arthurian legend, and I've disliked a few, but none of them pissed me off as much as this one. The only possible reason I can conceive of for it's existence is to serve as a counter point to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, in much the same way as Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is a counter point to C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.
Let's begin. The world building is a bit shoddy. It's set in the 4th century, but for some reason parts of Atlantis still exist, and there is some interaction between Atlantis and Europe. Despite this, there is no real change to history as we know it. While the Atlantian culture is a bit interesting, it doesn't really contribute anything to the overall story, and is probably only there because Bradley had her religion of Avalon originate on Atlantis. Only she didn't have the Atlantians migrating to Britain during recorded history.
The actual history is shoddy as well - Magnus Maximus (a real Roman general) appears, but he really shouldn't be in Britain when he's there. He mentions an Emperor Constantine, but he died when Magnus was 5, and the next one wouldn't be until twenty years after Magnus's death. It also doesn't help that there's apparently only one emperor, when Rome had two emperors - one in the east, and one in the west.
But it doesn't end there. While there's a connection between Taliesin and the Arthur story in legend, the real Taliesin wouldn't have been born for another two-hundred years. Yes, he was a real person, and we have some of his writings.
I understand that this isn't supposed to be a historical novel, setting something like this in the real world brings along a lot of baggage. In short, you should have done a proper amount of research, Mr. Lawhead.
While the characters start off alright, they all too quickly get aggravating. Taliesin's father is probably the best, if only because he actually has a plot associated with him.
Charis, the Atlantian princess and one of the main protagonists, starts off well enough, but after the time skip between parts 1 and 2, she becomes an unbearably arrogant Mary Sue - she always gets her way, even when basic reason dictates that she's being at least somewhat unreasonable, but I'm supposed to like her because she's a Strong Independent Woman(TM), who just happens to rely on pretty much everyone else to do all the work for her. (Side note: how exactly does spending seven years as what is essentially a bullfighter train you for fighting armed and experienced soldiers?) It only gets worse in part 3 where she meets Taliesin, because then she goes from Strong Independent Woman(TM) to Meek Feminine Love Interest(TM), because once she lays eyes on him she starts swooning like she's on the cover of a Harlequin romance novel, and never really asserts herself again.
Taliesin is much the same - he starts out alright, but gets really aggravating near the end. He's raised up and trained as a druid and a bard, but after one weird vision effortlessly converts to Christianity, at which point he ceases to be a character and becomes a Gary Stu and cipher for Mr. Lawhead - anyone who disagrees with his new beliefs is either converted with a minimal effort (and automatically becomes a good guy) or defeated just as easily because (I shit you not) God is *literally* on his side, and the universe will gladly bend over backwards to prove he's right.
Congratulations, Mr. Lawhead, you managed to turn Arthurian legend into a Chick tract.
The romance between Taliesin and Charis makes Anakin and Padme look deep and compelling. You can count the number of interactions between the two on one hand - Charis sees him singing (1), he sees her at a feast (2), he comes across her bathing after following her around all day (3), and then they meet up at some old ruins (4). At that last one, they declare themselves to be in love, because they are Soul Mates(TM) and Destined Lovers(TM).
There's almost no real plot to this book, because the conflicts are either ignored or so easily overcome that they're little more than speed-bumps, especially in the third part. The principle conflict there is that the two love birds (gag) can't be together because Charis's father won't consent. Even though said marriage would be a great way to cement that alliance he just spent the previous chapter trying to put together. Because Mr. Lawhead either needed to pad out his word count or have his Stu demonstrate why Christianity is Better Than Paganism. Probably both.
The final bit that's supposed to lead into the rest of the series is just as manufactured - the Atlantian king's adviser and second daughter,Morgan sorry, 'Morgian' are probably responsible for Taliesin's death. Why? No reason. We almost never see the two of them, so they're not really characters (though no one else is by that point either).
Do not read this book. I can't stress that enough. Even if you disagree with Marion Zimmer Bradley's message, at least she put in the effort to make the characters interesting and have an actual conflict in her take on the Arthur story. Mr. Lawhead's characterization has all the subtlety and nuance of a brick thrown through a window, his 'conflicts' tend towards the idiotic, and his message is like a bright pink neon sign - glaringly obvious and bordering on offensive. I will not be reading the remainder of the 'Cycle', and I honestly wish I had avoided this one.
Let's begin. The world building is a bit shoddy. It's set in the 4th century, but for some reason parts of Atlantis still exist, and there is some interaction between Atlantis and Europe. Despite this, there is no real change to history as we know it. While the Atlantian culture is a bit interesting, it doesn't really contribute anything to the overall story, and is probably only there because Bradley had her religion of Avalon originate on Atlantis. Only she didn't have the Atlantians migrating to Britain during recorded history.
The actual history is shoddy as well - Magnus Maximus (a real Roman general) appears, but he really shouldn't be in Britain when he's there. He mentions an Emperor Constantine, but he died when Magnus was 5, and the next one wouldn't be until twenty years after Magnus's death. It also doesn't help that there's apparently only one emperor, when Rome had two emperors - one in the east, and one in the west.
But it doesn't end there. While there's a connection between Taliesin and the Arthur story in legend, the real Taliesin wouldn't have been born for another two-hundred years. Yes, he was a real person, and we have some of his writings.
I understand that this isn't supposed to be a historical novel, setting something like this in the real world brings along a lot of baggage. In short, you should have done a proper amount of research, Mr. Lawhead.
While the characters start off alright, they all too quickly get aggravating. Taliesin's father is probably the best, if only because he actually has a plot associated with him.
Charis, the Atlantian princess and one of the main protagonists, starts off well enough, but after the time skip between parts 1 and 2, she becomes an unbearably arrogant Mary Sue - she always gets her way, even when basic reason dictates that she's being at least somewhat unreasonable, but I'm supposed to like her because she's a Strong Independent Woman(TM), who just happens to rely on pretty much everyone else to do all the work for her. (Side note: how exactly does spending seven years as what is essentially a bullfighter train you for fighting armed and experienced soldiers?) It only gets worse in part 3 where she meets Taliesin, because then she goes from Strong Independent Woman(TM) to Meek Feminine Love Interest(TM), because once she lays eyes on him she starts swooning like she's on the cover of a Harlequin romance novel, and never really asserts herself again.
Taliesin is much the same - he starts out alright, but gets really aggravating near the end. He's raised up and trained as a druid and a bard, but after one weird vision effortlessly converts to Christianity, at which point he ceases to be a character and becomes a Gary Stu and cipher for Mr. Lawhead - anyone who disagrees with his new beliefs is either converted with a minimal effort (and automatically becomes a good guy) or defeated just as easily because (I shit you not) God is *literally* on his side, and the universe will gladly bend over backwards to prove he's right.
Congratulations, Mr. Lawhead, you managed to turn Arthurian legend into a Chick tract.
The romance between Taliesin and Charis makes Anakin and Padme look deep and compelling. You can count the number of interactions between the two on one hand - Charis sees him singing (1), he sees her at a feast (2), he comes across her bathing after following her around all day (3), and then they meet up at some old ruins (4). At that last one, they declare themselves to be in love, because they are Soul Mates(TM) and Destined Lovers(TM).
There's almost no real plot to this book, because the conflicts are either ignored or so easily overcome that they're little more than speed-bumps, especially in the third part. The principle conflict there is that the two love birds (gag) can't be together because Charis's father won't consent. Even though said marriage would be a great way to cement that alliance he just spent the previous chapter trying to put together. Because Mr. Lawhead either needed to pad out his word count or have his Stu demonstrate why Christianity is Better Than Paganism. Probably both.
The final bit that's supposed to lead into the rest of the series is just as manufactured - the Atlantian king's adviser and second daughter,
Do not read this book. I can't stress that enough. Even if you disagree with Marion Zimmer Bradley's message, at least she put in the effort to make the characters interesting and have an actual conflict in her take on the Arthur story. Mr. Lawhead's characterization has all the subtlety and nuance of a brick thrown through a window, his 'conflicts' tend towards the idiotic, and his message is like a bright pink neon sign - glaringly obvious and bordering on offensive. I will not be reading the remainder of the 'Cycle', and I honestly wish I had avoided this one.
April 15, 2010
Two stars is a bit harsh for this book, as Lawhead deftly weaves together two separate storylines for much of the book. Charis, our female protagonist in Atlantis, lives some interesting family drama. Meanwhile, Taliesin, our male counterpart, is growing up in Britain as a wunderkind with destiny written all over him. As the cover so coyly tells us, there is a love story coming, and we the readers are left with a surprising amount of tension as we are attempting to figure out how, exactly, these two people are ever going to get together.
Then, the cataclysm hits, and *spoiler* Atlantis sinks. Suddenly, the book speeds up to an alarming pace, and Lawhead decides that he's going to stop building character, and instead plow through tons of legend-inspired storyline to show off that Yes, he did do his research and Yes, he'd be happy to prove it. What follows is a rushed retelling of a mishmash of legends, droning on like a combination the worst of all types. It reads like Beowulf at its most laconic combined with preachy Mallory and served with a generous side of distracted Tolkeinesque world-building. None of which appeals to me, the reader, as I am just wishing that I could figure out what's going on with the characters. What started as a compelling, if somewhat simplistic, character drama, turns instead to a very distracted tale of legend.
Adding insult to injury is the (to me) intolerable way that Christianity is shoved down the reader's throat in the last half of the book. Our title character, Taliesin, is a druid, born with a destiny to be THE BEST DRUID EVAR!!!!1 and everything he does proves just how amazing he is. He's connected with the gods, he walks in the otherworld, and he has prophetic visions. He kicks ass and chews Druidic willowbark. Then, this fuddy little priest comes along, and Taliesin, with next to no warning, forsakes everything he ever knows. Clearly this monotheistic God is better than all those other Gods. We, the readers, know this because... well, because Taliesin has an internal monologue which goes "Why would this God be better than the rest? Because the priest said so! Why would the priest say so? Because his God is better than the rest!" Better justifications for this major transformation from Pagan to monotheism can be found at any old Tent Revival. Was Lawhead even trying?
I've worked myself into a review-lather and now the book sounds awful. The book isn't that bad. Or, more accurately, it's exactly that bad, but no worse. My advice is to read the first two thirds, write it off as a tragedy, and don't bother with the rest of the book. Now I'm off to get the second book in the series and see if there's any point to continuing. After all, there's promise here, and I'm a glutton for punishment.
Then, the cataclysm hits, and *spoiler* Atlantis sinks. Suddenly, the book speeds up to an alarming pace, and Lawhead decides that he's going to stop building character, and instead plow through tons of legend-inspired storyline to show off that Yes, he did do his research and Yes, he'd be happy to prove it. What follows is a rushed retelling of a mishmash of legends, droning on like a combination the worst of all types. It reads like Beowulf at its most laconic combined with preachy Mallory and served with a generous side of distracted Tolkeinesque world-building. None of which appeals to me, the reader, as I am just wishing that I could figure out what's going on with the characters. What started as a compelling, if somewhat simplistic, character drama, turns instead to a very distracted tale of legend.
Adding insult to injury is the (to me) intolerable way that Christianity is shoved down the reader's throat in the last half of the book. Our title character, Taliesin, is a druid, born with a destiny to be THE BEST DRUID EVAR!!!!1 and everything he does proves just how amazing he is. He's connected with the gods, he walks in the otherworld, and he has prophetic visions. He kicks ass and chews Druidic willowbark. Then, this fuddy little priest comes along, and Taliesin, with next to no warning, forsakes everything he ever knows. Clearly this monotheistic God is better than all those other Gods. We, the readers, know this because... well, because Taliesin has an internal monologue which goes "Why would this God be better than the rest? Because the priest said so! Why would the priest say so? Because his God is better than the rest!" Better justifications for this major transformation from Pagan to monotheism can be found at any old Tent Revival. Was Lawhead even trying?
I've worked myself into a review-lather and now the book sounds awful. The book isn't that bad. Or, more accurately, it's exactly that bad, but no worse. My advice is to read the first two thirds, write it off as a tragedy, and don't bother with the rest of the book. Now I'm off to get the second book in the series and see if there's any point to continuing. After all, there's promise here, and I'm a glutton for punishment.
September 15, 2024
3.5⭐️
First Person
The story of Taliesin, Merlin’s father
First Person
The story of Taliesin, Merlin’s father
February 8, 2011
This is my first review here so I thought I would start with one that has meant the most to me. I was blown away from the very start. Stephen Lawhead writes with such a passion for his characters in this book frankly I was surprised. He has taken something that is so familiar and, judging by the many other adaptaions of the Arthurian legend, breathed wonderful new life into it. Taliesin is the seldom told story of the Druid singer Taliesin. Forebear of Merlin who later became teacher, advisor and protector of King Arthur. The world that Lawhwad creates is both barbaric and at the same time beautiful as it moves back and forth from ancient Britain to the enlightened society of Atlantis. I read this book a while back(a long while) and I still am blown away by how tender this book was. The story is about beauty of the soul. As i've said before this is my first review so I may not be that good at it but this book really left a lasting impression on me.
April 6, 2017
I have begun a game with myself where I go to the library and pick books from the free shelf, you know books with "those" dust jackets, the ones you would normally never read because of the cover and because of the synopsis written on the inside by some bored reviewer that doesn't do the book justice. I am discovering small gems on the free shelf and so it is with "Taliesin".
"I will weep no more for the lost, asleep in their water graves......" is how the book begins. Stephen R. Lawhead has managed to combine the tale of Atlantis and the tale of the most famous bard (out side of Merlin that is) Taliesin. I enjoyed the book and found it charming. While the first half lags a bit, but sometimes that happens with the introduction of characters, the second half is a page turner where you find yourself wanting more. It was a bold venture to say the least for Lawhead; Combing two subjects that everyone has heard of, but have not read about in the same sitting. And he writes in the old school classic form, which adds to the charm of the book.
Charis is the princess of King Avallach, an Atlantean King and is our heroine who lives a life of comfort and decadence on Atlantis taught by the court seer Annubi who has visions of the destruction of Atlantis. Meanwhile a son is born to a Celtic King Gwyddno Garanhir, who is cursed with bad luck. Nothing that Elphin puts his hand to flourishes and his clan would drive him away were it not for his father the King and the Druid Hafgar. Trying to change his son's luck King Garanhir sends him off to the salmon weir in hopes of Elphin will come back with enough salmon to feed the clan through the winter months. Naturally, Elphin finds no salmon, but he does find a leather satchel in the frigid water. Inside he finds a beautiful baby that is near death. He quickly warms the babe and is rewarded with a small cry. And thus begins the story of Taliesin of the radiant brow.
This book, as I said, is a charming read, and the reader is enveloped in the mysteries of Druids and seers, Roman occupation, war, and the destruction of Atlantis. And of course a love that carries on through the ages. A love that Bards write songs of. A love that brings about the birth of another famous child........ who is named Merlin.
If you find yourself needing a book on a rainy day, when you are snuggled up in your bead with a warm cup of tea, I strongly suggest you read Taliesin. You will be transported from your bed into a land of ancient times where magic lives, trees speak, and history is written on the strings of harps.
"I will weep no more for the lost, asleep in their water graves......" is how the book begins. Stephen R. Lawhead has managed to combine the tale of Atlantis and the tale of the most famous bard (out side of Merlin that is) Taliesin. I enjoyed the book and found it charming. While the first half lags a bit, but sometimes that happens with the introduction of characters, the second half is a page turner where you find yourself wanting more. It was a bold venture to say the least for Lawhead; Combing two subjects that everyone has heard of, but have not read about in the same sitting. And he writes in the old school classic form, which adds to the charm of the book.
Charis is the princess of King Avallach, an Atlantean King and is our heroine who lives a life of comfort and decadence on Atlantis taught by the court seer Annubi who has visions of the destruction of Atlantis. Meanwhile a son is born to a Celtic King Gwyddno Garanhir, who is cursed with bad luck. Nothing that Elphin puts his hand to flourishes and his clan would drive him away were it not for his father the King and the Druid Hafgar. Trying to change his son's luck King Garanhir sends him off to the salmon weir in hopes of Elphin will come back with enough salmon to feed the clan through the winter months. Naturally, Elphin finds no salmon, but he does find a leather satchel in the frigid water. Inside he finds a beautiful baby that is near death. He quickly warms the babe and is rewarded with a small cry. And thus begins the story of Taliesin of the radiant brow.
This book, as I said, is a charming read, and the reader is enveloped in the mysteries of Druids and seers, Roman occupation, war, and the destruction of Atlantis. And of course a love that carries on through the ages. A love that Bards write songs of. A love that brings about the birth of another famous child........ who is named Merlin.
If you find yourself needing a book on a rainy day, when you are snuggled up in your bead with a warm cup of tea, I strongly suggest you read Taliesin. You will be transported from your bed into a land of ancient times where magic lives, trees speak, and history is written on the strings of harps.
April 13, 2023
"Taliesin" is the first book in the ambitious pentalogy about King Arthur by Stephen Lawhead. I read a very late-arriving sixth book a few years ago about the modern-day return of King Arthur, "Avalon," which I really enjoyed, so resolved to read the pentalogy.
This is apparently going to be a very DETAILED series, as this first book seems to go on FOREVER. In it, we are introduced to Charis, a princess of Atlantis, and Taliesin, who is miraculously pulled from a river by the son of a Brythonic king of very-late Roman times in Britain who goes on to become a great druid and poet in the court.
The chapters alternate between Charis' life and Taliesin's. Charis lives through challenging times at home; leaves home for a career (how unusual!); then returns home to reconcile w/ her father the king, just in time for Atlantis to be destroyed in a series of apparently volcanic eruptions. The small band from her homeland that washes up ashore in a strange land have to start new lives, and battle off the previous inhabitants.
Taliesin knows from childhood that he meant to be a druid, which his parents completely understand b/c of his miraculous arrival. He can "see" things and has the voice of an angel, which comes in handy as his father's kingdom is assaulted by tribes from north of the Roman wall.
Eventually, Taliesin's and Charis' story lines merge, as they meet in what is the new homeland for both of them. And eventually, their stories merge further.
HOW, you might ask, does this story of a famous Welsh bard from antiquity relate to King Arthur? Well, it has something to do w/ Merlin's origins -- which is not explained until the last few pages of the book. The reader wades through nearly 600 pages of small print to get to this information. Lawhead writes fabulous battle scenes, and an unforgettable description of Atlantis disappearing, but the story itself just moves...too...slowly to give it more than three stars. Hopefully, the next book, "Merlin," moves a little faster. I ordered it at the same time as I ordered "Taliesin," so will surely go ahead and read it.
This is apparently going to be a very DETAILED series, as this first book seems to go on FOREVER. In it, we are introduced to Charis, a princess of Atlantis, and Taliesin, who is miraculously pulled from a river by the son of a Brythonic king of very-late Roman times in Britain who goes on to become a great druid and poet in the court.
The chapters alternate between Charis' life and Taliesin's. Charis lives through challenging times at home; leaves home for a career (how unusual!); then returns home to reconcile w/ her father the king, just in time for Atlantis to be destroyed in a series of apparently volcanic eruptions. The small band from her homeland that washes up ashore in a strange land have to start new lives, and battle off the previous inhabitants.
Taliesin knows from childhood that he meant to be a druid, which his parents completely understand b/c of his miraculous arrival. He can "see" things and has the voice of an angel, which comes in handy as his father's kingdom is assaulted by tribes from north of the Roman wall.
Eventually, Taliesin's and Charis' story lines merge, as they meet in what is the new homeland for both of them. And eventually, their stories merge further.
HOW, you might ask, does this story of a famous Welsh bard from antiquity relate to King Arthur? Well, it has something to do w/ Merlin's origins -- which is not explained until the last few pages of the book. The reader wades through nearly 600 pages of small print to get to this information. Lawhead writes fabulous battle scenes, and an unforgettable description of Atlantis disappearing, but the story itself just moves...too...slowly to give it more than three stars. Hopefully, the next book, "Merlin," moves a little faster. I ordered it at the same time as I ordered "Taliesin," so will surely go ahead and read it.
December 19, 2013
I wish I liked this book more than I did. I should have liked it, it has a lot of stuff I like in it.
But it just seemed to go on and on about things that werent pertinent, and then just gloss over things that it seemed should have got more attention.
In the end, I didnt care enough when main characters died, because I really wasnt understanding their purpose in this world....
I did like the writing, and I get that this novel is mostly just set up for the rest of the series, but i really wanted to care more( or at least understand)
But it just seemed to go on and on about things that werent pertinent, and then just gloss over things that it seemed should have got more attention.
In the end, I didnt care enough when main characters died, because I really wasnt understanding their purpose in this world....
I did like the writing, and I get that this novel is mostly just set up for the rest of the series, but i really wanted to care more( or at least understand)
August 15, 2014
Rating: 2* of five
The Publisher Says: It was a time of legend, when the last shadows of the mighty Roman conqueror faded from the captured Isle of Britain. While across a vast sea, bloody war shattered a peace that had flourished for two thousand years in the doomed kingdom of Atlantis.
Taliesin is the remarkable adventure of Charis, the Atlantean princess who escaped the terrible devastation of her homeland, and of the fabled seer and druid prince Taliesin, singer at the dawn of the age. It is the story of an incomparable love that joined two worlds amid the fires of chaos, and spawned the miracles of Merlin...and Arthur the king.
My Review: Ohfagawdsake.
An Atlantean princess? Atlantis, assuming Plato told the truth, sank over 3500 years before this book takes place. How old was this broad? How'd she have a kid?
The shuddersome Jesusyness of the book made me itch.
I sent this book on to its reward via Bookmooch. Ghastly.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Publisher Says: It was a time of legend, when the last shadows of the mighty Roman conqueror faded from the captured Isle of Britain. While across a vast sea, bloody war shattered a peace that had flourished for two thousand years in the doomed kingdom of Atlantis.
Taliesin is the remarkable adventure of Charis, the Atlantean princess who escaped the terrible devastation of her homeland, and of the fabled seer and druid prince Taliesin, singer at the dawn of the age. It is the story of an incomparable love that joined two worlds amid the fires of chaos, and spawned the miracles of Merlin...and Arthur the king.
My Review: Ohfagawdsake.
An Atlantean princess? Atlantis, assuming Plato told the truth, sank over 3500 years before this book takes place. How old was this broad? How'd she have a kid?
The shuddersome Jesusyness of the book made me itch.
I sent this book on to its reward via Bookmooch. Ghastly.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
October 1, 2009
One of the best adaptions of the Aurthorian legend (this is the first step in said legend).
And believe me I'm sick to death of all the adaptions. Enough already King Arthur is a great character but let him rest.
Still this is a good series of books.
And believe me I'm sick to death of all the adaptions. Enough already King Arthur is a great character but let him rest.
Still this is a good series of books.
Want to read
October 17, 2023DW is coming out with a TV show adaption of this series and now I have to read them!!!
August 13, 2015
Begin your Lawhead reading here. In my humble opinion this is Lawhead's best, least cyclical work of the Pendragon series. From reading the other reviews you probably have a plot summary of what's going on. Thus, I won't bore you with them.
THE GOOD ASPECTS OF THE BOOK (and the first few books in the series)
Since no one rightly knows what, if anything, happened to the City of Atlantis, mankind is free to speculate and write fiction about it. The author is to be commended for his retelling of the Christian story in early Great Britain. In reading it I found a way to stress both aspects of the Christian story that have always been held in tension:
--The coming Kingdom of Christ and by implication, the renewing and giving of life, real life, to the world.
--the destruction of the evil elements of the world.
Whether or not Lawhead fully realized this theological implication (and I doubt he did) he masterfully brought out the tensions in both and thus, ironically, harmonized them. Translation: One civilization is destroyed by astronomical fire and eventually life is brought to another civilization as a result. The writing borders on beautiful at times.
THE BAD ASPECTS OF THE BOOK (and the rest of the series).
Lawhead treats heretics as heroes of the faith (in all fairness, however, this is seen in other series, not this one). Secondly, Lawhead's plotlines are cyclical in every book. MILD SPOILER COMING
The women in the books all follow this pattern:
They have a personality.
They get married or attached to a man.
They become a sex object and lose their personality (don't worry, though, there is no pornographic scenes in the book. Much is implied but nothing actually stated).
Someone dies. They regain personality.
END SPOILER
Here is another thing I would like to have seen in the book: How is Atlantis actually connected to this world? What is the geography of Britain before the cataclysm? He assumed a lot on the part of the hearers.
Its a good book and helped me see parts of the Christian story from another paradigm. Sadly, after Merlin and Pendragon the books lose much of their original quality.
THE GOOD ASPECTS OF THE BOOK (and the first few books in the series)
Since no one rightly knows what, if anything, happened to the City of Atlantis, mankind is free to speculate and write fiction about it. The author is to be commended for his retelling of the Christian story in early Great Britain. In reading it I found a way to stress both aspects of the Christian story that have always been held in tension:
--The coming Kingdom of Christ and by implication, the renewing and giving of life, real life, to the world.
--the destruction of the evil elements of the world.
Whether or not Lawhead fully realized this theological implication (and I doubt he did) he masterfully brought out the tensions in both and thus, ironically, harmonized them. Translation: One civilization is destroyed by astronomical fire and eventually life is brought to another civilization as a result. The writing borders on beautiful at times.
THE BAD ASPECTS OF THE BOOK (and the rest of the series).
Lawhead treats heretics as heroes of the faith (in all fairness, however, this is seen in other series, not this one). Secondly, Lawhead's plotlines are cyclical in every book. MILD SPOILER COMING
The women in the books all follow this pattern:
They have a personality.
They get married or attached to a man.
They become a sex object and lose their personality (don't worry, though, there is no pornographic scenes in the book. Much is implied but nothing actually stated).
Someone dies. They regain personality.
END SPOILER
Here is another thing I would like to have seen in the book: How is Atlantis actually connected to this world? What is the geography of Britain before the cataclysm? He assumed a lot on the part of the hearers.
Its a good book and helped me see parts of the Christian story from another paradigm. Sadly, after Merlin and Pendragon the books lose much of their original quality.
February 24, 2020
“...he burned with the vision of a world he meant to create.
That vision must not die.
I, Charis, Princess of Lost Atlantis, Lady of the Lake, will keep the vision alive.”
So ends the first book in the Pendragon Cycle — and what a book it has been! This novel completely changed how I view Arthurian works by going against all the cliche, boring sagas that we see as that time periods best. Stephen Lawhead brought to life the Lady of the Lake and the Legend of Atlantis in a way I never thought possible. He brings the characters alive with feelings, backstory and paragraphs bursting with descriptions that show the true heart of people, the earnestness of love, the pain of great loss.
Something I just could not love more was how perfect life in Atlantis, what a perfect life Charis led...and yet how in the blink of an eye it was all lost forever, even before her island was destroyed, when she gave herself up to pride and greed as a bull dancer. At first I hated how she had changed, but then I saw the true maturing and learning in her character THROUGH all the struggles, THROUGH the pain caused by herself and others, and how Taliesin teaches her how to live again.
And can I just say what a cutie Taliesin is?! Not his looks, but his heart; how he is honest and straighforward yet smart and kind to everyone.
Plus the quotes: oh my word, how quotable could this book get. And the morals they gave are ecellent too. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
There is some light sexual content,but nothing serious, so I think it's suitable for all readers. I don't know if Lawhead is a Christian or not but he did a great job with the plot twist at the end where Charis and Taliesin (the MCs) become Christians, I totally didn't see that one coming.
All in all, an awesome read.
That vision must not die.
I, Charis, Princess of Lost Atlantis, Lady of the Lake, will keep the vision alive.”
So ends the first book in the Pendragon Cycle — and what a book it has been! This novel completely changed how I view Arthurian works by going against all the cliche, boring sagas that we see as that time periods best. Stephen Lawhead brought to life the Lady of the Lake and the Legend of Atlantis in a way I never thought possible. He brings the characters alive with feelings, backstory and paragraphs bursting with descriptions that show the true heart of people, the earnestness of love, the pain of great loss.
Something I just could not love more was how perfect life in Atlantis, what a perfect life Charis led...and yet how in the blink of an eye it was all lost forever, even before her island was destroyed, when she gave herself up to pride and greed as a bull dancer. At first I hated how she had changed, but then I saw the true maturing and learning in her character THROUGH all the struggles, THROUGH the pain caused by herself and others, and how Taliesin teaches her how to live again.
And can I just say what a cutie Taliesin is?! Not his looks, but his heart; how he is honest and straighforward yet smart and kind to everyone.
Plus the quotes: oh my word, how quotable could this book get. And the morals they gave are ecellent too. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
There is some light sexual content,but nothing serious, so I think it's suitable for all readers. I don't know if Lawhead is a Christian or not but he did a great job with the plot twist at the end where Charis and Taliesin (the MCs) become Christians, I totally didn't see that one coming.
All in all, an awesome read.
December 27, 2024
4.5⭐️RTC Classic fantasy at its best! Loved it! A classic high fantasy book that meets all the criteria. The added bonus is that is the christian faith element. I had so much fun reading this story. Taliesin is the prequel to the Arthurian legend. The writing was sophisticated, whimsical and had such clarity. The world building was mysterious and full of lore. What an adventure to read this book. I am excited to read Merlin next!
death, war violence, sensuality
death, war violence, sensuality
October 18, 2015
I was anxious to read this when I heard Peter Enns (a contemporary theologian) cite the Pendragon Cycle as having made a strong impression on him. After two pages the writing seemed solid enough. But after two chapters it somehow didn't translate into a gripping narrative. A lot of scale running with no real movement. I was never able to situate comfortably into whatever tale Lawhead was trying to tell me. His efforts at building suspense were completely lost on me and I never once developed an affinity for his protagonists.
I read about 40% of this book and I specifically wanted to make sure that I read the parts some reviewers have claimed were "forcibly Christian", "preachy", "propagandist", and so on, and I did. Lawhead got in over his head when he tried to do this, and it came across sort of pathetically. As a Christian who is not against this sort of thing in principle I was kind of anxious to see if Lawhead had proven equal to the task. Ursula Le Guin does loads of preaching in her Hainish cycle (anarchist apologetics), as have many other award winning writers of speculative fiction. In order to do something like that well it requires an enormous degree of subtlety and/or sophisticated literary wits to make it palpable. And in Lawhead's Taliesin it was mostly just a distraction. It was discordant. It was worth a try I suppose and apparently there have been some who have proven good soil for Lawhead's efforts, but on a purely aesthetic level, I think it flopped.
Overall I just found this book to be really rather boring.
I read about 40% of this book and I specifically wanted to make sure that I read the parts some reviewers have claimed were "forcibly Christian", "preachy", "propagandist", and so on, and I did. Lawhead got in over his head when he tried to do this, and it came across sort of pathetically. As a Christian who is not against this sort of thing in principle I was kind of anxious to see if Lawhead had proven equal to the task. Ursula Le Guin does loads of preaching in her Hainish cycle (anarchist apologetics), as have many other award winning writers of speculative fiction. In order to do something like that well it requires an enormous degree of subtlety and/or sophisticated literary wits to make it palpable. And in Lawhead's Taliesin it was mostly just a distraction. It was discordant. It was worth a try I suppose and apparently there have been some who have proven good soil for Lawhead's efforts, but on a purely aesthetic level, I think it flopped.
Overall I just found this book to be really rather boring.
eventually
August 23, 2018Tried it a second time and I'm the first to admit this time it was purely my own fault that I didn't get further than page 100 -- I'd borrowed the audiobook while listening to something else, and then once I got around to Taliesin I had 6 days in which to read it, listened for 2 days and then missed 3 because of a combination of things -- once again, mainly not in the mood for it. But I was unable to renew it so it had to go back into the system so the rest of the people with holds on it can listen first. Maybe I'll come back in a few months or a year. Or, y'know, the paperback's still chilling on my shelf. We shall see.
December 11, 2016
Epic historical fantasy series opener! I loved seeing Arthurian legend begin to come together with Merlin's parents - Charis, a princess of Atlantis who just managed to escape the devastation, and Taliesin, a druid Prince and talented seer. If you're interested in Arthurian legend, you have to try this novel. Now, I need to get my hands on the sequel!
January 30, 2022
A classic tale in the tradition of high romance and tragedy: lost Atlantis, exile and homelessness, friendship, honour, true nobility, beauty, hope, sorrow, loss, despair, and promise of reborn hopes ... it's all here, and if you are not at least tempted to weep upon reading the final pages then it's possible you've lost touch with something profoundly human.
September 10, 2016
Wow. Just wow. I don't think there's much more I can say. It was an amazing read. Best ever Arthurian retelling.
There is so much to love about Taliesin starting with the names. They're all so pretty and lilting and beautiful, and I wish people had names like that nowdays.
Every single one of the characters is real and so 3-D. Charis and Taliesin, and all the rest were real and I completely lived the story through their experience. The struggles and thoughts they had were all so believable and relateable and--agh, just. so. good.
And the villain is so evil. Completely hateable. And a creep.
The style the book is written in is amazing. Even down the the way the characters speak - cool and old-sounding, but really easy to read and understand. And how it's all a story written by Charis years later is really cool. It's a really pretty style that completely reflects the feel and setting of the actual story.
I may or may not have almost cried at the ending. *shameless because the book deserved the tears* It was so sweet and beautiful and sad and I just loved it so much.
I definitely recommend this to all, although it won't be to everyone's taste unfortunately. The style isn't always easy to connect with, but I, personally, love it to pieces. Five brilliant stars, for a brilliant book.
There is so much to love about Taliesin starting with the names. They're all so pretty and lilting and beautiful, and I wish people had names like that nowdays.
Every single one of the characters is real and so 3-D. Charis and Taliesin, and all the rest were real and I completely lived the story through their experience. The struggles and thoughts they had were all so believable and relateable and--agh, just. so. good.
And the villain is so evil. Completely hateable. And a creep.
The style the book is written in is amazing. Even down the the way the characters speak - cool and old-sounding, but really easy to read and understand. And how it's all a story written by Charis years later is really cool. It's a really pretty style that completely reflects the feel and setting of the actual story.
I may or may not have almost cried at the ending. *shameless because the book deserved the tears* It was so sweet and beautiful and sad and I just loved it so much.
I definitely recommend this to all, although it won't be to everyone's taste unfortunately. The style isn't always easy to connect with, but I, personally, love it to pieces. Five brilliant stars, for a brilliant book.
January 24, 2019
This is Book # 1 in Stephen R. Lawhead's first series The Pendragon Cycle, yes another re-telling of Arthur and The Merlin. However, this was one has grabbed me. I have also got The Mists of Avalon going(since early December)-the difference, I put that one down and it's hit or miss when I will pick it up again-it's not bad, it just does not pull me in as I want a book to do.
A lot of bru-ah-ah in the reviews on this that Lawhead took too many liberties with time frames(Atlantis was well gone in Plato's mind before Arthur was a glimmering in anyone's eye)-Come on people-just because someone's shelf has it as Historical Fiction, doesn't make it so-it's Fantasy, let it go!
The book begins telling 2 distinct stories-that of life on Atlantis and that in Britain. Our female Protagonist Charis, Atlantean princess, the male side from Taliesin, seer and druid Prince. The third section recounts their coming together after the destruction of Atlantis and then birth of their son Merlin.
This author was recommended to me during my search for older fantasy, and I am glad I was able to find the entire series at "Buck-a-bag" book sale! I am anticipating continuing on with the adventure-and I picked up another by this author Hood that I am looking forward too.
Recommended for Epic Fantasy lovers
A lot of bru-ah-ah in the reviews on this that Lawhead took too many liberties with time frames(Atlantis was well gone in Plato's mind before Arthur was a glimmering in anyone's eye)-Come on people-just because someone's shelf has it as Historical Fiction, doesn't make it so-it's Fantasy, let it go!
The book begins telling 2 distinct stories-that of life on Atlantis and that in Britain. Our female Protagonist Charis, Atlantean princess, the male side from Taliesin, seer and druid Prince. The third section recounts their coming together after the destruction of Atlantis and then birth of their son Merlin.
This author was recommended to me during my search for older fantasy, and I am glad I was able to find the entire series at "Buck-a-bag" book sale! I am anticipating continuing on with the adventure-and I picked up another by this author Hood that I am looking forward too.
Recommended for Epic Fantasy lovers
April 1, 2016
Reading Porius reminded me how much I liked this book when I was 12 or 13 and got it from a little bookshop in North Wales. I figure if it stayed with me this long, it must be worth 4 stars at least.
November 21, 2023
"'Truth is all truth, Hafgan. You taught me that. There cannot be even the smallest grain of falsehood in it or it is not truth. I have discovered the source of all truth; how can I deny what I know?'"
A new comfort read :)
A new comfort read :)
January 7, 2011
Originally posted at: http://jawasreadtoo.wordpress.com/201...
Charis is an Atlantean Princess living in a seaside paradise, but too young to understand that Atlantis is on the brink of war. When her family is betrayed and her mother killed, Avallach takes his daughter and their remaining servants into the safety of their stone walled home. Or at least he tries to. Charis is too overwrought with the guilt he places on her over the loss of her mother and joins a religious band of performers, the bull dancers, who once enchanted her as a child. She returns as an adult, only after an injury wounds her ability to perform and finds home a much different place than when she last left it.
War has ravaged the land and strained her father’s fragile psyche. Nursed by a strange new woman calling herself Avallach’s wife, the King is a shadow of his former self and haunted by the ghosts of his bitter persistence. Charis will soon have to face other threats as visions of impending destruction plague her mind; her stepsister Morgiana’s strange lurking behavior and alien presence fail to ingratiate herself into Charis’ life. Whom should Charis trust? A father crawling toward senility, a step-mother who claims to rely on peculiar herb remedies to keep him alive and well, or a step-sister flirting with an unnameable darkness? And what exactly does any of this have to do with Elphin, the Briton-raised Prince of Gwynedd, his son, Taliesin, or Arthurian Legend?
Stephen Lawhead is going so far back to begin his Arthurian tale (the 5 book Pendragon Cycle) that Merlin isn’t even born yet. Ladies and gentlemen: I give you Taliesin and Charis, Merlin’s parents. I had a difficult time trying to keep the summary for this book short. Aside from Charis, who I’m only assuming is the main point of view because it’s her first person narrative that opens and closes the story, the text moves equally between Elphin and later, Taliesin. In fact, for most of the book I wasn’t even sure how any of this related—in my flimsy knowledge—to Arthurian Legend or how each POV related to each other.
That is, I was confused until Taliesin, hot off a dream-like vision of Charis, begins referring to her as the Lady in the Lake when they finally meet, two-thirds into the novel. It helped that after Atlantis crumbled into the ocean and what’s left of the kingdom moves to a new home, Avallach takes up fishing and is henceforth referred to as the Fisher King. Of course, suddenly every remaining Atlantean is then one of the ‘Fair Folk’ for no clear or apparent reason other than (I think) they are all remarkably tall and beautiful. It’s clear that Lawhead really wanted to establish some roots with these characters and the setting, but I’m not sure if going this far back makes the story more epic or cumbersome and slow instead. At times it seemed this novel was trying to provide too much history for the myth.
Naturally, there were some elements that worked or I wouldn’t have finished. I actually liked some of the historical aspects of the novel. Post-Roman Britain was particularly fascinating, as was the attempt to create a real place out of Atlantis. The characters are interesting (in particular, Charis, who improves marvelously as an adult; as a child, I found her a rather boring protagonist), if at times overshadowed by dialogue that I believe is meant to be archaic, but proved distracting and unrealistic for me. Despite this, it was easy to be drawn into the story, even as I abandoned all hope of understanding where it was going or how the seemingly disparate narrative threads came together. It was not always easy getting to know these characters, but Lawhead’s prose has an upfront simplicity to it that fails to be ignored. It’s never what I would call poetic, but there’s something atmospheric about it that served the religious, mythological, and romantic aspects of this story well.
There was a lot of romance in this book. None of it was very good. I say this as a reader who enjoys the courtship and exquisite build up of a relationship, who is willing to be patient for love in fiction rather than bombarded with clichés. Lawhead probably does not profess himself to be a romance writer, but I think the romance between Charis and Taliesin is only slightly better than Elphin and Rhonwyn (Taliesin’s parents) and that’s not saying much—especially when the front of the book claims to be about “the incomparable love that creates the miracles of Merlin and Arthur the King.” After a day’s acquaintance, Elphin proposes marriage, Rhonwyn accepts and before lunch can be served on the second day they’re each professing their undying love to one another and running off to get married in Elphin’s hometown. At least Taliesin only declares his love for Charis, never having spoken to her before and that because he wars publicly with Avallach about just whom is going to marry his daughter.
Unrealistic and ridiculously saccharine romance aside, the only other complaint I have (although I wish I had none) was the degree of enthusiasm a few of these characters had for Christianity. By the last third of the novel, when Taliesin finds God, there is an overabundance of religious hyperbole and self-affirming, circular logic. Religion, in this post-Roman Arthurian story is fine. Some might even say it’s central although, of course, not necessary to every version. The inclusion of religion is understandable. It even worked well (best, in fact) when Charis struggled to ameliorate Taliesin’s God with her own. This dialogue was very interesting. The rest appears to be sermons and shallow arguments.
I was not thrilled with the characters, although I was interested in their journey, if only to find out where in the Arthurian Legend it led them. While they are intriguing and slightly mysterious in this way, Lawhead’s lofty dialogue and atmospheric prose makes it difficult to connect to any one of them, especially when Christianity renders both Taliesin and Charis into flat, two-dimensional beings. The scale of the novel is perhaps, too large to be encompassed in one book and I hope the series doesn’t lose focus as I think this novel sometimes did.
Charis is an Atlantean Princess living in a seaside paradise, but too young to understand that Atlantis is on the brink of war. When her family is betrayed and her mother killed, Avallach takes his daughter and their remaining servants into the safety of their stone walled home. Or at least he tries to. Charis is too overwrought with the guilt he places on her over the loss of her mother and joins a religious band of performers, the bull dancers, who once enchanted her as a child. She returns as an adult, only after an injury wounds her ability to perform and finds home a much different place than when she last left it.
War has ravaged the land and strained her father’s fragile psyche. Nursed by a strange new woman calling herself Avallach’s wife, the King is a shadow of his former self and haunted by the ghosts of his bitter persistence. Charis will soon have to face other threats as visions of impending destruction plague her mind; her stepsister Morgiana’s strange lurking behavior and alien presence fail to ingratiate herself into Charis’ life. Whom should Charis trust? A father crawling toward senility, a step-mother who claims to rely on peculiar herb remedies to keep him alive and well, or a step-sister flirting with an unnameable darkness? And what exactly does any of this have to do with Elphin, the Briton-raised Prince of Gwynedd, his son, Taliesin, or Arthurian Legend?
Stephen Lawhead is going so far back to begin his Arthurian tale (the 5 book Pendragon Cycle) that Merlin isn’t even born yet. Ladies and gentlemen: I give you Taliesin and Charis, Merlin’s parents. I had a difficult time trying to keep the summary for this book short. Aside from Charis, who I’m only assuming is the main point of view because it’s her first person narrative that opens and closes the story, the text moves equally between Elphin and later, Taliesin. In fact, for most of the book I wasn’t even sure how any of this related—in my flimsy knowledge—to Arthurian Legend or how each POV related to each other.
That is, I was confused until Taliesin, hot off a dream-like vision of Charis, begins referring to her as the Lady in the Lake when they finally meet, two-thirds into the novel. It helped that after Atlantis crumbled into the ocean and what’s left of the kingdom moves to a new home, Avallach takes up fishing and is henceforth referred to as the Fisher King. Of course, suddenly every remaining Atlantean is then one of the ‘Fair Folk’ for no clear or apparent reason other than (I think) they are all remarkably tall and beautiful. It’s clear that Lawhead really wanted to establish some roots with these characters and the setting, but I’m not sure if going this far back makes the story more epic or cumbersome and slow instead. At times it seemed this novel was trying to provide too much history for the myth.
Naturally, there were some elements that worked or I wouldn’t have finished. I actually liked some of the historical aspects of the novel. Post-Roman Britain was particularly fascinating, as was the attempt to create a real place out of Atlantis. The characters are interesting (in particular, Charis, who improves marvelously as an adult; as a child, I found her a rather boring protagonist), if at times overshadowed by dialogue that I believe is meant to be archaic, but proved distracting and unrealistic for me. Despite this, it was easy to be drawn into the story, even as I abandoned all hope of understanding where it was going or how the seemingly disparate narrative threads came together. It was not always easy getting to know these characters, but Lawhead’s prose has an upfront simplicity to it that fails to be ignored. It’s never what I would call poetic, but there’s something atmospheric about it that served the religious, mythological, and romantic aspects of this story well.
There was a lot of romance in this book. None of it was very good. I say this as a reader who enjoys the courtship and exquisite build up of a relationship, who is willing to be patient for love in fiction rather than bombarded with clichés. Lawhead probably does not profess himself to be a romance writer, but I think the romance between Charis and Taliesin is only slightly better than Elphin and Rhonwyn (Taliesin’s parents) and that’s not saying much—especially when the front of the book claims to be about “the incomparable love that creates the miracles of Merlin and Arthur the King.” After a day’s acquaintance, Elphin proposes marriage, Rhonwyn accepts and before lunch can be served on the second day they’re each professing their undying love to one another and running off to get married in Elphin’s hometown. At least Taliesin only declares his love for Charis, never having spoken to her before and that because he wars publicly with Avallach about just whom is going to marry his daughter.
Unrealistic and ridiculously saccharine romance aside, the only other complaint I have (although I wish I had none) was the degree of enthusiasm a few of these characters had for Christianity. By the last third of the novel, when Taliesin finds God, there is an overabundance of religious hyperbole and self-affirming, circular logic. Religion, in this post-Roman Arthurian story is fine. Some might even say it’s central although, of course, not necessary to every version. The inclusion of religion is understandable. It even worked well (best, in fact) when Charis struggled to ameliorate Taliesin’s God with her own. This dialogue was very interesting. The rest appears to be sermons and shallow arguments.
I was not thrilled with the characters, although I was interested in their journey, if only to find out where in the Arthurian Legend it led them. While they are intriguing and slightly mysterious in this way, Lawhead’s lofty dialogue and atmospheric prose makes it difficult to connect to any one of them, especially when Christianity renders both Taliesin and Charis into flat, two-dimensional beings. The scale of the novel is perhaps, too large to be encompassed in one book and I hope the series doesn’t lose focus as I think this novel sometimes did.
November 22, 2010
this book really captured my attention for the first 50 pages, but then it dawned on me in slow, painstaking, painful, redundant, multitudinously modified and slow-moving and redundant horror that this book is booooring.
parts of lawhead's story are fascinating. having never read atlantean or arthurian legends, i started out enthralled and eager to dive deeper into these myths. however, prose which is both overwritten and often shallowly phrased evaporates the life from the tale. trading off between two stories, a stylistic decision i've often loved in other books, only does more damage to an already poorly-paced story. two-thirds of the way through (i am determined to finish) i feel i am stirring leaves at the bottom of a winterized pool.
even momentous events are almost completely lacking in urgency or relatable emotion, and the primary characters are either cliched or incoherent (elphin is a karmic plot device, and charis may be the most rambling embodiment of nobility i've ever read). only the prophet-figures seem more than caricatures, which might be a literary convention in itself.
i'll be passing on the next four laps in this lazy current.
update - ok, i'm giving up on this book as of section 3 (pg 250ish). the book went from boring to intolerable upon the abrupt interpolation of two christians - or rather, of jarring sermonettes that hopelessly disrupted an already agonizing pace. i suppose this is forcibly christian fiction at its finest, which might have been more of a shame if the book hadn't lost me about a hundred pages before the lectures began.
parts of lawhead's story are fascinating. having never read atlantean or arthurian legends, i started out enthralled and eager to dive deeper into these myths. however, prose which is both overwritten and often shallowly phrased evaporates the life from the tale. trading off between two stories, a stylistic decision i've often loved in other books, only does more damage to an already poorly-paced story. two-thirds of the way through (i am determined to finish) i feel i am stirring leaves at the bottom of a winterized pool.
even momentous events are almost completely lacking in urgency or relatable emotion, and the primary characters are either cliched or incoherent (elphin is a karmic plot device, and charis may be the most rambling embodiment of nobility i've ever read). only the prophet-figures seem more than caricatures, which might be a literary convention in itself.
i'll be passing on the next four laps in this lazy current.
update - ok, i'm giving up on this book as of section 3 (pg 250ish). the book went from boring to intolerable upon the abrupt interpolation of two christians - or rather, of jarring sermonettes that hopelessly disrupted an already agonizing pace. i suppose this is forcibly christian fiction at its finest, which might have been more of a shame if the book hadn't lost me about a hundred pages before the lectures began.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2023
Better than I remembered. A delight to read. The story of Taliesin the bard of Britain and singer/prophet at the dawn of the new age and Charis the mother of nations, queen of the farie, and lady of the lake is a wonderful prelude to the coming of Merlin and eventually Arthur.
I really love Lawhead’s ability to world build and draw on original Celtic as well as historical material for his Arthurian story. I love the setting of Celtic Britain during the transition from Roman rule back into chaos as the legions leave the Roman wall. And I especially enjoyed his depictions of ancient Christianity as it entered and transformed the isle of the mighty.
I really love Lawhead’s ability to world build and draw on original Celtic as well as historical material for his Arthurian story. I love the setting of Celtic Britain during the transition from Roman rule back into chaos as the legions leave the Roman wall. And I especially enjoyed his depictions of ancient Christianity as it entered and transformed the isle of the mighty.
July 22, 2025
3.5 stars? 3.75? Not quite four. I did like the story but sometimes it moved too fast or dragged. Was not as enthralled as I was with the King Raven series. But you know I’m about to read the next book about my boy, MERLIN!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 919 reviews