Helpful Score: 1
Definitely a different take on Arthur than ones I have read previously. This version stresses Arthur's Christianity and depicts Merlin much less a Druid than many other tellings of the legend. I probably would have enjoyed the book more had I read it in series order, but it was a reading group selection and I did not have the time to read "Taliesin" and "Merlin" first.
I'll definitely re-read at some point, but in series order.
I'll definitely re-read at some point, but in series order.
The story of King Arthur,brings to life a legend,vibrantly real
After I enjoyed *Taliesin* and *Merlin* quite a bit, this one has been a disappointment--too much account of battle narrated by minor characters.
I just devoured this series. Loved the authors version of the Arthur tale.
Great plot, well developed characters
This is the third book of the series. The telling of the legen of Kind Arthur.
This whole series was amazing! I love the spin that was put on the King Arthur classic.
A very good read. The tale is told by different characters but still flows well. Arthur's rise to become High King is difficult as he works to gain the support of all the kings in the kingdom. Battle after battle must be engaged to free the kingdom of invaders and to prove to these kings that he is the leader they need. Even when he attains the crown his support among some is tenuous. The impact of Morgian, her father, and her son Medraut takes its toll on Arthur's supporters. When Arthur and his knights leave the Summer Kingdom to assist Rome, Merlin and Gwenhwyvar, the queen, are captured and held prisoner while most of those he left behind have been murdered and his kingdom pillaged. While I enjoyed this read my favorite in the series is still Merlin.
From a reviewer at Amazon.com:
"I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It presents a very watered-down version of the King Arthur legend. I am no medieval scholar, and it is possible that it is historically accurate and well-researched; this is not my gripe. It's just that so many of the elements of the story are missing, like the love between Guinevere (Gwenhwyvar in this book) and Lancelot (Llenlleawg). The prophecy about Arthur meeting his death at the hands of his son is mentioned once, but he never has a son - Lawhead does not incorporate Arthur's inadvertent incest with his sister into his story, hence there is no product of the union. It seemed to me that the search for the Grail was added almost as an afterthought, with a few foreshadowed lines thrown in here and there in Merlin, the book before this one.
Mostly, this book was about a seemingly endless series of battles, where all sorts of miracles happen like Arthur's army of 900 men defeating a barbarian army of 10,000 without a single casualty. Aside from the major players Arthur, Merlin, Charis, and the evil Morgian, none of the characters were very well-developed. They spoke the same, reacted the same, and had very few distinguishing characteristics. The women were all impossibly beautiful but (aside from Charis) never had much to say. The device of having the three sections of the book told from three different viewpoints didn't do much for me; I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had just been written in the third person.
One redeeming quality of Lawhead's writing is his descriptive ability. Every once in a while he describes a landscape so clearly that I could see it in my mind's eye.
If you are looking for a quasi-historical account of the battles that King Arthur fought, the politics of the Roman empire at the time, and the rise of Christianity in Britain, then this book may be for you. If you are looking for a retelling of the legend in all of its magic and with all of its darkness, go read Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" instead."
"I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It presents a very watered-down version of the King Arthur legend. I am no medieval scholar, and it is possible that it is historically accurate and well-researched; this is not my gripe. It's just that so many of the elements of the story are missing, like the love between Guinevere (Gwenhwyvar in this book) and Lancelot (Llenlleawg). The prophecy about Arthur meeting his death at the hands of his son is mentioned once, but he never has a son - Lawhead does not incorporate Arthur's inadvertent incest with his sister into his story, hence there is no product of the union. It seemed to me that the search for the Grail was added almost as an afterthought, with a few foreshadowed lines thrown in here and there in Merlin, the book before this one.
Mostly, this book was about a seemingly endless series of battles, where all sorts of miracles happen like Arthur's army of 900 men defeating a barbarian army of 10,000 without a single casualty. Aside from the major players Arthur, Merlin, Charis, and the evil Morgian, none of the characters were very well-developed. They spoke the same, reacted the same, and had very few distinguishing characteristics. The women were all impossibly beautiful but (aside from Charis) never had much to say. The device of having the three sections of the book told from three different viewpoints didn't do much for me; I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had just been written in the third person.
One redeeming quality of Lawhead's writing is his descriptive ability. Every once in a while he describes a landscape so clearly that I could see it in my mind's eye.
If you are looking for a quasi-historical account of the battles that King Arthur fought, the politics of the Roman empire at the time, and the rise of Christianity in Britain, then this book may be for you. If you are looking for a retelling of the legend in all of its magic and with all of its darkness, go read Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" instead."
Ho hum.
The King Arthur tale has been told so many times over the centuries that perhaps there's nothing left to say. Certainly this book adds nothing the to the King Arthur legend.
The King Arthur tale has been told so many times over the centuries that perhaps there's nothing left to say. Certainly this book adds nothing the to the King Arthur legend.
Book three of the Pendragon cycle.
This is the 3rd in the Pedragon Cycle by Lawhead. The ones I am posting have the older covers - featuring the face of the main character on the cover.
Just finished the 3rd in Stephen Lawheads 'Pendragon Cycle', "Arthur". While it took me longer to get through than the previous two books, it was no less entertaining. Lawhead continues to weave wonder fiction around history and myth. While the depth of character was maintained in this book, the storyline was not nearly as detailed as the earlier ones. To portray Arthur as a master strategist, the story is filled with the history and detail of many battles. The unfortunate thing is that the story between these battles often seemed forced nor as detailed as his prior books. This is not necessarily a bad thing because it helped paint the picture that this time of Arthur's life was filled with the intensity of war. The ending of the book was sudden, quick, and caught me totally unprepared!
This is book three of The Pendragon Cycle.
This book was not at all what I expected it to be. I assumed that this book would be about Arthur's childhood, his upbringing, and his tutelage under Merlin. Instead, this book opens with a teenage Arthur pulling the sword from the stone and ends with his mysterious death.
This book is a summary of Arthur's entire reign. It is a bloody book that focuses on the first seven years following the sword in the stone. Most of the book is simply a tale of battle upon battle, of political posturing and intrigue, and the establishment of Arthur's rule. There are only a few flashbacks to Arthur's childhood. Many parts of the book skip huge chunks of time with statements such as, "The war ended and then twenty years later..."
This book is narrated by three different authors: Pelleas, Bedwyr, and Aneirin. This approach provides interesting perspectives and insights into the story, yet it also removes the reader from some of the more intimate perspectives of the story's main characters.
In a way, this could have been the last book of the series because it provided a CliffsNotes summary of all of the improtant events from beginning to end. The final third of the book (Aneirin's story) and the Epilogue spoil the suspense of the remaining two books because you are told how the story ultimately ends. You are told what happens to the main characters. You are told who lives and who dies. But you never really know what happened to Arthur and that ending in itself adds a very unique mystery that is both haunting and beautiful, if not a little frustrating for its lack of closure.
This book was not at all what I expected it to be. I assumed that this book would be about Arthur's childhood, his upbringing, and his tutelage under Merlin. Instead, this book opens with a teenage Arthur pulling the sword from the stone and ends with his mysterious death.
This book is a summary of Arthur's entire reign. It is a bloody book that focuses on the first seven years following the sword in the stone. Most of the book is simply a tale of battle upon battle, of political posturing and intrigue, and the establishment of Arthur's rule. There are only a few flashbacks to Arthur's childhood. Many parts of the book skip huge chunks of time with statements such as, "The war ended and then twenty years later..."
This book is narrated by three different authors: Pelleas, Bedwyr, and Aneirin. This approach provides interesting perspectives and insights into the story, yet it also removes the reader from some of the more intimate perspectives of the story's main characters.
In a way, this could have been the last book of the series because it provided a CliffsNotes summary of all of the improtant events from beginning to end. The final third of the book (Aneirin's story) and the Epilogue spoil the suspense of the remaining two books because you are told how the story ultimately ends. You are told what happens to the main characters. You are told who lives and who dies. But you never really know what happened to Arthur and that ending in itself adds a very unique mystery that is both haunting and beautiful, if not a little frustrating for its lack of closure.
Same book, different pic on front cover
