I don't know much about Arthurian myth and legend, so I don't know how much of this is Lawhead's invention and how much he draws on existing myth. But it's interesting enough; it probably helped that I didn't have any preconceptions about any of the characters in the story as it allowed me to immerse myself in a new tale. It flows reasonably well, but I'm not really sure if it's my kind of thing. ( )

This book was so much more than I expected. It really pulled me into the lands and times which it described, especially ancient Britain. I became very fond of the characters and cared deeply about what happened to them. What more could you ask from a tale? The author's treatment of Christianity and belief was pleasantly surprising to me, he did not preach with it, but told it gently and genuinely as it is. Belief and faith are a large part of the Arthurian tale, but rarely treated so well in the stories. I really don't want to read the next books, I know the Arthurian tragedy and there is no getting away from it being sad. As it is, I wept through the last several chapters of this book. However, I enjoyed the writing so much, I may not be able to resist. ( )

Although well written, this book didn't work for me for several reasons. Firstly, the characters all talk in a very self-conscious manner with rather formalised language and no contractions. Secondly, there are some very long blocks of descriptive text that would have been better worked into the action of the story. Thirdly, I can't cope with a fantasy novel where the Christian god speaks directly to a character. ( )

The first book in the Pendragon Cycle, this introduces Charis, a princess of Atlantis and Taliesin, a foundling raised to be a bard and king. The story follows their parallel lives, until their meeting on Mount Tor. This is an excellent version of familiar Arthurian characters and legends. ( )

This book captivated me from the first page. Lawhead is a great storyteller and this book is a prime example. This is book one in an eventaul 6 book series. I found this one and book 2 to be the best. This story takes us back to Atlantis and the people that came to Britain when Atlantis was destroyed. They eventually meet those who have been living in Britain, and the line of King Arthur is born. I strongly recommend this book (and series) to anyone, but especially King Arthur fans. They have a strong Christian influence, quite different from other Arthurian books such as the Mists of Avalon. ( )

Lawhead weaves together elements of the King Arthur mythos and the Atlantis mythos, and overlays the whole thing with a Christian message. I read, or at least started, this book around age 18 and the images of the sport of "bull dancing" have stayed with me ever since. I don't think the Christian images are particularly overdone - certainly nothing like the "Left Behind" series - and I found it interesting to watch the characters debate between the old gods and this strange, new god. I'm looking forward to picking up the next in the series. ( )

I mostly enjoyed this book, but a few things didn't sit right with this re-telling of the Arthurian mythology. Firstly the Christian feeling to it, especially with Taliesin. Charis did not have a large role in the tale after they got together which was a shame. Some of the people from Atlantis survived the disaster which seemed to go against other tales I have read and that Merlin was the son of Taliesin and Charis.

Overall though it was well written and engaging, a great start to the series. I definately recommend it, although I do prefer the Mists of Avalon and the Mary Wesley Merlin books. ( )

Lawhead here takes the figure of Taliesin the bard, and throws him together with a young priestess of Atlantis.

As far as that goes, it doesn't seem too incongruous, so points for that. Throw in some prophecy, impending doom, and a creepy young girl and you have an ok story.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/03... ( )

I wanted to like this book (and the rest of the series). The cover art was beautiful, and I was really interesting in Arthurian legend when I read this. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't even finish this book. I remember it as having a Christian message that was overbearing, and a lot of disparagement against the pagans in the story. I gave up on this, as it just didn't suit me at that point in my life. Maybe I'd see it differently now, but I doubt I'll ever give it another chance. Too many other books out there to tempt me. ( )

I loved this series when it came out and I still enjoy reading it. I enjoy the visual images the author creates. His descriptions and characters make me wish I could time-travel or hop into the story. He tries to stay true to the English version of the Arthur myth, and so other additions, like Lancelot, are not included. I don't reread often, but I've gone through this series several times. ( )

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6... ( )

A whole new take on the Arthurian mythos. ( )