Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Call number
F LAW
Publication
Crossway Books
Description
The legends of King Arthur come alive in these masterfully told adventures. He was born to greatness, the son of a druid bard and a princess of lost Atlantis. A trained warrior, blessed with the gifts of prophecy and song, he grew to manhood in a Britain abandoned by its Roman conquerors, ravaged by the brutal greed of petty chieftains and barbarian invaders. Both respected and feared, it was his destiny to prepare the way for the momentous event that would unite the Island of the Mighty: the coming of Arthur Pendragon, Lord of the Kingdom of Summer. This miraculous epic adventure is a stirring mix of magic, legend, and history that will enthrall, enchant, and lift the heart.
Subjects
Media reviews
Locus
Entertains and tantalizes... Fascinating... An exciting and thoughful addition to the ranks of Arthurian fantasy
User reviews
LibraryThing member chriskrycho
Part 1 is solid, good stuff. Part 2 is thoroughly remarkable. Part 3 is so-so. Lawhead has a problem nailing the ending of these novels, which is too bad.
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
I struggled with Merlin. While I loved Taliesin there were aspects of that book as well that I struggled with, mostly the names and places. I took my time reading it and then I took my time reading Merlin and with Merlin, I just ended up feeling completely out of my depths.
I felt while I was
I will probably give it another try another time. In the meantime, I don't think I'll be moving on to the next book in the series anytime soon.
I felt while I was
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reading this story, that I should have come into it knowing a little more about the history. As it was, I was surrounded by names and places that I couldn't pronounce and a story that I just couldn't follow, no matter how many times I flipped back and forth trying to remember and put things together. I'm really unhappy about this too, because I desperately wanted to like this book as much as I liked the first.I will probably give it another try another time. In the meantime, I don't think I'll be moving on to the next book in the series anytime soon.
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LibraryThing member Louise_Waugh
I was with it until they mention eating spuds in 3rd century Britain. oops. I do like how they handle the conversion to Christianity.
LibraryThing member benfulton
Interesting take on Merlin. I've always suspected that the most realistic take was Mark Twain's in _Connecticut Yankee_, but Lawhead gives the old wizard a heavy Christian spin, which, I suppose, he had to have to send the knights out after the Grail. There's not much discussion of why Merlin is
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the way he is, although we know from the first book in the series that he was raised at least partially by Atlanteans; and I'm looking forward to learning who his actual grandfather was as I progress in this series. Characterization never seems to me to be particularly strong in this sort of epic fantasy, but then since many of the characters are familiar to the reasonably literate, maybe that's not a big loss. It's fun having a little bit of the back story in your head, too, so you can see where Lawhead is going when he brings out the Fisher King or the Lady in the Lake. Susan Cooper did something similar in the _Dark Is Rising_ series. Worth reading so you can say you've done it, but I don't think I'd pick it up twice. Show Less
LibraryThing member james7163
The second book in the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead does not disappoint. Lawhead provides an excellent, albeit a bit religious, adaption of the legendary Merlin. I felt the first book in the series, Taliesin, was a great book, but Merlin is a must read. Unlike Taliesin, Merlin is
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told in the first-person, by Merlin, which I felt made the book more enjoyable. The book is loaded with high kings (yes, there are several), bards, druids, evil, and epic battles with the ever present and menacing barbarians, the Saecsen. Now, on to book three in the series, Arthur. Show Less
LibraryThing member dragonasbreath
This is an interesting take on the story of Merlin. Arthur is there, but only peripherally - THIS is Merlin's story.
His boyhood, how he lost his land, adopting a new land and family - how he grew from a common child to a legend.
It held my interest all the way through.
His boyhood, how he lost his land, adopting a new land and family - how he grew from a common child to a legend.
It held my interest all the way through.
LibraryThing member willowcove
I LOVE this series!
LibraryThing member AliceAnna
Very violent, but otherwise interesting adaptation of Arthurian legend. Appears to be more closely related to the Vulgate cycle and Welsh folklore than anything that Mallory picked up on.
LibraryThing member JenniferRobb
I read this many years ago--I enjoyed the information on the Arthurian saga but ended up deciding that I didn't like Lawhead's writing style, so I haven't read many of his works beyond this series.
Original publication date
1988
ISBN
9780867609639
Series
Pendragon Cycle 2