Taliesin

Rating:
Summary: What can I say? Read it now.
Review: Lawhead's superb talent of fusing together many differerent assets of the story is documented by his perfect weaving of the Atlantis legend, Arthurian legend, Celtic mythology (Arawnn of Anwn/Annuvin), and of course the story of the greatsest bard oof all time.

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Summary: Fantasy fusion: a profound merging of two legends.
Review: In his stunning five-volume "Pendragon Cycle" series, Stephen Lawhead weaves together the two independent legends of the lost kingdom of Atlantis and that of King Arthur with sparkling originality and breath-taking colour. Although the premise of these two legends being concurrent is historically impossible, one has to grant Lawhead this freedom because he clearly intends his book to be read as fantasy, not as historical fiction. "Taliesin" is the first book in the series, and consists of two separate story-lines, one introducing us to Charis, princess of Atlantis and one of its few survivors, the other introducing us to Taliesin, prince of one of the British tribes. Towards the end of the book, the twin plots merge with the romance and marriage of Charis and Taliesin, leading to the birth of the remarkable Merlin, thus setting the stage for the rest of the series about the legendary King Arthur.

Lawhead's fantasy is not altogether without flaws. I did not feel I truly knew the characters and scenery in the same intimate way as in Tolkien and other fantasy greats. The plot is not always consistently paced, and occasionally seems to degenerate into an aimless history without a real sense of an obvious conflict that needs to be resolved. But Lawhead's fantasy world is still dazzling, and the further I got into his world, the more I found myself drawn in by a convincing, compelling, and enthralling story-line. On the one hand Lawhead has created something heroic and noble, but the heroism is accompanied with an equal measure of tragedy, thus evoking emotions in the reader that range from ecstasy to genuine grief.

One of the highlights of this fantasy work is that Lawhead writes as a Christian, seeking to present a consistent Christian world-view in the course of his writing. The sorrow one inevitably feels at the destruction and decay in the lives of individuals and societies eventually proves itself to be a sorrow over the destructive effect of sin. Over against the empty paganism and rituals of polytheism, Lawhead presents the worship of the true God, the Creator.

Lawhead's theology is not altogether free of criticism. I am not inclined to give pagan religions and prophets as much power and credibility as Lawhead does, since I think Romans 1 teaches us not to regard them as imperfect "shadows" of the pure religion (p.371), but perversions which are little else than the worship of powerless wood and stone (Isaiah 44:6-20). Although Lawhead clearly acknowledges God as the True God, it seemed to me that his focus on God as Creator comes at the expense of a recognition of God as Redeemer. Certainly there is ample reference to Jesus Christ, but Lawhead seems to have overlooked a wonderful opportunity to present the gospel of Jesus Christ's work as a payment for sin. Perhaps this is not surprising given that he portrays the Christian religion in the form of Roman Catholicism, mirroring its emphasis on outward rituals that dispense grace (p.403). However, I must concede that Lawhead could simply be reflecting history in this respect.

But although I do not share all of Lawhead's religious convictions, this did not prevent me from finding this book both profound and stimulating. In fact, the wonderful imagery and the complexity of Biblical allusions frequently astounded me. The Biblical imagery is exceedingly subtle and skilfully woven into the story-line, soaking the novel and giving it richness and depth rarely found in fantasy. The astute student of Scripture will notice veiled references to the Great Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God's questions to Job, Satan, John the Baptist, the Person of Jesus Christ as described in Revelation, the work of Jesus Christ as prophet, priest and king, the heavenly temple and kingdom, and more. Lawhead's positive portrayal of sexual purity, his beautiful picture of marital love and faithfulness, and his delightful portrait of the unique roles of husband and wife are solidly Biblical and particularly touching.

If you are a fan of profound Christian fiction or else simply enjoy reading original and thoughtful fantasy, you will find this book a real treat. If you enjoy both categories, this is a must have.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEGINNING OF THE BEST
Review: IVE read this series over and over...it is definitely the best ive ever read...especially this first book... journey through time to old Atlantis and Celtic Britain...riveting excellent!!

Rating:
Summary: The best of the Pendragon Cycle original 3
Review: I read this book a long time ago, so I don't really remember specifics. After reading the first three books of the Pendragon Cycle, I am convinced this is the best of the three. This book has the perfect blend of myth, magic, reality, and Christianity that I found missing so badly by the end of the third book. Starting the book with Charis, the Princess from Atlantis, was such a brilliant stroke of genius: even though Atlantis is still considered a mythical place, Charis and her family seem so real that the descriptions of the places and the bull-dancing ceremonies (which I recognize from my anthro classes as being done in Crete) have a mix of magic and reality that is very hard to describe. I was almost positive Charis and Atlantis were real, even though I know they aren't. Taliesin, also, was given a very down to earth beginning in a way--and yet, there was always more to him. Since no one seemed to know where he had come from, and because his talent as a bard was described so unusually I was fairly sure that even though he seemed human he was something else entirely. Lawhead has a great talent for making mythological people come to life in this book--it's a shame that by the time he wrote Arthur he could not live up to this. Almost all of the characters in this book were very well fleshed out--especially the Atlanteans, but a little less so Taliesin and his people. I think the only reason for this is that Charis and Avallach show up in the other books (though in a more watered down form) and Taliesin and his people die out. I also liked the introduction of Christianity in this book, and didn't find it as oppressive as it becomes by book three of this series. It seemed very natural the way it was introduced, and it didn't bother me at all. Taliesin becoming Christian did not seem out of place, and naturally he would convert his wife. Morgian in this book is about as formidable as she gets. Attempting to steal Taliesin away from Charis, and then later causing his death--by the end of the book I really hated her. After the next two books I wondered why she was such a threat--she had lost her power, and Lawhead never further developed her into a more formidable opponent. She could have been a really great villainess, and this book showed her original destructive potential. Avallach is a real stubborn man in this book--and it fits him because of his pride as one of the kings of Atlantis. There is one exchange that sticks out in my mind: when Avallach sees the Britons in his British home for the first time, he sees barbarians, and he only bases this on their appearance, while his more sensitive daughter is able to recognize the people that enter his hall as royalty and that Avallach shouldn't offend them (seeing as how they aren't exactly in Atlantis anymore). Even though Taliesin was never stated to be the father of Merlin by the end of this book I was convinced he was. The bending of myth for the purposes of telling a story usually bug the heck out of me to distraction, but here I had no problem with it at all. I also don't remember any plot holes, major or minor, in this story--they become more apparent in Merlin and REALLY apparent in Arthur. My only regret about this book is that it seems to center too much sometimes on Charis--the book is called Taliesin, and I expected more of him. I think what this book needs is a title change. I remember when I saw the books in the bookstore, I assumed by their titles that they would be all about the people named on the cover. The only one that held up that expectation was Merlin. Lawhead being such a gifted writer could have made up more of a history for Taliesin, but he doesn't. That's the only reason why I don't give it a higher rating.

Rating:
Summary: Glorious telling of pre-Arthurian legend...
Review: Stephen Lawhead added his own twists to Arthurian legend, in a Christianity-friendly, mythic-realism retelling of the years leading up to the tales of Arthur and his knights that we know and love. "Taliesin" takes place before the time of Merlin, starring Merlin's parents.

Charis is a pampered young princess of Atlantis, a seemingly idyllic civilization reminiscent of Greece. The only jarring note is a blind, seemingly mad prophet who predicts doom will soon fall upon Atlantis, and that the island will sink into the sea. Charis initially doesn't believe him, but upon the sudden, emotionally-scarring death of her mother, she leaves her family and becomes a bull dancer in honor of one of the Atlantean gods. (The scenes where she dances around and over the bull are breathtaking)

But a serious injury prompts her and her well-trained team to retire, and she returns home to find her father Avallach seriously ill, and married to his sly-eyed nurse. Charis now has a younger sister, Morgian, a creepy child heavily influenced by the family advisor, whose initially pleasant personality is sinking deeper into melancholy and darkness. And Charis begins to believe: Atlantis is going to sink.

Meanwhile, as Charis struggles on Atlantis, a famously unlucky young man in Britain finds a baby caught in a fishnet; he hails this as the beginning of his good luck. When he finds a disgraced wet-nurse for baby Taliesin, he falls in love and marries her; his luck continues. Taliesin grows to manhood, intelligent and wise -- and gifted with strange and wonderful powers.

Charis barely escapes Atlantis with her family, arriving on the strange shores of Britain. Though Taliesin's people are hospitable enough, Avallach, Charis and the other "children of Atlantis" are sadly out of place; refined and lovely, in a rough and cold land. Charis is embittered by her many struggles, believing neither in Taliesin's God or in the Atlantean gods. But after he meets her floating in a lake (thus gaining her the title of "Lady of the Lake") Taliesin falls in love with and eventually converts and marries Charis. Though their time together is far too short, they produce one of the greatest men in history...

I'm not entirely certain why it's okay to paganize Arthurian characters, as in "Mists of Avalon," but it's NOT okay to Christanize them. Why is it that when Christians are shown as better than pagans, it's "sugary" and untrue; but when non-Christians are shown as better than Christians, it's a bold statement and worthy of endless applause?

As for historical complaints: it's fiction, for crying out loud! No one knows the "real" story of Arthur, lost in the mists of time. We don't even know if he was a single person, or a collection of mythical and real kings mishmashed together. It's up to authors to interpret and reinterpret. Lawhead never pretends for a moment to be telling anything but a good story. We don't care if there are potatoes and fir trees. It doesn't wreck the book.

Writing style is good and descriptive, giving us accurate ideas of the light-filled, rotten-at-the-core Atlantis and the darker, simpler Britain. There is, aside from blood and death and extreme emotional intensity, nothing objectionable about this book in profanity and sex (none of either).

Charis is probably one of the best female fictional characters I've ever seen. She's strong and insightful, is willing to take matters into her own hands, and doesn't bow to anyone. It's through her resolve and courage that any people escaped from Atlantis; at the same time, she's afraid and embittered. It takes the sweet, relatively unspoiled Taliesin to break through her shell; Taliesin himself is taken from an old legend, and here reformatted into Merlin's father. Somehow we get more of Charis than Taliesin; though the scene where he brings Merlin back to life is simply breathtaking.

This is the start of a beautiful saga, written wonderfully and with great characters. Be sure to read it. Now, on to "Merlin."

Rating:
Summary: More Fantasy than Historical Fiction
Review: This was a very enjoyable book to read. While realizing that the story of Arthur is mythical, when I purchased the book I was expecting historical fiction. I would have to say however, that this book is more fantasy, given the story of Charis and Atlantis as well as the finding of Taliesin and his trips to the Otherworld. That is not to say that the book is not historically accurate. When the book does discuss Britain, it is for the most part historically accurate. Lawhead does an incredible job of character development, which is increasingly becoming a lost art in this age of "action and adventure". I plan on reading the Pendragon Cycle, and while I haven't read the other books, I'm not sure that I would recommend this as a stand-alone read. Throughout the book, my sense was that this was an introduction to a much longer story that what was contained solely in this book.

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Summary: Best of Lawhead's early works
Review: I have yet to read Lawhead's latest novels, but I have read his first 3 series (Pendragon, Dragon King, and Albion) and Taliesin is the best book by far that he has written in that time period. He really develops a gripping story and characters that you really get to know personally. You feel it deep in your heart when the characters experience great successes or when tragedy strikes. Ultimately, this story is the most tragic of all stories that I have read by Lawhead, but that is the strength of this book. It really sets the stage for a good and originalArthurian rendition. This book is quite simply one of my favorite novels that I have read, and that includes all genres.

Rating:
Summary: Truly Captivating
Review: One of the best novels I have read in this genre. There is a perfect blend of historical fact/theory, with mysticism and supernatural. This book captivated me and drew me in more than any other book I have read in a long while. A great intro to a great series. More than worth the effort to read, and even reread.

Rating:
Summary: This book is the best adaptation of Arthurian legend
Review: This book captures everything about the world that Merlin grew up in. I am a reader of Arthurian legend, but my interest is Merlin. The fall of Atlantis gave things a new twist, one that I like in particular.

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Summary: Can't get enough of Lawhead's books!
Review: This is the first book I read of Stephen Lawhead. And I couldn't put it down! Taking you back into a different era where life was rich and slow (not a ratrace), and vibrant and exciting, it is really difficult to believe you're in this boring age of the 21st century! While reading the book I could easily envision exactly what the countryside looked like. I was living through the characters' eyes, ears and touch. I was THERE! I have now completed a third series of Lawhead's books. My husband has declared that he has become a book widower! :)