Rating: 
Summary: Remaking a King's Legend
Review: A long time fan of Stephen Lawhead, I must admit there has been a lapse of at least four years since I read "Merlin", the precursor to this book in the Pendragon Cycle. Yet Lawhead's storytelling is such that one does not need to read previous works to enjoy this climactic segment of this series. "Arthur" incorporates both the characters and the mysteries of the two books that precede it, and breathes new life into an oft-told tale.
The story of King Arthur remains such a legend because there is so much mystery around it. Other reviewers have written against the fact that Lawhead doesn't include certain elements of the better-known legends into his series: that isn't a bad thing, but rather helps him give Arthur a new, and in my opinion, better, voice. Lawhead also draws upon his own faith and demonstrates how the burgeoning Christian faith sprouted and flourished under Arthur's reign in the Isle of the Mighty. The reader follows Arthur's life from teenager to veteran king, and from warrior to peace-maker. We learn of Arthur's trials and triumphs by three men who are in his inner-circle and have watched him over the course of his life.
Lawhead is a gifted writer, who can describe entire worlds and vistas that the reader can vivdly imagine. His characters are always well-rounded and brought to life through believable diaglogue and Lawhead's insatiable quest for historical accuracy. Although Arthur needed to unite Britain in order to have peace in the land, the book often seems bogged down by battle after battle; there are only so many ways to make each battle different from the next, and I sometimes found myself skimming through these skirmishes in order to get back to the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Arthur riegns Eternal
Review: Behind Grail this is my favorite book in the series. I will admitt the end was confusing, aside from that this book has it all. Arthur paints a beautiful picture of ancient Britain and with words makes it come alive.
Rating:
Summary: good book, wierd ending
Review: I liked this book because even though there isnt a lot of action happening all the time, Lawhead still manages to make it interesting by writing it well.The characters are well defined and the language very discriptive. Although I dont really understand why he screwed up all the names...was I supposed to know that llenawheg or something is supposed to be Lancelot? Or Gwalchavad Galahad? The main complaint I have about this book is the ending. It ends in wretched defeat and doomsaying, without the sense of triumph and finality you should get after finishing a series. But I enjoyed the whole book untill the end so it was worth my while
Rating:
Summary: pendragon cycle IS the history
Review: i read the books up to the 4th. i loved them all lawhead ties all the past stories together useing new and old. to ho1234, aurther goes to ynys avallach to be healed by charis, the return is to save the true britons.if you want more celt tales read lawheads "paidise war" trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Lawhead's Arthur a good read . . . but confusing!
Review: I really liked most of this book. Lawhead wrote the legend well. I have but one complaint. . . I CAN'T FIGURE THE END OF IT OUT!!! I finished it thinking that Arthur was dead and the Kingdom of Summer was no more, but in the next book he is alive and well? I continued to read the rest of the series but that discrepency left me mystified throughout. However, it's still worth reading. If anyone has figured it out, feel free to email me!
Rating:
Summary: A true tale of courage and heroism.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It one of the best stories I have ever read. Lawhead certainly did his home work, and has crafted a masterpiece of midevil lore. If you like the Arthurian legend then this book is for you. Even those who have never dived into the magic and mystery of Arthur will be captivated by this story. More then just legend, this version holds a measure of truth to it. More so then any other fatansy book I have read. The characters really did live and the places are true geographical locations. His style of writing reminds me much of Alexander Dumas. Lawhead has the ability to take you back to a time long forgot, and make it more real then you could ever imagine. I appreciate the strong Christian overtones, as truly Arthur was a true man of God. It apears to me that for somone to have made such an impact on history he was more then just a legend, more then just a king; but a man inspired by GOD, driven by honor and purpose. A man who changed ! ! a nation, a world, and created a system of honor. I encourage you to breath deep, reach within your self and find Arthur in you. Enjoy
Rating: 
Summary: A bit flat
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A bit flat
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: What is "A bit flat"? Certainly not this book.
Review: I'd just like to point out that Arthur could not have incestuous sex with his sister: he had no sister! Morgian was the step-sister of Charis, she was the youngest child of the King of Atlantis! I also agree with the reviewer who pointed out that this is set, not in the middle ages, but in the 6th century. At this point, Arthur had no established capital. No Camelot, no established court, no court intrigue, and Gwenhwyvar's protector may or may not have been Lancelot Du Lac, who was a knight of France, not Ireland. Lawhead brings in a great historical perspective with the true setting and the Gaelic names. I love how he, in the series, connects legends from all over the classical world. He perfectly fuses the Mediterranean stories of Atlantis with the Gaelic and Celtic myths about Taliesin, the Greatest bard who ever lived... the characterization is wonderful. Merlin really comes alive, because he's not just an old wizard in a pointy hat, he's a man who was born from a union of two great cultures. You see him live and love, you see him suffer. He's a real person, as are all the characters. Morgian is evil, but she is beautiful, and seductive. She's a mother. Arthur isn't the perfect king. He's not the perfect man. He struggles. He loses. This story is anything but flat!
Rating:
Summary: What is "A bit flat"? Certainly not this book.
Review: I'd just like to point out that Arthur could not have incestuous sex with his sister: he had no sister! Morgian was the step-sister of Charis, she was the youngest child of the King of Atlantis! I also agree with the reviewer who pointed out that this is set, not in the middle ages, but in the 6th century. At this point, Arthur had no established capital. No Camelot, no established court, no court intrigue, and Gwenhwyvar's protector may or may not have been Lancelot Du Lac, who was a knight of France, not Ireland. Lawhead brings in a great historical perspective with the true setting and the Gaelic names. I love how he, in the series, connects legends from all over the classical world. He perfectly fuses the Mediterranean stories of Atlantis with the Gaelic and Celtic myths about Taliesin, the Greatest bard who ever lived... the characterization is wonderful. Merlin really comes alive, because he's not just an old wizard in a pointy hat, he's a man who was born from a union of two great cultures. You see him live and love, you see him suffer. He's a real person, as are all the characters. Morgian is evil, but she is beautiful, and seductive. She's a mother. Arthur isn't the perfect king. He's not the perfect man. He struggles. He loses. This story is anything but flat!
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