Rating: 
Summary: One of the best
Review: This is actually the best book I have read by Lawhead, and I don't care what the other reviews say. There isn't much fantasy stuff in this book though, but hey, it was much better than I expected. It's always hard to write a book where two very different ages clash. I tried. My novel seems to be stuck, though.
I also like that the plot is quite complicated. You don't expect the twist and turn of events.
But some people I know don't find this a good read because of the political topics, said it was too heavy. Anyway, it really depends on the reader, doesn't it?
Rating:
Summary: A Great Arthur Tale
Review: I've read plenty of stories of modern-day England with Arthur coming back to save the day. This one is far and away the best. Lawhead's writing is captivating, making it difficult to read anything else--or even do anything other than read this book.The story is told through poignant writing and wonderful, depth-filled characters. Whether you're a fan of the Arthurian legend or not, this is a wonderful book to read.
Rating:
Summary: Lawhead's paramount work
Review: Forget what the other reviewers say. This is absolutely the best book Lawhead has ever written. Lawhead's three best works, in my opinion are Avalon, Dream Thief, and Byzantium. Avalon is the best, however, because Stephen takes his standard gripping style, and applies it in a modern setting. If you're at all a fan of Lawhead, you must read this book.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite of Lawhead's books.
Review: I have been reading over the other reviews here at Amazon.com and felt I should put a review up that would actually bring justice to this book. It was wonderful, and in my opinion, the best of Lawhead's creations. No, it is not exactly like all of his other fantasies, but what can you expect when trying to bring an ancient Celt into the 21st century. I applaud SRL's clever way of bringing King Arthur into present day. I do, however, tell those that are expecting and wanting a high fantasy book: this is not for you. It contains deep political subjects, that just some people can't stand - especially those that are sort of lost on politics in the first place. SRL has masterfully combined the past and present and a Celt and a regular young man. I have found this to be what has made me love this book so much, for it is unlike his others (though I certainly enjoy those as well). A peaceful close to the Arthurian legend...or *skims over last page*...or maybe not. Who's left with a curious feeling at the end? I am, at least. I would recommend this to most adults or teens that know more about politics (like myself...CNN is always on in my house). If you fall under those two categories, you're sure to love the conclusion of SRL's Arthurian books, "Avalon".
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Read from Lawhead
Review: Stephen Lawhead is one of my favorite fantasy / fiction writers - but Avalon is a plodding read that, unfortunately, felt like he was fulfilling a publishing contract rather than writing from his heart. There's little characterzation or drama - and I kept reading page after page waiting for the story to kick in...which it never did. For "classic" Lawhead, start the Song of Albion trilogy (The Paradise Wars is book one).
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: Since I was a small boy, I've been fascinated by the Arthurian legend. In recent years, I've become acutely aware of the Christian underpinnings of the legend. I've also come to realize that historic Christianity is unabashedly monarchist (Christ is, after all, 'King of Kings', not 'First Citizen of all Republics', and St. Peter refers to Christians as 'a Royal Priesthood'). This book rolls all that into one. It is the book that I've waited 35 years to read, and I did it in less than 24 hours. It's that good. My wife, who never reads novels, loved it. Interestingly, since reading it, I noticed a news story about a minor scandal involving one of the British Royals, and the response of one PM, calling for the abolition of the Monarchy, could easily have been lifted from the pages of 'Avalon'. Buy it. Buy the other books in Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle('Taliesin', 'Merlin', 'Arthur', 'Pendragon', 'Grail'). Let the Kingdom of Summer begin!
Rating: 
Summary: God save the king! Amen says Lawhead.
Review: In Avalon, Stephen Lawhead has modernized the king Arthur of his delightful Pendragon cycle, and transported him to a futuristic and contemporary twenty-first century Britain, which is on the verge of throwing out the monarchy for good. But Lawhead is convinced that the monarchy is not all bathwater, but that there's a baby in there somewhere that should be preserved. Make the legendary Arthur come back to life to be that baby, and save the monarchy. There in a nutshell, is the plot of Avalon. Of course there's much more to it than that, and it's impossible to summarize in a few words a plot that is ingeniously original. The Pendragon Cycle is clearly a prelude to this story, and I would suggest that it is required reading for readers of Avalon. Lawhead makes frequent and obvious allusions to the characters and events of the Pendragon Cycle (eg p.89ff), and readers unfamiliar with his earlier work are likely to find themselves perplexed without this background. At any rate, readers familiar with Lawhead's earlier works are sure to get the most of this new tale. Yet this is far from a modernized Pendragon - it's definitely a story on its own, and fans of the Pendragon Cycle are treated to a completely new tale. The story begins shortly after the death of the last of a series of corrupt and selfish monarchs, with Britain on the verge of abandoning the monarchy for good. Suddenly the unknown James Stuart discovers that despite his ordinary and obscure childhood, he is the rightful king of Britain, and the modern-day Arthur. Although James has a modern-day Merlin at his side, victory of the monarchy is far from assured, because there's a modern-day Morgian and a host of evil powers against him in his quest for kingship and the restoration of Arthurian Britain. As a followup to the Pendragon Cycle, Avalon is equally suspenseful and exciting, sparkling with originality, action and intrigue, although some characters and sequences lack imagination and depth. But on the whole it is not as successful. The return of Arthur into a contemporary world bears the suggestion of reincarnation, although Lawhead clearly distances himself from reincarnation and leaves the idea of the "same life in another time" as an unsolved mystery (p.159-160). Likely the premise of the return of Arthur and his companions into a modern world is not intended to be a serious religious or philosophical idea, but a literary device. But one can not be so gracious to Lawhead with respect to other modern elements of the story - the sexual allusions (p.178-9) and frequent use of blasphemy (over two dozen instances) detracted strongly from this novel and its Christian message. Certainly the vision of the Kingdom of Summer is clearly expressed (p.265ff). Furthermore, the struggle to establish the kingship over against the forces of evil is clearly intended to be a conflict that parallels the universal spiritual conflict between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness (p.396). James' struggle for kingship has definite overtones of the Biblical struggle of David before him (p.343), and overtones of the Christ whom he shadows. But sadly, although the kingdom of summer is presented as a vision, we don't get to see this vision become a reality, because the accession to kingship marks the end of the novel (whether we are treated to another novel where we see a modern kingdom of summer is yet to be seen). On the whole, Avalon lacks the profound religious depth that made the Pendragon Cycle so captivating. With some exceptions, it is less religious and philosophical and more political. In a contemporary era where the monarchy is largely perceived as irrelevant, one cannot but wonder whether the lengthy and passionate diatribes in Avalon defending the monarchy as a legitimate institution by divine right are in fact an articulation of Lawhead's own opinion on the subject. Is the defence of and vision for the monarchy and the biting criticism of the corruption of today's politicians Lawhead's own? Perhaps there's a pro-royalist and anti-democrat message here for leadership in our own time. One thing is certain: just like "Arthur", "Avalon" will not only entertain you with a nail-biting ride, it will fuel a passion for a king and a kingdom! God save the king!
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable
Review: This book was my introduction to Mr. Lawhead. I had not read the previous Pendragon series. This book stands alone. It is a wonderful, and imaginative story. His characterizations are excellent. The story is original without hackneyed cliches. Excellent!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Could have done better
Review: I really enjoy Mr. Lawhead's books but this was was not nearly as good as any of his other books. The characters were cardboard and the plot limps along the first half then takes off for a while then limps again. I kept waiting for the PM Waring to show a really evil side or Merlin to do something special. Even worse is the last few pages smack of sequel then suddenly ends. It's not a satisfying book, great idea that wasn't fully realized.
Rating:
Summary: What was he thinking?????
Review: I've stated before that I love novels based on the Arthurian legend, and enjoyed Stephen Lawhead's previous five novels in The Pendragon Cycle - "Taliesin", "Merlin", "Arthur", "Pendragon" and "Grail" - immensely. What a pity he didn't know when to stop. Anyone with even a passing familiarity with the Arthurian legend knows that Arthur is expected to return in Britain's greatest hour of need. One would have thought there have been plenty of opportunities for him to put in an appearance in the last 1500 years, so he must be waiting for the really BIG need - this wasn't it. In "Avalon", the republican Prime Minister, determined to be the first President of Britain, had managed to push through four referendums on the way to dissolving the monarchy. Everyone known to be in line for the throne had already signed away any claim and when Edward the Ninth, the last of an ever-increasingly dissolute and debauched line, suicided in his Portugese retreat, the monarchy seemed doomed. Only one final referendum remained to make the dissolution permanent. The Prime Minister's best-laid plans seemed complete. Of course, he reckoned without the mysterious and ageless M(erlin) Embries. James Arthur Stuart, a young ex-soldier living in the Scottish highlands, suddenly discovers his hidden parentage, becomes heir to the large (and amazingly wealthy) estate on which the person he knew as his father worked, and then finds he not only has a legitimate claim to the throne, but that he is Arthur, reborn. This silly, contrived constitutional crisis is what Arthur has been waiting all those years for? I don't think so!! Compared to Lawhead's other works, this novel is appalling, but it would have been bad, whoever wrote it. The characters are hardly even one-dimensional, the dialogue is unspeakable and the story is thin and totally improbable, given it's present day setting. The style of writing is stilted and flat, nothing seems to flow and draw the reader in. It just seems to be a series of statements, interspersed with dialogue that no person, modern or ancient, would utter. Once I started hating things, I just found more to hate on each page. When fantasy and modern times co-exist in a novel, it usually only succeeds when the modern-day person is taken into the fantasy milieu. In this novel, a fantasy figure is reborn into a Britain resplendent with Jaguar cars, remote control TVs, skinheads and pit-bull terriers; it just can't work. The scene with James in unarmed combat against pipe and chain wielding gangs of skinheads while 4,000 people stand around gawping and the police fall over themselves was just plain ridiculous. Prime Minister Thomas Waring is a character so badly developed and absurd that one can hardly imagine he was created by the same author responsible for the wonderful characters populating the previous novels in this cycle. The man-who-would-be-king inherits what must be the only solvent estate in Britain (with all it's treasure) and even has a girlfriend named Jennifer, for goodness sake. She just happens to be a potter, which seemed to me a contrived occupation until the reason was revealed in the final, incredibly silly showdown with the reborn (you guessed it!) Morgain, another badly drawn and poorly used character. Anyone is allowed one bad novel, but I find it almost impossible to belive that someone who could write "Taliesin", "Byzantium" and "The Endless Knot" was capable of writing something so bad. If this was the first thing I'd read by Stephen Lawhead, it would have been the last, but even though the time taken to wade through this mess was wasted, I've spent many enjoyable hours immersed in the worlds he's created. So long as he keeps at least a millennium between me and his stories, I'll continue to give them the benefit of the doubt (in fact, I just borrowed "The Iron Lance" from the library today). I've only awarded one star in order to save this review.
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