Rating: 
Summary: What about 1649?
Review: This story is based upon the legend that Arthur is not dead but "Dwelleth in Avalun with the fairest of all elves..." from where he will return to resume his kingship at such a time when he is needed by the English. It is given a contemporary setting in which a radical Prime-minister is attempting to replace the monarchy by a Federal state (political suicide here, let me assure you). Into this 'time of need' enters an unwilling Arthur and his mentor Embries, a.k.a. Merlin. Why, then did this dynamic duo not put in an appearance in January 1649? For it was then that Oliver Cromwell - considerably more radical than the story's Prime Minister Waring - consigned Charles the first's head to a wicker basket and abolished the monarchy. A seventeenth century setting, during a bloody civil war between Cavaliers and Roundheads - one side fighting for their king and the other for the people, parliament and the Church of England - would have made this a far more exciting and gutsy story.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-done but not so well thought-out
Review: Avalon is a very engaging book that kept me turning the pages in suspense. The premise of the book is that, in a near-future when the British monarchy is about to be abolished by legislation, Arthur is reborn in Scotland as James Arthur Stuart. Our hero, of course, has no idea that he is the legendary king, or even that he is the hidden heir to a Dukedom. Not until he meets a mysterious man called M. Embries (Merlin), does he find out his heritage. After a very believeable period of first unbelief, then horror and denial, he accepts who he is and sets out, guided by Embries and accompanied by his friends, to claim the throne. The last king has just shot himself, and all other claimants to the throne have signed away their claims; but Prime Minister Waring, who has spearheaded the campaign to abolish the monarchy, is determined not to let him ascend to the throne.As a simple adventure, this book works quite well. The characters are likeable and realistic; the action never flags; the opposition is always stiff enough to make you worry, but never quite stiff enough to make you disbelive in heroes' success; the combination of magic ande political infighting is intriguing. However... Lawhead makes a strong emotional argument for the monarchy, and it's a credit to his skill that he can make a royalist out of even the most hardened democrat--for the length of the book. But once you stop reading and start thinking, he stops being so convincing. The only real arguments he puts forth are that (a) the king will somehow inspire people into being better, and (b) Britain is meant to be great, and a king is part of God's plan for this greatness. Neither of these, unsupported by anything else, is at all convincing. Sure, the monarchists are all Good, and the democrats are all Evil; but we're not shown in any great detail how either side affects Britain for good or ill. Still, it's a really fun book that I enjoyed reading (though I must admit that I had to smother a giggle whenever the Anglican hero talked about defending the Church; Arthur lived long before the Reformation and could not have been anything but a Catholic). I'd willingly recommend it; just don't expect any mass convertions to monarchism because of it.
Rating:
Summary: Too much becoming king, not enough kingship
Review: This book reads a lot like the first book in a series, but I haven't found any evidence that that's really what it is. If I knew for a fact that there was more to come, I would be more forgiving, because it would excuse what seems to me to be the book's chief shortcoming: it is all about the reborn Arthur becoming king, but not very much at all about what he does AS king, or why this will be good for the British people, and, hence, why it matters whether he was reborn or not. As the book opens, the British Prime Minister Waring is an Evil Politician who is well on his way to destroying the monarchy by legislative and bureaucratic means and reducing Britain (in the author's view) to a U.S.-style republic. In the nick of time, however, the crummy existing king does himself in, whereupon Merlin reveals to the upstanding young James Arthur Stuart that he is (a) a Duke, and (b) rightful king (as all of the more immediate royal family have signed abdication forms under Waring's pressure). All the stuff about James's family line is handled in a rather clumsy and slipshod way, and you are eager to be done with it. (Why couldn't he have started out as minor nobility instead of all that business with his parents concealing their marriage? I suppose it's because the Sword in the Stone theme of the disguised Wart has to be recapitulated, but honestly, it's not done terribly well.) Anyway, we move on quickly to the conflict between Arthur and the evil Waring (unknowingly aided by the sultry Morgan le Fay) over whether Britain should be a monarchy or not. As the crucial referendum battle approaches, Waring obligingly shoots himself in the foot with clumsy thug tactics which enable James Arthur to display his skill as a street fighter. The Waringites never bother to make any reasonable arguments against the continuation of the monarchy. Naturally you root for Arthur because he and his Jenny (yes, yes) are Good People while Waring is Bad. But James Arthur's speeches about how the 'Summer Country' must be restored are awfully short on program. Many issues are skated over, like: what are the Muslims, Jews, etc., supposed to do while Arthur is declaring the necessity of a king who will defend 'The True Church'? IS the Church of England the 'True Church' (Arthur was pre-Reformation)? What is Arthur's kingship actually going to be like? You have the impression that Britain will be a wonderful place because Arthur's goodness and justice will just magically emanate throughout the realm and create a kinder, gentler Britain, but how is this going to work in practice? Is he going to be commander-in-chief of the army? What about all the other countries unfortunate enough not to have an Arthur? Is Arthur going to have to conquer all of Europe and be crowned by the Pope like in Malory's books? Ultimately the fact that none of the serious issues of monarchy vx. democracy get addressed brings down the caliber of the work, which, however, I will admit to be an engaging read - within limits.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, but highly implausible
Review: Don't get me wrong, Avalon was a great escapist read. It just happened to have the lamest plot I'd ever come across. First of all, a complete nobody (who happens to be the reincarnation -- we are told but not really shown -- of King Arthur) declares himself king after the previous king commits suicide and every other claimant has signed their rights away as part of a plan to abolish the monarchy... And he isn't laughed out of existance. Yeah, right. The campaigning was interesting. Until he opened his mouth. The resulting speeches were pretty laughable. But my main complaint was that nothing happened! Sure, he becomes king (big surprise) and Merlin battles the evil witch, and so on, but you're left wondering *why* Arthur was reborn. I mean, the whole idea of Arthur will be reborn when England needs him most is practically myth, so why was he reborn now? Just to save the establishment of the monarchy? I kept waiting for the threat so great that Arthur is needed to defeat it to show up, and it didn't. Maybe there's a sequel coming. If there is, I'll read it to see if the great threat appears. Maybe that will help redeem this book somewhat. But, if you're looking for something to fill a few hours on the beach, there are worse books to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Arthurian legend brought to modern day
Review: I began reading the Pendragon Cycle in Junior High (gee, guess that shows how young I am, huh?), and absolutely fell in love. Now a Junior in college I was thrilled to see Lawhead bring the story to its conclusion(?) in present day England. What a wonderful story come full-circle! Although, I must agree, Moira was not quite the evil villianess I have seen in previous Lawhead tales. Some slight disappointment there. But how about the return of good old Embries? How classic to make him a timeless compainion to Arthur. He has been my favorite character all along. If you are a Lawhead fan, I have told you nothing new. However, if you've never read Lawhead before, or if you've never read the Pendragon Cycle before, I reccomend starting at the beginning with Taliesin. The story line will be much more intriguing if you know the history. Oh...and if you plan on reading the whole series, stop by Stephen's website for what order to read them in, they weren't written chronologically. And it's just a fun site.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but start elsewhere
Review: This is the sixth book in the series, and although it is a good stand alone, I suggest people new to Stephen Lawhead start at Taliesin, or Byzantium, because it is these two books that have the most critical acclaim, and that have made Stephen Lawhead the leader in modern Arthurian and historical fiction. This book is good, and would you believe there are better.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fantasy!
Review: I am a Lawhead fan and most enjoyed the early SciFi pieces: "Dream Thief" and "The Empyrion Saga". I did not care too much for the wallowing in doubt of "Byzantium", but I really could not put this one down. I just finished it after an all nighter, so I hope my judgement is not skewed, but I feel this is one of Lawhead's best. I really liked the subtle use of the mixing of Arthur into the present day, and I felt all of the use of politics was essential to the story and did not at all seem soap boxing or stumping. If you liked the afore mentioned books, I think you will like this one too, as it is a good juxtaposition of modern characters and settings with the ancient. This restored my confidence in Lawhead as my favorite contemporary writer after what was for me a disappointment in "Byzantium". I recommend "Avalon" as a fantasy after the manner of Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the rest
Review: Of the six (I believe) books in this series, this one is the least engaging, and spends more pages on a soapbox (the author, not the characters) in an obvious way than any other of the books. I found the premise of this book to be as credible as any of the other five, however, his character development was not as well done, and too many times I found myself wondering why the author failed to consider something, or why he had his characters do something a certain way. The worst was the end, where the king and queen are accompanied by security guards, apparantly none of whom have a gun or somehow are unable to use their weapons, leaving the queen to defend herself. Why she wasn't similarly helpless makes the whole final climax difficult to accept. Lawhead spends many pages defending the monarchy and describing the British republican forces as evil while only superficially presenting the kind of evil that results from their rule in parliament. It seems that this book was a vehicle for his feelings about the current British monarchy, his disappointment in their current behavior and his concern that their character flaws will be seen as flaws in an institution he feels well worth keeping. As an American on the outside looking in on this particular British problem I feel some sympathy for what he is trying to do. However, I also feel that that goal for this book interfered somewhat with the story. A book that could have been really great is simply a good read. Lawhead has done better. In comparison to the other books in the Arthur series, I found this book to be a disappointment. It was not the climax it could have been. Still, it was more engaging and entertaining than other, more popular authors I have read. I can recommend it to others who have already read the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Page- Turner
Review: As an avowed fan of Stephen Lawhead and lover of all things British, I may be accused of bias. However, Avalon was a great pleasure to read. It keep me interested and the plot moved fast. The changes taking place in government everywhere make the story line and characters more than believable. I was saving the book to enjoy during a snow storm, but I couldn't wait to read it. I'm glad I didn't. Now I'll read it again.
Rating:
Summary: A Lost Opportunity
Review: I am now doing something I never thought I would have to - write a critical report of a Stephen Lawhead novel. The story line I considered as one that was waiting to be told but, now written, is an opportunity wasted. While I normally admire Stephen's writing I found whole stretches of this book taken up with pointless detail that only served to halt the forward momentum of the story. In addition I found the characters to be, in the main, cliched stereotypes - caricatures from the US perspective? Who knows. And where was the sorcery that the dust jacket promised? The only evidence was a sad old man, Embries (aka Merlin) protecting himself by a circle of stones from the menaces of bad tempered woman (aka Morgan le Fay). As for her, I've seen more menacing women on the terraces at a football match. Nevertheless, it was a book that, once started, I became involved with and eager to see it through. This was, to some degree, due to some inspiring pieces that were scattered through the story. Pieces in which the author (through his characters) defended the monarchy and viewed a Britain great once more. As a fiercely proud Englishman and a royalist to boot I found these pieces put into words those thoughts and wishes I have for my own nation. If this book were SH's first draft I would say "great story - it shows tremendous promise" but, as a final novel, a lost opportunity.
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