This is the first in the Pendragon Cycle by Lawhead. If you are interested in the series, you NEED to read this first - it sets the storyline for the other books. Taliesin definitely pulls you into the story very quickly, and the next 4 books keep you engaged.

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This is Book 1 of the Pendragon Cycle.

I will admit that I had a very hard time getting into this book. I would read a chapter here and a chapter there but I never really felt compelled to keep reading more. The purpose of the first 2/3 of the book is to set the scene and establish the characters. It wasn’t necessarily boring so much as it was just slow and relatively uneventful.

Finally, in the last 1/3 of the book, the story hit its stride. I found myself staying up past my bedtime just to see what would happen next and was pleased enough with the end result. I was willing to forgive the tedious beginning because it had an interesting ending.

However, there are two reasons why this book will not be for everyone. The first reason: The final 1/3 of this book has some very strong Christian themes that many would consider “preachy.” I was not bothered by it, but there are others who will not be able to get past it at all. It is my understanding that these Christian themes continue throughout the series (including the conversion of Merlin to Christianity). If that sounds like something you would have an issue with, you would probably be happier not reading this series at all.

The second reason: This book is something of a loose historical fantasy. The story of Atlantis is woven into a different time in history and the story of Arthur is grafted into a different culture. For the historical purists out there, the changes and liberties taken with the retelling and reworking of such a familiar story will be frustrating. Add that to the Christian themes and you will find a contingency of people who loathe this book. But there will be just as many, if not more, who liked it well enough to continue reading and who would name this series among their favorite Arthurian tales.

First of three books of the Trilogy of King Arthur. All three books are loved by devoted fans of the King Arthur.

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