Lawhead, Stephen Books

Tuck (King Raven Trilogy)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Editorial Review:

As King Raven, Bran is Lord of the Forest. But his true crown seems out of reach. Bran is still fighting to bring his people justice from the shadows of the green wood. But Abbot Hugo is used to playing the long game and has been watching and learning. Abbot Hugo plans to bring the invading Norman marchogi to the forest in force, heralding the start of a campaign to wipe out King Raven and his band once and for all. Their merciless attack, the first of many, marks a dark day for the realm. And the dream of seeing a true king take the throne of Elfael seems increasingly remote. Bran and his few stalwarts desperately need encouragement and reinforcement if they are to survive. But Friar Tuck, a most unconventional priest, may just have a solution to their dilemma

Scarlet (The King Raven, Book 2)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Epic 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

after reading this book, you feel like everything you thought you knew about robin hood was just a fairy tale...and this was the history you wanted him to exist in!

Great followup to Hood 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

King Raven Trilogy: Book 2.

Great followup to Hood continues the tail of Rhi Bran di Hud (Robin Hood to our English ears). Lawhead keeps the action fast paced but not intensely tight, the suspenseful confrontations intense but as often resolved with humor and deception as with resort to violence.

The third book, Tuck, is due to close the series by 2009. I will anticipate it eagerly.

4 1/2 Stars 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This continues to be my favorite series in recent memory. This book is every bit as outstanding as the first installment, better in some areas and worse in others.

On the positive side you see even more the villainy of the Frankish overlords and are given all the more someone to hate. The romance between Will and Noin is also a nice addition to the story. Now I had a hard time at first getting into the way the story is told, mostly through the eyes of Will. That said, it wasn't very long before I went from struggling with it to loving the character and the book.

Now my one complaint though does come from the fact that so much of the story comes from Will's PoV. There are small asides from other perspectives, but almost all of them are enemy PoVs. I would have liked to spend some more time with Bran, or even some of the other villagers getting to know more the perspective and life of the Grellon themselves.

That slow start and small complain aside, the dialogue is still wonderful, character development continues to be nice, and the story is just so engaging. My only problem now is waiting for the next installment!

Editorial Review:

Scarlet

Hood (King Raven Trilogy, Book 1)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 66 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Epic 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

So creative! This book is an ingenious twist on a legend we all know and love!

New and intriguing retelling of the Robin Hood legend 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The King Raven Trilogy, Book 1

I read this book based on the title and a review of it as a new and intriguing retelling of the Robin Hood legend without knowing that it was by an author who writes Christian historical fiction, and published by a division of Thomas Nelson books, a noted Christian publishing house.

And Lawhead, who has other series in this vein (on the King Arthur legend, starting with Taliesin: Book One of the Pendragon Cycle, and other Celtic cants), does a nice job of blending pseudo-history, pseudo-fantasy, mild Christian themes, action, and humor into the task of bringing together the cast of characters in the Robin Hood legend. Hood is envisioned as a left-for-dead heir to a Welsh kingdom in the late 11th century, just after the conquest of England (but not Wales) by William the Conqueror.

No classic here, but worth reading and continuing.

Editorial Review:

Robin Hood

The Legend Begins Anew

For centuries, the legend of Robin Hood and his band of thieves has captivated the imagination. Now, the old familiar tale takes on new life, fresh meaning, and an unexpected setting.

Hunted like an animal by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne Elfael, has abandoned his father's kingdom and fled to the greenwood. There, in the primeval forest of the Welsh borders, danger surrounds him--for this woodland is a living, breathing entity with mysterious powers and secrets, and Bran must find a way to make it his own if he is to survive.

Steeped in Celtic mythology and the political intrigue of medieval Britain, Stephen R. Lawhead's latest work conjures up an ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities. Prepare yourself for an epic tale that dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood.

Taliesin (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 1)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 97 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Beautiful Beginning to Arthurian Legend 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love the entire Pendragon Cycle because of this first book, Taliesin. It's beautiful: The history of Atlantis, the early prophecies, the life of Charis and the baby boy Taliesin wrapped in seal fur. The characters are deep and rich; Lawhead creates the perfect foundation to this legend.

I got bored 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Stephen Lawhead has written two genre-spanning series which are fantastical retellings of historical legends: The Pendragon Cycle (King Arthur) and The King Raven Trilogy (Robin Hood). I didn't like The Pendragon Cycle as well as I liked The Song of Albion, and King Raven which were later and better works. The story was too slow for me and the writing was not nearly as polished.

However, there are a lot of fans of this rendering of Arthur, I think because Lawhead does a lot of research, which makes his worlds believable. He is particularly good with Celtic lore. ~FanLit.net

Editorial Review:

It was a time of legend, when the last shadows of the mighty Roman conqueror faded from the captured Isle of Britain. While across a vast sea, bloody war shattered a peace that had flourished for two thousand years in the doomed kingdom of Atlantis.

Taliesin is the remarkable adventure of Charis, the Atlantean princess who escaped the terrible devastation of her homeland, and of the fabled seer and druid prince Taliesin, singer at the dawn of the age. It is the story of an incomparable love that joined two worlds amid the fires of chaos, and spawned the miracles of Merlin...and Arthur the king.

In the Hall of the Dragon King (The Dragon King Trilogy, Book 1)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Dragon King Trilogy is on of my favorite series! 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

15-years-old acolyte, Quentin is wakened by a commotion in the temple of Ariel one night. A very badly wounded knight had stumbled in to the temple. His name is Ronsard(he is one of my favorite characters) and he has an extremely important message for his Queen Alinea. Ronsard asks if anyone could go and give the message for him. Quentin agrees to go but he can no longer return to the temple. The knight tells him to go to a hermit named Durwin and to give the message without stopping. So, mounted on Ronsard's horse Balder, Quentin rides to Durwin's house. He meets Durwin and also Durwin's friend, Theido. Theido and Quentin rides to Askelon where the Queen was, but they are caught by the crafty coward, Prince Jaspin. The Prince is the King's brother and he wants to have the crown. Quentin escapes and goes to the Queen. The message he gave was that King Eskevar had been captured by the evil necromancer, Nimrood. Then, the Queen, Durwin, and Quentin meets Theido. He had escaped and together they ride to save the King. Quentin learns of a new God, the Most High and he turns away from Ariel and the other gods to worship the true one God. Durwin teaches him more about God on the way.

Can they rescue the King from Nimrood? Can they win the battle with Prince Jaspin's 100,000 men with their 10,000?

This is a wonderful Christian fantasy. The next one, "The Warlords of Nin" is my favorite in the Dragon King Trilogy.

Editorial Review:

A kingdom hangs in the balance...and a young boy answers the call.

Carrying a sealed message from the war-hero Dragon King to the queen, Quentin and his outlaw companion, Theido, plunge headlong into a fantastic odyssey and mystic quest.  Danger lurks everywhere in the brutal terrain, and particularly in the threats from merciless creatures, both human and not-so-human.

While at the castle, the wicked Prince Jaspin schemes to secure the crown for himself, and an evil sorcerer concocts his own monstrous plan.  A plan that Quentin and Theido could never imagine.

In the youth's valiant efforts to save the kingdom and fulfill his unique destiny, he will cross strange and wondrous lands; encounter brave knights, beautiful maidens, and a mysterious hermit; and battle a giant, deadly serpent.

In this first book of the Dragon King Trilogy, Stephen R. Lawhead has deftly woven a timeless epic of war, adventure, fantasy, and political intrigue.

The Warlords of Nin (The Dragon King Trilogy, Book 2)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Darkness and destruction have come to the land.

It has been ten years since Quentin helped Eskevar, the Dragon King, battle the monstrous sorcerer Nimrood.  Since that time, there has been peace in the land of Mensandor.  But everything is about to change.

An urgent message summons Quentin to Castle Askelon.  The king, who is dying, wishes to name the brave young man his successor.  But first, he sends him on an unfathomable mission.

What Quentin and his friend Toli, the Jher horseman, discover is not for the cowardly.  The brightening Wolf Star is an omen of impending evil that might herald the beginning of the end of mankind on earth.  It signifies Nin, a fearsome giant of a man who hopes to add Mensandor to his growing empire.  Along with his merciless warlords, they are the fulfillment of a nightmarish prophecy.

In The Warlords of Nin, the second book in The Dragon King Trilogy, Stephen R. Lawhead continues the mythical saga that began with In the Hall of the Dragon King.

The Sword and the Flame (The Dragon King Trilogy, Book 3)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Mature Quentin & Lawhead "Lite" - not deep, but enjoyable. 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

"The Sword and the Flame" is the third title in Lawhead's "Dragon King" Trilogy, the series which propelled him to success. Quentin has assumed the throne, with Bria his queen, and is now the father of three children. The kingdom firmly established, he is busy building the King's Temple, a temple dedicated to the Most High. And he is armed with the enchanted sword, "The Shining One", whose "flame was the symbol of the god's presence with the King, and more." (p.94)

But enemies old and new are fiercely opposed to Quentin's overturn of the old gods. The evil necromancer Nimrood returns to collaborate with the defenders of the old gods - the priests at the temple of Ariel, who see the construction of the King's Temple as an inevitable sign of the destruction of their own High Temple. Suddenly, the peace of Quentin's kingdom becomes overshadowed by darkness. A close friend of Quentin is killed, his son kidnapped. Quentin must face open hostility from his enemies, and! even conflict from his own people, and treachery from his own supporters. But worst of all the flame of the sword goes out, and the hopes for the kingdom appear to be extinguished along with it: "One fell thrust and the fire of the white lanthanil blade had been quenched. The awful significance of what had happened struck him like a thunderbolt...the hand of the Most High was removed from him." (p.77-8) Is there any hope for Quentin or his kingdom?

The ensuing struggle makes this book the most emotional of the series. Certainly we are treated to lots of Lawhead excitement and action, one of the highlights being the intrigue and conflict of a castle under seige. But "The Sword and the Flame" doesn't quite have the same blazing glory of battle as the previous volume. It is far more introspective, as it focuses on Quentin's loneliness, his deep, dark and total despair, which nearly extinguishes his faith. "Now there was only darkness. In the space of half a day he had los!t his son, his trusted friend, and - worst of all - the favor of the Most High. His mind reeled at the enormity of his trouble, his heart ached with sorrow, his body throbbed with grief and exhaustion." (p.85) Lawhead treats this subject with raw and gripping emotion, precisely the ability later developed and fine tuned which made the "Pendragon Cycle" so powerful. Perhaps even more compelling than the glory of a kingdom, is the tragedy of a fallen king, who is so distraught that he rejects the Most High (p.166) and tumbles into the depths of despair.

Yet this personal struggle of the king occurs in the context of a great struggle for his kingdom. Does the extinguished flame of the enchanted sword mean that the Most High no longer is to be trusted? The people of the kingdom are convinced that the old gods are humbling their king for having chased after a new god (p.159). Yet in the end, even when the people are ready to lose faith in the Most High, the Most High is fait!hful. "It is not the One who forgets us, but we forget him." (p.199) Quentin must realize that "the flame of true faith can not be kindled on the fuel of the old religion." (p.230) When he renews his faith, the tide turns. The climax of the book is particularly powerful, with scenes reminiscent of the confrontation on Mount Carmel between Elijah the prophet of the Most High and the prophets of Baal.

In many respects, Lawhead's medieval fantasy world is reminiscent of Tolkien's world, although Tolkien's many fantastic creatures are absent. But what is absent in Tolkien is present in Lawhead: the Most High God. It is the strong spiritual vision where the Most High God and faith in God is central that makes Lawhead's books so powerful and so wholesome. Lawhead's "Dragon King" Trilogy paints a picture of spiritual warfare, kings and kingdoms, prophets, dreams and visions, and above all faith in the Most High. It's the picture of a time much like the glorious Old Testament !days of David and Solomon, who with prophets and visionaries fought for the peace of the Kingdom of the Most High in the era before the coming of Christ. Although not as deep or profound as "The Pendragon Cycle", this series of Lawhead "Lite" is still unquestionably a success.

Editorial Review:

Sometimes the greatest evil lies within.

The Dragon King who rules the land of Mensandor is none other than Quentin, whose courage and heroism have slowly transformed him from an orphaned servant into a war hero, respected leader, and a fierce man of faith.

But even the powerful can fall prey to weakness.  The world is turned upside-down when the dark sorcerer Nimrood--long thought dead after a battle with the previous Dragon King--returns with a fearsome plan.  Shattered by the death of a dear and trusted friend, the abduction of his beloved son, and the loss of his enchanted sword, Quentin finds his faith tested like never before.

In The Sword and the Flame, the final volume of Stephen R. Lawhead's captivating Dragon King Trilogy, the fate of the entire world depends on the outcome of this climactic battle between good and evil.

Arthur (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 3)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The stunning confusion to the Authurian saga 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

...yawn. Besides, the novel isn't the conclusion- as claimed on the cover, since Mr. Lawhead went on to write a few more...

If you don't mind undeveloped characters, cardboard characters, stupid characters, and mostly stupid plot, you'll love this novel.
Actually, there's not much of a plot at all; just a series of battles where Arthur and his knights battle thousands upon thousands of 'savages' and win every time. I think one battle was against twenty or forty thousand- some silly number considering the time and place, let alone the odds.

So! You have Arthur being crowned- oops- not- just given the title of Duke ala a long dreary preachy Christian ceremony. Then there's a battle, and a battle, and a battle and.... Then another corination ala a long preachy Christian ceremony, then I fell asleep. Another corination where Arthur is made the Grand Mucky Muck of Britian ala Rome and another Christian lecture...I think... and then- wallah! After years of Peace, Arthur ignores Merlin's advice and chooses to march off to save Rome. Somewhere in there Arthur adapts the large red cross as his insignia to show he's a soldier for Christianity.........Anyway, while Arthur's off saving Rome, his Lady and castle, and most of the knights he left back home are attacked, killed, or taken hostage.

The entire story is filled with logic glitches, and Merlin seems so inept-he mostly wanders around moaning over Morgian and the evil Morgian has done. Seems anytime he tries to look into the flames to see the future there's a "fog" where Morgian and other bad guys are concerned. If I was Arthur I'd bump Merlin down the road and hire an advisor who isn't sneaking off to get himself blinded by the same Morgian, or whining because he doesn't know anything and One Must Trust In The Good God. Well, I say: Good God! What a tedious Merlin- and book.

Just one example of questionable story logic: Arthur allowing one of the Irish men to live because the poor fellow explains he's only invading Britian because he was forced to. His family is starving back home and so forth. Arthus feels the man is sincere and allos him to live. Turn a few pages and- hey look at that- the poor fellow is now a King- who sends his daughter along to become Arthur's wife, along with all kinds of treasures, knights, etc.

I have done my best to hang in there because I can usually tolerate the poorest writing if it has to do with Arthurian legend but I won't be reading any more of Mr. Lawhead's novels.

Aside from the lack of a real plot, no major scope to the novel, poor characterization, and poor logic, the prose alone can grate on your nerves; all Mr. Lawhead's characters sound alike but the real kicker is his descriptors with a never ending "and" tossed in- most are redundant -and you'll find them on most every page:

*The sound was wretched and pathetic.
*The day was bright and the wind fresh.
*The barbarians fled howling in despair and anguish.
*The smoke curled black and thick.
*Awed and abashed we gazed upon the wealth we had won.
*It remained sunny and warm, and the long northern day stretched soft and golden before us.
*The winter proved dark and cold.
*Their welcome was genuine and heartfelt.
*She turned on me, livid and spitting.
*The stronghold remained solid and secure.
*The barbarians left a curious reminder of their cruelty and hate.
*The next day dawned fresh and fair.
*That he should appear now upset and angered me.

Geesh, Mr. Lawhead- have you never studied up on showing rather than telling? And having the characters interact with their surroundings? Or filters?

My suggestion is to skip these novels and read Mary Stewart's marvelous Hollow Hills, The Crystal Cave, etc--- just don't purchase the *last* book in her series as it's very disappointing. But the remaining novels are incredible, with a powerful but very human Merlin, fully-fleshed characters, an Arthur and many other characters you will love, marvelous scope and plot, etc. And no preaching!

Editorial Review:

They called him unfit to rule, a lowborn, callow boy, Uther's bastard.

But his coming bad been foretold in the songs of the bard Taliesin. And be had learned powerful secrets at the knee of the mystical sage Merlin. He was Arthur -- Pendragon of the Island of the Mighty -- who would rise to legendary greatness in a Britain torn by violence, greed, and war; who would usher in a glorious reign of peace and prosperity; and who would fall in a desperate attempt to save the one be loved more than life.

Pendragon (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 4)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Reads like left-overs but eventually warms up 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I have long admired Stephen Lawhead's writing. He has the uncanny ability to create worlds and characters that spring to life through his poetic images. He has definitely breathed new life into the Arthurian legends with his Pendragon Cycle. But "Pendragon", the fourth book in the series, is perhaps the weakest link.

"Pendragon" is not a continuation of the story that was started through "Taliesin", "Merlin", and "Arthur". Rather what Lawhead does in this fourth installment is revisit some stories about Arthur's life that either weren't in the previous books or that weren't expounded upon. This makes the beginning of the story read like left-overs that Lawhead cut from the original work. There are even times when the story is word-for-word the same as the previous novel. That being said, "Pendragon" does begin to build about halfway through the book and the story of Arthur's struggle to save Britain from a barbarian invasion comes to life.

While perhaps not the strongest link in the cycle, "Pendragon" is a continuation of Lawhead's magnificent rendering of Arthur's life. He has crafted Arthur as a king who is both strong and intelligent, fearless and faithful, seemingly invincible but also somehow mortal (even though he is the forever king). If readers can stick out the ramshackle beginning, they will not be disappointed in the end. Especially when the legend of the grail comes into question. But, as Merlin says, "that is a different story" and one this reader is looking forward to.

Editorial Review:

At the dawn of his reign, a young king must prove his greatness...or lose a realm.

Arthur is king -- but darkest evil has descended upon Britain's shores in many guises. Fragile alliances fray and tear, threatening all the noble liege has won with his wisdom and his blood.

In this black time of plague and pestilence, Arthur's most trusted counselor Myrddin -- the warrior, bard, and kingmaker whom legend will name Merlin -- is himself to be tested on a mystical journey through his own extraordinary past. So Arthur must stand alone against a great and terrible adversary. For only thus can he truly win immortality -- and the name he will treasure above all others: Pendragon.

Merlin (The Pendragon Cycle , Book 2)

Stephen R. Lawhead

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

please give me back my wasted time... 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I spent a MONTH trying to slog through this book. Taliesin wasn't too bad, i liked the new twist on Atlantis, but this book was a constant headache. I fought my way through the first half, then had the person i had borrowed the book from skim through and tell me what the heck happened in the end.

The Second Book in the Pendragon Cycle 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion. Stephen Lawhead has his home in Austria with his wife.

I admire Stephen Lawhead's writing very much. It is quite obvious to the reader that the author loves his subject matter and in his historical novels has diligently researched the material that he uses. Even with Merlin, which can only be described as a fantasy, the way the author sets the scene makes the reader almost believe that they are reading a factual rather than a fiction book.

Having brought the `children' of Atlantis to the shores of Britain in Taliesin, the author now focuses on the mystical figure of Merlin, who in all the other legends is always at the right hand of Arthur. Merlin has a vision of the Kingdom of Summer ruled by the Summer Lord.

Editorial Review:

He was born to greatness, the son of a druid bard and a princess of lost Atlantis. A trained warrior, blessed with the gifts of prophecy and song, he grew to manhood in a land ravaged by the brutal greed of petty chieftains and barbarian invaders.

Merlin: Respected, feared and hated by many, he was to have a higher destiny. for It was he who prepared the way for the momentous event that would unite the Island of the Mighty -- the coming of Arthur Pendragon, Lord of the Kingdom of Summer.