Arthur (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 3) [Paperback]

Stephen R. Lawhead (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 1996

An enchanting tale of love and loss, glory and grandeur, set in the twilight of Rome's power . . . Where the Celtic chieftains of Britain battle to save their land from an onrushing darkness. . . . In this modern classic, Stephen Lawhead presents a majestic retelling of Western literature's most compelling epic. The Sword of Britain. While many strove to claim it, one hand alone could remove the blade of Kingship from its stone sheath. He came -- a raw youth among ambitious lords too blind to recognize their king. He came -- to a Britain divided, ripe for conquest by barbarian hordes. The songs of Taliesin the master bard had foretold his rising. The vision of Merlin the prophet would guide him. He was Arthur, Pendragon of the Isle of the Mighty. His courage would be lauded; his enemies, legion; his reign, legendary. Under Arthur, by wisdom as much as might, Britain would unite. Through Arthur would arise a kingdom of peace, prosperity, and righteousness -- the long-awaited Kingdom of Summer. Yet, in the midst of flourishing virtue, an evil would arise to challenge Britain's most brilliant Crown. . . . Arthur is book three in the Pendragon Cycle. Look for Taliesin and Merlin, books one and two in this award-winning Arthurian series by Stephen Lawhead.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''This early Arthur seems even nobler than Malory's Arthur, 'Myrddin' even wiser than Merlin. And the stories, alive with the mystery and magic of the 'fair folk,' cannot easily be forgotten, nor can the superb narration of Frederick Davidson as he captures the voices of hundreds of characters. His storytelling becomes as magical as the stories told around the fire by ancient bards. Merlin himself could do no better.'' --AudioFile --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From the Author

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of fantasy and imaginative fiction. He is the author of many book, including, the Byzantium and the Pendragon Cycle series. He lives in Oxford, England, with his wife and sons

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 3, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310205077
• ISBN-13: 978-0310205074
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen R. Lawhead is a prolific and bestselling author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. He is best known for his King Raven trilogy, a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend, and Pendragon Cycle, centering on the King Arthur legend. Other notable works include the Song of Albion, Celtic Crusades and Dragon King Trilogies, Byzantium, Patrick, Avalon, and the works of science-fiction Dream Thief and Empyrion saga. Lawhead makes his home in Oxford, England, with his wife.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sincere, idealistic, dramatic... exceptional for the young, May 18, 2005

By 

Inchoatus.com "Inchoatus.com" (Greeley, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arthur (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

These books sold very, very well for the author in what can only be described as an impossibly crowded genre. It seems every fantasy novelist attempts, at some point, a re-telling and definitive edition of the Arthurian myth. It is the only subject more trampled and copied than Tolkien. It is also the genre that lapses in to the most astonishing absurdities. Lawhead, with these three books (Taliesin, Merlin, and Arthur) has contributed something very relevant and very new to the genre. It gives the myth a burst of idealism and Christianity not seen since Tennyson with the Celtic traditions not seen since the Mabinogion. Sadly, with the publication of the latter three--and far lesser novels (Pendragon, Grail, and Avallon) the series is much damaged and diminished. We believe that Lawhead would've been far better served to let the trilogy stand on its own where it's not so intimidating and probably would've enjoyed subsequent reprinting. As it stands, our rating for this book is slightly tarnished by these later publications and endanger the proud work of a very, very good author.

WHO SHOULD READ:

Readers who enjoyed Tolkien a great deal and who read Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, and others searching for that same idealism will come closest to finding it here with Lawhead. Readers who enjoyed Marion Zimmerman Bradley's feminized version of the legend in The Mists of Avalon will find this work operating as a kind of opposite: Bradley employing the traditional pagan religious elements and feminism while re-working the French side of the myth while Lawhead invoking Christian theology and masculinity in t the Celtic side of the myth. They are very interesting to read together. These books are excellent choices for teenagers for whom idealism is second nature. Oddly, readers deeply impressed with the idealism of the people living in "The Land" in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever will find themselves deeply compelled by this work.

WHO SHOULD AVOID:

Scholars of Arthuriana, those more versed in Malory, Monmouth, Eschenbach, de Troyes, and even Tennyson, will probably be a bit disappointed. They are going to be much less impressed with what they might regard as overly-dramatic prose and much more sensitive to the liberties--particularly the Christian liberties--that Lawhead takes with the story. Certainly those readers who are inclined to much more cynical writing styles of the late 20th and 21st century--people who enjoy the subtle undercurrents and "un-heroism" of more modern irreverent works--will probably become bored and irritable with the constant nobility (just as they would become bored with Tennyson's Idylls of the King). People looking to investigate the actual history and evolution of the mythology would not be well-served by reading this book but should look to the actual source material of Malory and perhaps some of the earlier Celtic works such as Monmouth and The Alliterative Morte d'Arthure.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Arthur you'll find, September 19, 2001

By 

Patrick Oden (San Dimas, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Arthur (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a tremendous, well-written, well researched book. It is however following a different path than was presented in the classic Morte de Arthur and The Once and Future King (a storyline visually portrayed in Excalibur). There is no incest, no tale of forbidden love between a queen and the best knight. Rather, in avoiding the tales of court intrigue which were so prevalent in the middle ages, Lawhead seeks to tell a story which reveals a more accurate look at life in the 6th century. We see characters as they were in that era, rather than the height of the feudal period. These are Celts, not Normans. This is the story of the later Celts attempting to fight off the invasions of the Saxons and others who sought to topple the peace that Arthur was able to bring by uniting warrring tribes. There is certainly the mystical events and a well crafted spirituality which certainly would have reflected 6th century Wales and England. This book seeks to tell the story of Arthur in his historical context, while still maintaining the fantasy aspects which have made the story so popular. A very nice book, and a welcome relief to the social intrigue that characterizes other tales of Arthur.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Re-Telling of King Arthur's reign, August 22, 2004

By 

J. K. Moser "JKM" (Flemington, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Arthur (The Pendragon Cycle, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Stephen Lawhead continues his extraordinary Pendragon Cycle with the climactic Arthur. While the cycle continues on for three more books, the series could have ended here, for Lawhead provides a well-written overview of Arthur as a child, young king, and veteran king. Narrated by those around Arthur, the story takes the old legend and breathes new life into it. Most of the beloved parts of the Arthur legend are from the sword in the stone, to the Lady of the Lake to the dissapearance of Avalon, Lawhead does it all in one novel. Although a section after Arthur's marriage is explored in Pendragon and Grail, Arthur gives a complete picture of the warrior king with several twists and turns along the way. Merlin, the king's tutor and advisor looses his sight in a battle with Morgian is just one example of the way Lawhead creates a different take on the old tale. It's not Malory but I enjoyed it more.