Customer Reviews

Grail: Library Edition

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Stephan Lawhead all but ignores the Grail legend in his first three books of the Pendragon Cycle, and limits its pressence in Pendragon. It would seem that he set it aside for this faithful telling from the perspective of one of Arthur's Guardians of the Grail.

Consistent with the other books, Lawhead finds new voices to tell this tale using Gwalchavad as the principle storyteller and Morgian as an occasional foil to him. Many fans of the first three books will not care for this one. It is steeped in religious context that the other books only aluded to. This is actually part of Lawhead's gift. If the reader takes the time to understand the perspective of the storyteller, he will understand Lawhead's need to cloak it in religious mysticism.

This book is an excellent re-telling of Grail legend, and a wonderful use of the characters that Lawhead has given life to in his Pendragon cycle. It seems a shame that this saga should ever come to an end.

Lawhead's Done It Again!

It is truly the mark of a good author when a relatively long book series retains all of it's brilliance and originality to the very end. Lawhead has accomplished this and more with his wondrous Pendragon Cycle.

Grail is the 5th and final installment in the series (unless you include Avalon in the list). While I think that this is the weakest book of the series, it is still superb and certainly worth the read. The atmosphere of the book is very unique. Unlike the previous books in the series, the enemy is largely supernatural - a much more frightening enemy than the Picti, Angli, or Vandali. Morgian is definetely at her worst - and she even gets a few opportunities to narrate the story (a very peculiar twist.)!

Really my only complaint about the book regards Lawhead's choice of characters. It seems that many of the major characters that were seen in Arthur and Pendragon have faded to the backdrop - replaced by relatively new characters. These characters are fine, but I would have rather seen more of characters like Bedwyr, Cai and Arthur.

This is one of my favorite Pendragon books, perhaps because it was so different.

First of all, it was all in the viewpoint of Gwalchavad, with little inserts from Morgian in between, believe it or not. I loved that. Lawhead did pure, humble Gwalchavad wonderfully; immediately the reader likes him. Hearing from Morgian was very revealing, both to her character and to her plot. It enabled some of her schemes to be discovered by the reader, but never by the Cymbrogi. I actually began to understand her and her motives. (The statement about Avallach's favoritism had me almost sympathetic. Quite moving.)

Also, the atmosphere was very dreamlike to the point of being surreal. When the whole episode is finished, reality and sunshine break through once more. Morgian's vail of fear is tangible.

Thirdly, the adventure is impeccable. It is suspenseful, scary, and satisfying. Llenlleawg's betrayal added a whole new aspect to the fear of Morgian. Nothing is safe from her. He was one of my favorites in past books, which made it worse. The power of evil is revealed through him.

Fourthly, Merlin is back to his old self. He was beginning to get rather prudish in former books. I love the part where he slams his stick on the ground and yells at Arthur.

One more thing I liked, and this might be just me. Arthur had his troops go to confession and Mass beforehand. That reminded me of Joan of Arc. Spiritual health added credibility to their almost miraculous escape.

I suppose I can see why some readers would not like this book as much, but it has definate unique appeal. A nice change!

"Grail" is the last volume of Lawhead's Pendragon series. It is narrated by Gwalchavad, and revolves around the mysterious and magical Grail which was the cause of Arthur's miraculous healing at the end of the previous volume. The Grail is the cup used by Christ in his last supper (p.45), and has healing powers. Arthur's kingdom is firmly established now that the Saecsons and Vandals have both been defeated. Now that the Kingdom of Summer is officially inaugurated, the Grail is seen as a symbol of this kingdom of light. So Arthur builds a shrine for this symbol of his kingdom, and the kingdom of summer is officially declared.

Just when the kingdom of summer reaches its high point, tragedy strikes. At the height of the kingdom's glory, the subversive attacks of Morgian return. This Queen of the Powers of the Air and Darkness steals the sacred Grail, abducts Arthur's queen, and deceives his champion soldier. From this point on the action intensifies, as the newly established kingdom of peace fights warfare on a new front: spiritual warfare. Unlike the battle scenes of previous volumes, the battle scenes in this book describe a struggle against demons and the powers of darkness (Eph. 6).

Lawhead's vision of the Grail did make me uncomfortable. Firstly, the cup used by Jesus was an ordinary object, and to have it turn into a sparkling grail with rows of rubies, emeralds, and pearls, with a "broad band of impossibly ornate scrollwork" seems to go against the very purpose of the last supper. Secondly, the purpose of the supper was to encourage believers in their spiritual worship and commemoration of Christ, not in a material worship of a sacred object. The words of Jesus - "Remember and believe" - seem all but forgotten, since healing through the Grail appears to occur independent of faith and believing. Rather than stress faith, the use of the Grail results in a magical form of healing that occurs through ritual rather than faith. One other concern is the ease at which the characters take God's name on their lips - at times it borders on blasphemy and unnecessary oath-making.

But these weaknesses aside, Lawhead has created a convincing and exciting spiritual conflict between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The spiritual warfare is a refreshing change from the blood and gore of earlier battlefields. It also functions as a compelling image of the universal conflict between God and Satan, a conflict involving both God and men. The power of evil is vividly portrayed. Here Lawhead successfully reminds us of the Biblical notion of angels of darkness disguising themselves as angels of light, and deceiving even believers. The weakness and vulnerability of men over against these powers is vividly described. But most importantly, when men are helpless over against the powers of evil, Lawhead presents the only path to victory: God. Conquest of evil cannot be accomplished by human effort, but by divine power. "Only by God's good grace do any of us stand or fall." (p.377)

"Grail" marks the end of the wonderful Pendragon cycle. It is true that while the ending of "Grail" resolves the conflict, it does not satisfactorily mark a clean ending to the series. This is not surprising because "Grail" (like the preceding volume "Pendragon") actually precedes the events described at the end of book 3, "Arthur", and consequently both "Pendragon" and "Grail" have a distinctively "add on" feeling. Next time I will read the series in chronological order, more or less as follows: Taliesin, Merlin, Pendragon Bk. 1, Arthur Bk. 1-2, Pendragon Bk. 2-4, Grail, Arthur Bk. 3. The chronological aberrations of the last two volumes are indeed a weakness, and it is unfortunate they function more like an afterthought, rather than being properly integrated into Arthur's life. Yet the very fact that this series is so re-readable is a testimony to its greatness. Great it truly is, and that is high praise indeed!

Classic Lawhead, this book explores a more personal conflict that many will relate to: that of truth, trust, and betrayal. Grail demonstrates Lawhead's personal spiritual position, which brings some to fear and disgust. Yet do not attempt to read beyond the "Christian" theme, for that is exactly what the author wishes us NOT to do. Gwalchalvad is you and me. He battles ultimately with the question of to whom he should submit. His passions and lust? His friends? His Pendragon? His God?

The adventure is fast paced, do not doubt that. The new perspective of a new narrator is refreshing. Lawhead will break your heart, make you jump for joy, make you hate the villain, and love the victor. That's what fantasy should be about. We all can find ourselves in one of the characters of this book. The question we must ask is, which one am I?

Picking up exactly where "Pendragon" left off, "Grail" puts a new and interesting spin on the legend of the holy grail. Lawhead has done a masterful job in recreating the Arthurian legends, infusing them with his poetic writing and creating legends that are uniquely his own, while holding firm to the ones that have come before. Many readers might argue at the 'changes' Lawhead has made to the legends, but a legend by literary definition is a tale that is interpreted just a little differently by the teller each time it is passed along. Stephen Lawhead's version of events is just as sincere and justified as any of his worthy predecessors.

At the conclusion of "Pendragon", King Arthur was gravely wounded at the end of his (book-long) battle with the Vandali warhost. He is taken to the Ynys Avallach where he is mysteriously healed by the grail. Meanwhile, his warhost are awaiting word of Arthur's death, travelling a land blighted by plague and drought, to deliver grim news to the kinsmen of those who betrayed Arthur. When Arthur returns, miraculously healed, he is adamant that the grail will inaugurate his 'kingdom of summer' and restore Britain to health. Stubborn to the core, and deaf to his advisors, Arthur has a shrine built to house the grail that others may bask in its glory and be healed. But evil lurks within the land, as the dreaded Morgian has nurtured her power and schemes to defeat Arthur once and for all.

Told by Gwalchavad (Galahad), "Grail" is an epic novel, and a respite from the battle-drenched "Pendragon". While battles between good and evil persist, the narration is given over to the deception and treachery that tricks Llenlleawg (Lancelot) and makes him a pawn of Morgian, an interesting twist on the Lancelot-Guinivere-Arthur triangle. Lawhead's Arthurian tales are grounded in Celtic lore and centered around a spreading Christianity in the early birth of Britain. The Pendragon Cycle is a fresh spin on an oft-repeated legend that will stand its place in the world of Arthurian lore.

I am SO totally obsessed with Arthurian legend, and Lawhead is already one of my fav authors because of Hood and Scarlet and Tuck. When I heard Lawhead had written an book based on Authurian legend, I begged my parents to buy me the series. I was not disappointed (and my parents were happy I liked the book and didn't waste their money). I am addicted to books and know good books when i see them. Grail is definitely an awesome book and the best of the series (second best would be Merlin which I also recommend)!
*SPOILER*
When Morgaws tries to get Gwalchad give her the Grail using seduction, he remembers what the Grail lady/angel said: "Lusting after honor, he was bewitched by one who honors only lust and lies. Thus are the mighty undone." So true!

The rating applies to the entire series of the "Pendragon Cycle."

First - The entire series of Lawhead's "Pendragon Cycle" was outstanding. The first two books ("Taliesin" and "Merlin") in the series were by far the best and I would say that they both deserve a rating of 4 1/2 stars. The third book, "Arthur" was a bit of a dissapointment and I would give it 2 1/2 stars for a rating. I would give Pendragon 4 stars.

The last book, "Grail" was in my opinion worth 3 1/2 stars.

The biggest problem that I have with the last three books in the "cycle" is the telling of the stories in the first person by various hero's and characters within the stories. This worked quite well with the first two books - but I really feel like Lawhead cut himself short in the telling of Arthur's legacy by writing it in the first person. A lot of the story's elements got left out and what could have been an awesome tale (on par with "Lord of The Rings") was lost in the telling of the story this way.

In "Grail," Gwalchavad (Sir Galahad) tells the story (save for a few chapters that open with Morgain's side of the story - never more than a few paragraphs) of how the "holy grail" is stolen and Arthur is betrayed by one of his own, Llenlleawg (Lancelot). Because the story is told solely from Gwalchavad's point of view - the reader is never shown any internal struggle or the mental process of what Llenlleawg was going through when he betrayed Arthur. I felt that this should have been an essential part of the story given the fact that our betrayer was a hero in "Arthur" and "Pendragon." A third person telling of the story could have easily captured that and not left the reader scratching his or her head. That is one example of how the story falls short due to the first person telling of it. Other problems with this lie when Gwalchavad gets seperated from Arthur. There is a big gap as to what happens to Arthur and co. during the seperation - as the story only follows Gwalchavad in the seperation.

Although I did love the stories and highly recommend them - I am sorely dissapointed that the "fullness of the tale" got lost because we only hear from the perspective of the character telling it.

Technically the writing is very good - and the research that must of gone into writing these books is definately evident and will give the reader a great appreciation of the author's effort.

I wish Lawhead would not have made the grail an object of worship - but that is the "Christian" in me coming out. Sorry to say it doesn't work that way - I thought Lawhead knew that. Oh well - still a good story with a shade of truth to it non-the-less.

I enjoyed reading Grail as part of the Pendragon cycle. This was my second or third time to read it and I enjoy it more and more each time I re-read it. That is the sign of a good book I think. However, unlike all the other Pendragon books, Grail never aroused great emotions in me as I read it. It was hard for me to enter in to the fear and grief of the characters precisely because I knew the ending of the whole saga since I read it at the end of the book Arthur. I wish Lawhead had published Pendragon and Grail at the same time as Arthur so the story would read better. I did pick up a couple of subtle forshadowings to the book Avalon and that made Grail more enjoyable. I also thought the best new character in the book, was Morgian. We hear her voice for the first time and that helps illumine some of the earlier happenings in the Pendragon Cycle. She is an evil lady. In regards to the many people who felt bored while reading Grail, that did not happen to me. Even though this is not one of Lawhead's best books, it still fires my imagination and quickens my heart to read it. Lawhead makes me want to be a better person through his stories and characters. Grail is no exception.

the entire pendragon cycle is amazing!!!!! i have never read anything like this series!!! i am a huge reader, i read like 3 500 page books a week and i love arthurian legends so you can imagine i have read a lot of them! but i have never in my life read anything as purely wonderful as stephen r. lawhead's pendragon cycle. these 5 books are definately the best 5 books in the world! they are almost completely different from any other arthurian legends ever written, and, although i will never grow tired of those versions, these books a refreshing and new way of telling the tales, instead of just the old guenevere and lancelot love and betrayal stories. i absolutely hate writing, but love reading of course, so i can especially appreciate all the work that must have gone into these books to make them so long (something like 449 pages each) and so completely enthralling. never have i read anything like these and i'm sure i never will again because these are so completely unique to any other versions i have heard. words cannot describe these 5 books so i will stop writing this review. but please, if you like arthurian legends, or just a good couple of books, try these: Taliesin, arthur, merlin, pendragon, and grail. they are magnificent!!!!!!!!!