This installment of Stephen Lawhead's long-running Pendragon series is narrated by Gwalchavad (Galahad), one of King Arthur's captains and Lord of Orcady. After getting off to a slow start as the aftermath of a war with the Vandali is sorted out, the story focuses on the Holy Grail, which its guardian, Avallach, has used to cure Arthur of a deadly wound. In gratitude, Arthur raises a shrine to the Grail, but soon the Grail is stolen by Llenlleawg (Lancelot), who also abducts Queen Gwenhwyvar. When Arthur and his knights pursue, they are led to the magical, bleak land of Llyonesse, into the sorceress Morgian's power, fighting for their sanity and the Grail.

This is a straightforward story; there's less intrigue than I expected. Evil Morgian's passages of gloating are nearly over the top, but the honest, steadfast knights are good fellows all. Read previous volumes first!


From Kirkus Reviews
Final installment of Lawhead's Pendragon cycle (Taliesin, 1987; Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, not seen) with its roots deep in Atlantis and, here, an unexpectedly upbeat ending. Gwalchavad of Orkney's narrative is framed by the dire imprecations of Morgian, the evil Queen of Air and Darkness, who ultimately must be vanquished. But, first, King Arthur makes peace with the invading Vandals, whom he has defeated; and soon the Irish knight Llenlleawg (Lancelot) will be seduced by the beautiful Morgaws, Morgian's creature, into betraying Arthur with Queen Gwenhwyvar so that the familiar tale, singularly reworked, may be brought to its unfamiliar conclusion. For fans of the series: Lawhead's interpretation is different and distinctive, though this volume, while independently intelligible, is no place to start. (First printing of 35,000) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.



"An exciting and thoughtful addition to the ranks of Arthurian fantasy."



"Lawhead evokes the best of British fantasy."



"Highly recommended."



"Suspenseful . . . soulful, philosophical . . . engagingly drawn . . . Arthurian Britain is invoked with robust verisimilitude."


Book Description
The legend of King Arthur has been told many times--but never with the strength and resonance, passion and richness granted it in Stephen R. Lawhead's masterfulPENDRAGON CYCLEDrought, plague, and war have left the Isle of the Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured--until a secret relic is brought before the dying KIng; a Holy Grail that heals his wounds and restores his vigor.But soon evil enters the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden; a soulless, malevolent force capable of seducing the King's loyal champion, confounding the sage whom some call Merlin, and carrying the sacred Grail--and Arthur's adored Queen--off into the dark unknown. And now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovererignty: a quest of recovery that must lead the noble liege through realms of magic and the undead, on a trail that winds inexorably toward a grim confrontation with his most foul nemesis . . . and his destiny.Drought, plague and war have left the Isle of Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured. But, astonishingly, the High King lives--his wounds healed and vigor restored by a sacred and secret relic: the Holy Grail.At Ynys Avallach, a dying Arthur was miraculously renewed. And now, in this time of rampant disease and death, the great king wants to share the Grail's curative powers with all who require it. A shrine will be built to house the holy treasure--and Arthur's fabled Kingdom of Summer will at long last come to be.But evil has entered the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden. Unbeknownst to Arthur, to his devoted warriors, to his adored Gwenhwyvar. . .even to the bard Myrddrin, the sage Emrys whom some have called "Merlin," malevolent forces, soulless and cunning, seduce the King's most loyal champion. And in an unthinkable unguarded moment, the Grail is carried off, vanishing somewhere into the dark unknown.Now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovereig


Download Description
Drought, plague, and war have left Arthur and his kingdom on the brink of death, until a Holy Grail restores his vigor. But when evil, in the guise of a beautiful maiden, steals the Grail -- and the Queen -- Arthur must embark on a quest of recovery that sets him face-to-face with his most foul nemesis.and his destiny.The legend of King Arthur has been told many times--but never with the strength and resonance, passion and richness granted it in Stephen R. Lawhead's masterfulPENDRAGON CYCLEDrought, plague, and war have left the Isle of the Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured--until a secret relic is brought before the dying KIng; a Holy Grail that heals his wounds and restores his vigor.But soon evil enters the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden; a soulless, malevolent force capable of seducing the King's loyal champion, confounding the sage whom some call Merlin, and carrying the sacred Grail--and Arthur's adored Queen--off into the dark unknown. And now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovererignty: a quest of recovery that must lead the noble liege through realms of magic and the undead, on a trail that winds inexorably toward a grim confrontation with his most foul nemesis . . . and his destiny.Drought, plague and war have left the Isle of Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured. But, astonishingly, the High King lives--his wounds healed and vigor restored by a sacred and secret relic: the Holy Grail.At Ynys Avallach, a dying Arthur was miraculously renewed. And now, in this time of rampant disease and death, the great king wants to share the Grail's curative powers with all who require it. A shrine will be built to house the holy treasure--and Arthur's fabled Kingdom of Summer will at long last come to be.


About the Author
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. Lawhead makes his home in Austria with his wife.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Drought, plague and war have left the Isle of the Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured. But, astonishingly, the High King lives - his wounds healed and vigor restored by a sacred and secret relic: the Holy Grail. At Ynys Avallach, a dying Arthur was miraculously renewed. And now, in this time of rampant disease and death, the great king wants to share the Grail's curative powers with all who require it. A shrine will be built to house the holy treasure - and Arthur's fabled Kingdom of Summer will at long last come to be. But evil has entered the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden. Unbeknownst to Arthur, to his devoted warriors, to his adored Gwenhwyvar...even to the bard Myrddin, the sage Emrys whom some have called "Merlin," malevolent forces, soulless and cunning, seduce the King's most loyal champion. And in an unthinkable unguarded moment, the Grail is carried off, vanishing somewhere into the dark unknown. Now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovereignty: a quest to recover the lost Grail that will lead the noble liege and his Dragon Flight through realms of magic and the undead...on a trail winding relentlessly toward a grim confrontation with his most foul nemesis, Morgian, Queen of Air and Darkness.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Arthurian Britain is invoked with robust verisimilitude in Lawhead's fifth novel in his Pendragon Cycle. The narrator here is Gwalchavad, a member of Arthur's elite guard whose soldierly frankness lends credibility even to fantastic events. Indeed, one of Lawhead's achievements is his integration, true to the medieval mind, of the mundane and the miraculous. Myrddin (Merlin) is engagingly drawn as both a curmudgeon and a sage. Arthur is interesting for his blend of youthful folly and courage. Interspersed with Gwalchavad's accounts are passages voiced by the enchantress Morgian, Myrddin's evil arch-foe, as she schemes to overthrow Arthur and steal the Holy Grail. The central theme is the shadow connection of great evil with great goodness: Arthur's nave haste to establish the prophesied "Summer Kingdom" and to enshrine the Grail leads to horrific trials. Gwalchavad and his "swordbrothers" confront powerful enchantments. Monsters, bogs, mind-numbing spells and zombie soldiers test Arthur, Myrddin and the other heroes. This is, of course, also a spiritual journey, and in the end salvation lies in prayer and the magical virtues of the Grail. Soulful, philosophical sections are well placed at suspenseful points in the action, and the novel's only real flaw is that its happy conclusion is reached not so much through a chain of events determined by character, strength or strategy as by the overarching moral assumption that good must triumph. 35,000 first printing. (July)

Kirkus Reviews

Final installment of Lawhead's Pendragon cycle (Taliesin, 1987; Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, not seen) with its roots deep in Atlantis and, here, an unexpectedly upbeat ending. Gwalchavad of Orkney's narrative is framed by the dire imprecations of Morgian, the evil Queen of Air and Darkness, who ultimately must be vanquished. But, first, King Arthur makes peace with the invading Vandals, whom he has defeated; and soon the Irish knight Llenlleawg (Lancelot) will be seduced by the beautiful Morgaws, Morgian's creature, into betraying Arthur with Queen Gwenhwyvar so that the familiar tale, singularly reworked, may be brought to its unfamiliar conclusion.

For fans of the series: Lawhead's interpretation is different and distinctive, though this volume, while independently intelligible, is no place to start.