Merlin

Pendragon Cycle Book 2

By: Stephen R. Lawhead

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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 Britain abandoned by its Roman conquerors - a land ravaged by the brutal greed of petty chieftains and barbarian invaders. Respected, feared and hated by many, he was to have a higher destiny: to prepare 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. This is the second book of The Pendragon Cycle.

©1988 by Stephen R. Lawhead (P)1995 by Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A fine storyteller, he brings the Arthurian characters to life without sacrificing any of the haunting pleasures of the legends." (Omaha World Herald)
"Highly recommended... Reminiscent of C.S. Lewis." (Library Journal)

Epic Story

This book is very good! I loved getting to follow Merlin’s story from birth to becoming a hardened warrior and advisor to kings. The book builds off of Taliesin and left off with me very ready to read about Arthur!

Merlin with a British lisp?

For the love all that is holy!!!
The story is magnificent, then it’s read as if Merlin were a 20 year old British dandy..
I’m beside myself.

Outstanding

Well worth the listen! The author captures the spirit of the legend of Merlin with an air of authenticity not likely found in other accounts. I especially liked how he weaved Merlin’s Christian faith in and made it the core of his character.

Marvelous! What a journey!

This tale is brought to gripping life through the reader and continues the wonderful story of Atlantis’s people and the transformation of Roman ruled Britain into the beginning of King Arthur’s famed rule. Incredible! What a page turner!

This series is amazing!

I have read many versions of the Arthur tale but this series is the best of them all. Taliesen was a brilliant prologue that mesmerized me with language and imagery of the Atlantean folk and the last days of the Roman Empire. Merlin picked up the story and now I am anxious to listen to Arthur. The readers of both these two books were fantastic.

Greatest Arthur Legend of all Time

Stephen Lawhead is a fantastic writer, a true bard among writers. His style is exquisite and rich, extravagant and smooth-flowing. It removes you from whatever your world is and you quickly feel one with the world of his description. Action scenes leap with brilliance and descriptions of even mundane things are full of a master's detail. The second book of the Pendragon Cycle can be read alone, though it is ten times richer with the background given in the first book, Taliesin.

The narrator, Frederick Davidson, is a truly masterful reader, lending individual voices to each character, and acting the dialogues with passion. My only problem is that if his strength is reading men, his portrayal of women and youths leaves much to be desired. I was very glad when Merlin grew up and the only voice that made me cringe was Charis. Aside from this, it is an excellent reading of an excellent book, and I heartily recommend it to anyone. Every other Arthur tale pales beside this one.

Pronunciation of names and places was atrocious

Seriously, the reader was awful with pronunciation of names and places. Names like Pelleas, who was from Atlantian blood, was pronounced as if he were Welsh with this bizarre Double-L, glottal stop something, that the reader thought sounded like Welsh, I think? It was almost so distracting that I almost stopped listening. I still haven't made up my mind as to whether I will listen to the third book in the series, because it is read by the same reader. His storytelling was fine, and I'm sure he's a nice guy. but the pronunciation really was just that bad.

Excellent story, a more masculine voice needed

They narrator's voice and tone made it difficult to get into the fighting scenes.

Merlin

Masterful story of the life of one of the most interesting people in history. The story is both entertaining and thought provoking. The selfless sacrifice and sense of duty are inspiring.

A difficult listen

Events were presented in a confusing manner. One first heard Merlin’s emotional aftermath and then was afforded the actual event. The poetry/prose was often ponderous and indulgent.