Taliesin

The Pendragon Cycle, Book 1

By: Stephen R. Lawhead

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 19 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

It was a time of legend, as the last shadows of the mighty Roman conqueror faded from the captured Isle of Britain. Meanwhile, across a vast sea, bloody war shattered a peace that had flourished for 2,000 years in the doomed kingdom of Atlantis.

This is the remarkable adventure of Charis, the courageous princess from Atlantis who escapes the terrible devastation of her land, and of the fabled seer and druid prince Taliesin, singer at the dawn of the age. It is a story of an incomparable love that joins two astonishing worlds amid the fires of chaos, and spawns the miracles of Merlin, and Arthur the king!

This is the first book of The Pendragon Cycle.

©1987 Stephen R. Lawhead (P)1995 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Highly recommended... Reminiscent of C.S. Lewis." (Library Journal)

"A fine storyteller, he brings the Arthurian characters to life without sacrificing any of the haunting pleasures of the legends." (Omaha World Herald)

A Classic interpretation of a Classic tale

The Pendragon Cycle has to be the most human and complex of all the Arthurian legend tales, linking the magic and demise of Atlantis to the birth and life of the English saviour/king. The depth of the character development is wonderful, though perhaps not to the taste of those who enjoy a more action-packed story. There were times during the story that were so poignant and tragic that I found myself with tears in my eyes - a rare achievement for a narrated book. Overall, an enthralling and engrossing look into the lives and cultures surrounding this interpretation of the legends of King Arthur.

Despite other reviewers comments, I found the narration easy to hear and follow along with. Nadia May has proven herself to be a popular interpreter of recorded books time and time again.

Thoroughly enjoyable - please Audible, publish book 5 'Grail', the anticipatition is killing me!!

This series was such an unexpected, wonderful surprise!

I only started this series because I had just finished 2 other very long series & had spent way too much money buying credits. This one was free & despite the bad reviews of the narrator, there were good reviews for the books. I didn’t have much hope that I’d be into a story based on Arthurian Legend but It didn’t take long for me to get hooked. The less than great reviews about the narration were not necessarily wrong…but after a bit, the narrator just “fit”. These are complicated books with lots of characters, places & stories based on history & legends. The author connects you emotionally with them & I’ve been brought to tears more than once as well as so excited I could barely stand it. Thank goodness these books are included in my subscription because I believe there are 6. I’m currently on book 4 & can’t wait to finish them all. This is my 1st time reading Stephen R. Lawhead & Ive been very impressed. Looking forward to reading his other series as well. If you’ve read the reviews & are wavering on whether or not to try them, DO. PS: the narrator changes after book 1, so hang in there.

Great Reader!

I loved the narrator of this book. I thought she was very easy to listen to and did a fantastic job! She changed her voice somewhat to accommodate the different characters, and I found that to be very helpful. It kept the book interesting even during the couple of slower sections.

What an excellent story and narrative

The way the story was read really brought me into this book. So full of action and intrigue. The narrator really brought me into the story the way she read throughout the chapters

So much better than I rememebered

What did you love best about Taliesin?

I read this book several times more than 20 years ago. I'm so glad I got the audio book and had a chance to relive the experience. I just love how Lawhead slowly unraveled a captivating story that made me wanting more.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Taliesin?

The entire Atlantis plot line was.

What about Wanda McCaddon’s performance did you like?

The characters come alive with Miss McCaddon's voice and I appreciated the depth and dimension she brought to the story.

fantastic

while it starts off a little slow, it starts to pick up speed near the end and was enjoyable throughout.

terrific!

I loved reading this book many years ago and recently noticed that my paper copy was no longer in my library. I saw it on audible and tried it out. I am so glad I did. the performance was well done and the accents were perfect and distinguishable. it was awesome to actually hear the names and the people pronounced the way they should be be someone who knows how to do it. I love this story and I love this performance.

Brilliant story

The writing of Steven R Lawhead is wonderful, the only thing that I could wish for out of this Audio series is if the reader had been more distinctive in the voices of the characters. Other than that it's wonderful.

Good story

This is a very good story with A bit of Magic and Reality. The Story of the Rise of Britons Greatest Bard. Can get a bit long winded for short periods but was always enjoyable to read.

Perfect

I like well written books that do not put me into “fight or flight”. There was love in this book but I didn’t have to hear about the details of their sex life. I also like to have some characters with integrity and honor. This book had all that and more.