Preview Grail
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 masterful
Pendragon Cycle
Drought, 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.
Amazon.com ReviewThis 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 ReviewsFinal 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.
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