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Taliesin cover art

Taliesin

By: Stephen R. Lawhead
Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
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Summary

It was a time of legend, when the last shadows of the mighty Roman conqueror faded from the captured Isle of Britain. While, across a vast sea, bloody war shattered a peace that had flourished for two thousand 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)

What listeners say about Taliesin

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Yawn

I didn't finish this it was unbareable, and very Tiresome.
The reader was easy to listen to sounded like Judy Dench, but the story was hard & slow to get into. I was continually waiting for the story to start to the point I had enough.
Sorry didn't finish is it put me to sleep.
I would not recommend .

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

well told but very funny mistake historically

Well I could not believe my ears when the early medieval persons sat around the fires eating ..POTATOES *LOL*
They did so even in book two of the serie but in book three they had reverted to onions;-)

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An old friend returned

I first read this 30 years ago and I really enjoyed it again. I filled me with the same sense of pesions i had then has been lacking

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Immersive listen

I loved reading these books years ago but could never get the pronunciation of some of the Welsh right in my head - having someone get it right as they read really brings you into the story.

Great take on the extended lore of Arthur and Atlantis.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent, uncynical take on the Atlantis/Arthur myths

The story - the histories of Merlin’s parents really - is excellent. The characters and events and world-building is compelling and clever. This is especially so if you know much of the Arthur/Merlin mythology because Lawhead really makes his story foreshadow and interpret those stories in a fascinating way. I also enjoyed the fact that there is very little cynicism here. Unlike, say, the Bernard Cornwell stories (which I very much enjoy) where basically everyone (especially the Christians) is a bit unpleasant or self-serving and those are the main motivators, here the character are more nuanced and so more interesting. Wanda McCaddon’s narration is really excellent and very listenable. Just a shame they didn’t have her for the other titles in the series!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great, different talked on the Arthurian legend

I'm so glad I revisited this book. I read the series originally when it was first published in 1987. I love the way the author weaves the legends of Arthur and Atlantis together with characters from the Mabinogion.

My only complaint is the pronunciation of some of the Welsh words but this did not distewch from the overall tale

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent natation and excellent story

proper mythical story of epic proportions, read by a fantastic narrator. origins of Arthur and all that jazz

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Narrator too fast and high pitched

Couldn't bear to listen to the narration even with the speed at 90%. Returned it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Read the book so many times

I have read this book so many times as well as the whole series. Its slow to start but as the reader gets enticed into the story you are taken back to a Celtic time. Thank you for a beautiful book and many years of happy reading and now listening

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