Stephen Lawhead

[biodroid]

Has anyone read him. I just got the Dragonking trilogy at a seconhand bookshop is it any good?

 

[GOLLUM]

I didn't think much of it. There's plenty here who have read more of his work but I thought it was fairly pedestrian stuff.

 

[Connavar]

I have ordered his book Hood for my book club in Gemmell forum Legend Readers.



Lets say i hope he is as good as it is said. I want more good HF authors.

 

[Aleksei]

I have read Hood, it was a bit simple, but not all that shabby.

 

[Connavar]

I havent read a good story about Robin Hood so i hope its good doesnt have to be amazing. Always been interested in the myth.

 

[Stark Winter]

I have read the first three of his Pendragon cycle, which were good reads, but they have a very heavy christian influence, not so much the first book but the second two. The first book, Taliesin, was excellent, the second two were good. I never read the last two as they just added more content to the earlier books. Haven't read any of his other stuff though.

 

[Wiggum]

He's hit or miss for me.

I really enjoyed the first three of The Pendragon Cycle but outside of that I've been more bored than impressed with his work.

 

[Gav]

The First Three Pendragon books are rather good. As is his Knotted Tapestry (or whatever it's called - the story of Llugh the swift sure hand).

Other than that it's pretty pedestrian as someone else mentioned.

 

[Connavar]

Im not sure what to think of this author after having read half of Hood.

Sometimes he can write a very interesting story you think and many times he writes so generic that you think why is he famous....


I do hope Hood gets more even. 1080 AD is very interesting time, i hope he can do something with it and Robin Hood.

 

[Werthead]

His Dragon King Trilogy is poor. The Celtic Crusades Trilogy is okay. Byzantium is superb.

He is a very uneven author.

 

[Gav]

Byzantium is superb.

That is an excellent book.

Is it a true story?

 

[Connavar]

Is Byzantium historical Fantasy or Historical Fiction?

 

[Gav]

Is Byzantium historical Fantasy or Historical Fiction?

That's what I would like to know. It reads like real events... however I've never been able to track down a priest whose story matches the one Lawhead puts together.

If he never existed then I would say historical fantasy.

My inclination would be to call it that. Lawhead being questionable when it comes to detail.

 

[Connavar]

Being use to having details and the world at the time of the story being well drawn up by the other Historical Fantasy and Historical Fiction authors i have read, Hood was a surprise. He doesnt draw up the world well exactly. Its like only the woods and Brans country exist in the story.


I wonder if he is like that in every book.

 

[Wiggum]

To each their own, but I found Byzantium to be a great cause of involuntary naps.

 

[Algernon]

I read the first Pendragon book and I then decided not to read the other ones. As a matter of fact, I think his style of writing is quite boring. The characters are either too gentle or too nasty. He could have worked more on their personalities and behaviour.
Moreover, there are a lot of fantasy clichés.

My critic may seem a bit harsh but you have to know that one month ago, I saw the second book in a book shop, I bought it and I decided to try again to read this author. It might mean that I don't definitely dislike Stephen Lawhead As I read just one of his books, my judgement is quite unfair.



-----------------------------------------------------------
Sorry for the mistakes, I am French

 

[Wybren]

I am reading the Dragon king books at the moment, and while not totally dreadful, they seem very basic and have little in the way of intrigue or unexpected plot twists. It is probably more enjoyable for younger readers than adult readers. Just my opinion anyway.

 

[Brian G Turner]

His Dragon King Trilogy is poor. The Celtic Crusades Trilogy is okay. Byzantium is superb.

He is a very uneven author.

Really enjoyed Byzantium as well, though not read his other works.

Is it a true story?

I've tried to look into that as well, but not found any reference to the monks. I've had to conclude it's therefore an historical fiction.

However, it's testament to Lawhead's writing that any reader should think it must be real.

To each their own, but I found Byzantium to be a great cause of involuntary naps.

I remember the book as a bit slow, but really gets into its own once the Vikings reach Constantinople.

 

[Kyndylan]

Disclaimer: I used to go to a church that Lawhead used to attend (St Aldates, Oxford) and I've met his son Ross a couple of times, so I may be biased. That should also cast some light on where I'm coming regarding the Christian aspects of his writing.

I've read a fair amount of his stuff. When I was younger The Pendragon Cycle was one of my favourites. As time has gone on I've grown to be somewhat less impressed. Now, I find that my thoughts are so caught up in nostalgia that I'm not sure how "objective" an opinion I can give. I guess I'd say that I think Taliesin and Merlin are still fantastic, but the latter three aren't quite so good. I don't think the Christian aspect is cloying in the slightest, but if you're more sensitive to that kind of stuff then you may find it off-putting. (If you're writing an Arthur tale set in Britain in the Dark Ages then Christianity's going to be there somewhere, and it's only a small jump to then make Arthur part of it.) But there's no denying that Lawhead's writing with an agenda.

The books of the Song of Albion trilogy are fun, and I've enjoyed reading through them two or three times, but they're not anything really special.

I haven't read much stuff he's published since 2000 - that discounts the Celtic Crusades and the King Raven trilogy, as well as his current Bright Empires stuff.

I think my favourite work of his may actually be the science-fiction Empyrion Saga which I've only ever come across in a single volume, although I think it's also been published as two books. It's a tale of wormholes and time dilation, and a planet with two radically different settlements. It's got possibly the strongest Christian bent, but that's never been a problem for me, being a believer myself.

I'd always recommend them as being worth a read...but probably not at the top of my list!

 

[Nearly Headless Ned]

I've only read The Pendragon Cycle and that was about twenty years ago, I remember being really put of by the christian aspects being rammed down my throat.