Book Review: Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead

So, I have made good on my closing statement from my last review – I reread Taliesin.

In a recent Instagram post mentioning it, I said it would’ve been 8-10 years since I read Taliesin. But, I think I may have to revise that. I know I read Lawhead’s novel Byzantium in high school, and I think I may have done the same for these books – I didn’t have much time to read in university… so that revises that figure to having read it 11-14 years ago.

On the reread, I was surprised on how much had stuck with me, but also how much my engagement in the story had changed.

But I’ll get to that.

I’ve got a lot of thoughts on Taliesin – and a lot of them are ALL ABOUT spoilers. So, the first part of this review will be spoiler free, and I’ll put a big warning before I launch into all my spoilery thoughts.

First off, for those who don’t know, Taliesin is the first of the Pendragon Cycle books by Stephen Lawhead. The novel tells the story of Charis (the Lady of the Lake, an Atlantean who emerges from her homeland’s destruction with a remnant of her people) and Taliesin (a druid prince and bard) – following their lives through childhood to adolescence and eventual adulthood, up to their eventual fateful meeting and love. Set at the time when Roman power was waning in Britain and Christianity was renewed in the land, the story is a creative and (for me) deeply satisfying mash up of legends of Atlantis, Taliesin, and the lead up to King Arthur.

Before I get into the characters, let me just say the writing style is beautiful. It’s been so long since I’ve read these novels I forgot how much I like the way they’re written. It also struck me how much Lawhead’s style has influenced mine. That’s an aside, but it’s so fun to revisit a story I read so long ago and realise how it impacted me – even in subtle ways. Taliesin was initially published in 1987, and you can really feel the difference in how the story is told compared to how it might have been written if it came out today. But, I digress, I’ll get to that later. For now, the characters.

Taliesin

Mystery surrounds Taliesin the moment we meet him and it never entirely departs. Blessed with incredible gifts, the Celtic prince is trained by druids and foretold to be the most renowned bard in all the world. Taliesin is incredibly likeable. There’s no moral greyness to him, he is deeply good in his being, and cares for his family and his people. That’s not always the case in modern fantasy, where many main characters struggle with some vice or darkness (which is also great to read!). What Taliesin seems to struggle with most is himself – that is, the mystery of who he is. In this way, the story is perhaps a less character-driven than most, as Taliesin has little of an arc (although there is one pretty big thing, but that’s a spoiler!).

Charis

Charis, the Atlantean-born princess, refugee. We meet Charis as a young girl in Atlantis, soaking up the fated beauty of her homeland. But Atlantis’ 2000-year peace is about to shatter – and Atlantis itself will follow. It’s hard to discuss Charis’ without giving away spoilers, but suffice to say she struggles through more than anyone could comprehend – watching her entire homeland and her people be utterly and totally destroyed. But even before that Charis’ life is changed forever and sets up the way she interacts with the world ever after.

Charis is less likeable than Taliesin at the start, and even throughout the novel. She’s not a bad person, but where Taliesin is surrounded by warmth and love and family, Charis must face the harsh cruelty of the world from a tender age, and it deeply influences her. By the novel’s end (heck, long before that), she’s a woman who has suffered much. Who can blame her for how she thinks and acts?

One final note on Taliesin and Charis. It’s not a spoiler to say Charis and Taliesin fall for each other (the back cover/book description says as much!), but I have heard the criticism that theirs is a bit of an insta-love story. Sure, it could be taken that way. It didn’t really bother me, to be honest. I genuinely enjoyed it. Once or twice it didn’t quite hit for me, but not in a way that took away from the story, and as we see the two spend time together I really fell in love with them as a couple. 

Book Review: Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead

Hafgan and Annubi

So, both Taliesin and Charis have mentors at the start of the novel, and while I’ll get into this more in the spoilers, it’s fascinating to see the path each one takes. Hafgan is Taliesin’s druid teacher, Annubi Charis’ parent’s advisor. The dichotomy of the two stood out to me, as they shape (or try to shape) the events and people around them, and how they react to their (and their people’s) changing circumstances.

Avallach and Elphin

Another contrasting duo is Avallach (Charis’ father) and Elphin (Taliesin’s father). Both are kings, both are fathers, but what that means for each of them is at times very similar, and at others very different. The relationship each has with their children is a critical part of the story, as Taliesin and Charis grow and change and reach adulthood, the impact of their fathers is clear. Also, it’s just delightful to have parents so, so present in this story. As an aside, I really like Elphin. I remember not really caring for him too much when I was younger, but man I so, so enjoy him – as a king, as a husband, as a father. Such a great character.

Villains

There is no one unifying villain in Taliesin. Instead, there are a variety of villains that come and go throughout the story (with the exception of the constant building background threat of invasion by Picti, Scotti, Cruithne, etc.). There’s political intrigue and the threat of war in Atlantis and Britain, there’re interpersonal conflicts that grow and fade, there’s the destruction of Atlantis… various conflicts and tensions ebb and flow through the novel, and personally I felt it really worked for the story. At no point was I bored or feeling a lack of tension. This is in many ways a set-up novel, an origin story, for the legend of King Arthur, Merlin, Morgan… the main story is yet to come. At the moment, we’re setting up the key players, whilst also telling a great story all on its own. Up until now it was my favourite book in the series, but as I go on to read the rest, we will see if that’s still the case by the end!

Destruction of Atlantis

Ok, when the word ‘Atlantis’ comes up, everyone knows what that means. Atlantis’ destruction is by no means a spoiler, but, how well it’s portrayed is what makes the difference. This is an interesting one to consider when I reflect on what stood out to me the first time I read the novel. When the moment comes, the description is truly apocalyptic. Utterly, utterly destructive. Powerful and despairing and horrifying. When I was younger I considered it a cool bit of writing and I imagine I enjoyed the imagery. Now I can’t help but feel differently. The almighty horror of it hits home even more now that I’m older, now that I’m a wife and a mother. When the destruction begins Lawhead describes the crazed horses running about the docks, the people fleeing and leaping into the sea… then he comes out with this line: ‘Mothers waded into the sea holding their babes aloft’.

Oh. My. Heart.

I couldn’t think too hard about that line. As a new mum myself, that hit home. I couldn’t allow myself to imagine the horror of wading out to sea as my homeland is destroyed holding my baby aloft in a vain, hopeless attempt to for their salvation.

Oh the grief.

The grief.

It’s just one line in the wider tale but wow does it hit hard for me.

Even now, writing this review, rereading that, the deep soul wrenching awfulness of it twists my belly and my throat.

Suffice to say, the destruction of Atlantis stands out.

Themes

I’ve alluded to some of the themes of the novel already, so I’ll briefly summarise them here. The impact and importance of fatherhood and mentorship is a big one, also reflecting on loss and grief (how could you have a story about Atlantis and not consider those things), and faith and religion too.

On that note, one criticism I have seen of the novel, and can understand, is the strong introduction of Christianity in the latter third of the novel. There’re hints of it throughout, but there comes a point where it appears and remains a central part of the novel thereafter. The first time I read the book (again more than a decade ago), I admit I thought it a little on the nose – even though I’m a dedicated Christian myself.

There’s certainly a case to be made for the position that there was probably a more subtle/less potentially-construed-as ‘preachy’ way to introduce Christianity. Undoubtedly, it’s an important part of King Arthur legends (hello Holy Grail, for instance), but I can understand why it sticks out a bit in Taliesin. That said, this time around it didn’t bother me – whether that’s because I knew it would come up so it didn’t surprise me, or whether my tastes have changed, or some other reason, I’m not sure. But it is worth mentioning. It might feel a bit strong or sudden, but it’s also clearly what Lawhead is building up to in the story.

Final (spoiler-free) Thoughts

Turning now to the story overall, in some ways Taliesin could be considered more plot-driven than character driven, as things tend to happen to the characters who then react to the plot. But this isn’t constant nor a negative – there is a balance to it overall with characters taking action when it is required of them. It’s certainly less of a character study than other novels, particularly because we really don’t see characters’ inner thoughts, with only infrequent exceptions. Characters struggle internally, and while we may see it in their actions and words, rarely do we dive into what they are feeling and thinking themselves. Again, this isn’t a negative, simply how the story is told. And, overall, I think it’s told very well.

So, those are my thoughts on Taliesin. I feel like there’s so much more I could say, and I’ll get into spoilers in a moment. For now know that this is a beautifully written dive into the beginnings of the King Arthur story. I really, really recommend it.

As an aside, watching the production diaries from the Daily Wire as they film the Pendragon Cycle TV series fills me with a lot of excitement, especially having reread Taliesin. It seems they’re really striving to create a truly faithful adaptation, and that fills me with a lot of hope – it honestly looks so, so good, and I cannot wait to watch the series!

So let me know, have you read Taliesin? If so, what do you think? And what is your favourite King Arthur book/book series?

For those who would like my spoiler thoughts, keep reading. But please, if you haven’t read the book, please please stop here, go read it, and come back!

All right… final warning… spoilers start NOW

Book Review: Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead

SPOILERS

So, what’s the deal with Avallach never really apologising to Charis?!

This is one kinda irked me when I was reading, and the more I think about it, the more irritated I become. Really, Avallach does some pretty terrible things to his daughter. As a reminder, in the first third of the novel, Avallach’s wife and Charis’ mother, Queen Briseis, is mortally wounded in an attack by Seithenin’s men. She was safe, but risks her life to look for her daughter, her young defenceless daughter. Charis had wandered off and missed the whole thing. When Annubi brings Charis to her father, Avallach blames her for Briseis’ death, and he forces his young daughter to ride with her mother’s dead body, alone, all the way home.

All. The. Way. Home.

What the actual heck.

And later in the novel, all he says on the matter? ‘The memory brings me pain’.

No wonder Charis is terrified of love.

That’s the worst in my books, but let’s not forget Avallach also prevents Charis, as a fully grown adult, from leaving their home because he doesn’t want her to marry Taliesin – a prince in his own right, a noble bard, an ally, and the one person who solved a problem Avallach himself had created out of ignorance. Why? Because of the ‘purity’ of their bloodline.

The more I think about both of these instances, the more I cannot fathom why more wasn’t made of him apologising for what he did – especially what he did when Charis was young! These wrongs are part of the story, and barely mentioned afterwards. With how awful they are I feel like a true apology is sorely missing – if the hurt happened on the page, so should the apology.

I’m left not sure of how I feel. Avallach is so deeply flawed, and we just don’t see a full apology from him, even as he turns to Christianity. Obviously, I know that just because one is a Christian doesn’t make them perfect. I just wish I liked Avallach more this time around. I feel as though he’s far more unlikeable in the reread, even though I appreciate his efforts to work with Taliesin’s people.

On another note, I found it interesting seeing which scenes weren’t shown in Taliesin. In modern writing you’d never get away with not showing the moment a traitor is revealed (*cough* Seithenin cough) or only offering an after-the-fact explanation of the siege of a settlement while the warriors are away, or again, only explaining briefly the decision for Elphin to abandon his home with his people after we’ve already found them wandering in search of a new home.

These decisions make a lot of sense when we remember this isn’t really Avallach’s or Elphin’s story. We are focussing on Charis and Taliesin and their decisions. But I can’t help but imagine how different a story it would have been if it were written as a sprawling epic with viewpoints from Avallach and Elphin as each go to war, of Rhonwyn as she leads the women, the children, and the elderly in defence of their homes… this is by no means a criticism, just some simple musings on my part. I think the choices absolutely fit the story, and the last thing I’d want is for those scenes to be added and bloat out the tale the way Lawhead wrote it. That said, it’s interesting to think about. 

A few other spoilers. Taliesin and Charis, and baby Merlin. Wow, as a new mum so much of those precious last chapters hit close to home for me. And Taliesin’s death is just so utterly utterly tragic and poignant and heartbreaking. Ugh.

I’m old enough and wise enough to know that these kinds of tragedies really stick with you in storytelling, because it’s essentially unresolved. Charis and Taliesin do not get their ‘happily ever after’. They get a year of bliss, and then it’s gone. As someone in the early years of marriage, that’s so awful to think about. Of course this is part of the allure of King Arthur himself – being destroyed too soon and waiting for him to return. It’s something I tried to do in Seregn – there’s a tragic element of unresolved pain that I hope hits home in a similar way. Hopefully, poignant, but deeply sad.

On another tragic note, it’s sad to see Annubi fall. At the start I really liked him – he’s helping Briseis, he’s looking out for Charis (apparently he’s the only one who protests against Charis being left alone with her mother’s dead body as a punishment?!?). Yet he falls so far as to essentially be confirmed as Taliesin’s undoing (along with Morgian). Such a hateful wrinkled worm of a man he became. Meanwhile Hafgan, wonderful Hafgan… seeing him at Talien’s funeral hit hard. The whole funeral hit hard. Alas.

And with that, I think I’ll leave it there. This is already a ridiculously long review. So please, let me know, what are your thoughts on Taliesin?

Book Review: Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead