The Christian Fantasy Review

The Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Blog Tour this month is asking each of us to review a favorite book. I chose Stephen Lawhead’s Taliesin, Book One of his five-book Pendragon Cycle. Unfortunately I no longer have a copy of this book–I am sure I enthusiastically lent it to various people until someone forgot to return it. But I do remember it pretty well I think.

This opening book in the series doesn’t have a major resolution, but points to the books that will follow. Eventually I got into this book and did not want to put down–it has plenty of suspenseful moments. My only objection to it is that I found Jason and his brothers’ obsession with helping the Lost Ones to be a bit unrealistic. They were risking their lives big time to rescue some people they had never met. Is altruism that strong a motivator?–Phyllis Wheeler

It’s a lot of fun, full of truth, and peppered with laughter. It’s the perfect thing for my teen son’s Sunday school class.

So what is the value of this book, a history that’s not a history? For me, it’s a delight to be able to visualize these early days. I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone struggling with trying to believe the Bible, all of it, and finding the Genesis accounts hard to swallow.—Phyllis Wheeler

This book has plenty of “aha” moments in it as the author illustrates Biblical truths and the reader recognizes them. It has action, too, in the climactic battle. Characters are memorable.

This is a short, well-written allegory that will provide plenty of fodder for discussion with non-Christians. –Phyllis Wheeler

The kingdom of Er’Rets is pretty hard on its orphans. It calls them “strays” and beats them up. So Achan grows up a stray in the household of a minor nobleman, picked on and beaten regularly…

In short, this book engaged me on mental and emotional levels, and tickled my beauty appreciation sense. I suspect other lovers of fantasy will want to feast on this book too.

I had a bit of trouble getting into this book and identifying with Auralia, who seems somehow otherworldly. But once I got into the book, I had trouble putting it down. The characters are well drawn, the plot has wonderful twists and turns, and many subplots with a variety of characters weave together to create a cohesive whole.

This complex book is intended for adults and would make a fine read for teenagers as well. There are even some discussion questions included at the end.

Full of symbolism and parallels, this work is a reach feast for a reader, hard to put down and wonderful to savor.–Phyllis Wheeler

Booher writes a tale particularly engaging for children in a read-aloud setting. Unlike some others of the same genre, this book has a fairly upbeat mood. Violence is absent. Families comfortable with the level of magic found in the Narnia tales will enjoy this book, which clearly has a lot to teach about recognizing our sinful natures.