" It's been a while since I read Lawhead. I read Taliesin and Merlin a while ago, but then failed to follow through with this one. Hopefully I'll finish the whole cycle soon. I read this one fairly quickly, but I enjoyed the earlier stories a lot more. Lawhead retains first person narration throughout, with the story of Arthur's ascension to power and his death being told by Pelleas, Bedwyr and Aneirin (who later becomes Gildas, the historical author of the Ruin of Britain I presume). I failed to place Pelleas - he's a Malorian character here presented as Merlin's protege - but Bedwyr and Aneirin are familiar, and they record Arthur's battles at Badon and Camlann. There's a greater use of 'Celtic' myth throughought this part of the cycle, with Merlin re-telling The Dream of Rhonabwy and Branwen's story from the Mabionigon. The work is also a little more Christianised than the earlier books, which I don't necessarily mind, and some of the writing of those parts is very good; but I don't really like how 'universalised' the Arthurian legend is throughout. It's a little bit cliche for my liking. It also only occured to me in reading Arthur that Lawhead's conception of the 'Fair Folk' is actually quite reminiscent of Tolkien's Elves - that was quite frustrating. Nevertheless, if I hadn't left Pendragon in my university city over Easter, I'd be starting that by now. "
— Vicky, 1/30/2014