The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin Review
Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead was one of the first fantasy books I read all by myself.
My dad had already read me The Chronicles of Narnia, The Spirit Flyer Series, The Prydain Chronicles, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings… and I had already fallen in love with the genre. I can’t tell you how many times I read and re-read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (especially The Two Towers) over and over after he read them to us the first time.
But Taliesin was a gift from some family friends who, upon hearing that I liked fantasy, handed me a copy and told me I would love it.
I was 12.
Friends… I’m not sure exactly what they were thinking… because that book is not one I would hand a 12 year old… it’s enormous and dense and has a ton of convoluted politics… but…
I adored it.
I probably didn’t understand it very well. But I loved it. I loved Princess Charis so much. I would re-read the parts about her bull-dancing over and over again. I loved Taliesin. Several of my favorite quotes of all time come out of that book.
So when I heard a couple of years ago that The Daily Wire was going to be making a tv show production based on The Pendragon Cycle… well… I was cautiously optimistic. (I’ve been burned by too many favorite books turned into sub-par movies (The Black Cauldron, debacle, anyone?) and so the wild optimism of youth eludes me when these things are announced.
However, I appreciated that the person heading up the project was a life-long fan of the series, and so optimism won out over caution for the most part.
Then, in January, the first episodes released.
And they took my breath away.
I’m a little out of practice writing reviews, so I’m going to do my best here.
First of all, I haven’t read Taliesin in a very long time. When I first read the series, only the first three books (Taliesin, Merlin, and Arthur) were available, so there was about an 8 year gap between me reading the original trilogy and then later discovering and devouring Pendragon and Grail. It was another several years before I picked up Avalon and discovered that it was the unsung epilogue to the series!
Second of all, while I read and re-read Taliesin, I did not enjoy Merlin and Arthur as much, so I’ve only read those books the one time.
Third, I remember books and stories well, so as I watched the show, I remembered a lot of things from the book. My husband, though he has also read the Pendragon Cycle, does not remember it well and so he felt as though he was watching a story he didn’t know at all. So as I review, you’re kind of going to get the perspective of someone who HAS read the books and someone who hasn’t.
The good news is that if you haven’t read the books, you can watch the show and not feel lost. The even better news is, that if you have read the books, you will be able to follow along in the story just fine.
The Pendragon Cycle, for those who haven’t read the books, is a story about the rise of King Arthur in a world full of myth and magic that looks and feels much like our own, with our own historical context. It is about a world full of warring nations and clans. It is about the fall of the old gods and the rise of the knowledge and worship of Jesus, the one True God. It is historical fantasy at its finest and Stephen R Lawhead is a master wordsmith as he weaves a believable King Arthur retelling where you can imagine it really happening, while also intertwining it with the story of the fall of Atlantis and how a few of its people (full of magic and long life) managed to survive and make their way to Britain and influence the events there. It is a love story. It is an adventure. It is history. It is myth. It is legend. And all of it is deep and beautiful.
So… how does the show hold up?
Episodes 1 and 2
These first two episodes cover the entirety of Taliesin, which for me was a little bit of a bummer because, as I said, Taliesin was my favorite of the books and I would have liked more time with that particular story. However, as I have picked up the book to re-read it again and am now halfway through the story, I understand why they did what they did.
The first episode introduces us to Princess Charis of Atlantis. She is an accomplished bull-dancer and at the height of her career before the cataclysm that destroys her home. Across the sea, we also meet Taliesin, a baby pulled out of a river by the son of a lord. The village druid prophesies that he will be the greatest bard to ever live.
The first two episodes do some time and place jumping around. Which is fine with me, because the book also does this. They tell you where you are with nice place names as they take you to each new location, but you might feel as though you are missing a little bit of context for where these places are and why they are important. However, reading the book, you might feel that exact same way. My recommendation is to just soak in the story and the characters and let the places wash over you because the dialogue and the story will eventually explain where you are and why it’s important.
I felt like I was reading the book. Even though neither of my favorite quotes were used out loud… I could feel them in my heart as I watched the show. The actors did a phenomenal job making these characters step off the page and into life. When Taliesin sings for the first time, and Charis is watching him, could see in her eyes the sentiment:
“We are alike, you and I, she thought. Homeless wayfarers in a world that is not our own.”
Episodes 3 - 5
(which are all that are currently available, I will do more reviewing when the last 2 episodes are out)
I am told that the rest of the episodes will follow the storyline of the book Merlin. Remember, this was not my favorite book of the series. As a teenager, I found it convoluted and dull. (I am willing to admit that the failing may have been on the part of the reader being too young to understand the story)
However, much as I loved the character of Taliesin and the first two episodes of this show, I ADORE the character of Merlin, and the story just keeps getting better and better.
We meet Merlin at his lowest point, shivering in a cave as a madman, though we do not know why he is there. However, a friend finds him and restores him to sanity and brings him back to the world. We slowly learn that Merlin is far older than he seems, and that in many ways, he is already a legend, though the true legend has barely begun.
We also meet two brothers, Aurelius and Uther, and they are both my favorites. Aurelius is the older brother and rightful High King. He is steadfast and determined, while his brother is the hot-headed war chief who will do anything his brother asks of him… except eat humble pie. But even though Uther has plenty of faults, I kind of just love him to pieces.
What I Love:
I love the characters in this series. They are absolutely fantastic. The acting is so good, and the dialogue is very natural. There is no cringe-worthy bad acting or stilted dialogue here! Taliesin, Hafgan, King Avallach, Charis (I love Charis so much!), Merlin, Peleus (Peleus is amazing and adorable and I just want to hug him), Aurelius, Uther… and then you have the villains, specifically Morgian, but also the Saecsen lord… and they play their villainous roles with the kind of chilling darkness that you just have to love to hate.
I love the scenery and the settings. I love that they went to so many different places to shoot this series. The setting feels vast and sweeping and real. No, this is not something with a Lord of the Rings budget, but the panoramic vistas and the gorgeous setting scenery definitely are reminiscent of that feel.
I love how the script does not shy away from the “old gods vs the One True God” story that Lawhead wove throughout his books. Without feeling “preachy” or “cringey” the characters have to make choices between the old ways and the new, the old, capricious, dark gods of their ancestors and Jesus (called “Jesu” in the story).
One example of this comes at the beginning of episode two. Taliesin has a “road to Damascus” type encounter, and when Taliesin’s father, and his druid teacher, Hafgan, find him, they have this exchange:
Taliesin: “I have met the Great Light, the Supreme Spirit, the Lord of all worlds.”
Hafgan: ”There are many spirits, Taliesin.”
Taliesin: ”My Lord reigns over them all.”
Elphin: ”I know the gods war for you, son.”
Taliesin: ”My God has died for me.”
It is a beautiful, powerful moment, and seeing it written down is just not at all the same as watching it play out.
I love the way they depict the power of magic in this world. It is mostly small and subtle, showing the power of a character like Merlin without always having to be showy or flashy. And yet, there are moments when Merlin gets some big, flashy scenes as well, so you’re not having to wish for those, either.
Things I Don’t Love:
Other than the exceptionally low neckline on Charis’ main dress, there’s not much in here I can think of that I didn’t like.
Like I said, the first couple of episodes do some time and place jumping that I could see being a little hard to follow, especially if you haven’t read the books, but the story and the characters are the important parts. I think they could have spent a little more time fleshing out the world, and if I had been at the helm I probably would have advised 3-4 episodes to get through the Taliesin story, buuuut… I’m biased.
Derek felt that the first episode was a little weak, but he agrees that the show gets better and better with each episode, to the point where by episode 3 he was all-in on the show. He really likes the way they are depicting Merlin, and he preferred that book as well.
Conclusion:
If you have the ability to get a month’s subscription to the The Daily Wire, I highly recommend you do so and watch this show. It is gorgeous and epic and I really really hope they are able to make more of it, because I love it so much. It is everything I’ve been wanting in a good fantasy tv series.
Have you read any of the Pendragon Cycle books? Have you watched the TV series? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!