Centuries before the medieval age, the ancient nations of Atlantis thrived on solid foundations of deep lore and deeper magic. But new wars between kings threatens the nation. Princess Charis, heir to the Atlantean royal family, finds herself seeking other fortunes in her world as a champion bull-dancer, until the day she becomes captivated by one estranged prophet’s forecast of doom for the entire continent.

Meanwhile in another ancient land, one young tribesman draws a lost infant from the sea-waters. This boy is Taliesin, who is later raised by good parents and tutored by Druids to become a bard, a seer, and father to a certain famed warrior wizard.

Stephen R. Lawhead’s historical fantasy series The Pendragon Cycle begins with Taliesin (1987). Unlike mid-medieval retellings of Arthurian legends, Lawhead casts readers back many hundred years earlier, when Rome yet ruled the British isles, Druids worshiped natural forces, and the Gospel of Jesus was but a faint light over the far horizon. This evenly structured epic is grounded in history yet gilded with dark and mystical flourishes. Grounded in foundational truth and mixing two sets of ancient legends, Taliesin awakens our longing to explore strange old worlds teeming with rough heroes and distant magic, due for renewal by its true King.

Best for: Adults over 18, or else discerning teen readers over age 14, who enjoy mythic fantasy interwoven with real history.

Discern: Oblique and unexplained magic arts along with prophecies in two ancient societies, battle violence that includes frank but simple portrayals of injuries, light language, athletes dress scantily but are not described in detail, some allusions to sexual situations include brief references to physical traits yet honor healthy romance between husbands and wives, Druids practice nature worship but are challenged with pre-medieval teachings about Christ.