Pendragon Cycle #05: Grail: Book Five of the Pendragon Cycle

The legend of King Arthur has been told many times—but never with the strength and resonance, passion and richness granted it in Stephen R. Lawhead's masterful

Pendragon Cycle

Drought, plague, and war have left the Isle of the Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured—until a secret relic is brought before the dying KIng; a Holy Grail that heals his wounds and restores his vigor.

But soon evil enters the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden; a soulless, malevolent force capable of seducing the King's loyal champion, confounding the sage whom some call Merlin, and carrying the sacred Grail—and Arthur's adored Queen—off into the dark unknown. And now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovererignty: a quest of recovery that must lead the noble liege through realms of magic and the undead, on a trail that winds inexorably toward a grim confrontation with his most foul nemesis . . . and his destiny.

Drought, plague and war have left the Isle of Mighty battered and its heart, the beloved Arthur, grievously injured. But, astonishingly, the High King lives—his wounds healed and vigor restored by a sacred and secret relic: the Holy Grail.At Ynys Avallach, a dying Arthur was miraculously renewed. And now, in this time of rampant disease and death, the great king wants to share the Grail's curative powers with all who require it. A shrine will be built to house the holy treasure—and Arthur's fabled Kingdom of Summer will at long last come to be.But evil has entered the royal court in the guise of a beautiful maiden. Unbeknownst to Arthur, to his devoted warriors, to his adored Gwenhwyvar. . .even to the bard Myrddrin, the sage Emrys whom some have called "Merlin," malevolent forces, soulless and cunning, seduce the King's most loyal champion. And in an unthinkable unguarded moment, the Grail is carried off, vanishing somewhere into the dark unknown.Now Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovereig.

Drought, plague, and war have left the Isle of the Mighty battered, and its beloved liege Arthur gravely wounded--until a remarkable relic, the Holy Grail, miraculously heals the ailing King. But when evil in the guise of a beautiful maiden steals the sacred Grail, Arthur faces the greatest challenge of his sovereignty: a quest of recovery that leads him through realms of magic and the undead toward a grim confrontation with his most foul nemesis.

Stephen R. Lawhead was born in Kearney,Nebraska on 2 July, 1950. He attended local schools and then Kearney State College, where he majored in Fine Art. He paid for his education by playing lead guitar in a popularlocal rock band, Mother Rush. While at Kearney State he published numerous poems incollege anthologies, and wrote a humor column for the college newspaper.

He married Alice Slaikeu in 1972 and, together they moved to the Chicago areaso he could attend Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. He left before graduating whenoffered a position on the staff of Campus Life Magazine, where he worked for five years. Writing a record review column at Campus Life fed his musical interest; he took on themanagement of Christian rock band DeGarmo & Key, then left Campus Life to start hisown record company in Memphis, Tennessee.

Ariel Records lasted only a year; going out of business on a Friday afternoon in January. On the following Monday morning Lawhead began writing a novel: In the Hallof the Dragon King. The object of the exercise was to see if he could sustain afull-length work of fiction, and support his family Â? which now included baby Ross,and soon-to-arrive Drake A? on a writer's income.

He did finish the book and, with the support and advocacy of editor JanDennis, it was published in 1982 by Crossway Books. Eight novels followed, all publishedby Crossway: the remaining DRAGON KING books, three science fiction novels, and the firstthree books of THE PENDRAGON CYCLE.

Meanwhile, the Lawheads moved from Memphis to Lincoln, Nebraska, and then toOxford, England, in 1986 for more than a year while researching and writing Taliesin,Merlin, and Arthur. They returned to Lincoln in 1987, but by 1990 were backin Oxford where they now reside.

A strong publishing relationship with Lion Publishing in Britain was forgedwhen Lion published Dragon King, and went on to commission severalchildrenÂ?s books which had been inspired by Ross and DrakeÂ?s interest in theirfatherÂ?s stories. Additionally, Lion acted Â? and continues to act Â? asagent for translation editions of the childrenÂ?s and adult books throughout Europeand beyond.

Avon Books (New York) and HarperCollins (New York and London, along withtheir subsidiary Zondervan in Grand Rapids) are both currently commissioning books. Themost recent Avon release is Grail, the fifth book in THE PENDRAGON CYCLE, andthis will be followed by Avalon a stand-alone novel in which King Arthur returnsto modern-day Britain (anticipated publication September 1999).

HarperCollins, who published Byzantium, is releasing THE CELTICCRUSADES, a series of three books of which the first, The Iron Lance, will beavailable on 21 September in Britain and in November in the United States.

Lawhead's fascination with historical mythology continues unabated. Havingstarted in fourth-century Britain (Taliesin) he has now worked his way forward tothe twelfth-century. What is next? Perhaps a giant step backward. Books about ancientEgypt are beginning to fill his shelves...