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Dave Courtney's Reviews > Aurelia
Aurelia (Pendragon Cycle)
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by
Full disclosure- Lawhead is a personal favorite of mine. Which is to say i am invested.
Here he returns to what is probably his most beloved and famous series, the Pendragon Cycle, giving us a prequel to the first of the bunch, Taliesin
As prequels tend to be, Aurelia tends towards simple and concise. Structurally speaking, its built around a conversation between an aged Aurelia and Merlin, sitting on the cusp of Taliesins dramatic beginnings. As such it has the flavor of a good old fashioned tale, akin to sitting with Grandma as she remembers the times past. There is no complicated subtext and subplots, no filler. It's about how Aurelia and the people in her life go from point A to point B, and how the world around her becomes what it is when we first entered this world in Taliesin. Which is exactly what I would both expect and want from such an addition. Prequels will never be fully necessary, they are simply nice, welcome additions that add a little bit more context to what is an otherwise grandiose and sprawling tale. Short and sweet, entertaining and fun, featuring a well balanced narrative approach. I appreciate as well that it is a prequel rather than a next book in the series, in this way jts a stand alone that, if you are like me and read the series eons ago, doesn't require rereading and refamiliarizing ones self with the entire thing (not that this would be a bad thing). It's also a great stepping stone and introduction for those who have never engaged the series.
One last note. Appreciated as well Lawhead writing a story with a strong female protagonist. If I had one small critique it would be the fact that making Aurelia hard of hearing, for as much as it adds a specific character quirk (I myself am three quarters deaf, so I know what that is like), does force the prose to become a bit repetitive on that front at times, if in efforts to keep it consistent. But that's a nitpick with a character who's infused with grit, resilience and strength all the same.
Would I have preferred a fresh, brand new series? Always. But this more than satisfies the long wait for new material
Here he returns to what is probably his most beloved and famous series, the Pendragon Cycle, giving us a prequel to the first of the bunch, Taliesin
As prequels tend to be, Aurelia tends towards simple and concise. Structurally speaking, its built around a conversation between an aged Aurelia and Merlin, sitting on the cusp of Taliesins dramatic beginnings. As such it has the flavor of a good old fashioned tale, akin to sitting with Grandma as she remembers the times past. There is no complicated subtext and subplots, no filler. It's about how Aurelia and the people in her life go from point A to point B, and how the world around her becomes what it is when we first entered this world in Taliesin. Which is exactly what I would both expect and want from such an addition. Prequels will never be fully necessary, they are simply nice, welcome additions that add a little bit more context to what is an otherwise grandiose and sprawling tale. Short and sweet, entertaining and fun, featuring a well balanced narrative approach. I appreciate as well that it is a prequel rather than a next book in the series, in this way jts a stand alone that, if you are like me and read the series eons ago, doesn't require rereading and refamiliarizing ones self with the entire thing (not that this would be a bad thing). It's also a great stepping stone and introduction for those who have never engaged the series.
One last note. Appreciated as well Lawhead writing a story with a strong female protagonist. If I had one small critique it would be the fact that making Aurelia hard of hearing, for as much as it adds a specific character quirk (I myself am three quarters deaf, so I know what that is like), does force the prose to become a bit repetitive on that front at times, if in efforts to keep it consistent. But that's a nitpick with a character who's infused with grit, resilience and strength all the same.
Would I have preferred a fresh, brand new series? Always. But this more than satisfies the long wait for new material
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Reading Progress
January 7, 2025
–
Started Reading
January 7, 2025
– Shelved
January 29, 2025
–
Finished Reading
