the writings of Stephen R. Lawhead

This guy is a long-time favorite of mine. I've read most of his books and have enjoyed them all. "He is a bestselling American writer known for his works of fantasy, science fiction and more recently, historical fiction. He has written over 22 novels and numerous children's books." As a warning (to those who might prefer the warning), his books are also referred to as Christian fiction; however, his books generally get placed in the regular fantasy/fiction section of a bookstore.

The first series that I ever read was The Dragon King Trilogy. The trilogy tells of the epic adventures of Quentin, and how he goes from being an acolyte in the Temple of Ariel to becoming a follower of the "one true God" to eventually becoming the king over all the land - all while doing his best to combat the forces of evil. I read this series in my early teens, and honestly, I think that is the intended audience. The Christian message is a little more blatant than in the Narnia series, but it's still a good read.

The Pendragon Cycle. This is my 2nd favorite of his sets. This series takes Arthurian legend and Atlantis lore and beautifully reinterprets the legend into a Celtic setting. My favorite book of the series is Taliesin - I think because as a late-teen, I was completely enamored with the main character, Taliesin. But at the same time, when all is said and done, the book belongs mostly to Charis - because it's her journey of survival. She is strong, beautiful and proud - a great heroine.

The Song of Albion trilogy. My all time favorite books. It begins in present-day Britain, and crosses over into the Celtic Otherworld. There are actually two people (two friends) from present-day Britain who cross over into the Otherworld, and the story tells of their adventure ... one of them eventually becomes high King over all. It is beautifully written filled with breath-taking scenery. I highly recommend this series

The Celtic Crusades. Hmm... after sitting down to write this review, I realize I haven't even read this series yet! I better get on it.
King Raven Trilogy - his latest series is still in the works. Hood was released last year, and the 2nd book, Scarlet, is scheduled for release in 2007. This trilogy is another creative interpretation of a popular legend - the story of Robin Hood. I'll admit that I had a tough time getting into the story at first, but that was mostly because I couldn't stop wondering when it would begin to resemble what we know of Robin Hood. I expected it all in one book when in reality it is meant to be a trilogy. LoL
Byzantium - when I read this, I remember wishing I could stick my head into the book and actually SEE the scenery, to stand in the very same spot as Aidan and see what he saw.
Patrick: Son of Ireland. A historical telling of the life of Saint Patrick.
Avalon: The Return of King Arthur. This one caught me off guard. It is definitely out of the norm for his writings, but worth the read all the same.

I admit, I have not read his science fiction books yet. If anyone else has, I'd love to hear what you thought of them (Empyrion I: The Search for Fierra and Empyrion II: The Siege of Dome and Dream Thief).

Note: The quote at the top of the page is from the Stephen R. Lawhead Wikipedia entry.