- ''Taliesin'' ( 1987 )
- ''Merlin'' ( 1988 )
- ''Arthur'' ( 1989 )
- ''Pendragon'' ( 1994 )
- ''Grail'' ( 1997 )
- ''Avalon'' ( 1999 )
The Cycle was originally the "Pendragon Trilogy", but after ''Arthur'''s rather abrupt ending, and the existence of many unexplored stories and plotlines, Lawhead decided to expand on his trilogy by writing two prequels. ''Avalon'' is not considered to be a true member of the Cycle, but rather a 'related semi-sequel' to it.
The series takes place in the 5th and 6th Centuries (despite some anachronisms and inaccuracies), and attempts to present the Arthurian Legends In A Historical Setting while presenting the story with a reality the reader can connect with. Lawhead bases his stories on the '' Mabinogion '', the '' History Of The Kings Of Britain '' and other works of Geoffrey Of Monmouth , the writings of Taliesin , Gildas , and Nennius , and several other legends that he manages to interweave into the Arthurian legend.
As a result, some of the plotlines differ rather substantially from "traditional" Arthurian stories. In addition, because Lawhead based his stories upon these earlier works, they contain some major historical errors.
The books, with the exception of ''Taliesin'' and ''Avalon'', are narrated in the first-person, and, except for ''Pendragon'', ''Grail'', and ''Avalon'', are each split into three sections (''Pendragon'' has four, ''Grail'' none, and ''Avalon'' five). ''Merlin'' and ''Pendragon'' are narrated by Myrddin ( Merlin ). The first third of ''Arthur'' is narrated by Pelleas , the second by Bedwyr ( Bedivere ), and the third by Aneirin / Gildas . ''Grail'' is mostly narrated by Gwalchavad ( Galahad ), with a short narration by Morgian ( Morgan Le Fay ) at the beginning of most chapters. ''Taliesin'' follows Taliesin and Charis (the Lady Of The Lake ), alternating in each chapter; ''Avalon'' mostly follows James Stuart (the reborn Arthur ), Merlin, and the fictional Prime Minister Thomas Waring.
A listing of the locations and place names used in the series, and their modern equivalents:
(see also List Of Roman Place Names In Britain )
Many historical personas (some already included in the Arthurian legend) exist in the Cycle, alongside less "factual" characters: Taliesin , Magnus Maximus , Theodosius , Ambrosius Aurelianus , Vortigern , Constantine III , Myrddin Wyllt , Clovis I , Gwyddno Garanhir , Elphin , Horsa , Hengest , Cerdic , Aelle , Gildas , and Aneirin (in the series, it is revealed that the last two are the same person; born with the name Aneirin, he changes it to Gildas after Arthur's death).
The series (so far, at least) proceeds as told in the following descriptions:
''Narrated by Myrddin ''
''Narrated by Pelleas (first third), Bedwyr (second third), and Aneirin (last third)''
''Narrated by Myrddin''
''Narrated by Gwalchavad (majority) and Morgian (short narration at each chapter's beginning)''
- ''Taliesin'' Book 1: A Gift of Jade (Atlantis segments)
- ''Taliesin'' Book 1: A Gift of Jade (Britain segments)
- ''Taliesin'' Book 2
- ''Taliesin'' Book 3
- ''Merlin'' Book 1: King
- ''Merlin'' Book 2: Forest Lord
- ''Merlin'' Book 3: Prophet
- ''Merlin'' Prologue
- ''Merlin'' Epilogue
- ''Pendragon'' Book 1: Hidden Tales
- ''Arthur'' Book 1: Pelleas
- ''Arthur'' Book 2: Bedwyr
- ''Pendragon'' Book 2: The Black Boar
- ''Pendragon'' Book 3: The Forgotten War
- ''Pendragon'' Book 4: The Healing Dream
- ''Grail''
- ''Arthur'' Book 3: Aneirin
- ''Arthur''/''Pendragon'' Prologues & Epilogues
- ''Avalon'' Prologue
- ''Avalon'' Book 1
- ''Avalon'' Book 2
- ''Avalon'' Book 3
- ''Avalon'' Book 4
- ''Avalon'' Book 5
- ''Avalon'' Epilogue
- Taliesin, Elphin, and Gwyddno lived centuries after the time the books take place (it is debatable whether or not the latter two lived, but their stories are set the same time as Taliesin). Taliesin wrote about King Arthur, which makes it more confusing as to why Lawhead had him live before.
- In ''Taliesin'', Maximus makes reference to " Imperator Constantine." The last emperor commonly referred to as Constantine in Maximus' time ( Constantine II ) died in 340 , 43 years before Maximus' revolt in Britannia. Even assuming he's referring to Constantius II , there is still a 22-year gap between the death of "Constantine" and Maximus' revolt. In the books, he is portrayed as a younger/middle-aged; it's unlikely he'd have been stationed in Britannia for so long.
- Myrddin's mother, Charis, is the half-sister of Morgian. Hence, Morgian is the aunt of Myrddin, and Myrddin is the nephew of Morgian, and they refer to each other this way for the first two books. However, from then on, they call each other 'cousin.' Also, Pelleas and Myrddin are cousins, and are aware of the fact, but never address each other as such. However, such general use of 'cousin' for all relations is fairly common until the modern era.
- In the second book of ''Pendragon'', which takes place a year or two after Badon Hill , the Vandal i invade Britain. The Vandal leader, Amilcar, tells how they were driven from Carthage by the soldiers of the " Emperor Of Constantine's Great City ;" "Amilcar" is a Phoenicia n name, and Belisarius drove the Vandals from Africa in the year 534 , well after Badon. The Vandali are described as Asiatic pagans, when in reality they were Germanic and Arian Christians; and it need not be mentioned that there never was a Vandal invasion of the British Isles.
- In the series, all of the various tribes of England, Wales, Ireland, Armorica, Orkney, and Scotland speak the same language; in reality, there were differences (some minor, some major, some nearly a different language altogether) between them.
- In the last part of ''Arthur'', Arthur is sent a message from a certain " {Link without Title} Lucius , Procurator of the Republic" of Constantinople, who never existed, although Lawhead here is obviously relating to the '' History Of The Kings Of Britain '', which mentions such an emperor. In addition, in the Roman Republic , there never was a position called "Procurator of the Republic," and while the early Empire maintained the fiction of the Republic's continued existence, by the 6th Century the Byzantine Empire acknowledged itself as a monarchy. It should also be said that, in the later books, there is still much reference to the Western Roman Empire as a continued polity, despite the fact that it would have fallen by that point.
- In ''Pendragon'', the monk "Paulinus" appears to be St. Paulinus Of York ; however, St. Paulinus lived three hundred years after the book takes place.
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