Lucan (Pendragon Legacy, #1)

Nov 10, 2009 Kaleigha rated it 1 of 5 stars

Lucan is the first book in the Pendragon series, and I wanted to like it. I really tried to like it. The cover was great, the premise seemed interesting. But it committed the ultimate sin of being...dull. I didn't have any interest in either character, or their relationship. The whole hunting-for-the-holy-grail thing didn't catch my attention, either. Even the mythology which would usually be right up my alley lacked any appeal. I have made it three quarters of the way through, but I figure I wi...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, shapeshifters, dragons

I’m so glad I’m finding dragon books to read lately, and this one is a very pleasant surprise. On top of that, it’s written around its own interpretation of the Arthurian legend, which is another favorite of mine. I’m not a huge futuristic fan, but Ms. Kearney weaves a terrific story on planets in a distant galaxy that is suspenseful, action-packed, and sexy.

Earth is on a course to extinction, and Lucan has made his way across the universe to Pendragon in search of the Holy Grail, mankind’s only...more I’m so glad I’m finding dragon books to read lately, and this one is a very pleasant surprise. On top of that, it’s written around its own interpretation of the Arthurian legend, which is another favorite of mine. I’m not a huge futuristic fan, but Ms. Kearney weaves a terrific story on planets in a distant galaxy that is suspenseful, action-packed, and sexy.

Earth is on a course to extinction, and Lucan has made his way across the universe to Pendragon in search of the Holy Grail, mankind’s only hope of survival. Lady Cael is a healer and high priestess of Pendragon. Her life is very solitary and lonely; no one is even permitted to touch her. Both Lucan and Cael work on the team trying to breach the so-far-impregnable domed fortress of Avalon, where they believe the grail to be hidden. From their first meeting when Lucan rescues Cael when she’s stuck in a ventilation duct, all the way through their fantastic voyage, the sexual tension between these two is immediate and sizzling whenever they’re together.

Cael also wants the grail to save her nephew and she wants to keep it out of the hands of the military, but when things go wrong when Avalon’s protection is lowered, she and Lucan end up on the run, accused of trumped-up crimes. It’s during this time Lucan learns Cael is a dragonshaper, and the more information they uncover reveals the amazing story of how Earth and Pendragaon are linked by Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Ms. Kearney has taken little tidbits of an Earth legend and bound them with another world for a very intriguing read.

I enjoyed Lucan, of course. He’s a wonderful hero, torn between duty to his people, including his twin sister, and his unexpected love. Cael is a woman who only wants to be loved and cherished, something she’s never known despite her high status on her world. And the scenes when she shifts into her dragon form are some of the best in the book. You feel her flight, whether swift and frantic or swirling calmly on a breeze. And the surprise in store for Lucan along the way as he uncovers Arthur’s ancient secrets is an added bonus.

We also meet Rion, who is the hero of the next book in the series. His story is incorporated just so to get the reader oriented and ready for his book, which is due out later this month.

If you love dragons, knights, castles, intrigue, and suspense wrapped around your romance, you’re going to like this book. Ms. Kearney does an awesome job of taking a beloved myth and mixing it with her incredible imagination to give readers one heck of a read.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Nov 03, 2010 Ava rated it 3 of 5 stars

I appreciated the creativity and the world-building present in Ms. Kearney's book. The story starts out very well, but there were things about it that bothered me. Let's start with technical. There were detail mistakes. For instance, at one point the heroine sees the hero start to cross the room, and then two sentences later she jumps because "she hadn't noticed his approach". There were typos here and there "stealing himself" instead of "steeling himself". Normally those details are easily forg...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Sephireth rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's an interesting idea: King Arthur + Sci-Fi + Romance. I'm a King Arthur Fan, I'm a Romance Fan, so this should be my Holy Grail, right?
But the book was poorly written. Some great ideas, actually new ideas which is rare among Arthur literature, but the author could have done so much more with it.

There were to many illogical things: Why not more about the transportation system? Why not more about Arthur, maybe legends on Pendragon? Then the timeline is not consistent... it says "near future"...more

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Oct 15, 2009 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fast-paced-storyline, great-story, must-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First let me say, I’m not a futuristic story kind of person, but I love paranormal romance. Which is why I entered the Goodreads contest for this book. I wanted to try something different and I’m very excited I won this book.
I’m giving this book a four only because the love story was great. The relationship between Lucan and Cael flowed wonderfully and I felt strong emotions right along with them. Sadly, on the other hand, there were a lot of holes and sudden changes in the story that didn’t ma...more First let me say, I’m not a futuristic story kind of person, but I love paranormal romance. Which is why I entered the Goodreads contest for this book. I wanted to try something different and I’m very excited I won this book.
I’m giving this book a four only because the love story was great. The relationship between Lucan and Cael flowed wonderfully and I felt strong emotions right along with them. Sadly, on the other hand, there were a lot of holes and sudden changes in the story that didn’t make sense.
At the beginning, the prologue, we are introduced to Lucan and his sister. With some back story we learn Lucan’s sister has just had another miscarriage, but the significance of it isn’t explained until well into the book. Besides that it comments on Lucan ending up in outer space because of his research and ever growing curiosity for the Grail. OK that part is good, I’m interested and curious, but suddenly we are eight yrs later in a galaxy far away reading about Cael, a High Priestess stuck in an air vent and Lucan coming to the rescue, at least we assume it is Lucan. Now we are introduced or reintroduced to Lucan, but we still do not know where or when we are exactly and how did Lucan get there?
This is where the holes begin. It would have been great if the author would have pieced together the connection of the different worlds and what there shared problems were a little earlier on so I could have appreciated Lucan’s secrecy more. I thought he wasn’t telling them he was from Earth because the people on Pendragon didn’t even know Earth existed and that it held a huge significance to the story, but not so much. It really only played a small part. I didn’t quite get the whole picture until Rion explained things. (Much later in the book). I knew I wasn’t reading a mystery so it wouldn’t have made a difference as to the placement of something as important as world building. Don’t get me wrong I love for books to just jump right in and build their new world as the story goes, but this time it just didn’t go over well. I kept thinking I was missing something about the characters or the locations.

At one point in the book Lucan implies how much trouble he will have getting home because of the time it will take him to get back to Earth from where he is on Pendragon. Then suddenly, in a different scene, by the use of cannon, yes cannon, they magically land on Earth in minutes. Oh ya, no one but Lucan can understand what the people on Earth are saying, but wait, Rion can fix that with this nifty gadget that you insert under the skin that automatically translates other languages from other worlds. Great, huh? Then why wasn’t that ever mentioned as something Lucan had to use? I got the impression the languages weren’t that different except for a couple of key phrases. Information like this should have been mentioned at the beginning, at least before the last chapter!

It felt like the author was just getting started answering questions when she realized she had to wrap things up. I have to ask, how is it that suddenly the basis of the story, finding the Grail to heal the people of Earth, becomes insignificant? That suddenly Cael has the cure for everyone’s ailments. Oh ya and this futuristic Earth is now going to have Dragons flying around? I’ve got a lot of unanswered questions in my head so if that was the writer’s intentions she definitely hit the mark! There are so many differences in the worlds she is describing; I was never sure what world or time she was referring to. I wasn’t sure what time frame we were actually living through either.

Overall, I liked the action of the book and the connection between Lucan and Cael, although I wanted to smack Lucan once or twice for his behavior toward Cael, but I guess that is good character relationships. There was some reference to aliens when Cael or Lucan were talking, which I didn’t like because the terminology took away from the romantic feel between the two main characters, but other than that the romance was wonderful.

I’ll probably read the next one, but only because I want to see where the series is going since all the problems seemed wrapped up or discarded by the end of this book.
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Sep 16, 2009 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lady Cael is the high priestess of Avalon. A far off planet in the galaxy. She has a secret, one that has caused her to be fated to live the rest of her life with no mate. Lady Cael has accepted her fate. It is pretty easy to imagine a life with no mate, when no man is allowed to touch her or the punishment is death.

Lucan Rourke is on a mission to locate the mythical Holy Grail. The grail is his people’s only hope for survival. He believes the grail resides on the plant Avalon. He travels there....more

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Sep 10, 2009 Gaby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, summer-reading

Synopsis:

Set at some future time when the Earth's survival is uncertain, Lucan is forced to travel to a distant planet of Pendragon in his search for King Arthur's Holy Grail. The Grail is the possible solution to the infertility problem that is facing mankind. If Lucan fails, his whole race faces extinction.

Lady Cael is the high priestess of Pendragon. Trained in her duties from a young age, Cael has been isolated since her family was forbidden to touch her at age five. She is equally revered a...more Synopsis:

Set at some future time when the Earth's survival is uncertain, Lucan is forced to travel to a distant planet of Pendragon in his search for King Arthur's Holy Grail. The Grail is the possible solution to the infertility problem that is facing mankind. If Lucan fails, his whole race faces extinction.

Lady Cael is the high priestess of Pendragon. Trained in her duties from a young age, Cael has been isolated since her family was forbidden to touch her at age five. She is equally revered and feared by her people because of her properties as a dragonshaper. It is forbidden to touch a dragonshaper. When she first meets Lucan, she is surprised that he is unafraid and treats her like a woman.

Lady Cael and Lucan narrowly escape the fire at the excavation site. Unsure of who sabotaged the search for the Holy Grail, Lady Cael and Lucan are forced into hiding. As they work together each with their own secrets, they fall deeply in love. When their secrets are revealed, Lady Cael and Lucan must work together to save those that they love and their threatened peoples.

Review:

This is the first Susan Kearney novel that I've read and the first in her new series The Pendragon Legacy. I loved Lucan. First, the characters draw you in. You find yourself sympathizing with Lady Cael from the start of the novel. She feels her isolation deeply but is committed to serving her family and her peopled as the High Priestess. You wish that she could have something beyond the Pendragon equivalent of the life of a vestal virgin. I admit to hoping that Lady Cael would indulge in a show of strength or black humor when faced with her jealous and mean spirited sisters. Lucan is a wonderful romantic lead: strong, a scholar of ancient languages, funny, fiercely protective of Lady Cael. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but Lucan reminded me of a mix of Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones with special powers.

Whether you're looking for a romantic read or a fun fantasy novel, I highly recommend Lucan. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next in the Pendragon Legacy. In the meantime, I'll look for Susan Kearney's older novels!

Publisher: Forever (September 5, 2009), 368 pages.
Courtesy of the publisher.
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Aug 13, 2009 Cathiecaffey rated it 5 of 5 stars

LUCAN: The Pendragon Legacy, Book 1
by Susan Kearney
ISBN-10: 0446543314
ISBN-13: 978-0446543316
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Pub. Date: September 2009 (08-25-09)
Order from Amazon

I've been given the beautiful privilege to review Susan Kearney's upcoming book LUCAN, first in the Pendragon Legacy series. I'm so thrilled to share my review with my fellow reader friends and more!

Lucan, an man from Earth who has taken many challenges in his life to follow his quests in life, especially to...more LUCAN: The Pendragon Legacy, Book 1
by Susan Kearney
ISBN-10: 0446543314
ISBN-13: 978-0446543316
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Pub. Date: September 2009 (08-25-09)
Order from Amazon

I've been given the beautiful privilege to review Susan Kearney's upcoming book LUCAN, first in the Pendragon Legacy series. I'm so thrilled to share my review with my fellow reader friends and more!

Lucan, an man from Earth who has taken many challenges in his life to follow his quests in life, especially to cure his sister Marisa of her infertility as well as the infertility on Earth. He believes his research is the truth and that the Grail is out there on Avalon. The Grail would have powers to cure and heal many and the future on Earth would have hope. After discovering a scroll of an astrological map of the ancient stars of heaven and studying as a Dragonian linguist, he travels years to arrives to the Moon of Pendragon to search for the Grail to bring it back to Earth.

As a new Archeologist on the team Avalon, he meets Lady Cael, a High Priestess, a healer and a Dragonshifter.. As a High Priestess, Cael is too part of the team Avalon. Many fear Cael, assuming she was a curse to them, so they would not look at her or get near. Cael was trained as a High Priestess and Healer by her Elders at age five and have never been touched in any way since. Cael comes to work with the team too, to find the Grail to cure her nephew Jaylon. Lucan is different to her. As he is uninformed of her being stronger that others and her destiny to walk life alone, they are unable to deny their need for each other. As her relationship with Lucan flourishes, Cael's intense need for Lucan's forbidden touch spirals out of control with a deepness that has no end. As they endure so many challenges and danger that put both of their lives and Cael's family in risk and pain in finding the Grail, their need physically and emotionally for each other becomes fierce that the heat, passion and love radiates off the pages where they no longer can deny.

Author Susan Kearney's story of Cael and Lucan's journey, adventures, and danger towards obtaining the Grail was passionate and spellbinding! As a reader with very little knowledge of the various legends of the King Arthur, this author Susan Kearney bestow us with LUCAN, Book one of the Pendragon Legacy, and gives the entire breath taking setting and feel of this legend she creates and Lucan and Cael's story as it unfolds. As I became so enchanted with feats and peril that Cael and Lucan faced together and alone, there was no way to put this book down for a breather! As I write this, scenes continue to stay visually as well as emotionally within me. Ms. Kearney has one mesmerizing excellent start to the Pendragon Legacy series! I for one so was entranced and awaiting RION's story that's out the following month in late October/Early November along with more to come of this Pendragon Legacy series. I'm so moved by this book and excited to share my thoughts and recommend of book to fellow readers.(less)

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Sep 10, 2009 Terra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lucan by Susan Kearney is a wonderfully meaty book that you can't resist sinking your teeth into. A book that's not only hot sizzling romance and steamy sex but a wonderful what if rendition of King Arthur and Avalon that takes you into the the realms of science fiction and fantasy. All I can say is Delicious.............!

Our hero Lucan is from Earth and not only is he hot....but he's also a very gifted archaeologist. A telepath with his sister just seems to be a natural thing given the fact tha...more Lucan by Susan Kearney is a wonderfully meaty book that you can't resist sinking your teeth into. A book that's not only hot sizzling romance and steamy sex but a wonderful what if rendition of King Arthur and Avalon that takes you into the the realms of science fiction and fantasy. All I can say is Delicious.............!

Our hero Lucan is from Earth and not only is he hot....but he's also a very gifted archaeologist. A telepath with his sister just seems to be a natural thing given the fact that they are twins. What Lucan is about to find out is ever so much more than he could have possibly hoped for or believed. He really is a sight to behold but watch out cause he does have this knack for being a royal ass!

Our heroine Cael is High Priestess of her world and all alone in more ways than any of us would ever want to be. Because of her status she is not allowed to be touched in any way as it will mean death to those who do touch her and this even applies to her family. She is feared not only for that status but also because she is the only dragon shaper on her world which gives her a high status in its own way. Beware of the Wrath of Cael as she does bite and indeed breathes fire. Talk about frying someones ass. LOL!

Our story starts out on Earth with the human race in danger of becoming extinct. Lucan's sister has just suffered another miscarriage and this is what seems to becoming the norm for all other women who try to have a child. Their only hope is the Holy Grail with its rumors of healing. But where to look? Could some of the rumors be accurate? Might some of the inscriptions that Lucan has seen and decoded have some truth to them and how might he hope to find this most Holy relic in time to save the human race.

We then journey some years later to the World of Pendragon where Lucan has tracked down the most elusive of historical sites and the possibilities of finding the Holy Grail but can he find it and make a clean breakaway right under the proverbial noses of others as gifted and desperate as he is? Hmm.....

Our author has given us a fantastic high paced, action packed, sizzling steamer that will surely fog up your glasses. She has taken a tale of old and given us some possibilities of something that could very well have been true. Who knows for sure as none of us where there at the time. This is a tale that will suck you and never spit you out. If you are anything like me you will be frothing at the mouth for Rion which comes out later this year. Darn I don't know if I can wait that long. UGG!(less)

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Feb 22, 2010 Susan Kearney rated it 5 of 5 stars

[Lucan:] LUCAN
Mass Market Paperback
ISBN-10: 0446543314
ISBN-13: 978-0446543316
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Pub. Date: September 2009 (08-25-09)

THEIR LOVE IS FORBIDDEN

Healer and high priestess of her people, Lady Cael is fated to life without a mate. But a mysterious explorer named Lucan Rourke doesn’t know her secrets, and his touch makes her crave a future that her extraordinary birthright has forbidden her...

BUT DANGER IS NO MATCH FOR DESIRE

Lucan has just one mission on Pendra...more

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Aug 05, 2009 Kelly Moran rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-reviews

Author Susan Kearney is a native of New Jersey, writes full time and has sold books to the industries' top publishing houses. As an award-winning author, Kearney earned a Business Degree from the University of Michigan. Her knowledge and experience spans throughout the romance genre, and her fifty plus books include contemporary, romantic suspense, historical, futuristic, science fiction and paranormal novels- With Rion as part of this series coming in December 2009, and Jordan coming in March 2...more Author Susan Kearney is a native of New Jersey, writes full time and has sold books to the industries' top publishing houses. As an award-winning author, Kearney earned a Business Degree from the University of Michigan. Her knowledge and experience spans throughout the romance genre, and her fifty plus books include contemporary, romantic suspense, historical, futuristic, science fiction and paranormal novels- With Rion as part of this series coming in December 2009, and Jordan coming in March 2010. She resides in Tampa, Florida with her husband and children.
High Priestess and Healer of her people on Pendragon, Lady Cael, has always accepted her fate and destiny. Her calling and position doesn’t allow for a life mate, nor can she be touched or it will break taboo and the will of Goddess. Both feared and respected equally, Cael has become accustomed to her life of solitude. But a mysterious explorer named Lucan Rourke doesn’t know her secrets and his forbidden touch is making her crave things that her birthright doesn’t allow. Lucan has only one purpose for being on Pendragon- find the mythical Holy Grail and get back to Earth before it’s too late. The fate of Earth’s survival rests in his hands, so he cannot afford the immediate attraction he feels for Cael, nor the distraction. Soon they must join forces to defeat the army of Tribes, who want to find the Grail and use it for selfish purposes. When a warrant goes out for their arrest for murder, they must fight not only to find the Grail, but to survive long enough to use it.
This is a futuristic romance, and if I’m being honest, I did a rather large dramatic eye roll when I learned of the Grail as a plot line, with King Arthur traveling to this planet hundreds of years ago to keep it safe. However, I quickly reminded myself that this was a fictional/fantasy/futuristic book and the author’s gifted writing makes you believe in the seemingly out-there story. That’s what makes Kearney stand out in this rapidly evolving sub-genre of romance. With a great eye for detailed setting and quick-witted dialog, readers can revel in the fast-pace action and get hooked from cover to cover. Steamy, intense, and sometimes hilarious- I very much look forward to the two other books in this series and where she goes with it. Recommended!

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer
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Aug 06, 2010 Charity rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

I am a big fan of the legend of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and Camelot. So when I find books that have their roots based in the Arthurian legends, I have to read them. Susan Kearney's Pendragon Legacy books have a strong basis in Arthurian legend.

I really liked the fact that this book took Arthurian legends and put a highly unique spin on them. Dragons have long been associated with King Arthur - I've read several books based on Arthurian legends that include dragons, but never...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Falling Off The Shelf rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2009

This review was originally posted on my review blog : Falling Off The Shelf.

Lady Cael of Pendragon is a high priestess of her people. She is also their healer and the only woman on Pendragon that is forbidden to mate. She is also forbidden to touch or be touched by anyone, and the penalty is death. When a new scientist in search of the Holy Grail is added to the same team as Lady Cael, she is plagued with an overwhelming crave to touch him. She has never felt this way about anyone before, and mu...more This review was originally posted on my review blog : Falling Off The Shelf.

Lady Cael of Pendragon is a high priestess of her people. She is also their healer and the only woman on Pendragon that is forbidden to mate. She is also forbidden to touch or be touched by anyone, and the penalty is death. When a new scientist in search of the Holy Grail is added to the same team as Lady Cael, she is plagued with an overwhelming crave to touch him. She has never felt this way about anyone before, and must do everything to prevent herself from giving in. They're mission is to retrieve the Grail from the city of Avalon, or the world of Pendragon may be at stake.

Lucan Rourke has other plans for the Grail. He is on a secret mission from Earth to capture the Grail and return it to it's rightful place, Earth. If he can't follow through with his mission, the people of his planet will become extinct, and he can't let anything get in his way. When he comes face to face with Lady Cael, he becomes overwhelmed with her beauty and grace. He doesn't need a distraction, but she is the most beautiful one that he could have ever received.

This is the first novel by Susan Kearney that I have ever read, and a first to her new series, The Pendragon Legacy. I was more than happy to take part in the blog tour for this new release, as I've always been fascinated with paranormal stories involving dragons. What made this story more interesting for me was the fact that not only would I be getting my dragon fix, but I would also get to hear a spin on the legends of King Arthur. I couldn't wait for this book to arrive, and when it did I dove right in.

Susan Kearney is a wonderful writer, and her work from this novel alone has me itching to read more. The descriptiveness in this novel made it extremely easy for me to picture everything in my head, and the images I received were amazing. My personal favorites where when specific characters would dragonshape (transform from human into dragon).

Although this was a fictional piece, it has one great lesson that we should all abide by. No matter how different a person, you should not fear or discriminate against them. Lady Cael is a beautiful woman, dedicated to her people, people that are extremely devoted to her. Their only failure to her is that they fear her, because she is different. This makes Lady Cael feel alone, and despite her title, she is unhappy with her life.

I'm extremely greatful to be one of the few people to have been able to review this novel before it was released. It was a wonderful debut to a new series, and now I can't wait to read the second novel, Rion. Thank you very much Anna Balasi of Hatchette Books for allowing me to participate. Also, I would like to thank Susan Kearney for supplying a wonderful guest post, and writing such an intriguing novel(less)

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Sep 08, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy, romance, 2009, apocalyptic-or-post-apocalyptic, fantasy, paranormal, not-worth-it, sci-fi

Sometime in Earth's future, the human population faces its biggest disaster ever: every man and woman is all now sterile. No child has been born in a generation, and the species is on the brink of extinction.

Lucan Rourke is an archaeologist who has long been on a mission to find the Holy Grail - and cure Earth's ills. A chance discovery while in England leads him on a new path: an ancient star chart clearly shows a distant moon named Pendragon - and a place on that moon called Avalon, where the...more Sometime in Earth's future, the human population faces its biggest disaster ever: every man and woman is all now sterile. No child has been born in a generation, and the species is on the brink of extinction.

Lucan Rourke is an archaeologist who has long been on a mission to find the Holy Grail - and cure Earth's ills. A chance discovery while in England leads him on a new path: an ancient star chart clearly shows a distant moon named Pendragon - and a place on that moon called Avalon, where the Holy Grail is said to be.

Backed by a powerful and wealthy investor, Lucan travels alone to the moon and spends a few years learning the language and fitting in before using falsified documents to land a place on the team that is trying to broach Avalon's shields. Avalon is a giant stone obelisk on shaky ground, and time is running out for the people of Pendragon - who have their own legends and their own need for the Grail. Lucan's knowledge of ancient British runes enables them to crack the code and drop the shield - only to be betrayed by Pendragon's military.

Beautiful Lady Cael is a Dragonshaper and High Priestess, and a member of the team trying to find the Grail. It is death to so much as touch her - but Lucan, an off-worlder, doesn't know this. His flirting and light touches warm her lonely heart but she has long since been resigned to her revered and feared position as dragonshaper. Now the two of them are the only survivors of the military's attempt to take over the hunt for the grail - aside from the scientist who betrayed them and one other, Rion, who helps them with warnings.

Fleeing the scene of the military's attack, Cael changes into a dragon and rescues a badly injured Lucan - but now accused of murder, the two must run for their lives and find a way past the military to the Grail. Things are even more complicated when their growing attraction gets in the way of Lucan's mission - and he learns secrets about Cael and himself that will change everything.

This is a pretty ambitious set-up really, and not all that easy to summarise. A mix of Arthurian legend, fantasy, science fiction, apocalyptic fiction, and paranormal romance, it can be bizarre at times, bordering on the ridiculous. I'm not a big fan of the Arthurian Legend and I tend to avoid books about it - I would honestly never have bought this one myself, but it was sent to me to review.

There's plenty that I would otherwise enjoy, though: romance and fantasy and apocalyptic fiction. The problem is, this novel stands on even shakier ground than the obelisk called Avalon. It is set "in the near future", but would have to be a considerable amount of time in the future for Lucan to travel in a small and technologically-advanced spaceship without losing any time (despite landing on a few other inhabited planets along the way) - since little time passes for those like his sister, waiting on Earth. Yet, twice it mentions King Arthur's time being "fifteen hundred years ago" - which would set the novel during our time, since King Arthur is 6th century.

The star chart is never explained, and the link between Pendragon and Earth - and several other planets - is pretty vague. How these people once travelled across the galaxy without any kind of craft or space travel is apparently explained away with the use of canons. Yes, canons, connecting Pendragon with Stonehenge. Again, very loosely implied but not actually explained.

Pendragon itself is a vague place, where the people seem to be exactly like us but without knowledge of us, with some very advanced technology and some very out-of-date technology. They speak with the same idioms and expressions - only once does Lucan say something that Cael doesn't get, which I find hard to believe. The moon and its population just don't make any sense, and are so rarely described that I know no more about them now than I did at the beginning - and a very confusing beginning it was too.

I generally love fantasy novels that launch you straight into the story, and you gradually learn your way around the new world and culture - it can be more exciting that way. If it's done well. It wasn't done so well here. Chapter one - well, the first several chapters, actually - had me puzzled: had we already reached the moon or were we on a space ship with Lucan and a team of scientists and researchers - and one High Priestess who's really a dragon? The "aliens" living on the moon just weren't alien. Their buildings, their clothes, their speech - everything was familiar, which is quite the cop-out.

Cael I liked, though she switches from incredibly lonely "don't touch me" virgin to wild temptress very suddenly. The dragons I also enjoyed, though I don't normally. Lucan was a kind of Indiana Jones-type figure, and not terribly inspiring. I appreciated the nod at pollution, chemicals and free radicals and the long-term damage they will probably have on us, but if the science fiction side of things had been ditched, it may have been a better book, or at least a more controlled one. There were way too many plot-holes, or saggy bits that just didn't hold water, and the premise was a bit over-the-top and hard to take seriously. Makes me worried for the direction paranormal romance might be taking, into the realm of the ridiculous.(less)

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Susan Kearney OK, normally I don't respond to reviews. I'm just happy when people discuss my books! First, about the time issue, King Arthur is a legend. No one has...more
Sep 15, 2009 10:10am

Shannon (Giraffe Days) Thanks Susan. I liked the romance side but I found the science fiction muddled it for me. When they're dragons - that I enjoyed. But I would start to...more
Sep 15, 2009 12:08pm

Sep 09, 2009 Jaime Huff rated it 4 of 5 stars

First and foremost, King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table, Avalon, The Holy Grail, Dragons, shapeshifters, Space travel, future, hot, steamy love scenes, paranormal romance.. all in one book? In "Lucan" it's all there! Susan Kearney has woven an exciting, action packed, thrill ride and love into "Lucan". I loved the Arthurian Legend being mixed in with Science Fiction and Fantasy. This book was 325 pages of pure excitement. I loved that there wasn't any huge lulls or any word padding. I could...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: keepers

Good read. Action plot that manages to mix together the Holy Grail, spaceships, King Arthur, and dragon shifters quite successfully. I liked Lucan [the hero:], Cael [the heroine:], and Rion [supporting character, hero of the next book:] pretty much from the start. Cael was occasionally too virtuous - I wanted her to smack her sisters on a fairly regular basis. Never happened - sigh. The bad guys were pretty stereotypical - but they do 'get theirs' in the final resolution so we won't be seeing th...more

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Sep 11, 2009 Isalys rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, owned, sci-fi

My Recap:
Lucan is an Archeologist with a passion for History, particularly that of the Holy Grail. He is on a quest to locate it not for the glory, but for the necessity of it. The human race is plagued by sterility and is threatened into extinction if he cannot find a way to allow babies to be born again. With the healing powers of the Holy Grail, he believes that it will solve all of their problems. With an ability to read ancient script, he travels to Pendragon where he believes the Grail to...more My Recap:
Lucan is an Archeologist with a passion for History, particularly that of the Holy Grail. He is on a quest to locate it not for the glory, but for the necessity of it. The human race is plagued by sterility and is threatened into extinction if he cannot find a way to allow babies to be born again. With the healing powers of the Holy Grail, he believes that it will solve all of their problems. With an ability to read ancient script, he travels to Pendragon where he believes the Grail to be hidden.

Lady Cael, the High Priestess of Pendragon, is an honored yet feared figure. She is bound by duty to live a life of solitude without love, without intimacy. However, after a chance encounter with Lucan Roarke, she finds herself irresitibly attracted to him. He too is drawn to her and flirts with her although he knows he shouldn't. She should be admonishing him for his audacity, but he makes her feel like a woman - a new experience for her.

Lucan is not the only one searching for the Holy Grail though. Both he and Lady Cael are part of a archeological team that want nothing more than to find the ancient artifact but all for different reasons. Lucan wants to use it to save his people; Lady Cael wants to use it to save her dying nephew; the military wants it for more selfish reasons.

The Holy Grail is protected by ancient magic which make it incredibly difficult to get to. One day, Lucan finds a way to weaken the shields and gets one step closer to it, but moments later a fire destroys the lab and kills most of the team members. After barely escaping alive, Lucan and Lady Cael are blamed for the fire and the resulting deaths so they must run away and come up with a plan to exonerate their names. Let the adventures begin...

My Review:
This is a futuristic paranormal romance. I will be honest and say that at first I did a bit of the 'ol "eye roll" when I learned that the plot line is based on the belief that the legendary King Arthur hid the Holy Grail on Pendragon (a moon outside of Earth's galaxy) to keep it safe from his enemies. I reminded myself though that this is fictional/fantasy/futuristic book and if I could read about vampires, werewolves and ghosts, then I should really give this book a chance. And I'm glad I did :)

This book really surprised me. It turned out to have so many more elements to the story. Although there is a fair amount of 'bodice ripping' involved, there is also quite a bit of action, science, history, betrayal and suspense. I found Susan Kearney to be a very gifted writer who could make this far-fetched story seem almost believable. The story was fast paced, the main characters were endearing and you never stopped worrying about what could happen to them, the fate of their people and the fate of their own budding relationship.(less)

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Sep 16, 2009 Nely rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

When the inhabitants of Earth seem to be doomed by infertility, it is up to Lucan Roarke to help find a way to save the human race. He believes that if he is to find the Holy Grail, he might have found just what humans need in order to heal their bodies and help jump start their reproductive systems. If he fails, they face possible extinction.

Set some time in the unknown future, Lucan stumbles upon a map that leads him to believe that the Grail is on a distant planet named Pendragon. It takes hi...more When the inhabitants of Earth seem to be doomed by infertility, it is up to Lucan Roarke to help find a way to save the human race. He believes that if he is to find the Holy Grail, he might have found just what humans need in order to heal their bodies and help jump start their reproductive systems. If he fails, they face possible extinction.

Set some time in the unknown future, Lucan stumbles upon a map that leads him to believe that the Grail is on a distant planet named Pendragon. It takes him several years (including a few to learn their language) but eventually he is able to land there and blend in with the scientists on the planet as an archeologist and Dragonian linguist.

There he meets the Lady Cael - the High Priestess of Pendragon. She is revered by her people because of her abilities as a Dragonshifter. From a young age her family sent her away to fulfill her destiny as High Priestess and since then she has never had the luxury of having friends, being close to her family, or even a touching hand. For it is forbidden that she be touched - punishable by death, and she has resigned herself to her life of solitude. That is until she meets Lucan, who not only touches her making her crave things that are forbidden, but who sees and treats her as a woman.

Lucan cannot afford the feelings he has for Cael - as he is Earth’s only hope for survival. But when they must join forces to defeat the Tribes who want to find the Grail and use it for their own evil purposes - he finds that no matter how much he fights it, he will not be able to accomplish his mission without her - although it might mean losing his heart (or gaining one) in the process.

This is the first in the Pendragon Legacy Trilogy. The second, Rion comes out in December 2009, and Jordan coming in March 2010. Although at first I was a bit skeptical about King Arthur, the Holy Grail and the whole dragon thing, but once I got past that I truly enjoyed this. Lucan is hawt! And Lady Cael, a simmering little seductress. They are a match made in... ~~heaven~~ space. They had this great relationship with plenty of push and pull and witty dialogue.... oh, and did I mention steaming love scenes. This was a great start to what I’m sure will be a fantastic series. You already get your introduction to Rion here and from his heroics in this book and what I was able to read of the first chapter from his book - seems like he is quite the catch too. I loved the concept of the quest for the Holy Grail - and I thought it was utterly clever that Ms. Kearney came up with the idea that the Holy Grail has never been found because they’ve always looked for it on the wrong planet... just priceless. Filled with adventure, mystery, politics, myths, shapeshifting and, of course, did I mention those steaming love scenes... [sighs:]. This was a quick, light and fun read that I recommend to anyone who likes their romances with a sci-fi twist , and of course, those steaming love scenes.(less)

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Sep 20, 2009 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars

What would it be like to live knowing that you were destined to spend the rest of your life without a lover? What if you had special powers and because of this you were not allowed to fall in love. This is the future for Lady Cael. Well, that was the path set for her life until she met Lucan.

Lucan allows Cael to know what living really feels like. He shows her a life she was not supposed to live. And it seems the more she tries to fight these emotions, the more she feels drawn to Lucan. She is t...more

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Sep 05, 2009 Shelley Stoker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shelley by: People that love Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and the stories from Arthurian

Shelves: sci-fi, fantasy

A wonderful start to the brand-new Pendragon Legacy Series by Susan Kearney. It's a beautiful mix of Arthurian Legend, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction and romance. Yes, that's a lot of genres to "cross over," but Kearney blends it all flawlessly.

The romance and sex scenes are HOT, and both the hero and heroine are people I fell in love with. It's also quite a page-turner. VERY adventurous and full of mystery, political intrigue, legends, mythology, shape-shifting and of course, the quest fo

...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Marianna rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: skimmed, one-time-read

Not a whole lot of sci-fi. Aliens that look, act, etc, etc exactly like people from Earth, genius! Not. This is a romance. And one in which the characters...well do they ever really get fleshed out? No. Do you ever truly believe the connection and bond the mains feel for one another? No.

Most hilarious bit in the book: Cael is super pissed at Lucan because he lied to her. Cael reasons to herself why she shouldn't kill Lucan. Her reasoning: she couldn't imagine killing such a skillful lover. WTF??...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Kimm rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book floated around several books blogs for quite a while in anticipation of it’s release date. It appeared everywhere and there several contests in place to win a copy….and I was fortunate to win one!

I was very keen to try the book out, but one thing that hadn’t sunk in was that the story was set in the future—a space age paranormal romance. Hmm…wonder how I missed that. So, I was a little unsure of myself as I set about reading the story, but found that I was actually quite interested in...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Monica rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Well there really isn't much I can say for this book, I really didn't like it. I like a good King Arthur twist but taking it to outer space and such, was a bit much for me. Also, the love scenes in this book were a little too spontaneous for me. "Hi, how are you"....bumping and grinding on the ground. That's about it. I also didn't feel a connection with the plot or the characters, I just was not sucked into this book, as much as I wanted to be. The female lead character, made me want to scream...more

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Sep 09, 2009 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: books-that-i-own, all-reviews, romance-reviews

Lucan
The Pendragon Legacy, Book #1
Written by: Susan Kearney
Published by: Forever
Date: September 2009
Pages: 368
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0446543316
(Available NOW!)

Lucan: The Pendragon Legacy is an extraordinary book! This paranormal romance novel is one of my new favourites because it’s jam-packed with action, adventure and erotic romance. Lady Cael, high priestess to her people, is isolated by a wall of fear and reverence. Her rank and position among her people offers untold riches...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Trina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought using the whole story of Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table was brilliant as the background for this story line. I can't wait to read the next books in the series.

Lucan is a human searching for the Holy Grail, following the clues from the story of the Knights of the Round Table to try and discover where it has been hidden. Earth is dying and his only hope is to find the Grail and save our species from extinction.

Cael is the High Prie...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Doreen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When I took this book out of the cardboard envelope, I was just dazzled, not only by the great new book feel, but also by the hunky cover and the rainbow-shiny lettering. I'd never read any "sexy futuristics" before, but I've read plenty of romance novels in my day, and since I'm a confirmed fan of science-fiction, I was looking forward to reading this. Especially since it also blends in a nice dose of Arthurian legend. What could go wrong?

Within the first few chapters, it became clear that char...more When I took this book out of the cardboard envelope, I was just dazzled, not only by the great new book feel, but also by the hunky cover and the rainbow-shiny lettering. I'd never read any "sexy futuristics" before, but I've read plenty of romance novels in my day, and since I'm a confirmed fan of science-fiction, I was looking forward to reading this. Especially since it also blends in a nice dose of Arthurian legend. What could go wrong?

Within the first few chapters, it became clear that characterization is not the author's strong suit. This story was reading like some of the fanfic I've edited, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, as fanfic can be an exciting, action-packed genre. And the first sex scenes were certainly VERY sexy, so I was still pretty upbeat about this book.

But then the lapses in logic began. Cael can't transform if chained, and her clothes rip off when she does, but she constantly wears a ceremonial necklace with a "loose clasp"? Lucan spent three years studying to be a Pendragon linguist, but doesn't know anything about the local religion? And the way the characters sometimes behaved was so tacky and dumb that I found it hard to root for them. They kept having sex a/o being sexy at the most inappropriate times! Sexily feeding each other in the ruins of her sister's house, with her brother-in-law unconscious in the next room and her sister possibly kidnapped? Outright doing it while the military bears down on you, and the guy who's been helping you is trapped in another part of the structure?

And I gave up on the sex scenes in the one where he literally turns into a human vibrator. Later, they become full-fledged dragon furries, but that was to be expected. I think I just prefer reading about sex between people, but to each her own.

So I guess this book is readable, but I won't be picking up any more of the series. It would have made much better science-fiction if Ms Kearney's editor had pointed out the lapses in logic and asked for minor re-writes. As a romance novel, I didn't particularly feel for any of the characters (Cael, in particular, reading like a saintlier, stupider, shape-changing version of Daenerys Targaryen of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.) And the sex scenes were steamy, but kinda grossed me out.

This book was received gratis via Goodreads' First Reads service.(less)

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Mar 21, 2011 Barbara ★ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-psychic, read-2011, zzcover-red, paranormal-dragons, aliens-space, merlin-avalon, paranormal-shifters, romance

A highly unusual take on Merlin, Avalon and the Holy Grail. The Avalon of legend (where the Holy Grail was hidden) isn't on Earth but on the world of Pendragon where dragon shape-shifters reside. Apparently, Earth, Pendragon and the planet Honor joined forces to repel the Tribes - a force of Vikings trying to take over the world. And believe it or not, the Knights of the Round Table are actually twelve world leaders who joined together to defeat the Tribes. How cool is that?

Lucan (of Earth) want...more

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Nov 09, 2010 Nicole rated it 1 of 5 stars

Ugh. No character development to speak of, and just about zero worldbuilding. I could barely get through it and I won't read another.

Note to Kearney: HEAVY OBJECTS DO NOT FALL FASTER. See, there was this guy named Galileo? Who wrote about it in 1634? You may have heard about his legendary experiment at the Tower of Pisa (yes, yes, probably didn't ACTUALLY take place, but still.) A scientist would never make this error. From then on, I was completely thrown out of the book.

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Aug 23, 2010 Renee Richardson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I have all three from this trilogy and I just finished this one so I can't wait to pick up the next two. I enjoyed this and I actually couldn't put it down. From the futuristic backdrop, to the suspense, to the romance. It never got boring and I couldn't wait to read the next page, than the next. Plus, the steamy love scenes are a big plus.

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Oct 19, 2011 Lacey Ferris rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

I absolutely loved this story - the first in Kearney's Pendragon Legacy series - and the two books that followed: Rion and Jordan. Rion Jordan

I really enjoyed the incorporation of Arthurian myth with Kearney's particular blend of science fiction, fantasy and romance. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting read!

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Lucan (Pendragon Legacy #1)

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