Rating: 
Summary: After a bit of a slow start, it is terrific
Review: I am one of those people who is finding Lawhead a little later in his career. This is the second book of his I have read - I missed the books surrounding Arthur and others he wrote earlier in his career. I read his novel about Patrick last year and it was pretty good, but it didn't make me a committed fan of his. After reading this one I am much more of a fan. The story centers around the Crusade of the late 1000's and 1100's. The central character is Murdo Ranulfson, who wants to join the crusade but is too young. His father and brothers go on the crusade but he is unable to and it grates on his terribly. While his father and brothers are gone, his family is the victim of the treachery of some unscrupulous churchmen, and they lose their estate. This sets Murdo on a course of action where he journeys to the Holy Land to try to find his father, in order to bring him back to claim his lands. On this journey to and from the Holy Land, Murdo grows from a precocious boy into a man of strength and character. As he makes his way across the sea and to his father he has many adventures which shape his character. He is befriended by Celtic monks who help guide and care for him and who show him the way of the True Path. There are many reasons I liked this story - this is a "Christian" book by a "Christian author" with many Christian themes. But, the characters are not your stereotypical characters that are found in so much Christian fiction. There is a wonderful conversion scene involving Murdo but it is done in a very believable way. We see Murdo's struggles along the way, and he doesn't become a saint nor does this conversion scene wipe away all of his troubles. Instead, a very real and human person struggles along in his faith in a very harsh and brutal time of history. Speaking of harsh and brutal, there are some scenes of pretty explicit violence. I usually don't get emotionally affected, but in one scene in Jerusalem the brutality took my breath away. This is a vivid picture of man's inhumanity to man, and it is all the more stark in view of the fact that much of this is committed in the name of Christ. Lawhead doesn't really theorize on the morality of the crusades - he simply tells the story. To my mind, the story shows the futility of the crusades and the sinfulness of the whole project. But the real story in this is the transformation of Murdo.
Rating: 
Summary: Enthralling Historical Fiction
Review: "The Iron Lance" was my first Stephen R. Lawhead novel and it was a novel that I enjoyed all the way through. While Lawhead is mostly labled as a fantasy writer his work is not limited to fantasy, as this book shows. I love fantasy and I found this book to be a break from the general magic that is involved in much of today's fantasy. Lawhead's book is an intoxicating historical fiction. The book takes place during the Crusades, a very interesting time during the history of the world. This period is when the Pope sent forces into Jerusalem to win the Holy City from the Muslims. This book centers on Murdo, the main protagonist, and how he is involved with the events of his time. After his father and brothers go to fight for the Holy Land he stays behind in his hometown with his mother. When his beautiful home is taken away from him he decides to go find his brothers and father. Along the way he meets up with a group of clerics and meets many friends and foes. The book is full of many battles, politics, and entertaining scenes. Murdo is a very likeable character that many readers will enjoy reading about. You can't help but wonder what his outcome will be at the end of the book. You'll be asking yourself whether or not he'll see his loved ones again and if he'll survive through the harsh times that he is living in. His girlfriend, Ragna, is a great feminine character that can be felt for as you can see that she is going through hard times, being away from her loved Murdo and her brothers and father, as well. The clerics that Murdo meets up with are quite interesting as well, especially their background. Other side characters are well written as well, such as King Bohemond, but most of the others were a trifle boring. One of the most enjoyable things about this novel is the historical backgound that Lawhead provides. Mr. Lawhead provides a riveting read while feeding you huge chunks of historical background and the amount of fact that is presented never seems daunting. Fans of history will undoubtedly enjoy this historical fiction masterpiece. "The Iron Lance" entertains from the great first pages to the wonderful last ones. This is a great read that's definitely recommended. Happy Reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Lawhead drops a notch below Pendragon & Albion
Review: In the Celtic Crusades trilogy, acclaimed Christian fantasy writer Stephen Lawhead again tries his hand at historical fiction, just as he did in his successful Byzantium. The adventure revolves around Murdo Ranulfson, whose brothers and father leave Scotland to join one of the eleventh century Crusades to rescue Jerusalem from the infidel. When usurpers confiscate his home and property, Murdo leaves his native land and his new bride Ragna, to find his father and brothers and call them to return home and restore their property. Together with three mysterious priests, his quest takes him to the center of the crusaders' action in sacking Jerusalem in 1099, where he soon becomes part of the search for the iron lance, the relic which apparently pierced Christ's side and now seems to magically guarantee the crusaders victory. Juxtoposed with Murdo's personal quest, is the much larger and epic story of the crusade. In place of Lawhead's usual fantasy, "The Iron Lance" instead is full of historical adventure. But unfortunately Lawhead doesn't succeed in this effort at historical fiction to the same extent as he did in "Byzantium". There are too many loose ends, coincidences, and implausibilities. Unlike some of his other efforts, here the bad guys are neatly vanquished and the good guy gets the gold, the glory, and the girl. The Iron Lance lacks the deep and contrasting passions of glory and tragedy that I came to love from the Pendragon Cycle and the Song of Albion trilogy. And the framing device about Gordon Murray who is initiated into a mystical nineteenth century secret society of brotherhood has little obvious connection with the rest of the book. Ultimately it is a rather incredible historical adventure set in medieval times, somewhat too good to be true, where you must suspend you sense of disbelief to enjoy the plot, somewhat similar to Louis L'Amour's "The Walking Drum" but without the same success in execution and failing to live up to its potential. Certainly there are some aspects that redeem this book. The portrayal of the crusades is fascinating for those interested in medieval times. Lawhead is not afraid to show the corruption that existed within the ritualistic church of the time, and the brutality and bloodshed of the crusades. But amidst all the religion and the politics, this book lacks the personalities, the passion and the plot that made some of his other works so successful, and compared with them is only second rate. Newcomers to Lawhead would do better to start with Byzantium, or the Pendragon Cycle and the Song of Albion trilogies. I hope the other two entries in this series will rise to the heights Lawhead has reached in the past with those titles. -GODLY GADFLY
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling Historical Fiction
Review: "The Iron Lance" was my first Stephen R. Lawhead novel and it was a novel that I enjoyed all the way through. While Lawhead is mostly labled as a fantasy writer his work is not limited to fantasy, as this book shows. I love fantasy and I found this book to be a break from the general magic that is involved in much of today's fantasy. Lawhead's book is an intoxicating historical fiction. The book takes place during the Crusades, a very interesting time during the history of the world. This period is when the Pope sent forces into Jerusalem to win the Holy City from the Muslims. This book centers on Murdo, the main protagonist, and how he is involved with the events of his time. After his father and brothers go to fight for the Holy Land he stays behind in his hometown with his mother. When his beautiful home is taken away from him he decides to go find his brothers and father. Along the way he meets up with a group of clerics and meets many friends and foes. The book is full of many battles, politics, and entertaining scenes. Murdo is a very likeable character that many readers will enjoy reading about. You can't help but wonder what his outcome will be at the end of the book. You'll be asking yourself whether or not he'll see his loved ones again and if he'll survive through the harsh times that he is living in. His girlfriend, Ragna, is a great feminine character that can be felt for as you can see that she is going through hard times, being away from her loved Murdo and her brothers and father, as well. The clerics that Murdo meets up with are quite interesting as well, especially their background. Other side characters are well written as well, such as King Bohemond, but most of the others were a trifle boring. One of the most enjoyable things about this novel is the historical backgound that Lawhead provides. Mr. Lawhead provides a riveting read while feeding you huge chunks of historical background and the amount of fact that is presented never seems daunting. Fans of history will undoubtedly enjoy this historical fiction masterpiece. "The Iron Lance" entertains from the great first pages to the wonderful last ones. This is a great read that's definitely recommended. Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: An okay book by a great author
Review: One of the things I like about Lawhead is that he knows the history and the folklore of the times he is writting in. In the Pendragon Cycle, he creates a Britain that to the best of my knowledge is more like the way actual 6th century Celtic Britain was. Song of Albion was a Celtic fantasy while in some ways similar to many "Celtic" fantasies, except Lawhead actually knows Celtic Mythology. Byzantium was a multi-layered drawing of the world of the mid-Dark Ages. This book is a great representation of the era of the Crusades. A weak plot however brings it down. I don't think that it is bad, just read any of the books I've mentioned first.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely the last 'Lawhead' for me.
Review: Credits go to atmosphere and prose. Character development is poor - we don't get to know the hero Murdo's interests and ambitions if he has any at all. Instead of a free mind he has visions of Holy Andrew and monks for company that provide him with any advice needed to carry the story forward. Others have already noted the plot is perspicuous. Well, what plot? Poor peasant leaves home and girl friend and returns a wealthy man ... I have now read through the Pendragon and Song of Albion cycles, and though all of Lawhead's books grip you to a certain extent (this was the worst), and I loved and can recommend some ("Merlin"), in the end I find that Lawhead lacks a sense for drama and inner conflicts. Gillian Bradshaw's Camelot trilogy makes you cry. Evangeline Walton's Mabinogion preserves the drama, humour, and dreamlike qualities of the original Celtic tales. I'm not familiar with books about the crusades, but there surely must be better ones than this. His books shortened my winter nights, and winter has passed.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging Historical Fantasy
Review: Stephen Lawhead's "The Iron Lance" is an engrossing work of historical fantasy, set against the Celtic Crusades of 1099. The plot has two major threads:
- Thread One: Murdo, our hero, who follows his father and brothers to Jerusalem in 1099 from his home in the isles.
- Thread Two: A man whose name "is of no importance" in Scotland in 1899. He is an initiate of a sacred and secret Brotherhood. The plot follows Murdo through the "taking of the cross" to falling in love with Ragna, and the misfortunes heaped upon his family by the greedy local Bishop. Murdo travels to the Holy Land, on his own, to find his brothers and father and restore his family's lands. As he searches for his family in Jerusalem, he witnesses the terrible sacking of the city in 1099. Murdo is witness to political intrigue, many battles, and foreign cities and customs. The details of the second plot are interspersed throughout Murdo's journey. The reader is never quite sure how this Brotherhood relates to Murdo, the lines are left deliberately vague. This vagueness compels you to keep reading the series, to determine how these ancient Crusades fit in with 1899 Scotland and this mysterious Brotherhood. Lawhead has created a captivating novel with The Iron Lance. The attention to detail and historical accuracy make this a compelling work of historical fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Journey
Review: First let me say that this book has ZERO fantasy elements, why it's cataloged as such is a mystery (at least to me). This book is historical fiction at its best (only bested by Ken Follet's "The Pillars of the Earch" which is a 5-star book). This was my first Lawhead foray and I intend to see out this trilogy as well as his other works - in other words, he and this book are very accessible to new readers (minor plot points do not overlap from other works). The historical aspects of this book are dead on & the vivid battle sequences between the Crusaders and the Seljugs are worth the price of admission alone. Lawhead also avoids the recurring problem in these types of stories of period incorrect language, which ruins an otherwise good tale. Bottom line: If you enjoy realistic Historical Fiction then this book will probably fit the bill nicely.
Rating:
Summary: Accessable accuracy
Review: Despite a certain amount of scepticism on picking this one up (after all, how many 'fantasy writers' can continue to come up with the goods trilogy after trilogy?) I'm sold. Lawhead offers an insight into the past of the British (and other) people that is usually only available to those willing to trawl through dusty old tomes in the Bodleian for months on end. It also lays open to us a period of Christian history that many people would like to brush under the carpet. While it may on the face of it be a fantasy book presented from the perspective of on Orkney lad whose family is torn apart by the lack of wisdom of a pope and the corruption of the British church, it gives us a true insight into the history of the times. As ever, Lawhead has done his research. Every major event in this book, from the bickering of the Norman princelings in the face of Alexius Comnenus to the genocide in Jerusalem, is presented with a seamless blending of historical fact and artistic license, with no unnecessary concessions given to the latter. It also offers something of an insight into the recently publicized and rather unnecessary hatred between Christian and Muslim, although I'm sure that wasn't the author's intention. If you can't be arsed to read those dusty old volumes and would prefer an easier education, this is a damn good place to start. It's also entertaining, which is probably at the foremost of people's minds when they pick up a book of this genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Fair to putrid
Review: This book definitely did not meet my expectations. For starters, I didn't find Murdo to be all that sympathetic a character. In fact, I was much more interested in the plight of his mother and girlfriend, left behind in the Orkneys to fend for themselves. Second, the whole turn-of-the-century, secret society thing was completely boring. It took alot of self-discipline to keep from turning the pages and skipping over most of that stuff. Third, the whole portrayal of Emperor Alexius and the Byzantines is, in my opinion, wildly inaccurate and biased almost to the point of shameless cheerleading. Fourth and lastly, and I suppose this last point goes without saying given the times we live in. The church characters, a la, the bishop and the abbot are stereotypically portrayed as (yawn) greedy, arrogant, treacherous and power hungry (qualities that certainly describe the Byzantines. Oh irony!). The crusaders are the usual stock stuff; they're all either dullards and morons or pyschopathic, homicidal maniacs. It's all just so damn predictable.
| 
