Byzantium

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Summary: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Review: Unlike his remarkable and profound "Pendragon Cycle", "Byzantium" is not another Lawhead fantasy work. Apart from a couple of instances of dreams and omens, it is rather an entry by Lawhead into a different genre: historical fiction. Make that: EPIC historical fiction! In paperback, "Byzantium" comes close to 900 pages of delightful reading!

Set in the tenth century Byzantine empire, the novel traces the life and adventures of a young Irish monk, Aidan. Aidan is selected to join a special envoy on a voyage to Byzantium, and deliver a precious gift - the holy Book of Kells - to the Christian emperor. The journey is an epic one, as Aidan becomes in turn a monk in the solitude of an Irish monastery, a slave of the barbarian Vikings, an ambassador and spy at the forefront of Byzantine political intrigue, a slave in the Caliph's silver mines, a serviceman of a Moslem Saracen prince, and finally again an Irish monk. He becomes a man of many resources - a monk, a sailor, a slave, a warrior, a spy.

In many respects "Byzantium" is strongly reminiscent of "The Walking Drum", widely regarded as best work produced by the legendary Louis L'Amour. Like "The Walking Drum", "Byzantium" is a historical epic of extraordinary magnitude and scope, a grand tour of European life in the Dark Ages which encompasses the ends of a complete empire, a multitude of richly detailed cultures, a tapestry of languages and a complex fabric of religions. Like its L'Amour counterpart, "Byzantium" features a man who must overcome the odds in a variety of exceedingly harsh circumstances, and spices the tale of this adventurer with a glorious sense of adventure, romance, suspense, history, politics, and religion.

My only quibble with Lawhead's effort is an apparent historical inaccuracy: he presents the emperor in Byzantine as emperor of the entire Roman empire, despite the fact that historically at this time the empire was split into East and West, the Irish acknowledging the Western emperor not the Eastern one. But on the whole Lawhead has surpassed L'Amour's historical masterpiece. "The Walking Drum" is at best educational entertainment, whereas "Byzantium" is literature. This is true literary fiction with well-rounded characters and a strong message. Although like "The Walking Drum" the majority of "Byzantium" is absorbed with a heightened sense of adventure, Lawhead's monk is in the end proves to be markedly superior to L'Amour's one-dimensional superman. Aidan's journey proves to be much more than just a journey of perilous adventures, it is above all a personal journey of faith. The monk who returns from his adventures is a changed man.

Having begun his journey as a devout Christian, Aidan's rapid change of fortunes and bitter taste of suffering lead him to reject his faith. He becomes first agnostic, then atheistic, even Moslem. Convinced that God has forsaken him, Aidan forsakes his faith and his God. It is only after he returns home that he is spurred by his former barbarian friend Gunnar to re-examine his faith (p.861-8). Re-evaluating his whole perspective on his pilgrimage, he comes to the recognition that even in his suffering God had not forsaken him. It would be impossible, because Christ was forsaken in the place of the believers, hanging on the cross saying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Aidan comes to the startling realization that Christ's forsakenness means that believers will never be forsaken by God. God has not forsaken Aidan, but Aidan has forsaken God. Being a Christian does not mean living without suffering, it means rather having faith in God who truly knows and supports His people in that suffering.

This is an encouraging message for believers experiencing sufferings in their own pilgrimage of faith. It makes "Byzantium" much more than a gripping page-turner, but a stimulating read that will enhance your perspective on life. The beauty of this kind of Christian fiction, is that you share not only in the characters' sufferings and adventures, but also their spiritual growth. Any novel that has the potential stimulate and encourage as well as entertain is a significant achievement indeed, and "Byzantium" is no exception. A credible, suspenseful and gripping plot, a colourful and vivid historical setting, and a clear and powerful message - Christian historical fiction doesn't get much better than this.

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Summary: One man's journey to find his faith!
Review: I could not put this book down! The story is about this young, motivated Celtic monk that gets selected to go on the journey of a lifetime to Byzantium. When things don't go the way he planned (as they so often happen in real life) he ends up journeying across much of the known world to not only set things right but also to restore his faith. The characters, the plot, the setting . . . it was all there!

I especially liked the rich, scenic descriptions Lawhead puts forth. Wherever he takes you, whether it's the deserts of the middle east or the land of the vikings in the north, I never had a problem seeing where he was taking me.

From the beginning, this story is based around a mystery that just gets more complex as the plot moves along, and yet I never felt lost. Lawhead allows you to understand the mystery just as the characters understand it, so none of the discoveries really seem contrived or are complete surprises. Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone interested in a book of epic proportions!

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Summary: The greatest adventure
Review: This is simply the best book I have ever read. It mixes withe romance, advenure, mystery, and treachory. Once reading it you will never want it to end.

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Summary: Amazing tale! Breathtaking the whole way through!
Review: As an avid reader, I often find it difficult to find a story as well written as Byzantuim. I couldn't put the book down. I was held captive through to the end, then wishing it wasn't finished. I felt as though I was there. Hating the Sea Wolves with there first attack. And then loving them all the same. My heart breaking along with the monks with their precious gift gone. I felt as though I suffered with all of them when they were imprisioned. I felt as though I had grown to know and love them all. And what an ending! You'll just have to read to find out. And believe me it is well worth your time. I will think on the true meaning of my faith in Christ Jesus for a long time to come.

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Summary: Faith above Accuracy
Review: Byzantium is a story of a man's faith, its failings, and its resurrection. It is set in a real history, which - like any historical fiction - has been molded to the author's needs. The specifics may be flawed (as are we all), but the flavor is exquisite.

High excitement: marauding vikings, nomadic arabs, opulent Byzantine cathedrals, byzantine politics, and humble Irish monks on an ecclesiastical quest. Does the hero live or die? Will he regain his faith or not? Will they all make it back to Ireland?

I was deeply moved by the depth and feelings portrayed in the hero's struggle with the burdens of a belief in God and the attendant burdens of faith.

What is the point of the book? It is the portrait of a man's faith in God, and the reality that even the saints, martyrs, and holy men of the great ages past were human.

Complaints about this book seem to revolve primarily arround historical inaccuracies of fact/language - if you want a history book, I suggest you look somewhere other than the "fiction" section of a bookstore.

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Summary: Verisimilitude but Plot-driven
Review: Byzantium plunged the reader into a very realistic, adventure-filled Europe. This is for the modern-day novel lover. I couldn't get into even though I love medieval and fantasy stuff (that's why I picked this book up). I am spoiled from the classics. Aidan was an round character, but not profound enough to carry us through 800 pages. The plot drove me crazy; I couldn't help but slug through his detour as a captive of a scandanavian viking. It is a great tour de Europe in the middle ages, but if your looking for profound reading, looke to the classics. Lawhead is a great writer though.

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Summary: The best book I've read so far...
Review: It seems many books with this kind of historical-fiction-epic stories, are about some kind of trip to the Middle-East. And that's good, as it allows a confront with some very different cultures and religions. This book tells us a story about an irish monk who makes a trip with other brothers to Constantinopla (Byzantium) to deliver a book (a gift) to the Emperor. Things go wrong, and a fantastic and fascinating adventure make us read the book with an enormous pleasure. A story mixing celt, viking, arabian and some other cultures, all with its peculiar history and habits.

I loved the book so much, that after finishing it, I've sensed some kind of void in my heart. That's this kind of book, that makes you think and meditate about it after you read it that pleases me most. After a couple of days everything was fine and I've decided to try another Lawhead's book. But that's another story...

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Summary: What a surprise!
Review: I was told about this book by a friend whose reading habits I admire. I have to read many technical books constantly for my job so I enjoy some fiction from time to time. I particularly enjoy historical fiction. This book is one of the best I have read about Medieval times. It was a book that one could become totally engrosed in. I also was impressed how this writer can write some very tense scenes and not have to use objectional language. I have recommended this book and lent my copy to many friends and they have all thanked me. Read this book and you will be glad you did. I have since read 7 other Lawhead books and even though this is the best one so far I have enjoyed all the others.

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Summary: An awesome epic!
Review: This is the best novel I have ever read.

This epic takes you from Ireland to the sands of Bagdad, and many places in between. It takes the main character from monastery to slavery, and then from Emperor's spy back to slavery again, from being a prince of Arabia to at last returning to monastery. It is much like Ben-Hur in that it changes venue many times.

What I liked best was the message of faith at the end of the story. The way the author makes the characters come alive and seem so real is amazing. You become emotionally involved with characters, to the point that you feel their pain.

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Summary: What can I say?
Review: This was the first Stephen lawhead book I ever read. It wasn't the last. Byzantium engulfs the reader into 10th century Europe and inspires them with a strong christian plot. I recomend this book to everyone and anyone. Its one of the best reads of my life