Byzantium

Rating:
Summary: Compelling story, couldn't put it down!
Review: The most shocking part of this engrossing tale is the epilogue... when you discover that it's a TRUE STORY! It reads like a fantastic adventure novel, full of graphic, full-colored narratives that let you breathe the spice of Byzantium's open market, feel the parching wind of the Saudi desert, and hear the thrum and cry of battle. You won't be able to put it down!

Rating:
Summary: Not That Good
Review: Had Lawhead wrote ""Byzantium" as a serious book, I do not think that its target audience would be waxing over it with superlatives. The general reader will find much interesting historical detail in this text and might develop an appreciation for the richness and complexity of life in a time that we smugly refer to as the "Dark Ages" (as if we are living in the Days of Light). The daily round of life in an Irish monastery is lovingly described, as are the lives of the pagan Danes and civilized Arabs of the time. This type of historical detail is much to the novel's favor, and Lawhead deserves credit for bringing long-forgotten times into the mainstream with care and attention to detail.

However, I found the story contrived and sort of dull. The protagonist goes from peril to peril like a monastic Pauline, and each chapter leaves us hanging. Perhaps that is the nature of such books, but I found it tiresome. In the effort to paint the tapestry of the times, Lawhead's poor protagonist never has a moment's rest, neither does the poor reader. Think about it: how likely it is that a person would have met two Holy Roman Emperors, as well as the Caliph of the Arabs, also managing to save the King of the Danes from slavery in the silver mines? Lawhead's overwrought description of the protagonist's character development also leaves much to be desired, but this author is not aiming for subtlety.

This might be a good summer read for high school students, or for those who ought to be high school students. It is a marginal book with some interesting historical details, but that is about it.

I was glad when I finished reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good, but...
Review: First of all I must say that I really, really liked this book until about page 560. Then everything just sort of went downhill from there. The ending simply wasn't very satisfying. I also really hated the way that Lawhead would write about someone or something that sounds very important and then just forget about them/it.For example: the dream that Aidan has about the amir cutting his(aidan's) tongue out. What was the meaning of writing about that? I kept expecting the amir to betray Adian and start cutting, but he never does.

But all of that aside, the story is very exciting and has a good mix of action, romance, intrigue, fantasy, and moral messages. And unlike some of Lawhead's other novels (namely Taliesin), this is fast paced and hard to put down.

So I must conclude that although it has it's flaws, Byzantium is an example of truly great epic storytelling.

Rating:
Summary: HEYA!!
Review: Easily one of the best books this decade, I'd have a difficult time choosing between _Byzantium_ and the _Song of Albion_ cycle as my favourite among Lawhead's works. His descriptions of the mystical aspects of the Christian faith are uncanny, equal to his historical detail. But the thing that never ceases to amaze me about Lawhead is how he can put what seems like a message just for me, in between the lines of every book he writes, and it's not always what I'd have expected. I'd like to see Gunnar appear in another book someday - what a combination of wisdom and simplicity!

Rating:
Summary: Nothing Too Thrilling About This One
Review: Stephen Lawhead has hit a flat note with "Byzantium." The details as always are vivid; however, the plot is slow and lackluster. The characters are also dull and predictable. The novel was still a great idea, and all in all, not a bad fantasy/adventure. But just too tedious, deliberate, and contrived.

Rating:
Summary: Wow.
Review: That says it all... Historically accurate, engrossing characters with struggles we can empathize with. Well Done.

Rating:
Summary: Another fantasy novel limited by its author
Review: I used to like fantasy novels, but now I'm beginning to realize how flat and uninspired many are. Byzantium is no exception. Perhaps with a better author, it could have been made into something. As it is however, Byzantium wears out anyone with a curious, discerning mind. Stephen R. Lawhead appears to have hit a glass ceiling with his character descriptions: try as he might, they never become real, flesh and blood individuals. Instead they, and the world they travel through, remain two-dimensional and uninvolving. The writing style is inconsistent, and the ending was not well thought through; the author simply does not have the writing prowess to lift his novels to a higher level. Byzantium is a readily forgotten, slow read, indistinguishable from the multitudes of cheap, unbelievable fantasy novels.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible book.
Review: Sometimes I find it hard to believe that the professional reviewers quoted at this site actually read the same book that I did. This is my absolute favorite book. Aidan is an incredibly human character forced to face obstacles to his faith greater than any man ever should. Or perhaps we should all face such obstacles; if we could come through them with our faith still intact, we would know that our faith is worth hanging on to. I highly reccomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent historical fiction. Vivid characters.
Review: This was a great read for historical fiction buffs. The characterizations left the reader with a few more fictional "friends" to think back upon. The brutality of the age, and the tentativeness of life are prevalent throughout. I truly enjoyed this book.

Rating:
Summary: A book about believing the unbelievable
Review: I picked up this book because the storyline looked interesting. As I started reading about Aidan, it was almost as if I was pushed into the story; Dugal at work(?). I became enthralled with the adventures of this simple 'monk' who was feeling as if GOD was abandoning him at each step in his life. Aidan's description of the life of Jesus Christ to the Viking's is one of the most powerful renditions I have ever seen/read. The powerful imagery presented makes one want to be/become a Christian. Not wanting to give away too much, I will just say that, for me, this is the kind of book you look for all your life, and then you find it; almost as if by devine intervention. Stephen has created a book that I will need to carry with me always. Present this book to your friends as a 'gift', which it truly is. If people haven't read it, don't tell them about it, just _give_ it to them. Thank you Stephen.