Legend of the Celtic Stone (Caledonia, 1)

Rating:
Summary: Carried Away
Review: Michael Phillips' presents an invitation at the beginning of this epic, an invitation to spend time with his book, to enjoy it. I accepted the invitation with a slight sense of skepticism--I'm often frustrated by the mediocre quality of Christian fiction, and this was the first Phillips' book I'd attempted...But I was soon carried away! Swept into a past, rich with characters, description, and historical relevance. The writing was superlative, the story compelling, and the mood vibrant with color and emotion. I was reminded more than once of the emotions and awe I sensed while reading "The Clan of the Cave Bear." I'm overjoyed to see a well-written novel of this grandeur published by Bethany House. Sure, this novel will be too long for some readers, too involved for some thrill-seekers, but my hats off to author and publisher for presenting quality literature for those willing to invest their time...It was worth it! Where's book two?

Rating:
Summary: Carried Away
Review: Michael Phillips' presents an invitation at the beginning of this epic, an invitation to spend time with his book, to enjoy it. I accepted the invitation with a slight sense of skepticism--I'm often frustrated by the mediocre quality of Christian fiction, and this was the first Phillips' book I'd attempted...But I was soon carried away! Swept into a past, rich with characters, description, and historical relevance. The writing was superlative, the story compelling, and the mood vibrant with color and emotion. I was reminded more than once of the emotions and awe I sensed while reading "The Clan of the Cave Bear." I'm overjoyed to see a well-written novel of this grandeur published by Bethany House. Sure, this novel will be too long for some readers, too involved for some thrill-seekers, but my hats off to author and publisher for presenting quality literature for those willing to invest their time...It was worth it! Where's book two?

Rating:
Summary: Bravo Caledonia
Review: On the historical novel scale, this one is pretty good for its information although it is no Michener in its historical accuracy. It is somewhat disconcerting to read detailed stories of ancient people who are completely made up, but the spirit of the ancient Celts who settled present day Scotland permeates the novel. Another fault is the perspective that all Druid practices were evil and satanic which smacks of fundamental Christian prejudice and intolerance, when in fact, the Roman Catholic Church was successful in such places by incorporating the good in pagan religions with Christian beliefs.
The modern story of a North England MP entranced with his Scottish roots is well done even though the theft of the Stone of Scone by Irish Druids is a bit far fetched and barely resolved thematically. Characterization is strong and empathy is developed for the characters.
There is much beautiful description of the Scottish landscape, especially in the historic chapters which flip from various ancient periods in non-chronological order; however, at least a third is repetitious and should have been left out. Despite the negative comments, the book as a whole gives a good if not totally historical account of Scotland's beginnings and what causes the modern Scot to have such fierce pride in his heritage.

Rating:
Summary: Spell-binding...
Review: Once I got into this story, I couldn't put it down. Every intertwining storyline caught my interest and pulled me further along in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense both from a criminal and from a romantic point of view.

Rating:
Summary: Spell-binding...
Review: Once I got into this story, I couldn't put it down. Every intertwining storyline caught my interest and pulled me further along in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense both from a criminal and from a romantic point of view.

Rating:
Summary: Betrayed by the author!
Review: The book does an excellent job of interweaving the stories of ancient Scotland with a modern day story. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book, but was stunned when the last part became hard-hitting Christian propaganda. Sharing a Christian message is one thing, but slamming the reader with a self-righteous tone as well as ignorantly referring to druidism as a satanic practice is too much. I felt betrayed when the previously enjoyable book took a severe right turn. Having said that, would I go on to read the second book in the series? Probably. The story itself was engrossing, but next time I'll be better prepared.

Rating:
Summary: Betrayed by the author!
Review: The book does an excellent job of interweaving the stories of ancient Scotland with a modern day story. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book, but was stunned when the last part became hard-hitting Christian propaganda. Sharing a Christian message is one thing, but slamming the reader with a self-righteous tone as well as ignorantly referring to druidism as a satanic practice is too much. I felt betrayed when the previously enjoyable book took a severe right turn. Having said that, would I go on to read the second book in the series? Probably. The story itself was engrossing, but next time I'll be better prepared.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Find
Review: This book was a rich taspitry of history told through the eyes of a troubled young man searching for self and where he fit in whole picture. I was hesitant to read this book knowing it came from a Christian publisher but the story premise was too compelling to pass up. I was mesmerized at the different albiet fictional accounts of the history of the Celts across history. I couldn't put it down, the top layer story was what held the whole concept together inviting the reader to quickly return to see what had happened next. The only draw back I had with the story was the heavy hand,at times, to make the Druids the bad guys implying now anyone who practises this is somehow evil. I am not sure why I expected something different from the author and his choice of publisher on this element, but all and all it didn't take much away from the story and I eagerly await the next installment in this uniquely plotted saga. I sure am glad to see that there are still publishers willing to publish the saga historicals of the past. This book is not to be missed by any serious readers who are looking for richly detailed Celtic stories. Jody Allen, Charter Member of RIO- Reviewers International Organization