Byzantium [Import] [Hardcover]

Stephen R. Lawhead (Author), Richard Hasselberger (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 500 pages
• Publisher: HarperPrism; First Edition first Printing edition (1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002246368
• ISBN-13: 978-0002246361
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (135 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,234,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen R. Lawhead is a prolific and bestselling author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. He is best known for his King Raven trilogy, a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend, and Pendragon Cycle, centering on the King Arthur legend. Other notable works include the Song of Albion, Celtic Crusades and Dragon King Trilogies, Byzantium, Patrick, Avalon, and the works of science-fiction Dream Thief and Empyrion saga. Lawhead makes his home in Oxford, England, with his wife.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Lawhead book to date!, September 2, 1999

By 

Donovan D. Mattole "songofalbion" (Silverton, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Byzantium (Mass Market Paperback)

Now that I've read The Iron Lance and Avalon, I thought I'd stop in and read the reviews on Byzantium (I previously reviewed this book on July 27, 1997, but since they are now refering to me only as "a reader" I felt entitled to say something else). I was surprised by a few (to say the least). I honestly think Byzantium is Lawhead's best book ever. I loved Avalon, but it still didn't pass Byzantium as my all time favorite. If you like historical fiction or just want an excellent story with extremely well developed characters - this is the book for you. The important thing is to read the book with an open heart for the powerful message that is portrayed. It is a true story of redemption. I think one of the reasons I loved the book so much is I felt a kinship with the main character, Aidan, unlike I have with any other fictional character. After you read this, read the Celtic Crusade books, beginning with The Iron Lance. These continue the story and you'll see what happened to Byzantium a few hundred years later. Happy reading!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, January 17, 2007

By 

Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Byzantium (Mass Market Paperback)

At nearly 900 pages this book is amazing in many ways. First, you read that much in such a short time, for once you have picked it up you will find yourself unable to put it down. This book is a fictional retelling of St. Aidan's life. St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Ontario has a St. Aidan's Chapel that has a beautiful set of tapestries depicting the life of this servant of God. St. Aidan died in 651 after serving at home in Iona, among the Gauls - first as a slave and then as a Bishop, and he even visited Byzantium in his lifetime, and the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire.

I was familiar with this church and with the artwork depicting Aidan's life. Yet it was not until almost halfway through the book, that I slapped my forehead and said 'Aidan the monk = St. Aidan'. The book is so craft- fully written that one easily becomes so lost in the story that it did not even click that I knew about this tale.

Lawhead is a master wordsmith, who is most know for his Arthurian legend series, or his Celtic series, yet this stand-alone novel is every bit as much worth the time and attention as his other better-known works. This book was a departure for Lawhead, in that it was written from the beginning as a stand-alone. Therefore, if you do not like getting sucked into a series, where you need to read 4 or 5 books to get the whole story, this book is a great starting point in Lawhead's works.

The story in this novel is powerful and moving. It is the story of a young man who was taken as a slave and later returned as a Minister, and eventually as a Bishop. It is the story of the spread of Christendom, and the story of service. Once you begin you will not be able to put this book down. So be warned!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best novels I've ever read, January 25, 2000

By 

Timotheus Josephus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Byzantium (Mass Market Paperback)

This was the first Stephen Lawhead book I'd ever read. How could I not have known about him earlier?

"Byzantium" has everything you could want in a story. Suspense, drama, love, heartbreak, despair, elation, and action. The main character is so well developed that it feels like you're experiencing his emotions right along with him.

If you enjoy fantasy or any sort of medieval historical fiction, then you MUST read this book. I cannot imagine that you would be disappointed.