Deepak Chopra's Lords of Light: A Novel [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Deepak Chopra (Creator), Martin Greenberg (Creator), Michael Corbett (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1999

Michael Aulden, an American doctor working in the war-torn Middle East, thinks he has seen it all-- the devastating ravages of war, human bodies desecrated beyond recognition, the pain and misery of gaping psychological and physical wounds-- the worst kinds of destruction humankind can create. But nothing has prepared him for the evil he is about to experience.

In a cave in Iraq, a young man known as the Prophet prepares to unleash a terror of epic proportions. His goal: to upset the balance of good and evil on Earth. and Michael, one of only thirty-six pure souls who can save the planet, must summon all his powers to stop the Prophet before a worldwide apocalypse transforms the Earth into the darkest hell imaginable.

Filled with insightful storytelling and illuminating adventure, Lords of Light is a story of overwhelming power that not only entertains but also teaches us poignant lessons about our own lives and sheds startling new light on issues humanity has struggled with since the beginning of time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chopra (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind) is a name-brand nonfiction author, having offered his message of spiritual healing in a variety of books and audios. Now he has teamed with Greenberg (cocreator of Tom Clancy's Power Plays series) to add adventure fiction to his output. The setting is the Syrian Desert, in the area of Baghdad and Damascus. Michael Aulden is an American surgeon, doing relief work among the war-torn local peoples. He has been drawn to this mission by his "questions, ideals, dilemmas." Among these are recurring religious visionsA"fevered revelations" that appear to him in dreamsAof Armageddon. When he discovers an Islamic prophet named Ishmael, he fears that ruin will soon be visited on earth. Aulden must reach within himself, test his own supernatural powers, to see if he, too, can affect fate. Corbett's zealous narrational style plays up the story's portentous leanings: action-adventure served up as a life lesson for the ages. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's mass market paperback. (Apr.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-A sort of Pilgrim's Progress by way of The Celestine Prophecy, this allegory of a soul's education is the first of a series. Michael Aulden, an American doctor working to repair bodies ravaged by war in the Middle East, encounters Ishmail, a false prophet who emerges from the desert bringing both ecstatic visions and devastation in his wake. Michael is one of the few souls strong enough to see beyond Ishmail's illusions, and he undergoes a series of trials that challenge his assumptions about the nature of reality and lead eventually to a resolution of his inner conflicts. Along the way, he and readers learn much about Jewish, Christian, and Islamic history and the traditions underlying concepts such as Armageddon, the Messiah, the Kabbalah, love, evil, illusion, and free will. Michael's journey is a mystery (in both literary senses: a spiritual story, and a detective adventure) that does finally achieve a satisfactory resolution for metaphysically minded readers. Written with the narrative pace and snappy style of a popular thriller, the tale, though a bit overlong, is leavened with colorful, believable, and often humorous characters and events. Paradoxically, the light touch and realism are juxtaposed with hallucinatory episodes and unsettling (and sometimes confusing) plot twists. This book obviously is not for everybody, but it is very well done, and will appeal to teens exploring alternative spiritual paths, to those troubled by events in the Middle East, and to readers of contemporary fantasy.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Abridged edition (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559275464
• ISBN-13: 978-1559275460
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,427,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Founder of The Chopra Foundation
Senior Scientist, The Gallup Organization
www.deepakchopra.com
www.facebook.com/DeepakChopraCommunity
www.twitter.com/deepakchopra

As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of over sixty books with eighteen New York Times best sellers in both the fiction and non fiction categories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars -a satisfying read-, December 21, 2003

By 

Mr Formidable "Maxammax" (Vancouver BC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lords of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a good book to read. I bought my copy when it first came out a few years ago and found it hard to put down. I am neither a outspoken critic or a "follower" of Deepak and I found this novel worthy of merit on its own , without making general reference to the authors past work in non-fiction and in fiction.

It sort of cleverly grabs you from the first few pages and beckons you with bare hints that an unfolding mystery is sure to follow should you continue reading. I found myself easily identifying with the religious and idealogical morass the protagonist experiences, and it seems revelant to the day and age in which we live.

Thick, compact and easily readable (to be fair, I did find some parts overly-breezy) without being overly simplistic or pollyannish, it provides an engaging reading experience. The author takes care to not produce something overly dense, causing the reader to become bored and lose interest; choosing not to bog and mire the reader down with sidebar note fuzzy pseudo religio-philisophical concepts.

This book could be just what the Dr. ordered to ease the mind and achieve a serene calm from the ripple effects of an increasingly troubled and chaotic world as we search to seek out and re-adjust our position in it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, November 17, 2000

By 

J. Ray (PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lords of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

This new genre of "spiritual fiction" has many more misses than hits. I would call this one a near hit. Near because it starts out great and had me right with it until the last few chapters, then I sorta lost interest. The story takes some odd turns and although it does make some important points, it seemed to miss others. If you are interested in a good spiritual novel, check out "The Destiny of Miro" by Julie Rae Rickard. It is a great combination of spiritual ideas in a fictional format. A great read.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This Book is TRYING to Say Something, December 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lords of Light (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is trying to illustrate a philosophy but may lose a lot of people in the translation. I found the book scarey in that we don't often know who is good and who is evil or if good and evil even exist. I wish the point was more clear.