Customer Reviews

The Endless Knot (Song of Albion, Book 3)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Don't give up on this one! It slow in catching fire, but once it does...oh, boy--watch this story burn!

Similar to the third installment of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," Lawhead's third Albion book starts somewhat slow and atmospheric, but succeeds in setting the stage for greater things to come. We follow Llew's journey as a king and husand, watching as he falls in love with his land and his lady. When both are threatened, "The Endless Knot" comes alive, following Llew, Cynan, Scytha, and the Ravens as they journey to the Foul Land in search of the kidnapped brides.

The depictions of evil and malice are imaginative and memorable, and even more awe-inspiring are the victories of the Swift Sure Hand toward the end of the trilogy. For the first time in this series, I felt my breath taken away as it has been at times in reading Tolkien's masterpiece. This book contains imagery beyond anything I've read by Lawhead before, and he tidely--if not a bit quickly--ties it all together at the end with a clear connection between Llew's sacrifice for his bride and the sacrifice of Christ for his church (his bride, as well).

Though the biblical allegory is minimal, it's effective. We reach the end of the story exhilarated and exhausted, only to find we are back at the story's beginning. In this clever manner, Lawhead demonstrates the circle of life and "The Endless Knot." Instead of feeling knotted up, I felt freed...by the story, by the prose, by the clear and purifying Song of Albion.

If literature is music, then Lawhead's "Song of Albion" trilogy is a profound symphony, with a tremendously passionate ending. In the final book of the series, "The Endless Knot" (which sees the welcome return of Llew as the narrator), both the High King Llew and his ally King Cynan find themselves wives: Llew the beautiful Goewyn, and Cynan the mysterious Tangwen. Without becoming sappy or secular in his depiction, Lawhead shows the beauty of pure and passionate love between husband and wife. But Llew's joy is quickly dashed as the two queens are abducted and carried off to distant lands. Accompanied by their warband and the bard Tegid, Llew and Cynan set off in pursuit. The quest through hostile lands and far-off places turns into a Tolkienesque journey, as the land itself becomes the essence of evil, with putrid smells and hidden enemies. As they venture into the heart of evil through the Foul Land (Tir Aflan), our heroes must battle a hostile landscape and its corrupt creatures which have been awakened by evil, such as the dreaded Wyrm which has been awakened by evil. When they finally discover the source of the evil that has stolen their brides and threatened Albion, the shock is greater than ever, because it ushers in a final battle is against the intruder Simon (Siawn).

The conflict reaches an apocalyptic climax in the closing pages, as Llew and Simon meet face to face. The cruel bondage of many that Llew seeks to liberate is a clear portrayal of the horrific slavery to Satan. Meanwhile in Llew, Lawhead paints a portrait of the work of Christ as Messianic king, who "becomes justice for his people" who in turn can "shelter beneath his protection" (p82). Like Christ, Llew sacrifices his own life to rescue his bride. And just as the Bride of Christ will be completely redeemed on the day of His return, so Llew's arrival culminates in a grand conflagration that purifies the world of evil and transforms it to perfection. "Out of the molten heat, I saw the foul land of Tir Aflan recast, reshaped, and in fire reborn. Nothing escaped the refining fire of his irresistible will: all imperfection, all ugliness, all weakness and deformity, all frailty, infirmity, disease, deficiency and defect, every fault and failing, every blight and every blemish, every flaw effaced, purged, and purified...When the fire at last subsided, Tir Aflan had been consumed and its elements transmuted in a finer, more noble conception: recreated with a grandeur as far surpassing its former degradation as if an old garment had been [taken] away and not merely restored, but replaced with a raiment of unrivalled splendor." (p394). Lawhead's extensive description of this cosmic transformation is moving, and all the more moving because of its deep spiritual significance for Christians.

Llew's dazed shock at returning to the real world in the end mirrors the reader's emptiness after a passionate and profound journey to the other world. "How could anyone ever understand even the smallest, most minute part of all I had experienced? I had been a king in Albion! I had fought battles and slain enemies, and had, in turn, been killed. Only, instead of going on to another world, I had been returned to the one I had left. Nothing had changed. It was as if nothing had happened at all. All I had done, all I had experienced meant nothing." (p411) Yet Llew also returns with a new understanding of is present world. After witnessing the reminder of Christ's sacrifice at the celebration of the Lord's Supper in a local church, he realizes the profound significance of his own experiences for the present. "This is my body, broken for you ... Ancient words, words from beyond the creation of the world. Words to explain all that had happened to me. Like a star exploding in the frigid void of space,understanding detonated in my brain. I knew, knew, what it meant...Albion had been transformed - and this world was no longer the same either. Though not as obviously manifest, the great change had already taken place. And I would find it hidden in a million places: subtle as yeast, working away quietly, unseen and unknown, yet gently, powerfully, altering everything radically. I knew, as I knew the meaning of the Eucharistic words of Holy Kingship, that the rebirth of Albion and the renewal of this world were one. The Hero Feat had been performed." (p413). Llew has a deeper understanding of the growing kingdom of Christ as a result of his heroic and sacrificial death that redeemed his bride, the Church. It is this understanding that makes a journey to Albion more than worthwhile. The return to the real world is dazing, but one returns with a renewed excitement about Christ's kingdom.

In the end, the Song of Albion is like a literary symphony, with powerful profoundness and passion that captures your heart and sweeps you off your feet, and a magnificent finale that leaves you astounded as the echoes of the last note fade away. Like any great symphony, "The Endless Knot" is literary music that unravels your emotions. By ending this tremendous series with such a brilliant and emotional conclusion, the "Song of Albion" has more than matched Lawhead's "Pendragon Cycle", and given it a place among the greatest in contemporary Christian fantasy. If words are music, then this is a song for the heart, soul and mind well worth listening to!

Well, here we go. This is the light at the end of the tunnel, and what a journey it's been so far.

A treacherous claimant to the throne of Albion has been defeated. Now Llew Silver Hand rigtfully and completely reigns as Aird Righ (High King) of Albion and all seems right. He and Lady Goewyn admit their love for each other during a festive celebration and soon a wedding is in full swing. I loved the gentleness of the passion shown between the two without it becoming crude or overly explicit.

However, as is soon discovered, all is NOT right, yet, within Albion. Llew is hearbroken to think that just as his kingship is established he must leave Albion forever. He insists that the giving of his silver hand means that he must have someting more to do... a further task to accomplish in Albion, and indeed he does.

The final part of this BEAUTIFUL three act play concerns the retrieval of a treasure known as the Singing Stones (stones that hold thanks to magical means the ancient "Song Of Albion", and which played a prominent role in both THE PARADISE WAR and THE SILVER HAND), along with the kidnapping and rescue of Queen Goewyn from the clutches of the villainous Siawn Hy (Simon Rawnson under his Celtic name).

I really loved the many parallels in all three books between the ancient Celtic world and that of Christianity. The most moving thing to me in the book is the way in which the goal is achived. The sacrificial death of High King Llew for the sake of Goewyn and his people transforms Albion back to a state even greater than its former pristine glory, and mirrors perfectly the sacrificial death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus that saved the souls of the entire world. Fittingly, when Lewis is sent home, the people of this world have a new eagerness and fervor and a greater genuine love for Jesus. Just as Albion is restored, this world gets changed in quite a dramatic way too. Also, the romantic aspect of Llew's life does take a gently uplifting turn at the end of the book but I won't spoil that for you. Read it yourself and find out. ;)

All in all, the only thing I didn't like about this book is the fact that it's conclusion means that the Song Of Albion series is over and complete. I find myself wishing there was more to read, more to tell. A sure sign that a series has touched you is that you wish there was more, and this series definitely did that for me. I find an earlier reviewer's comparison with a powerful and passionate symphony more than fitting. GREAT work Stephen. My hat is off to you forever for writing such a great of work.

The Song of Albion trilogy are some of the best books I have ever read!! They deserve 10 stars! I read fiction critically, paying attention not only to the quality of plot, but also quality of writing and, most importantly, development of characters. Stephen Lawhead's books in general, and this trilogy in particular, satisfy me in every detail. The plots are original and very well researched, and the writing is excellent, with inspiring but not over-used metaphors and subtle alliteration. The characterization is excellent! I could not believe when reading some of these reviews that the reviewer had read the same books that I did. I can truly say that I have never read books in which the characters are better developed than in these. These books deserve to be compared with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which are my all-time favorite books!

Read these books if you like, as I do: Celtic mythology; high fantasy; believable fictional characters; writing that is at once both poetic and gritty; anything written by Tolkien; well-written fantasy with Christian values...I could go on, actually--let's just say READ THESE BOOKS.

For those people who thought that the Celtic mythology setting of these books was not accurate and rather forced, I beg to disagree. Having studied Celtic mythology informally quite a lot for the past couple of years, I happen to know that these books are VERY well researched. The more that I learn about Celtic mythology, the more I am impressed by the accuracy of the Song of Albion setting. You will have learned more than you know, as you will find if these books inspire you to look further into this fascinating genre of mythology! And the Otherworld setting is, to me, very believable. I could almost believe it is real. It was a mysterious experience to visit a full-sized model of Stonehenge at sunset, during the time-between-times.

Another great thing about these books is that musicians Jeff Johnson and Brian Dunning have written music to go with them. I originally heard of these books through this music. I have all the "Songs from Albion" CDs and highly recommend them, especially if you like contemporary Celtic-style music that is original composition, with a touch of New Age, rock, and medieval styles.

That is my review of the series. About this book in particular--I do not need to go over the plot since that has already been done here, and I would not want to ruin it for you anyway. Although it is still very good, this was my least favorite of the three books in this trilogy. It seemed a bit drawn out, as if the author ran out of things to say before the 400 pages were full. But there are still many important ends tied up. The ending may be to some people disappointing, although it was certainly "coming" no matter what. I will not give it away, but you will probably also be very surprised by the ending. While the "end" is not hard to guess for a reader of the first two books, you will never guess the "means"!

Well, I'm done raving now. READ THESE BOOKS!!!!!!!!!

A wedding, a fire, a set of Celtic legends, a kidnapping, a choice, and a dangerous quest into the wilderness.

In the third and final book of the Song of Albion Trilogy Lawhead takes us to the end of our journey--or perhaps the beginning. It is yet another well-thought-out well-researched book full of not only a dynamic plot, poignant relatable characters, and unforseen twists; but also a resivoire of knowledge of Celtic mythology. The depth of Lawhead's understanding and interweaving of the myth is breathtaking and brilliant.

This is THE best trilogy I have ever picked up, and, though I don't often do this, I forsee myself reading them again.

I believe that one of the marks of a classic is that it can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Well, this book certainly fit. I'm 11, and I loved it! Another is that it can discussed for a long period of time. I finished this book a while before my dad and after he finished it, we discussed it for half an hour. There was quite a bit of symbolism combined with Christianity to make you wonder for a long time. One thing that he suggested near the end of the book is that everyone in our world has a parallel in Albion. I noticed a few similarites between Cynan and the old Simon, as well as Tegid and Professor Nettleton. Lewis probably didn't have one, since he was the hero. Book Two ended without a cliffhanger and a happy ending. At the end, this one almost made me cry. Too many plot details have already been revealed, so I won't tell you anymore. This trilogy is one of the best of all time, up there with Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. However, if you are a kid, have your parents read them first and make sure they're all right for you. It's fairly graphic and has some...ahhh...content. (If you catch my drift) I guess the point of my review is: BUY THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed.

I just finished the last book and have lots of thoughts about it. This review covers the trilogy in general:

1. I loved the beginning of Book 1, which had a humorous tone and was set in modern day Oxford. It reminded me of Brideshead Revisited in some ways, and was so laugh-out-loud funny that I wish the author would set a fantasy novel solely in modern day Oxford.

2. Because I loved the setup so much, I was taken aback by some of the character development later on. (I won't give away any plot but you probably know which character I'm talking about if you read it.) I just didn't believe some of the changes based on the beginning, even after reading the entire trilogy and the author's explanation. I do think some of his characters were too "black" or "white" and had too many motivations based on plot convenience, but that's okay. I also think he does better character development in his new Robin Hood trilogy - more complex.

3. The author does a great job of world building, with lots of description and a real sense of being there and experiencing the Celtic world. Sometimes, I could do with a little less description and more plot/dialogue, but that's just me.

4. I think his female characters can be a little boring - amazingly beautiful, wise, graceful, and good, they're sometimes interchangeable. I wish he'd mix things up a little and make them more flawed/human.

5. As a Christian reader, I got a lot out of all three books spiritually and really liked some of his analogies to the Christian life.

6. I was satisfied with the plot in general. Some things I guessed at the end. Others, I had no clue. It was a fairly wild ride and I had a lot of fun reading it.

When it was all over, I spent a lot of time thinking about it and had trouble getting it out of my head. For me, overall, it was a 5-star read. Very enjoyable and definitely recommended.

I really enjoyed the entire Song of Albion, but Lawhead occasionally drags his stories on a bit too long trying to create a mood. All the action of The Endless Knot takes place in the first hundred and last twenty pages or so. However, Lawhead IS an excellent writer, and able to draw the reader into his alternate universe. I just could have done with less tramping through the Forbidden Land.

Mr. Lawhead is one of those authors that you discover and wonder why you have never read him before. I started out on his new book Hood and hve not stopped. I devoured the whole Song of Albion trilogy in out four days and have also just finished Bynantium. While his story lines are certainly not always the same, he is always an excellent and entertaining read. You should of course have already read the first two volumes of the trilogy before you read this one but The Endless Knot will definitely satisfy the readers need for conclusion even if a quirky one.

This is the final book in the Song of Albion trilogy. I really liked the book, don't get me wrong, but in my opinion this was my least favorite. It is slower than the other books to really get going and once it does get going it has a darker, almost hopeless tone as they travel though the evil island of Tir Aflan where the environment itself is one of the most potent enemies. However, all the things you like about the first two books are there. The characters, good and bad, the rich descriptions of the environment and great battles.

Small spoiler alert...

If I had one nitpit, it is that the ending (which is great the way it brings us full circle) doesn't tell us anything about the future/fate of those left in Albion. I know there was no way to do that and still do the ending right, but I couldn't help but wonder about what happens to the characters that you've cared about for three books.

Still an excellent story and if you read the first two, you've got to read this one!