The Shadow at Evening (The Lamb among the Stars) [Paperback]

Chris Walley (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Lamb among the Stars | Publication Date: September 1, 2004

In the spirit of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lamb among the Stars series weaves the worlds of science and the spirit, technology and the supernatural into something unique and haunting. On the faraway planet of Farholme, humans live in peace under the gentle rule of the Assembly. War and evil are ancient history. But suddenly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to change. Slowly a handful of men and women begin to realize that evil has returned and it must be fought.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in Wales, Chris Walley grew up in northern England. He studied earth sciences at university and has a doctorate in geology. He taught at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon from 1980 to 1984 and then returned to Wales and spent ten years as a consultant with the oil industry. He began writing in the late eighties and had two novels, Heart of Stone and Rock of Refuge, published under the pseudonym of John Haworth. In 1994, along with his family, Chris returned to Lebanon to teach again at AUB. In 1998, he came back to Wales and began writing again. He is currently fitting his writing in between teaching geology, environmental science, and geography at a local college. Chris and his wife live in an old cottage on the edge of Swansea.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 15 and up
  
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Thirsty (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414300670
• ISBN-13: 978-1414300672
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,391,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Simply Awesome!, June 11, 2005

By 

Michelle Vetter (Alpharetta, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shadow at Evening (The Lamb among the Stars) (Paperback)

I am awed by the masterpiece that Walley has created. It is rightly compared to C.S. Lewis's space trilogy, but I would not compare it to Tolkien as it has a very different style and flavor to it. It fits squarely in the science fiction genre as opposed to fantasy. After finishing the first book I am deeply thoughtful of the many theological and philosophical issues that have been raised, and the swift, meticulous current in which they were presented. God and His dealings with man and evil, as well as how technology and evolution fit into our understanding of God are the central themes. Even though this is a "Christian" book, I would suggest that those who do not claim to be Christians but enjoy science fiction might find it interesting and engrossing as well.

However, I would not have placed this book in the teen fiction category, as I think that it would be much more appealing to adults. There is nothing inherently offensive or adult in content, but the concepts and the style in which they are presented would be more appreciated by adults. I do think middle school age and below would have trouble both in understanding the major themes as well as finding it enjoyable.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new concept in the battle of good and evil, October 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Shadow at Evening (Paperback)

This is the first book that I have read which has such an unusual twist on the much used genere of good vs evil. It looks at the concept from a whole new angle and highlights perfectly the battle for mankinds soul. Starting with a pure society where only goodness and truth abound, it shows what happens when evil begins to encrouch on this perfect society. It begins with subtle changes in personality to then full blown war, isolating one of the newly created worlds from the rest of the Assembly. This is the first book in the series The Lamb Among the Stars and I look forward to reading the follow on books to see if evil is indeed defeated once again.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shadow at Evening Review, July 18, 2005

By 

Whiteravyn (Queensland, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Shadow at Evening (The Lamb among the Stars) (Paperback)

BLURB: Imagine a future that men and women can only dream of. It is a time where a trillion people live under the gentle rule of the Assembly on over a thousand inhabited worlds. A time where peace and stability have reigned unbroken for nearly twelve thousand years; a time where war and evil are merely ancient history.

Now imagine what happens when, on Farholme - a Made World at the very edge of the Assembly - strange things begin to happen. A girl sees an impossible creature, a stranger from Ancient Earth comes in answer to a troubling vision and people begin to say, do and think things that oppose everything the Assembly stands for. And slowly, incredulously, a handful of men and women come to recognise the unthinkable: evil has returned and that, once more, it must be fought.


The main thing I found fascinating about this book and still do was the long-term creation process of the Made Worlds. I found that sci-fi aspect alone brilliant and intriguing; I had never come across an idea quite like that before (and I read a lot of sci-fi). I found the characterisation in this book well done, especially the development of Merral and Vero's characters, and the society in which they live was also extremely well written. I mean, really - can YOU imagine what the world(s) would be like after Christ comes back and everyone is at peace? Most people wonder how that could be and the people still live productive lives, but Chris Walley has written what I think is a great example of a society that lives in total peace, but not unrealistically lovey-dovey or anything ridiculous like that. The people are realistic and solid in personality, which I applaud loudly. The sci-fi aspects of terraforming, Below-Space and other technology of the Assembly worlds were facinating, and (I believe) handled in a realistic way.

I give this book five stars, because I thought it was a really great addition to the Christian sci-fi genre - and the sci-fi genre in general. Those who aren't Christian may find some aspects of this strange, being obviously Christian in origin, but they may enjoy the major theme of good and evil and the sci-fi aspects interesting enough to read this anyway.

I would definately not class this book in the 'teen' catagory. I think the themes and some of the sci-fi aspects would be better appreciated by older readers, but that's not to say that teens wouldn't enjoy it thoroughly as well, just that adult readers would also be well-satisfied.

My compliments to the author! :)