The Shadow and Night (The Lamb Among the Stars, Book 1) [Hardcover]

Chris Walley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

In the first book in the epic Lamb among the Stars series, author Chris Walley weaves the worlds of science and the spirit, technology and supernatural into something unique in science fiction. Twelve thousand years into the future, the human race has spread across the galaxy to hundreds of terraformed worlds. The effects of the Fall have been diminished by the Great Intervention, and peace and contentment reign under the gentle rule of the Assembly. But suddenly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to change. On the remotest planet of Farholme, Forester Merral D’Avanos hears one simple . . . lie. Slowly a handful of men and women begin to realize that evil has returned and must be fought. What will this mean for a people to whom war and evil are ancient history? Thus begins the epic that has been described as “If C. S. Lewis and Tolkien had written Star Wars.”
The Shadow and Night was previously published in two volumes: The Shadow at Evening and The Power of the Night.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I have travelled far in the realms of fantasy and sci-fi… to Narnia, Empyrion, Middle Earth, Byntar and Albion, but never have I journeyed so far away as this book has taken me. Nor does anything even come close to the distance we encounter in 'The Shadow and Night'. As I opened the book and read the first pages, the thought came to me: perhaps this is the story I have been waiting all my life to read – or the tale I have always wanted to write. Well, not quite. But darned close to it. (Grace Bridges )

From the Inside Flap

Imagine a future that today’s generation can only dream of. A trillion people live under the gentle rule of the Assembly on over a thousand Made Worlds. Peace and stability have reigned for nearly twelve thousand years, and war and evil are merely ancient history. But all that is about to change.

On Farholme—a Made World at the edge of the Assembly—strange and troubling things are happening. Slowly, incredulously, a handful of men and women come to recognize the unthinkable: Evil has returned once more, and it must be fought. Forester Merral D’Avanos and his friends are entrusted with the daunting task of confronting their world’s elusive enemy.

Now isolated from the rest of the Assembly, Farholme must fight its battles alone. It falls to Merral to lead the untried forces of Farholme into war against opponents well-hidden and armed with strange powers. Yet even as he faces extraordinary and terrifying foes, Merral finds he has an unexpected enemy—himself.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 15 and up
  
• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; First Edition edition (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414313276
• ISBN-13: 978-1414313276
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,112,686 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 Finally - a GOOD Christian SciFi novel, October 17, 2007

By 

John G. Everett "Jazz Goat" (North Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shadow and Night (The Lamb Among the Stars, Book 1) (Hardcover)

This series will really challenge the 'pre-trib', "He's coming tomorrow" crowd. It requires a long period during which the Gospel permeates human society. While I believe that Jesus's coming has ALWAYS been immanent, this story reaches far into the future, and posits for the reader's consideration a civilization where the implications of the Gospel are fully lived out, insofar as can be expected by fallen man.

The 'slow start' mentioned in another review is necessary for the author to depict this lovely society. Stick with it! It's worth it, and necessary to create the context for the reappearance of evil. It is all done without the syrupy didactic tone of so many other Christian fiction works.

This is not 'fantasy' in the genre of C.S. Lewis's "Narnia" or even the heavily alegorical "Out of the Silent Planet" trilogy'. This is REAL SciFi. This series has the future technology and whiz-bang stuff I would expect in good SciFi.

Further, so much of modern SciFi has objectionable material in it: Sexual sin, foul language, and even overt blasphemy. This is good, CLEAN, fun.

Finally, I want to say that this is the first SciFi written as Christian literature that didn't absolutely stink from a SciFi fan's viewpoint. All the others I read were 'yawners', because I knew what would happen next. They were just making characters walk through the stock Hal Lindsey, pre-trib scenarios. This one is a whole new world.

Buy it! Read it! Love it!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story, February 22, 2007

By 

Barbara Warren - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shadow and Night (The Lamb Among the Stars, Book 1) (Hardcover)

When I watch the news I sometimes wonder what it would be like to live in a world where evil didn't exist. What if we didn't need an army, or police, or weapons? Where no one lied, everyone could be trusted, and envy was unheard of? Well, that's the way it was in Farholme, a Made World, copied from Ancient earth, until Merral Stefan D'Avanos saw what he thought was a meteor streaking against the night sky. Suddenly, the peaceful world of Farholme began to change.

At first he barely noticed the changes. There were just hints that something was wrong; a deception, a vision, a show of fear. Then Vero, a Sentinel from Ancient Earth showed up to check out what was going on. As Vero and Merral began the investigation, they became embroiled in a desperate battle agains the powers of evil. At first they didn't understand what was happening to Farholme, but both men believed in God and they were willing to follow wherever He led them.

Chris Walley has created a world so vivid it seems almost real. This is a fascinating story of the battle between good and evil with a different twist. Full of action and suspense and engaging characters, it pulled me into the story from page one.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!!, January 8, 2007

By 

All About Books (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Shadow and Night (The Lamb Among the Stars, Book 1) (Hardcover)

I just finished reading the two books that actually make up this single hardcover - Shadow At Evening and Power of the Night (accidentally rebought this book thinking it was a sequel - it's not). My 13 year old son recommended the books to me and I was extremely impressed with the quality of the story and the way that Chris Walley knits together a compelling sci-fi story with a Christian point of view. As a long time sci-fi/fantasy reader, I didn't think it was really possible for it to be done in a believable way, but he does it. His main character's evolution as he comes into contact with evil is a challenge for all believers! A must-read!