Customer Reviews

The Silver Hand (Song of Albion, Volume 2)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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. This is the best of the three books, imo. It is poignantly beautiful. The ending nearly made me cry for joy! (For someone who commented that the magical events have no explanation, when did magical events ever have an explanation in fantasy? They just are.) When I finished this book I did not want to start the third one, because the ending was so wonderful I just wanted it to stay that way forever. As for everything else in the book, it is all really good too. :-)

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

Lawhead continues his stunning "Song of Albion" series with this sequel to "The Paradise War". Once again this effort bears all the hallmarks of good literature - articulate language, imaginative worlds, mystery and suspense, fairy-tale magic, noble kings and princesses, and enduring themes of justice, sovereignty, truth and right. Lawhead creates a fantastic atmosphere similar to the 1001 Arabian Nights, but on a grander and more glorious scale. While fantastic fiction, the passions of sorrow and joy Lawhead arouses with his story are very real. Lawhead has the ability to draw a reader to heights of joy and exuberance, and dash them to the depths of tragedy and tears. Few writers can make readers cry with joy and with sorrow, but Lawhead is certainly one in this class. There are depths of sorrow that make you weep, and heights of glory that make you cry out! The moment when Llew's hand is cut off, and Tegid is blinded stands out as a striking example of literary fiction with the power to create passion.

While the first book in the series was narrated by Llew, this novel sees a disturbing shift in perspective as the bard Tegid assumes the role of narrator. This inexplicable shift takes some getting used to, as we have identified with Llew and grown to love him and see the other world through his eyes, but in the end it doesn't detract from the story. Unlike the story of the first book, in "The Silver Hand" the modern world doesn't really enter the picture, and all the focus is on events in the other world of Albion. After the cruel murder of Meldryn Mawr, Llew (student Lewis Gillies in the real world) is chosen by the bard Tegid Tathal as the new king. But Llew's kingship is challenged by Meldryn's son Meldron, who is allied with the king's former champion Paladyr and Llew's former friend Siawn (Simon in the real world). After Meldron slaughters Albion's bards, all of Albion is threatened by his rebellion, enslaved by his depraved desire for dominion, and plunged into civil war. Left for dead by Melron, Llew and Tegid regroup and build Dinas Dwr, a city on a lake, to where the faithful remnant of Albion come and pledge their allegiance. But that's just the beginning. Will Llew prevail and will the true kingdom be restored over against the evil that threatens it?

Again Lawhead draws on much Biblical imagery, as the following allusions illustrate: The Psalms: "The Goodly-Wise heard our song and reached down with his Swift Sure Hand and plucked us out of the sea - and out of the grave Meldron intended." (p93); God's providence: "there surged within me a sudden conviction that we had been led to this place; the Goodly-Wise had directed our steps." (p100); The sabbath rest: "In my world, people are granted a day of rest from their labours - one day in every seven. In past times it was a jealously guarded gift, though now it is no longer recognized as such." (p192); The three meeting of the three Old Testament strands of prophet, priest and king in a Messiah figure: "Prydain, Meldryn Mawr, Ollathir, in these three did the essence of Albion reside. And now these three strands met in one person: Llew" (p344); Dependence on God: "I raised my staff as they passed and called upon the Swift Sure Hand to uphold them through the fight; I invoked the Goodly-Wise to guide their steps; I entreated the Gifting Giver to grant them the victory." (p351) All in all, it's classic Lawhead, a thoroughly worthy sequel as the magnificent Song of Albion continues! Lawhead, please keep that pen singing!

In this second book of the "Song of Albion" series, Lawhead fleshes out his landscape and characters, yes, and even the villians. For some reason, he switches narrators and unnecessarily forces the reader to make a mental jump, but once that jump is made, the story breezes along.

Tegid, the bard, and Llew, the reluctant king, set about carving a new life for themselves while Meldron, the usurper, thinks they're dead. They have time to rebuild and form a company of sorts, but when Meldron catches on to their survival, we know the showdown will eventually come--and to mostly satisfactory results.

Lawhead fills his story with rich details and memorable scenes, but, as in the first book, he makes some apparent blunders. Though I was intrigued by the re-appearance of Nettles from the first book, his character never played a true role in the events of the story. Lawhead seemed to set him up for significance, then let me down. This type of thing happens occasionally in Lawhead's writing, whether due to poor plotting or forgetfulness, I do not know.

Overall, though, I have to give this book a glowing recommendation. Once finished and set aside, I couldn't get it out of my mind. The scenes were still there, the characters still breathing, the questions still rumbling through my thoughts. Maybe, in this fictitous world come to life, like the real world we inhabit, people and events don't always react or go as planned. Maybe, there are bigger purposes, as of yet unknown to this reader. Maybe, I don't care...I just want to believe the Otherworld is out there, and the Song of Albion is being sung, bringing life to all who hear it.

After the somewhat disappointing first book in this series, The Silver Hand turned to be quite good. The plot is exciting, the action is non-stop, and the Celtic lore was very interesting. Moreover, there were moments in this novel when I had to put the book down because could believe what had just happened. People are maimed, women raped and murdered, entire nations put to the sword. In fact, there were times when I thought the violence depicted went too far, but I also felt it was in keeping with the setting and alternate time period so it had to he accepted. If I had to make one complaint about the novel, it's that the ending was tied up a little too neatly, but not so bad that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the novel.

Here we are again, Lewis Gillies has returned to the land of Albion to complete unfinished business. King Meldryn Mawr is dead and his killer must be brought to justice. These two things begin the second leg of this intriguing journey through Albion. No longer the awed American scholar. Lewis has a new name, Llydd Ap Dicter (Anger, Son of Fury) and has found new life among Albion's people.

Llydd is soon forced to face a monumental decision and realizes that in order to do that which he originally set out to do, he must bend himself to the will of wise bard and friend Tegid Tethal regarding a crucial subject. Now that Meldryn Mawr is dead, Albion and her people need a new King. Therefore, due to his closeness qirh Meldryn, Llydd is chosen King and given the name Llew.

Naturally the dawn of Llew's Kingship does not sit well with others among the populace and stiff opposition is faced. During the conflict, flight, and journey that ensues Llew will grow to be called Silver Hand, for a reason that is self-explanatory but I will not divulge it. Read it yourself and see how it fits into the story well.
The meat of this book is the story of the quest to oust a villainous claimant to the throne of Albion. Again, it is filled with rich examples of Celtic legend and lore. Tegid's use of songs and stories to convey lessons is quite effective and touching. The love between Lady Goewyn and Llew Silver Hand is explored again, after being hinted at and begun in THE PARADISE WAR. The friendships, relationships, and love (and hate) between various characters is written convincingly and engagingly.

All in all this is a great book and a worthy sequel to THE PARADISE WAR. Again you may find it difficult to put it down and wish that you never had to leave the world established by this book and this series. But that's just the mark of a great writer taking you on a journey through a great story. And that's just what THE SILVER HAND is, step two of a wonderful and engaging story.

This book gets off to an odd start with the switch of the narrator. I understand why it was done, but you don't know who the narrator is until a few pages in. However, once you get used to the fact that Tegid is narrating, it's a deep read with rich descriptions and an activity that bounces you all over, which can be distracting.

It's an interesting book about the right of kings and of sovereignty. What exactly does a king mean to the people, the land or to himself? I think that this is a question that bothers Llew throughout the book. The answer isn't clearly defined, and you see the destined king stumble, but the pondering of the question is a valuable task.

That said, I would say that there is a lack of depth to the plot. You know that everything is supposed to come out right at the end. Things that should be difficult to accomplish are dispatched with ease. However, I enjoyed this book and will pick up the 3rd book in the series to finish it off.

This is my favorite of all the Lawhead books. The characters, for reasons it is hard for me to describe, became extremely real to me. I always have trouble identifying why this happens (characters become very real), but when it does a book becomes more than a book - the adventure becomes more real, the characters become like real friends. I found in Llew a "goodness" that was believable and very refreshing - like some of the "goodness" I have found in the characters of George MacDonald or CS Lewis. I wish there was another book about Llew!

I have to admit this book was hard for me to finish. While I flew through the first book, this second installment was one I had to keep setting aside and picking up later on. It was difficult for me to figure out why exactly I struggled to get to the end of this book. The writing is just as masterful as the first book. I think what caused the difficulty was the plot itself. While there was a lot going on it wasn't as epic in my opinion as the first book. A great deal of the book dealt with the logistical processes of Tegid and Llew establishing their own base and gathering people there. There were battles and other events, but I often found myself wishing the book would gloss over some of the detail and get to the final conflict quicker. Another problem in my opinion is that the enemy in the first book was a mysterious evil entity, so part of the joy of reading that book was finding out what would happen. Part of the problem with the second book is that there was not much mystery. The enemy is a man leading an army. And the resolution to one of Llew's constant conflicts during the book can be figured out by reading the title of the book (I apologize for being vague, but I am trying not to give spoilers.). Needless to say I knew how the Silver Hand would resolves itself before I got to the end, even if I didn't know the details.

That being said, despite the slow pacing, the payoff was worth it. The final conflict was nicely done, and while I had guessed much of it, it was still well written and executed. It makes me sad to not be able to give this book a full five star rating. Sometimes I think I suffer too much from a need for instant gratification like I get from watching constant explosions in action films. If that is the case then I apologize for being too harsh on this book.

Despite what I saw as this books short comings there was a lot to enjoy. The characters and setting are interesting and entertaining. I will be reading the next book to find out what finally happens to Llew. In the end, as busy as my time is, my willingness to keep reading the series says a lot for this book.

Often the second book of a trilogy is slightly forgettable. Writers have a difficult time giving it a strong plot with a beginning and end. I would highly recommend The Silver Hand as one of the few memorable "middle" books. It has a great plot with some nice surprises along the way and the author does a fantastic job of slowly allowing the characters to grow and change over time.
The Song of Albion trilogy is one that I keep coming back to over the years. Each time I feel as though I take away something new. Definitely worth taking the time to read!

This series is one of my new favorites. I absolutely love how intelligent and intriguing this story is. It pulls you in with compelling storylines, complexity of characters, and illustrates wholesome values often undervalued in modern society. I was given the set as a gift and have already read them all 3 times through to make sure I didn't miss a detail. I will admit the final book in the series was not my favorite of the three, but I think that's more to force the reader to feel the hero's utter devastation at the turn of events and you end up regretting how things inevitably conclude. I think the author did a decent job of helping you understand how he takes the first step toward getting on with the rest of his life, as regrettable as it is to him and to us.

I'm now a fan and I'm back to see how many more Stephen Lawhead novels I can scoop up. If the rest of his work is even half as good as these stories of Silver Hand's adventures in Albion, they'll be well worth their price!