Byzantium (Harper Fiction)

(Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The bestselling author of the Pendragon Cycle now tells the story of Aidan, a 10th-century Irish monk sent to take the Book of Kells to the Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople. Separated from his fellow pilgrims, Aidan undergoes various exotic adventures, including capture by and life with Vikings, political intrigue in the Byzantine court, enslavement in a caliph's mine and loss of his all-important faith in God. Lawhead is a Christian writer, and here the Christian themes are integral and well developed; he also shows a keen and sympathetic eye for the values and cultures of non-Christians. Marketed as fantasy, the novel contains little overt supernatural content, although prayer is vital and dreams can be seen as omens. Still, the narrative has the excitement of a good fantasy novel, a vivid historical setting and a lengthy, credible and satisfying plot?just the elements, in fact, that have made Lawhead a commercial success time and again.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Young Aidan is blessed. He is one of a small band of Irish monks chosen to accompany a magnificent hand-painted manuscript--what we now know as the Book of Kells--across the sea to Byzantium. There the gift will be presented to the emperor, who will then be predisposed to hear of the difficulties facing the Irish church. But before reaching landfall in Brittany, the monks' coracle is set upon by Viking raiders who capture Aidan and take him into slavery in their northern homeland. And the Book? It survives, of course, and Aidan is finally able to fulfill his quest. But a Viking raid on Byzantium, an expedition to the Holy Land, imprisonment in a desert prison-mine, wars at sea, and yet more adventures come before the monk's commission is discharged. Not merely a gripping yarn--and it certainly is that--this is also a novel about faith and the tests life plants in its way. Lawhead, author of the popular Pendragon cycle of fantasies, here makes a sure move into mainstream historical fiction. Patricia Monaghan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 880 pages
• Publisher: Eos (June 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061057541
• ISBN-13: 978-0061057540
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #143,380 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #4 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Book of Kells
  #22 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Lawhead, Stephen

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Lawhead book to date!, September 2, 1999

By	Donovan D. Mattole "songofalbion" (Silverton, OR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Now that I've read The Iron Lance and Avalon, I thought I'd stop in and read the reviews on Byzantium (I previously reviewed this book on July 27, 1997, but since they are now refering to me only as "a reader" I felt entitled to say something else). I was surprised by a few (to say the least). I honestly think Byzantium is Lawhead's best book ever. I loved Avalon, but it still didn't pass Byzantium as my all time favorite. If you like historical fiction or just want an excellent story with extremely well developed characters - this is the book for you. The important thing is to read the book with an open heart for the powerful message that is portrayed. It is a true story of redemption. I think one of the reasons I loved the book so much is I felt a kinship with the main character, Aidan, unlike I have with any other fictional character. After you read this, read the Celtic Crusade books, beginning with The Iron Lance. These continue the story and you'll see what happened to Byzantium a few hundred years later. Happy reading!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, January 17, 2007

By	Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

At nearly 900 pages this book is amazing in many ways. First, you read that much in such a short time, for once you have picked it up you will find yourself unable to put it down. This book is a fictional retelling of St. Aidan's life. St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Ontario has a St. Aidan's Chapel that has a beautiful set of tapestries depicting the life of this servant of God. St. Aidan died in 651 after serving at home in Iona, among the Gauls - first as a slave and then as a Bishop, and he even visited Byzantium in his lifetime, and the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire.

I was familiar with this church and with the artwork depicting Aidan's life. Yet it was not until almost halfway through the book, that I slapped my forehead and said 'Aidan the monk = St. Aidan'. The book is so craft- fully written that one easily becomes so lost in the story that it did not even click that I knew about this tale.

Lawhead is a master wordsmith, who is most know for his Arthurian legend series, or his Celtic series, yet this stand-alone novel is every bit as much worth the time and attention as his other better-known works. This book was a departure for Lawhead, in that it was written from the beginning as a stand-alone. Therefore, if you do not like getting sucked into a series, where you need to read 4 or 5 books to get the whole story, this book is a great starting point in Lawhead's works.

The story in this novel is powerful and moving. It is the story of a young man who was taken as a slave and later returned as a Minister, and eventually as a Bishop. It is the story of the spread of Christendom, and the story of service. Once you begin you will not be able to put this book down. So be warned!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best novels I've ever read, January 25, 2000

By	Timotheus Josephus - See all my reviews

This was the first Stephen Lawhead book I'd ever read. How could I not have known about him earlier?

"Byzantium" has everything you could want in a story. Suspense, drama, love, heartbreak, despair, elation, and action. The main character is so well developed that it feels like you're experiencing his emotions right along with him.

If you enjoy fantasy or any sort of medieval historical fiction, then you MUST read this book. I cannot imagine that you would be disappointed.