Byzantium

Adventure, new lands, new languages and cultures, all windows into the worlds of early Scandinavian, Turkish, and northern middle eastern lands and peoples. I enjoyed peeking into the world of the time through this book!

Wow. What a novel. almost a 1,000 pages and so many twists and turns. What a wonderful story. published in 1997 and just now found an author that to me a cut above. could not put down.

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!

I read Taliesin and Merlin, both by Lawhead well over 10 years ago .. and feel like an idiot that I no longer own those books. I have to admit that 2 things sold this book for me. The cover illustration and the synopsis on the back. Okay, 3 things. I like stories based around historical events or during historical periods. Byzantium. Wow. Portions of this book bring to mind, The Lord of the Rings as well as other epic novels based on that particular genre of storytelling.From the very beginning, we are introduced to the way of life and limited life experience of the Aiden, princeling turned priest. His simple lifestyle may appeal to many of us, even though we outwardly deny the fact. The changes that he goes through as his travels land him in a new situation are wonderful to see. The characters we come into contact with are interesting and as the story progresses, they begin to take on more dimension, which is unfortunately lacking so much in many commercialized stories today, whether in print or on film.The historical references are captivating, from the Irish monastery, Viking society, Byzantine politics, and Islamic culture. Each of these mark a milestone in the metamorphasis of Aiden and ultimately epitomize the awakening most of us go through/never do/or wish we did.This is a book that should some day be brought to the screen. I have to admit that as I came to the final pages, I felt some regret and bittersweet understanding that while the end of the road is near, all things require closure. Adventures reach their conclusion. We each go our own way, some we will never see again. However, there will always be the memory of the experience and in this case you need not look further than your own bookshelf. BUY this book. EXPERIENCE it. And keep it for those times when you wish to rekindle that which once burned brightly, if even only for a moment. Okay. I liked the story.

It seems many books with this kind of historical-fiction-epic stories, are about some kind of trip to the Middle-East. And that's good, as it allows a confront with some very different cultures and religions. This book tells us a story about an irish monk who makes a trip with other brothers to Constantinopla (Byzantium) to deliver a book (a gift) to the Emperor. Things go wrong, and a fantastic and fascinating adventure make us read the book with an enormous pleasure. A story mixing celt, viking, arabian and some other cultures, all with its peculiar history and habits. I loved the book so much, that after finishing it, I've sensed some kind of void in my heart. That's this kind of book, that makes you think and meditate about it after you read it that pleases me most. After a couple of days everything was fine and I've decided to try another Lawhead's book. But that's another story...

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.

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!