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Paradise War (Song Of Albion V1)
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$ 14.44
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$ 16.99 |
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| Item Number |
2665791 |
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Item Description...
Overview
From the dreaming spires of Oxford, Lewis Gillies drives north to seek a mythical creature in a misty glen in Scotland. Expecting little more than a weekend diversion, Lewis finds himself in a mystical place where two worlds meet, in the time-between-times--and in the heart of a battle between good and evil.
The ancient Celts admitted no separation between this world and the Otherworld: the two were delicately interwoven, each dependent on the other. The Paradise War crosses the thin places between this world and that, as Lewis Gillies comes face-to-face with an ancient mystery--and a cosmic catastrophe in the making.
Publishers Description
From the dreaming spires of Oxford, Lewis Gillies drives north to seek a mythical creature in a misty glen in Scotland. Expecting little more than a weekend diversion, Lewis finds himself in a mystical place where two worlds meet, in the time-between-times--and in the heart of a battle between good and evil. The ancient Celts admitted no separation between this world and the Otherworld: the two were delicately interwoven, each dependent on the other. The Paradise War crosses the thin places between this world and that, as Lewis Gillies comes face-to-face with an ancient mystery--and a cosmic catastrophe in the making. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 451
Dimensions: Length: 1.25" Width: 5.75" Height: 8.25"
Weight: 1.22 lbs.
Binding Hardcover
Release Date Aug 1, 2010
Publisher Thomas Nelson
ISBN 1595548904
EAN 9781595548900
UPC 020049137086
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Availability 15 units.
Availability accurate as of May 27, 2012 02:04.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Johnson City, TN.
Orders shipping to an address other than a confirmed Credit Card / Paypal Billing address may incur and additional processing delay.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | It all began with the Aurochs Mar 11, 2010 |
So begins the The Paradise War, the first book in the Song of Albion trilogy by Stephen Lawhead. Cynical Oxford grad student Lewis Gillies is convinced by his roommate Simon to drive to Scotland to investigate the truth behind a tabloid photo of an long extinct type of oxen. Upon arriving, they make several discoveries, including an ancient mound known as a cairn. But before Lewis can stop him, Simon goes into the cairn and disappears. Believing that he has fallen victim to one of Simon's pranks, Lewis returns home. Very quickly however, strange events begin to overwhelm him and Lewis learns that he must find Simon and bring him home before the whole world is threatened. This launches him on an amazing adventure that continues in The Silver Hand and The Endless Knot.
This hidden gem was introduced to me by a friend's wife and has turned out to be among the best fantasy literature I've ever read. Lawhead is an adoring anglophile as evidenced by his other major works, the Pendragon Cycle (his own retelling of the King Arthur legend) and The King Raven Trilogy (a retelling of the Robin Hood legend). Steeped in Celtic mythology, Albion is no different. In fact, Lawhead's expertise is such that it is nearly impossbile to tell where facts and history end, and fantasy begins.
The trilogy is written in first person which has its strengths and weaknesses. Seeing and experiencing everything through the eyes of Lewis really makes you feel a part of the story. However, as time goes on you want to respond to the story in your own way rather than being told. A narrator change in the second book is a nice touch and allows you to experience the world from a new perspective.
The setting is richly told. The plot is well-crafted and full of layers. The prose and dialogue are excellent. But Lawhead's greatest strength is his characters. From heroes to villians and everyone in between, Lawhead peoples his world with distinct, interesting and sincere characters, giving each an opportunity to show they matter.
Even more impressive, is Lawhead's powerful, yet nuanced inclusion of Biblical themes. There is too much to give it justice in this short review, but through the plot, parables, prophecies, character arcs, and imagery, Lawhead explores the corruption and redemption of creation, good vs. evil, providence, and liberation from sin. All of this is done with the right amount of thoughtfulness and subtly.
My only real criticism is with the ending where things seemed a bit rushed and incomplete. All said however, The Song of Albion is an outstanding fantasy series that has found itself among my favorites, and placed Lawhead firmly in the tradition of Tolkien and Lewis. | | |  | Great trilogy Jan 5, 2010 |
I just finished the last book and have lots of thoughts about it. This review covers the trilogy in general:
1. I loved the beginning of Book 1, which had a humorous tone and was set in modern day Oxford. It reminded me of Brideshead Revisited in some ways, and was so laugh-out-loud funny that I wish the author would set a fantasy novel solely in modern day Oxford.
2. Because I loved the setup so much, I was taken aback by some of the character development later on. (I won't give away any plot but you probably know which character I'm talking about if you read it.) I just didn't believe some of the changes based on the beginning, even after reading the entire trilogy and the author's explanation. I do think some of his characters were too "black" or "white" and had too many motivations based on plot convenience, but that's okay. I also think he does better character development in his new Robin Hood trilogy - more complex.
3. The author does a great job of world building, with lots of description and a real sense of being there and experiencing the Celtic world. Sometimes, I could do with a little less description and more plot/dialogue, but that's just me.
4. I think his female characters can be a little boring - amazingly beautiful, wise, graceful, and good, they're sometimes interchangeable. I wish he'd mix things up a little and make them more flawed/human.
5. As a Christian reader, I got a lot out of all three books spiritually and really liked some of his analogies to the Christian life.
6. I was satisfied with the plot in general. Some things I guessed at the end. Others, I had no clue. It was a fairly wild ride and I had a lot of fun reading it.
When it was all over, I spent a lot of time thinking about it and had trouble getting it out of my head. For me, overall, it was a 5-star read. Very enjoyable and definitely recommended.
| | | | A great read Jun 30, 2009 |
For those who love Celtic fiction, this is a must have. At times Lawhead suffers from mid-book doldrums, and this book is no exception; however, this is probably my favorite Lawhead book. Too bad the final one of the series has such a horrible ending and practically annihilates all of the hard work the author put into the first two books.
4.5 stars
| | | | Skeptical but lives up to its reputation Jun 26, 2009 |
I read many reviews of this book before I finally decided to pick it up. I was somewhat familiar with Lawhead having read Byzantium. I generally like historical fiction that's not a soap opera and that's historically accurate and somewhat feasible.
I was a little bit turned off at first that this was considered fantasy. However once I started reading the book I couldn't put it down. Yes there are similarities to other works of literature (like C.S. Lewis) but it's original and stands on its own. For those that may be worried about reading a historical novel that's considered fantasy let me allay your fears without giving away any spoilers. Yes the fantasy part is one aspect of the book. But it is only a vehicle with which to deliver the historical side of the story which by the way makes up the majority of the book.
For those that didn't like the book, well, some people are just malcontents when it comes to reading. Can't you just enjoy a good book that's well written and well researched? Reading is about going on a ride and stimulating the mind for enjoyment.
I can certainly say this book fulfilled any expectations I had from previous reviews and then some.
It now rests along side of Pillars of the Earth as one of my favorite books of all time and one in which I will recommend to everyone I know. | | | | This trilogy is so good, I read it every year. Feb 2, 2009 |
| This is the best set of books I have ever read and that is saying a lot because I am a prolific reader. Stephen Lawhead is far and away my favorite author. The Song of Albion trilogy is absolutely amazing. I read the trilogy every year and never tire of it. It is captivating from the first chapter and holds my interest no matter how many times I read it... and I am not a person to read a book twice. | | | Write your own review about Paradise War (Song Of Albion V1)
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