Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2915568 in Books
• Published on: 1996-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews

Amazing
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!

Simply sublime reading!
I first read Byzantium about 6 or 7 years ago (I think), and it has never left me.

Any time I am asked the question 'What would you recommend?', Byzantium is definately in my top 5 reads of all time.
It truly encapsulates the meaning of an 'epic' story.
The journey Aidan undertakes is epic itself, both physically and spiritually. I myself am not of a particular religious denomination but can utterly understand, relate and sympathise with Aidans tumultuous struggle with his beliefs.

The different characters are all utterly convincing and I felt a true attachment to many of them in the story, genuinely caring about what happened to them, (which is a testament to the writing).

The various settings are richly envisaged and described to create a wonderful, atmospheric and sensory backdrop to the novel.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction because this is (I feel) the benchmark for all other novels of the genre to aspire to.

Excellent
There's no point repeating what earlier reviewers have written but I do want to say that this is a book not to be missed. The rich historical/cultural panorama which is painted is very enlightening and following Aidan's journey (both physical and spiritual) kept me engrossed from beginning to end. Well done Mr Lawhead!