Post by dreamy on Jan 12, 2006 22:13:22 GMT 10
I am rereading the "Song of Albion" trilogy by Steven Lawhead. The trilogy consists of
- The Paradise War:
In an ancient cairn in the wilds of Scotland, Oxford student Simon Rawnson vanishes, seemingly into thin air. Where has he gone? Unsettling signs—a mysterious Green Man, a Celtic circle chalked on the sidewalk—point his roommate, Lewis Gillies, to an impossible answer . . . and an incredible destiny on the other side of a doorway between worlds.
There, where Celtic champions, magic, and treachery are woven together in the beautiful and brutal land called Albion, Lewis finds Simon. And there, schooled as a warrior, he is thrust to the front of a titanic struggle between light and darkness—a hideous, onrushing darkness that would devour not merely a kingdom but two worlds.
- The Silver Hand:
A troubled Celtic Otherworld with gateways into our own is the setting for the second volume in the Song of Albion series, following The Paradise War . After Meldryn Mawr, king of the Llwyddi, is treacherously slain, the bard and narrator, Tegid Tathal, names Llew, the king's champion and a sojourner from our world, as successor. The king's son Meldron contests the bard's ancient right to confer kingship and claims the throne himself. Tegid and Llew escape imprisonment only to witness the slaughter of the rest of Albion's bards; then Meldron blinds Tegid and cuts off Llew's hand, thereby denying him kingship for all time, since only an unblemished man can reign. Escaping again, Tegid and Llew wander in the wilderness, encountering a possible god, before they begin to build Dinas Dwr, a city of refuge for all those oppressed by Meldron, whose depredations are poisoning a beautiful land. Lawhead invests his often poetic vision of a Celtic land living by ancient laws with charm and dignity.
- The Endless Knot:
Fire rages in Albion: a strange, hidden fire, dark–flamed, invisible to the eye. Seething and churning, it burns, gathering flames of darkness into its hot, black heart. Llew Silver Hand is High King of Albion, and the Brazen Man has defied his sovereignty. Llew must journey into the Foul Land to redeem his greatest treasure. The last battle begins. Celtic myth collides with modern life in a timeless story. With The Endless Knot, Stephen Lawhead strikes the final resounding chord in the Song of Albion.
In a very brilliant way Steven Lawhead is dealing with Celtic myths in his novel which is a detective story, a thriller, a psychological novel and a mysthic fantasy novel at the same time. He has a very extensive knowledge and he is able to create and give life to a fascinating world which reminds a bit of Tolkien's but is unique at the same time...and he makes the reader to BELIEVE...
a wonderful trilogy, highly recommended by me!
- The Paradise War:
In an ancient cairn in the wilds of Scotland, Oxford student Simon Rawnson vanishes, seemingly into thin air. Where has he gone? Unsettling signs—a mysterious Green Man, a Celtic circle chalked on the sidewalk—point his roommate, Lewis Gillies, to an impossible answer . . . and an incredible destiny on the other side of a doorway between worlds.
There, where Celtic champions, magic, and treachery are woven together in the beautiful and brutal land called Albion, Lewis finds Simon. And there, schooled as a warrior, he is thrust to the front of a titanic struggle between light and darkness—a hideous, onrushing darkness that would devour not merely a kingdom but two worlds.
- The Silver Hand:
A troubled Celtic Otherworld with gateways into our own is the setting for the second volume in the Song of Albion series, following The Paradise War . After Meldryn Mawr, king of the Llwyddi, is treacherously slain, the bard and narrator, Tegid Tathal, names Llew, the king's champion and a sojourner from our world, as successor. The king's son Meldron contests the bard's ancient right to confer kingship and claims the throne himself. Tegid and Llew escape imprisonment only to witness the slaughter of the rest of Albion's bards; then Meldron blinds Tegid and cuts off Llew's hand, thereby denying him kingship for all time, since only an unblemished man can reign. Escaping again, Tegid and Llew wander in the wilderness, encountering a possible god, before they begin to build Dinas Dwr, a city of refuge for all those oppressed by Meldron, whose depredations are poisoning a beautiful land. Lawhead invests his often poetic vision of a Celtic land living by ancient laws with charm and dignity.
- The Endless Knot:
Fire rages in Albion: a strange, hidden fire, dark–flamed, invisible to the eye. Seething and churning, it burns, gathering flames of darkness into its hot, black heart. Llew Silver Hand is High King of Albion, and the Brazen Man has defied his sovereignty. Llew must journey into the Foul Land to redeem his greatest treasure. The last battle begins. Celtic myth collides with modern life in a timeless story. With The Endless Knot, Stephen Lawhead strikes the final resounding chord in the Song of Albion.
In a very brilliant way Steven Lawhead is dealing with Celtic myths in his novel which is a detective story, a thriller, a psychological novel and a mysthic fantasy novel at the same time. He has a very extensive knowledge and he is able to create and give life to a fascinating world which reminds a bit of Tolkien's but is unique at the same time...and he makes the reader to BELIEVE...
a wonderful trilogy, highly recommended by me!