The violence isn’t gratuitous, but it’s certainly intense. Lawhead’s fights are brutal and bloody, never flinching from historical realities. Lawhead prefers slow growth to dramatic conversions, an approach that lends a much deeper meaning to the book’s conclusion.įrom a purely action-junkie perspective, “Byzantium” contains plenty of visceral fight scenes.

Refreshingly, Aidan’s struggles with faith issues never come across as trite or insipid – many Christian writers could stand to learn a lesson from this. By clearly showing the weakness and frailties of humankind through depictions of the Byzantine imperial intrigues, Lawhead mirrors our own times while simultaneously offering hope for renewal. “Byzantium” also contains a meaningful subplot about losing and regaining faith. These characters aren’t paragons of virtue – they’re real people struggling with real emotions, and this makes the story all the more powerful. Aidan’s experiences of fear, friendship, love, hope, disillusionment, and hatred feel remarkably genuine. Powerful characterization is what drives this novel – both Aidan and the supporting cast are well-drawn and very compelling. 860 pages makes for a long book, but “Byzantium” never seems dull or choppy. Lawhead is an excellent writer, and it shows. The book is very much a coming-of-age story, as Aidan matures from an insecure, boyish priest into a confident, powerful man. Aidan’s adventures lead him from the icy wastes of the north into the deserts of the Saracen Turks, and from the simple monastery of Cennanus to the glittering city of Byzantium. Shortly after leaving Ireland, Aidan is captured by attacking Vikings and the story really takes off. The book tells the story of Aidan, a young Irish monk who joins a pilgrimage to present a valuable illuminated manuscript to the Holy Roman Emperor. The “Pendragon Cycle” was a work of towering excellence, as is his most recent series, “King Raven.” He has a knack for turning history into intense, spiritually compelling epics…and “Byzantium” is no exception. I’ve been a fan of Stephen Lawhead’s historical fiction novels for a long time.

Byzantium lawhead