Just One More Paragraph: CSFF Blog Tour - "The Shadow Lamp" by Stephen Lawhead

The Shadow Lamp
The Bright Empire Series Book #4
Author: Stephen Lawhead
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 9781595548078
Hardbound: 400 pages

About the Book:

The quest for answers—and ultimate survival—hinges on finding the cosmic link between the Skin Map, the Shadow Lamp, and the Spirit Well.

The search for the map of blue symbols began in a rainy alley in London but has since expanded through space and time and includes more seekers.

Kit, Mina, Gianni, Cass, Haven, and Giles have gathered in Mina’s 16th-century coffee house and are united in their determination to find a path back to the Spirit Well. Yet, with their shadow lamps destroyed and key pieces of the map still missing, the journey will be far more difficult than they imagine. And when one of their own disappears with Sir Henry’s cryptic Green Book, they no longer know who to trust.

At the same time, the Zetetic Society has uncovered a terrifying secret which, if proven, will rock the very foundations of Creation. The quest for answers is no longer limited to recovering an unknown treasure. The fate of the universe depends on unraveling the riddle of the Skin Map.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed all of Lawhead's previous books in the "Bright Empires" series and was ecstatic to get my hands on this next installment. I was thrilled to find the cast of characters in the beginning along with a recap of what has happened so far. This little addition was just what I needed to remind me of past events and set the stage for the opening chapter.

I don't know if it was me or not, but I had a hard time really settling in with this book. It seemed to start out much slower than I remember the others, but it did pick up eventually. We were reacquainted with our beloved cast of characters and even found new ones. As the story unfolds, we find out more about Burleigh and his men and the role of a new character.

Action does pick up as the book goes on and it might even be construed as somewhat disturbing for some. This installment is darker than the others and is more violent. Loyalties are tested, trust wanes and the ending... oh! A cliffhanger that makes you want to get your hands on the next and final book! The wait is going to seem like forever until it is finally released!!

As much as I like this series, I'm really beginning to wonder about the Christian message within the series. I haven't found a positive Christian influence yet - in fact, it may be just the opposite. Hopefully in the last book that will change and all will be disclosed. I am really surprised where the message appears to be going, though. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

This book (actually the whole series) will appeal to mainstream sci-fi readers and also to those who enjoy time travel novels. For those who enjoy Christian fiction that pushes the envelope, I think this series will satisfy and intrigue the reader.

Purchase your own copy of The Shadow Lamp here .

About the Author: