Byzantium

By: Stephen R. Lawhead

Narrated by: Stuart Langton

Length: 25 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Although born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life. He is chosen to accompany a small band of monks on a quest to the fabled city of Byzantium, where they are to present the beautiful and costly hand-illuminated Book of Kells to the emperor of all Christendom.

During this expedition by sea and over land, Aidan becomes, by turns, a warrior and a sailor, a slave and a spy, a Viking and a Saracen, and finally, a man. He sees more of the world than most men of his time, becoming an ambassador to kings and an intimate of Byzantium's fabled Golden Court. And finally, this valiant Irish monk faces the greatest trial confronting any man in any age: the command of his own destiny.

©1996 Stephen R. Lawhead (P)2001 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Not merely a gripping yarn - and it certainly is that - this is also a novel about faith and the tests life plants in its way. Lawhead, author of the popular Pendragon cycle of fantasies, here makes a sure move into mainstream fiction." ( Booklist)

Glad I gave Lawhead a second listen

This was a very interesting tale, the breadth of the adventure far surpassed my initial expectations. My first experience with the author was in listening to "Hood." He sort of reinvented the legend of Robin Hood in a way that felt peculiar to me. But I confess his story telling in that piece was a good quality, it was simply a departure from the jovial Robin Hood tales I had enjoyed in my youth.

This story centers on an Irish monk in thelate 9th century who goes on a mission with his brother monks to deliver a copy of scripture to the Emperor in Byzantium. In his journey he is kidnapped and enslaved by Vikings, and eventually winds his way southward with his captors through the Eastern empire, and eventually finds himself in middle eastern territory among various factions of the Byzantine Empire, and the Muslim kingdoms of the era.

The odd thing about this book is that the resolution of the main plot conflict gets resolved much ahead of the conflict that the main character is experiencing internally. You reach a point where it feels like the story is about to end, but our monk Aidan is still a long way off from resolving his future plans in any satisfying manner. Ultimately Lawhead delivers a powerful resolution in the story of Aidan, and it was worth struggling through to the end to see our hero finally grasp the purpose of his long terrifying adventure.

While I enjoyed this book, it is worth noting that it is quite dark. The sheer amount of bloodshed and violence is depressing, but it serves to show why Aidan becomes so outraged at God who seems far away, and indifferent to the plight of the people who become victims. Anyone who is looking for a story with a pristene hero, or a faithful man who is never tempted by sin, this is not such a tale.

The epilogue indicates that the main character is in fact an historical figure, though the author has apparently revealed in interviews that the character is named for an historical Irish monk, but in reality the tale is fictitious and combines some details of the lives of four different Irish monks and clergymen from the time period.

If you look up the name Aidan Mac Canneich online you will find information which will serve as spoiler to the story. I caution you to hold off on this search until you are done with the story

I love this adventure!

finished in 3 days. Story is good. I enjoyed the characters thoroughly.
Stewart Langton, sucks a fatty, monotone, and boring.

Missed Opportunity

I selected this audiobook book with the expectation of learning more about Constantinople at its apogee, and I was not disappointed. On the other hand, I had no expectations about the story of Saint Aidan. In fact, I didn’t even know this was a novel about the life of this great man of the Church. The author does a wonderful job of bringing to life the medieval period, physically, intellectually and spiritually. Unfortunately, his efforts to portray the inner struggle of St. Aidan’s faith journey is somewhat disappointing. It’s never quite clear why the Saint as a young man turns away from his devotion to the Lord. Similarly, the author misses the opportunity to develop in a more credible and profound manner how the Saint’s faith is ultimately restored. This is a lengthy novel that allocates considerable real estate to describing seemingly trivial incidents in the lives of people at the time. Why not also take more time to explore in a more convincing way the spiritual torment of the committed Christian in a world filled with suffering? Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable read or listening experience. Listeners or readers may want to pair this novel with Thomas Mann’s classic tale Holy Sinner, about the life of St. Gregory. A comparison of the two works may be helpful to appreciate what is possible to achieve in this genre.

Epic 10th Century Journey

A long yet worthy listen. A remarkable journey of an Irish Monk, Aiden, on pilgrimage to Constantenople / Byzantium. It does not go as planned, his ship is raided by Vikings. He ends up a slave - however, many twists and turns. There are Arabs, Greeks, and Turks that make up complete story. Aidens loss of faith and spiritual journey incredible. 25 hour listen, narrator was good overall. I am glad I stuck with it :)

not too bad at all

slow but has a lot in it worth going for

A worthy tale

It's been a while since I have listened to this story but, what I recall I liked. Nothing stands out to me as amazing but I do like the Author so I probably overlook the things that I don't like. Mr Lawhead makes a good story that usally has lots of historical and or imaginative detail.

amazing historical details, loved it

I loved this book- it is long, but if you like history you will love it. I have so much more respect for the travelers during the Dark Ages, innocents and not.

So good!

it had a bit of a slow start but once into it, was full of adventure and twists and turns unexpected.

Wonderful

A rich, complex character caught in a whirlwind of action. This book kept me on the "edge of my seat" and at times made my heart break.

Intriguing tale of medieval competing cultures

Vikings and monks in Byzantium with corrupt Romans and Islamist saviors - clashing cultures that are somehow woven into a story so unbelievable that it feels real. I read this story last year and had to go back to it again. Even though I knew what would happen it gripped me again from start to finish.