The Skin Map

Bright Empires, Book 1

By: Stephen Lawhead

Narrated by: Simon Bubb

Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

It is the ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure: chasing a map tattooed on human skin across an omniverse of interesting realities to unravel the future of the future.

Kit Livingston's great-grandfather appears to him in a deserted alley during a tumultuous storm. He reveals an unbelievable story: that the ley lines throughout Britain are not merely the stuff of legend or the weekend hobby of deluded cranks, but pathways to other worlds. To those who know how to use them, they grant the ability to travel the multi-layered universe of which we ordinarily inhabit only a tiny part. One explorer knew more than most. Braving every danger, he toured both time and space on voyages of heroic discovery. Ever on his guard, and fearful of becoming lost in the cosmos, he developed an intricate code - a roadmap of symbols - that he tattooed onto his own body. This Skin Map has since been lost in time. Now the race is on to recover all the pieces and discover its secrets. But the Skin Map itself is not the ultimate goal. It is merely the beginning of a vast and marvelous quest for a prize beyond imagining.

The Bright Empires series - from acclaimed author Stephen Lawhead - is a unique blending of epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics, philosophy, and mystery. The result is a unpauseable, fantastical adventure like no other.

©2009 Thomas Nelson, Inc. (P)2009 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Blew me away

What made the experience of listening to The Skin Map the most enjoyable?

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! I've been telling everyone I know - get it, get it, get it!!!! I am on to book 2 now! I love the people in this book too. It's crazy!!

What about Simon Bubb’s performance did you like?

He read this book with passion, but did not take away from the story it's self. He was perfect!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh yes!!!

More interesting than exciting

While this is not the most exciting book I've read—not a page-turner—it is interesting. I sense that Lawhead put a good amount of research into it. As a result, it feels more heavily centered around a Historical Fiction than SF or Fantasy. Not a lot of action considering it starts off as an adventure. Can get a bit jarring at times as we follow several different characters, even in different timelines. I get the impression that this book was written as an introduction to the series more than to stand on its own feet. The Christian parts felt minimal and not preachy unlike some of his earlier works. Overall though, I did finish the book and have an interest in continuing the series down the road. Would give it 3.5 stars if possible, so rounded it up to 4.

The audio recording of the narrator isn't the best quality. Sounds a bit echoey and thin at times. The overall performance itself wasn't bad, though.

Fun Bait Book

Any additional comments?

I like this narrator. In general, a deeper male voice with a British accent is just nice to listen to regardless of the story. The story is fun too though! Its light and exciting. It does leave you hanging, just to warn you, but I like having discovered this series and that there is more to be had.

I really liked this book

The Publishers Summary is a little missleading. I thought the novel would be about the protagonists traveling from magical place to magical place via Ley Lines looking for treasure, but instead it's about about the protagonists traveling from place to place on our earth, to different time periods looking for a treasure, so the magic is traveling via the Lay Lines to find the treasure. I'm not a big fan, but this book really grabbed my attention a few chapters in and I became fully engrossed in it. I suppose that if there is more magic in the series that it will be introduced further in the series. The first book is really good, but not excellent, and I felt the same about the story, hence the Four Star rating. I'm excited about continuing the rest of the series, and happy to see that there are four more books in the series on Audible, so I've already purchased, and downloaded book two, and will be starting it as soon as I finish this review.

Enjoyable

Would you consider the audio edition of The Skin Map to be better than the print version?

It's an interesting storyline and I enjoyed it Some bits of the story were a bit all over the place. Mostly though the book has an interesting concept and will be a good series to follow. The biggest thing I didn't like was it left on a cliff hanger. I wasn't much fussed on the narrator, my husband didn't finish it because he couldn't listen to the narrator

Enjoyable

The book was well performed, moved along at a good pace, clean and enjoyable. Can't wait to hear the rest of the series.

meh

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Could I have been listening to a better book? Yes. If I could go back in time to advise my past self I would say, "Save yourself the time and remove that tripe from your phone right now."

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The climax had a very strong deus ex machina. I thought the protagonists were in trouble and the author might have to come up with something interesting, but no, instantaneous problem solved. How did this come about? We get no explanation in this book. What might have been an interesting problem turns into a "No, you have to press your finger on the sensor" difficulty level problem.

Have you listened to any of Simon Bubb’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Simon has a very calm voice. It would be great for non-fiction or a book with no tension. He could describe to me how I was personally being attacked by murderers at that very moment and my heart rate would not increase.

Was The Skin Map worth the listening time?

The book needed a lot more explanation. It felt like a book that should have taken much longer to get to it's ending.

Overall it felt like having a bad head cold and eating a meal. There was just no flavor. It felt like waiting in the doctor's office waiting room level self-masochism.

Any additional comments?

Willamina is a major Mary Sue. There is no situation she cannot overcome with the greatest of ease. Once she almost had a difficulty, but then she actually tried to do something and changed the future of all Europe. She is the main reason for the asspull (that is a kind of trope if you don't know) climax.

The main male protagonist (I have forgotten his name minutes after finishing the book because it was of so little importance to me) is a no account, non-action guy. He might have developed into a passable semi-hero, but the character just undergoes no meaningful transition.

Interesting Book!

This is an interesting story that enables you to visit all sorts of cultures and time frames.

A good beginning to the story

A little long-winded in parts, particularly at the beginning, but it gave me a better feel of the characters. Overall very enjoyable beginning of an adventure.

Note this is not self-contained. To finish the story, plan on reading the series!

really enjoyed this

I stumbled on this book through a discount that audible was running for the first books in a series. it was a good marketing strategy indeed because now in ready to buy the next one in the series!