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)

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.

Chapter order is incorrect on recording

Recording begins with Chapter 28. I went ahead and listened to half of the book figuring it was the author's way of continuing the story from a previous title. A bit disappointing to get to the climax of the book and hear, "Chapter 1".

excellent story and performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, great reading and excellent story

What did you like best about this story?

Kept me interested and did not want to stop listening but alas I always have something to do so cannot listen for more than 3 hours at a time.

What about Stuart Langton’s performance did you like?

Will listen to him anytime he is excellent

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

no; I look for books that take awhile to listen to usually over 10 hours

Marvelous epic tale

Best book I have heard since Lord of the Rings. Brilliant writing, and the audio performance is great.

Excellent Writing

Too many novels today is to cater to our modern armchair arrogance at how the world should be viewed.

Today we look at the people of the past and shake our heads at how wrong and ignorant their uneducated views of the world were. In all reality, they would look at us to same way. With nuclear holocaust at our fingertips, soft moral decadence and innumerable genocidal wars on our records, it is hard to questionthe degree of shock they would feel at seeing how their descendants turned out.

This is a story of soul searching, physical adventure across distant foreign landscapes and high stakes human chess at its finest. The intellectual swordplay that took place amongst the competing adversaries was both unpredictable and very refreshing.

These were not modern people; they saw things a certain way, and the author doesn't apologize for not appealing to our 21st century moral snobbery. It's hard to find a novel that doesn't try to stroke your modern, insecure ego and actually tells a tale of how things were.

The narration done very nicely that I only gave it 4 stars because I said there were a few degrees of intensity that was missing where it could have been delivered. Otherwise a great storyteller

Above all, its an epic adventure in a literary environment where 'epic adventure' is a tired term. I recommend.