The Shadow Lamp (Bright Empires)

I have read all of Stephen Lawhead's books. I find that he is a master at telling a tale. The Bright Empire series is no exception. Shadow Lamp is the 4th of five.In this book he is preparing for the final installment. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of the characters and the time dimension they are in but there are enough hooks to keep everything straight.The foray into a multi-dimensional universe and quantum mechanics is an area that most "Christian" writers do not tread. However, Lawhead engages this topic with thoughtful and insightful ideas. The story will spur deeper thought on the mysteries of the universe.I recommend any and all books by Stephen Lawhead, they are all exceptional

Since this is the 4th book in a series, if you are new to the series you need to pop over to "The Skin Map" listing and start from the beginning.This book is more of the same of what we have already seen in this series, which is to say "a great read". The concept is fascinating. I thought the story moved along well and the budding romance that we see in this installment is adorable. We get to know some interesting characters and they are differentiated much more neatly than in "The Spirit Well". I had to read that one 3 times to get everyone and their storylines sorted. It also brings some very thoughtful insights about the place of God and faith in "life, the universe and everything" (nice nod to another great sci-fi author). I enjoyed this book and look forward to the final volume. I do wonder how all of the loose ends will be wrapped up in only one more book. There are a hoard of characters and a lot of complicated stories going on. We will see.Two glaring issues must be mentioned: This book is called "The Shadow Lamp" despite, as far as I can recall after 3 readings of the previous books in the series, the object in question never being called that before now. This discrepancy is addressed in the book by saying that a character had recently started calling it that. There is a very lame explanation as to why which is also news to me. If memory serves, the object was called simply a "ley lamp" in the previous books. Perhaps "The Ley Lamp" wasn't a cool enough title for some publishing wonk so it had to be changed to something more interesting?The other issue is the insulting and ignorant commentary at the end of the book which nearly ruined the whole thing for me. This author does not shy away from spiritual issues which means he attracts a following of fellow Christians. It is not a great idea to expound on how "preposterous" young earth creationism is (particularly while being obviously ignorant of the very real science which is in harmony with it) when much of his readership probably believes some version of it. Also, there is no "perfectly credible fossil evidence" of an old earth in existence. That myth comes from the highly politicized, highly agendized secular scientists who seem to be the only ones allowed to speak in the mainstream. If you do your homework you will find plenty of scientists who can show "perfectly credible" evidence that most of what we learn in public school science class is total crap. This coming from an author of obvious faith who is reknown for his meticulously researched books, I was deeply disappointed. The Bible has a lot to say about God's truth "confounding the wise" and the dangers of "being conformed to this world". I am as intellectual as the next genius but after examining both sides carefully, I find the creation side unpopular, vigorously censored and loudly shouted down yet far more compelling and substantive. While I respect his right to another opinion, I also would appreciate him keeping the insults and condescension to a minimum in respect of what is very likely the informed opinion of many of his readers.My advice: Read the book. Skip the commentary at the end.

Loved this story and can't wait until September when The Fatal Tree is released.I didn't appreciate the author's licence to opinion without supporting statements in his closing statements, particularly his references to the way in which Creation Scientists pursue their findings. He would do well to consider some of the outstanding science contained in two books that have challenged my thinking..."Starlight, Time and the New Physics" by John Hartnett, and "Dismantling the Big Bang" by John Hartnett and Alex Williams. Both of these books are intense in the science they propose and challenge the mind as well as the heart to reconsider the bases of Creation.Gregory C.W. MunyardPerth, Western Australia

This series is admirable for the complexity of intertwined story lines alone. Add in gripping storytelling, wonderful character development, and the greatest descriptive writer I have ever read, and you have a masterpiece!You think of intentional time travel and you typically think of Marty McFly. Not anymore. The unpredictability and complexity, not only of time but also dimension, creates a randomness that nevertheless has an obvious tangible force of order. The depth of storytelling in this unique environment is a testament to the brilliance of Mr Lawhead.This is a thought-provoking and fun journey that Lawhead keeps just simple enough for us mortals to follow. Read it!

Another good entry in the series. I’m on the fence between 4 and 5 stars for this one. There were some really fun scenes, but some things felt a little slow or implausible.SPOILER: Given that Burleigh is frequently in Old Prague, why do the good guys feel so comfortable hanging out there? This felt like one of the biggest plot holes in the entire series. Not an overwhelming flaw, but just something that bothered me.