Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
272nd out of 3,221 books
—
13,996 voters
Byzantium
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 farthest eastern reaches of the known world, to the fabled city of Byzantium, where they are...more
Mass Market Paperback, 870 pages
Published
June 14th 1997
by Harper Voyager
(first published 1996)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
I came within a whisker of giving this 5 stars. I loved the journey for so much of the book that when it started to get boring for me, 200 pages from the end, I was bitterly disappointed. I wanted this to be my first 5 star historical fiction of the year! Still, it is a strong 4 star book and while the last 200 pages held some boredom for me, it was not all that way, only some of it.
All that aside, onto the book itself.
Man, I really got off on this book for 600 pages. As all those who know me we...more
All that aside, onto the book itself.
Man, I really got off on this book for 600 pages. As all those who know me we...more
5 likes · like · see review
view all 7 comments
This novel tells the story of Aidan, a tenth-century Irish monk who takes part in an expedition to bring the Book of Kells to the emperor in Byzantium. Before his small group of traveling companions reach the coast of France, however, they are attacked by Vikings and Aidan is carried off alone. The remainder of the book chronicles his adventures. Aidan is by turns a slave, interpreter to a king, ambassador of the emperor, suitor to an Arab lady, and again a slave. His journey brings him to dista...more
This story is about an irish monk, Aidan, who is chosen to embark on a journey to bring the Book of Kells to the Emporer of Byzantium (Constantinople). It has a pretty classic storyline in terms of the personal growth and trials that the main character goes through to fulfill his quest. If you enjoy historical fiction you won't be disappointed by this book. It's got plenty of action, conspiracy, and intrigue to make it a page-turner and it's enjoyably rich in culture. Be aware though (or be grat...more
I was torn between 3 or 4 stars. Why, at times this novel was really intriguing and at a good pace which kept me turning the pages to see what would develop next. Then there where parts in this novel that where interesting but found a bit drab. Overall though, I did enjoy this novel which warrants the 4 stars. Not my regular focus in time, 900 CE, I did find the setting quite fascinating which led me to the computer on more than one occasion to discover more about this period. It was a large vol...more
Embora leia de tudo um pouco, os romances históricos são aqueles que fazem as minhas preferências, andando sempre em busca de mais e mais. No entanto não é fácil descobrir os bons escritores deste estilo, pois existem escritores (as) que têm fama e proveito mas, qualidade... escrevem de qualquer maneira, sem rigor literário e histórico.
Stephen Lawhead é daqueles que nasceram para escrever romances históricos!
Embora os seus primeiros livros se situassem na área do fantástico, é, com a obra compos...more
Stephen Lawhead é daqueles que nasceram para escrever romances históricos!
Embora os seus primeiros livros se situassem na área do fantástico, é, com a obra compos...more
c1996. FWFTB: journey, scribe, Norsemen, corrupt, Saracen. Another huge book (in volume). My journey through the book was rather spasmodic in that some passages/chapters seemed to flow and it was easy to get caught up in the particular event whilst others seemed to drag. There are some very gory scenes and some religious musings as well. Sadly, being a shallow person, I really did not like the cover art on my particular edition at all. Credited to Mick Posen who studied at Brighton Art college i...more
There are two kinds of epic novels: the kind (such as Stephen King's The Stand) where the characters start to feel like close, personal friends, and where you are constantly being blown away by the author's imaginative scope; and the kind (such as Gai-Jin by James Clavell) that seem to drag on endlessly month after month, as you stare at the bookshelf and wonder how much time you will have wasted if you give up and just start something different. The first few chapters of Byzantium give the impr...more
Ainda estou tão espantada e maravilhada que nem sei bem o que irei escrever.
No início, tive receio que o facto de se abordar tantas civilizações me fizesse confundir e perder o sentido da história. Porém, ao longo dos capítulos conhecer novos costumes e a cultura geral do século IX transformou-se numa fonte deliciosamente enriquecedora (nada aborrecida ou confusa)!
Primeiramente, a trama desenrola-se num mosteiro em Cenannus de Ríg, na Irlanda. Depois de vivenciar todo o seu quotidiano - desde a...more
No início, tive receio que o facto de se abordar tantas civilizações me fizesse confundir e perder o sentido da história. Porém, ao longo dos capítulos conhecer novos costumes e a cultura geral do século IX transformou-se numa fonte deliciosamente enriquecedora (nada aborrecida ou confusa)!
Primeiramente, a trama desenrola-se num mosteiro em Cenannus de Ríg, na Irlanda. Depois de vivenciar todo o seu quotidiano - desde a...more
Aug 04, 2011
Jacob Aitken
added it
Honestly, I didn't like the story but I chanced that when I began reading. I have been following Lawhead for a while and his books are either perfect or complete wash-out.
The plot in this story flowed reasonably well. From now on, however, authors need to realize that "young celtic kid abducted by vikings" is no longer an acceptable plot device. But Aidan's stay in Denmark was interesting.
While the hero is Christian, and in some ironic and bitter way, spreads his faith to his Viking captors, th...more
The plot in this story flowed reasonably well. From now on, however, authors need to realize that "young celtic kid abducted by vikings" is no longer an acceptable plot device. But Aidan's stay in Denmark was interesting.
While the hero is Christian, and in some ironic and bitter way, spreads his faith to his Viking captors, th...more
Jul 11, 2010
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Historical Fiction
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
The Complte Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
This is a door-stopper of a book, a first person narrative of a 10th Century Irish monk, Aidan, and his pilgrimage to Byzantium in the course of which he'll become "a slave, a spy, a sailor" going from a monk's robes to a slave's rags and collar to "the silken robes of a Sarazen prince." This book is on a fantasy rec list, is found in the fantasy section in the store and is by a fantasy writer--but I wouldn't call it fantasy despite a few prophetic dreams. Rather it's a work of pure historical f...more
This was an exceptionally good book about the trials and tribulations of a Celtic priest, Aidan, and his pilgrimage to Constantinople to deliver a holy book made by the abbeys of Ireland. Leaving with a total of 13 on pilgrimage, the groups of priests are set upon by Danish Sea Wolves looking for plunder. Aidan is the only captive taken, and soon becomes a slave to the Sea Wolf who he had earlier saved from drowning. Soon Aidan is sold to the Danish king, Jarl Harrald, and becomes a translator t...more
3 1/2 stars, actually.
Three distinct 9th Century settings - an Abbey in Ireland, a Viking settlement in Scandanavia, and the cities and deserts surrounding Busantium, now known as Istanbul - make for a LOT of interesting historical fun and facts. The reader goes on a journey of discovery with Aiden, a young monk who starts out as part of pilgrimage to deliver a gift to the Emperor Basil. Along the way he's captured, the rest of the monks are presumed dead, he becomes a slave and is traded and lo...more
Three distinct 9th Century settings - an Abbey in Ireland, a Viking settlement in Scandanavia, and the cities and deserts surrounding Busantium, now known as Istanbul - make for a LOT of interesting historical fun and facts. The reader goes on a journey of discovery with Aiden, a young monk who starts out as part of pilgrimage to deliver a gift to the Emperor Basil. Along the way he's captured, the rest of the monks are presumed dead, he becomes a slave and is traded and lo...more
Apr 04, 2011
Michael
added it
My interest in this period of history continues. The Byzantine Empire. (It is odd that I still do not recall this being mentioned in school.) The story was excellent in some ways, but the hero was a monk and thus kind of a bitch. Who does that? Shaves a little circle on top of his head and lives with a bunch of other men eating gruel. Even allowing for a different culture and time this is warped, and not to my taste. The constant ruminations and dreams he had about god were tiresome, and I start...more
Aug 16, 2012
Jonathon Shannon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Jonathon by:
family
Whenever I recommend this book I can't help but really mean it from a literary standpoint, and a spiritual standpoint. Aidan takes quite a journey through many places. Along the way he encounters a lot of challenges that change him fundamentally. I like how real Lawhead makes this journey for him. He is taken to the edge and then beyond to discover who he is. So often in our own lives we have a crisis of identity and Lawhead shows this in detail. My favorite part is at the end when Aidan realize...more
Jan 27, 2013
Elizabeth Nesbit-comer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites
Wow! what an adventure. My mind is still reeling from this one and I'm having a hard time forming appropriate words.
so short phrases it is.
Danish Sea Wolves = Oh how I hated them at first, but then absolutely adored their ways. The best was their failure at plundering Byzantium and refusing to leave their silver behind at the mines. I found pleasure in retelling their blunders to my husband.
Aidens ability to see the uniqueness of each city and culture without prejudice even when treated as...more
so short phrases it is.
Danish Sea Wolves = Oh how I hated them at first, but then absolutely adored their ways. The best was their failure at plundering Byzantium and refusing to leave their silver behind at the mines. I found pleasure in retelling their blunders to my husband.
Aidens ability to see the uniqueness of each city and culture without prejudice even when treated as...more
I have had to spend some time deciding how to describe why I didn't like this book other than just writing that I found it boring.
It is not the kind of book that you would imagine as boring, once you get though the first 20 chapters, it never stops moving you through people and places. From sea wolves to emperors, forest to desert and country to city, there is always another place to be and more people to meet.
Alot of the story seemed implausible and did there really have to be so much praying?
W...more
It is not the kind of book that you would imagine as boring, once you get though the first 20 chapters, it never stops moving you through people and places. From sea wolves to emperors, forest to desert and country to city, there is always another place to be and more people to meet.
Alot of the story seemed implausible and did there really have to be so much praying?
W...more
I really liked this book. It was about an Irish monk who is awarded the "honor" of joining a party of monks traveling to Byzantium to present a very special book to the emperor - Basil.
The monk is captured by Sea Wolves (Vikings), enslaved, sold to the caliph's mines, loses his faith, and regains it again. I loved the second half of the book more than the first.
The time period was between 900 - 1000 AD. Times were quite barbaric. When it comes to describing the torture, it was pretty gruesome.
O...more
The monk is captured by Sea Wolves (Vikings), enslaved, sold to the caliph's mines, loses his faith, and regains it again. I loved the second half of the book more than the first.
The time period was between 900 - 1000 AD. Times were quite barbaric. When it comes to describing the torture, it was pretty gruesome.
O...more
I vacillated a lot during the reading of this book. There were times it was very dry and slow, and other times when the author did a great job of building and engaging characters. There were times it was a 5-star book for me, and times it was a 2-star book for me. One thing it did well was to share the main character's struggle with Faith - from a high to a low. I was a bit disappointed at the end when the character just "fell back into" faith through what felt to me like a cliche of Christian d...more
Lawhead is a truly gifted storyteller. This is a hefty volume, but at no point did I feel like I was just trying to slog through it. I am not sure how historically accurate it is, but I read Celt Druid and Culdee at the same time (a purportedly historical work) and he has obviously done his research. The first scenes took me back to my last trip to Ireland, where we saw the Book of Kells (which figures strongly in the book) and the Cross of Cong (which doesn't figure into the book at all, but ga...more
The best description that I have for this book is that it is like a roller coaster
Why a roller coaster?
A roller coaster is slow when it starts out and climbs that first big hill. Byzantium is also slow while Lawhead lays the groundwork and has the reader join with an enterprising group of 13 monks from Ireland and Britain that head off for a pilgrimage to Constantinople.
Like a roller coaster, once this book finally gets moving (around page 90 or so) the pace never stops and the reader is dra...more
Why a roller coaster?
A roller coaster is slow when it starts out and climbs that first big hill. Byzantium is also slow while Lawhead lays the groundwork and has the reader join with an enterprising group of 13 monks from Ireland and Britain that head off for a pilgrimage to Constantinople.
Like a roller coaster, once this book finally gets moving (around page 90 or so) the pace never stops and the reader is dra...more
Wow! Where to start!
Given the number of reviews, and the fact that others have already outlined the plot, allow me to tell you what you want to know. This book IS epic in scope. The adventure is constant, and the chapters all end with a cliff-hanger that you keeps you turning the pages late into the night. The best part about this book is that it is actually plausible, yet, amazing in plot scope. The language nuances used by the author to create tone are just ingenious.
I believe that people en...more
Given the number of reviews, and the fact that others have already outlined the plot, allow me to tell you what you want to know. This book IS epic in scope. The adventure is constant, and the chapters all end with a cliff-hanger that you keeps you turning the pages late into the night. The best part about this book is that it is actually plausible, yet, amazing in plot scope. The language nuances used by the author to create tone are just ingenious.
I believe that people en...more
Stephen Lawhead knows how to write intelligent books for people who love to read novels with substance. He specializes in Celtic Historical Fiction but has dabbled
with a couple of science fiction novels.
Byzantium is novel about a 9th Century Irish Monk and his physical and spiritual adventure to personally carry an illuminated Bible to Byzantium. There are many lives that he touches along the way and he struggles with his own faith as he faces several perils.
Believe it or not... the novel had ab...more
with a couple of science fiction novels.
Byzantium is novel about a 9th Century Irish Monk and his physical and spiritual adventure to personally carry an illuminated Bible to Byzantium. There are many lives that he touches along the way and he struggles with his own faith as he faces several perils.
Believe it or not... the novel had ab...more
I think this is the best book the Lawhead wrote. It is epic in journey and yet only requires a single book to tell. The story is interesting, somewhat sweet, honest, funny.
Our hero is a simple Monk possibly a bit more real than many monks are portrayed. He is envious of his best friend and jealous of those around him. He joins the crusade to the holy land but doesn't quite make it. His life his never quite in his own control and is passed from one lord to the next.
My favourite scene is when the...more
Our hero is a simple Monk possibly a bit more real than many monks are portrayed. He is envious of his best friend and jealous of those around him. He joins the crusade to the holy land but doesn't quite make it. His life his never quite in his own control and is passed from one lord to the next.
My favourite scene is when the...more
A very enjoyable historical fiction set in the Dark Ages when Constantinople was still considered a Religious center on par with Rome, when Danes/Vikings marauded the northern coasts of Europe and when monks in monasteries in Ireland and Britain painstakingly and carefully carried out the work of creating new copies of the Holy scriptures. In this tale by Lawhead you will experience the known world of the Dark Ages from the Emerald Isle to the Saracen lords of the Middle East. You get a good ove...more
I first ran into Lawhead through his Pendragon cycle and I thought it was a great, fresh look at the Arthurian legends. A mix of fantasy and hard historical fiction that I had never seen before.
Byzantium is a large book and I was concerned that a straight historical fiction tale from the guy who gave me Charis from Atlantis might not hold up. I was wrong. Lawhead knocked it out of the park. The travails and travels of Aiden are the unifying thread of this story, but there is a tapestry of other...more
Byzantium is a large book and I was concerned that a straight historical fiction tale from the guy who gave me Charis from Atlantis might not hold up. I was wrong. Lawhead knocked it out of the park. The travails and travels of Aiden are the unifying thread of this story, but there is a tapestry of other...more
Really great adventure that moves from a 9th century Irish monastery to viking Sweden to Constantinople, Trebizond, Abbasid Iraq and back, all centered on the attempted delivery of the Book of Kells to the Emperor Basil. The only problem is part of the ending. A character's change of heart was theologically adequate but dramatically foreshortened. Also, if you're primary point of pride is your dislike of religion and disbelief in it, there are probably better books for you. I hear that one guy w...more
Aug 03, 2011
Meghan
added it
Lawhead often writes in series but this is a stand-alone book on the adventures of Aidan, an Irish priest on a pilgrimage to Byzantium to present the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of several Gospels, to the Holy Roman Emperor. He is shipwrecked, captured by Vikings, put to work in Arab silver mines, enslaved at least three different times, and both loses and gains his faith. Lawhead's description of various cultures, religions, trades, languages, and travelling methods both entertaine...more
I'm relatively new to Lawhead's work. I had started one of his other trilogies that I saw in the library. Unfortunately they didn't have the 3rd book so I picked this up on a whim.
It's different from the other work of his that I have read. I really enjoyed the tale of Aiden, a Celtic priest tasked with helping to deliver the Book of Kells to the emperor in Byzantium. He alternates between being a priest, a slave, an advisor to kings, etc. Action, adventure, love, tests of faither - all in all a...more
It's different from the other work of his that I have read. I really enjoyed the tale of Aiden, a Celtic priest tasked with helping to deliver the Book of Kells to the emperor in Byzantium. He alternates between being a priest, a slave, an advisor to kings, etc. Action, adventure, love, tests of faither - all in all a...more
This is story of Aidan, the Irish monk, descendant of a royal house. When he starts he is little more than a boy, still very much naive and trusting. Totally unprepared for the world. His family send him off as a little boy to a convent because it was seen as a good omen for his line to have a holy man as king's adviser. Somewhere along the line, it all got wrong, and his family was killed. That left him as a just another monk, a scribe. Apart from that, he has one unique quality, he's a seer an...more
3 likes · like · see review
Oct 26, 2012
Deborah Ideiosepius
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who read in the tenth century, Viking, Byzantium readers
Shelves:
historic-fiction
I liked it. A strong story (or should I say saga?) very rich in historical detail with a story that sucks you in from the get go. The monks of Ireland are going on pilgrimage to Byzantium, who will go? Or hero/narrator is selected of course and we plummet into a complex story.
I was very impressed with the historic detail except for the ground chillies that Aiden sees in the markets of Constantinople; Chillies came from Mexico much later than the 900’s CE. Also, if the ‘sweet black drink’ Aiden i...more
I was very impressed with the historic detail except for the ground chillies that Aiden sees in the markets of Constantinople; Chillies came from Mexico much later than the 900’s CE. Also, if the ‘sweet black drink’ Aiden i...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient & Med...: FEB 2012: Byzantium by Stephen R. Lawhead | 146 | 91 | Apr 10, 2013 08:25pm |
Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium, Patrick, and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion.
Also see his fanpage at Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephenlawhead...
Stephen was born in 1950, in Nebraska in the USA. Most of his early life was spent in America where he earned...more
More about Stephen R. Lawhead...
Also see his fanpage at Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/stephenlawhead...
Stephen was born in 1950, in Nebraska in the USA. Most of his early life was spent in America where he earned...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Oh, but once my memories had pulsed with the blood-heat of life. In desperation, I forced myself to recall that once, I had walked with kings and conversed in languages never heard in this land. Once I had stood at the prow of a Sea Wolf ship and sailed oceans unknown to seamen here. I had ridden horses through desert lands, and dined on exotic foods in Arab tents. I had roamed Constantinople’s fabled streets, and bowed before the Holy Roman Emperor’s throne. I had been a slave, a spy, a sailor. Advisor and confidant of lords, I had served Arabs, Byzantines, and barbarians. I had worn captive’s rags, and the silken robes of a Sarazen prince. Once I had held a jeweled knife and taken a life with my own hand. Yes, and once I had held a loving woman in my arms and kissed her warm and willing lips...Death would have been far, far better than the gnawing, aching emptiness that was now my life.”
—
5 people liked it
More quotes…
