- Hardcover: 512 pages
- Publisher: Voyager; Reprint edition (21 Sep 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002246651
- ISBN-13: 978-0002246651
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 13.6 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,312,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Iron Lance: The Celtic Crusades Series, Book 1
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Stephen Lawhead is best known for his "Pendragon Cycle" of Arthurian fantasies. His previous novel Byzantium moved him into historical rather than mythological fiction; The Iron Lance confirms this change. It is the story of the First Crusade, told by a youth from the Orkneys, a large group of islands off the north coast of Scotland.
At 14 Murdo Ranulfson is too young to go on a Crusade. But when he and his mother are thrown off their own land by soldiers of Prince Sigurd of Norway, who has claimed the Orkneys, Murdo travels to the Holy Land to fetch back his father and brothers, to reclaim their land. He witnesses at first hand the horrors of the Crusade, particularly what Lawhead calls "the rape of Jerusalem".
In common with Lawhead's earlier works, there is a strong Christian element to the story, but here the emphasis is on the Spirituality of the Célé Dé, Celtic monks, in contrast with the venality of the Catholic Church of the time. The main story is framed in the late-19th century narrative of a secret religious order descended from the monks, and from Murdo.
This is a powerful story, well told. Lawhead, better than most American writers, brilliantly captures what feels like the true essence of mediæval Britain and Europe. --David V. Barrett
Review
Praise for Byzantium:
‘Fantasy writing doesn’t get much better than this’
The Express
‘This is a rip-roaring adventure story; the pace rarely flags. There’s scheming, murder and betrayal aplenty’
Interzone
‘Amusing and interesting’
Locus
‘A vivid historical setting and a credible and satisfying plot’
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Format:Mass Market Paperback
The Iron Lance is classic Stephen Lawhead. A mix of well researched history and some bare faced fiction. It would be quite wrong to think the medieval world was just as he describes it, but he describes it so well and with such an attention to detail that people might be mistaken for sometimes doing just that.
This book is the first in a trilogy which itself relies on some plot elements set up in the book "Patrick: Son of Ireland". In this story, Murdo Ranulfson's brothers go to fight in the crusade to free the Holy Land, leaving him (the youngest son) to tend the estates with his mother. However political shifts and a scheming bishop leave him dispossessed and the lad finds himself with no option but to travel to the Holy Land to bring back his father.
But on the way he meets some monks from a curious celtic order - the Cele De. These monks are on a mission from God to bring back the Iron Lance that was used to pierce the side of the crucified Jesus.
The tensions in this book are deliciously drawn, and Lawhead is very good at the writing of action scenes. This leads to a wonderful story with a great conclusion in a convincing historical setting.
This book is the first in a trilogy which itself relies on some plot elements set up in the book "Patrick: Son of Ireland". In this story, Murdo Ranulfson's brothers go to fight in the crusade to free the Holy Land, leaving him (the youngest son) to tend the estates with his mother. However political shifts and a scheming bishop leave him dispossessed and the lad finds himself with no option but to travel to the Holy Land to bring back his father.
But on the way he meets some monks from a curious celtic order - the Cele De. These monks are on a mission from God to bring back the Iron Lance that was used to pierce the side of the crucified Jesus.
The tensions in this book are deliciously drawn, and Lawhead is very good at the writing of action scenes. This leads to a wonderful story with a great conclusion in a convincing historical setting.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion. Lawhead makes his home in Austria with his wife. Stephen Lawhead is one of my all time favourite authors and I am only sorry that he does not write more often.
Through visions of the past, a 19th century lawyer is able to see glimpses of the harrowing journey of a long dead ancestor, Murdo Ranulfsen. Murdo stays to guard his family and what possessions they own while his father goes to join the Crusades.
When through no fault of Murdo's the family possessions are confiscated, Murdo decides to set out on the long journey to follow the Crusade and find his father.
The author spins a magical adventure for the reader. He writes a moving and fearsome story as only he can. Once again, all I can say is that I wish he would write more books.
Through visions of the past, a 19th century lawyer is able to see glimpses of the harrowing journey of a long dead ancestor, Murdo Ranulfsen. Murdo stays to guard his family and what possessions they own while his father goes to join the Crusades.
When through no fault of Murdo's the family possessions are confiscated, Murdo decides to set out on the long journey to follow the Crusade and find his father.
The author spins a magical adventure for the reader. He writes a moving and fearsome story as only he can. Once again, all I can say is that I wish he would write more books.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Once again Stephen Lawhead delights us with his outstanding capacity of telling a great story. The Iron Lance is yet another one of his masterpieces, a marvel of epic/historical literature, combining elements of religion, faith, humanity, love, war and History in a brilliant writing style. And as we read the book, the feelings sometimes overwhelm us, in a true testimony of the author's excellence. Definitely a must have!
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