Book Review: The Bone House by Stephen Lawhead

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: September 6, 2011

The Bone House continues the tale begun in The Skin Map, as Kit Livingstone furthers the quest given him by his great-grandfather, to restore a map that charts the ability to travel the multiverse using ley lines. His girlfriend, Mina, who was caught in seventeenth-century Prague, is likewise furthering her establishment among the powerful of the age while developing her own knowledge of ley travel. Both are racing against others also intent on pursing the pieces of the skin map, others willing to do whatever necessary to succeed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment in the Bright Empire Series, a series with such a vast scope that it is truly an ambitious accomplishment. Lawhead is a master with the pen, and his ability to set the scene and create tension are superb. His writing is powerful, and I was immediately caught up again into this fantastic fantasy world that he has created, a journey winging through space and time and history into dimensions uncharted. The characters are intriguing and only growing more so as their respective histories unfold. Kit's experience at the end of the book was absolutely fascinating and I did not want the story to end! Although there are a number of characters to keep track of, their collective focus on ley travel and its secrets kept the story focused and easy for me to follow.

I absolutely loved this book, and am left craving for more. I cannot wait for the next installment, The Spirit Well, coming September 2012. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Note: I would greatly advise reading the first book in this series prior to embarking upon The Bone House in order to fully appreciate the grandness of this series.

This book has been provided courtesy of the publisher via the Booksneeze program for the purposes of this unbiased review.