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A mesmerizing read: My review of the Spirit Well by Stephen R. Lawhead (Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour)

It's time for another Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog tour! This month is featuring "The Spirit Well" by Stephen R. Lawhead. Read on for a preview & review of his latest:


The Spirit Well (Bright Empires Series #3)


about the book....


The search for the map—and the secret behind its cryptic code—intensifies in a quest across time, space, and multiple realities.

But what if the true treasure isn’t the map at all . . . what if the map marks something far greater?  Something one world cannot contain? Those who desire to unlock that mystery are in a race to possess the secret—for good or evil.

Kit Livingstone is mastering the ability to travel across realities using ley lines and has forged a link from the Bone House, a sacred lodge made of animal bones, to the fabled Spirit Well, a place of profound power.

His friend Mina is undercover in a Spanish monastery high in the Pyrenees, learning all she can from a monk named Brother Lazarus. Still determined to find Kit, she is beginning to experience a greater destiny than she can fathom.

Cassandra Clarke is overseeing an archaeological dig in Arizona when a chance encounter transports her to 1950s Damascus. There, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to the Seekers—the last living remnants of the Zetetic Society who need her help to track down the missing Cosimo Livingstone and his grandson Kit.



my review....


I always enjoy reading a book by Stephen Lawhead, for the sheer ability to savour the way he forms words and sentences together into a mesmerizing read. The Spirit Well is an excellent addition to the series begun with Skin Map, well-written and difficult to put down, filled with intrigue and mystery and fantastic locales. 
I continue to especially love the plot line that follows Wilhelmina. Ever since the first book in the series, when she awoke from her stupor of coasting through life and managed to turn her circumstances to success in the creation of the coffeehouse, I’ve enjoyed watching her beat all expectations in her journey through life. Her refusal to allow others to determine her circumstances is a refreshing attitude to see in a character, and she has surprised me time and again throughout the story. I also continue to feel an affinity for Kit, as he seems to almost stumble about making discoveries but also manages huge strides in his own development.  All of the characters in The Spirit Well collectively make for an entertaining lot, and I highly enjoyed revisiting them in this third installment in the series. 

If you haven't yet given this series a try, I recommend you start with the first book in the series and read all the way through to The Spirit Well. You are in for a treat! I give Spirit Well a high recommendation and rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Thomas Nelson, and Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy  blog tours, for the purposes of this unbiased review.



 about the author....

Image of Stephen R. Lawhead
Stephen R. Lawhead is a prolific and bestselling author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. He is best known for his King Raven trilogy, a re-telling of the Robin Hood legend, and Pendragon Cycle, centering on the King Arthur legend. Other notable works include the Song of Albion, Celtic Crusades and Dragon King Trilogies, Byzantium, Patrick, Avalon, and the works of science-fiction Dream Thief and Empyrion saga. Lawhead makes his home in Oxford, England, with his wife.



Author Website - http://www.stephenlawhead.com/
Author Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/StephenRLawhead




Wait! There's more:


Be sure to check out other bloggers who have read The "Spirit Well" through the CSFF tours by checking  out the links below:



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Comments

  1. Rebecca LuElla MillerOctober 24, 2012 at 1:09 PM

    I agree that Mina's take-charge determination is endearing. I think most readers respond to a character that comes up with a plan and sets out to solve the problem/find the map or the way home/beat the bad guys or escape or rescue--in other words, we like characters that don't sit around waiting for something to happen to them. They go out to change their circumstances. That kind of character is someone the reader can cheer for and worry over. It's much more interesting to be in someone's corner and not just an impartial observer.

    Becky

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  2. Rebekah LoperOctober 24, 2012 at 7:41 PM

    His writing is very mesmerizing - I feel like my vocabulary expands 3 times over every time I read something of his!

    Mina is a very strong character - almost the backbone of the story a lot of the time. She's definitely the go-getter of the group.

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