Thrilling: "The End of the Magi" by Patrick W. Carr

about the book....

Centuries before the magi arrived in Bethlehem,

a prophecy sets a young magus on his path . . .

Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel calls forth a select group of men who will count down the calendar until the arrival of Israel's promised king. Centuries later, as the day draws near, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are slain by a ruthless Parthian queen.

Equipped with very little, in haste Myrad escapes the city and, searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is keeping secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable asset, an epic journey filled with peril, near captures, and dangerous battles begins.

With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can't forget, and the promise that the world will never be the same.

my review....

With a thrilling blend of prophecy, nail-biting action, and characters who fairly spring to life, Patrick W. Carr's latest novel is a winner! Though a departure from his prior fantasy novels, Carr's "Magi" still has the spicy flavour of the unknown, reaching back into history and crafting the sort of tale I didn't realize I was waiting for. How have I never wondered what it was like to be one of the Magi and how it was that they were called from afar to witness the momentous coming of the Messiah?

Myrad is the sort of character who draws upon your sympathies with his lonely upbringing and his disability, and that made the victories he experiences all the sweeter. Although his road is not an easy one, it is clear that the hand of God is upon his life and he's been made for a greater purpose. The way in which Myrad is drawn closer and closer to God's ultimate purpose makes for fascinating reading indeed, and served to remind me that we are all made for much greater things than the day to day moments that can take up too much of our attention. As much as I enjoyed Myrad's encounters with the divine, the way he stumbles upon love also made for a gripping and at times humorous read as well. Carr uses just the right touch in how that aspect of that tale unfolds. And I must confess a moment of envy as Myrad learns some impressive trick horseback riding and develops the ability to shoot an arrow from horseback (though of course I'd love to somehow inherit the skill without the pain of years of practice).

All in all, "Magi" is one epic tale, with nary a dull moment but rather the sort of grand adventure I'd just been craving to read about. Patrick W. Carr has proven that those books labelled "Biblical fiction" can often be the best of all. I award this novel 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

about the author....

Patrick W. Carr (www.patrickwcarr.com) is the author of the acclaimed fantasy series The Staff and the Sword. A Cast of Stones won the 2014 Carol Award for Speculative Fiction and the 2014 Clive Staples Award. A Cast of Stones and The Hero's Lot were both finalists for 2014 Christy Awards. He teaches high school math and makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his incredible wife, Mary, and their four sons.

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