The Shadow Lamp

By: Stephen Lawhead

Narrated by: Simon Bubb

The quest for answers - and ultimate survival - hinges on finding the cosmic link between the Skin Map, the Shadow Lamp, and the Spirit Well. The search for the map of blue symbols began in a rainy alley in London but has since expanded through space and time and includes more seekers. Kit, Mina, Gianni, Cass, Haven, and Giles have gathered in Mina's 16th-century coffee house and are united in their determination to find a path back to the Spirit Well. Yet, with their shadow lamps destroyed and key pieces of the map still missing, the journey will be far more difficult than they imagine. And when one of their own disappears with Sir Henry's cryptic Green Book, they no longer know who to trust. At the same time, the Zetetic Society has uncovered a terrifying secret which, if proven, will rock the very foundations of Creation. The quest for answers is no longer limited to recovering an unknown treasure. The fate of the universe depends on unraveling the riddle of the Skin Map.

©2013 Thomas Nelson (P)2013 Thomas Nelson

Been a fan of Lawhead for 25 years!!

What did you love best about The Shadow Lamp?

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. It explores ley lines, time travel, apocalyptic possibilities, archeology, science and more, but not in what I would consider a "cheesy" way. Lawhead has pulled his material from many current conversations that can be found on the Internet in alternative news sources about all of these subjects, and then some. Through his fictional story, he explores what life might be like if "all that" were true. I found the character development, the plot development, the historical aspects of the various settings for the story, etc. to all be very engaging.

Lawhead's penultimate best.

The penultimate book in the Bright Empires series sees Kit and Wilhelmina meet Cass and join the Zetetic Society. Archie Burleigh's story is told in more depth , as we learn how he recruited his henchmen, and Douglas and Snipe are causing havoc where ever they travel. We also receive an insight into Charles Flinders Petries past before he is brutally murdered by his son Douglas. Another masterful story which melds science, religion, history and the future into one incredible journey. Once again well narrated by Simon Bubb.

A real thinker

The concepts and perspectives that Mr. Lawhead has given us to peruse and contemplate are complex and rich with soul searching argument. I feel after reading this series so far that I know God just a tiny bit more while realizing that His enormity is far, far more than can be grasped. This book requires your full attention but I feel Mr. Lawhead has written a confusing concept with expert construction of story telling. Well done!

Gripping

This storyline keeps my head spinning. The jumping or stepping from time to time and place to place make one wonder of the possibility of what lays ahead. The narrator makes you actually see the people speaking. Love this series.

Series takes an unforeseen turn

The five books in this series should be seen as one overall book divided into five equal parts. Given the complexity of the storyline and the plethora of characters to keep track of, it’s best to read all five books at once. In this book, we continue to follow the adventures of the various characters and near the end the Zetetic Society makes a startling discovery about the nature of the universe. I like the lead characters n the story. I do think that Lawhead would have been smart to have simplified this series by cutting out some of the characters and storylines (there really are too many) and shortening the books. He’s a good storyteller but it really is difficult to keep track of the minor characters. Overall this is just too busy, and the busyness is compounded by the pseudo-scientific/sci-fi explanations for the plot devices. The books are enjoyable to read but they require a bigger commitment than they should - this is really one 55+ hour story, and I think it would be much better and digestible if it were a 20 hour story.

dragging on...

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I'm reading the whole series and find myself bored......I'm not sure I'll keep the whole series and listen to it. Seems a waste of my time.

What could Stephen Lawhead have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

maybe not so many details and too many story lines to keep up with for me. Nothing really exciting is happening in this book - some explanations of the concepts are the only thing that keeps me listening, and I have to rewind when I realize it's important stuff to know!

What didn’t you like about Simon Bubb’s performance?

not a lot of change in his voice to identify characters - some are easily identifiable, but there are many characters involved. Generally though he does a great job!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

interesting explanations of laylines.

Any additional comments?

Think I'll return the rest of the series and listen to a more lively book next time.

Drags on

This series just drags on. Not what I expected from Lawhead. Getting the next book to see if it is going to have merit
by the end.