I haven't read any later works in the series yet. So, I can only comment on this first title directly. I really enjoyed it. Lawhead either did his research on Celtic culture or managed to bluff very convincingly. Personally, I believe it was the former. Still, it was not paradigm altering. It seemed a pretty standard tale of boy goes to mythical "Otherworld", encounters amazing magical adventure and comes back. (Or does he?) it also reminded me a bit of Tolkien and Lewis's works. It certainly se

I haven't read any later works in the series yet. So, I can only comment on this first title directly. I really enjoyed it. Lawhead either did his research on Celtic culture or managed to bluff very convincingly. Personally, I believe it was the former. Still, it was not paradigm altering. It seemed a pretty standard tale of boy goes to mythical "Otherworld", encounters amazing magical adventure and comes back. (Or does he?) it also reminded me a bit of Tolkien and Lewis's works. It certainly seemed inspired by them. This is not a bad thing though as the tale is enjoyable.



My biggest complaint might be that he sometimes seemed to insert random historical facts about Celtic culture which don't seem necessary to the whole story. A good example from early in the book is the "Green Man". He also never adequately explained the one fact is character seemed to maintain from early in the tale. Namely that Lewis and Simon's presence in the Otherworld was damaging to it.



My second biggest complaint is that I don't feel the main character, Lewis, really grows much from a moral standpoint. He talks about him changing as a person and how his physical body changes, but doesn't seem to show growth of character. If Lewis learns anything in the tale, it's the importance of duty in spite of fear and death, but even that seems to be told to the reader more than shown to him. Perhaps this is because the tale is narrated from the first person?



My favorite parts of the story dealt with the elaborate lore surrounding Albion, the prophecies, the bards, and the way authority worked in the world of Albion. When authors try to tell of the paradoxical contradictions which make up their fantasy world and manage to convey the tensions which come from these, it makes me happy as a reader.



This brings me to one final point. I had been told that this book or maybe the series as a whole is distinctly "Christian". One friend didn't even want to read it because of this. The truth is, after reading this book, I see no evidence for this at all. If Christian themes and philosophies are present, they are presented in a decidedly not distinctly Christian way. The closest I can think of is thee nation of a "creator god" who sits amongst or perhaps at the top of a pantheon of gods. (not a Christian idea) this is a fantasy tale, and I had no problem with this, just as I have no problem with C.S. Lewis being pretty distinctly Christian in his Cosmic Trilogy (those are some of my absolutely favorite books). I felt it merited mention though as some people seem to skip this book and series for that reason.





