[RQ2]⋙ PDF Free The Silver Hand Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy Stephen Lawhead 9781595542205 Books

The Silver Hand Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy Stephen Lawhead 9781595542205 Books

Download As PDF : The Silver Hand Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy Stephen Lawhead 9781595542205 Books

The Silver Hand Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy Stephen Lawhead 9781595542205 Books

Writing style is incredibly important to works of fiction; too many wordy expositions, or difficult language use can ruin immersion extremely quickly. As a result, when I come across an author who uses exposition to advance plot, skips the storyline ahead rapidly (years fade away without warning), and has an all-together pretentious use of the English language, I typically throw their books away without hesitation.

Stephen R. Lawhead is an exception to that rule. The world that Lawhead builds is so expansive, imaginative, unique, and captivating that it propels the reader along in spite of his pretentious writing style. I found myself captivated by the story enough to overlook the way it was being told, and struggled through the book enough to enjoy it in spite of itself.

Unlike the predecessor, this novel is told from the view of Tegid. And unlike the whiny, useless, sniveling excuse of a secondary character he was in The Paradise War , Tegid finds himself helping Llew lead his ragtag band of adventurers into rebellion and the establishment of a new kingdom. However, true to Lawhead's shortcomings, Tegid continues to speak in prophecy, riddles, and expository "songs" that leave the reader suddenly wondering how they ended up at Sunday Mass with grandma again. Tegid is just not a character that I find relateable, but as the Chief Bard of the land, maybe that speaks more to my predisposition against the keepers of folklore and religious teachings than the development of Tegid himself.

What I can say with relative authority is that Tegid is seen as a much stronger and likeable character than he was in the first novel, and he actually exists for some reason other than to get on the readers' nerves and whine about every decision his charges make. Unfortunately, Llew seems to take on the role of apathetic supporting actor, and I found myself wondering why he existed at all, if not to be drug kicking and screaming into the fulfillment of some prophecy I skimmed over during a five page expositional essay.

All of the complaints aside, I do have to reaffirm my enjoyment of Lawhead's Albion world. It's large and the conflicts seem real and relatable. I only wish the author could get out of his story's way.


Tags : The Silver Hand: Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy [Stephen Lawhead] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The great king, Meldryn Mawr, is dead, and his kingdom lies in ruins. Treachery and brutality rule the land,Stephen Lawhead,The Silver Hand: Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy,Thomas Nelson,1595542205,Fantasy fiction,Fantasy fiction.,Mythology, Celtic,Mythology, Celtic;Fiction.,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction-Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,Historical fiction,United States

The Silver Hand Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy Stephen Lawhead 9781595542205 Books Reviews

If you are a fan of subtle allegory, if C. S. Lewis' writing resonates with you, then you will probably enjoy this writer. This is the second book of the The Song of Albion Trilogy. An unfolding prophecy in an alternate, medieval reality where dreams, honor and kingship reign, culminates as two men from our modern era battle each other. One, selfish and grasping for an elusive power that can not be stolen, the other, trying to return them both to their correct stations in our world.

The underlying themes of sovereignty and kingship, femininity and masculinity in their true shapes, honor, modesty all pervade this story making it a rich delight to read.
This series (the Song of Albion trilogy) is the best trilogy written hands down by anyone, ever. I read it again every year or so because it is so wonderful. The characters live in my mind. Book two is from the perspective of our friend the bard, Tegid. It takes a little bit to switch gears after the first book to get used to the voice of Tegid. But you love him so. He characters are rich, deep, and full of life. Stephen Lawhead has never been better than he was during this series.
After finishing the first book, The Paradise War, I immediately downloaded this, the second book in the Song of Albion trilogy. I wasn't disappointed. After the narration from Lewis's viewpoint in The Paradise War, it was, at first, a bit jarring to find this book is narrated by Tegid, his druid companion. Once I'd read a chapter or two, I'd adapted and actually found it to be enjoyable. The 2nd viewpoint gave me more understanding of the world of Albion and developed Tegin more than would have been possible from Lewis's eyes. Also, seeing Lewis from Tegin's vantage reveals more about him than Lewis's view alone. There are many well-developed side characters. The story flows nicely, especially as it's the middle book in a trilogy. I highly recommend this book (and the others in the trilogy). I'm looking forward to finishing the series with The Endless Knot.
I loved the first of this series. It speaks to that part of me that is enraptured by Celtic lore, the people, places, even what they wore and how they may have conducted themselves in many situations. Lawhead has done quite a bit of research here and as with everything I have read of his thus far, he is clearly dedicated and passionate about this subject. The Silver Hand is quite a bit darker but no less exciting than the Paradise War, which is still my favorite of the trilogy. This book gives a different perspective on the coming and goings of the characters and surroundings in Albion, and I appreciated that Lawhead switched it up because it suited this story perfectly. Over all, I think this was a fascinating and interesting read, as was book 1.
What a pleasant surprise this novel was! I was already hooked on this trilogy from the first novel and knew I would be getting another fantastic book to read, but I wasn't expecting the narrative switch that occurred. The story is again told in first person, but instead of following the same character as in the first novel, the author switches to another principle character. Initially, I was skeptical about this as I have read many novels that incorporate this change or a dual narrative which ends up ruining the story for me. However, Lawhead's decision to switch was not only prudent, but by the novel's end served to be brilliantly done. The change enhanced the novel immensely and created a different perspective that made the narrative far richer. I was not sure I could enjoy this series more, but this novel won me over. I will warn, this novel incorporates a bit more violence than the first novel, but this is not senseless violence and serves to illustrate the price of war as well as deepend the emotional journey for each of the characters.
Writing style is incredibly important to works of fiction; too many wordy expositions, or difficult language use can ruin immersion extremely quickly. As a result, when I come across an author who uses exposition to advance plot, skips the storyline ahead rapidly (years fade away without warning), and has an all-together pretentious use of the English language, I typically throw their books away without hesitation.

Stephen R. Lawhead is an exception to that rule. The world that Lawhead builds is so expansive, imaginative, unique, and captivating that it propels the reader along in spite of his pretentious writing style. I found myself captivated by the story enough to overlook the way it was being told, and struggled through the book enough to enjoy it in spite of itself.

Unlike the predecessor, this novel is told from the view of Tegid. And unlike the whiny, useless, sniveling excuse of a secondary character he was in The Paradise War , Tegid finds himself helping Llew lead his ragtag band of adventurers into rebellion and the establishment of a new kingdom. However, true to Lawhead's shortcomings, Tegid continues to speak in prophecy, riddles, and expository "songs" that leave the reader suddenly wondering how they ended up at Sunday Mass with grandma again. Tegid is just not a character that I find relateable, but as the Chief Bard of the land, maybe that speaks more to my predisposition against the keepers of folklore and religious teachings than the development of Tegid himself.

What I can say with relative authority is that Tegid is seen as a much stronger and likeable character than he was in the first novel, and he actually exists for some reason other than to get on the readers' nerves and whine about every decision his charges make. Unfortunately, Llew seems to take on the role of apathetic supporting actor, and I found myself wondering why he existed at all, if not to be drug kicking and screaming into the fulfillment of some prophecy I skimmed over during a five page expositional essay.

All of the complaints aside, I do have to reaffirm my enjoyment of Lawhead's Albion world. It's large and the conflicts seem real and relatable. I only wish the author could get out of his story's way.