Tuesday, November 02, 2010

CSFF Tour: The Skin Map, by Stephen Lawhead

First off, know that this is the first book of a series (something I didn't realize until after reading) and the end will leave you hanging in space and maybe confused. That said, it was a good read, if a little slow.

Kit, who leads a boring life in England, is visited by his should-be-dead great-grandfather Cosimo, who proceeds to take him to another dimension via "ley lines" only a few people know about. After returning home, Kit enlists his girlfriend Mina to go with him on one of these other-worldly journeys only for them to end up separated from each other in different times and places. Kit tries to find Mina while also trying to find out about the elusive skin map.

Lawhead is one of the most detailed and well-researched fantasy writers I've ever read. He totally immerses himself in his stories (in one interview he said he has been thinking about The Skin Map for 15 years or so) and it totally shows in his plot and setting complexities.

I'm only a fan of historical fiction in certain instances, and this is one of them, because it's not really historical fiction--no more than it is fantasy or sci-fi or adventure. It's an amalgamation of all those imbued with Lawhead's signature style, albeit a bit lighter and with less moral/spiritual meat.


The Amazon Book Link
Author Website

Participant links:

Red Bissell
Thomas Clayton Booher
Keanan Brand
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Jeff Chapman
Christian Fiction Book Reviews
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
George Duncan
April Erwin
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Shannon McDermott
Allen McGraw
Matt Mikalatos
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Gavin Patchett
Sarah Sawyer
Chawna Schroeder
Kathleen Smith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Donna Swanson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Elizabeth Williams
Dave Wilson

Subtle disclaimer: My words are my own and I was given nothing for this review. I even bought my own book.