Scarlet By Stephen Lawhead — Part 1
This month’s Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour is about the book Scarlet, by Stephen Lawhead. Now, if you have read any of my other posts on Stephen Lawhead, you will know that he is one of my favorite authors, and as such I am both humbled and inspired to read his craftsmanship.
Why do I say ‘craftsmanship’ instead of just ‘books’? It is because I believe Lawhead is a true artist and his level of craft is so high that his books are a joy to read and an example to marvel at.
I will never forget the day I was reading near the beginning of his book “Silver Hand” (Song of Albion Book 2) and I realized that the (first person written) main character was blinded. BLINDED? How can Lawhead do that? How can he write the entire rest of the book in first person from the perspective of a blind man? I was shocked by Lawhead’s audacity and amazed as the pages unfurled and it worked—he actually made it work!
So then, as I sit here and hold Hood (Book 1) in my hand and anticipate picking up Scarlet (Book 2) later today, I can testify that these books are excellent. Not only are they excellent, but they raise the bar for any of us who desire to become authors of Christian fantasy.
What do I recommend? Go out and buy these books as Christmas presents! These would make a great gift for anyone on your shopping list—whether young, old, peasant, outlaw, or king.
(Ahem … maybe I’ve been reading Hood too much lately! Is that possible? 🙂
Not convinced you’ll like them? Here are links to first chapter previews of Hood and Scarlet. Read them yourself and then pick them up at your local bookstore!
Anyway, stay tuned for Part 2 with more “review”-ish thoughts.
I have seen the other cover and I do like it, but there is something about these covers that I just like better. Either way it’s the same fabulousness between them. Seeing what you write, I’d be interested in hearing of any of your stories complete or not. Have a blessed day!
Wonderful post! I’m with you all the way! And I love how you put it–craftsmanship. What a beautiful way to say it. So true, so true. I think Lawhead raised the bar for all of us long ago, to be the best at our trade. Few in my mind are there, but he certainly inspires me to be!
And I echo Margaret above–look forward to reading your work.
CH
Thanks for your interest in my work. As someone who uses Lawhead as a benchmark, it is humbling to even step out and try.
Wow! I agree with Christopher: craftsmanship is the right word. Yes, Lawhead has raised the bar, but no higher than it should be. If we purport to write Christian fiction, we should be aiming for high quality, in my opinion.
I look forward to your review-ish comments, Robert. 😉
Becky
Great blog. The graphics and content are both excellent.
I agree with your comments about Lawhead’s books.
Thanks for your encouragement, Jim.
Hi Robert, I was looking for your review to Hood but couldn’t find it. I posted a review of Hood a while back on my site as well, and was curious to get your take on it. I haven’t gotten around to reading Scarlet yet. If you could recommend one series from Lawhead, which one would you choose? I like your site and have already subscribed to your blog. Thanks for stopping by my site earlier!