This is Book 1 of the Bright Empires Series.

I have always enjoyed Stephen Lawheads work, and he is one of my favorite authors. I love his ability to infuse a sense of the magical and mysterious into his stories without going over the top.

This new series, while involving more than its fair share of astrophysics, cosmology, astral displacement, and ley travel, reads more like a historical thriller and arcane treasure hunt. Once again, Lawhead has succeeded in creating interesting characters that have depth and worth, and I have enjoyed getting to know them better.

One of the main characters said that This is not time travel. Instead, it is inter-dimensional travel that does not follow a linear path. As a reader, I can see that I will need to get used to that concept as it is nearly impossible to keep straight who was where when and what they were doing. I have decided to just enjoy the story and let it take me where it will rather than try to keep a precise linear account of a plot that is anything but straight.

In short, this is a fun introductory book into what promises to be a very entertaining series. I look forward to reading more.

Share/Like this Review?

Stephen Lawhead is one of my favorite authors and Skin Map was just as incredible as all his other books. From start to finish I was hooked, and left looking forward to the second in the series.

Share/Like this Review?

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

The Skin Map, the first book in Stephen Lawhead's new Bright Empires series, is about a group of people who travel via ley lines--portals that lead to other times and places. Some people are in search of a map originally tattooed on a man's torso, while others are looking for loved ones who have gone missing in the midst of their own inter-dimensional travel. It's somewhat of a mix between National Treasure and The Time Travelers Wife, and I found it entertaining. Less of a sci-fi or fantasy book, it feels more like a historical novel, taking place in England, Prague and Egypt. I must say though, if you find it hard to keep up with plots that don't follow a linear time-line, you may find The Skin Map confusing (ie, if the flash-sideways in the last season of LOST mystified you, this may not be the book for you).

The Skin Map felt as if it were merely a setup to the next books in the series. The suspense didn't kick in until page 330, leaving 70 pages to bring up questions that won't be answered until later. I wish we could have gotten more closure or more info on why the characters are traveling through time and searching for the skin map so frantically. I suppose the open-ended ending is there to keep you reading the series, but I think even in a series a book should have it's own story that rests on itself. At the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone we don't know everything behind Lord Voldemort's return, but there is a complete story with a beginning, middle and end. The Skin Map seemed to only have a beginning and middle. Even so, I give the book 4 stars.

Share/Like this Review?