The Paradise War

One of Stephen Lawhead’s lesser-known works, but perhaps the most beautiful. It tells the tale of an ordinary man, Lewis, who’s a graduate student from Oxford. Lewis is a rather plain chap without anything to recommend him as heroic material. He ends up crossing into a parallel world (ancient Celtic) by accident, while trying to find his roommate, Simon, who incidentally crossed into the same world before him. It’s a rich and thoroughly engrossing story that will keep you hooked. There are many “cross over” fantasy stories out there, but A Song for Albion is the finest and best-written of them all. The world created is highly detailed, heavily influenced by Lawhead’s research into Celtic folklore and traditions. This is not a white-washed fantasy world either - the author stays true to the savage nature of the ancient primitive cultures with a depiction of bloody battles. The narrative is rich and complex with three-dimensional characters who learn and grow through the series, evolving into different people by the end of the tale. The grim bloodshed and harsh primitive realities of the world are juxtaposed with the stunning beauty and peacefulness of the landscape and peoples - it makes for an interesting, yet disturbing comparison. For something a little different than the normal epic fantasies out there, I highly recommend A Song for Albion. You won’t be disappointed.