Bright Empires Series Novel 1
Read by Simon Bubb
It is the ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure: chasing a map tattooed on human
skin across an omniverse of interesting realities to unravel the future of the future.
Kit Livingston's great-grandfather appears to him in a deserted alley during a tumultuous
storm. He reveals an unbelievable story: that the ley lines throughout Britain are not
merely the stuff of legend or the weekend hobby of deluded cranks, but pathways to other
worlds. To those who know how to use them, they grant the ability to travel the multi-
layered universe of which we ordinarily inhabit only a tiny part. One explorer knew more
than most. Braving every danger, he toured both time and space on voyages of heroic
discovery. Ever on his guard, and fearful of becoming lost in the cosmos, he developed an
intricate code - a roadmap of symbols - that he tattooed onto his own body. This Skin Map
has since been lost in time. Now the race is on to recover all the pieces and discover its
secrets. But the Skin Map itself is not the ultimate goal. It is merely the beginning of
a vast and marvelous quest for a prize beyond imagining.
The Bright Empires series - from acclaimed author Stephen Lawhead - is a unique blending
of epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics,
philosophy, and mystery. The result is a unpauseable, fantastical adventure like no other.
From Publishers Weekly
A promising tale of interdimensional voyaging disintegrates rapidly into a clunky and
incoherent mess. Londoner Kit Livingstone and his unpleasant girlfriend, Wilhelmina, are
separated and sent back to an alternate 17th-century England. There Kit's great-grandfather
Cosimo reveals secretive time travelers are racing the evil Lord Archelaeus Burleigh to
locate a map holding an earthshaking secret. Stranded when Cosimo vanishes into a portal,
Kit falls in with the beautiful Lady Fayth while Wilhelmina struggles to survive on her own
in Prague. Lawhead (The Endless Knot) has come up with plenty of clever concepts and colorful
settings, but they can't compensate for thinly drawn, incompetent characters and the lack of
a coherent story line.
From Library Journal
Once again, Lawhead has penned an epic tale, putting a new spin on an old legend. Full of
rich imagery, this page-turner will appeal to fans of suspense and fantasy.
From BookPage
Kit Livingstone has led a terribly humdrum life. Even his girlfriend is dull. But soon all
that changes when, with the help of his deceased great-grandfather, Kit is catapulted into
worlds unknown in The Skin Map, the first book of the Bright Empires series by prolific
writer Stephen R. Lawhead. Dynamic settings are mixed with unpredictable adventures as we
follow Kit through his new life, which includes parallel worlds and time travel. Most
interesting is the lost map many are battling to find, the map that is crucial to traveling
the cosmos and, more importantly, getting back to Earth. And yes, it's tattooed on the
mapmaker. But soon the reader discovers that, as intriguing as the map is, that's not the
real prize. It's only square one.
Download File Size:345.59 MB
|
