The skin map /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

It is the ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure. Chasing a map tattooed on human skin. Across an omniverse of intersecting realities. To unravel the future of the future.

Kit Livingstone'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 R. Lawhead--is a unique blend of epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics, philosophy, and mystery. The result is a page-turning, adventure like no other.

"Anything but ordinary . . . Dynamic settings are mixed with unpredictable adventures [and] parallel worlds." --BookPage

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Ley lines, alternate worlds, and a map made from skin populate this new Christian fantasy series by the prolific Lawhead ("King Raven Trilogy"). Kit Livingston's life has been uneventful-until his great-grandfather appears to him in an alley and tells him a wondrous story about Britain's legendary ley lines. These lines are real roadways to alternate worlds and times. One traveler who explored more than any other tattooed an intricate map on his own skin so he would not get lost in the cosmos. The man and the map have long since vanished, and now the epic race is on to find the map and the secrets it may reveal. VERDICT 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, although some readers may be dissuaded by its length. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

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. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Novelist Stephen R. Lawhead was born in July 2, 1950 in Kearney, Nebraska. He graduated from Kearney State College.

He wrote his first novel, In the Hall of the Dragon King (1982) to try to support his family. This launched his literary career. Many of Lawhead's works are based on Celtic history and Arthurian legend. He has also written children's books, adapting many of them from stories he told his children. Lawhead's various series include Bright Empires, The Pendragon Cycle, and the King Raven Trilogy. The second book in the King Raven Trilogy, Scarlet, won a Christy Award in the category of Visionary Fiction.

(Bowker Author Biography)