The Bone House by Stephen Lawhead

One piece of the map has been found. Kit Livingston continues the search for the remaining pieces of The Skin Map.

In The Bone House, Stephen Lawhead picks up where he left off with book 1. Kit has been separated from his girlfriend and yet her actions, in a different dimension, are benefiting him.

Lawhead writes thick books. You have to take your time with the story. These aren't popcorn novels that can be skimmed through. You're wrestling with time/dimensional/space travel in this series. Your brain may need a break every chapter or so.

You have the notorious bad guys who are always a step ahead or on the heels of Kit. Some twists and surprises await you. But shouldn't that be a given considering the plot?

Lawhead is a great series writer. He is able to build upon the previous novel and spread things out and deepen the characters.

The Bone House is Lawhead's Empire Strikes Back.

You *must* read The Skin Map before reading The Bone House. This is absolutely imperative.


This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead

The Skin Map is the first book in a new "alternate worlds/time travel" series by Stephen Lawhead.

You're introduced to Kit Livingstone and his grandfather, Cosimo. This grandfather claims to have found ways to travel between dimensions and time through things called Ley Lines.

It is important to note that this story takes place in England. (This created some problems for me to get invested in the story as I really don't care about places with which I'm not familiar)

Kit and his grandfather step through a line and find themselves in a new time. Kit decides to be adventurous and drags his squirrelly girlfriend, Wilhelmina, on a trip. This becomes a disaster as Kit and his girlfriend are separated by worlds and time.

It's up to Kit and his grandfather to rescue Wilhelmina and find a map that will guide them in their journey. Of course there are villains about who would like nothing less than to get their hands on the map by way of Kit.

Lawhead weaves an intriguing tale involving a number of characters which takes a while to figure out who's who. By the end of this first book, however, you realize the stories all connect in some way and create a very nice launching pad for the rest of the series.

I felt like I was reading an adult version of Liparulo's Dreamhouse Kings books. It has promise, but I'm still not a sold out Lawhead fan.


This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishing.