The Skin Map

July 5, 2010
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.

Starred review from August 1, 2010

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.

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