Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (2006), Edition: First Edition, 640 pages
Description
In the first book in the epic Lamb among the Stars series, author Chris Walley weaves the worlds of science and the spirit, technology and supernatural into something unique in science fiction. Twelve thousand years into the future, the human race has spread across the galaxy to hundreds of terraformed worlds. The effects of the Fall have been diminished by the Great Intervention, and peace and contentment reign under the gentle rule of the Assembly. But suddenly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to change. On the remotest planet of Farholme, Forester Merral D'Avanos hears one simple . . . lie. Slowly a handful of men and women begin to realize that evil has returned and must be fought. What will this mean for a people to whom war and evil are ancient history? Thus begins the epic that has been described as "If C. S. Lewis and Tolkien had written Star Wars." The Shadow and Night was previously published in two volumes: The Shadow at Evening and The Power of the Night.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member legendaryneo
This is a truly remarkable series. Others have written about the basic story line of the book in their reviews so I won't even get into that, but I would just like to say that there is a great deal to get out of this book. More than it just being a great story there is also a lesson we can all
In the LATS universe there is an absence of evil, almost a second Edan, which has a very awkward feel at first. The first 70 pages or so I just couldn't stand because everyone was so perfect, so fake seeming, that I just could not relate. It was almost sickening how good the people were...but it shouldn't have been. This separation from sin and evil, though not possible to be reached fully, is something that we should strive for as Christians. Then when evil is let loose even the smallest sins are enormous to these people. I think we should have a similar reaction. Even just a tiny lie, a disregard for the law etc. should be something that we flee from committing.
I would also like to note that aside from the message the story is extremely well told and continually leaves you wanting to press on to find out just a little bit more of the mystery. I found him to be an excellent author in all respects though if I had to choose a flaw I would have to say it comes with dialog. Often when dialog is taking place "simple sets of quotation marks" separate "one character from another." I often found myself switching the two characters when I missed an "oh" or something like that. All and all though this is must read!
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learn about our relation to sin and evil in this world. In the LATS universe there is an absence of evil, almost a second Edan, which has a very awkward feel at first. The first 70 pages or so I just couldn't stand because everyone was so perfect, so fake seeming, that I just could not relate. It was almost sickening how good the people were...but it shouldn't have been. This separation from sin and evil, though not possible to be reached fully, is something that we should strive for as Christians. Then when evil is let loose even the smallest sins are enormous to these people. I think we should have a similar reaction. Even just a tiny lie, a disregard for the law etc. should be something that we flee from committing.
I would also like to note that aside from the message the story is extremely well told and continually leaves you wanting to press on to find out just a little bit more of the mystery. I found him to be an excellent author in all respects though if I had to choose a flaw I would have to say it comes with dialog. Often when dialog is taking place "simple sets of quotation marks" separate "one character from another." I often found myself switching the two characters when I missed an "oh" or something like that. All and all though this is must read!
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LibraryThing member capturingphi
Suppose modern Evangelicals have it wrong. Suppose that Christ's return isn't imminent and that He has no plans to rapture the Church. Suppose instead that the Lord ushers in a Golden Age in which the universe has been cleansed of Satanic influence and the corrosive effects of sin. Given thousands
The novel's portrayal of a world free from the corruptive influence of sin strikes a chord deep within. This setting creates within the reader a sense of longing for such a world, and drives one to recognize what he/she has given up in order to enjoy the bitterness of sin. A true sense of loss is conveyed as evil corrupts Merral's world.
While some may complain, the book's length is sufficient to contain a skilled exposition laying the setting and to thresh out the characters in enough detail that the reader remains engaged, eager to learn of their ultimate fate
To fully appreciate this book, Christian readers must lay down their presuppositions regarding end-time events and be willing to entertain a post-millenialist view.
Finally, the book's incorporation of science-minded individuals was quite refreshing. Similar treatment by other respected authors can go a long way in removing perceptions that Christians are ignorant of the workings of the natural world.
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of years to build a harmonious society called The Assembly, mankind in Walley's speculative future has spread across the galaxy on hundreds of Made Worlds, planets made in Earth's image to host the thriving human race. On the edge of the Assembly lies Farholme, home to the protagonist Merral d'Avanos. After his teenage cousin witnesses a disturbing, unfathomable creature in the northern woods, events unfold that signal the end of an age of peace and stability. Evil has returned to the Assembly, beginning its destructive rampage on Farholme. As Merral and company confront the growing threat, they discover the problem reaches deeper than they'd like; sin has begun its dark march across their own hearts as well.The novel's portrayal of a world free from the corruptive influence of sin strikes a chord deep within. This setting creates within the reader a sense of longing for such a world, and drives one to recognize what he/she has given up in order to enjoy the bitterness of sin. A true sense of loss is conveyed as evil corrupts Merral's world.
While some may complain, the book's length is sufficient to contain a skilled exposition laying the setting and to thresh out the characters in enough detail that the reader remains engaged, eager to learn of their ultimate fate
To fully appreciate this book, Christian readers must lay down their presuppositions regarding end-time events and be willing to entertain a post-millenialist view.
Finally, the book's incorporation of science-minded individuals was quite refreshing. Similar treatment by other respected authors can go a long way in removing perceptions that Christians are ignorant of the workings of the natural world.
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LibraryThing member cherryblossommj
Chris Wally, the Welsh geologist, teacher, and writer may be found many places... Sometimes Wales, Lebanon, and northern England for a few, but also on Wikipedia, Facebook, and his own area of webspace his website and his blog.This week the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour for February
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is The Shadow and the Night by Chris Walley. This tour will run through from Feby. 18-21. Click on any of the links below to see other participants in the tour's input.The Shadow and the Night is speculative fiction, pure and simple, learning "to fight evil without becoming evil." This book and the following sequels are not children's fiction. For me personally, I have never read a book quite like it and I must admit, as I am not finished, it is quite difficult to put down, because of the curiosity factor of what else and what next this author has put together. I find that reading something in the words of the author does well to sum some things up, or rather to at least touch to topic. The book is The Shadow and Night, the first part of the trilogy whose overall title is The Lamb among the Stars. The two succeeding volumes are The Dark Foundations and The Infinite Day, which will be published in June 2008. Several things need noting. The first is that the tagline "in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and J.R. R. Tolkien" was given (not by me) to the books as much to mark out that they are British fantasy not in the tradition of J. K. Rowling (and Phillip Pullman). Yet Lewis and Tolkien are important influences. In terms of material, Lewis' science-fiction trilogy is perhaps these books' closest neighbour, and in terms of their scale and scope, a debt is owed to Lord of the Rings. Another point to be noted is that these books are neither a conscious imitation of, nor a reaction to, any existing work. The idea for them goes back nearly a quarter of a century and the first few chapters were written as long ago as 1988. In other words, the predate Pullman, Potter, and the Left Behind series. To understand the theology of the story of the book, he has put together a great webpage "Puritans in Space". Overall, what I can tell you at this point is that Chris Walley has put together a story that all persons of intellect that enjoy a mind bending adventure will be pleased. For me, it is something that I could envision on something like the sci-fi channel, but at the same time couldn't, because it is so new and so different. I really like the way one tour participant describes it... Imagine a perfect world. A world with no sin, no war, no murder, no theft, no need for law enforcement or weapons. A world where everyone believes in and worships the one true God. A world totally at peace. Farholme is just such a place - a man made world in the distant future many light years from earth. Chris Walley has done a superb job of creating a perfectly believable world with characters that have depth and whom you come to care about. Show Less
LibraryThing member cherryblossommj
Chris Wally, the Welsh geologist, teacher, and writer may be found many places... Sometimes Wales, Lebanon, and northern England for a few, but also on Wikipedia, Facebook, and his own area of webspace his website and his blog.This week the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour for February
Show More
is The Shadow and the Night by Chris Walley. This tour will run through from Feby. 18-21. Click on any of the links below to see other participants in the tour's input.The Shadow and the Night is speculative fiction, pure and simple, learning "to fight evil without becoming evil." This book and the following sequels are not children's fiction. For me personally, I have never read a book quite like it and I must admit, as I am not finished, it is quite difficult to put down, because of the curiosity factor of what else and what next this author has put together. I find that reading something in the words of the author does well to sum some things up, or rather to at least touch to topic. The book is The Shadow and Night, the first part of the trilogy whose overall title is The Lamb among the Stars. The two succeeding volumes are The Dark Foundations and The Infinite Day, which will be published in June 2008. Several things need noting. The first is that the tagline "in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and J.R. R. Tolkien" was given (not by me) to the books as much to mark out that they are British fantasy not in the tradition of J. K. Rowling (and Phillip Pullman). Yet Lewis and Tolkien are important influences. In terms of material, Lewis' science-fiction trilogy is perhaps these books' closest neighbour, and in terms of their scale and scope, a debt is owed to Lord of the Rings. Another point to be noted is that these books are neither a conscious imitation of, nor a reaction to, any existing work. The idea for them goes back nearly a quarter of a century and the first few chapters were written as long ago as 1988. In other words, the predate Pullman, Potter, and the Left Behind series. To understand the theology of the story of the book, he has put together a great webpage "Puritans in Space". Overall, what I can tell you at this point is that Chris Walley has put together a story that all persons of intellect that enjoy a mind bending adventure will be pleased. For me, it is something that I could envision on something like the sci-fi channel, but at the same time couldn't, because it is so new and so different. I really like the way one tour participant describes it... Imagine a perfect world. A world with no sin, no war, no murder, no theft, no need for law enforcement or weapons. A world where everyone believes in and worships the one true God. A world totally at peace. Farholme is just such a place - a man made world in the distant future many light years from earth. Chris Walley has done a superb job of creating a perfectly believable world with characters that have depth and whom you come to care about. Show Less
LibraryThing member zannyvix
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It's very slow to start off, though it does begin to pick up about halfway through. The juxtaposition of hard core science fiction and evangelical christianity is a little odd. The author does a good job of explaining why the society he's created is
Some of the weeping and moaning, the wringing of hands and gasping at concepts outside what is permissible for good little automatons of the Assembly to think or participate in just rubs me the wrong way. Seriously, a society that mostly shudders and quivers at the mere thought of "evil" and does everything possible to stall taking action, pretty much deserves what it gets. There is something to the adage 'god helps those who help themselves'. Putting faith and trust in the lord is all well and good, but let's not spend days agonizing over whether it's ok to make weapons to defend ourselves from the scary genetically engineered beasties in the woods.
On the whole, I've found this book irksome, but intriguing. Reads better in small doses. Long reading sessions generally make me want to smack common sense into the main characters.
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thus, but something about this new oh-so-earnest and godly brand of humanity just doesn't jive. Part of what makes us human is our distinctions and uniqueness. To imagine that all cultures and all religions have been subsumed by Christianity... One Universe Under God, as it were, is a mite disturbing. Some of the weeping and moaning, the wringing of hands and gasping at concepts outside what is permissible for good little automatons of the Assembly to think or participate in just rubs me the wrong way. Seriously, a society that mostly shudders and quivers at the mere thought of "evil" and does everything possible to stall taking action, pretty much deserves what it gets. There is something to the adage 'god helps those who help themselves'. Putting faith and trust in the lord is all well and good, but let's not spend days agonizing over whether it's ok to make weapons to defend ourselves from the scary genetically engineered beasties in the woods.
On the whole, I've found this book irksome, but intriguing. Reads better in small doses. Long reading sessions generally make me want to smack common sense into the main characters.
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LibraryThing member graspingforthewind
Merral is a young forester on the Made World of Farholme. In the course of his duties, he comes across some very strange occurrences. Strange, alien beasts are seen on the surface of Farholme, and human beings begin to act strangely, cruelly toward each other, shattering the peace that has existed
The novel is long at over 600 pages so reading it is not for the faint of heart. Walley has also chosen to build a slow tension for his story, rather than leaping from action sequence to action sequence. I think some readers might find this dull, although his character study was so intense and engrossing, that I didn’t feel the loss. He takes time to ponder the effect of events on his characters, and to have them grapple and wrestle with philosophy, although in a practical way.
This is a not a fast paced novel by any means. Yet, I couldn’t put it down. I sped through the pages, desperate to find out what was to happen to Merral and Vero, Anya and Perena. Walley builds the tension so slowly and subtly, it is like reading a John Grisham thriller. When the final culmination of events came, I was literally sitting upright on the edge of my seat.
Full Review at Grasping for the Wind
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for millennia. And then the unthinkable happens, and contact with the other worlds is lost.The novel is long at over 600 pages so reading it is not for the faint of heart. Walley has also chosen to build a slow tension for his story, rather than leaping from action sequence to action sequence. I think some readers might find this dull, although his character study was so intense and engrossing, that I didn’t feel the loss. He takes time to ponder the effect of events on his characters, and to have them grapple and wrestle with philosophy, although in a practical way.
This is a not a fast paced novel by any means. Yet, I couldn’t put it down. I sped through the pages, desperate to find out what was to happen to Merral and Vero, Anya and Perena. Walley builds the tension so slowly and subtly, it is like reading a John Grisham thriller. When the final culmination of events came, I was literally sitting upright on the edge of my seat.
Full Review at Grasping for the Wind
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LibraryThing member Shadowfoot
I kept waiting for the main character to realise how stifling and unnatural his world was. Instead I got a superficial view of evil.
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
640 p.; 9.25 inches
ISBN
1414313276 / 9781414313276