The Silver Hand: Book Two in The Song of Albion Trilogy

Written by Stephen Lawhead

Narrated by Stuart Langston

Book two in an epic historical fantasy series that blurs the lines between this world and the Otherworld.

“Before Albion is one, the hero feat must be performed and Silver Hand must reign.”

The great king, Meldryn Mawr, is dead, and his kingdom lies in ruins. Treachery and brutality rule the land, and Albion is the scene of an epic struggle for the throne.

Lewis is now known as Llew in this Otherworld, and he has become a threat to the usurper Meldron. Exiled and driven from the clan, he must seek the meaning behind a mysterious prophecy—the making of a true king and the revealing of a long-awaited champion: Silver Hand.

First published more than twenty years ago, The Song of Albion Trilogy has become a modern classic that continues to attract passionate new readers. Enter into The Silver Hand and experience the dazzling brilliance of a world like ours—yet infinitely bolder and brighter: a place of kings and warriors, bards and battles, feats of glory and honour. It is a place you will forever wish to be. It is Albion.

• Part of The Song of Albion trilogy:
• Book One: The Paradise War
• Book Two: The Silver Hand
• Book Three: The Endless Knot
• Epic historical fantasy
• Book length: 128,000 words
• Includes additional insights from the author in “Albion Forever!” and an interview

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Sep 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9780785251828

Stephen Lawhead

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. His works include Byzantium and the series The Pendragon Cycle, The Celtic Crusades, and The Song of Albion. Lawhead makes his home in Austria with his wife.

Reviews for The Silver Hand

[jeremypreacher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Silver Hand is a necessary companion to The Paradise War, but I think it does not do what it sets out to quite as smoothly. For one, the switch to a "native" viewpoint character undercuts a lot of the tension built in the first one about whether or not Lewis should stay or go, and while that's less the focus of the story, it detracts from Lewis's character - his reluctance to take the lead becomes petulant rather than justified, and he becomes a cipher rather than a three-dimensional character.

The villains are also increasingly flat - they are edging into the puppy-kicking stage by the end of the book. It's clear what their initial motivation is, but by the end they're just as much ravening monsters as the actual ravening monsters from the previous book are. And the whole "they lose because they are by definition the Bad Guys" is a little hard to take.

That said, it's still a fun book, and there are quite a few entertaining secondary characters keeping things moving. But it's a step down for sure.

[willowcove · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful retelling of a Celtic Myth, placing a modern-day person into the position of a mythological hero. Very good read. I do not however, understand where the "Christian Fiction" tag that some are using comes from.

[amaunette · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While "Paradise War" was interesting to listen to as an audiobook, "Silver Hand" is a little slow to read for me. Everything is just a little TOO fantastical, a little too much deux ex machina to make it a strong story. But it was fun. I actually may stop reading the trilogy at this point because it felt like a good ending here. I have so many other books I'd like to read.

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author's best work, a well crafted celtic trilogy. Should you impose your standards on another's way of life. What happens when your world overlaps theirs?