Lars Walker to the list

[fluke]

I want to mention a Christian author that I didn't see on Jeff's list. Lars Walker. He has four books out. He isn't published by a CBA house but by Baen. However, his books are still very much written with a Christian mindset and explore Christian themes.

Wolf-Time - a near future thriller that I have but have not read yet.
Blood and Judgment - a cast of small town actors get pulled into a pocket universe based on Shakespeare's Hamlet! Each takes their cast role except for Will, the man playing Hamlet. Will has not gone to a pocket universe but back in time to 6th century Jutland where he inhabits the body of Amladd the Dane, the historical inspiration for Hamlet. So, if Will is in Jutland, who is that playing Hamlet in the pocket universe? Amladd of course.

The Christian theme of the book is found in the title. Humanity is in a constant struggle between listening to our heart (blood) and listening to our head (judgment). Only when Will gets sick of himself and turns to the White Christ can he help his friends.

Year of the Warrior (contains Erling's Word and Ghost of the God Tree). This is my favorite Walker book. It is the story of failed monk Aillil. Not even a nominal Christian now, he is kidnapped by Vikings and taken to Norway where he is sold to one of the first Christian hersers (a Viking earl). To raise the price, his kidnapper shaves Aillil's head and dresses him as a priest. Aillil thinks its a great game, he gets free room and board for just waving his hands over people and speaking in Latin. Then he realizes that the God he pretends to serve is real but so are Thor, Loki, and Fria! And Thor is not happy with the new religion. Both books deal with the costs of cultural conversion.

Warrior's books are like a Norse sage, introspective and bloody. I do not recommend them for children. Father Aillil's character weakness is lust of the flesh. He has serious struggles with it even after his real conversion. There is also a pagan blood sacrifice.

I believe CS said he likes books in the 1st Person POV. These are. Walker has talked about writing a third book in the Aillil series but hasn't yet. More's the pity.

[Jeff Gerke]

Fluke,

Would a Christian read Lars Walker's books and say, "Yeah, that's a Christian novel"?

Jeff

[fluke]

Jeff,

Would a Christian read Lars Walker's books and say, "Yeah, that's a Christian novel"?

Yes. All the reviews I have seen written by Christians remark on the Christian worldview that pervades the books. The non-Christians recognize it too. One on Amazon gave it a poor rating mostly for them. From that review:

And it doesn't help matters that there's a conservative-Christian contempt mingled into the mix. All the other actors--liberal academic loons, gay militants, pigheaded rationalists, and moral cowards--react with irrational and awkward hostility to the eminently calm and reasonable Christian in their midst. Not that he's Jesus! No, he carefully has his own flaws that he freely admits and holds a touching "conversion" scene with one of the degenerate actors just before he's senselessly killed off. And some of his comrades Lean (sic) the Errors of Their Ways before the end--much to the disgust of the now-revealed fools who criticized the noble Christian.

I would disagree with the description of Peter (the Christian in the group) as "eminently calm and reasonable." Peter is a recovering alcoholic and has a quick temper (therefore, he is not always calm). There are several conversions among the group.

Wolf Time also has heavy recognizable Christian elements. I haven't read it, but I know it is about what Christians will have to endure if the antireligion folks get their way. It's been compared to a Peretti novel. It can be downloaded for free from Baen's e-library here. But Baen may prefer you access the sire from here then choose Wolf Time.

The Father Aillil books are my favorite (Aillil is eventually ordained, much to his surprise). Though Walker is not preachy (I found Arena much more preachy than anything from Walker), the books are decidedly Christian. Take the scene in Ghost where Father Aillil debates Thor (yes, that Thor) on the concept of justice. Thor believes he is more just than Yahweh. Father Aillil shows how God's justice is greater than Thor's (mostly because Thor's concept renders him unable to pass judgment on anyone). In both Aillil books, pagan priests challenge Aillil and Erling. The two men must learn to rely on God for strength against the wicked powers at the priests' disposal.

A running theme with Walker is that Christian ethics are better than nonChristian ethics. He is very good at demonstrating this in a show don't tell fashion. "Do the Lord's work in the Lord's way," Father Aillil says to his bishop after learning the high cost of doing the Lord's work in other ways.

Frank

[Christian Soldier]

Well put, Frank. I'll check these out once I get home

Thanks and God Bless--CS

[Jeff Gerke]

All right, fluke, thank you for the clarification. That helps.

Jeff