The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr // Review and Giveaway!

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The End of the Magi
By Patrick W. Carr
Christian Historical Fiction
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 384 Pages
November 5th 2019 by Bethany House Publishers

Centuries before the magi arrived in Bethlehem,
a prophecy sets a young magus on his path . . .

Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel calls forth a select group of men who will count down the calendar until the arrival of Israel's promised king. Centuries later, as the day draws near, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are slain by a ruthless Parthian queen.

Equipped with very little, in haste Myrad escapes the city and, searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is keeping secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable asset, an epic journey filled with peril, near captures, and dangerous battles begins.

With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can't forget, and the promise that the world will never be the same.

My Review:

Genre: Biblical Fiction

♥♥♥♥ four out of five hearts = very good

We've almost made it to the holiday season, and when I saw this book was coming out, my Christmas-loving heart was so excited to read it. Besides being a tale of adventure, Myrad's story seemed a little different than that of the average Christmassy hero's (think Hallmark... this is basically the oposite of that).

Myrad, though obviously smart (he puts the "wise" in wise man), doubts himself a lot. Why has he, of all people, been given dreams about the star, leading to the King of the Jews? What can a crippled acolyte do? But, as the Bible has shown time and time again, God chooses the seemingly weak and uses them to display His glory, and it is Myrad's uncertainties that make him so approachable and relatable now, in the 21st century. I loved journeying with him as he saw new places and met new people, and it was interesting seeing it all through the eyes of one who was exploring a whole new world. The whole cast of characters were multi-layered and unique, and I was truly hoping they would all survive the ordeals thtown upon them (whether they did or not, you'll have to read to find out!).

I loved the apparent historical accuracy portrayed here as well. Patrick Carr shows how the events leading up to the birth of Jesus probably happened, while omitting much of the fantasy and legend added over the years. While this is being released near the Christmas season, don't expect a throughly "holiday" read. Patrick Carr sticks to the facts, making this a refreshing retelling amidst all the twisted, fantasy-like retellings of today. Because of that, if you don't get to read it within the next month, don't worry about it. It'll be just as good a read after the holiday season; actually, I felt it fit the decription of an Easter read just as well, if not better than, that of a Christmas one.

Patrick Carr deftly weaves the story through many different adventures, and the ancient lands the story travels through are riveting. However, several times I noticed that something seemed lacking, and while Mayrad was many times in great danger, I didn't feel caught up in the story like I should have been. Also, the many different characters and locations, while adding depth, had me rereading sentences several times, trying to remember Who was that again? or, What's going on right now? Those were my only two problems with the story.

The amount of research put into this novel is evident, from the very first page till the last, and the subject matter can't fail to interest. While I did have several issues with it, for the most part I honestly enjoyed reading the book and anticipating the moments that I knew from the Bible had to happen. Myrad and his traveling companions each had their own separate, distinct personalities that made both historical and Bible events come alive.

I received this book from the author and Prism Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Praise for the Book

"Carr retells the story of the Magi in this bustling biblical adventure . . . . Myrad's divine vision of the star and his arduous trek battling his own physical problems to pay homage to the Messiah capture the majesty of biblical narratives and will appeal to Christians well versed in scripture."--Publishers Weekly

"Patrick Carr brings us a captivating tale in The End of the Magi. Based on the Holy Bible, he weaves a fictional tale of the adventures of a group of magi from the east looking for the Messiah. Myrad is a strong main character even though he doesn't see himself as strong. He has great character traits and these help him find triumph over tragedy. . . . The End of the Magi is a great holiday read and gives us much to think about in our journey to know God better."--Fresh Fiction

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About the Author

Patrick W. Carr is the author of the acclaimed fantasy series The Staff and the Sword. A Cast of Stones won the 2014 Carol Award for Speculative Fiction and the 2014 Clive Staples Award. A Cast of Stones and The Hero's Lot were both finalists for 2014 Christy Awards. He teaches high school math and makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his incredible wife, Mary, and their four sons.

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