Book Review: Quest for Light: Adventure of the Magi

Book Review: Quest for Light: Adventure of the Magi

Fiction

Quest for Light: Adventure of the Magi

Byron Anderson

2010

Lighthouse Christian Publishing

ISBN: 9780977376636

Pages: 554

Quest for Light: Adventure of the Magi by Byron Anderson is a spiritual history lesson laced with biblical teachings and good natured humor. It is a fictitious account of what the journey was possibly like for the three wise men who traveled to see the Messiah.

Balthasar, a Magi, is the High Priest of Asdin. The emergence of a star becomes his primary focus, calling to him from where it appears to be stationed: over Jerusalem. Although the star is unusually bright, some people do not discern its brilliance and other cannot see it at all. Balthasar sends for his friend, Gasper, also a Magi, to help him ponder the meaning of the star using their skills in spirituality and astronomy.

As Medes, descendants of Persia, Balthasar and many of his people worship one god, Ahura Mazda. Even so, both Balthasar and Gasper believe from the onset that the star is connected to the Hebrew god. As they plan and begin the journey to Jerusalem, the Magi become convinced that the star represents the coming of the Jewish messiah.

The author presents the Magi as brave, caring, respectful, and full of good humor; truly delightful men of faith. Even the third wise man, Melchoir, a long-lost friend who Balthasar and Gasper meet again during their travels, is a courageous and kind man. This fleshing out of the wise men is the real story. While Anderson includes a great deal of scripture and religious zeal, it is the humanness expressed by the Magi that keeps this story fluid and entertaining.

The book begins a little slow. The balance of research and storytelling is slightly off, giving the book the feel of a history text instead of a novel. However, as the Magi undergo their expedition, which lasts more than a year, fiction and fact blend into a tale of adventure and comradery that culminates in the conversion of religious convictions and the spreading of a new belief system.

Quest for Light: Adventure of the Magi takes readers to a distance time and shows them the lifestyle of the Persian people while also illustrating how Christianity took root in the Middle East. The mix of history, religion, and storytelling makes for an enlightening and inspiring story.

Melissa Brown Levine

for

Independent Professional Book Reviewers

www.bookreviewers.org

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