Legend of the Celtic Stone

Caledonia #1

by Michael R. Phillips

A break-in at Westminister Abbey fans the flames of nationalism as both the IRA and Scottish patriots are blamed. Parliament member Andrew Trentham is drawn into the investigation, but can not focus because of problems of his own. The love of his life broke a well-arranged engagement.

The legend of the Celtic Stone comes alive as the story shifts from present to past, weaving tales of ancient Caldonia with a modern whodunit. Andrew rediscovers his heritage through the story of Ginevra Maclain, the Maiden of Glencoe, and the Christian Patriarch Columba, who brought the faith to the Scottish Highlands. In his exploration, Andrew finds out he can love again.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Historical, Scotland, Fantasy

400 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exquisite writing, interesting story built around the rugged and beastly history of Scotland and over the line into Ireland, as Christianity spreads and takes the blackness out of the Celtic practices. Gives a better understanding of how people began and what they thought about things of nature in general. It is no wonder that they worshiped what they knew...and God wasn't known to them until...Columba with a gentle heart showed the mystery and majesty of our Christian God and Son. It is a long read, but worth every minute...Michael Phillips captures the reader with his ability to describe and lure. I hope Book 2 will be as good.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been interesting to read another "epic" so soon after reading The Source by James Michener, whom Michael Phillips memorializes in this first of his Caledonia series. Though there were definitely similarities, this was a much faster, more captivating read.

Here are some quotes that were meaningful for me:
"'Why is it so difficult for our people to join in common cause?' 'Because men find it easier to dispute than to unite. Easier to fight than to live and work together.'"

"'In unity is brotherhood.'"

"'How fragile is unity, how easily broken.' 'Unity is a high thing for men to seek...But when they forget brotherhood, it is undone.'"

"'But remember, it is only through brotherhood that we will be capable of keeping it (the land). Do not forget these words of mine, nor let them later slip from your hearts. Teach them to your children and to their children after them....Only in the unity of our peoples will our freedom survive. Take these words to heart, that you and your tribes and families may live long in the land your father have given for your heritage.'"

"'How much is the kingdom of God advanced in unseen ways by simple kindness between his creatures. It is the invisible power that opens doors for the reception of the gospel....'"

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader)]

The subtitle of the book is, "An Epic Saga of Scotland and Her People". The book is dedicated to, "To the memory of James A. Michener, Master of the Historical Novel". My first comment would be to take note of the words 'epic', 'saga' in the subtitle and note the dedication clearly before picking up this novel. You need time to digest this historical novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the parts I read but to get through it - about half way through I started skipping the historical tales presented in a different font. I will not continue the read of the series but I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Scottish heritage. I would then think this series would be a true gift from the author to you and my impression is that Michael Phillips has easily surpassed James Michener - his own definition of the Master of the Historical Novel. I'm glad I didn't miss it among my reading selections but to continue this series would be overwhelming to me at this time as my reading time is limited.

[Kw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't share this author's appreciation for Michener, whom I think was just simply too verbose for words, but although this book (actually two books in one) is long, I do appreciate his amazing research and sharing of Celtic history, and I did enjoy both stories and all the characters. Especially the mammoth undertaking!
It is well worth the time it takes to read this, and I plan to begin the sequel in a day or two, so that says a lot. I am being educated and entertained, and hope to even remember some of it. ;-) If you like history and are interested at all in Scottish or Irish stories, this is for you. You will no doubt feel a kinship to some of these ancient characters!

[Frances Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colossal fictionalized history

There is so much here - where to start?! The war portions with so much loss of blood and life were difficult. The bit of romance here and there was appealing. Family relationships and the struggles to find one's way to forgiveness and self are always inspiring. The story of the arrival of the gospel of Jesus Christ and it's reception by ancient people who had never heard it brought tears to my eyes. Excellent read, especially history buffs - answered some questions I have had about the Scottish people and their land.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legend of the Celtic Stone ( Caledonia Book # 1 )

Very entertaining storyline following the history of Scotland and the ties to Great Brittain. Based on historical truth with some literary license and some fictional characters this novel is informative and interesting. Definitely want to read book # 2.

[Thom Duncan · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's rare that I put down a book. By page 55, though, I had grown so weary of the stilted, academic writing that I couldn't go farther.

I'd love to learn more about my Scottish heritage, but that won't come from this author.

[Cilicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read. It kept me engrossed to the end. I learned a lot about Scottish history.

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, I picked this one up from a sale because I remember seeing a picture of Charlie Cox in a movie with the same name. No idea if it was based on this book, but hey. Such is my process. And I didn't dislike the book, per se. It just felt very similar to Lawhead's Avalon , in plot and themes, and what was done differently wasn't necessarily done well.

It sounds harsh, yes, but the harshness comes less from the quality of the book and more from me knowing PRECISELY what I liked and didn't like. Usually it takes a bit for me to figure out the exact reasons a book is or is not working for me. With this particular book, I knew right away what I liked and didn't.

The political intrigue worked well. Everytime the plot swerved back around to the intrigue, the writing, characters, themes--all of it clicked. The emotional issues Andrew had with his mother was done pretty nicely as well. The Jacobin stuff was okay, but it paid off when its connections to the "present day" storyline panned out.

Everything else was wildly uneven.

That said, I would take a million more books like this one--sloppy but passionate, full of ideas and a deeply researched scope that trips a little on execution than a hollow but pristinely crafted one.

[Chaya & Cinnamon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm very much into researching and learning/studying history. When you read what several different historians and scholars say, you will likely read several different views not always based on facts. Some will agree and some will completely disagree with each other, which of course means they can't all be right. My sis and I began reading this (free) book being curious about what would be done with the plot and with the Celtic/Gaelic aspects. In this story the emphasis is decidely more on fiction rather than historical. The premise of the book is entirely of the author's imagination and supposition - the announcement in the prologue about English Queen Elizabeth II reigning for fifty years then abdicating - in reality this year, 2017, was 65. I looked to see the publication date of this book, which is 1999.

In the opening pages of the book, the author admits the content is more of a parable and says that the historical inaccuracies were unintentional. Many of them could have been avoided though if only the writing had been influenced more by what the Bible records historically.

The mystery and intrigue that initially drew us was taken over by a deluge of stuff, and with it wiped out our initial curiosity in the imaginary premise of the theft and what was going to happen with that. I believe this book is more about fantasy, fairy tale, imaginations, allegories, and speculative fiction. Much of the book came from the confines of the author's mind.

The greatest historical Book, as well as the greatest contemporary Book and accurate prophetic Book, is the Bible and reading it you can learn so many things, spiritual, history, science, timelines, right now, the future, infinity, etc.

As Trentham was walking and thinking, it was suggested that only Freud would understand him. That didn't make sense to me, at all - Freud, who's mental capacity was not such that he should have been giving advice to anyone and definitely no one should listen to his inane ramblings of ineffectual thought. And why speak of fate?

The terrible 1692 massacre of Glencoe, Mort Ghlinne Comhann in Scottish Gaelic, which wasn't said in the book, when William of Orange decreed for the Highlanders who wouldn't swear allegiance to him would be punished severely (murdered). Another time where I wondered (again) what was the author's goal/point was when the author wrote about Colonel Hill and said Hill drew comfort from his books and the Bible, yet, for what was going to happen, the terrible, treacherous, cowardly murders, this is a quote from the book: "he would find no comfort in either." What a sad, terrible, incorrect message. A person can always find comfort in the Bible. Everyone, even the evil people (William and Dalrymple, etc.) who worked to bring about those murders can be forgiven and find comfort from the Words of the Bible.

Even with all of the errors, we were still reading it. That is, until the first couple of pages of the section called "The Wanderer". The depiction of the man was soooo very unrealistic. Man is made in the Creator's image. You can read right in the Bible what early mankind was like. Adam and Eve were very intelligent. Noah built an ark as instructed (first boat ever), In Bereshit/Genesis 4, Jubal is noted as "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ", Tubalcain, brass and ironwork. So there were musical instruments, craftsmanship, deep thought, etc. You can even see at the Tower of Babel that there was building/construction going on, and then there were many languages, so communication, words, concepts of words, and the ability to think was in place right from the beginning with Adam and Eve. Concepts and traditions are passed down through generations. Despite all of that information readily available from the Bible, the "Wanderer" start is filled with stuff made from the bigoted opinions and descriptions instigated by some historians. Not reliable. What the author was describing had no hint of reality. The fantasy conclusions and imaginations of the author misinterpreted history and the way it would be based on what we know from the Bible. We were really shocked at the lack of historical basis and lack of Biblical knowledge.

This is not a book to learn true history from and the author does admit that it isn't a history text.

It's not the quantity of the words in a book that makes a book good, but the quality of them; what they represent and the result when put together.

If you want history, read the Bible, it's way more interesting - and it's accurate.

My sister and I were reading this book and we spared ourselves from more. I'm glad this is not the only book about that area. We prefer historical fiction to have history rather than a convoluted mix of fantasy, fairy tale, and myths.

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I read this 500+ page book in two days and am still confused about just how I felt about it. The reviews are all over the place and I kind of understand why.

A quick overview, the contemporary part of this story is about a 37 year old man, Andrew, who is a rising star in the British Parliament. There is also a woman interest in Paddy, who is an American journalist striving to make success of her career in a world not really ready for her. But the story is really about SCOTLAND - in caps! Andrew, through an old sheepherder who has lived on his parent's estate all of his ,remembers the stories told when he was a boy, but revisits them again. The story skips around a lot which did not really bother me. There is the group who steals the legendary Scottish Stone that has been used throughout history to swear in new kings - it is stolen from the Brits who have it on loan from Scotland. So who are they? Mystery. There is a murder that results in Andrew becoming leader of his party. Not deep political intrigue to bog down in but more about the interesting people involved.

But the real intriguing parts of the book are the stories. I am talking history but not a few centuries ago. This is history of the Celts and begins with The Wanderer back before Christ. The author of course did not take this from written history but rather from what has been discovered about the people of the time. But here it's written as a story, and you see into The Wanderer, his wife and his son as they and their sons and daughters in the future become the people of Scotland - the Celts. I found it fascinating but also (hence the 4 stars and not 5) lagging in places where I skimmed a little being careful not to miss the point of each story. Normally when I bog down in a big book I set it aside and start something else and go back and forth. This time I just picked it up again.

Since I am fascinated with Scotland, I loved the way the old sheepherder explained that if you have a bit of Scottish blood in your veins then Scotland is yours. If you don't have it, the whole Scottish/Celtic history can make you feel that you do. My grandfather was born in Scotland, and it is the only part of my heritage that interests me. Thus I have read quite a bit of Scottish history and legend and ran into pieces of it throughout this book. To someone not interested in Scotland, I don't think this book would be as enjoyable. But there are a lot of Outlander fans out there! It's not anything like those books, but it definitely takes the reader into what it is to be a Scot.

Just an example, I have read all of Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters series and her trilogy The Bridei Chronicles. I recognized Bridei and Broichan easily and was rather irritated that they were not as likeable in this book. But I realize that 5th and 6th century history is barely known other than names of kings and various leaders. Each author is free in historical fiction to make them into the kind of human they feel they were or that fits with their storyline. There were many places and people in this book that are in The Bridei Chronicles. The stories of Christianity taking over the Pict ancient religion was there in both.

I had to agonize over the massacre at Glencoe again as it is told here. I have read two books about it, my favorite being Daughter of the Glen and this pretty closely followed it, but that was I believe 13th century so more records then. I read another book that I can't remember the name of about a woman jailed as a witch who was involved with Glencoe and there is a mystical young woman in this story I suspect is the same.

Meantime the present day mystery and Andrew's situation in parliament where Scotland is a huge controversy remains a question and there is a second book to find out more about that. I will read it. Enjoyed my two days deep in this story.

[Beryle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was a looonnngggg book, it was interesting to read in small doses. There is a great deal of history of the Celts in both Scotland and Ireland. Then, there is the present day story of a young politician finding his roots and political intrigue as well. The characters were well drawn and most were likeable.

Much of the story concerned the conversion of the Celts to Christianity, and the depictions of Saint Colum and Saint Patrick were sympathetic to their missions. But, for me, the depictions of the Druids seemed demonized. They had their own spirituality albeit as imperfect as any religion is. Not everything is black and white and although many Christian conversions were willing - not all were. And those that were not were sometimes coerced in as cruel manner as any Druidic rite.

Meanwhile "the Church" embarked on kingdom making and political intrigue while losing the heart connection to the Good News of the Gospel.

I would have liked to see a more balanced and respectful telling of the story.

Nevertheless, this half Celt enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those of Christian faith.

[Lisa M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did it! I finally finished the never-ending book. Never have I ever forced myself to keep on reading like I did in this one. i don't know what it was. Well, yes I do. It was the ancient history lesson of Scotland (called Calcedonia) worked in as a subplot to the main story. or maybe it was the real plot and the modern time was the subplot? Hmmm. Anyways, I almost gave us a few times. I mean it was over 500 pages!! But I finished it. And yes. I did actually go ahead and decide to try book #2 of the series. I am hoping I won't get so bogged down this time around! LOL!

If you love Scotland or Celtic lore and you like Inspirational Fiction, then you might like this book! If you want a light read--eh, you might as well pass!

[Margaret Chind · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had bought this book and just could not even get a third of the way through it. I gave it to my sister-in-law and I think she donated it to the church library. I have read a couple reviews on it now that talk about how spectacular it was. I just put it on hold from the library and I'm going to try to read it again... maybe it was just not the right time in my life. It just seems to be very in cohesive and to jump back and forth between different tales that did not make any sense. We shall see what a second attempt may do...

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my friend Kimberly and it was just the ticket for me. It's easy to read, which is dandy because every day can't be spent on St. Augustine, and it is a great combination of historical and contemporary fiction. The book moves back and forth between the legends and early history of Scotland and a "supposal" about modern England. I love Celtic anything (my blood makes that inevitable), so I am excited to learn that this is not a stand alone book, but the first in a series.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason that this book gets three stars instead of two is because of the history contained within. When writing in sweeping terms about Caledonia (Scotland) in general Mr. Phillips prose is a step above average. The return to the present as well as the hasty (and predictable) conclusion to the whodunit in regards to the theft of the Stone of Scone dipped just below average. The only reason that this book remains in my library is for the appeal to Scotland and her history.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story about Scottish history, woven along with a story about a modern-day British Parliament Member, Andrew Trentham, who is searching for his roots, amidst Scottish relics and stories of the past. The historical part of the book is the stories of the people who lived and died during their time. But the story of Andrew Trentham is most engaging, making the book as good as it is.
The Ancient Strife, book 2, is an even better read, with an unexpected, victorious ending.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mix of fiction and history. My preferred way of learning history ;)

The scenery descriptions made me want to visit Scotland.

The story itself was nicely put together, although I'm not a big fan of jumping back and forth between timelines, and the history sometimes interrupted the story for far too long.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I read I really did like although it wasn't the fasted paced book I have read, but alas it was due back to the library and I tried to pick it up again later, had to start over and got about as far. One day I would like to finish it.

[Huntley Cooney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm surprised Michael Phillips didn't learn more about storytelling from editing George MacDonald. Although the history is interesting, this type of writing is what gives Christian fiction its poor reputation. I love the student who recommended this, but not the book itself.

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narrative goes back and forth between a modern English setting and various different points in Scotland's history. Some of the historical parts are quite interesting but the thing doesn't hold together very well.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read. Great stories within the main story. And I will definitely have to get the next book in the series to read more. I especially love the "ancient" stories of Scotland...even if I am Bohemian

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit long winded. If you are really interested in the history of Ireland and Scotland back to the beginning of time, this is the book for you. I also found the politics of England somewhat confusing. Not sure if I will continue with the series

[Brenda Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and jam-packed with history of Scotland and Great Britain. It took a little longer than usual to read because of all the history involved but definitely worth the time if you enjoy an epic read (much along the lines of a James Michener novel, combining fact and fiction).

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

History shapes future actions

Epic tale weaving first settlers into current political strife. Introduction of miracles derails the tale. Explanations and references add grist for further exploration.

[Brandi Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has alot of history in it.... a little more than I had planned. but very good plot and despite the history keeps you wanting to see what happens

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable reading!!! I learned so much about Scottish history and it wasn't a bit dry. I love the format of a "modern day" story tied in with stories based on accurate history.

[Cmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

thusfar, very interesting

[Robi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned of Scottish history and its centuries-old conflict with England. I thought it was interesting because it contains a story within a story--however very wordy.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

While some of it was interesting, it was just too lengthy, tedious, and confusing. I guess I made it all the way through the book, but barely.