Book Review - End of the Magi

EndOfTheMagi The End of the Magi by Patrick Carr

Book suitability: Teen or Adult

I am a huge fan of Patrick Carr’s writing, so of course I was waiting on pins and needles for his newest book. The End of the Magi represents a shift from the genre of fantasy to the realm of historical and I think that Carr did an excellent job of navigating that shift.

The characters were extremely engaging and complex, which I have come to expect from Carr’s writing. I also appreciated how human the Magi were, especially in their varying expectations of the Promised One. The historical setting was fascinating and descriptive. In many ways I felt like I was living Myrad’s story, which I think is the ultimate goal of a novel.

I will say that the pace of the novel is slow and thoughtful. This isn’t a galloping suspense novel as much as it is a suspenseful journey of mystery and waiting: waiting for the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy and waiting to discover what that meant for the individual lives of the characters. It’s a perfect read for the season of Advent or honestly for the season of Lent as well, since Carr takes the story of the Magi beyond the birth to the final days of the Long Awaited One.

Overall, I’d say the book was unexpected. I’ve read a number of Magi stories and this one was like no other and yet it was also entirely relatable, perhaps even more so than other tales that have been told. And while I have to say my preference for Carr’s fantasy novels remains, I was impressed by this journey into historical fiction and I would recommend it to you.

Book Description:

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

Having grabbed only a few possessions, Myrad escapes the city, and searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, he tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is hiding secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable traveler, an epic journey filled with peril, close escapes, 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.

- Rachelle

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

We know meeting someone for the first time can be intimidating and going to a new church for the first time can be nerveracking. We want to help make your first experience at Bethel a great one.

Where and When

We meet at the Chapel (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am.
For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early. As we don't have our own car park, you will have to find a spot in one of the many public car parks around town. Don't worry, there is always loads of parking as it's Sunday morning and its.a very short walk.
When you arrive, you will be greeted by one of our welcomers at the door, who will show you where to sit and provide you with a "Contact Us" sheet should you want to us to contact you after the service.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the church hall.

We see our services on a Sunday like a family get together. We like to laugh and have fun. Life can sometimes be very challenging, whether you are young or old; it helps to have support and a place to belong; so on Sundays we do just that.

What you can expect on a Sunday morning at Bethel is:

A warm, friendly community of people
To be welcomed and included.
To be supported.
To be given a chance.
To sometimes laugh and sometimes cry.
To be challenged and also to have fun.
To experience the presence of God in us and in creation.
To sing, because music is probably the best way we have of expressing our emotions and gratefulness to God.
A love for the Bible and the truths in it.

Bethel04

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Sunday Club (4 -11 years)
Young people (11+ years) They have a group meeting one week and the next join in the service in the Chapel.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, a song or two songs, notices and an all age reflection. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. We suggest that on your first visit, you go along with your child to drop them off and meet the leaders, before returning to the Chapel.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Youth Group
Foodbank
Renew Wellbeing Cafe

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Phil Hibbert
Pastor

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.