The Bard of Bethlehem

David James Trapp
PublishAmerica (2006)
ISBN 1424133130
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (12/06)


This remarkable story begins in the city of Tarsus in a period of political chaos.  It is the story of two young Celts.  The book is rich in Celtic background, customs, and Druid folklore.  Young Terentius, a harpist, and Bridicia, his bride, are threatened by a Druid’s curse and are caught in a web of political corruption.  Trapp exhibits great scope and depth in his understanding of the political upheaval in the year 5 B.C.

David James Trapp is a master story teller. He draws the reader back in time, two thousand years, to a time when the Celts, Jews, Romans, and Greeks, were all deeply affected by the appearance of a mysterious new star.

Terentius played music to the star. “…the melody he created was fantastic, complex, impossible to describe…Tenentius always kept is eyes on the mystery star.  Such a brilliant sign!  He knew beyond any doubt now that all those Druids were wrong to fear this star.”
 
Tenentius, Bridicia, and their Egyptian slave girl fled Tarsus hoping to find safety in Judea.  They were pursued by Corvus, a self proclaimed Druid leader seeking revenge.

David James Trapp has the uncanny ability to make you feel you are walking along side his characters. I felt the anguish of Terentius after his release from custody. “Every step was hard. His limbs ached from the bruises, and breathing was difficult…sharp pains pounded through his skull…with every step he scanned the streets looking for his beloved Bridicia.”

This is fast paced historical fiction at its best. David has the inherent ability to keep the reader involved in an intricate plot with unexpected twists, and attention-grabbing sub plots. “The Bard of Bethlehem” is an excellent read, noteworthy, and absorbing.

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