During school, if historical accounts had been written as vividly as Stuart Clark’s The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth, I may have been more inclined to pay attention during history class, instead of honing my doodling skills.

The first in a trilogy, The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth follows the lives of Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei as they challenge the Bible’s theory that the Sun revolves around the Earth—their opposing view punishable by being burned alive.

The aspects of reading historical accounts that would cause my eyes to glaze over in the past—the stiff stories and descriptions, the emotional disconnect, the focus on facts over the inner workings of the people involved—are nowhere to be found in Clark’s novel.

When basing a novel on history, there’s always the chance that the novel will become too fact-focused, too textbook, but Clark’s scholarly writing and in-depth research process allowed me to witness the ignorant struture of society during the beginning of the Copernican revolution, meet the men who would challenge that structure through mathematical laws, and feel the passion they felt as they fought against the system for what they believed to be (and was, in fact) true.

Because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to European history, I was concerned that the story would be hard for me to follow, but such was not the case. Not only did Clark depict the time period and the historical figures accurately, he also used his artistic freedom to breathe life into the characters of Brahe, Kepler, and Galilei and those who surrounded them, humanizing their actions and thought process, giving us a look into this time period that was both educational and thought-provoking.

I highly recommend this book, and look forward to the second and third of the trilogy. Clark’s clear passion for the subject at hand has opened the door to new interests for me—my absolute favorite part of reading new books—and you never know where they will lead you.


The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth
Written by Stuart Clark

Paperback | 288 pages
ISBN 978-1-77087-126-7

At the dawn of the seventeenth century everyone believed that the sun revolved around the earth. Yet some men knew that the heavens did not move as they should. And some men began to suspect that this heresy was in fact the truth. As Europe convulsed in conflict between Catholic and Protestant, these men prepared to die for that truth. This is the story of Kepler and Galileo, two men whose struggle with themselves, with the evidence and with the forces of reaction changed not simply themselves but our world.

The Sky’s Dark Labyrinth is the first of a trilogy of novels inspired by the dramatic struggles, personal and professional, and key historical events in man’s quest to understand the Universe.

Published by McArthur & Company; available through Amazon, and other fine retailers.

Krissy Brady

Junior Procrastinator/Internet Ninja

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