Description:
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars The beauty of the imagery used brought tears to my eyes all the way through
This book took me only 2 days to read it, partly because it was short and easy to read and partly because it was so suspenseful. It is aimed at teens or young adults even though the main character is 12 years old. The subject matter of the book is very intense and I found myself crying all the way through the book; though my main reasons for crying weren't from sadness, it was because of the beauty. The imagery in this book was amazing. So many beautiful things happen to Euphronsyne, even in the midst of tragedy. This provides a powerful lesson to forming minds, that even in the darkest of times, God is there and is taking care of you, sending helpers to you, and giving you comfort and strength.I was going to rate this book 4 star mainly because the one disappointment I had in the book was that the actual story was just straightforward and not very developed. I found myself wishing it was longer and more in depth. In the end, however, I gave it 5 stars because of the powerful imagery woven throughout and because it is Orthodox Christian fiction! I hope this starts a trend. We need modern Orthodox fiction, and not just aimed at youth. For me personally, I experience more spiritual insight and comfort from fiction than I do from reading non-fiction. I've been on a quest to find fiction from an Orthodox perspective for a long time and have come up empty till now. I look forward to watching this author develop and write more.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for teens and adults
This book was formative to me as a catechumen. I enjoyed it so much I finished it the same day. (It's aimed at teenagers, but I'm in my 40s and enjoyed it immensely.) It doesn't have a happy ending, but it has a Christian ending, and that's good because so many books insist upon smooshing happy endings where they don't belong. Excellent book.
5.0 out of 5 stars Alarming and Inspiring Dystopian Fiction
Icon, by Alabama author Georgia Briggs, is a stirring dystopian story told from an explicitly Orthodox Christian point of view. Briggs succeeds brilliantly in melding her faith with her genre. If I am not mistaken, this was her first novel, ergo, her success is an amazing achievement and a great testament to her ability.In Icon, young Euphrosyne learns that an innocent mistake at school quickly leads to death, oppression, and terror. Some might find the plot initially confusing, especially since it unfolds in the new and grand “Era of Tolerance”. However, others will wisely recall that tolerance was one of the chief sins of King Jeroboam.Euphrosyne, her family, and her friends find themselves living in an occupied state that tolerates everything … except Christianity. Clinging to tradition in this new age results in brutal and relentless intolerance. Briggs does a fine and fascinating job portraying how the repression transpires and how it affects those caught in the crosshairs. That she does this so convincingly from the primary perspective of a twelve-year-old girl is very impressive. But the choice of Euphrosyne’s eyes should not necessarily be surprising because, while all people suffer under tyranny, perhaps none are so afflicted as children. The real world gives us constant, daily reminders of that sad fact for those willing to see them.I will leave the hows and whys behind the rise of Brigg’s draconic fool’s paradise for the discovery of the reader—and the reader will thoroughly enjoy the journey of revelation. Yet I will say I thought Briggs’s moniker for those in control of the new Alabama and new America was a poignant bit of genius. She took an old and famous name from America’s nineteenth-century transcendent enlightenment and progressed it forward to a fanciful but very natural and plausible zenith.Plausibility. Interestingly, Briggs wrote Icon in 2017, eight years before I read it. Those eight years have been packed with incidents and trends that should have dropped the veils or blinders from many American and Western eyes. In short, only the truly blind (or the complicit) do not, at this point in our history, begin to at least suspect that something has gone very wrong. A century before Briggs’s pen crafted her tale so artfully, J.B. Bury was busy lauding what he thought were the then-present achievements of the Enlightenment and the coming golden age of free thinking and tolerance, the triumph over Christianity and tradition. See A History of Freedom of Thought (1913). As the entirety of the Enlightenment was a lie and a rank inversion, things didn’t work out exactly as promised. Instead of a peaceful, happy Shangri-la, today’s America sees Christians beaten and imprisoned for praying in public. America openly and even proudly supports, funds, and participates in war and genocide against multiple parties of the innocent around the world, a sizeable portion of them Christians. It is not too far a stretch, certainly within fiction, to foresee an America that openly exterminates Christians.In addition to a moving, alarming story of warning, Briggs also provides an antidote. At certain points in Icon, particularly at the end, I found myself silently hoping for stern physical retaliation from the oppressed or liberating action from outside parties. I will divulge that as the Orthodox Believers of Alabama are hunted, Russian Spetsnaz troops do not arrive to save the day. But Briggs had a far better idea. Someone does show up at the end, and there is no earthly substitute for the deliverance and compassion he brings to Euphrosyne. It is a miracle in a book full of miracles. Just when all feels lost, the young protagonist wins the ultimate fight, via her Christian faith and her acknowledged (if not so-named) eschatological optimism. She survives in glory and learns the true meaning behind Jesus’s reassurance when He said, “If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated Me before you. …[B]ut I have chosen you out of the world...” John 15:18-19.Briggs salvages eternal beauty out of tragedy and perfidious horror. Her plot, purpose, scenes, and settings are vivid, valid, and believable. Her characters bring to life the best and worst of human behavior and capability. As for the good potential within Christians, she delivers with convincing eloquence stern adherents to our faith who are, despite all else, joyous, reflective, defiant, zealous, and selfless. For a shorter work, and one marketed for the young adult audience, the spiritual lessons within Icon are astounding. Oh, and THE icon is as much a character, as much a hero as he is a title!For all these reasons, and for those the reader will find beneath the cover, I happily recommend Icon by Georgia Briggs.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, sobering and humbling
Agree with the comments of the other two (as of 4/27/2017) reviewers in what they've said, far more eloquently than I ever could have. I got the Kindle version and read it straight through, almost without stopping, twice. And, I will read it again. Though short and easy to read, this is very serious and at times emotionally difficult material. This is fiction, but it somehow doesn't exactly read as fiction. Perhaps that's because, while in the U.S. a lot of us might like to believe this couldn't happen here, it absolutely could happen here. In living memory for many it happened in the Soviet Union, and it's happening in the Middle East right now. As the other reviewers note, Christians in the U.S. are not violently persecuted - yet. That being said, this, in my opinion, isn't the ultimate focus of this book. The absolute message is one of steadfast hope despite the trials of this world, and of trust in the salvation promised by our Lord Jesus Christ. Highly recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful little read
It’s really nice to read modern orthodox novels. I had just finished “Elements” before discovering this book. It’s really nice to take a break from theology books and sink into a nice story with Orthodox characters you can connect with. I’ve read The Gulag Archipelago and this is much more tame but it definitely drew on memories from that book.Thank you Georgia 🙏
A page turner that embraces tricky issues and offers the type of faith filled answers fiction rarely dares to suggest.
In a near future secularist world, stripped of all religion, Euphrosyne had been given a new name and a new identity, but she can not forget the realities of her faith or the terrible things that happened to her church community and her family. Whilst the authorities insist that the traditions of faith are an affront to human liberty, Euphrosyne hangs on to the memory of the small icon of St Nicholas that her mother pressed into her hand just before she died and the miracle that saved her life.Not since Narnia or a Wrinkle in Time have I been so confident that Chrsitan fiction for children can work. Briggs successfully creates a safe place for young people (and the not so young) to explore tricky issues of faith in the modern world. Briggs dares to pursue the challenges that arise when secular liberalism meets Chrstian faith in this novel for young people about human loss, persecution and the possibilities of life beyond the grave. And it is deeply relevant to the times we live in where being Christian can be a difficult and complex choice.If you are Orthodox you will love the creative portrayal of our lives surrounded by angels and saints and if you are not Orthodox there is enough common ground for you to immerse yourself in something of the ancient traditions.I recommend this book to adults and young people alike. It would be a great book for parents to read with their children or for pastors to read with young people in their care. Would it be suitable for some one who was not Chrstian? Yes, I think it would especially if they had some interest in faith as a reference point. I loved this book and am so glad I stumbled across it (through Ancient Faith podcasts).
Excellent book
While this book is aimed at the young adult market -this grandma wanted to give it a pre read before gifting it and I am glad I did.I found this a well written and compelling book.Ms Briggs has been able to craft a story that is believable in the context of our modern world and the lessons of history.Both the current state of secular thought and the means a government can take to control its populations (including the mobs that can be enticed to violence) have much historical precedent.The way Orthodoxy is portrayed here - in both in our young heroines life and the lives of those who help her - is subtle in its unfolding, profound in its truth , and embraces the mystical reality that surrounds us all.While the book is set in a future North America- the issues and experiences here have a 2000 + year history.And because the author resisted the temptation to dive into current divisive issues (other than a few subtle nods to them) this book rises above today and becomes a tale of what can happen - and what has happened -when faith collides with a government that feels threatened by it.I highly recommend it.
Religious novel
Great story - highly recommended. Easy read
Great book
Great book. I would highly recommend reading this. This book will take you on a ride and you'll wanna keep reading.
Five Stars
A fantastic read over the Christmas break for the older readers in our family. Frightening "accurate" to current "culture".
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Icon: A Novel
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Visit the Ancient Faith Publishing Store
Icon: A Novel
AED9318
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.
BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.
Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.
While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Description:
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars The beauty of the imagery used brought tears to my eyes all the way through
This book took me only 2 days to read it, partly because it was short and easy to read and partly because it was so suspenseful. It is aimed at teens or young adults even though the main character is 12 years old. The subject matter of the book is very intense and I found myself crying all the way through the book; though my main reasons for crying weren't from sadness, it was because of the beauty. The imagery in this book was amazing. So many beautiful things happen to Euphronsyne, even in the midst of tragedy. This provides a powerful lesson to forming minds, that even in the darkest of times, God is there and is taking care of you, sending helpers to you, and giving you comfort and strength.I was going to rate this book 4 star mainly because the one disappointment I had in the book was that the actual story was just straightforward and not very developed. I found myself wishing it was longer and more in depth. In the end, however, I gave it 5 stars because of the powerful imagery woven throughout and because it is Orthodox Christian fiction! I hope this starts a trend. We need modern Orthodox fiction, and not just aimed at youth. For me personally, I experience more spiritual insight and comfort from fiction than I do from reading non-fiction. I've been on a quest to find fiction from an Orthodox perspective for a long time and have come up empty till now. I look forward to watching this author develop and write more.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for teens and adults
This book was formative to me as a catechumen. I enjoyed it so much I finished it the same day. (It's aimed at teenagers, but I'm in my 40s and enjoyed it immensely.) It doesn't have a happy ending, but it has a Christian ending, and that's good because so many books insist upon smooshing happy endings where they don't belong. Excellent book.
5.0 out of 5 stars Alarming and Inspiring Dystopian Fiction
Icon, by Alabama author Georgia Briggs, is a stirring dystopian story told from an explicitly Orthodox Christian point of view. Briggs succeeds brilliantly in melding her faith with her genre. If I am not mistaken, this was her first novel, ergo, her success is an amazing achievement and a great testament to her ability.In Icon, young Euphrosyne learns that an innocent mistake at school quickly leads to death, oppression, and terror. Some might find the plot initially confusing, especially since it unfolds in the new and grand “Era of Tolerance”. However, others will wisely recall that tolerance was one of the chief sins of King Jeroboam.Euphrosyne, her family, and her friends find themselves living in an occupied state that tolerates everything … except Christianity. Clinging to tradition in this new age results in brutal and relentless intolerance. Briggs does a fine and fascinating job portraying how the repression transpires and how it affects those caught in the crosshairs. That she does this so convincingly from the primary perspective of a twelve-year-old girl is very impressive. But the choice of Euphrosyne’s eyes should not necessarily be surprising because, while all people suffer under tyranny, perhaps none are so afflicted as children. The real world gives us constant, daily reminders of that sad fact for those willing to see them.I will leave the hows and whys behind the rise of Brigg’s draconic fool’s paradise for the discovery of the reader—and the reader will thoroughly enjoy the journey of revelation. Yet I will say I thought Briggs’s moniker for those in control of the new Alabama and new America was a poignant bit of genius. She took an old and famous name from America’s nineteenth-century transcendent enlightenment and progressed it forward to a fanciful but very natural and plausible zenith.Plausibility. Interestingly, Briggs wrote Icon in 2017, eight years before I read it. Those eight years have been packed with incidents and trends that should have dropped the veils or blinders from many American and Western eyes. In short, only the truly blind (or the complicit) do not, at this point in our history, begin to at least suspect that something has gone very wrong. A century before Briggs’s pen crafted her tale so artfully, J.B. Bury was busy lauding what he thought were the then-present achievements of the Enlightenment and the coming golden age of free thinking and tolerance, the triumph over Christianity and tradition. See A History of Freedom of Thought (1913). As the entirety of the Enlightenment was a lie and a rank inversion, things didn’t work out exactly as promised. Instead of a peaceful, happy Shangri-la, today’s America sees Christians beaten and imprisoned for praying in public. America openly and even proudly supports, funds, and participates in war and genocide against multiple parties of the innocent around the world, a sizeable portion of them Christians. It is not too far a stretch, certainly within fiction, to foresee an America that openly exterminates Christians.In addition to a moving, alarming story of warning, Briggs also provides an antidote. At certain points in Icon, particularly at the end, I found myself silently hoping for stern physical retaliation from the oppressed or liberating action from outside parties. I will divulge that as the Orthodox Believers of Alabama are hunted, Russian Spetsnaz troops do not arrive to save the day. But Briggs had a far better idea. Someone does show up at the end, and there is no earthly substitute for the deliverance and compassion he brings to Euphrosyne. It is a miracle in a book full of miracles. Just when all feels lost, the young protagonist wins the ultimate fight, via her Christian faith and her acknowledged (if not so-named) eschatological optimism. She survives in glory and learns the true meaning behind Jesus’s reassurance when He said, “If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated Me before you. …[B]ut I have chosen you out of the world...” John 15:18-19.Briggs salvages eternal beauty out of tragedy and perfidious horror. Her plot, purpose, scenes, and settings are vivid, valid, and believable. Her characters bring to life the best and worst of human behavior and capability. As for the good potential within Christians, she delivers with convincing eloquence stern adherents to our faith who are, despite all else, joyous, reflective, defiant, zealous, and selfless. For a shorter work, and one marketed for the young adult audience, the spiritual lessons within Icon are astounding. Oh, and THE icon is as much a character, as much a hero as he is a title!For all these reasons, and for those the reader will find beneath the cover, I happily recommend Icon by Georgia Briggs.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, sobering and humbling
Agree with the comments of the other two (as of 4/27/2017) reviewers in what they've said, far more eloquently than I ever could have. I got the Kindle version and read it straight through, almost without stopping, twice. And, I will read it again. Though short and easy to read, this is very serious and at times emotionally difficult material. This is fiction, but it somehow doesn't exactly read as fiction. Perhaps that's because, while in the U.S. a lot of us might like to believe this couldn't happen here, it absolutely could happen here. In living memory for many it happened in the Soviet Union, and it's happening in the Middle East right now. As the other reviewers note, Christians in the U.S. are not violently persecuted - yet. That being said, this, in my opinion, isn't the ultimate focus of this book. The absolute message is one of steadfast hope despite the trials of this world, and of trust in the salvation promised by our Lord Jesus Christ. Highly recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful little read
It’s really nice to read modern orthodox novels. I had just finished “Elements” before discovering this book. It’s really nice to take a break from theology books and sink into a nice story with Orthodox characters you can connect with. I’ve read The Gulag Archipelago and this is much more tame but it definitely drew on memories from that book.Thank you Georgia 🙏
A page turner that embraces tricky issues and offers the type of faith filled answers fiction rarely dares to suggest.
In a near future secularist world, stripped of all religion, Euphrosyne had been given a new name and a new identity, but she can not forget the realities of her faith or the terrible things that happened to her church community and her family. Whilst the authorities insist that the traditions of faith are an affront to human liberty, Euphrosyne hangs on to the memory of the small icon of St Nicholas that her mother pressed into her hand just before she died and the miracle that saved her life.Not since Narnia or a Wrinkle in Time have I been so confident that Chrsitan fiction for children can work. Briggs successfully creates a safe place for young people (and the not so young) to explore tricky issues of faith in the modern world. Briggs dares to pursue the challenges that arise when secular liberalism meets Chrstian faith in this novel for young people about human loss, persecution and the possibilities of life beyond the grave. And it is deeply relevant to the times we live in where being Christian can be a difficult and complex choice.If you are Orthodox you will love the creative portrayal of our lives surrounded by angels and saints and if you are not Orthodox there is enough common ground for you to immerse yourself in something of the ancient traditions.I recommend this book to adults and young people alike. It would be a great book for parents to read with their children or for pastors to read with young people in their care. Would it be suitable for some one who was not Chrstian? Yes, I think it would especially if they had some interest in faith as a reference point. I loved this book and am so glad I stumbled across it (through Ancient Faith podcasts).
Excellent book
While this book is aimed at the young adult market -this grandma wanted to give it a pre read before gifting it and I am glad I did.I found this a well written and compelling book.Ms Briggs has been able to craft a story that is believable in the context of our modern world and the lessons of history.Both the current state of secular thought and the means a government can take to control its populations (including the mobs that can be enticed to violence) have much historical precedent.The way Orthodoxy is portrayed here - in both in our young heroines life and the lives of those who help her - is subtle in its unfolding, profound in its truth , and embraces the mystical reality that surrounds us all.While the book is set in a future North America- the issues and experiences here have a 2000 + year history.And because the author resisted the temptation to dive into current divisive issues (other than a few subtle nods to them) this book rises above today and becomes a tale of what can happen - and what has happened -when faith collides with a government that feels threatened by it.I highly recommend it.
Religious novel
Great story - highly recommended. Easy read
Great book
Great book. I would highly recommend reading this. This book will take you on a ride and you'll wanna keep reading.
Five Stars
A fantastic read over the Christmas break for the older readers in our family. Frightening "accurate" to current "culture".
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