The Isle of Battle - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841491934 ISBN 13: 9781841491936

Publisher: Eos, 2003

Synopsis

In THE ONE KINGDOM, a group of young traders embarked on a quest to make their fortune. Journeying along the River Wynnd with a cargo of ancient artefacts, they soon discovered the world to be a far more complex place than they could ever have imagined. Alaan is trapped in the Stillwater - an eerie, fog-bound place hidden from the sun and shrouded in mystery. Tam and his friends must find him before it is too late. For Alaan is wounded and close to death, and his enemies, if they reach him first, will show no mercy. Set in a world in which magic and political intrigue collide, with unforgettable characters and brilliant storytelling, THE SWANS' WAR is a series destined to become a classic. Find out more about this title and others at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

About this title

Review:

With The Isle of Battle, the second book of the high- fantasy Swan's War trilogy, acclaimed novelist Sean Russell returns to the world of the Wynnd, a great river that does not always follow the maps and has tributaries in other worlds. The Isle of Battle continues the story of the archer Tam, his fellow Valemen Fynnol and Baore, and several other characters from The One Kingdom. The Valemen gain mysterious new allies and enemies as they search through otherworldly swamps and mountains for their fallen friend, the demigodlike Alaan, and seek to elude Alaan's more-than-mortal enemy and brother, the powerful and ruthless warrior-wizard, Hafydd.

Readers should not start the Swans' War with The Isle of Battle. It suffers the common trilogy malady of middle-book-itis: it doesn't greatly advance the overall plotline, and though it spends some time bringing readers up to speed on the backstory, it still swamps newcomers with multiple plotlines and characters. Also, the big cast means characterizations are often sketchy; the Valemen become almost interchangeable, and the powerful and intriguing Alaan rarely demonstrates these virtues, since he spends much of his time senseless from critical wounds. Furthermore, many readers will not be pleased that the book's vast cast includes only four women, with only two of them spending much time onstage (in the same body!). --Cynthia Ward

About the Author:

Sean Russell was born in Toronto, Canada in 1952, and now lives in Vancouver. He has written a number of acclaimed fantasy novels.

About this edition

• Publisher: Eos
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1841491934
• ISBN 13: 9781841491936
• Binding: Paperback