The fourth book in David Drake's epic fantasy series.
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Amazon Review
David Drake made his name in genre fiction with the "Hammer's Slammers" series of military SF about tough future mercenaries, launched in 1979. A versatile writer, he's also published well-received fantasies: Lord of the Isles opens a massive new saga of clashing swords and spells in an archipelago world. 1,000 years beforehand, potent sorcery won a war only for its backlash to sink the winning island. Now, with magic reaching another millennial peak of power, the world is endangered. Among the players are a king's ghost and two magicians who were present at the ancient disaster (one of them caused it), plus modern wizards, warriors and unknowing descendants of royalty. Drake skilfully juggles multiple storylines as his engaging characters meet a wild variety of danger: rising and vanishing lands, the reanimated dead (not only human dead), out-of-control sorcery, demons, riots, traps and other planes of reality including hell itself. The magic comes in several fascinating and often unpleasant flavours. Even likeable characters may die. This story reads well and halts at a satisfying moment of victory rather than a nail-biting cliffhanger. It doesn't quite achieve epic scale--clearly Drake is keeping major trump cards in reserve for the coming sequels. A promising start. --David Langford
Review
"One of the finest epic fantasies of the decade." --Piers Anthony
"Unlike most modern fantasy, David Drake's "Lord of the Isles "is an epic with the texture of the legends of yore, with rousing action and characters to cheer for." --Terry Goodkind
"True brilliance is as rare as a perfect diamond or a supernova. "Lord of the Isles" is truly brilliant. We are in at the birth of a classic....There is a lot of fantasy out there, but there is only one "Lord of the Isles."" --Morgan Llywelyn
"David Drake's work here is original, engrossing, and instantly credible. After all the hackneyed, repetitive fantasy I've read recently, "Lord of the Isles "seems quite wonderful." --Stephen R. Donaldson
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
"Unlike most modern fantasy, David Drake's "Lord of the Isles "is an epic with the texture of the legends of yore, with rousing action and characters to cheer for." --Terry Goodkind
"True brilliance is as rare as a perfect diamond or a supernova. "Lord of the Isles" is truly brilliant. We are in at the birth of a classic....There is a lot of fantasy out there, but there is only one "Lord of the Isles."" --Morgan Llywelyn
"David Drake's work here is original, engrossing, and instantly credible. After all the hackneyed, repetitive fantasy I've read recently, "Lord of the Isles "seems quite wonderful." --Stephen R. Donaldson
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
After reading some other reviewers' comments, I had to stop and think about their criticisms of the book. While I agree with their comments concerning character development, I found this book to be one of the more enjoyable fantasies I've read in a good while, and I've read quite a few including Jordan's Wheel of Time, Edding's Belgariad/Mallorean, Feist's Magician: series, Goodkind's Sword of Truth, Hambly's Darwath Trilogy, Reichert's Last of the Renshai and J V Jone's Book of Words series, all of which I recommend. Lord of the Isles is a quick read with relatively short chapters, each with a nice little punch at the end. When the characters split up and have separate adventures, the chapters rotate to follow each story simultaneously. I had no trouble following the story or keeping track of who's who. The chapters are often left as cliffhangers, but all the plots are excellent and the shorter chapters don't leave you hanging a long time to find out "what happened to..?". There is very little fat or excess commentary in this book. The magic is pretty mundane in theory and practice, but the narration of effects usually make up for it. If you are looking for a deep, thought provoking book you might want to skip this one, but if you are looking for a page turner with some neat variations to the usual encounters in fantasy, I highly recommend it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I was originally drawn to this book by the many commendations from SF authors I enjoy. The cover art should be enough to put off most folk (unless interested in S&M fetish). The style is slightly off-putting. Not in a poor way, but in putting you off your guard for what is coming. Really quite refreshing. The characters are realistic, the language used, engaging. The only part of his style I was not taken with was his perception of magic - there was simply too much of it. I do recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of Stephen Donaldson.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Extruded Fantasy Product. Worth reading? Well, the story progresses in small chunks, like it was written for serialisation in some pulp magazine. That makes it suitable for mindlessly filling a few minutes a day on a bus. So yes, worth reading. Not worth paying full price for though.
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2.9 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exciting modern fantasy that is highly original and filled with...
I was so excited when I discovered magnificent writer David Drake, who appeared within the fantasy genre with a refreshingly new fantasy epic as to rival many top writers. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Lucinda
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book...
I enjoyed this book very much. At first, I wondered if I'd like it, but after a bit, I just couldn't put it down. Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2004 by April Williams
2.0 out of 5 stars
Below average and slow....
I started reading SF/Fantasy by reading the Dragonlance series and I find I'm most disappointed with this effort. I found the characters to be flacid and un-emotional. Read more
Published on 25 May 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Epic . . . but entertaining
It could be epic, though it needs a little work. There aren't too many books out there, though, that are as engaging and entertaining as King of the Isles. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Fantastic!
If you love and crave great fantasy novels, you gotta buy this book. I guarantee you that once you finished reading this book you will crave for the coming series! Read more
Published on 2 Sep 1999
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good entertainment, could use more depth...
I truly enjoyed this detailed fantasy series. Drake has painstakingly created a world; however, this world has no innate originality - I won't remember the map and the peoples... Read more
Published on 31 Aug 1999
3.0 out of 5 stars
Light, easy reading.
I liked this book well enough but I borrowed it from the library. From, the start, it threatened to be another long series and I didn't want to get hooked and wind up spending... Read more
Published on 23 Aug 1999
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting characters and a exciting story line
I have enjoyed this entire series. Its a new fresh look and the fantasy world. Instead of using old ideas he's created his own fantastic realm.
Published on 13 July 1999
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bored with the Isles
Despire all the recommendations on the cover of the book, I have a great deal of trouble praising Lord of the Isles. Read more
Published on 11 July 1999
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lord of the Bile
The book had a decent plot but I just could not get into it. I did not sense any threat to the HOODED ONE nor any threat to the characters except for the random creatures that... Read more
Published on 22 Jun 1999
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