See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

29 used & new from £0.01
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Isle of Battle (Swans' War)
 
See larger image 

See 1 customer image
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Isle of Battle (Swans' War) (Hardcover)

by Sean Russell (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


2 new from £3.88 22 used from £0.01 5 collectible from £2.25
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (1st) 7 used & new from £5.28
Paperback (New edition) £7.99 £7.99 39 used & new from £0.01
Mass Market Paperback (Reprint) 18 used & new from £0.90

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Shadow Road (Swans' War)

Shadow Road (Swans' War)

by Sean Russell
2.6 out of 5 stars (7)  £5.99
The One Kingdom (Swans' War)

The One Kingdom (Swans' War)

by Sean Russell
4.4 out of 5 stars (16)  £5.99
Renegade's Magic (The Soldier Son Trilogy)

Renegade's Magic (The Soldier Son Trilogy)

by Robin Hobb
3.4 out of 5 stars (29)  £7.19
A Clash of Kings (Song of Ice and Fire)

A Clash of Kings (Song of Ice and Fire)

by George R.R. Martin
4.6 out of 5 stars (52)  £4.85
A Feast for Crows (Song of Ice and Fire)

A Feast for Crows (Song of Ice and Fire)

by George R.R. Martin
3.5 out of 5 stars (107)  £5.79
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 484 pages
  • Publisher: Orbit; First Edition edition (5 Sep 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1841490865
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841490861
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.6 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 33,985 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #2 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > R > Russell, Sean

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Sean Russell adds interesting ideas to the Medievalising fantasy. The Isle of Battle, second volume of his Swan's War trilogy, has a handy amount of night-time treachery, feats of archery, sorcery and pitched cavalry battles. It has interesting thoughts about the nature of identity--to save her life, noblewoman Elise has allowed herself to be possessed by the long-dead sorceress Sianon and it is not clear, in either direction, who got the better of the deal. Similarly, Russell plays games with honour--is Dease, who has changed his loyalties, more, or less, honourable than his cousin Samul, who pursues them into dishonour and treachery?

These books take place in debatable land--centuries earlier a sorcerer twisted the relationship in time and space between locations along a river valley and its tributaries--and the moral landscape in which the characters get bogged down is equally perverse and disjointed. He brings a compassion to relationships--that between the blind minstrel King Carral, for example, and the hideously scarred Llyn--that never becomes quite saccharine. As its predecessor, The One Kingdom,The Isle of Battlekeeps us caring about the destinies of a large cast of characters and weighs courage against wisdom, loyalty against righteousness in an intelligent and morally complex narrative. --Roz Kaveney

Review
** 'A master of intelligent fantasy - subtle, well-crafted and gripping.' STEPHEN DONALDSON ** 'Magic and mystery blend in abundance with an intricate cast of characters. An engrossing read.' ROBIN HOBB ** 'A perfectly plotted, beautifully written fantasy' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Fresh, exciting and thoroughly compelling" ENIGMA

See all Product Description

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Isle of Battle (Swans' War)
92% buy the item featured on this page:
The Isle of Battle (Swans' War) 3.8 out of 5 stars (9)
Shadow Road (Swans' War)
8% buy
Shadow Road (Swans' War) 2.6 out of 5 stars (7)
£5.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A rare, good "middle book" in an excellent trilogy (A Book Swede Review), 8 Oct 2007
The Isle of Battle starts off directly after the hectic events of The One Kingdom (9/10) , and it starts off fast! Sean Russell provides a kind of synopsis to the previous events -- very useful, as throughout the book, no reprieve is given to the reader, with Russell constantly moving from scene to scene with an almost fierce abandon.

The story in The Isle of Battle is more developed, as is to be expected, and a sense of pettiness, almost, is established at the lesser events -- it becomes very clear that much more is at stake that the honour or ancient enmity of two Houses, as mighty powers rage for control of their land.

As for characterisation, I really liked the importance Lord Carral was given in this book, and I felt he developed well, particularly after suffering the news of what he thought was his daughter's death. Unknown -- at least, for a little while -- to everyone, is that his daughter still lives and has struck a bargain with one of the children of Wyrr ...

...And that's not good.

The Stillwater is one of my favourite locations for a show-down in any book I've read. On one of the "hidden roads" is where it lurks, and a lot of care has gone into making the Stillwater a vivid and memorable landscape. Alaan didn't spend much time traveling this time -- trapped as he was in marsh-type locale with the most powerful sorcerers trying to track him down and kill him. Also not good, especially after the injuries he received at the end of The One Kingdom...

The book manages to avoid the sluggish-ness of some second volumes in trilogies, and even without the inevitable show-down included, there are still several other great scenes towards the end, too -- I mentioned in my review of The One Kingdom that I felt Death and his minions would be playing a more corporeal part in this series ... and while I was right, it wasn't quite the way I expected. How Russell explored the history of Death, and his past, was fascinating.

The Isle of Battle has something of a cliffhanger ending which might disappointed some people, but it's a good read and another solid piece of work from Sean Russell. I continue to be impressed with his work. And nice artwork, too ;) 8.5/10.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth A Read, 3 Oct 2003
This review is from: The Isle of Battle (Swans' War) (Paperback)
If you are a fantasy fan who has read their Eddings, Feist, Tolkien, Goodkind etc 20 times and are desparing of finding something new then this could be what you are looking for.

Isle Of Battle is not on the scale of the epics mentioned above but has an interesting storyline, good characters and enough unpredictability to keep you guessing and waiting for the next installment. Whilst there is not the level of action or magic as in many others in the genre, there is certainly enough to keep the pages turning and the plot and writing are of a high enough quality not to need constant battles to captivate you.

This is an entertaining, solid book that looks like it will develop into a very worthwhile series and keep readers guessing throughout. I would rate it on a similar level with the Robin Hobb novels and certainly recommend a purchase.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars If You Buy This Book Your Life Will Be Better, 13 Sep 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: The Isle of Battle (Swans' War) (Paperback)
This book is so great and gripping that I can't even do it justice. If you have read The One Kingdom you will know exactly what I mean. It is just awesome and I am DESPERATE for the third book to be released. As usual the plot is twisty and the characters have many different dimensions to them. You really need to read and then re-read this book to fully appreciate all the little twists and hints that are in there.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars A weak middle chapter of a fair trilogy.
I really struggled to finidh this book, despite quite enjoying the one kingdom. It felt a labour to read it rather than a pleasure. Read more
Published 15 months ago by genejoke

2.0 out of 5 stars Whiplash from one book to the next
You're driving down the road, heading into some of the most beautiful scenery you've ever seen. It's fall, and the trees are gloriously orange, brown, and gold, the colours... Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2004 by David Roy

2.0 out of 5 stars Out of his Depth
The Isle of Battle has some good episodes. The Stillwater is one of the best magical locations in any fantasy I have read. Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2003 by Cr Gibbs

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Continuation of What Will Become a Classic Saga
The Isle of Battle is book two of Sean Russells' 'Swans War' Saga. It is a continuation to 'The One Kingdom' and so obviously isn't a book to read 'stand-alone'. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2003 by Sam Bloomfield

5.0 out of 5 stars A Master at Work
Sean Russell writes very very well. The story flows like the great river at the heart of the book and the characters, plot and pace are controlled with a light yet firm grip that... Read more
Published on 14 Oct 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars The Isle of Battle
Having finished Sean Russell's first book I couldn't wait for The Isle of Battle to arrive on the shelf, and despite having to buy the hardback it was well worth every penny... Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2002 by S I J Wallace

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

  

More From Sean Russell

The One Kingdom

The One Kingdom (Swans' War)

The One Kingdom, the first volume of the "Swans' War" sequence, takes... Read more
£7.99 £5.99

 

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (74)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (464)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (81)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates