The Isle of Battle

The Swan's War #2

by Sean Russell

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction

562 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Aka Sean Thomas Russell

Sean Russel has co-written, with Ian Dennis, a mystery series called "Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner". The first volume of the series was published by Bantam under their joint pen name, T.F. Banks.

Sean Russell was born 1952 in Toronto. At the age of three his family moved to the outskirts of the city, where they lived in a cottage at the beach of Lake Ontario. At the age of ten he decided to become an author, and the fantasy genre caught him years later, while reading J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. After university, he moved to Vancouver, and two years later to Vancouver Island, where he still lives with his family. He published his first novel in 1991.His first historical naval novel Under Enemy Colours, published in 2007, introduced a new Royal Navy hero, Charles Hayden, and HMS Themis, a fictitious frigate.

Mr. Russell cites history as one of his passions, collects old yachting and sailing books, skis, sails and travels. Past interests include caving, rock climbing, hiking, and racing sailboats.

Reviews

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another example of when I much prefer the second book to the first. The first book had to devote too many pages to background and setup, this book was able to start on the cliffhanger ending of the first and continue on from there, without having to stop too often to explain. Also, this one had much, much more Alaan, and as I'm absolutely in love with him...I mean, what? I didn't write that. Okay, the Vale boys are alright, as far as barely adult characters go, but there wasn't anything really special about them. (I kind of interchange them with the three from Wheel of Time.) Actually, most of the characters in the book are more interesting than them; I really love the Renne/Wills families as well.
Some people had issue with the fact that the whole book takes place in a swamp. I didn't have that problem. I don't care where characters are, as long as they're doing something besides talking. And sometimes even talking can be interesting if done right. (Like Elise's blind father. His parts are some of the better parts of the books).
Since this book kept my attention the entire time, had a classic yet fresh plot, and because I just freaking love it, I had to give this book five stars.

[Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the history and setting in this world. The idea that everything revolved around a river is very intersting to me. The plot seemed well thought out and the Characters were real. the only thing I didn't like about this story is the cliffhanger ending. It just stops, and I hate that...

[Metaphorosis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
The would-be peaceful Westbrook Fair has ended in disaster, with Arden Renne killed by his own kin's attempt to murder peace-oriented Toren Renne. The family's arch-rivals the Wills are rent by their own tensions, with mysterious sorceror Hafydd seemingly fully in control and intent on war. Meanwhile, three young men from the far north have been drawn into the violence through their casual acquaintance with Alaan - another sorceror and Hafydd's brother. And Elise Wills is missing, perhaps the victim of yet another sorceror, Hafydd and Alaan's sister.

Review
I quite like this series, and am always surprised it doesn’t get more attention. It’s not one that you can just pick up in the middle; while there is a ‘what has gone before’ section, it’s not really very well done. I didn’t find it very helpful, and (or because?) I’d just read the preceding book. The summary is long, dry, and completely fails to capture the flavor of the series. In any case, definitely read all books and read them in order. There are a lot of characters (with even more identities) and a lot of moving parts, and you’ll want to know them as this book plunges right back into the action.

There is a lot of action in this book. Possibly too much. For example, we get a very long escape sequence for a newly introduced characters. It’s well written and consistently interesting, and I enjoyed it, but it is the kind of thing that could easily have been cut almost entirely without the story losing much.

Unlike (as I recall) Russell’s Darwinian books, here the characters are just as (intentionally) confused about where they are and what’s happening as the reader, and they say so, which is a nice little meta moment. And Russell provides enough answers to maintain interest and enthusiasm. This is a pretty long book, but I read it quickly. While it requires the first book, it’s also better than the first book. We and the characters are no well settled in, and eager to see what happens next. A very strong sequel.

What’s disappointing in this e-book version is that the conversion was extremely careless. There are typos all over the place – in a book that’s been out in e-form for over a decade and from an author I see as being generally meticulous. They don’t all seem to be OCR errors, either. Some are wrong word choices (principle/principal), and one glitch means that every closing single quote (’) is not followed by a space. Easy enough to fix in edit, but also easy to spot and something the publisher definitely should have picked up on. There are many other similar problems. It’s frustrating that such a good book is held back by such lazy proofreading.

[Steven Poore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much a middle book of a trilogy, though still enjoyable. Full review to come.

[Anny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the book and lots happened. It’s hard to get to know the central characters when they can’t stop to breathe and all of them seem to be wearing plot armour. I don’t feel that the stakes are high even though they’re all telling me they are.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine sehr verschachtelte Fortsetzung mit einem furiosen Ende und wieder ein Cliffhanger

[Kim Bentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elise has thrown herself off a bridge to escape the Prince whose father was in league with a counselor rumored to be a wicked sorcerer and to try to avoid another war between the Wills and the Renne families. This decision has far-reaching consequences, for the members of both families war not just with each other, but within, as well as with forces they do not know, and the fate of all hangs in the balance.

I have given this book a hesitant four stars, not because it isn’t an engaging story, but because it takes so long to tell it, yet when the last page was turned I had that delicious feeling that there were questions unanswered, characters whose stories I will wait impatiently to hear, and a conclusion coming that I may not anticipate.

Despite my ambivalence about the stars given, Russell is a talented writer whose turn of phrase is often new and surprising: “The fog clung to the trees, here and there; shredded skeins of wind-blown wool.” He has created some unusual, fascinating characters, with backstories you suspect could be many novels long: the giant Orem Slighthand, Theason Hollyoak, the legless warrior Kai, wheeled about by the voiceless Uffra, Rabat Crowheart, and Tam, whose story, I think, is just beginning. Even more interesting are: Elise, the woman who is also the ancient Sianon, her brothers Alaan/Sainth, and Hafydd/ Caibre. Readers of this genre should enjoy these fascinating characters.

I’m looking forward to the next installment in this series.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Swans War trilogy. Like all trilogies, the second book seems to drag a bit, but it was still good.

The first skirmish in the renewed Renne/Wills war has been fought on the Isle of Battle, the very land that Toren Renne had hoped would bring peace. However, the present war is not the one that will determine the fate of the land between the mountains...

A far greater, and deadlier, battle has been resumed. After eons, the Children of Wyrr have returned to life, and are intent on renewing their fight for conquest. Caibre, Sainth, and Sianon have taken human hosts. Caibre, determined to kill the others once and for all, tracks a desperately wounded Sainth and their sister Sianon, through an endless swamp. Just as they think they have gotten away, Caibre appears...

A bloody war seems to be inevitable. Who will survive?

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book of the trilogy even more than the first. It's a big cast of characters, so the first book had me struggling to keep track of motives and alliances. But now I'm understanding the characters better, and I love all the shades of gray.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pace is still really slow, but the writing is good as are the characters. I'll read the final installment, and will have enjoyed it, but this isn't going on my re-read list.

[Gerald Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

isle of battle

A wonderful adventure well written and well easily read. Second of the three books of the swan wars by Sean Russell

[Shaitarn · Rating 5 out of 5]

FRTC

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series, and I suppose this review is, in a way, a review of the series so far, but I read the first book back in the summer, so it's not as fresh in my mind.

The basics: epic fantasy, filled with political and personal scheming. Russell weaves a world rich in history, thick with mysterious magic, and peopled with wonderful characters. The plot, briefly, starts off apparently centered around two rival families who each wish to reunite and rule an ancient, shattered kingdom. Each family, though, is shattered by division. The Renne are divided by a plot against the family head, who some believe is not ruthless enough to lead the family. The rival Wills are split between the rightful head of the family, a blind man who gave leadership of the family to his brother, and the brother himself, who has allied the family with a power, malevolent sorceror. All this, however, is only the surface level of the story.

Magic in this world tends to be subtle, yet mythic in its proportions. It is largely mysterious, and not that often seen, and yet it pervades the fabric of the world. Throughout these two books we are shuttled back and forth between the lords of the realm, some of the common folk who have become embroiled in the struggles washing over the land, and larger-than-life characters out of this world's legends who return to shape this world's destiny. Like most "epic" fantasy, this wealth of characters is its strength and a danger. On the one hand, it allows the reader to view events that no one person sees, and also keeps the characters in perspective--they're not some sorts of demigods who are doing everything important, they're people struggling in the ways that people do. And Russell does a fantastic job with the characters. They are varied and detailed. There was a point in this book where I was reading a scene between two of the characters and I just said yes! this writer has it. It was just that the characters were so real, they were each unique and working to understand one another and achieve their own purposes and they just felt not only real, but as though the characters were driving the plot and not the other way around.

At the same time, the epic scope of the novels demands that you be willing to leave some characters for great lengths of time before you come back to them, and this raises some difficulties at times. Primarily, it was going from book to book, and I'll acknowledge that it probably had a lot to do with the time lapse in my reading, but with some many characters, it can become difficult to remember precisely who did what and who felt how and what sort of person so-and-so was the last time we saw him or her. I suppose this is really, though, just an argument not to wait to read the next book! And here's another fortunate circumstance: unlike some epic fantasists who have made their stories so large in scope that the tales range over book after book and you have to wait and wait and wait for the next one to come out and, as they often weigh in at 500+ pages each, it can be damned hard to follow what's going on and equally difficult to re-read; as I was saying, unlike such series, The Swan's War series is completed. It is a nice trilogy (Tolkien really set the gold standard, didn't he?), and it's done, finito, complete. In just under 4 years, too, which isn't bad for around 1500 of epic series. And it's been a good ride so far--now I'm off to start reading the final installment.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The one thing I’ve learned after reading the first two books in this series: Sean Russell does not feel he has to provide his readers with any kind of conclusion, closure, or comfort in regards to his characters.

I was annoyed by how the first book in the series ended – given that there were far more questions than answers provided – but this book’s ending was even worse. Far be it for me to tell an author how to ply their craft, but as an avid reader, I do know that I like to be left with something other than frustration – I want to want to read the next book in the series, I don’t want to have to read the next book in the series.

You know?

I actually felt that this book was weaker than the first. The characters that we were introduced to in the first story were still here – some were prominently featured, some danced on the periphery – though the story felt a bit flat.

Had I wanted a book about groups of people chasing groups of people, this book would have been perfect. Group A chased Group B, while close by, Group D chased Group D; meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, Group E chased Group C, and Groups F and G chased themselves, while Group D chased everyone in the world.

Then, just when the reader grew tired of the many descriptions of people chasing people, one group would meet and hook up, and then would find they were also hunted by Group D.

There were only a handful of new characters in the entirety of the book, yet I didn’t feel like we got to know them very well, which is odd, given that I didn’t feel like I got to know any of the established characters any better, either.

It was entertaining, for the most part. However, the endless chase scenes – reminiscent of those old Hannah Barbara cartoons where the characters are running, running, running, and the background never changes, just continuously cycles past – took up way too much of the story. Additionally, I would have preferred to have at least one true ending for someone in the story, but I guess all that will come in the third book.

So, here’s hoping every single loose thread in these books are tied up in a nice, fancy bow come the end of the series. Because, as a reader, I think I deserve more than this endless wondering and these millions of questions.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Isle of Battle” is the second book in the “Swan’s War Trilogy”, and it immediately picks up after the conclusion of the first book. The author provided a brief recap of the events in the first book, which is helpful for those that may take a break before continuing the series. I rated this a three-star read, although I thought it included more interesting characters, events, and more insight into the Children of Wyrr as compared to the first book.

One reason that I feel like the series is a bit weak is that we don’t see much growth in the characters. The three young men of Tam, Fynnol, and Baore are part of this story, but the focus seems to be more on Alaan (Sainth), Hayffd (Caibre) and Elise (Siannon), the three Children of Wyrr. We learn a little bit more about their background, but I still felt there wasn’t much, if anything, the rest of the characters in the story could really do to protect themselves and/or fight back against these sorcerers. There is some hint of this with the original Knights of the Vow, but this story doesn’t explore that angle much.

The author widened the scope of the story by spending a lot of time on what seems to be a minor character named Lord Carl A’denne, who is allied to the Prince of Innes. It is unclear where the author is going with this character, and it seemed to be a bit of a distraction to the main story line of Wyrr’s children. The pending battle between the Wills and Renne families also seems to be a bit secondary and flat as so much time is spent on what happens between Sainth, Caibre, and Siannon.

Given that I’m two-thirds of the way through the series, I do plan to finish the final book. I’m hopeful the story will tighten up a bit, and it will end with a satisfying conclusion.

[Shari Mulluane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters are interesting but not really endearing. For one thing there are too many of them. I would be hard pressed to call any of them main characters. Instead there are groups of characters. Different groups with differing goals; some which intersect, and some that are totally opposite. The end result is a collection of individual stories that all contribute to the larger story. Sometimes the divergent groups merge, sometimes individual members of one group switch to another group but regardless, the focus changes from group to group instead of character to character. May sound complicated but it really isn't. Just as some authors develop characters, Sean Russell instead develops entire groups.
Read Complete Review @ Dragons, Heroes and Wizards

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 2 of the Swan's War epic trilogy continuing the struggles between the Wills and Renne' families for control of the land. The outcome of the struggle focuses on Tam, his two friends, Lady Elise, and Alaan as they oppose the plans of Hafydd who seeks control and power and they stand in his way. Fantasy, gods, mysterious magic are mixed in with the real world as the seeming struggle between good and evil plays out.

Like Part 1, The One Kingdom, the story moves quickly but is filled with endless details and subplots which all all woven together. So much detail, that one wonders whether some of it could be left out to bring a sharper focus.

[Bounta · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Isle of Battle," is certainly not as good as "The One Kingdom," which was a master piece for fantasy. I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't love it. The story moved very slow and the characters became boring and dull. Much of what I loved about the first book was missing from the second. Lord Carral's part was my favorite and even that slowed to a pace that had me wanting more and left me empty. I'm going to read the third boom in hopes it will have the magic of the first. I felt trapped in the swamp lands as much as the characters who were also there. If that was the goal than this book is brilliant. I didn't like feeling trapped in the story to a point I'd rather it all end.

[Sarah W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the second installment of the Swan's War trilogy, the rival families of the Wills and the Renne faction and break as unlikely alliances are formed and conflict within the families takes root. The fate of Elise Wills is revealed and more becomes known about Alaan and Hafydd, whose unique backgrounds and mythologies become a focus of the plots. While an alright read, and I do have plans to finish the trilogy, I must say I am not entirely impressed with the series and the writing fails to engage me at all levels, making reading these novels a little difficult.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 of the Swans' War series. It picks up right after the events of book one. We learn more about the history of the land and the feuding families. I found some parts of this book hard to follow because some of the descriptions of the lay of the land or how the fighting was going were a little unclear for me. Otherwise, this was another great book that is full of action. I enjoyed learning more about the characters and seeing the relationships between them change and deepen.

[Tankerbay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now we get more of the political aspect of the world that the boys' hometown has been hidden away from. Not a very rich environment, really, as the rules seem somewhat ridiculous. There are a few good characters, but not enough to hold up the slowly continuing plot.

I'll read the last book, but this one isn't going on my re-read list.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't a roller coaster ride of excitement, but it was good. A lot of new characters are introduced in this book. The plot doesn't advance very much, and you are given a lot of back story. Over all the book was good if a bit slow at spots. But as far as a writer I really like Sean Russell. So I will keep reading his fantasy work.

On to the third book.

[Chris Maguire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting. I usually don't read the second book in a series because the first book contains most of what's new and interesting in the world and it's characters. This series was no exception. That's me though; I'm interested in the new world and characters that that the author has created. I'm not as interested in a long and twisty plot about power struggles, intrigue and politics.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fantasy world Sean Russell has created is one of the better ones I have read. I just hate the rest of the book. And the ebook version I got from the library has lots and lots nd lucks of typos and formatting and lots and formatting issues. The world is amazing though. There is a reason there is no map at the beginning.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice continuation of the series. There are a number of characters I feel great affinity toward so that I care what happens in the story as a whole. Definitely a cliff-hanger ending on this one as on the last.

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how he uses the terrain to influence the pacing of the story. I don't know if it's intentional or not but I really feel it. Book one was a meandering river book two was a swamp and you really feel it while reading the books.

[Tally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an improvement on book 1 as the author started to make the characters a bit more 'alive'. However it was simply the need to know how it would end that drove me on to read the third and final instalment

[Dave Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

very literate and thoughtful fantasy - this series would sit comfortably beside many other classic fantasy trilogies, being the middle book many things are not resolved, but i enjoyed the journeys the characters embarked on and i am sure i will enjoy the concluding volume.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two of the Swan's War Trilogy. It's a world of fantasy in terms of magic as being some huge mystery and only the wizards of ancient times knew how to wield it.

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still not blown away by this series, but I have committed myself to finishing the third and final book in the coming months.