Review of THE ISLE OF BATTLE by Sean Russell

BOOK TWO OF THE SWAN'S WAR

EOS, 2002

In a time out of legend, three children warred, throwing friends, children, and themselves into the battle until all were vanished. But the three children did not die, exactly. Instead they returned to the river that bore them. Now, after countless years, they are back. And their war threatens to rekindle all of the violence already threatening between the noble families of Renne and Wills. Alaan, the younger brother, tries to trap Hafydd, the older brother, in a world cut off from the ordinary by magics even older than the three siblings. Yet he is badly wounded in the attempt. His sister and a strange group of inconvenient allies attempt a rescue--knowing that doing so may work to Hafydd's goals rather than their own. Meanwhile, war breaks out in the ordinary world as Wills and Renne try to determine ownership of the Isle of Battle.

THE ISLE OF BATTLE is the second in author Sean Russell's SWAN'S WAR series (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Sean Russell). In THE ONE KINGDOM (see our review) we were introduced to the characters and goals. THE ONE KINGDOM should almost certainly be read before starting THE ISLE OF BATTLE. THE ISLE provides almost non-stop action and fascinating world-building as the ancient history of this world impinges on its present. Russell's characters are suitably complex (with the exception of Hafydd who seems fairly straightforward) and sympathetic.

Fans of epic fantasy will definitely want to add THE ISLE OF BATTLE to their must-have list.

Four Stars

Reviewed 4/13/03

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