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The Silver Skull (Swords of Albion #1)

3.4 of 5 stars 3.40 · rating details · 229 ratings · 39 reviews

Meet Will Swyfte -- adventurer, swordsman, rake, swashbuckler, wit, scholar and the greatest of Walsingham's new band of spies. His exploits against the forces of Philip of Spain have made him a national hero, lauded from Carlisle to Kent. Yet his associates can barely disguise their incredulity -- what is the point of a spy whose face and name is known across Europe?

But S...more

Paperback, 423 pages

Published November 24th 2009 by Pyr

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May 06, 2013 Sangita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Silver Skull is the first in series of Swords of Albio triology. Set in the world of Elizabethan England where every day the threat of war looms around, this book opens with theintroduction of England's greatest spy called William Swyfte. Scene shifts to the magical fantasy arena as we realize threat England faces is not human in nature and the Enemy (supernatural one) has allied with Spanish armada.

Sword of Albio is a very entertaining read. Readers get thrown into a world full of schemes, swor...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mark Chadbourn first wrote about Will Swyfte in the short story "Who Slays the Gyant, Wounds the Beast" in the Solaris Book of New Fantasy. The short story and setting was much appreciated and therfore in this novel Mark Chadbourn gives us a fuller story in this setting. The story is set in Elizabethean England and in this world the real enemies are the Fae who have preyed upon humanity for eons. England also faces its human foes in the form of the Spanish who have reason to be discontent due t...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: spec-fic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 28, 2011 Clay rated it 2 of 5 stars

Mark Chadbourn is a lot younger than I am, but he must have a James Bond jones as well, for Will Swyfte is introduced at the beginning of "The Silver Skull: Swords of Albion" (Pyr, $16, 422 pages) as Elizabethan England's greatest spy -- and then proceeds to embark on a serious of improbable escapes, bloody battles and remarkable strokes of luck as he helps the Queen fight off the Spanish Armada and the evil designs of the fairy magicians of the Unseelie Court. Unfortunately, Chadbourn's hero is...more

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Jan 18, 2010 MarsianMan rated it 3 of 5 stars

There are things that go bump in the night. Things so horrible that most kill themselves after learning the truth. Someone must protect England from the horrible machinations of so sinister an Enemy; enter Will Swyfte, a spy extraordinaire and known to most of the English public.

I did like the book, but I found myself putting the book down if I read every word. Skimming the novel was far more effective in getting through the plot. The world was interesting. An Enemy so horrible that the knowledg...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Geoff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in Elizabethan England during the attempted invasion by the Spanish Armada this story focuses on the efforts of Will Swyfte, a fictional spy who must defeat not the Spanish forces, but a more mysterious Enemy who have supernatural powers and who are set on world domination.

The book starts on a strong note with lush descriptions of London during this period and introduces a selection of potentially interesting characters. The pace of the story right from the beginning is non-stop and everythi...more

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Jan 12, 2010 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I loved this book!

Mark Chadbourn does a wonderful job of portraying England as it probably was. The dirty crime and grim filled streets, the bad guys lurking in corners of the "bad" areas.

There was a slight problem with the first 80 or so pages as it was a little hard to know who the enemy was and who The Enemy was. It wasn't fully explained and it almost made me feel as though there was a story I hadn't read. But it came full circle and those willing to understand that the explaination comes...more

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Nov 16, 2009 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

There are times when you read a book that’s so amazing to you that you feel the author had you personally in mind when they wrote it, that’s exactly how I feel about Mark Chadbourn’s The Silver Skull. The Silver Skull is set in an alternate version of the Elizabethan England period. The story follows Will Swyfte the greatest spy England has ever known. He’s handsome, daring, smart and dangerous. He’s everything a great spy should be. With Spain on the brink of war with England and the Unseelie c...more There are times when you read a book that’s so amazing to you that you feel the author had you personally in mind when they wrote it, that’s exactly how I feel about Mark Chadbourn’s The Silver Skull. The Silver Skull is set in an alternate version of the Elizabethan England period. The story follows Will Swyfte the greatest spy England has ever known. He’s handsome, daring, smart and dangerous. He’s everything a great spy should be. With Spain on the brink of war with England and the Unseelie court pulling strings behind the curtains; Will has been tasked with saving the whole of England from certain doom. Sounds kind of silly does it not? The core of the story is indeed a spy/adventure story. On the surface the plot does feel a little like an Elizabethan James Bond novel, but in reality The Silver Skull is so much more than that.

First of all the book is actually quite scary. There is a scene where Will must infiltrate an enemy stronghold located in an abandoned house; you can literally feel the tension building the deeper he gets. The pursuit that takes place when he tries to escape had my hair standing on end. The story is very dark, foreboding and surprisingly violent. I’ve never had fairies scare the living crap out of me before. Nasty, brutal, super intelligent, the fairies Chadbourn creates are the ultimate super villain. James Bond never had to deal with these guys. I love how Chadbourn has taken so many staples of generic fantasy (Olde England, fairies, dashing heroes) and has twisted them into something brilliant.

The depth of characters and the plot leave room for a sequel with out leaving you hanging at the end. Chadbourn has recently signed a 6 book deal with Pyr. I can only hope a few of those are sequels to The Silver Skull (Swords of Albion). I admit I was caught by surprise at how much I liked this book. I knew by page 100 that I had something really special in my hands. I recommend this book to anyone who has a head. This is a must read, and is my favorite book so far this year.
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Jul 25, 2011 Nathan Simpson rated it 1 of 5 stars

I don't have a "date I finished this book" because I didn't finish it. I very rarely put down a book without finishing it, but I could not survive the first few chapters of this one. The story itself was interesting enough - I'm a big fan of Celtic mythology and I've loved a number of other books that have touched on Celtic folklore themes. Not this one.

The characters are just too wooden. My overall impression from the first few chapters is a literary finger puppet show where the puppeteers are...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy lovers, history fans

Shelves: fantasy, historical, humorous

A fascinating fantasy take on Elizabethan England.

The story centres around Will Swyfte who is the most famous spy in all of England. Only the title is a facade. He never went on any of the quests the stories about him refer to. The truth is he is a spy who fights against unseen arcane forces that threaten England's existence with the aid of the Spanish. (view spoiler)...more

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Feb 19, 2010 Nate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Boy, this one was a little bit of a tough read. I went into this one looking for so much and didn’t get what I was quit looking for. Mr. Chadbourn has a great premise here, England at war with the Spanish and the Unsidhe, but the development just wasn’t there. First, the story opened rather slowly and without strong development. Before feeling compelled, I had to complete almost 100 pages. A major driver was there were continual interruptions in the storyline. Many times Mr. Chadbourn’s chapters...more Boy, this one was a little bit of a tough read. I went into this one looking for so much and didn’t get what I was quit looking for. Mr. Chadbourn has a great premise here, England at war with the Spanish and the Unsidhe, but the development just wasn’t there. First, the story opened rather slowly and without strong development. Before feeling compelled, I had to complete almost 100 pages. A major driver was there were continual interruptions in the storyline. Many times Mr. Chadbourn’s chapters were on the rather short side. While that might not be totally bad, the problem was that either the perception changed or the tempo changed. These changes became distracting after awhile and took away from the plot. What also failed to sell me fully was the Unsidhe; at no point did the Unsidhe have a true fairie feel, instead they felt like cold emotionless humans rather than something old from the Celts.

My next problem became the characters; Will Swyfte is an Elizabethan James Bond, known by all but still an effective agent. Really I didn’t have too many problems with Will, he’s likeable and very much the secret agent people can get behind. My biggest problem with Will was that he failed to take care of his man Nathanial and prepare him for the Enemy. This weakness was further accented when you learn how Will is more than willing to sacrifice men to achieve the mission. Having said this, the real weakness in the characters wasn’t Will, but rather the other agents. None have Will’s drive or spark and all are rather two dimensional, not really fitting for Elizabethan England (sorry, visions or William Shakespeare and his plays dance in my head).

Rating wise this one was tough. Initially I was going toward two stars because the plot just failed to capture me in the beginning. However once it go going things improved and stared pushing toward four stars. Instead, it settled as a weak 3.5 star book. The deciding factor was Mr. Chadbourn played a little too much of making history into fiction and not enough with the fae. Factors driving this are my historical fiction appetite has tasted Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe’s Rifles series (a truly great work of historical fiction) and my faerie appetite had read Faerie Tale. Because Mr. Cornwell and Mr. Feist shaped my views, I’ll have to round this one to 3 stars .
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Mar 12, 2011 Anne Lyle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical

The Sword of Albion is the tale of Will Swyfte: swordsman, adventurer, rake, and England’s greatest spy. He is famed throughout the kingdom, thanks to ballads and pamphlets – so how can he work in secret when everyone knows who he is? The truth is that his real work is against an Enemy who have long known his identity, and his fight against them requires more than stealth and a ready rapier.

The story ranges from London to Edinburgh and down into the Iberian Peninsula, culminating in the attempte...more The Sword of Albion is the tale of Will Swyfte: swordsman, adventurer, rake, and England’s greatest spy. He is famed throughout the kingdom, thanks to ballads and pamphlets – so how can he work in secret when everyone knows who he is? The truth is that his real work is against an Enemy who have long known his identity, and his fight against them requires more than stealth and a ready rapier.

The story ranges from London to Edinburgh and down into the Iberian Peninsula, culminating in the attempted invasion of England by the Spanish – the famous armada of 1588. The action moves relentlessly from set-piece to set-piece, dragging the reader along in Swyfte’s wake as he is repeatedly captured and makes another dramatic escape. Think James Bond meets Pirates of the Caribbean; not only would this make a great movie, but since Chadbourn is a scriptwriter as well, it reads like a great movie.

Will Swyfte is not an arrogant mysogynist like Bond, however. OK, so he indulges in wine and women (sometimes to excess) to blot out the memories of the terrible things he has to do for Queen and country, but at heart he is a romantic, haunted by the memory of his lost love. His companions, though getting much less of the limelight, are also complex, well-drawn characters with believable motivations, though some are decidedly less sympathetic than Will.

The historical setting is well-drawn, with enough detail to satisfy the Elizabethan buffs amongst us without slowing down the action. The filthiness and smelliness of London is sometimes laid on a little heavily, but it does provide a contrast with the elegant, blossom-fragrant citadels of Spain.

I have only a few small quibbles, mostly the nitpicking of a fellow writer that will probably go unnoticed by other readers. There are a few places where information is repeated, or spelt out in narrative immediately after it has been explained in dialogue. And in one scene, Will somehow manages to hold a rapier to a bad guy’s throat and simultaneously whisper in his ear – pretty impressive with a blade that was normally around 36-40 inches! (I assume he is using the tip, since rapiers were not terribly sharp near the hilt). My attention did start to drift a little during the sea-battle, but that sort of thing is always hard to do in a novel. It wasn’t badly written – quite the contrary – but every time the action shifted away from Will towards ships in combat, I just wanted to skip ahead to the next bit of derring-do :)

I was also a little disappointed that the Enemy resorted to mundane physical torture, when they are so good at the psychological kind, but I guess it had to be clear that they were capable of inflicting horrible torments on those Will cares about. On the other hand, kudos to Chadbourn for writing torture scenes that didn’t give me nightmares. He sensibly focuses on the interrogation that is the point of the scene, rather than gratuitous descriptions of the torture itself. Books being so much more intimate a medium than film, it takes very little to make a strong impact on the engaged reader.

In summary, this is an entertaining page-turner with strong, sympathetic characters and a fascinating, terrifying setting – what more could one want from a fantasy novel? I for one am eagerly looking forward to reading more of Will’s adventures…(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Dee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: loanage, urban, eldritch, not-quite-history

James Bond versus the Fae in Elizabethan England. But I was really quite disappointed with the delivery. Our hero is sort of tedious, never really bogged down in his emotions, and often making phenomenally stupid decisions. There are long sequences of action that don't really carry emotive resonance (and they could, were Will Swyfte more deeply plumbed) and when he does wrestle with a moral dilemma he sort of comes across as weak. The writing is rather pedestrian, tending to clunky and repetitiv...more

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May 15, 2011 Morag Gray rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf, junk-reading

I wanted to like this, I really did. It was set in the reign of Good Queen Bess (yes), featured Dr John Dee in a supporting role (yes) had evil fairies (yes) and a rather delicious Spanish spy. The execution left a lot to be desired.
Will Swyft, the protagonist, is a kind of Elizabethan James Bond, whose extravagant sadventures deflect attention from the rest of the secret service, allowing them to get on with their work. Will has suffered a Tragic Loss at some time in his past. He has a sarcasti...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Trayana rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, alternative-history, fae

Запознайте се с Уил Суифт – най-великия шпионин на Англия по-времето на Елизабет I. Най-талантливия фехтовач, най-големия супергерой на нацията си, най-дървения философ. Шибан Джеймс-Бонд-уонаби. Персонажът, който завлича една средняшка книга в графата „най-кофти фентъзи на годината”.

Първият том от поредицата на Марк Чадбърн „Мечовете на Албион” бе включена в списъка на сп. Локус с нови и забележителни романи, а синопсиса ме очарова. Как да не зариби човек по книга, която трябва да бъде шпионско...more

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Jul 24, 2010 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It takes a special kind of book these days for a jaded reviewer like myself to make specific time for – ignore the family, go to bed early, that sort of thing.

And having read a few of these with a similar theme over the last couple of years – Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come, Dan Abnett’s Triumff, for example – you might expect this one as a result to move down the ‘to be read’ pile a fair way.

However, this is perhaps the best of those books mentioned and a great read that I read much faster...more It takes a special kind of book these days for a jaded reviewer like myself to make specific time for – ignore the family, go to bed early, that sort of thing.

And having read a few of these with a similar theme over the last couple of years – Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come, Dan Abnett’s Triumff, for example – you might expect this one as a result to move down the ‘to be read’ pile a fair way.

However, this is perhaps the best of those books mentioned and a great read that I read much faster than I thought I would.

It is, in essence, a romp, a fast-paced Elizabethan tale of the antics of one Will Swyfte, a whirling dervish of a James-Bondian type hero, whose job (after drinking and entertaining women) is to defend the mighty realm of Elizabethan England in 1588 against the might of an unseen enemy, the Fae. The theft of a man wearing a silver mask from the Tower of London has implications for Will. For this is no simple mask, it is a relic from which the Seelie (Unseen) world hopes to bring down the Elizabethan Empire. Will is further sent to discover two more items of value which would work with the mask: a shield, hidden in Edinburgh and a sword.

Much of the book is spent acquiring those objects, entering lost chambers and uncovering secrets , all the time competing against the Fae.

What with that and shielding England from the impending threat of the Spanish, Will is a busy man.

Where this one scores is that the tale is told with enough pace not to get bogged down with political and historical detail, nor too humorous to disengage readers from the gravitas of the plot. There is a real sense of menace and evil here, which Mark uses with full relish. Parts of it are most unpleasant. Will is also a character with a bit of depth and not always as clear cut as the reader would perhaps expect him to be.

As well as Will, there are a great number of background characters which fill out the picture, all of which show other aspects of themselves and Will. Nat is Will’s mentee; initially unknowing of the supernatural dangers they fight but loyal throughout, regardless. Grace is his loyal girl friend, bonded not only by her love of Will but also through the disappearance years ago of Will’s first love and Grace’s sister.

There are also a sprinking of real characters in all of this: from Elizabeth I’s spymaster Lord Walsingham to alchemist Doctor John Dee, from King Philip II of Spain to friend Christopher Marlowe, these together with their fictional counterparts make an enthralling tale. Think Elizabeth with added fantasy horror. As with his previous novels, Mark manages to convincingly mix traditional English folklore with a series of fast-paced set-pieces that keep those pages turning.

There are issues – I’m not sure that a man so famous could work effectively as a spy, as Will does, for example (though this is something Mark himself addresses in the book), and I did laugh at the concept of Will as an Elizabethan celebrity. I also had a wry smile at the improbability of characters being named Will and Grace. Nonetheless, the book moves at such a pace that such minor distraction is not always noticed.

This is one of the best historical magick books I have read for a long time. Not as bogged down with detail as some, nor as frivolous as others, it nonetheless a speedy jaunt through a time of English history that is as entertaining as you might expect. Recommended.(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Clare Neilson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For the vast majority of the book I was going for a solid 3.5 out of 5, but goodreads doesn't let me do that. Thankfully, the last 5-6 chapters were enough to make sure that this is not the end of the adventures, hints towards a larger story arc are the hook that catches us all. Some are never tempted by the bait of an explanation but there was enough mystery to the ending that I shall indeed be following Master Swyfte's adventures to the end!

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Jun 23, 2011 David Marshall rated it 2 of 5 stars

This could have been an enjoyable romp through Elizabethan England with swords flashing. Unfortunately, it just ends up rather silly as this mere human charges around Europe as if on a jet plane and manages to despatch supernatural beings for breakfast. I've given it 2 stars only because I like the way the issue of betrayal is handled.

http://opionator.wordpress.com/2010/1...

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Oct 13, 2010 Jessica Ebacher rated it 3 of 5 stars

A promising read that doesn't quite deliver. The same situation repeats itself several times over the course of the book, and the surprise reversal the comes at the end isn't exactly a surprise. Overall, not a bad start to a series, but hopefully the next books bring something more to the table.

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Nov 06, 2010 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The pace and story on this book gets it a high ranking. The yearning love story, though important, keeps it from 5.

Sets up a good fantasy world. Hopefully the following books are at least as good.

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Aug 16, 2012 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, tudors, urban-fantasy, spooks

First in the series featuring Will Swyfte, England's greatest spy. Partial pisstake on James Bond and that for a spy he's awfully well recognised. Rollicking good adventure in parts, tedious in others.

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Apr 07, 2013 Barry rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-reviewed-2013

Will Swyfte is the James Bond of Elizabethan England. He fights England's enemies both mortal and Fey. I understand that this is the introductory novel of the series but I found myself not caring and will not continue with the books.

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Jun 18, 2011 Curt Hopkins Hopkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, history

An Elizabethan James Bond who fights evil fairies.

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Aug 17, 2010 Miriam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, summer-2010, 2010

This was a really fun read on the whole. I liked the mix of fantasy (Unseelie Court) and history (Spain's attempt to invade England) and the non-stop action sword fighting action meant the pages were turned fast. I wish it was shorter, the endless sword fights are fun, but they are not enough to hold the weight of a 500 page book. All the characters were cliches, but the women were particularly annoying, and I hated the italicized flashbacks. A more sophisticated story would have integrated thos...more

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Nov 06, 2009 Greyweather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

http://www.bscreview.com/2009/11/the-...

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Oct 07, 2012 Wulfae added it

Didn't quite finish this one.

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Sep 30, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was a very good book but it took me a few chapters to get into it.

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Sep 27, 2011 Roy Jefferies rated it 3 of 5 stars

I sort of enjoyed this Elizabethan James Bond tale. I think it should have been better. In places it was very inventive and entertaining but in others it just seemed to drag a little. some of "The good guys" were worse than "The Enemy" so much so that I wouldn't have minded at all it The enemy had won. I gave it three stars because I liked the idea, executed better it would have garnered a fourth. I have already ordered the next in the series and hope that it hits the ground running.

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Sep 26, 2011 Wogc rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2011-list

an enjoyable reading.

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Mar 24, 2011 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fic, fantasy

The adventures of super spy Will Swyfte remind of a James Bond movie set in Elizabethan England with a supernatural twist. A fun read.
Find it in MeLCat.

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The Silver Skull (Swords of Albion #1)

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