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Isle of Swords
(Isle of Swords #1)
by
A young lad awakens on an island, alone and brutally injured, with no memory of his past.
Captain Declan Ross searched for riches that will free him and his headstrong daughter, Anne, from the piracy business forever . . . Bartholomew Thorne, an infamously ruthless pirate, seeks to destroy Ross and any who stand in his way of the legendary treasure hidden by a mysterio
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When I first read this book eight years ago, I absolutely loved it. I would have given it 5 stars. But it's funny... now that I'm reading it again, I can tell that it's actually not very well-written. (Technically, at least.) I know Wayne Batson has improved as an author since then... and apparently I've become a more critical reader! :)
That being said, despite the many weak points, it's still a super fun adventure story that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. This book is famous among my b ...more
That being said, despite the many weak points, it's still a super fun adventure story that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. This book is famous among my b ...more
1.5 to 2.0 stars. Not quite all the way to "okay" but I felt it was better than a 1 star effort so I went with two stars. I seem to disagree with most reviewers of this book so let me begin by saying that from a technical standpoint, this book is competently written and moves along at a nice pace. Additionaly, while I did not know that this was a "Christian fantasy" when I picked it up, the fact that it was didn't effect my enjoyment (or lack thereof) one way or the other.
The reason for the rel ...more
The reason for the rel ...more
Complete with ruthless pirates, the choppy waters of the salty sea and an amnesiac boy struggling to recall his own identity, Isle of Swords is a gripping, powerful adventure full of friendship and mayhem.
Isle of Swords and its sequel, Isle of Fire, are separate books, but I'll be reviewing them together because reasons. It works because I have pretty much the same feelings about both of them. Just so you know, this review contains minorish spoilers (though I hesitate to call them spoilers because the reveals are completely predictable and I had it all figured out right away).
A few years back, I read this author's The Door Within and the rest of the trilogy. I remember enjoying it, so I wa ...more
A few years back, I read this author's The Door Within and the rest of the trilogy. I remember enjoying it, so I wa ...more
Set sail on a rip roaring adventure on the high seas! From the blue Caribbean to the wild North Atlantic, follow Captain Declan Ross and the fierce (but loveable) crew of the William Wallace. Originally forced to turn to piracy, Declan Ross seeks enough wealth to leave behind the so called “sweet trade” and settle down ashore with his daughter Anne.
Anne, however, does not share her father’s desire. To top it all off, the Wallace is short of supplies, leaking water, and caught in the hunting gro ...more
Anne, however, does not share her father’s desire. To top it all off, the Wallace is short of supplies, leaking water, and caught in the hunting gro ...more
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. There aren't very many modern books that feature pirates of the colonial era. This is a pleasant combination of Pirates of the Caribbean and Treasure Island. I do like that it fast-paced and has a fun crew to follow. The actual main characters of this book are a little bit tired. I enjoyed the secondary characters more, but it was a light enjoyable read and good enough for me to want to read the sequel.
A little help here? My heart is still pounding. O.O
Wow! What an incredible book! The plot was solid, the descriptions vivid, and the story suspenseful. But the characters were my favorite part. Somehow Batson managed to pull together a huge cast while making each character distinct and dynamic. He also succeeded in creating a villain that scared the daylights out of me! (Probably wise not to read this before bed. ;) )
I can't wait to continue this high seas adventure! Especially since book two ...more
Wow! What an incredible book! The plot was solid, the descriptions vivid, and the story suspenseful. But the characters were my favorite part. Somehow Batson managed to pull together a huge cast while making each character distinct and dynamic. He also succeeded in creating a villain that scared the daylights out of me! (Probably wise not to read this before bed. ;) )
I can't wait to continue this high seas adventure! Especially since book two ...more
I think the dad really loves his daughter one example is when she was cold and terrified and he wrapped her in his jacket and hugged her another example is when she told him that there were monsters in the sea and he said there wasent it was the storm even through he knew that there were monsters this shows that he will do anything to comfort his daughter
that was an enjoyable adventure...one of the good pirate-y themed novels..a little predictable , but not boring at all , the characters likable.
I would have loved this book if I had read it in Middle School. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite enthrall me as much as an adult. I would definitely give it to a younger audience to read, but I don't think I'll ever come back.
Easy to read but too boring to keep me into it. Not as good as I was hoping.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Written very well, and a great Pirate story!
I love how the author put christ in it! It was just a great book (P.S. not going to do spoilers ;))
Highly Recommended!!!
I love how the author put christ in it! It was just a great book (P.S. not going to do spoilers ;))
Highly Recommended!!!
Mar 06, 2020
Anna {This lonely strange feeling kinda hurts but that means I'm alive}
rated it
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Shelves:
younger-audience
2.5 stars
Okay, okay. Where do I begin? First I shall say that I picked this book up not realizing the age category it was for. I'm definitely too old for it. But that's okay. Let the review come!
Characters:
I never really liked any of the characters that much. Nubby was okay and I'm not sure why I kinda liked him. He was just the best, I suppose.
Cat was super confusing. He would often have conflicting ideas go through his head. First, he knew they needed to and wanted to leave a place because it ...more
Okay, okay. Where do I begin? First I shall say that I picked this book up not realizing the age category it was for. I'm definitely too old for it. But that's okay. Let the review come!
Characters:
I never really liked any of the characters that much. Nubby was okay and I'm not sure why I kinda liked him. He was just the best, I suppose.
Cat was super confusing. He would often have conflicting ideas go through his head. First, he knew they needed to and wanted to leave a place because it ...more
I was hesitant to read this, but it was better than I expected. If you want a rollicking, high seas adventure packed with intrigue, danger, wit, and sass, give it a shot!
What did I like? Other reviewers have said that it was predictable and that they'd figured the plot out at once. I, however, did not. And I guess all the plots. All of them. There were a few instances where the writer had used the same device before, so I knew it was coming, but for the most part I was surprised at the amount ...more
What did I like? Other reviewers have said that it was predictable and that they'd figured the plot out at once. I, however, did not. And I guess all the plots. All of them. There were a few instances where the writer had used the same device before, so I knew it was coming, but for the most part I was surprised at the amount ...more
Sword fights.
Evil Villains.
Humor.
Explosions.
A hint of romance.
What more could you ask for in a novel?
I read--and loved--Batson's The Door Within , so when I saw this book, I had to try it. And Isle of Swords did not disappoint!
The characters in this book were brilliant. As with The Door Within , Batson weaves in some great friendships. We really get a sense of loyalty between Ross and his crew. I also enjoyed seeing Ross and Anne's father-daughter relationship develop. Cat was, by far, my f ...more
Evil Villains.
Humor.
Explosions.
A hint of romance.
What more could you ask for in a novel?
I read--and loved--Batson's The Door Within , so when I saw this book, I had to try it. And Isle of Swords did not disappoint!
The characters in this book were brilliant. As with The Door Within , Batson weaves in some great friendships. We really get a sense of loyalty between Ross and his crew. I also enjoyed seeing Ross and Anne's father-daughter relationship develop. Cat was, by far, my f ...more
Declan Ross, also known as the Sea Wolf, is a well known pirate. He desperately wants to get his daughter and him out of piracy. But young Anne wants to be a pirate, and maybe even captain her own ship someday. When Declan Ross and his crew stop at a chain of islands called the Cays, Anne runs off, but returns to tell Jules, one of the crew members, about a boy she had found, whipped near death. When the boy recovers after many days in bed, he cannot remember who he is or anything of his past. A
...more
This is an excellent book and it definitely ranks among my top ten.
The story is fabulous. The book is stuffed with humor, unique and endearing characters, oceans of peril, and the whole thing is saturated in mystery. Secrets shroud the tale. However, the author meters out the answers to those secrets carefully, just enough at a time to satisfy the reader and make him/her come back for more. I have never read books that do this so well. I highly, highly recommend Isle of Swords.
Sea monsters, stan ...more
The story is fabulous. The book is stuffed with humor, unique and endearing characters, oceans of peril, and the whole thing is saturated in mystery. Secrets shroud the tale. However, the author meters out the answers to those secrets carefully, just enough at a time to satisfy the reader and make him/her come back for more. I have never read books that do this so well. I highly, highly recommend Isle of Swords.
Sea monsters, stan ...more
I chose this book based on its GoodReads rating (4.2ish), but was disappointed by it. The plot jumps along quickly but spends little to know time introducing the characters or exploring their motivations. The characters are about as bland as I have ever seen (and I've read a lot of books) and the writing is nothing special. I only read about 20% of the book so maybe it improves, but I doubt it. 1.5 stars rounded down because it does not deserve its 4.2ish goodreads rating.
Although I can't say I enjoyed the first book in his more popular series The Door Within; I really became invested in Isle of Swords.
(Read full review here.)
http://sutorinohana.blogspot.com/2015...
(Includes content advisory.)
...more
(Read full review here.)
http://sutorinohana.blogspot.com/2015...
(Includes content advisory.)
...more
I greatly enjoyed this book. I’d read the second one first, so it was interesting to see the characters’ start. The Isle is Swords was an interesting place and I was intrigued on how Jacques joined the party. However, I wasn’t exactly sure in the point of the first chapter. I guess it kind of tied up at the very end, because that was Blake’s intro to his wife, it turns out. But still kind of odd. The secret tunnels and treasure throughout was also quite interesting. Cat trying to find his identi
...more
Quite the swashbuckler! Tight, and fast-paced plot keeps the pages turning. Anne is a strong protagonist, and her friend Cat and her father Declan are also well characterized. The baddie (Thorne) is a cruel and truly awful baddie (they ARE pirates after all, but seeing how some pirates can also be decent people (forced into the "sweet trade" by terrible governments) is delightful. It has its dose of Christianity, but that is very much secondary to the plot in this book.
This is one of the best pirate books I've ever read. It has awesome fight scenes, badass characters, and some well-placed romance. If you are religious, the characters believe in God and mention it several times, but if you are not then it is also okay because the religion is not a main focus and can easily be overlooked
This was an enjoyable read, it kept me coming back for more. I appreciated the interplay of the characters. There were so many fun relationships.
I also really liked the ending. Looking forward to reading the next book.
I also really liked the ending. Looking forward to reading the next book.
Interesting story plot and well-paced writing. Had a hard time putting it down to go about my daily life. Definitely see myself reading this again! Highly recommend it for anyone looking for a rousing yet clean pirate read.
This was a fast read for me. It moved at a good clip, it held my interest all the way through. It had good [decent] character development; I enjoyed both the primary and secondary characters interspersed throughout the story. Despite being written specifically for teenagers, I still enjoyed reading the book.
Even though it is probably considered "Christian fiction", Christianity is not the focus of the story; neither is salvation or conversion the "blatant message". Instead, it has Christians in ...more
Even though it is probably considered "Christian fiction", Christianity is not the focus of the story; neither is salvation or conversion the "blatant message". Instead, it has Christians in ...more
Entertaining, interesting, a very good read!
This is a great pirates story and very clean...which you probably wouldn't find for most pirate stories. Gripping and suspenseful, this book will have you wishing for more...as it did to me!
So much of Pirates of Carribean in it. Great work of fiction!
A great pirate story that has action throughout with a background story that slowly begins to unfold.
Enjoyed reading this swashbuckling adventure with my kiddo.
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