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Isle of Swords

(Isle of Swords #1)

Wayne Thomas Batson (Goodreads Author)

4.16 · Rating details · 2,107 ratings · 180 reviews

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 mysterious

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Hardcover, 344 pages

Published September 9th 2007 by Thomas Nelson

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4.16 ·

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· 2,107 ratings · 180 reviews

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Oct 17, 2015 Brianna Silva rated it liked it

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

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Oct 29, 2017 Rebecca McNutt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, pirate, young-adult, history, friendship

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.

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Jul 25, 2010 Stephen rated it it was ok

Shelves: ebooks, water-logged, ya, fantasy, 2006-2010, religion-spirituality

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

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Jul 03, 2011 Annie rated it liked it

Shelves: christian, 2000s-release, historical-fiction, owned-books, female-pov, male-pov

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 want ...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Kelsey Hanson rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

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.

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Jan 08, 2017 Amy rated it it was ok

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.

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Feb 15, 2012 Gillian Bronte Adams rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews

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 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 grounds of the worst pirate in history: Bartholomew Thorne. It couldn’t get much worse, right?

Until the discovery of a brutally beaten lad abandoned on an island, a fateful fight against Thorne’s second in command and a strange meeting with an even stranger Priest result in Declan Ross and the Wallace ranking number one on Thorne’s most wanted list. A desperate race to find the legendary treasure of Constantine could give Ross the wealth he seeks. If Thorne doesn’t find it first…

When Wayne Thomas Batson’s book Isle of Swords came out several years ago, I literally devoured it. Flipping from page to page as fast and as long as I could! So, I figured it was high time I wrote a review.

True to form, Isle of Swords opens with a bang. Writers often talk about putting their characters into the worst possible situations and letting them work their way out again. Batson leaves nothing to be desired in this respect. From the start, there is absolutely no doubt as to what is at stake.

Batson’s characters fairly jump off the page. Determined Declan Ross, headstrong Ann, and poor Cat who can’t even remember his own name! Not to mention the fierce Red Eye who can’t seem to collect enough weapons or Nubby (named for the stump of his missing arm) who serves as the Wallace’s cook and whose favorite dish is Iguana Stew.

Isle of Swords is a story full of color and spice that will whisk you out of your chair and transport you to the swaying deck of a ship or drop you into the overarching palms and thick underbrush of a muggy jungle. Quick paced action, vivid settings, and characters you can’t help but love, make Isle of Swords a story well worth reading. Due to violent content and evil pirates who are sometimes disturbingly cruel, I recommend Isle of Sword for readers 12+.
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Mar 02, 2012 Kenzie Kathleen rated it it was ok

Easy to read but too boring to keep me into it. Not as good as I was hoping.

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Sep 04, 2018 Megan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, christian, historical-fiction, tween

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

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Oct 16, 2018 Ferson (Jefferson) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 4-5-stars, christian-fiction, favorites

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!!!

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May 18, 2015 Ashley Bogner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, comic-relief-characters

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

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Oct 29, 2010 Vrenith rated it it was amazing

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

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Nov 06, 2009 Whisper rated it it was amazing

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

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Apr 12, 2014 Philip Green rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-finish, 2013, bad, young-adult

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.

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Nov 15, 2015 Abby Cashen rated it really liked it

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.)

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Dec 13, 2017 Brian rated it really liked it

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.

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Feb 14, 2018 Stephani Austin rated it it was amazing

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.

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Nov 22, 2017 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, world-traveling, young-adult

Enjoyed reading this swashbuckling adventure with my kiddo.

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Feb 26, 2018 Ann Dague rated it really liked it

Great pirate adventure!! Reminds me a lot of the Jackie Faber series, but this story is more from the perspective of the pirates themselves.

Recommended for grade 5 and up.

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Feb 13, 2018 Irene rated it really liked it

A bit of a slow start but it picked up into an exciting adventure with sea monsters, rough seas, rival pirates and treasure.

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Jul 15, 2017 Michael Greene rated it it was amazing

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!

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Jul 03, 2017 Jessica Lindenberg rated it really liked it

Entertaining, interesting, a very good read!

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Jan 28, 2017 Neil rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, finished-in-2017, historical-fiction, young-adult, mystery

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

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Jul 30, 2017 Corwin Lee rated it it was amazing

So much of Pirates of Carribean in it. Great work of fiction!

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Oct 09, 2017 Joshua rated it it was amazing

Shelves: w-batson

A great pirate story that has action throughout with a background story that slowly begins to unfold.

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Oct 01, 2010 (Jen) The Artist Librarian rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of seafaring adventures, quests, or Brian Jacques

Shelves: my-books, christian-fic-historical, favorites, young-adult-fic

(Review originally written in 2008)

Captain Declan Ross is not your typical pirate. A man of honor and integrity, he searches for the riches that will free him and his daughter from the “piracy business” forever.

Sixteen-year-old Anne Ross has sailed with her father ever since her mother’s death nearly ten years ago. Unlike her father, Anne is fascinated with the pirate’s life and the sea. So much so that she secretly longs to captain a ship of her own –a seemingly impossible dream, as her mere pr (Review originally written in 2008)

Captain Declan Ross is not your typical pirate. A man of honor and integrity, he searches for the riches that will free him and his daughter from the “piracy business” forever.

Sixteen-year-old Anne Ross has sailed with her father ever since her mother’s death nearly ten years ago. Unlike her father, Anne is fascinated with the pirate’s life and the sea. So much so that she secretly longs to captain a ship of her own –a seemingly impossible dream, as her mere presence on her father’s ship is objected to by a few (but vocal) crewmen, citing old sailor’s tales that a woman on board brings bad luck. However, her more pressing concern is getting some space away from her father, who has become more protective and cautious since the death of his wife and is now in the awkward position of a parent caught between his desire to always protect his only daughter and realizing he needs to slowly let go of the growing young woman before him. Anne finally sees her chance for some space when they stop at a deserted island to make some much needed repairs to the old vessel. With the entire crew occupied, Anne impulsively decides to explore the island and finds…

…A young man, severely injured and nearly to the point of death. Saved by Captain Ross’s crew, he is nicknamed “Cat” (for his “nine lives” and narrow escape from death) when it is discovered that he has no memory of who he is, how he was injured, or how he ended up on the island. The only clues Cat has to his past are a beautiful green jewel and a mysterious lock of red hair found in the leather pouch he was clutching on the island.

The legendary Treasure of Constantine and the secret sect of monks who guarded it, was said to have been one of fables and lore of yesteryear. But when the most ruthless pirate of the Caribbean, Bartholomew Thorne, steals a copy of the map that which leads to the renowned treasure’s location, Padre Dominguez, a monk of that mysterious order, enlists the help of Captain Ross and his crew to protect the treasure. But the only way to save Constantine’s Treasure from a pirate who is willing to destroy or kill anything that gets in his way…is to get there first.
Mix these characters and plots together, throw in the diverse crew of the William Wallace, add in a pirate-hunting British Commodore, numerous sea battles, a dash of humor, a bit of swordplay, a smidgen of mystery, a major plot twist –and did I mention a Frenchman with a penchant for explosives? Put it all together and you have a thrilling adventure that takes you from the Caribbean, across the Atlantic to Africa, all the way to Europe, and back to the Caribbean. Who knew the 1700’s could be so exciting?

Read if you like:
This book really reminded me of some aspects of Brian Jacques' books --both the "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" and "Redwall" series (the ones with ships in them, anyway) but you should read it even if you don't like Brian Jacques stuff because Wayne Thomas Batson's writing is different from Jacques') --I think it was because of the "quest" or "adventure" part. I loved the characters, the plot, the humor, everything! It would make a great movie, "IMHO." Teens and up, definitely read this book! Because of some "intense scenes" (of a violent nature, but most are implied, if I remember correctly) I would suggest adults, parents, or guardians pre-read before deciding to let elementary aged kids read . . . though I know of someone who read it when he was 10 or 11 . . . Maybe "LotR" movie level of violence. I've heard of this book series being compared to "Pirates of the Caribbean" and I'd somewhat agree (though this is WAY better). ;-) I've re-read this book too many times to count . . . definitely Wayne Thomas Batson's best book to date. ...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Graham Tyler added it

During the time of the age of trade, England and many other world powers were fighting the on going battle with ruthless pirates who ravened the high seas. Batson brings to life the tragic life of a good man turned to piracy through a page turning adventure. In the Isle of Swords, pirate Declan Ross and his Irish crew are long for a way out of piracy. The crew of the William Wallace was abandoned by England and with no way to live turned to the sweet trade. These pirates are not blood thirsty lu During the time of the age of trade, England and many other world powers were fighting the on going battle with ruthless pirates who ravened the high seas. Batson brings to life the tragic life of a good man turned to piracy through a page turning adventure. In the Isle of Swords, pirate Declan Ross and his Irish crew are long for a way out of piracy. The crew of the William Wallace was abandoned by England and with no way to live turned to the sweet trade. These pirates are not blood thirsty lunatics; they never kill unarmed men and are decent humans. The book takes a wild turn when Bartholomew Thorne the worst pirate of time begins a quest to kill them all.
The book begins with the crew of the Wallace making a stop on one of Thorne’s islands for repairs to the ship, but the un expecting crew is soon to have a battle of life and death. With the ship careened for repairs the crew begins work. Soon enough they spot a ship on the horizon. Ross soon discovers that the ship belongs to Thorne’s second in command Thierry Chevillard, the ruthless butcher. Declan Ross a formidable pirate himself out maneuvers Thierry and kills him and sinks his ship. Thus creating a grudge against himself with Thorne, “I want Ross dead, a king’s ransom in gold for the captain who finds the Wallace!” (Batson 152) Ross then heads to a mission where monks have tried to convert pirates to leave piracy and become Christians, but the monks this time gave a very important mission to Ross. One monk, named Padre Dominquez, was a special kind of monk; he held the key to the lost reassure of Emperor Constantine. On the back of this monk was a tattoo of the Isle of Swords. A secretly guarded island by the phenomena of the ocean, the monk explained to Ross that he needed transport to the island to collect holy treasures that were priceless to them. Ross accepted the mission because of the other treasure to give him a chance to leave piracy once and for all. What he did not know was that Thorne was after the same thing.
Batson creates a spell binding story that keeps a reader glued to the pages. He creates a brilliant story using the old tales of piracy and treasure. The clear description of even the most minuet details plays the book as a movie in your head. The story of bravery, loyalty, and justice create one of the best fiction books I have ever read. The world of cannon fights and world wide boat chase create a thriller filled with action on every page.
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Mar 17, 2014 Jana Faith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, faves

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First off, this is my most favorite book, physically. The cover really draws you in and wants you to read more, and the pages are a charcoal-grey color, with tattered edges. Yeah, it's pretty awesome... But what is inside the cover and pages is what really counts, and in this case it doesn't disappoint! I read this book a couple years ago when a friend let me borrow a copy (thanks Sam!) and it very quickly became one of my most favorite books. I actually kind of got in trouble for reading is so ...more

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Jun 30, 2008 Wayne rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Recommends it for: Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean and Fans of The Door Within

Hi, Isle of Swords Readers!

Wayne Thomas Batson here. I wanted to thank all of you who put Isle of Fire on your ToBeRead list. I'm honored to be worth your time.

Isle of Fire will release the first week of September. It is available for preorder on Amazon as well. In fact, if you preorder it on Amazon and email me to tell me you have ordered it, I'll send you a signed and personalized bookplate sticker for your new book.

email me at: batguy21784@yahoo.com

Here's the official Isle of Fire blurb:

"A gr ...more

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May 24, 2011 Blake added it

This book made me feel like I was on an adventure and I was trying to survive, which is what kept me reading this book because it had a lot of action and kept me hooked and interested. My favorite character was Bartholomew Thorne was my favorite character, only because he was a beast and cold hearted. I always seem to like the “villains”. Anne Ross was my least favorite character, because she was always getting in the way and tried to be a hero and put everyone’s life at risk. One part of the bo ...more

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