Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson Published by: Thomas Nelson Publishers (2007) 341 pages Rating: 8/10 Buy it Now:    Also by Wayne Thomas Batson: The Door Within The Final Storm The Rise of the Wyrm Lord

Arrr, matey! This be a piratey book!

I've always wanted to start a review with those words...

A more cynical reviewer might suggest that Wayne Thomas Batson is merely following movie trends with his writing. First he published a fantasy trilogy (outstanding, by the way) and now he moves on to pirates. And look! The pirate story features a headstrong young woman and an injured boy with a past that ties him to pirates. A bit too similar to a certain major motion picture series?

Actually, no. The similarities stop there. And there's one very important contrast to be made between the popular pirates movies and this new series: the movies are the very essence of moral equivalence. There are no heroes. In fact, they go downhill in that regard, until in the final movie, the audience is expected to actually cheer for the pirates.

Isle of Swords sets up a cast of characters, both pirates and those related to piracy, that includes distinct heroes and villains. Some of the pirates have been forced into the trade by the acts of their government, but they do so reluctantly, hoping to find a way out of it. This leads to some interesting situations, as well as an all-new status quo by the end of this first novel in a series.

The treasure to be sought in this story is that which once belonged to the Roman Emperor Constantine. Guarded and secreted by a select order of monks, the treasure's whereabouts are known to a very few - but now two distinct groups are hunting it, led by two very different captains. Declan Ross is one of those who was forced into piracy. To him, the treasure is the key to his escape and retirement. Bartholomew Thorne is the flip side, utterly ruthless. He wants the treasure to build an armada and seek revenge on all those who oppose him.

The story is full of high adventure, desperate escapes and amazing situations. While supposedly aimed at young adult readers, it's good reading for all, in my opinion. A few situations seem less "mature" than they might otherwise be portrayed, due to the target audience, but that's not a major detriment to the storytelling.

There's also something to be said for the design of this book. It's absolutely gorgeous. The pages are an off-color, appearing worn and ancient, with a number of design elements that make it just a great book to own overall. Why can't more "adult" books look this good? Recommended.