Lord of the Isles cover art

Lord of the Isles

Lord of the Isles, Book 1

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Lord of the Isles

By: David Drake
Narrated by: Michael Page
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About this listen

With Lord of the Isles, David Drake returns to fantasy with a towering and complex epic of heroic adventure in an extraordinary and colorful world where the elemental forces that empower magic are rising to a thousand-year peak.

In the days following an unusually severe storm, the inhabitants of a tiny seaport town travel toward romance, danger, and astonishing magic that will transform them and their world.

©1997 David Drake (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wholesome fantasy with spellbinding narration

This series offers a lively-paced, arguably old-school adventure fantasy with multiple, clearly delineated characters of all kinds, elevated by a terrific narration by Michael Page, who brings warmth, humour, humanity and a range of distinctive and appealing voices. Recommended for family-friendly fantasy fans, and worth a listen for the narration alone.

I’d put this somewhere in region of JA Andrews (who I like and would recommend here), less martial than Gemmell, less tragically intense than Rothfuss, less labyrinthine/ambitious than (insert any from many), and nothing like Abercrombie.

There is both magical and medieval action (with no shortage of occasionally gory violence but this is absolutely not grimdark), a range of settings, quests and challenges – in the context of thankfully straightforward worldbuilding - but most of all a set of likeable heroines, heroes and supporting characters, and a focus on their interactions with each other and the world but not at the expense of plot or pacing.

There are some credible twists, character arcs and an unpretentious, uncluttered writing style which weaves the multiple disparate journeys into a final, conclusive and fulfilling denouement.

The characters reflect a spectrum of types and archetypes, and there is plenty of gentle humour and a simple moral underpinning of loyalty, compassion, fairness and optimism. They courageously “fight the good fight” in a universe threatened by dark, destructive other-worldly beings (all kinds of demonic presences, elemental beings, wizards and ammonites), and opponents motivated by greed, lust for power, or corrupted by the forces they try to control.

However, what makes this perfectly fine book into a special and satisfying listen is the brilliant narration. Michael Page uses his flawless timing to add moments of wry comedy, and to create distance between personalities with distinctive, credible voices. He uses clever effects for both atmosphere and characterisation, and brings sincerity and feeling to the key emotional moments. I thought his work on The Lies of Locke Lamora was superb, and this is more of the same – perhaps even better, in that here he genuinely adds depth and nuance to the original work. Enjoyable and accessible spoken-word storytelling at its finest by one of the best.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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I wish the narrator would pronounce athamé right.

Why didn't someone say something? Aren't there editors? The scenes switched back and forth too quickly, in what sometimes felt like the middle of action.

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