The Skull of the World

Rating:
Summary: Fast paced
Review: Book five of the series, the Skull of the World, brings us back to Isabeau and all of her complexity as a character. Introduced to us as an innocent orphan, fledgling witch, and impulsive girl, she is now a woman, who has lived adventure, suffered torture, endure privations, found her twin sister and both of her parents, and reared a child. She has been studying with the Kahn'cohbans, her fahter's tribe of fierce faery warriors, learning discipline, fighting, and survival skills, and the skills of their Soul Sage. She makes the perilous journey to the Skull of the World to find her name and her totem. Her education with the Kahn'cohbans complete, she returns to her own people, to take her Test and be inducted into the Coven of Witches. She then begins to study in earnest so that she can pass her Sorceress Test.

Lachlan and Iseult are away during this time, caught up in the action of book four. While they are away, the royal childrn are kidnapped, and Isabeau is framed for the crime. Narrowly evading capture, she is the only one who can follow and rescue the chilren. But it is a mission that requires her to use all of her powers and wits.

Overcome with sorcery sickness from this overuse of her powers, she becomes marooned on the very island on which the former Banrigh, Maya the Ensorcellor, has been hiding. There Isabeau must confront her ambivalent feelings about Maya.

As we know the outcome of Lachlan's and Iseult's journey to Tirsollier from book four, Forsyth keeps us interested in the fate of Eileanan by bringing the sea people, the Fairgean, into focus. In addition to giving us a closer look at its people in the characters of a prince named Nila and his lover, a half-breed slave named Fand, she also gives us a look at what their priestesses have in mind for the Witches of Eileanan and the rest of the humans.

This book doesn't seem to have as much going on all at once, like some of the earlier books, partly because it is taking place at the same time as book four. I think that made it a more enjoyable read. We were allowed, with fewer interruptions, to concentrate on Isabeau, who is a wonderful, rich character, with whom we have travelled for some time. It is very satisfying to see her come into her power in this book, and you'll know she has more in store for us in the next book, The Fathomless Caves.

Rating:
Summary: Isabeau is SO back
Review: Book five of the series, the Skull of the World, brings us back to Isabeau and all of her complexity as a character. Introduced to us as an innocent orphan, fledgling witch, and impulsive girl, she is now a woman, who has lived adventure, suffered torture, endure privations, found her twin sister and both of her parents, and reared a child. She has been studying with the Kahn'cohbans, her fahter's tribe of fierce faery warriors, learning discipline, fighting, and survival skills, and the skills of their Soul Sage. She makes the perilous journey to the Skull of the World to find her name and her totem. Her education with the Kahn'cohbans complete, she returns to her own people, to take her Test and be inducted into the Coven of Witches. She then begins to study in earnest so that she can pass her Sorceress Test.

Lachlan and Iseult are away during this time, caught up in the action of book four. While they are away, the royal childrn are kidnapped, and Isabeau is framed for the crime. Narrowly evading capture, she is the only one who can follow and rescue the chilren. But it is a mission that requires her to use all of her powers and wits.

Overcome with sorcery sickness from this overuse of her powers, she becomes marooned on the very island on which the former Banrigh, Maya the Ensorcellor, has been hiding. There Isabeau must confront her ambivalent feelings about Maya.

As we know the outcome of Lachlan's and Iseult's journey to Tirsollier from book four, Forsyth keeps us interested in the fate of Eileanan by bringing the sea people, the Fairgean, into focus. In addition to giving us a closer look at its people in the characters of a prince named Nila and his lover, a half-breed slave named Fand, she also gives us a look at what their priestesses have in mind for the Witches of Eileanan and the rest of the humans.

This book doesn't seem to have as much going on all at once, like some of the earlier books, partly because it is taking place at the same time as book four. I think that made it a more enjoyable read. We were allowed, with fewer interruptions, to concentrate on Isabeau, who is a wonderful, rich character, with whom we have travelled for some time. It is very satisfying to see her come into her power in this book, and you'll know she has more in store for us in the next book, The Fathomless Caves.

Rating:
Summary: Iseabu is back!
Review: For those of you who missed Iseabu in the Forbidden Land, you are going to love The Skull of the World. I too have missed her while I was traveling with Finn and Brangaine. Once again Kate Forsyth has spellbound me with the enchantment of Eilanean. I am very much looking forward to the final book, although I will
be sad to see it end.

Rating:
Summary: Iseabu is back!
Review: For those of you who missed Iseabu in the Forbidden Land, you are going to love The Skull of the World. I too have missed her while I was traveling with Finn and Brangaine. Once again Kate Forsyth has spellbound me with the enchantment of Eilanean. I am very much looking forward to the final book, although I will
be sad to see it end.

Rating:
Summary: Fast paced
Review: I competed this book in two days. It is wonderfully fast paced. The action and characters are well-developed and interesting. Isabeau returns to the scene and completes her name quest on the Skull of the World. After, she returns to her sister and Lachlan. Meghan picks up where she left off in her tutoring Isabeau. Isabeau discovers her true power and her amazing strength. Meanwhile, the young prince is kidnapped and it is up to Isabeau to save him and his young cousin.

At the end of the novel, Forsyth states their will be only one more novel. How sad. I will miss this series.

Rating:
Summary: A good use of time...
Review: I found it very interesting how this book happened at the same time as the last book. The author was very careful to make sure things linked up. It was great!

Rating:
Summary: A good use of time...
Review: I found it very interesting how this book happened at the same time as the last book. The author was very careful to make sure things linked up. It was great!

Rating:
Summary: What a Fantastic Talent!
Review: I have been [pulled] into a new and fabulous world with Kate Forsyth's Talent in creating the Eileanan series. Forsyth's thought throughout the entire series is unbelievable. Her ability to hint about actions that won't take place until later books is truly remarkable. She weaves the tale with deaft hands.

Isabeau is back and studing hard. Her life on the spine of the world has certainly not been as pleasent as her life with Meghan was. However, all hardships in life will be rewarded in time, as she finds out during her trip to the Skull of the World. With her fantastic new Talent, she has the ablity to become a great sorceress.

Once back with the coven Isabeau studies hard and is well rewared with suspision and accusations when the heirs to two countries are kidnapped from their beds. Determined to prove her innocence and save the children she loves, she sets aside her studies and begins another journey that will assureadly be full of danger and trials to be overcome. Trials that must be dealt with by use of her extraordinary Talent.

Again threads are being woven into the tapestry of Eileanan with the excerpts of the Fairge prince, Maya, and Bronwen, where the patterns must become clear in the next book. Those who are used to the Evil Step-mother/Queens will find Maya to not be the typical villan. She is a mother and will protect her child, but she is also a pawn to be moved and, if need be, sacrificed in order to save the game. Many will be surprised to have the opportunity to glimpse into the reasons why some villans act the way that they do.

I can't praise Kate Forsyth's writing/weaving enough. I think that readers who think that the story ended at the end of the second book, have not fully understood just how indepth and how much forethought was put into these novels. Keep them coming Ms. Forsyth you have many avid readers and we look forward to your next Eileanan novel.

Rating:
Summary: Yippee! What a great book!
Review: I loved this book! At last Isabeau is coming into her own, and you can see why things that happened to her in the past books happened. I can't wait to read the last book in the series - I've loved them all but Kate Forsyth just gets better and better with every book. The focus is so tightly on Isabeau in this book, you just feel everything which happens to her so vividly. I do hope she and Dide can find a way to be together, though. Ever since I found out in Book 4 about how he's been secretly in love with her all along, I've liked him so much and it explains things which happen earlier which I didn't really understand at the time. I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't discovered this amazing series yet, but the way Isabeau and Maya have changed and developed is just so incredible and surprising - I never would have expected to feel so much sympathy for Maya and any other writer would have had her stay the evil queen instead of taking you down thsi totally unexpected path. These books are always full of surprises - which is why I just canna wait for Book 6!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Dragging it out a little
Review: I was slightly disappointed with this book and the one before it (the forbidden land) as it seems Kate is stretching out stories that could be condensed. As Finn the Cat's adventure was happening at the same time as Isabeau's, I think these two books would have been better condensed into one in the style of the first three in the series.

That being said, The Skull of the World is well written and brings out more detail of the cultures of the faeries, especially of the fairgean, and also includes the bond between Maya and Isabeau. The story drags out a little and the action and surroundings are less well described, this book tending to focus on what Isabeau herself is feeling more than what is going on.

After a trilogy that encorporates many characters focusing on one (as in both the forbidden land and the skull of the world) is a shift in pace that hasn't quite worked. I am looking forward to reading her sixth book (the last in the series) as hopefully it will bring all the character together again, instead of focusing on isabeau.