Rating: 
Summary: The Isle of Boredom
Review: First, the entire book takes place in a swamp. So much for the wonderful fantasy world Russell created in The One Kingdom. I had grown to like that world, and the way that Russell revealed it, layer by layer. And how could anyone not like the Valemen. Yes, they come back for Book II, but they are bit players, as is just about everyone in this book who isn't a sorcerer. So, there must be some great sorcery here, at least, you would think, but really, there is only one magic act, after which the sorcerer is too tired to try again. Yes, that guy is called Hafydd, who you know is Caibre. He's not very nice, but just telling me how mean he is and how many people he's killed, doesn't really make me afraid of him. I want to see some fresh evil, and it's just not here. The best character, Alaan, is groaning with pain for the entire book, and not totally cogent. Here is a spoiler: the book ends with Hafydd's quest for the next book. I won't tell you what it is, but it involves even badder and more evil sorcerers than himself. Finally, i just loved the first book in this series. I thought it was able to capture the feeling of Tolkien while being meaningfully different. I especially like the Valemen and the way magic was portrayed. I lost the feeling with this book, which I hope is an anomaly that the author will soon get over.
Rating: 
Summary: not bad for a second book
Review: For the second part of a trilogy, this was really good. The second book is always the hump you have to get over before the ending and its understandable that its not going to be the best since it doesn't have a true beginning or end.
However, this book does a good job tying the first book up and leading us into the next one due out in nov 2004. Characters from the first book get attention but its limited, as now there seems to be twice as many.
Anyone who complains about this must have forgotten that Tolkien, the reigning king and standard of fantasy, did the same thing with having more characters than the bible.
But while there are a lot of characters, its also importatnt to say there are a lot of good characters. Prince Michael, Ravenheart, Elise, Tam, Baore...fantastic personalities. After reading the second book, the 'good' people didn't seem all that good and the 'bad people' didn't seem all that terrible. the concept of the book is worth the read. I disagree with people saying it doesn't move the story forward. It might meander a bit, but its still a page turner. Besides, if you're going to read the trilogy you really have to read the second book and I think this is well worth what I anticapte as an exciting end to a well-thought out journey. Russell has outdone himself with this trilogy. I can just feel it!
Rating:
Summary: Part 2 of a good story
Review: I am a big Sean Russell fan. I have read all of his novels and really enjoy his writing. However, this book fell short of my expectations. The first book in the One Kingdom trilogy was fantastic - maybe the best he has written so far. In the second part of the story though, it seems as though Mr. Russell has bitten off more than he can chew. The book feels both too long and too short. It is too short because he has added a bunch of characters to a story with already a large cast and it is impossible for him to really develop these characters to the best of his abilities and stay within the scope of the story. The book feels too long because he spends many pages on sub plots with characters that are somewhat tangencial to the main plot and you don't really care about them. Mr. Russell writes beautifully as always. His descriptions rival Tolkien like no other fantasy writer I have ever read, but this book is frustrating for the reasons mentioned above, along with the fact that I don't know how long I will have to wait for the rest of the story (I believe there will be one more book, making it his first trilogy). I give the book four stars, but really I would rather three and a half. I give four because I love his writing and I hope he doesn't leave me hanging too long for the next part.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but certainly not epic.
Review: I picked up the first book in this series (The One Kingdom) on a half-price book list and found it entertaining enough to get the second. While I enjoyed the book and the pace and story continued to move along at a moderate pace, it wasn't anything overly exceptional. The book was much more of the same as the first, with no real "surprises" as in the first (where many more interesting and magical things are revealed) and very little "oooh" value. The book centers around the various parties coming together to escape the Stillwaters with Alaan at death's door all the while trying to avoid conflict with nemesis, Hafydd close on their heels. The entirety of the book takes place in the same, monotonous setting and the characters seem almost as dull - especially when so many end up being present all at once. A good enough read, but I can only hope that the next will pick up it's action. If not, the series will very quickly find itself mired in it's own swamp.
Rating:
Summary: Book 1= River; Book 2=Swamp. River Good; Swamp Bad
Review: I really enjoyed Russell's opening book in the Swan's War Trilogy, The One Kingdom. It had a meandering pace that paralled his water and river themes with action coming fast and unexpected like rapids, or twisting through a quiet backwater and reveling some interesting character developments. If book 1 is about the magical River Wynnd, then unfortunately book 2 is all about a swamp, the aptly named Stillwater. And just like a stagnanting swamp his plot goes nowhere, his character development is as stunted as the trees and you are left thinking did I really need to spend 400+ pages slogging through this morass? For all that the plot basically goes nowhere, the book does read suprisingly fast. Quick shifts to multiple story lines and short chapters disguise the basic dearth of plot. His language and descriptions are first rate and manage to carry you, if not the plot, along. Still, characters so well drawn in Book 1, particularly the Valemen and Alaan, phone in their performances here. Russell basically appears unable to juggle his growing cast of interesting characters and rather then give a few top billing, gives everyone short shrift. Which is sad because I think Russell is one of the few original fantasty writers working today. Perhaps his biggest problem is he's always been a two-book writer. Having to expand his story into three may be why number two feels as if it's just a placeholder. Let's hope the third book crawls out of the swamp and moves on to, oh, let's say an ocean. Deep, vast, mysterious and mercurial. I'd like book 3 to be like an ocean. Here's hoping Russell is listening.
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful book!
Review: I'm having trouble understanding the poor reviews that some readers have posted here. This book was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. The characters are both interesting and believable, the dialogue is realistic- as opposed to the mechanical sort which I come across far to often in this genre-and the story becomes more engaging with every chapter. This book contains all the elements of a first rate fantasy. Intrigue, adventure, betrayal, love and war, magic that is both subtle and original, a vivid and wonderful cast of characters, a plot that is neither too complex nor too simple, a lively pace, and all of this in a mere 451 pages!! How does he do it? I've read entire trilogies where less happens! My advice to you is to simply ignore the three star or less reviews that this book has recieved and go out and buy it for yourself. I promise that if you are a reader with any sense of taste you will enjoy it as much as I did. Well done S.R. Well done!
Rating:
Summary: Non-stop action with fascinating characters
Review: In a time out of legend, three children warred, throwing friends, children, and themselves into the battle until all were vanished. But the three children did not [end their lives], exactly. Instead they returned to the river that bore them. Now, after countless years, they are back. And their war [may] rekindle all of the violence already threatening between the noble families of Renne and Wills. Alaan, the younger brother, tries to trap Hafydd, the older brother, in a world cut off from the ordinary by magics even older than the three siblings. Yet he is badly wounded in the attempt. His sister and a strange group of inconvenient allies attempt a rescue--knowing that doing so may work to Hafydd's goals rather than their own. Meanwhile, war breaks out in the ordinary world as Wills and Renne try to determine ownership of the Isle of Battle. THE ISLE OF BATTLE is the second in author Sean Russell's SWAN'S WAR series. In THE ONE KINGDOM we were introduced to the characters and goals. THE ONE KINGDOM should almost certainly be read before starting THE ISLE OF BATTLE. THE ISLE provides almost non-stop action and fascinating world-building as the ancient history of this world impinges on its present. Russell's characters are suitably complex (with the exception of Hafydd who seems fairly straightforward) and sympathetic. Fans of epic fantasy will definitely want to add THE ISLE OF BATTLE to their must-have list.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent but not great...
Review: Just finished reading "The Isle Of Battle", and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And like another reviewer or two I enjoyed the first book more, yet the story is not over yet. The characters remain the most remarkable element of the story, where as the setting fails to impress; it is undeveloped I feel. I would have liked to see more action, and perhaps a couple more female characters (I can only remember one), but I did enjoy the adventure. Three and one half-stars.
Rating:
Summary: Loved this book!
Review: Just finished reading. Awesome, really enjoyed it, but watch out for a cliff hanger at the end. There is obviously more to come. I look forwar to it! I am a pretty picky fantasy reader and this book pleased me...I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Loved this book!
Review: Just finished reading. Awesome, really enjoyed it, but watch out for a cliff hanger at the end. There is obviously more to come. I look forwar to it! I am a pretty picky fantasy reader and this book pleased me...I couldn't put it down.
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