Captain Declan Ross searches 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.
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Captain Declan Ross searches 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.
Read Less
Bartholomew Thorn is the most horrific, evil pirate to ever sail the seven seas. Captain Ross and his crew are the most noble pirates to sail the seven seas. So what will happen when both captains sail for the Isle of Swords? The Isle of Swords is said to contain riches beyond the imaginations of man, but is protected by unknown dangers. The Isle of Swords is the first book that takes you on one of the best high sea adventures that I have ever read. Wayne Thomas Batson has been able to take this lonely guy who does not know one thing about ships, sailing, or the art of sword fighting, and made him want to have a pirate ship of his own!
LadyJaryn
Jan 16, 2012
Batson strikes again!
I never thought that I would enjoy a pirate book. And I was never convinced that a pirate book, though written by a Christian author, could have an obvious Christian message. Isle of Swords, by Wayne Thomas Batson, has proved me wrong.
Out on the rolling seas we find the crew of the William Wallace and their captain, Declan Ross. They have faced many challenges just to ?stay afloat.? Anne, the fiery daughter of Captain Ross, has always longed to be a member of the crew. Her father, however, is against the idea and would do anything to keep her away from the piracy business forever. He also has many regrets concerning the death of his wife, who died while they were gone at sea.
While the crew was gathering supplies and repairing the ship in one of the islands, Anne wandered off. On the shore of the island she found a young lad who was badly wounded and lying unconscious. It turns out that this boy had lost all memory of who he was or where he had come from. A pouch that was found on the shore with him contained his only clues: A sparkling green gem, a lock of red hair, and a tarnished silver cross. He also had uncanny talents when it came to doing the duties of a pirate. The crew heartily accepted him and gave him the name of Cat. As the story progresses, Cat hears voices and has flashbacks of his past, which serve as clues through the tangled web of unknowns. Anne, though jealous of his natural skills and acceptance by the crew, seeks to help him through the psychological struggle.
The main enemy of the William Wallace is the infamous Bartholomew Thorne, the captain of the largest and most dastardly crew in the piracy business. Known for his relentless cruelty toward his prisoners (not to mention toward his crew,) he is always looking to destroy anyone in his way. All of the pirates also fear the British navy, as well as any of the other national navy that would seek to turn the pirates into the law and the government. All in all, the pirates do seem to maintain some sense of respect for the law, and in the end they find a way to work together to defeat evil.
The one source of hope and safety the pirates have is very unlikely ? the monks of the island of St. Celestine. These monks provide a haven for the pirates, hoping to in turn convert them. One of these pirates ? Padres Dominguez ? holds the only key to the lost Treasure of Constantine, which is located on the uncharted Isle of Swords. He convinces Ross to sail to find this treasure, and Ross is eager to use the treasure to free him and his crew from the bonds of piracy, though the stakes are high and the journey could be fatal. This book travels through their journey to the Isle of Swords, the lessons they learn along the way, and the challenges that face them. I don?t want to give too much away as far as the summary of the plot and characters. The plot is so intricately woven together, so I suggest that you read it for yourself instead of having me spoil it for you.
I want to first point out that this is not necessarily an allegory, though there are many themes of honor, courage, redemption, and trust that can be learned through the plot. I was very pleased that the characters of this book were convicted in a personal and unmistakable way for their need of the salvation that Christ offers. There is one particular part where Cat, Anne, and Declan see the parallel of Christ and the nails of the cross saving them. Padre Dominguez also talks to them about their need for a Savior throughout the story, and I was thrilled that this was a part of the obvious message of the book.
Piracy is generally not looked upon as an honorable thing. Even in this book, many of the pirates are only in the business as a last option. They are seeking a way out. However, in all that they do, Ross requires a policy of honor and respect for himself and his crew. This is very well looked upon throughout the whole book and promotes the same sense of courage, honesty, and honor. There are a few times where they are counted worthy because of their pure motives and good intentions, but I would not say that this is referring to salvation.
I honestly have no idea why I was hesitant to read this book. The characters, setting, plot ? all of it ? are wonderfully put together. The plot almost literally twists every chapter! It was a very hard book to put down. I found it easy to read as well as captivating. There are some bloody and fatal scenes in the book, but not overly so. I will soon start to read Batson?s second pirate book, and hopefully many more of his books. Wayne Thomas Batson has become one of my favorite authors, and I highly recommend this book as well as his others.
Wooton
Dec 12, 2010
Isle of Swords
I really liked this book, it was well written and I loved the characters. Join the adventures of captain Declan Ross and his pirate crew as they search for the greatest treasure in all the world, but beware, the infamous pirate captain Thorne is after them, will they survive the Isle of Swords and claim the treasure? find out in Isle of Swords!
WintersRead
Nov 8, 2010
Arg!!
Isle of Swords is a pirate fantasy written by Wayne Thomas Batson. It has a sequel called Isle of Fire. A young boy awakens on a beach with no memory at all. A pirate ship passes by, and upon finding the boy, brings him into their crew. This ship, captained by Declan Ross, is heading toward the supposed location of great riches which will insure the retirement of he and the prosperity of his daughter, Anne. The treasure is also sought by an infamous captain, the deadly and ruthless Blackthorne, who wished to eliminate whatever obstacle gets in his way. The treasure on an island is protected by a sacred order of monks, who would rather die than give up it?s location. The pirates must also beware the frightening creature of the deep, as well as the active volcano located on the island.
Isle of Swords is well written, with many skillful integrations of moral lessons.
Vrenith
Nov 5, 2010
Full of Good Things... Like Cookies!
Declan Ross, aka 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. All he has of his past is a pouch with a green diamond, a cross, and a lock of red hair. After he does daring things, Captain Ross believes he used to be a pirate. He nicknames him Cat, and the nickname sticks. After a monk joins them with a map tattooed onto his back to a great treasure, Captian Declan Ross and his crew race to get to the Isle of Swords before the notorious pirate, Bartholomew Thorne. Will Cat discover his true identity? Who his parents were? You will not be able to put this book down, for all the adventure it holds.
