Will Swyfte's exploits against the forces of Philip of Spain have made him a national hero, lauded from Carlisle to Kent. Yet his associates can barely disguise their incredulity - what is the point of a spy whose face and name is known across Europe? But Swyfte's public image is a carefully-crafted façade, which deflects attention from his real work - and the true reason why Walsingham's spy network was established.
The Sword of Albion: The Sword of Albion Trilogy Book 1
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Description de l'ouvrage
Descriptions du produit
Revue de presse
"The scary nature of the Otherworld adds a nice edge to this well paced spy thriller that promises more jolly adventures in the Swords of Albion series as it pits humanity against the Faerie. This is a place where the things that go bump in the night are best left alone and the important issues of the day echo today's headlines making for an interesting alternative reality read."
- Monsters and Critics
"The Silver Skull has such an array of complex characters, deeply involved in their interesting times and guarding so many painful memories and secrets, there's something here for anyone who wants more than a bunch of cardboard figures going through the motions while the body count keeps rising."
- Locus
"Combining the best elements of a spy thriller, heroic fantasy and Elizabethan mystery, Chadbourn deftly mixes gruesome brutality, a shadowy world of plots and counter-plots and a vivid cast of characters. Seamlessly weaving historic figures and events into his fictional world, the author creates an alternate reality as tangible and authentic as the history we think we know. Not just a lightweight adventure novel, this book forces the reader to confront timely issues like the value of torture and the use of evil in the pursuit of good, bringing a level of verisimilitude so fantastic and yet believable, you keep asking yourself if it might be true. In a year of outstanding fantasies, The Silver Skull may just be one of the best so far."
- Monsters and Critics
"Two-time British Fantasy Award winner Chadbourn (the Age of Misrule trilogy) offers a grim and decidedly current take on supernatural Elizabethan intrigues. Will Swyfte, 'England's greatest spy,' is charged with stopping the faerie and their Spanish tools from acquiring the Skull, the Key and the Shield, magic items whose combination could devastate all of Britain. Scenes range from squalid London slums to King Philip's monumental El Escorial palace and the mighty confrontation with the Armada in the English Channel. Readers familiar with cold war spy novels will wryly note Swyfte's visits to Dr. John Dee for the latest in spy technology, à la James Bond and Q. Graphic presentations of tortures from the rack to waterboarding recall contemporary issues in national security, carefully contextualized with Swyfte's dilemmas of personal versus professional codes."
- Publishers Weekly
"The new Swords of Albion series, set in an alternate Elizabethan England, gets off to a smashing start. The historical detail sets a believable backdrop, and the main character, a spy, could pass for a fantastical James Bond. Chadbourn sets a fast pace, pitting his characters against supernatural threats with a bit of horror thrown in."
- RT Book Reviews
"He conjures up the horror of this harsh new world brilliantly, and the sheer brutality of his writing is often jaw-dropping."
- SFX
- Monsters and Critics
"The Silver Skull has such an array of complex characters, deeply involved in their interesting times and guarding so many painful memories and secrets, there's something here for anyone who wants more than a bunch of cardboard figures going through the motions while the body count keeps rising."
- Locus
"Combining the best elements of a spy thriller, heroic fantasy and Elizabethan mystery, Chadbourn deftly mixes gruesome brutality, a shadowy world of plots and counter-plots and a vivid cast of characters. Seamlessly weaving historic figures and events into his fictional world, the author creates an alternate reality as tangible and authentic as the history we think we know. Not just a lightweight adventure novel, this book forces the reader to confront timely issues like the value of torture and the use of evil in the pursuit of good, bringing a level of verisimilitude so fantastic and yet believable, you keep asking yourself if it might be true. In a year of outstanding fantasies, The Silver Skull may just be one of the best so far."
- Monsters and Critics
"Two-time British Fantasy Award winner Chadbourn (the Age of Misrule trilogy) offers a grim and decidedly current take on supernatural Elizabethan intrigues. Will Swyfte, 'England's greatest spy,' is charged with stopping the faerie and their Spanish tools from acquiring the Skull, the Key and the Shield, magic items whose combination could devastate all of Britain. Scenes range from squalid London slums to King Philip's monumental El Escorial palace and the mighty confrontation with the Armada in the English Channel. Readers familiar with cold war spy novels will wryly note Swyfte's visits to Dr. John Dee for the latest in spy technology, à la James Bond and Q. Graphic presentations of tortures from the rack to waterboarding recall contemporary issues in national security, carefully contextualized with Swyfte's dilemmas of personal versus professional codes."
- Publishers Weekly
"The new Swords of Albion series, set in an alternate Elizabethan England, gets off to a smashing start. The historical detail sets a believable backdrop, and the main character, a spy, could pass for a fantastical James Bond. Chadbourn sets a fast pace, pitting his characters against supernatural threats with a bit of horror thrown in."
- RT Book Reviews
"He conjures up the horror of this harsh new world brilliantly, and the sheer brutality of his writing is often jaw-dropping."
- SFX
Biographie de l'auteur
A two-time winner of the British Fantasy Award, Mark Chadbourn is the critically-acclaimed author of eleven novels and one non-fiction book. A former journalist, he is now a screenwriter for BBC television drama. His other jobs have included running an independent record company, managing rock bands, working on a production line, and as an engineer's 'mate'. He lives in a forest in the English Midlands. Visit Mark Chadbourn's Web site at www.markchadbourn.net.
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3.6 étoiles sur 5
15 commentaires
7 internautes sur 7 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile
5.0 étoiles sur 5
Excellent read
22 janvier 2010
Par Justin Blazier
- Publié sur Amazon.com
Format:Broché
There are times when you read a book that's so amazing to you that you feel the author had you personally in mind when they wrote it, that's exactly how I feel about Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull.
The Silver Skull is set in an alternate version of the Elizabethan England period. The story follows Will Swyfte -- the greatest spy England has ever known. He's handsome, daring, smart, and dangerous. He's everything a great spy should be. With Spain on the brink of war with England and the Unseelie court pulling strings behind the curtains, Will has been tasked with saving the whole of England from certain doom. Sounds kind of silly, does it not? The core of the story is indeed a spy/adventure story. On the surface the plot feels a little like an Elizabethan James Bond novel, but in reality The Silver Skull is so much more than that.
First of all The Silver Skull is actually quite scary. There is a scene where Will must infiltrate an enemy stronghold located in an abandoned house; you can feel the tension building the deeper he gets. The pursuit that happens after he tries to escape had my hair standing on end. The story is very dark, foreboding, and surprisingly violent. I've never had fairies scare the living crap out of me before. Nasty, brutal, super intelligent -- the fairies Mark Chadbourn creates are the ultimate super-villain. James Bond never had to deal with these guys! I love how Chadbourn has taken so many staples of epic fantasy (Olde England, fairies, dashing heroes) and has twisted them into something brilliant.
The depth of characters and the plot leave room for a sequel without leaving you hanging at the end. Chadbourn has recently signed a six-book deal with Pyr. I can only hope a few of those are sequels to The Silver Skull. I admit I was caught by surprise at how much I liked this book. I knew by page 100 that I had something really special in my hands. I recommend Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull to anyone who has a head. This is a must-read, and is my favorite book so far this year
-Justin Blazier of [...]
The Silver Skull is set in an alternate version of the Elizabethan England period. The story follows Will Swyfte -- the greatest spy England has ever known. He's handsome, daring, smart, and dangerous. He's everything a great spy should be. With Spain on the brink of war with England and the Unseelie court pulling strings behind the curtains, Will has been tasked with saving the whole of England from certain doom. Sounds kind of silly, does it not? The core of the story is indeed a spy/adventure story. On the surface the plot feels a little like an Elizabethan James Bond novel, but in reality The Silver Skull is so much more than that.
First of all The Silver Skull is actually quite scary. There is a scene where Will must infiltrate an enemy stronghold located in an abandoned house; you can feel the tension building the deeper he gets. The pursuit that happens after he tries to escape had my hair standing on end. The story is very dark, foreboding, and surprisingly violent. I've never had fairies scare the living crap out of me before. Nasty, brutal, super intelligent -- the fairies Mark Chadbourn creates are the ultimate super-villain. James Bond never had to deal with these guys! I love how Chadbourn has taken so many staples of epic fantasy (Olde England, fairies, dashing heroes) and has twisted them into something brilliant.
The depth of characters and the plot leave room for a sequel without leaving you hanging at the end. Chadbourn has recently signed a six-book deal with Pyr. I can only hope a few of those are sequels to The Silver Skull. I admit I was caught by surprise at how much I liked this book. I knew by page 100 that I had something really special in my hands. I recommend Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull to anyone who has a head. This is a must-read, and is my favorite book so far this year
-Justin Blazier of [...]
2 internautes sur 2 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile
5.0 étoiles sur 5
Exciting alternative Historical fantasy.
28 février 2010
Par M. Wanchoo
- Publié sur Amazon.com
Format:Broché
Mark Chadbourn first wrote about Will Swyfte in the short story "Who Slays the Gyant, Wounds the Beast" in the Solaris Book of New Fantasy. The short story and setting was much appreciated and therfore in this novel Mark Chadbourn gives us a fuller story in this setting. The story is set in Elizabethean England and in this world the real enemies are the Fae who have preyed upon humanity for eons. England also faces its human foes in the form of the Spanish who have reason to be discontent due to religious & conquestorial differences.
Will Swfte and his band of allies do their utmost to obstruct and obfuscate both their enemies. However they have a race against time to recover something which was stolen from the most secure location in London. This object being the titlular piece of this story, is a magical object which if reunited with certain other objects can spell doom for England. The story then takes place all over England , Scotland & even Continental Europe. The author has done a very fascinating job of tying in historical record with his imaginative story and many readers might enjoy the fusion. The tale not only focusses on Swyfte but also gives the readers many glimpses into the remaining character cast & it will be cool to see more of them in the sequel books particularly Nathaniel & R. Launceston.
I loved this book as while it has a stand-alone plot, there is also a greater story about which we learn in parts here and there & which hopefully bodes well for the future books as more history of this world is revealed. Mark Chadbourn has written a fascinating book & I'm definitely looking forward to "The Scar-Crow Men"(the 2nd book in the Swords of Albion series).
Will Swfte and his band of allies do their utmost to obstruct and obfuscate both their enemies. However they have a race against time to recover something which was stolen from the most secure location in London. This object being the titlular piece of this story, is a magical object which if reunited with certain other objects can spell doom for England. The story then takes place all over England , Scotland & even Continental Europe. The author has done a very fascinating job of tying in historical record with his imaginative story and many readers might enjoy the fusion. The tale not only focusses on Swyfte but also gives the readers many glimpses into the remaining character cast & it will be cool to see more of them in the sequel books particularly Nathaniel & R. Launceston.
I loved this book as while it has a stand-alone plot, there is also a greater story about which we learn in parts here and there & which hopefully bodes well for the future books as more history of this world is revealed. Mark Chadbourn has written a fascinating book & I'm definitely looking forward to "The Scar-Crow Men"(the 2nd book in the Swords of Albion series).
1 internautes sur 1 ont trouvé ce commentaire utile
5.0 étoiles sur 5
Great Alternative History
3 septembre 2011
Par Arador
- Publié sur Amazon.com
This book is the first in a new "Sword of Albion" alternative history series set in Elizabethan England. Walsingham's spy network are actually a secret service designed to discover and thwart the plans of the Unseelie Court. They are a group of Faeries with unique powers set on destroying England. They enlist humans to do their bidding and in this book they decieve the Spanish into sending the Armada against England. The central character Will Smythe, England's most famous spy, must travel to Spain in an attempt to recapture a weapon which the Enemy stole from the Tower of London. He also travels to Scotland to try and understand the Unseelie Court's plan before it's too late to stop them. He and his companions suffer pain, disappointment, and betrayal during the quest. Christopher Marlow, Sir Walter Raleigh, and other famous folk make appearances throughout the book.
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3.6 étoiles sur 5
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