The Shadow Roads (2004) Sean Russell The Shadow Roads is the final book in Sean Russell’s ‘The Swans’ War’ trilogy. Having escaped the Stillwater (those who survived) the children of Wyrr now prepare for battle. In the realms of the Renee and the Wills mortals prepare for war, even without Hafydd there to control and […]
The Isle of Battle (2002) Sean Russell The Isle of Battle is good book. However, it is a middle book in a series; although the tale continues forward, the book doesn’t have the momentum of the first book. The characters are still good, the intrigue is still good, but the characters spend much of the […]
The One Kingdom (2001) Sean Russell I love Sean Russell’s writing. I’ve read everything he’s written that I could get my hands on, including the mystery series he co-wrote as T.F. Banks. The One Kingdom and the other books he has written are very different from the supernatural fantasy that I most often scarf down. […]
Sea Without a Shore (1996) Sean Russell Sea Without a Shore takes up immediately after the close of World Without End. Tristam is recovering from the events on the Lost Island, Averil Kent is further embroiled in politics and working with the Countess of Chilton to keep Palle and his followers from creating a mage […]
World Without End (1994) Sean Russell Reading “The River Into Darkness” series made me want to read another series written by Sean Russell, so I picked up the “”Moontide and Magic Rise” series, for which “The River Into Darkness” is the prequel. I was surprised to discover that I found this series much easier to […]
The Compass of the Soul (1999) Sean Russell The sequel (and conclusion) to Beneath the Vaulted Hills, The Compass of the Soul continues the story of Erasmus Flattery, Countess Chilton, Anna Fielding, Lord Eldrich, and those who have gathered around them in the struggle for the fate of magic. As with the previous book, the […]
Beneath the Vaulted Hills (1997) Sean Russell I’ve always been fond of Sean Russell’s books. They’re dense and complex, and I often understand them better on the second reading. But they’re also beautifully crafted works full of marvelous characters. Unfortunately, Sean Russell has not published many books. Nine fantasy novels I believe (three duologies and […]
The Emperor’s Assassin Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner (2003) T.F. Banks aka Ian Dennis and Sean Russell Although this book was as well written as the previous, I found myself disappointed in the ending. The mystery was perhaps even better than the first book, however, it was a Hollywood ending, with guns a-blazing, shots […]
The Thief Taker: Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner (2001) T.F. Banks aka Ian Dennis and Sean Russell I was browsing Sean Russell’s web page, when I saw two books listed that I didn’t own: The Thief Taker and The Emperor’s Assassin. My immediate reaction was one of shock: Sean Russell had co-written a series […]
The Shadow Roads ‘The Swan’s War Book III’ (2004) Sean Russell Finally! The book was in the mailbox when we got home, and I devoured it last night. Good. Very good! Yet in retrospect this series is quite different from other Sean Russell books I’ve read. There was more direct action. In the past I’ve […]
The One Kingdom (2001) & The Isle of Battle ‘The Swans War’ (2002) by Sean Russell I’m fond of Sean Russell because he is a good writer, and because he writes duologies. I like knowing that a series will not stretch on interminably. So a year or two ago I picked up The One Kingdom […]
Moontide and Magic Rise: World Without End (1994) and Sea Without a Shore (1996) Sean Russell Every time I read Sean Russell, I am always surprised at how good his books are. I pick them up knowing they are going to be good, but the pessimistic part of me always says, “they can’t be that […]
The Initiate Brother (1991) Gatherer of Clouds (1992) Sean Russell I love to re-read books. There is something about recapturing the joy they gave me the first time, that allows me to pick up some books again and again. But sometimes, time passes, and other books are read, until all that remains is the memory […]