Customer Reviews

The Gods Return: The Third Volume of the Crown of the Isles

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If you haven't read the first books in this rather lengthy series the true brilliance of the ending will be lost to you. I think it is still a worthwhile read on its own, but if you've followed the development of the characters the wrap-up is one of the best I've ever read.
While I don't particularly care for the frequent switching of the point of view, Drake does it as well as anyone. Without giving away the plot, the characters are consistent both in the story and the longer series.

i hate to write that review title, especially since the first trilogy required tearing me away from the pages i was so hungry to devour them in one setting. and then reread them over and over again. the ending of queen of demons made me thirst for more more more about this land, about the meaning of the chess board, about the pixies, about its lost history, about tegma, about its lost peoples, about everything.

i'm sorry david drake was doing this series to make fun of robert jordan and make some money at the same time, instead of doing it out of love. if drake had truly had a far reaching vision for Lord of the Isles and Crown of the Isles beyond 'lets see how far I can milk this', this would have been one of the most epic storylines in fantasy-horror history. when it felt like the homages within the novels were being telephoned in, or shoehorned in, the love died a little for me.

tenoctris becoming young should have been a crowning moment of 'oooh this could be interesting'. instead it was meh through and through, and even annoying that tenoctris who was so strong mentally would enter into an agreement like that.

fortress of glass ... the mirror of worlds. there are some great elements in each of these novels but they're overshadowed, for me, by the energy and creativity of the original trilogy. it took months for me to read the mirror of worlds all the way though. i have never read it straight through. i've always picked it up, flipped through until something looks interesting, then started reading. i haven't touched it in about two years.

the gods return is the first time i have not finished an 'Isles' book. i guess it's irrelevant since it's also the very last book of the series. still, i wanted to enjoy this more. i look at the cover art (which is excellent) and feel no compulsion whatsoever to pick it up and start reading from anywhere.

it's not the first time a series of books has done that to me, and usually i could care less. but the fact it happened with THIS series, which I actually enjoyed, is what's painful to me as a reader. i WANT to read it. i WANT to find out what happens. i WANT to be able to pick it up from anywhere and just immerse myself a bit at a time, come back later, immerse myself in a different point, and feel as satisfied as if i had read it straight through. i WANT to not be bored by it. i want it to be a different book from what it is. i want to be a different reader to be able to enjoy the book it is. i'm saddened by the turns the books took. maybe i changed, and not drake's style. either way, i've ret-conned this book from my consciousness and tell myself it happened in an alternative universe, and that the real lord of the isles series was just misdelivered and one day will make it back to this universe.

Very good book didnt see the end comming,am very impressed with Mr Drake as always recomend it to any who love epic fantasy ith a historical feel.

Nice to see the story finally settled but the overall story-telling seems a bit weaker in this volume than the first series. The ending is a bit of a cop-out and to say the least and a bit weird, bringing in Gods when there really weren't a lot of mention in the preceeding volumes. Still a good story nonetheless.

After the great victory especially over the Palomir Empire (see THE MIRROR OF WORLDS), Prince Garric, Princess Sharina and wizardess Tenoctris thought they would have time to mentally and physically heal from their ordeal. The triumphant threesome figured to the winners go the spoils; in this case Garric ruling over the united isles. Instead no rest for the weary as their Palomir enemies refuse to accept the last defeat should have meant the end of the war.

Instead the Change that led to the trio's win also brought radical Change to the pantheon of the Gods; the Old have vanished while other divine beings replace them. In this context, the desperate Palomir turn to their forbidden deities with prayer and rituals culminating with human sacrifice. Their Gods listen and send forth the horde of Rat Men. At the same time the Sky God heeding a ritual from the sea bring forth the Worm devourer of entire villages. Adding to the victors' woes is the hypnotically powerful mysterious Scorpion King.

The exciting finish to the Crown of the Isles (see THE FORTRESS OF GLASS) is fast-paced as the bone tired Garric, Sharina and Tenoctris battle on three fronts against extremely powerful adversaries. That however is also the problem with the otherwise exhilarating story line as the brave heroes seem to cast off their mental exhaustion and physical bone weariness with a shrug too easily, which in turn reduces what at first seems like three invincible opponents. Still fans of the series will enjoy THE GODS RETURN.

Harriet Klausner

I couldn't quite figure out how this ended. Did Ilna, Cashel and Sharina die and turn into gods?

If you like comic book heroes/heroines and stories, you will love this series.