The Island [Paperback]

Tim Lebbon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2009

The worst has come and one man must rise to lead the fight against it. . . .

He thought he’d seen the worst . . .

No one knew about the Strangers from beyond Noreela, and it was the Core’s job to make sure it stayed that way. Kel Boon was once an agent of the land’s most secret organization, tracking, observing, and eliminating the Strangers as part of an elite Core team. But then one horrifying encounter left his superior officer—and lover—dead, along with many innocents. And Kel has been running ever since.

But the worst was still to come. . . .

Forsaking magic, living as a simple wood-carver, Kel came to the fishing village of Pavmouth Breaks to hide. But when a mysterious island appears out to sea during a cataclysmic storm, sending tidal waves to smash the village, his Core training tells him to expect the worst. How can he warn the surviving villagers—especially the beautiful young witch Namior—that the visitors sailing in from the island may not be the peace-loving pilgrims they claim to be? That this might be the invasion the Core has feared all along . . . and that he, Kel Boon, may be Noreela’s last chance?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Stoker-winner Lebbon returns to the magic-saturated land of Noreela (most recently the setting for 2008's Fallen) for this gripping adventure. Kel Boon deserted the Core, a secret organization that hunts the mysterious Strangers who spy on humans, after one mission went badly and his lover was butchered. Now settled in an isolated fishing village, Kel is shocked when the island of Komadia appears in the ocean after a devastating tsunami. Distrustful of the seemingly benign Komadians, Kel and his new inamorata, the young witch Namior, make a clandestine trip to the island. What they find ends Kel's dreams of safe anonymity. While slightly less intense than earlier Noreela tales that slid from dark fantasy into horror, this solidly constructed tale offers hope that the compelling protagonists can achieve believable heroism if they're willing to pay for it. (May)
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Review

“This is fantasy for grown-ups.” —Paul Kearney

“Lebbon displays the sort of cool irony and uncanny mood-making that drive the best Twilight Zone stories." —New York Times Book Review

"Lebbon will reward with careful reader with insights as well as goose-flesh." — Publishers Weekly*, Starred Review

"One of the most powerful new voices to come along in the genre...Lebbon's work is infused with the contemporary realism of Stephen King and the lyricism of Ray Bradbury." —Fangoria

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 394 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (May 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553384686
• ISBN-13: 978-0553384680
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been published for ten years now, and you can find out loads about me at my website www.timlebbon.net. I'm the author of over thirty books, including the Noreela series of fantasy books (Dusk, Dawn, Fallen and The Island), the NY Times Bestselling novelisation of the movie 30 Days of Night, and several books with Christopher Golden, including The Map of Moments and the forthcoming Secret Journeys of Jack London for Harper. I've also written several screenplays and some TV proposals. I've won several prestigious awards, and some of my work has been optioned for the big screen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars spellbinding horror-fantasy, May 23, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Island (Paperback)

A secret organization consisting of a few hundred people of Noreela search out and kill Strangers who look human, but have gills on their neck and tendrils on the outside of their spine. The Strangers d not cooperate with the Core who they believe are the advances scouts before an invasion. Collateral damage of innocent people by the Core is deemed acceptable if it meant the destruction of the Strangers.

When Core agent Kel Boon observed six innocent children murdered during an attack by his side, his anguish and outrage leads to the unimaginable for a dedicate agent; he quits. He goes to the village of Pavmouth Breaks where he is known as Kell the Woodchopper and loves the witch Namior Feeron. A brutal storm hammers the coast. When the torrent ends, a new island Komadia is nearby. Kel has a bad feeling as visitors from the island arrive at the sleepy fishing village. He wants to make sure the newcomers have no gills so that the villagers he cherishes will not be harmed. No gills or tendrils are evident by the Strangers but he fears they do not belong to Noreela. He and Namior begin to learn an inconvenient truth when they visit Komadia to find out what the islanders want with Noreela; a truth that could destroy civilization as he knows it.

Tim Lebbon provides readers with a spellbinding horror-fantasy tale from the moment the ISLAND appears and never loosens its grip until the climax. His world is filled with magic as anyone can become a Practitioner, but Kel has become wary of something he does not understand. Ironically, he runs ways from a situation only to run into a scenario even potentially more gruesome. He knows he must make a stand; even his beloved expects him choose fiight over flight. Fans will be hooked wanting to know why he ran away from his Core values and like the lead couple readers will want to know what Komadians want with Noreela. Mr. Lebbon cleverly blends two genres with a refreshing romantic subplot into a sleepless night of reading.

Harriet Klausner

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing compared to his other books, May 20, 2011

By 

paddlerD (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Island (Paperback)

This is my third Lebbon book, following Dusk and Echo City. I really enjoyed those first two books and think he is a unique and engaging writer who spins exceptionally rich and cohesive stories at the interface of Fantasy and Horror. If Island had been my first book by Lebbon I would probably have stopped right here. The characters (both heroes and villains) lack the complexity of Dusk and Echo City. There is also a paramilitary element to this book that he seems completely out of his depth on. I'd recommend starting with one of the other books, which were very good, and skipping this one altogether.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first class ticket to a world of wonder!, July 6, 2009

By 

Glenn R. Bell (Virginia Beach, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Island (Paperback)

So far every trip to Tim Lebbon's magnificient world Noreela has thrilled, chilled, captivated, amazed, I could go on for pages with the emotions you'll feel while being glued to his every word. If you haven't booked a trip to Tim's world through his earlier books, don't worry, this stand alone novel is as good as anywhere to begin your journey. I'm sure you'll seek out his other books and become a frequent visitor as I have. Be sure to pack all your good magic and every charmed weapon you can get your hands on, you'd need them and some great warrior friends just to survive the first day.