The Shadow Isle: Book Three of The Silver Wyrm [Hardcover]

Katharine Kerr (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Silver Wyrm | Publication Date: May 6, 2008

“Prepare to get lost in the magic” (VOYA) of Katharine Kerr’s popular Deverry fantasy series.

The Shadow Isle is the long-awaited conclusion to the phenomenal Deverry fantasy saga. The wild Northlands hold many secrets—the mysterious island of Haen Marn, the mountain settlements of Dwarvolt, and the fortified city of Cerr Cawnen, built long ago by escaping bondmen from Deverry itself. As the Horsekin continue to push their religious crusade toward the borders of the kingdom, the humans of Deverry and their elven allies realize that the fate of the Northlands lies tangled with their own. Only the magic of Dallandra and Valandario and the might of the powerful dragons, Arzosah and Rori, can reveal the secrets that may save the Northlands from conquest.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With only one installment left in Kerr's popular Deverry cycle, this 14th novel set in her fantasy realm of Annwn sets the stage for a climactic finale that fans have been anticipating since 1986's Daggerspell. The collective future of the humans, elves, dwarves, dragons and other fantastical inhabitants of Deverry is in jeopardy. Savage Horsekin tribes escalate their bloody assaults on Northlands settlements in the name of their goddess, Alshandra. As apprentice wizard Neb struggles to come to grips with his past life as the powerful sorcerer Nevyn, the magical island of Haen Marn suddenly reappears from nowhere, and few can agree whether this bodes well or ill. With multiple simultaneous plot lines, many of them dealing with relationships in past incarnations, pacing and continuity wallow, and the ending is merely an arrangement of chess pieces for the complex endgame of the final volume (tentatively titled The Silver Mage). (May)
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Review

“Katharine Kerr is both a good writer and a thorough Celtic scholar. Indeed, her work is beginning to invite comparisons with Katherine Kurtz’s massive Deryni saga.”
—Chicago Sun-Times

“Much as I dislike comparing anything to The Lord of the Rings, I have to admit that on this occasion it’s justified.”
—Interzone

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: DAW Hardcover; First Edition edition (May 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756404762
• ISBN-13: 978-0756404765
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,093,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The saga continues . . . and builds again, May 12, 2008

By 

S. W. Seretto "Waisass" (CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shadow Isle: Book Three of The Silver Wyrm (Hardcover)

My first reaction when seeing the note that The Shadowed Isle is not the last book in the great Deverry cycle was angst that I had to wait again for another book, then a great flood of relief, as I could not figure out how even the almighty Kit could have brought this series to a satisfactory ending in just one book after The Spirit Stone.

I wholeheartedly recommend the entire Deverry saga, and if you have not read them all, you are missing a great deal. It seems to me that DAW is trying to have the Silver Wyrm segment "stand alone" a bit, but that is practically impossible when you consider the lovely complexity of the entire set of works. The Shadow Isle is building up to another climax in a series that has already contained three impressive climaxes. Conflicts that span many lifetimes are coming to a head or being brought to a close, with new "knots" arriving in this novel that I certainly did not see coming, even having read and re-read every other book.

If you've read any of the other Deverry books, you already know you want this book - and probably pretty badly! If you have not read a Deverry book, start with Daggerspell and enjoy the journey. It's worth it.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kerr really doesn't get due credit for such a great series, May 9, 2008

By 

Alan R. Burton - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shadow Isle: Book Three of The Silver Wyrm (Hardcover)

I won't go into all the details in the book but it was a great read. I don't think Kerr is recognized enough for this great series. Though it is different from most fantasy series it is a very intriguing story that I have enjoyed for over 12 years when I first discovered Daggerspell.

I was under the impression this was the last book in the Deverry setting but luckily I was wrong after reading the Author's note regarding the upcoming Silver Mage series.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Katharine Kerr does it again, May 28, 2008

By 

Mr. Tedros Basil (Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Shadow Isle: Book Three of The Silver Wyrm (Hardcover)

When I got the email from Amazon.com telling me that the latest book from Katharine Kerr was about to be published, I immediately pre-ordered it and then counted the days until it arrived. For the first few days I just studied every part of the cover, front, back, inside and out. Then I dove in and just a few days later I am about to finish. The Shadow Isle explores in more detail story threads started in earlier books. The characters have their flaws, they are so fleshed out, and have been over many years for some, that one can see real growth and development. This book is not filled with battles and dramatic magics, it takes a more leisurely pace to fill in gaps, and set the scene and to give us time to get to know more about the players. As usual my big problem with these books is that they are just not long enough, i.e. they end. I just want them to go on forever. Thank you Ms Kerr for never disappointing.