7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read, January 22, 2010
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 [...]
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Alternative History, September 3, 2011
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.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantasy spy reality, March 6, 2010
A fine novel where the unrealities of the spy trade, if you like, are not overshadowed by the fantasy.
The spies that work for Walsingham, with Swyfte as point man have it about as easy as they do on Spooks. That is, they are likely to die or fall apart a lot, and descend into vice. Here the spies have the added pressure of the Call of Cthulhu style investigator - there are actual horrors in the night that can drive you mad.
A secret war with the Unseelie is kept from the public eye, and even those involved do not know the whole story about what is going on, except right at the top - that is, Queen Elizabeth and her direct coterie.
A detente has been struck as Dr John Dee managed to erect a defense that lessened the depradations of the monsters upon English humanity, but those in other countries still suffer, particularly in Scotland. The inhumans are not happy about this, and are looking to gain back the advantage.
Swyfte and his Bond style exploits are used as PR and propaganda. There is also the very real conflict with Spain going on - so the secret agents have multiple enemies to deal with, and in fact, this novel is set during the time of the invasion of King Philip's Spanish Armada. In fact, Swyfte's Spanish counterpart plays a significant role.
Several items are key - the titular object and its very disturbing past, a Shield, and a Key. With these weapons, some rather more modern-style weapons of war are available to those controlling them.
More of Swyfte's adventures, along with his sardonic assistant Nathaniel can be found in the Solaris Book of Fantasy, the long story therein shedding further light on what is going on in the background to this Elizabethan milieu. Also a highly recommended piece.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
