- Paperback: 420 pages
- Publisher: Bantam (April 4 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0553820214
- ISBN-13: 978-0553820218
- Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 3.3 x 19.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 422 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #401,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"A sumptuous feast of fairytale, magic, dark gothic horror and romance."
--The Times
--The Times
Product Description
1588: rumours reach Queen Elizabeth's court of the reappearance of a legendary doomsday device. Originally from the East, its power has been fabled for millennia. Last used by the Moors when they invaded Spain, it had been lost for centuries but now Walsingham's spies believe it has surfaced in Seville, where Philip of Spain's men are frantically trying to track it down -- their intention to use it in a plot to murder England's queen.
Will Swyfte -- swordsman, adventurer, scholar, rake, and the greatest of this new breed of spy -- uncovers a plot within a plot that has, at its dark heart, the venomous world of Faerie. It seems the Unseelie Court wants the device for its own nefarious ends: to launch a devastating attack on England in revenge for the capture of the Faerie Queen. Caught in a deadly race against time, Will journeys from London to Edinburgh, to Seville and finally to Venice in pursuit of the fiendish device as Philip's Armada prepares for its naval assault on England, providing cover for the Faerie world's even more deadly, magickal attack.
Will Swyfte -- swordsman, adventurer, scholar, rake, and the greatest of this new breed of spy -- uncovers a plot within a plot that has, at its dark heart, the venomous world of Faerie. It seems the Unseelie Court wants the device for its own nefarious ends: to launch a devastating attack on England in revenge for the capture of the Faerie Queen. Caught in a deadly race against time, Will journeys from London to Edinburgh, to Seville and finally to Venice in pursuit of the fiendish device as Philip's Armada prepares for its naval assault on England, providing cover for the Faerie world's even more deadly, magickal attack.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read, Jan 22 2010
By Justin Blazier - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Silver Skull (Paperback)
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 [...]
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting alternative Historical fantasy., Feb 28 2010
By M. Wanchoo - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Silver Skull (Paperback)
Mark Chadbourn first wrote about Will Swyfte in the short story "Who Slays the Gyant, Wounds the Beast" in the Solaris Book of New Fantasy. The short story and setting was much appreciated and therfore in this novel Mark Chadbourn gives us a fuller story in this setting. The story is set in Elizabethean England and in this world the real enemies are the Fae who have preyed upon humanity for eons. England also faces its human foes in the form of the Spanish who have reason to be discontent due to religious & conquestorial differences.Will Swfte and his band of allies do their utmost to obstruct and obfuscate both their enemies. However they have a race against time to recover something which was stolen from the most secure location in London. This object being the titlular piece of this story, is a magical object which if reunited with certain other objects can spell doom for England. The story then takes place all over England , Scotland & even Continental Europe. The author has done a very fascinating job of tying in historical record with his imaginative story and many readers might enjoy the fusion. The tale not only focusses on Swyfte but also gives the readers many glimpses into the remaining character cast & it will be cool to see more of them in the sequel books particularly Nathaniel & R. Launceston.
I loved this book as while it has a stand-alone plot, there is also a greater story about which we learn in parts here and there & which hopefully bodes well for the future books as more history of this world is revealed. Mark Chadbourn has written a fascinating book & I'm definitely looking forward to "The Scar-Crow Men"(the 2nd book in the Swords of Albion series).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Alternative History, Sep 3 2011
By Arador - Published on Amazon.com
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.
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