SELECT * FROM uv_BookReviewRollup WHERE recordnum = 1586 Ison of the Isles, by Carolyn Ives Gilman Book Review | SFReader.com

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Ison of the Isles, by Carolyn Ives Gilman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Chizine Publications
Published: 2011
Review Posted: 9/17/2013
Reviewer Rating:
Reader Rating: Not Rated

Ison of the Isles, by Carolyn Ives Gilman

Book Review by David Hodge

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The story is set in the Forsaken Isles, which have been taken over by a continental power called Inning. The Forsakens are peopled by three races, the Adaina, the Torna, and the Lashnura. The Innings rule through the Torna. Rebellion has broken out, aided by elements of the Inning navy based in the Forsakens and crewed largely by Torna. The Innings pride themselves on their law reason and justice, but the Inning admiral in the Isles is a butcher. His brother is siding with the rebels, which doesn't improve his disposition any.

The islanders are divided, and only a special leader, called an Ison, can unite them. An Ison can only be made a certain way, by a curing ritual called dhota-nur, which can only be done by a particular Lashnura. The parties then become lovers (bandhotai).

The rebel forces try the military option, but their strength is in their devotion to their idea of balance and morality, which is of course not that of the Innings.

The fantasy element is a bit stifling (only this way), and manages to be pervasive, though not encountered at every turn, as in many novels.

This book is not free standing; it's the second in a series, and not the last, despite the note "About the Author," which says that the story is "concluded in Ison of the Isles." The story did not at all feel to be over.
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