The Island

Starred review from March 30, 2009
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 15, 2009
When a preternatural storm followed by a tsunami drops a mysterious island off the shores of the port town of Pavmouth Breaks, the island's inhabitants offer to help the town's residents rebuild using their unfamiliar machine technology. Kel Boon, once part of a secret organization battling against incursions by "Strangers" from beyond the world, and his witch lover, Namior, soon suspect that the visitors are not what they seem. The Bram Stoker Award-winning author of "Fallen" has written a uniquely terrifying horror fantasy that contrasts the homey comforts of a small seaport town with horrors that come from the realm of nightmares. A standout choice for most dark fantasy readers.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2009
Lebbon adds another chapter to his Noreela mythos in this riveting horror fantasy. Kel Boon has been posing as a woodcarver in a tiny fishing village long enough for him to sink into his new life but not long enough to forget the old one, in which he was a member of the Core, a secret organization dedicated to tracking and killing the alien Strangers. When a mysterious island appears during a storm, causing a tsunami that destroys half the village, Kel distrusts the seemingly benign, helpful Komadians who arrive. The Core has long believed the Strangers are harbingers, and he thinks this may be the invasion they have always dreaded. Along with his lover, the witch Namior, Kel infiltrates the island, and what they discover is both tragic and horrifying. Less bleak then some other Noreela tales, this stand-alone story is a pulse-pounding adventure with visceral thrills and Lebbons signature moral ambiguity. Kel and Namior, strong characters with differing personalities, play off one another well, and Noreela is as inspired and fascinating as ever.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)