Isle of Fire facts for kids
Isle of Fire is an exciting adventure book written by Wayne Thomas Batson. It came out in 2008. This book is the second part of a series, following Isle of Swords. It's a pirate story, perfect for young readers, and it also shares some Christian ideas.
Contents
Story Summary
The story begins with Declan Ross, a former pirate. He has accepted an offer from the British government. This offer gives pardons to pirates who stop their illegal trade. Declan is now trying to convince other pirates to do the same. Meanwhile, there are whispers that Bartholomew Thorne, a very dangerous pirate thought to be dead, is actually alive and planning something terrible.
Cat, who has been staying with a group of monks, gets an important job. He is asked to lead a ship full of fighting monks. Their mission is to find a mysterious person known as The Merchant. Cat agrees, and with Declan Ross's permission, he chooses Anne to be his quartermaster.
While Declan Ross searches the seas for news of Thorne, Cat and Anne make a big discovery. They find The Merchant's secret underwater hideout! During a battle, Cat and Anne get separated from their friends. Anne manages to escape the hideout, but Cat is captured by The Merchant. Anne is rescued by Declan's ship, the Robert Bruce. Cat is trapped in a cell on The Merchant's ship. He faces a tough choice: become The Merchant's helper or die. The Merchant then sets up a meeting with Bartholomew Thorne. He offers to return Cat to his father, but Thorne, full of hate, refuses.
Meanwhile, Lady Dolphin, Commodore Blake, and their young friend Hopper sail to an island. Thorne was reportedly seen there. Lady Dolphin and Commodore Blake are captured by the Raukar. These are a tribe of people who are like ancient Vikings and follow Thorne. Hopper bravely manages to rescue Blake, but Lady Dolphin remains a prisoner. While she is held by Bartholomew, they both discover something shocking. Lady Dolphin is Thorne's daughter! Her mother was Heather, Thorne's wife who died in a fire. This news confuses the terrible pirate. Even though he isn't fond of Dolphin, he can't seem to stay away from her now.
With a large Viking-like army, Thorne sails to London. He attacks the city with a destructive and mysterious weapon of the Raukar: "fire rain." Thorne watches with satisfaction as he destroys the British Navy. He also causes chaos and fires in the British city. After this attack, he sails off to personally destroy the monastery where Cat used to live.
Declan Ross and Anne quickly learn about Thorne's terrible actions. They sail to defend the monastery. In front of the monks' home, they face Bartholomew in a sea battle. The fight gets even more intense when The Merchant's ship arrives, and a hurricane hits! During the fierce battle, Cat bravely escapes The Merchant's ship. That same ship soon sinks. Hopper and some of Ross's crew members rescue Dolphin. Several Raukar ships are destroyed by the hurricane. In a final showdown on Ross's ship, Declan, Cat, and Stede work together to defeat Thorne.
The damaged Robert Bruce and its crew survive the rest of the hurricane by staying in its calm center. They then return to the monastery in triumph. As the story ends, London is working hard to recover and rebuild. Cat approaches Declan with an important question.
Main Characters
Declan Ross
Declan Ross used to be a pirate, but now he is the kind captain of the ship Robert Bruce. He is brave and kind. Even when he was a pirate, he tried to avoid violence and showed mercy.
Anne Ross
Anne is Declan's daughter. She has red hair and is very spirited and proud. She loves the exciting life of sailing.
Cat
Cat is Bartholomew Thorne's son, but his father has disowned him. In this book, Cat struggles a lot with worry. He fears he might become like his terrible pirate father, especially because he sometimes looks or acts like him. Even though he sometimes gets angry, Cat is usually friendly. He has become especially fond of Anne. Cat lost most of his memories due to an injury, but he is a skilled sailor and a brave fighter.
Bartholomew Thorne
Bartholomew Thorne is the main villain of this story. He is known as one of the most feared pirates in the Caribbean because of his cruelty. A fire set by the English scarred his hands and voice. It also killed his favorite wife, Heather. Because his wife died, Thorne has a strong, hateful desire for revenge against the British.
The Merchant
"The Merchant" is a title passed down through a long line of evil men. Since ancient times, these men have traded in weapons, poisons, and other tools of war. The current Merchant is extremely evil and a deadly fighter. He lives in a dangerous network of underwater tunnels. He hopes to train Cat to be his helper, as he sees a lot of potential for evil in him.
Commodore Blake
Commodore Blake is a brave officer in the British Navy. He used to be Declan Ross's enemy, but now they are friends. He loses his job because his former quartermaster secretly betrayed him.
Lady Dolphin Blake
Lady Dolphin is the friendly and lively wife of Commodore Blake. She is an orphan and is trying to learn more about her mysterious past.
Hopper
Hopper is an orphaned boy who has recently been taken in by the Blakes. He is eager to please his new family and friends and tries his best to be helpful.
Stede
Stede is Declan Ross's quartermaster. He is very loyal and has a strong accent. He also has a powerful "thunder gun."
Red Eye
Red Eye is a "powder monkey" on the Robert Bruce. He got his name because one of his eyes is reddish and blind. This happened in an accident with gunpowder. He loves sharp and dangerous things, but he is a good friend and very loyal to Ross.
Jacques St. Pierre
Jacques St. Pierre is a master of explosives. He loves "things that go BOOM!" This elegant but dangerous Frenchman is another member of Declan's crew.
Jules
Jules is the largest and strongest crew member on Ross's ship. Like most of the men on the Robert Bruce, he is very dedicated to his captain and shipmates.
Nubby
Nubby is the fierce cook of the Robert Bruce. He has only one arm.
King George
King George is the German-speaking king of England. He speaks very little English. He was known as one of the most greedy kings in Britain.
Book Cover
The cover of Isle of Fire shows a Viking-like ship sailing in the front. In the background, there are many burning ships docked. Beyond them, you can see buildings on fire. This picture shows one of the final scenes in the story. In this scene, the villain Thorne sets the docks of England on fire.
Most versions of the book have a picture of a skull with two hammers crossed behind it. There is also a raven and an hourglass above each hammer. However, some online pictures show two crossed swords instead. This is the symbol seen on the cover of Isle of Swords. The crossed hammers on the Isle of Fire cover show Thorne's new alliance with the Viking-like Raukar tribe. The skull is a common symbol for pirates in the book. The raven represents the name of Thorne's previous ship. The hourglass likely shows that time is often running out for the characters in the story.
About Isle of Swords
Isle of Swords is the first book in this series. It was published on September 11, 2007, by Thomas Nelson.
