Isle of Swords facts for kids

Isle of Swords is a thrilling pirate novel written by Wayne Thomas Batson. It was first published in 2007. The story is about brave sailors, daring pirates, and a secret group of monks. They are all trying to find a huge treasure called the Treasure of Constantine. A second book, Isle of Fire, came out in 2008.

The cover of Isle of Swords

The Story of Isle of Swords

The adventure begins for the crew of the William Wallace when Anne, the daughter of Captain Declan Ross, finds a young man. He is unconscious on a lonely island. The boy was badly hurt, and when the kind crew helps him, he cannot remember anything about his past. He quickly becomes friends with the crew, especially Anne. They can only guess he was a pirate because he sails so well. They name him Cat because he survived his injuries like a cat.

Later, Captain Ross stops at a monastery. The monks there ask him to take one of their own, Padre Dominguez, aboard his ship. They need to keep him safe. This is because a very valuable map is tattooed on Dominguez's back. This map leads to the Isle of Swords, where the famous Treasure of Constantine is hidden. The monks know that a dangerous pirate named Bartholomew Thorne wants this treasure. He is also after Dominguez.

On their way to the Isle of Swords, the ship stops at an island. This island seems a little familiar to Cat. Anne and Cat were told to stay on the ship. But Anne convinces Cat to sneak away with her. Cat agrees, even though he knows it's wrong. They go ashore to look for clues about his past. They find an old pirate hideout that looks like it had a terrible past. To Cat's surprise, the place feels a bit familiar. While trying to leave, Cat and Anne are captured by British soldiers. Commodore Blake leads the soldiers. They think the two young pirates know something about the fort and where Bartholomew Thorne is.

Anne manages to escape and tells her father, Declan, about Cat's trouble. Ross gathers some men to help. With their local friend Jacques St. Pierre, they bravely rescue Cat from the British jail. Jacques joins them, and the William Wallace crew sets sail again.

After being punished for sneaking off, Cat and Anne officially join the crew. Later, Ross stops at another island to get supplies. While he is away, Thorne attacks the William Wallace. He burns the ship and takes Anne and Padre Dominguez as prisoners.

When Ross finds out, he is very upset. But he quickly decides to get Anne back. With his remaining crew, including Cat, he buys a new ship. They begin to chase Thorne.

In one of Bartholomew's strongholds, two of Thorne's crewmen hurt Dominguez. This damages part of the map on his back. Thorne then tries to force the monk to explain the missing parts of the map. When Dominguez refuses, Bartholomew threatens Anne. Dominguez then tells Thorne everything. Thorne is satisfied. He leaves Padre in his cell and takes Anne with him to the Isle of Swords.

Ross is close behind Thorne, but not close enough to save Dominguez. When he finds Bartholomew's empty fort, Padre is almost dead. The monk tells Ross that Anne is still alive, and then he dies.

In a final battle on the Isle of Swords, Thorne's crew and Ross's crew fight. The battle ends when Thorne realizes that Cat is his son. Thorne gains the upper hand. He ties Cat, Ross, and Anne to pillars in the treasure room. A nearby volcano starts to erupt, making the room unstable. The rest of Ross's crew is forced to join Thorne. Thorne leads them to his ships to load the treasure.

With some secret help from Stede, Cat, Anne, and Ross escape. Ross is hurt. They get to their ship, and a sea battle begins. Ross's crew members who were forced to join Thorne sabotage his ships. Then they escape back to Declan's side. Commodore Blake also joins the fight. Ross had secretly told him where Thorne was. Thorne is captured, and Ross is invited to talk with the British.

At the meeting with the Commodore, Ross starts to make a peaceful offer. He suggests that pirates who stop their ways could be pardoned. Suddenly, a huge tidal wave hits the town. It completely covers the prison where Thorne was held. The Commodore, Declan, and his group rush to the jails. To their shock, Bartholomew has disappeared.

Main Characters

• Declan Ross - He is the pirate captain of the William Wallace. He is a brave and kind man. Even though he is a pirate, he tries to avoid violence and shows mercy.
• Anne Ross - She is Declan's daughter. She has red hair, is spirited, and loves the exciting life at sea.
• Cat - A friendly young man who likes Anne. He lost most of his memories because of an injury. But he is a skilled sailor and a brave fighter.
• Bartholomew Thorne - He is the main villain of the story. He is known as one of the most dangerous pirates in the Caribbean because of his cruelty. He has a strong dislike for the British.
• Padre Dominguez - A quiet, tall monk. He is also a very good fighter. A map to the Isle of Swords is tattooed on his back.
• Commodore Blake - A brave leader in the British Navy. Even though he is Ross's enemy, he respects the honorable pirate.
• Nigel - He is Blake's trusted helper.
• Stede - Declan Ross's quartermaster. He is very loyal and has a strong accent. He carries a powerful "thunder gun."
• Scully - A small, sneaky man who works for Thorne. He mostly acts as a messenger and spy.
• Red Eye - A crew member on the William Wallace. He is called "Red Eye" because one of his eyes is reddish and blind from a past accident with gunpowder. He loves sharp and dangerous things, but he is a good friend and very loyal to Ross.
• Jacques St. Pierre - He loves anything that goes "BOOM!" This elegant and dangerous Frenchman joins Declan's crew during the book.
• Jules - He is Ross's biggest and strongest crew member. Like most of the men on the ship, he is very loyal to his captain and shipmates.
• Nubby - The tough, one-armed cook of the William Wallace.
• Drake - The oldest crew member on the William Wallace. He follows the rules of the sea and believes in superstitions.

Where and When the Story Happens

The story mostly takes place in the real-world Caribbean Sea and in the North Atlantic Ocean. The book does not give exact dates. However, since muskets are used and slavery is mentioned (though disliked), the story likely happens in the 18th century.

The Next Adventure

The next book in the series, Isle of Fire, was released on September 9, 2008.