Stewart is capable of evocative description, using uncommon words. He also incorporates the argot of sailing into his tale. This fantasy work tells the story of an island people in conflict with a land people with a mix-in of ghosts and heroes. In actuality the plot line is often obscure. Excessive use of dialog makes the story drag. In fact, I gave up after page 136. The writing is picturesque but the plot is slow-moving and obscure.