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157th out of 1,611 books
—
10,832 voters
Wit'ch Fire (The Banned and the Banished #1)
by
James Clemens (Goodreads Author)
On a fateful night five centuries ago, three mages made a desperate last stand, sacrificing everything to preserve the only hope of goodness in the beautiful, doomed land of Alasea. Now, on the anniversary of that ominous night, a girl-child ripens into the heritage of lost power. But before she can even comprehend her terrible new gift, the Dark Lord dispatches his winged...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
March 1st 1999
by Del Rey
(first published 1998)
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This is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. I was stunned and completely entranced by the introduction of the story. It starts out in such a unique and impacting way, and then get's better and better. It is a page-turner for sure, making it extremely difficult to put down.
The characters are interesting, complex, and well thought-out. They definitely add to the reason why this is such a great book. There are some characters that I will never forget--Such as one of the heroes, Er'ril of...more
The characters are interesting, complex, and well thought-out. They definitely add to the reason why this is such a great book. There are some characters that I will never forget--Such as one of the heroes, Er'ril of...more
8 likes · like · see review
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"Wit'ch Fire" begins James Clemens' 'Banned and Banished' series. In this first book, which is mostly introduction of the major characters, and a long story that gathers them in once place, you learn that this fantasy world has turned dark and evil over the centuries, and that a prophecy speaks of a single woman, a young girl, who might bring a beginning - or an end - to the world as it is known.
This girl, Elena, is a wonderful character. Gifted with the ability to wield a kind of blood magick n...more
This girl, Elena, is a wonderful character. Gifted with the ability to wield a kind of blood magick n...more
MY TAKE:
I remember having read this before, but I don’t remember liking it this much. It is a great adventure tale, reminiscent of Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings. This is a collection of a truly unique band of
individuals, each with a story and motivation of their own. They band
together to protect Elena, who has newly come into her power and is sought by the Dark Lord. There is a lot of sadness and grief in this story – the forging of the Blood Diary in the beginning with the
needed sacrifice...more
I remember having read this before, but I don’t remember liking it this much. It is a great adventure tale, reminiscent of Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings. This is a collection of a truly unique band of
individuals, each with a story and motivation of their own. They band
together to protect Elena, who has newly come into her power and is sought by the Dark Lord. There is a lot of sadness and grief in this story – the forging of the Blood Diary in the beginning with the
needed sacrifice...more
Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens is one that I just couldn't finish. In fact, I didn't get very far at all with it.
The story begins with a foreword; never a good sign. Info dump (i.e., background story of a bygone era where bad things happened) ensues. The problem with a forward like that is that the reader isn't invested in any way: not in the world and certainly not in the characters. I'll admit I skimmed through most of it.
Then the story begins. The writing is competent enough, but, ah, the story...more
The story begins with a foreword; never a good sign. Info dump (i.e., background story of a bygone era where bad things happened) ensues. The problem with a forward like that is that the reader isn't invested in any way: not in the world and certainly not in the characters. I'll admit I skimmed through most of it.
Then the story begins. The writing is competent enough, but, ah, the story...more
Nov 26, 2010
Tanabrus
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
in-inglese
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jun 19, 2009
Becka Sutton
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who don't mind formulaic fantasy
This book falls into a very unusual category for me. Books I don't especially like that I manage to finish. Since I only review books I finish this is one of the rare times you'll see a broadly negative review from me.
It took me two attempts. When I first bought it I tried to read it and gave up about a third of the way through. A few months later I uncovered it while tidying up and gave it another shot. This time I finished it, but I still wasn't entirely impressed.
This is Fantasy by the number...more
It took me two attempts. When I first bought it I tried to read it and gave up about a third of the way through. A few months later I uncovered it while tidying up and gave it another shot. This time I finished it, but I still wasn't entirely impressed.
This is Fantasy by the number...more
4 likes · like · see review
I'm not a reader of this kind of high fantasy (epic?), the only other series I can link this one to is The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien... it says a lot about my high fantasy culture *lol*. But I truly loved reading it.
Just like in TLR, we have a long and perilous quest to deliver the world of darkness, a bunch of different but allied characters, mythical creatures and of course a young hero/heroine whose destiny is bound with their world's fate.
But Wit'ch Fire has two things that Tolkien's saga...more
Just like in TLR, we have a long and perilous quest to deliver the world of darkness, a bunch of different but allied characters, mythical creatures and of course a young hero/heroine whose destiny is bound with their world's fate.
But Wit'ch Fire has two things that Tolkien's saga...more
1 like · like · see review
I haven't quite decided what I think of Wit'ch Fire yet. It was, at least, definitely good enough that I will read the next book in the series.
The story is a coming-of-age story, where the main MAIN character (there are several leading characters, but one is the one around whom all the other stories revolve) is a young girl with blossoming powers and a destiny that she will save and/or destroy the world. With her powers come the urge to abuse and destroy with them, which she must learn to contr...more
The story is a coming-of-age story, where the main MAIN character (there are several leading characters, but one is the one around whom all the other stories revolve) is a young girl with blossoming powers and a destiny that she will save and/or destroy the world. With her powers come the urge to abuse and destroy with them, which she must learn to contr...more
One of my all time go back and read again books. I was immediately hooked upon viewing the banned and banished blurb in the front cover. Who doesn't want to feel as if they are breaking the rules (even when the 'rules' are an obvious farce).
The characters absolutely make this book. Elena is a young girl that I related to immediately. Tasked with responsibilities that would make warriors cringe, she is able to succeed with the help of friends and not friends. Er'rol and his gruffness is so endea...more
The characters absolutely make this book. Elena is a young girl that I related to immediately. Tasked with responsibilities that would make warriors cringe, she is able to succeed with the help of friends and not friends. Er'rol and his gruffness is so endea...more
My rating is for the whole series. I really thought the story line from beginning to end was excellent. The characters were all well developed and their individual stories flowed together quite well. This series definately was the type to build upon itself with momentum for me.
That being said, while I enjoyed the storyline a great deal and my rating is four starts for it, I did have one very big problem with the books. Sometimes, to me, the witch, the main character, said things in a manner that...more
That being said, while I enjoyed the storyline a great deal and my rating is four starts for it, I did have one very big problem with the books. Sometimes, to me, the witch, the main character, said things in a manner that...more
I wanted to like this book. It started out interesting, but the middle rushed too fast and then the end was endless walking through caves. Although I'd like to know what happens to Elena and her brother, I went and read plot summaries rather than pick up future books in the series. Glad I did, as it didn't go where I was interested.
Jun 01, 2008
Rose
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Any fantasy lover (Senda)
Recommended to Rose by:
Senda
Shelves:
i-own-it
This is possibly my favorite fantasy series (next to Tad Williams and Tolkien) and it starts out in a captivating manner. The world is entirely original and beautiful and the characters are beyond wonderful and endearing. It's been a while since I read them, but my experience with reading these was phenomenal.
I hesitated between 2 and 3 stars, but finally settled on 2.
This book really disappointed me. I am sure it did not help that I read it at the same time as "The curse of Chalion" and "Paladin of souls". Wit'ch Fire really suffers badly from the comparison.
The author seems to try really hard to set up this series to be on the scale of Lord of the Rings, but it's not working. It felt almost as though he was working from a checklist of all the elements he needed to include, and checked them off one...more
This book really disappointed me. I am sure it did not help that I read it at the same time as "The curse of Chalion" and "Paladin of souls". Wit'ch Fire really suffers badly from the comparison.
The author seems to try really hard to set up this series to be on the scale of Lord of the Rings, but it's not working. It felt almost as though he was working from a checklist of all the elements he needed to include, and checked them off one...more
I liked this series, but seem to remember cringing at some prtty sexist plot-lines. (But apparently it wasn't enough to throw me off the series - which is something I am known for doing.) It was a pretty well-paced, original and interesting story.
The synopsis said it grabbed you and wouldn't let you go...I didn't find that. I've read a lot of fantasy and I suppose that after a while when you start one there is always a danger that you'll just get the feeling, "ya I've been here before". i suppose that might be what happened here, I'd seen it all before. It just didn't catch my interest.
I was in a pretty stressful time when i opened this book, but I was looking for something to read and ready for a good fantasy, a good epic fantasy as it...more
I was in a pretty stressful time when i opened this book, but I was looking for something to read and ready for a good fantasy, a good epic fantasy as it...more
2 likes · like · see review
Thoughts:
This book had a really fun beginning. Showing that the book we are about to read is a history of how the old world ended, and that it is nothing but lies. Promising, right? How many fantasy books start off like that? Not many so I was really excited to start out.
Within 20 pages, nothing big really popped out. The reader has read the prologue that gives us some history, and we're rushing on to meet our young heroine. Who is just coming into her powers and is now a hunted girl because of...more
This book had a really fun beginning. Showing that the book we are about to read is a history of how the old world ended, and that it is nothing but lies. Promising, right? How many fantasy books start off like that? Not many so I was really excited to start out.
Within 20 pages, nothing big really popped out. The reader has read the prologue that gives us some history, and we're rushing on to meet our young heroine. Who is just coming into her powers and is now a hunted girl because of...more
With the exception of the author's really annoying need to add random apostrophes to words and names (wit'ch, Sisa'kofa, gul'gothal, er'ril, Re'alto, etc) this is an entertaining book. Casual fans of traditional sword and sorcery fantasy will enjoy this book despite the artificial punctuation; though more dedicated fans looking for more meat may find the plot predictable. A young woman discovers that she is the reincarnated sorceress Sisa'kofa, and it falls upon her to stop the mysterious Dark O...more
This series is amazing, so easy to slip into the place of the main character and get tangled in the story. When I start reading, I just can't put it down.
If high-fantasy is your thing, then Clemens is your guy.
He is a little off the beaten path, but your wanderings will be well worth it.
Full of magic and mayhem, Wit'Ch Fire is the first in a series of 5 outstanding novels.
From the first words "First of all, the author is a liar" snared me and from there on out, I couldn't wait for the next book to hit the shelves.
You are lucky, all five are available right now! #yes #Iambitter
Not since Donaldson's Covenant series did I so eagerly await a fantasy...more
He is a little off the beaten path, but your wanderings will be well worth it.
Full of magic and mayhem, Wit'Ch Fire is the first in a series of 5 outstanding novels.
From the first words "First of all, the author is a liar" snared me and from there on out, I couldn't wait for the next book to hit the shelves.
You are lucky, all five are available right now! #yes #Iambitter
Not since Donaldson's Covenant series did I so eagerly await a fantasy...more
Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens is one that I just couldn't finish. In fact, I didn't get very far at all with it.
The story begins with a foreword; never a good sign. Info dump (i.e., background story of a bygone era where bad things happened) ensues. The problem with a forward like that is that the reader isn't invested in any way: not in the world and certainly not in the characters. I'll admit I skimmed through most of it.
Then the story begins. The writing is competent enough, but, ah, the story...more
The story begins with a foreword; never a good sign. Info dump (i.e., background story of a bygone era where bad things happened) ensues. The problem with a forward like that is that the reader isn't invested in any way: not in the world and certainly not in the characters. I'll admit I skimmed through most of it.
Then the story begins. The writing is competent enough, but, ah, the story...more
(This review may contain spoilers).
It took me a while to re-read this book, mostly because I've read this series so many times, I kept going to books I hadn't read before.
This series has always been one of my favourites. I loved fantasy books when I was younger and even though this series is dark, more horror fantasy, I still enjoyed it.
I felt this book was a good introduction to the world of Alasea and its characters. I found it easy to connect with each of the characters - and although multipl...more
It took me a while to re-read this book, mostly because I've read this series so many times, I kept going to books I hadn't read before.
This series has always been one of my favourites. I loved fantasy books when I was younger and even though this series is dark, more horror fantasy, I still enjoyed it.
I felt this book was a good introduction to the world of Alasea and its characters. I found it easy to connect with each of the characters - and although multipl...more
I love this adventure series even though it is a long read. it weaves a web of story around a girl Elena with extrordinary powers. I am reading the series a second time and it is even better the second time around because i am catching all the forshadowing that i missed when i first read it. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes adventure and can read 50 pages without blinking. But be warned, it is a very seductive story and should not be started without at least a weekend of free time...more
I don’t usually read too many fantasy books. I picked up this one mainly because the author, James Clemens, also writes awesome thrillers under the pen name James Rollins. One of the things I like about James Rollins is his superb writing style that always pulls me into any of his stories right from the get go. This story by James Clemens was no different. The many characters were all intriguing, the action was intense, and the pace was perfect…all of these things are what make, for me, a great...more
I originally reviewed this book on my blog - The Cosy Dragon. For more recent reviews by me, please hop over there.
Wit'ch Fire is part of The Banned and the Banished Chronicles. First we follow Elena, who is coming into her womanhood, then we add a dark magician, an un-aging man, a werewolf and an og're to the cast - all with likely important roles. There are plenty of characters to follow - it's a pity that the book didn't live up to my expectations at all.
First off, I love the prologue/forewor...more
Wit'ch Fire is part of The Banned and the Banished Chronicles. First we follow Elena, who is coming into her womanhood, then we add a dark magician, an un-aging man, a werewolf and an og're to the cast - all with likely important roles. There are plenty of characters to follow - it's a pity that the book didn't live up to my expectations at all.
First off, I love the prologue/forewor...more
Nadat verschillende mensen tegen mij hadden gezegd dat ik deze serie moest lezen, er toch maar aan begonnen.
De eerste 20 pagina's waren een verschrikking. Voorwoord en naschrift van het voorwoord, ik begrijp gewoon niet dat dit soort dingen in een boek worden geplaatst. Het stukje voor het eerste hoofdstuk was ook niet echt aan mij besteed. En met die 20 pagina's sloeg bijna de schrik om mijn hart, als die pagina's een voorbode zouden zijn voor de rest van het verhaal dan zou het snel afgelopen...more
De eerste 20 pagina's waren een verschrikking. Voorwoord en naschrift van het voorwoord, ik begrijp gewoon niet dat dit soort dingen in een boek worden geplaatst. Het stukje voor het eerste hoofdstuk was ook niet echt aan mij besteed. En met die 20 pagina's sloeg bijna de schrik om mijn hart, als die pagina's een voorbode zouden zijn voor de rest van het verhaal dan zou het snel afgelopen...more
This is the first in a five book fantasy series set in Alasea. It tells of a world that is bereft of magic powerful enough to combat the evil of the Dark Lord of Gul'gotha and his minions. For 500 years Alasea and its people have been under the rule of the Gul'gothan hoards, unable to break free, until finally they did not even remember that life had been different to how it was now. That is except for the whispered stories told as fables and legends of the last Mages and their final sacrifice.
E...more
E...more
I'm going to keep this short and sweet.
It was an okay fantasy book. It was never destined to blow me away but it still managed to entertain me, if not make me fall in love with it. The whole premise is actually very promising, but at the same time I just felt as if it lacked that extra verve to set it out from the pack.
The plot itself seems solid and well done for the series. However, for an individual book it feels like there isn't enough going on. And when what is going on isn't amazingly go...more
It was an okay fantasy book. It was never destined to blow me away but it still managed to entertain me, if not make me fall in love with it. The whole premise is actually very promising, but at the same time I just felt as if it lacked that extra verve to set it out from the pack.
The plot itself seems solid and well done for the series. However, for an individual book it feels like there isn't enough going on. And when what is going on isn't amazingly go...more
I really liked it. It's weird, it's kinda dark, but not too dark. It's kinda predictable but not too predictable. And I know it is very much a cookie cutter fantasy but sometimes I like cookie cutter fantasy novels, and it's fun, so I'm willing to let it slide some.
I will try to describe what I mean by cookie cutter fantasy though. I have found that a lot(sometimes it seems nearly all) fantasy since The Hobbit has been: "Hey, let's go on a quest!" "OK" "Gosh, this quest isn't all that you made...more
I will try to describe what I mean by cookie cutter fantasy though. I have found that a lot(sometimes it seems nearly all) fantasy since The Hobbit has been: "Hey, let's go on a quest!" "OK" "Gosh, this quest isn't all that you made...more
I found this fantasy to be full of interesting characters, creatures, and plots. I was not as bothered by the apostrophes as some of the other readers so it didn't distract from the storyline.
I thought that Elena, a 12 year old who just finds out that she is a witch after the death of her parents, was very believable in her fear and uncertainty of her new title. I also found the other characters to be interesting as well and they brought some different perspectives to the plots. Funny how one ma...more
I thought that Elena, a 12 year old who just finds out that she is a witch after the death of her parents, was very believable in her fear and uncertainty of her new title. I also found the other characters to be interesting as well and they brought some different perspectives to the plots. Funny how one ma...more
Despite the gratuitous use of apostrophes and a very weak attempt to create a dialect for his og're I enjoyed this one. It was a fast read and his characters were interesting. Granted they follow the typical fantasy 'party' make up familiar to anyone who has ever played or read D&D- warrior, barbarian, thief, druid, ranger, sage, mage/cleric- but it was still fun and the take on magic was interesting. The obligatory 'epic' battle scene towards the end was a bit clumsy- the writing was choppy...more
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James Rollins and James Clemens are two of the pen names of American veterinarian Jim Czajkowski (born 1961), author of bestselling fantasy and action-packed adventure-thrillers. He sold his veterinary practice in Sacramento, California, to concentrate full-time on writing.
James is an amateur spelunker and a certified scuba diver. These pastimes provide much fodder for his novels, which are often...more
More about James Clemens...
James is an amateur spelunker and a certified scuba diver. These pastimes provide much fodder for his novels, which are often...more
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