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The Banned and the Banished #5
Wit'ch Star
Librarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here.
Rarely has a young writer won a place among the major talents in fantasy fiction as quickly as James Clemens. In the first four novels of his breathtaking epic, The Banned and the Banished, Clemens has woven an ever-deepening spell of wonderment with his boundless imagination and matchless storytelling gifts. Now he brings his saga to a masterful and breathtaking climax as the wit’ch Elena faces the unmasked evil of the Dark Lord for the final time in a cataclysmic conclusion that will shatter her understanding of all that has gone before. . . .
The three deadly Weirgates are destroyed but the threat of the Dark Lord remains. And so Elena and her companions have gone their separate ways to prepare for what is yet to come. Elena herself has journeyed to the beautiful city of A’loa Glen, there to recover her strength and spirit.
Enter Harlequin Quail.
Some might call him a fool, but the little man in the jester’s suit claims to be a spy. And he comes fresh from the foul fortress of Blackhall itself, where the Dark Lord dwells. There he uncovered things that spell certain doom– for a final Weirgate remains, the most potent one of all. And with it, in just one moon’s time, the Dark Lord will avenge his earlier defeat, destroying the heart of the land and ushering in a reign of evil without end. Only Elena, with the awesome magicks of the Blood Diary, has the power to stop him.
Blackhall is all but impregnable. And according to Quail, the Weirgate is well hidden, in a place known only to the Dark Lord himself.
Thus begins a desperate quest like no other. Hunted by the Dark Lord’s minions and threatened by clandestine betrayals, Elena and her brave companions reunite in the effort to locate the last Weirgate and destroy it. Along the way, many questions will be answered and illusions will be smashed. Brother will turn against brother, and the strongest bonds of magic and love will be tested to the breaking point . . . and beyond.
Rarely has a young writer won a place among the major talents in fantasy fiction as quickly as James Clemens. In the first four novels of his breathtaking epic, The Banned and the Banished, Clemens has woven an ever-deepening spell of wonderment with his boundless imagination and matchless storytelling gifts. Now he brings his saga to a masterful and breathtaking climax as the wit’ch Elena faces the unmasked evil of the Dark Lord for the final time in a cataclysmic conclusion that will shatter her understanding of all that has gone before. . . .
The three deadly Weirgates are destroyed but the threat of the Dark Lord remains. And so Elena and her companions have gone their separate ways to prepare for what is yet to come. Elena herself has journeyed to the beautiful city of A’loa Glen, there to recover her strength and spirit.
Enter Harlequin Quail.
Some might call him a fool, but the little man in the jester’s suit claims to be a spy. And he comes fresh from the foul fortress of Blackhall itself, where the Dark Lord dwells. There he uncovered things that spell certain doom– for a final Weirgate remains, the most potent one of all. And with it, in just one moon’s time, the Dark Lord will avenge his earlier defeat, destroying the heart of the land and ushering in a reign of evil without end. Only Elena, with the awesome magicks of the Blood Diary, has the power to stop him.
Blackhall is all but impregnable. And according to Quail, the Weirgate is well hidden, in a place known only to the Dark Lord himself.
Thus begins a desperate quest like no other. Hunted by the Dark Lord’s minions and threatened by clandestine betrayals, Elena and her brave companions reunite in the effort to locate the last Weirgate and destroy it. Along the way, many questions will be answered and illusions will be smashed. Brother will turn against brother, and the strongest bonds of magic and love will be tested to the breaking point . . . and beyond.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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About the author
James Clemens
43 books672 followersJames Clemens [Aka James Rollins] was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1961. With his three brothers and three sisters, he was raised in the Midwest and rural Canada. He attended the University of Missouri and graduated with a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1985. The lure of ocean, sun, and new horizons eventually drew him to the West Coast, where he established his veterinary practice in Sacramento, California, eventually settling for good in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
He is the author of The Banned and the Banished series (The Wit’ch War Saga) and The Godslayer Chronicles.
He is the author of The Banned and the Banished series (The Wit’ch War Saga) and The Godslayer Chronicles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
June 26, 2016
Wow...just freakin WOW!!
The first thing I have to get off my chest is the narrator of the story. Before each book, we get a little story of the writer of these retellings of the wi'tch in which he is cursed of immortality until he writes the story of Elena and her friends.
Now, I thought I knew who it was throughout all the books until this one...then I changed who I thought it was....then I was proved wrong. I absolutely LOVED being wrong and then surprised at the end.
Now, on to the story...so, we are at the end and maybe the final battle could have been a bit more climatic but in my eyes - I gave it a free pass because of all the battles leading up to this one was above par.
I'm totally sad that this series is over and would loved to have seen this played out on the big screen - I think it would have been a great summer movie hit!
The first thing I have to get off my chest is the narrator of the story. Before each book, we get a little story of the writer of these retellings of the wi'tch in which he is cursed of immortality until he writes the story of Elena and her friends.
Now, I thought I knew who it was throughout all the books until this one...then I changed who I thought it was....then I was proved wrong. I absolutely LOVED being wrong and then surprised at the end.
Now, on to the story...so, we are at the end and maybe the final battle could have been a bit more climatic but in my eyes - I gave it a free pass because of all the battles leading up to this one was above par.
I'm totally sad that this series is over and would loved to have seen this played out on the big screen - I think it would have been a great summer movie hit!
May 23, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed my reread of this series. It isn't flawless for sure but I do feel it deserves more credit than it is getting. Interesting mixture of epic fantasy and grimdark and of tropes and new ideas. The character growth and well rounded story line were particularly well done. It has its detractions but is well worth the read. The ending in particular was a bit rushed. Nevertheless I shall happily be returning to this in a few years time.
May 12, 2010
I was so sorry to see this series end. I fall in love with the characters and just what it to go on forever. I may now have to read one of his other series.
March 29, 2019
Overall, I like this series. It doesn't innovate, but it does everything else well. The evil is unquestionably evil. The good is challenged philosophically; how much harm can you do on your path to good? The characters grow. The pacing keeps you engaged. My only real complaint is that Clemens doesn't seem to evolve from book to book. It's as if all five books were written in one big volume, and split up into parts for publishing. The last book reads just like every other book in the series and doesn't have the oomph of a finale.
September 20, 2020
It took me a while longer to finish my re-read of this final volume in the series than I thought it would (to be fair, it's 700+ pages long), but I'm sad it's over. Re-reading this series has been like spending time with an old friend. I'll miss wandering through this world.
June 8, 2010
Wit’ch Star is a worthy finale to a wonderful fantasy series. I cannot recommend it enough. The Banned and the Banished series never became repetitive, and the character development throughout the books is a pleasure to experience. Even the plot of these books remained fresh; Clemens is able to avoid some of the major pitfalls many fantasy authors unfortunately fall into when attempting epic fantasy. >Wit’ch Star is also one of the best conclusions to a series I have ever read; everything is tied together, and we finally discover the author of the scrolls. (As a side note, another beloved fantasy author of mine invented almost the same ending, which makes me slightly disappointed in him, as Clemens’ novel came out first). I will be advocating for this series for years to come.
If you love fantasy, I strongly recommend you check out this series. I’m happy to lend out my copies!
If you love fantasy, I strongly recommend you check out this series. I’m happy to lend out my copies!
April 24, 2010
Good conclusion to the series. All the characters have their parts to play and there is a good buildup to the final battle. A new character was introduced although he didn't really feel very necessary. It did seem to end a little abruptly, but I confess to wanting to know how everybody's lives turned out; after five books I'd like to know everyone lived happily ever after. :)
I do like that the series actually does come to an end instead of just continuing forever. Remember when fantasy came out in trilogies?
I do like that the series actually does come to an end instead of just continuing forever. Remember when fantasy came out in trilogies?
January 5, 2021
Me voici enfin arrivée à la conclusion de cette saga fantastique.
S'il m'a fallu du temps, ce n'est pas tant à cause de la qualité du récit que par les trop nombreuses pauses que j'ai faites entre chaque tome, ou parfois même pendant ma lecture d'un seul tome. À refaire, je ne lirais ces livres qu'en vacances, genre pendant l'été. En effet, les très nombreux personnages principaux et secondaires, leurs noms et histoires personnelles particulières, étaient parfois difficiles à retenir pour peu que se soient écoulés 2 mois entre mes lectures. C'est une série à laquelle il faut se consacrer pleinement, le temps nécessaire à sa lecture totale. Sinon cela donne une fausse impression de longueur et de lourdeur.
En conclusion, c'est une bonne série fantastique que je suis très contente d'avoir découverte.
S'il m'a fallu du temps, ce n'est pas tant à cause de la qualité du récit que par les trop nombreuses pauses que j'ai faites entre chaque tome, ou parfois même pendant ma lecture d'un seul tome. À refaire, je ne lirais ces livres qu'en vacances, genre pendant l'été. En effet, les très nombreux personnages principaux et secondaires, leurs noms et histoires personnelles particulières, étaient parfois difficiles à retenir pour peu que se soient écoulés 2 mois entre mes lectures. C'est une série à laquelle il faut se consacrer pleinement, le temps nécessaire à sa lecture totale. Sinon cela donne une fausse impression de longueur et de lourdeur.
En conclusion, c'est une bonne série fantastique que je suis très contente d'avoir découverte.
September 7, 2018
Une fin superbe pour cette série qui m'a happée!
Malgré des longueurs, cette série fantasy m'a vraiment séduite, avec des personnages intéressants, des relations passionnantes, un traitement des relations de genre agréable, et un vrai scénario. Le dénouement final s'est fait attendre et a été un peu rapide, comme souvent dans ce genre de séries longues, mais il a répondu à un grand nombre de questions (pas toutes!) et ça se tient!
Je recommande complètement cette série, moins connue que d'autres, mais riche de ses personnages profonds et attachants et de ses intrigues originales et nombreuses!
Malgré des longueurs, cette série fantasy m'a vraiment séduite, avec des personnages intéressants, des relations passionnantes, un traitement des relations de genre agréable, et un vrai scénario. Le dénouement final s'est fait attendre et a été un peu rapide, comme souvent dans ce genre de séries longues, mais il a répondu à un grand nombre de questions (pas toutes!) et ça se tient!
Je recommande complètement cette série, moins connue que d'autres, mais riche de ses personnages profonds et attachants et de ses intrigues originales et nombreuses!
July 8, 2018
and so it ends;
took me a little less than two months to finally wrap everything up but it was all worth it
p323: "...it would make the four weirgates seem like a whore's glass baubles."
p329: she was not the only to make this connection.
p377: two quivers of arrows were crossed on his back.
p456: they fell with a scatter.
took me a little less than two months to finally wrap everything up but it was all worth it
p323: "...it would make the four weirgates seem like a whore's glass baubles."
p329: she was not the only to make this connection.
p377: two quivers of arrows were crossed on his back.
p456: they fell with a scatter.
May 30, 2018
http://arianafae.com/2018/05/witch-st...
I can't believe The Banned and Banished story is done and I have to close the book on these wonderful characters James Clemens created.
In WIT'CH STAR the stakes are even higher, the quests harder, the battles more bloody, the sacrifices more heart rendering, and the characters develop more-some shifting to the side of good and others to the side of evil...some you would be shocked to discover. Not only are there betrayals, there is love found and strengthened, motives finally revealed, and characters finding the strength within themselves to overcome the odds stacked against them.
WIT'CH STAR was a wonderful conclusion to the The Banned and Banished story. Although there is magic, epic battles, prophecies, and dangerous quests, in my opinion at it's heart WIT'CH STAR is about redemption and what one is willing to sacrifice for it. Out of the thousands of books I've read, The Banned and Banished books are one of the few that have a permanent spot on my bookshelves.
I can't believe The Banned and Banished story is done and I have to close the book on these wonderful characters James Clemens created.
In WIT'CH STAR the stakes are even higher, the quests harder, the battles more bloody, the sacrifices more heart rendering, and the characters develop more-some shifting to the side of good and others to the side of evil...some you would be shocked to discover. Not only are there betrayals, there is love found and strengthened, motives finally revealed, and characters finding the strength within themselves to overcome the odds stacked against them.
WIT'CH STAR was a wonderful conclusion to the The Banned and Banished story. Although there is magic, epic battles, prophecies, and dangerous quests, in my opinion at it's heart WIT'CH STAR is about redemption and what one is willing to sacrifice for it. Out of the thousands of books I've read, The Banned and Banished books are one of the few that have a permanent spot on my bookshelves.
January 12, 2024
My New Year's resolution is to stop getting myself invested in these long ass fantasy series because this ending just pissed me all the way off!!!
December 5, 2020
Das Buch hatte, wie alle anderen zuvor, einige sprachlich schwache Momente. Was es aber wirklich heruntergezogen hat, waren der immense Fokus auf Liebe und Lust und das enttäuschende Ende.
Die Charaktere sprechen zwar ständig davon, wie viele gestorben sind, doch von den Hauptcharakteren stirbt genau EINER. Der Rest kommt durch magische Rettung irgendwie immer zurück. Bei diesem krassen Endkampf hätte mindestens die Hälfte sterben müssen! Was interessiert mich ein Charakter, der vor 3 Büchern das letzte Mal aufgetaucht ist? Ich will Blut sehen! :D
Das Ende war auch sehr gerushed, es wirkte so, als wären dem Autor die Seiten ausgegangen und er musste Gas geben. An sich fand ich das Ende in Ordnung, einiges war definitiv gut vorbereitet (den "Autor" des Buches konnte man sich schon denken) und ich war dennoch überrascht. Ich fand nur Elenas Entscheidung, alle gleich zu machen, etwas plötzlich (dieses Thema wurde davor nie so richtig angeschnitten) und hätte mir auch gewünscht, dass sie nach einer letzten Verabschiedung tot bleibt.
Alles in allem war mir das Ende einfach viel zu schnell und gut. Nach all den Kämpfen und der großen Macht des Gegners hatte ich viel mehr Widerstand erwartet.
Ich finde es auch schade, dass das Schicksal der Überlebenden nicht mal angedeutet wird - sie gehen einfach getrennte Wege und das war's. Wie ist es mit den El'ven ausgegangen? Wie geht es mit den Nyphai weiter? Sind Der'endi und Mer'ai jetzt verbündet und bleiben zusammen? Was ist mit den Gebirgsleuten und Tyrus Burg? Was ist mit den Si'lura?
Und wie ist das alles in der Zukunft, zu der Vor- und Nachwort verfasst wurden? Sind das alles nur noch Menschen? Haben sie moderne Technologie? Es scheinen ja viele Jahrhunderte wenn nicht Jahrtausende vergangen zu sein.
Ein paar Fragen müssen und sollten nicht beantwortet werden, aber das waren mir dann doch ein paar zu viele und zu wichtige ...
Im Großen und Ganzen ist es schon eine gute Serie, aber die sprachlichen Schwächen, das soft magic system, der übertriebene Fokus auf Liebe/Lust und das enttäuschende Ende ziehen sie schon stark runter. Ich bin froh, sie gelesen zu haben, aber nochmal werde ich sie nicht lesen.
Die Charaktere sprechen zwar ständig davon, wie viele gestorben sind, doch von den Hauptcharakteren stirbt genau EINER. Der Rest kommt durch magische Rettung irgendwie immer zurück. Bei diesem krassen Endkampf hätte mindestens die Hälfte sterben müssen! Was interessiert mich ein Charakter, der vor 3 Büchern das letzte Mal aufgetaucht ist? Ich will Blut sehen! :D
Das Ende war auch sehr gerushed, es wirkte so, als wären dem Autor die Seiten ausgegangen und er musste Gas geben. An sich fand ich das Ende in Ordnung, einiges war definitiv gut vorbereitet (den "Autor" des Buches konnte man sich schon denken) und ich war dennoch überrascht. Ich fand nur Elenas Entscheidung, alle gleich zu machen, etwas plötzlich (dieses Thema wurde davor nie so richtig angeschnitten) und hätte mir auch gewünscht, dass sie nach einer letzten Verabschiedung tot bleibt.
Alles in allem war mir das Ende einfach viel zu schnell und gut. Nach all den Kämpfen und der großen Macht des Gegners hatte ich viel mehr Widerstand erwartet.
Ich finde es auch schade, dass das Schicksal der Überlebenden nicht mal angedeutet wird - sie gehen einfach getrennte Wege und das war's. Wie ist es mit den El'ven ausgegangen? Wie geht es mit den Nyphai weiter? Sind Der'endi und Mer'ai jetzt verbündet und bleiben zusammen? Was ist mit den Gebirgsleuten und Tyrus Burg? Was ist mit den Si'lura?
Und wie ist das alles in der Zukunft, zu der Vor- und Nachwort verfasst wurden? Sind das alles nur noch Menschen? Haben sie moderne Technologie? Es scheinen ja viele Jahrhunderte wenn nicht Jahrtausende vergangen zu sein.
Ein paar Fragen müssen und sollten nicht beantwortet werden, aber das waren mir dann doch ein paar zu viele und zu wichtige ...
Im Großen und Ganzen ist es schon eine gute Serie, aber die sprachlichen Schwächen, das soft magic system, der übertriebene Fokus auf Liebe/Lust und das enttäuschende Ende ziehen sie schon stark runter. Ich bin froh, sie gelesen zu haben, aber nochmal werde ich sie nicht lesen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2015
I have read the whole series of the “Wit’ch” books twice now, and while I have to say they are good stories, very creative with a lot happening, I find the writing style to be a little annoying at times, with the author alternating between an easy reading, practical style to a more flowery mode bordering on heroic. I got the impression he was trying a bit too hard to be clever.
There are numerous adventures within the whole series but the writer draws each episode out as far as he can by bogging down in too many details. Book Five seemed to be the worse for this and I got the inkling that he was stretching the story out as far as he could possibly go, to fill the pages in order to pack has much as he could into each book, so much so that it became monotonous and I was glad for the ending; like sitting waiting for the sun to come up over the horizon!
The amount of cliff-hangers within each book was also slightly annoying and tedious so that I ended up having to put the books down to have a break then pick them back up the following evening.
There are some similarities to the David Eddings’ series, but Clemens as been very subtle about it. However, after reading the fantasy Eddings’ series a number of times, I have spotted the correlations.
Clemens’ stories are broken up into other smaller books and, as a result, there are far too many characters, with different groups of characters all doing different things in different places at different times. Therefore it can be hard for the reader to remember who is doing what, where and when and with whom!
It might have been helpful to have had a full list of people, creatures and places in the back of the book as well as a Map of Gul’gotha in the front. I kept looking to where Elena’s group had travelled to in’ Book Four’ only to find no map reference to that part of the world.
I won’t be reading the series again. I think the long-windedness has but me off.
Still, having said all that, the adventures, plots, relationships between the characters, creatures, non-humans and imagination is all there and not a bad job at all!
There are numerous adventures within the whole series but the writer draws each episode out as far as he can by bogging down in too many details. Book Five seemed to be the worse for this and I got the inkling that he was stretching the story out as far as he could possibly go, to fill the pages in order to pack has much as he could into each book, so much so that it became monotonous and I was glad for the ending; like sitting waiting for the sun to come up over the horizon!
The amount of cliff-hangers within each book was also slightly annoying and tedious so that I ended up having to put the books down to have a break then pick them back up the following evening.
There are some similarities to the David Eddings’ series, but Clemens as been very subtle about it. However, after reading the fantasy Eddings’ series a number of times, I have spotted the correlations.
Clemens’ stories are broken up into other smaller books and, as a result, there are far too many characters, with different groups of characters all doing different things in different places at different times. Therefore it can be hard for the reader to remember who is doing what, where and when and with whom!
It might have been helpful to have had a full list of people, creatures and places in the back of the book as well as a Map of Gul’gotha in the front. I kept looking to where Elena’s group had travelled to in’ Book Four’ only to find no map reference to that part of the world.
I won’t be reading the series again. I think the long-windedness has but me off.
Still, having said all that, the adventures, plots, relationships between the characters, creatures, non-humans and imagination is all there and not a bad job at all!
January 2, 2013
This is the final (fifth) book in the Banned and the Banished series, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Clemens is not afraid to put his characters through the wringer, and his early-on death of some of the major characters in earlier books leaves you astounded at the fragility of it all. Given that the story is also being told by someone else, many many many (like, immortal-many) years later, you also know that something semi-bad happens at the end already, but it might be the narrative voice's bitterness showing (and who is the narrator, anyway?).
Clemens' world is one where elemental magicks are fairly common, and a dark corruption force is taking those with elemental abilities and turning them into dark mockeries of themselves. One woman, a wit'ch (Elena) has been given the task/fate/ability/curse of trying to stop it all from happening. As the good guys blur greyer and greyer, things get harsher and harsher for all of the characters you've grown to love, and you're sure it's all going to end with a bang and a whimper, but I didn't see the end that came coming. It was that good.
If you enjoy George R.R. Martin, and/or are sick to death of Robert Jordan's complete apathy for his fans, then these are the books for you!
Clemens' world is one where elemental magicks are fairly common, and a dark corruption force is taking those with elemental abilities and turning them into dark mockeries of themselves. One woman, a wit'ch (Elena) has been given the task/fate/ability/curse of trying to stop it all from happening. As the good guys blur greyer and greyer, things get harsher and harsher for all of the characters you've grown to love, and you're sure it's all going to end with a bang and a whimper, but I didn't see the end that came coming. It was that good.
If you enjoy George R.R. Martin, and/or are sick to death of Robert Jordan's complete apathy for his fans, then these are the books for you!
February 24, 2014
The Conclusion to the Banned and Bannished series left me aching and breathless. The characters are purely human and emotion shines through even at the worst of times. You can't help but feel it all as intense moments are around every chapter, and magic and corruption springs off the pages.
The ending, although it was the final conclusion and you are left of no doubt there is no more left... still, blatantly tells you there is more. Something not yet spoken, something not yet happening, and you are left gripping the pages in a foul mood that.... there is nothing left. It has finished. The journey, the adventures, the foes, the heroes... are all over. But somehow... it shouldn't be!
I loved this book. I loved this whole series with a passion and I read it faithfully, and with love and determination and a loyalty to the characters that probably bordered on obsession. Yes, I loved them all. Until the last page.
The ending, although it was the final conclusion and you are left of no doubt there is no more left... still, blatantly tells you there is more. Something not yet spoken, something not yet happening, and you are left gripping the pages in a foul mood that.... there is nothing left. It has finished. The journey, the adventures, the foes, the heroes... are all over. But somehow... it shouldn't be!
I loved this book. I loved this whole series with a passion and I read it faithfully, and with love and determination and a loyalty to the characters that probably bordered on obsession. Yes, I loved them all. Until the last page.
August 23, 2012
Enjoyed the last book in the series...up to the last chapter. A lot of loose ends were tied up, for better or worse. However there were some blatant open ends left so I was a bit surprised when the last chapter brought the story to an end where you find out who the 'immortal' narrator is and in a hasty rush, what happened to some of the other characters. I just think there could have been a more detailed conclusion for the characters. Other than that, it was a not stop roller coaster ride of fighting, possession, schemeing and as usual, the fight against good & evil.
November 3, 2018
Decent ending to this story overall - the final battle certainly met 'epic climax' expectations so that part especially was fun to read! This final book in the series featured the tightest writing in terms of the plot, & in my opinion the most key character development. I only wish the previous 4 books had been like this one.
I still have certain Issues with a couple of things in this series, but overall an okay read for a classic epic fantasy. If I never see race names with unnecessary apostrophes ever again, it will be too soon.
I still have certain Issues with a couple of things in this series, but overall an okay read for a classic epic fantasy. If I never see race names with unnecessary apostrophes ever again, it will be too soon.
May 28, 2010
What a fabulous series. All the bits that needed tying up were and everything made sense. It hurt when characters were killed off, but hey, that's the way it should be. I'm off to see what else Clemens has published. Have to say I'ma little sad I've finished this series.
January 18, 2009
Gripping to the very end. I was sorry to have finished. Luckily, I have managed to get my mom into the series :)
January 6, 2016
Gelukkig is het slot van de reeks beter dan het vorige deel.
Een mooie afsluiter van een prachtige reeks.
Een mooie afsluiter van een prachtige reeks.
August 16, 2012
The ending was a little outside of what I would expected, but I was definitely intrigued in it and enjoyed it.
October 27, 2015
It was an amazing story .cool.
I loved it
I loved it
February 19, 2013
Without a doubt, I have to start this off by saying this is the best of the Banned and the Banished series. Something seemed to change between book 3 and book 4 - the writing had vastly improved and the characters were actually showing some semblance of depth and development. It was a refreshing uplift to the entire series.
Wit'ch Star followed through with that, and the writing quality - as far as it goes for this series - was very spot on. Obviously still not perfect - no writing is. But considering its very, very shaky roots, this was really enjoyable to read and I'm pleased it turned out that way.
Spoilery bits after the cut ~
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm amused to admit that I had a lot more fun reading these than I'd originally anticipated, especially once the story picked up in Gate. It's highly unlikely I'll read them again, but I'm happy to have them on my bookshelf. Not only because they were a gift, but because they collectively rather remind me of the internet-wide obsession for exceptionally aderpable animals.
Wit'ch Star followed through with that, and the writing quality - as far as it goes for this series - was very spot on. Obviously still not perfect - no writing is. But considering its very, very shaky roots, this was really enjoyable to read and I'm pleased it turned out that way.
Spoilery bits after the cut ~
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm amused to admit that I had a lot more fun reading these than I'd originally anticipated, especially once the story picked up in Gate. It's highly unlikely I'll read them again, but I'm happy to have them on my bookshelf. Not only because they were a gift, but because they collectively rather remind me of the internet-wide obsession for exceptionally aderpable animals.
August 2, 2022
Suite à l’avant dernier volet plus que renversant, je n’ai pas eu envie d’entrecouper mes lectures et me suis directement plongé dans la suite des aventures d’Elena et ses nombreux compagnons de route. Malheureusement et quand bien même j’ai apprécié cet ultime épisode, ce dernier m’a semblé manquer de panache et d’audace en comparaison de ce que nous a précédemment offert James Clemens.
En effet et pour la première fois, j’ai ressenti certaines longueurs dans le déroulement de l’intrigue. Sans pour autant manquer de piment, L’Étoile de la Sor’cière manque parfois cruellement d’action et de punch. Je ne suis pas habitué à ce que l’auteur s’attarde tant et cela m’a parfois dérangé et freiné dans mon immersion. D’autant plus que certains retournements de situations ou d’autres révélations ne m’ont pas semblé à la hauteur de toutes les promesses laissées présager dans ses précédents écrits même si ce dernier le laisse aucune question en suspend. Ainsi et quand bien même j’ai apprécié découvrir la conclusion de cette série, cette dernière se démontre réussie mais souffre d’un manque d’apothéose et se dévoile peu spectaculaire et fortement linéaire. James Clemens semble alors prendre que trop peu de risques et après avoir fait braver tant et tant de dangers à ses personnages, je m’attendais à une finalité épique et bouleversante et ce ne fut pas tout fait le cas. Ce dernier suit le schéma traditionnel du genre et seule la poésie de sa conclusion sauve la donne. Indéniablement, le titre de ce dernier volume est des plus évocateur et pourtant je ne m’attendais pas à autant de poésie et encore moins à de magie. Celle-ci baigne et immonde totalement l’univers de l’auteur et se veut d’une puissance renversante. C’est pourquoi, en réalité et avec quelques passages réduits, je suis certain que ma lecture aurait été bien moins monotone et toute aussi excellente.
Néanmoins et peu importe ces légers manques, je suis plus que triste de devoir faire mes adieux aux attachants et éloquents personnages composant cette palpitante et magistrale épopée. L’auteur mise bien plus sur ces derniers que sur son intrigue et cela se ressent totalement. Ainsi, chacun se dessine à son apogée dans cet épisode et tous auront le droit à leur propre conclusion même si, au vu de leur toujours plus important nombre, certains traitement peuvent sembler manquer de profondeur. Néanmoins et en ce qui concerne les personnages principaux, j’ai adoré les choix réalisé par James Clemens quant à Elena et Joach, tant chacun d’eux s’est à nouveau vu mis à nu lors de cette ultime bataille. Ces protagonistes centraux brillaient déjà grâce à leur construction ainsi que leur profondeur et j’en ai été encore davantage saisi par leur complexité et leur moralité durement mis à l’épreuve. Mieux encore, l’auteur boucle la boucle avec réussite et brio en apportant toutes les réponses à nos questions. Les identités encore secrètes sont dévoilées et j’ai été surpris de découvrir qui se cachait derrière l’auteur de ces livres interdits. Finalement, ce dernier laisse des pistes dans chacune de ses œuvres et bien que plus qu’évident, j’ai réussi à me faire surprendre par ce choix plus que certain.
Enfin et malgré une narration légèrement plus bancale et moins entrainante qu’à l’accoutumé, James Clemens apporte un point final des plus juste quand bien même l’absence d’audace et d’ambition. Ainsi, j’ai pris un incroyable plaisir à suivre les dernières aventures d’Elena et sa bande de parias à laquelle je me suis plus qu’attaché et que je ne suis pas prêt d’oublier.
En effet et pour la première fois, j’ai ressenti certaines longueurs dans le déroulement de l’intrigue. Sans pour autant manquer de piment, L’Étoile de la Sor’cière manque parfois cruellement d’action et de punch. Je ne suis pas habitué à ce que l’auteur s’attarde tant et cela m’a parfois dérangé et freiné dans mon immersion. D’autant plus que certains retournements de situations ou d’autres révélations ne m’ont pas semblé à la hauteur de toutes les promesses laissées présager dans ses précédents écrits même si ce dernier le laisse aucune question en suspend. Ainsi et quand bien même j’ai apprécié découvrir la conclusion de cette série, cette dernière se démontre réussie mais souffre d’un manque d’apothéose et se dévoile peu spectaculaire et fortement linéaire. James Clemens semble alors prendre que trop peu de risques et après avoir fait braver tant et tant de dangers à ses personnages, je m’attendais à une finalité épique et bouleversante et ce ne fut pas tout fait le cas. Ce dernier suit le schéma traditionnel du genre et seule la poésie de sa conclusion sauve la donne. Indéniablement, le titre de ce dernier volume est des plus évocateur et pourtant je ne m’attendais pas à autant de poésie et encore moins à de magie. Celle-ci baigne et immonde totalement l’univers de l’auteur et se veut d’une puissance renversante. C’est pourquoi, en réalité et avec quelques passages réduits, je suis certain que ma lecture aurait été bien moins monotone et toute aussi excellente.
Néanmoins et peu importe ces légers manques, je suis plus que triste de devoir faire mes adieux aux attachants et éloquents personnages composant cette palpitante et magistrale épopée. L’auteur mise bien plus sur ces derniers que sur son intrigue et cela se ressent totalement. Ainsi, chacun se dessine à son apogée dans cet épisode et tous auront le droit à leur propre conclusion même si, au vu de leur toujours plus important nombre, certains traitement peuvent sembler manquer de profondeur. Néanmoins et en ce qui concerne les personnages principaux, j’ai adoré les choix réalisé par James Clemens quant à Elena et Joach, tant chacun d’eux s’est à nouveau vu mis à nu lors de cette ultime bataille. Ces protagonistes centraux brillaient déjà grâce à leur construction ainsi que leur profondeur et j’en ai été encore davantage saisi par leur complexité et leur moralité durement mis à l’épreuve. Mieux encore, l’auteur boucle la boucle avec réussite et brio en apportant toutes les réponses à nos questions. Les identités encore secrètes sont dévoilées et j’ai été surpris de découvrir qui se cachait derrière l’auteur de ces livres interdits. Finalement, ce dernier laisse des pistes dans chacune de ses œuvres et bien que plus qu’évident, j’ai réussi à me faire surprendre par ce choix plus que certain.
Enfin et malgré une narration légèrement plus bancale et moins entrainante qu’à l’accoutumé, James Clemens apporte un point final des plus juste quand bien même l’absence d’audace et d’ambition. Ainsi, j’ai pris un incroyable plaisir à suivre les dernières aventures d’Elena et sa bande de parias à laquelle je me suis plus qu’attaché et que je ne suis pas prêt d’oublier.
July 7, 2023
The grand finale in James Clemens's final volume of his The Banned and the Banished series took a bit too long to finale itself, in my opinion. The final battle, which initially takes place on two continents and involves the entire cast of primary and secondary characters, lasts 80 pages. That's a lot of lot of shouting and cursing and rallying and fighting and killing and dying and not-dying and dying again. The whole sequence was exhausting to read.
When Clemens finally got to the ending, though, it was a pretty good one. And, at last, the two framing devices for the series made sense. I appreciated the frame-within-the-frame (concerning the "true" author of the books), but the "guardians of the Commonwealth" frame was kind of a dud, I thought. It didn't particularly add to the mystique of the series; in fact, it seemed to work against it. Even the final reveal on the last page of the book was not quite enough to warrant the Commonwealth framing device.
Speaking of things that didn't work, Harlequin Quail was another dud. He was introduced as a sort of roguish mystery dude, but Clemens either didn't use him enough to make him matter, or couldn't really figure out how to successfully inject a late-story, "is he an ally or a foe in disguise"-type character. Either way, Harlequin fell flat as a pancake for me. And he's on the cover of this volume!
What else didn't work? Well, Clemens finally delivered on the creepy thing he'd been hinting at for several volumes: Elena, our 15-year-old protagonist, lost her virginity to Er'ril, a 500-year-old formerly immortal man. But it's OK, because after all Elena had been through she's now wise beyond her years, and also because Er'ril had stopped maturing waaaay back when he became immortal as a young man. (#sarcasm) Sorry, Clemens: I don't think using your main character's traumas to rationalize an impossibly old man having sex with a minor makes statutory rape OK. Even if statutory rape isn't a thing in this olde timey fantasy world you've created. Also, yuck.
But hey, we all knew this was coming about 800 pages ago, so I just gritted my teeth and skimmed paragraphs until it was over.
Putting all the things that didn't work aside, however, Wit'ch Star wrapped up this saga well enough for me. I've been thinking about whether I'd ever re-read this series, and I think the answer is no. The first and fourth books were really awesome. But the others didn't quite blow my socks off. It's a solid series, well told, and with some really good characters. But in the end it's the kind of story I'm happy to have experienced a single time.
When Clemens finally got to the ending, though, it was a pretty good one. And, at last, the two framing devices for the series made sense. I appreciated the frame-within-the-frame (concerning the "true" author of the books), but the "guardians of the Commonwealth" frame was kind of a dud, I thought. It didn't particularly add to the mystique of the series; in fact, it seemed to work against it. Even the final reveal on the last page of the book was not quite enough to warrant the Commonwealth framing device.
Speaking of things that didn't work, Harlequin Quail was another dud. He was introduced as a sort of roguish mystery dude, but Clemens either didn't use him enough to make him matter, or couldn't really figure out how to successfully inject a late-story, "is he an ally or a foe in disguise"-type character. Either way, Harlequin fell flat as a pancake for me. And he's on the cover of this volume!
What else didn't work? Well, Clemens finally delivered on the creepy thing he'd been hinting at for several volumes: Elena, our 15-year-old protagonist, lost her virginity to Er'ril, a 500-year-old formerly immortal man. But it's OK, because after all Elena had been through she's now wise beyond her years, and also because Er'ril had stopped maturing waaaay back when he became immortal as a young man. (#sarcasm) Sorry, Clemens: I don't think using your main character's traumas to rationalize an impossibly old man having sex with a minor makes statutory rape OK. Even if statutory rape isn't a thing in this olde timey fantasy world you've created. Also, yuck.
But hey, we all knew this was coming about 800 pages ago, so I just gritted my teeth and skimmed paragraphs until it was over.
Putting all the things that didn't work aside, however, Wit'ch Star wrapped up this saga well enough for me. I've been thinking about whether I'd ever re-read this series, and I think the answer is no. The first and fourth books were really awesome. But the others didn't quite blow my socks off. It's a solid series, well told, and with some really good characters. But in the end it's the kind of story I'm happy to have experienced a single time.
March 1, 2025
Another enthralling, engrossing page turner - the last in this series.
It has a lot of death in it, as did the other 4 books in this series. I'm not crazy about so much death, and likely wouldn't have picked it up originally had I known. But by the end of book 1, I wanted to know what happened, so I pressed on - but not at breakneck speed. I left it for 3 years between book 4 and 5 (and another 3 years between books 3 and 4).
The author does a good job of reminding us what's happened previously, even if we've left the series aside for some time. I didn't feel like I was missing any vital information after that long gap - he filled in the necessary blanks.
It's extremely well written and a real page turner. Despite it being three times as long as my usual book size, I read it in the same about 3 weeks that I usually take to read a book - a testament to its enthralling, page-turner nature. Definitely don't let the thickness of the book put you off! It allows the story to be rich and deep.
But if you get really attached to characters, as I do, and you've not yet started this series, I would caution against it. There is just so very much death. If you've begun, maybe just think about spacing out the future books, taking a breather from it.
And now, I can pass this set on to the next person, and reclaim half a bookshelf!
It has a lot of death in it, as did the other 4 books in this series. I'm not crazy about so much death, and likely wouldn't have picked it up originally had I known. But by the end of book 1, I wanted to know what happened, so I pressed on - but not at breakneck speed. I left it for 3 years between book 4 and 5 (and another 3 years between books 3 and 4).
The author does a good job of reminding us what's happened previously, even if we've left the series aside for some time. I didn't feel like I was missing any vital information after that long gap - he filled in the necessary blanks.
It's extremely well written and a real page turner. Despite it being three times as long as my usual book size, I read it in the same about 3 weeks that I usually take to read a book - a testament to its enthralling, page-turner nature. Definitely don't let the thickness of the book put you off! It allows the story to be rich and deep.
But if you get really attached to characters, as I do, and you've not yet started this series, I would caution against it. There is just so very much death. If you've begun, maybe just think about spacing out the future books, taking a breather from it.
And now, I can pass this set on to the next person, and reclaim half a bookshelf!
October 21, 2017
Holy CRAP this book is amazing! I love this series so much, but this finale is on a whole different level! The end made me feel every emotion known to man and my heart is still aching. James Clemens said a long, long time ago that he might come back to this series some day, and I desperately hope that he does. Because even though this series is enormous and spans years, the end also feels like a beginning. I have so much to say about this book and this series as a whole, but my brain is all whacked out from emoting so much for so long (I marathon read the final portion of this book) that I can't really articulate all my feelings properly right now. I hope to come back to this review and add to it later. (I especially have a lot to say about Er'ril and Elena's relationship and how aware they both are of how wrong their love would be under any other circumstances... I really love the way their relationship was dealt with, it's really beautifully done. I need to go recover now... this series is so damn stressful. But in the best kind of way.
December 13, 2023
This book had a lot of potential, but in the end this felt like a very forced and rushed conclusion with none of the story arcs being wrapped up in a satisfying manner. Much of the book is wasted on detailed action sequences which would have been better spent building a compelling story. In the very last section of the book we finally meet the "Dark Lord". There is some quick exposition which reveals an interesting back story that raises questions about morality that would have been good to develop maybe 2 books ago... But instead, we're subjected to repetitive action scenes interspersed with corny romances that make no sense. The whole thing reads like a cheesy 90's action movie... All this set to a backdrop of magic that gives the author license to do just about anything without explanation because "magic!".
I wont even get started on the "from first bleed to first blood" thing...
I wont even get started on the "from first bleed to first blood" thing...
March 3, 2021
A fitting conclusion to the series, with most plot lines wrapped up in a nice bow. A few deus ex machina moments to help the characters along meant the stakes didn't feel as high. Not sure about the necessity of the two (!) framing devices - I guessed one a book ago and the other was pretty obvious from the circumstances of this book.
Overall, I'd say the series is worth reading if you have extra time on your hands and you're looking for an easy-to-devour fantasy story. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone, though. There are definitely some troubling relationship aspects, as the author seems to enjoy partnering very young women with much older men (including a born-yesterday trope) and the fantasy races tend to be ranked according to their utility to the main character.
Overall, I'd say the series is worth reading if you have extra time on your hands and you're looking for an easy-to-devour fantasy story. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone, though. There are definitely some troubling relationship aspects, as the author seems to enjoy partnering very young women with much older men (including a born-yesterday trope) and the fantasy races tend to be ranked according to their utility to the main character.
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