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The Witches of Eileanan
(The Witches of Eileanan #1)
by
In the Celtic land of Eileanan, witches and magic have been outlawed, and those caught for practicing witchcraft are put to death! It is a land ruled by an evil Queen, where sea-dwelling Fairgean stir, and children vanish in the night. But in a valley deep in the mountains, young Isabeau grows to womanhood under the guidance of an elderly witch, and must set out on a quest
...more
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Mass Market Paperback, 411 pages
Published
July 1st 1998
by Roc
(first published January 1st 1997)
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Showing 1-30

Start your review of The Witches of Eileanan (The Witches of Eileanan, #1)

I wrote it, so I have to say it was amazing! Besides, it changed my life. I went from starving wanna-be-writer to internationally bestselling author practically overnight. You've got to find that amazing!
...more

Really looking forward to rereading this baby soon. Although it is no longer my 'favorite ever book' it's still a favorite & will also hold a very very special place in my heart forever. The only bad thing about this series is the dialogue but when you get used to it, you are seriously in for a special treat <3
...more

An excellent start to a six part series, this first episode had me enthralled all the way through as apprentice witch Isabeau and her ancient mentor Meghan start on their quest to restore magic to the land of Eileanan and depose the wicked queen who has enthralled their ruler.
Kate Forsyth has created a wonderful, fully realised fantasy world of magic creatures, fabulous dragons and evil enemies. With such a solid basis, the rest of the series promises to be excellent.

The pages o' this book are filled with descriptions o' everything using dialect o' faux Scotland that made me want to find a stick o' sharpness and stab myself.
...more

Feb 21, 2018
Krystal
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dnf,
disappointments,
struggletown,
aussie-authors,
light-fantasy,
delayed-review,
owned,
utter-trash
I still have a bookmark wedged in this one at page 162 but I don't see myself re-attempting it any time soon.
It's such a dull start and I HATE when spelling is forfeited to convey an accent; particularly here because I can't understand an Irish accent at the best of times. It took me so much extra effort to work out what they were saying.
There's a grand total of three characters, and they're dull and do dull things. I got as far as the old lady going to talk to a dragon but EHHHHHHHHH. Was not ...more
It's such a dull start and I HATE when spelling is forfeited to convey an accent; particularly here because I can't understand an Irish accent at the best of times. It took me so much extra effort to work out what they were saying.
There's a grand total of three characters, and they're dull and do dull things. I got as far as the old lady going to talk to a dragon but EHHHHHHHHH. Was not ...more

this was an interesting world set up. i HATED reading the dialect. WHY??? there was no point to the dialect aside from me trying to figure out what "fairn" meant. and why drop the "t" at the end of "not"? it drove me nuts. i thought the plot was intriguing, but a bit slow moving. i also hate it when books don't end. even if it's a series, there should be some kind of resolution. this was a total cliffhanger. so while i enjoyed it, it had some hitches.
...more

A nice epic fantasy series. As usual for this genre, the first book is the best, and the quality wanes slowly over the course of the series. But the initial few are very good reads with lots of interesting ideas mixed in with the classic fantasy archetypes. (And they'll get you intrigued enough in the world that you'll probably want to read the last few as well, even though they're not as good).
The main characters can be grating and annoying at times but the support cast is full of lively and m ...more
The main characters can be grating and annoying at times but the support cast is full of lively and m ...more

First book of a series of 6 it's been left dangling and many 'threads are being woven' not to mention many protagonists still being introduced which I feel is the nature of fantasy books. Looking forward to the second part of my journey in Eileanan when my copy of the book arrives but for now I will get on with another book. 3 and 1/2 stars.
...more

(TW / CW: first book has a very graphic (view spoiler) You can skip it, as any information you're given will be repeated later). Some spoilers for this book will be here, but not for the greater series.
Plot: This starts out as a pretty standard plot for it's time: young orphaned chosen one with magical powers needs to save the world. Luckily there were some deviations, twists and turns, and almost-subversions to keep things intere ...more
Plot: This starts out as a pretty standard plot for it's time: young orphaned chosen one with magical powers needs to save the world. Luckily there were some deviations, twists and turns, and almost-subversions to keep things intere ...more

May my heart be kind, my mind fierce, my spirit brave.
I’ll admit this was not so high on my tbr list, and I cannot for the life of me think WHY. It has all the things I like:
- Vague Scottish folklore
- Pagan-like witchcraft
- A Quest of Great Import
- DRAGONS
- Weird faery creatures
- A high spirited lady protagonist
This was a book with all the magic ingredients, although I wish I had discovered it a few short years ago in the height of my desperate love for magical-ladies-on-quests phas ...more

Not that this is likely to surprise anybody, but I feel the need to preface this review with the fact that I read a lot. I’m usually juggling 2-3 review books at a time, with an electronic ARC I can read in bed while my Goddess sleeps and a physical paperback or hardcover I can read on the couch while the family watches TV. Even with all of that, though, I always have an mass-market paperback plucked from the shelves that I can carry everywhere, reading as I walk or while I stand in line. It’s t
...more

The first 10 pages or so felt like coming home to me. I have a severe sleeping disorder for years now and one thing that helps me to fall asleep is imagining myself lying in a safe, often magical, place that keeps out all kinds of evil lurking around outside of it. I've fallen asleep in Tom Bombadil's cabin, Badger's house in a tree in the Wild Wood, Hermione's magical tent, Robinson Crusoë's cave/fort, in amazingly tight locked rooms in even tighter locked buildings in the world of The Walking
...more

Not too bad a read. I did find myself irritated by being told everything instead of shown, but that is a common problem in fantasy books and I'm rather used to it. My enjoyment otherwise was sadly overshadowed by the fact that every single facet of the Scottish accent which every single character has was written out in EVERY SINGLE THING THEY SAID. We get it! They're Scottish! If everyone has the same accent, the accent is no longer a point of differentiation. I don't mind the odd Scottish word
...more

This is my go to series for when I'm feeling 'done' with the world. I read it through at least once a year and it never fails to cheer me up. They're tattered and worn and falling apart, but they hold so many memories. Its like visiting old friends, or putting on a favorite old sweater. They're comfort reads.
My mum bought me this book for my 15th birthday and I fell in love with each and every character. I hassled her relentlessly every time a new book came out, and to this day, if she spots it ...more
My mum bought me this book for my 15th birthday and I fell in love with each and every character. I hassled her relentlessly every time a new book came out, and to this day, if she spots it ...more

Originally posted on Under The Rafters on the 25th August 2012.
The first installment to one of my all time favourite series, The Witches Of Eileanan, is Dragonclaw.
With witchcraft and witch cunning being outlawed for sixteen years now and the Banrigh (the Eileanan version of the Queen) decreeing all magical creatures as uile-bheistean (monsters) and the need for them to be captured and executed, all the witches and witch-lovers of the land are growing restless. They wish for the old days to be b ...more
The first installment to one of my all time favourite series, The Witches Of Eileanan, is Dragonclaw.
With witchcraft and witch cunning being outlawed for sixteen years now and the Banrigh (the Eileanan version of the Queen) decreeing all magical creatures as uile-bheistean (monsters) and the need for them to be captured and executed, all the witches and witch-lovers of the land are growing restless. They wish for the old days to be b ...more

Jan 30, 2013
Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
signed-by-author
I received my signed copy of Dragonclaw: Book One of the Witches of Eileanan in a competition being run on author Kate Forsyth's website earlier this year.
I absolutely adored her novel Bitter Greens and thoroughly enjoyed The Wild Girl, and so came to Dragonclaw (the author's first published novel) with high expectations.
I knew before turning the first page that Dragonclaw is a YA fantasy novel, however in the very beginning when two witches are discussing the events of the land in front of an o ...more
I absolutely adored her novel Bitter Greens and thoroughly enjoyed The Wild Girl, and so came to Dragonclaw (the author's first published novel) with high expectations.
I knew before turning the first page that Dragonclaw is a YA fantasy novel, however in the very beginning when two witches are discussing the events of the land in front of an o ...more

The storytelling of this high fantasy novel is first class. A spectacular debut novel from this poet turned author (who this month published her 25th novel!).
Dragon Claw introduces us to the world of Eileanan, Megan of the Beasts and her apprentice Isabeau, and to the havoc caused by Maya The Ensourcellor.
If you loved Lord of the Rings, but wished there were more strong female characters, this is a book for you.
History buffs will revel in the medieval politics of the series and wish that humans, ...more
Dragon Claw introduces us to the world of Eileanan, Megan of the Beasts and her apprentice Isabeau, and to the havoc caused by Maya The Ensourcellor.
If you loved Lord of the Rings, but wished there were more strong female characters, this is a book for you.
History buffs will revel in the medieval politics of the series and wish that humans, ...more

My first book by this author and I was delighted to see she lives in Sydney like me! This is book one of a fairly long series - five or six books I believe - and I am sure I will be reading all of them. Dragonclaw introduces us to the history of Eileanan and its magical creatures including witches, dragons and a variety of fairies and monsters. In the course of the story we travel with several different main characters in their quest to overturn the ruler and return to the old ways. The story mo
...more

Review originally posted on The Oaken Bookcase on July 9, 2012 as part of the Discover Australian Fantasy feature.
Written in the grand tradition of Epic Fantasy, Dragonclaw is the first in Kate Forsyth’s series about the Witches of Eileanan.
Witchcraft has been outlawed for sixteen years now, and the new Queen, or Banrigh, has decreed that all magical creatures be killed or captured. Many of the original Coven of Witches died at the time of the Day of Reckoning but there are a few remaining, stok ...more
Written in the grand tradition of Epic Fantasy, Dragonclaw is the first in Kate Forsyth’s series about the Witches of Eileanan.
Witchcraft has been outlawed for sixteen years now, and the new Queen, or Banrigh, has decreed that all magical creatures be killed or captured. Many of the original Coven of Witches died at the time of the Day of Reckoning but there are a few remaining, stok ...more

Very, very slow book. And the language is sometimes very difficult to decipher. I was sarcastically saying "do ya ken?" for weeks after reading this. I have to be honest: I picked this up for the snazzy cover. Then, I found myself really having to work through the language barrier, and the lack of any interesting characters barrier. And later, it just got weird and pointlessly gross. That's about all that's memorable about this book.
At the end, I realized that I had absolutely no interest in con ...more
At the end, I realized that I had absolutely no interest in con ...more

Admittedly, it's been years since I last picked up this book, but it, and the following books in the series, are ones I have read multiple times and will eventually read again.
Dragonclaw was given to me as a gift as a teenager. I instantly fell in love and soon hunted down the following instalments in the series. I think I've read Dragonclaw three times now, and even as an adult, I still love this book. It's one of the very first books that made me fall in love with epic fantasy stories and star ...more
Dragonclaw was given to me as a gift as a teenager. I instantly fell in love and soon hunted down the following instalments in the series. I think I've read Dragonclaw three times now, and even as an adult, I still love this book. It's one of the very first books that made me fall in love with epic fantasy stories and star ...more

As most people who know me know, I'm a Wiccan myself, albeit a very eclectic one, so I was fascinated about a fantasy world based on Wiccan magic and Celtic myth. In this book, the witches of Brittania fled the Roman invaders across worlds, crossing over to another world full of magic, fae and strange beasts of legend. They founded a society there untouched by Christianity, and the result is fascinating.
No Catholic Inquisition to dodge doesn't mean all's well in the land of the witches, however. ...more
No Catholic Inquisition to dodge doesn't mean all's well in the land of the witches, however. ...more

I loved this book so much. It had magic and dragons and adventure. It was everything that I wanted in a book so I had a really great time reading it. I'm definitely keen on picking up the next book in the series sometime soon.
...more

Witches and magical beings are outlawed under the new rule in Einlan, and for 16 years the discontent has been brewing, as well as troubles on the borders...
This book! I almost gave up on page 50, and then read almost 300 pages in one day. I abhorred the dialogue, but the plot drew me along. I disliked telling-not-shoving, but then discovered hidden character depths. The fleeting introduction of 100000 characters grated on my nerves, yet still I was entertained.
And of course it ends on a cliffa ...more
This book! I almost gave up on page 50, and then read almost 300 pages in one day. I abhorred the dialogue, but the plot drew me along. I disliked telling-not-shoving, but then discovered hidden character depths. The fleeting introduction of 100000 characters grated on my nerves, yet still I was entertained.
And of course it ends on a cliffa ...more

Jan 23, 2014
Tigress
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Fans of Anne Bishop (in particular her Tir Alainn trilogy)
This book was really lovely. I don't really have much to say about it outside of that--it was lovely, the writing was beautiful, lots of talking animals and nature, and I really enjoyed all the Wicca/paganism, Celtic mythology, and Gaelic words. Also, lots of badass female characters. And matriarchal dragons. I'm mostly reviewing it to give a trigger warning, so others won't get freaked out the way I did, because the rape scene really just jumps out at you out of nowhere.
As I said the book was a ...more
As I said the book was a ...more

Irritating characters, repetitive dialogue, and a very slow pace combine to make this novel painful to read. It starts out interestingly enough with the main character Isabeau taking tests and learning of the imminent danger the world is facing. The witches present at her testing part ways and we get to meet some unfriendly dragons. After that it's self centered, headstrong, do-no-wrong Isabeau walking through the forest encountering characters for a few pages, and then walking through the woods
...more

My first written review that I save for this terrible book. I struggled so hard to get through it. Ridiculously long descriptions and dialogues (which didn’t even really add anything to the story), plus the stupid fake written accents both had me skipping pages and pages. And the torture scene with the gratuitous sexual violence was so disconnected with the child-like storytelling had me seriously fucking confused. One of the worst books I’ve read. And I’ve read 50 shades of grey.

THIS WAS AMAZING!!! Any book that pulls me out of an intense reading slump deserves all the stars ✨
Firstly - what is not to love about vegetarian witches living peacefully with nature in a secluded treehouse! (My ultimate dream!) AND these witches communicate with animals (including dragons!)
Secondly - it takes real talent to get me hooked on each storyline. At first whenever a chapter swapped POV I was like nooo I need to know what happens! Then I would start reading that chapter/POV and be lik ...more
Firstly - what is not to love about vegetarian witches living peacefully with nature in a secluded treehouse! (My ultimate dream!) AND these witches communicate with animals (including dragons!)
Secondly - it takes real talent to get me hooked on each storyline. At first whenever a chapter swapped POV I was like nooo I need to know what happens! Then I would start reading that chapter/POV and be lik ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Book about a witch and dragons. [s] | 7 | 43 | Mar 21, 2018 07:42AM | |
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Trying to remmeber a Fantasy series [s] | 4 | 72 | May 02, 2014 11:01PM |
Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven, and is now the internationally bestselling author of 40 books for both adults and children.
Her books for adults include 'Beauty in Thorns', the true love story behind a famous painting of 'Sleeping Beauty'; 'The Beast's Garden', a retelling of the Grimm version of 'Beauty & the Beast', set in the German underground resistance to Hitler in WW ...more
Her books for adults include 'Beauty in Thorns', the true love story behind a famous painting of 'Sleeping Beauty'; 'The Beast's Garden', a retelling of the Grimm version of 'Beauty & the Beast', set in the German underground resistance to Hitler in WW ...more
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