1,874 books
—
2,145 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Wizard Hunters (The Fall of Ile-Rien, #1)” as Want to Read:
The Wizard Hunters
(The Fall of Ile-Rien #1)
by
Once a fertile and prosperous land, Ile-Rien is under attack by the Gardier, a mysterious army whose storm-black airships appear from nowhere to strike without warning. Every weapon in the arsenal of Ile-Rien's revered wizards has proven useless.
And now the last hope of a magical realm under siege rests within a child's plaything. ...more
And now the last hope of a magical realm under siege rests within a child's plaything. ...more
Get A Copy
Mass Market Paperback, 464 pages
Published
May 25th 2004
by Harper Voyager
(first published May 13th 2003)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of The Wizard Hunters (The Fall of Ile-Rien, #1)

Aug 24, 2008
Mir
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
lovers of history, fantasy, adventure, war stories, or witty dialogue
Those who read The Death of the Necromancer (related to this book, but not requisite for understanding it) will remember Vien as an urbane, prosperous city at the height of its power. From a cultural capital and political powerhouse, it has transformed in the space of only a few years as a mysterious and apparently unstoppable enemy reduces the city to ruins and its inhabitants to refugees.
Before the war, Tremaine was a successful playwright with a circle of entertaining arty friends. Now she v ...more
Before the war, Tremaine was a successful playwright with a circle of entertaining arty friends. Now she v ...more

Okay the first thing to know is: If you’re starting THE WIZARD HUNTERS and you’re not sure you like it? Read at least three or four chapters before you decide.
The Characters:
We have a third-person divided pov structure, Tremaine in a world with the flavor of, say, mid-1800s England; and Ilias in a very different world that doesn’t map terribly well onto any real historical era I can think of but is much less technologically advanced. It’s important that you wait for the two plotlines to converge ...more
The Characters:
We have a third-person divided pov structure, Tremaine in a world with the flavor of, say, mid-1800s England; and Ilias in a very different world that doesn’t map terribly well onto any real historical era I can think of but is much less technologically advanced. It’s important that you wait for the two plotlines to converge ...more

Initially picked up because of the Bingo challenge, I hoped this would be a good fit for a difficult square. And while the world is interesting, I found the The Wizard Hunters boring almost to the point of DNFing it. I have no idea why I persisted.
The book is initially split into two storylines. In the first, Tremaine, a playwright, is contacted by a group of sorcerers because she possesses the last magical sphere that could help Ile-Rien in the war against Gardier, a nation of people who attack ...more
The book is initially split into two storylines. In the first, Tremaine, a playwright, is contacted by a group of sorcerers because she possesses the last magical sphere that could help Ile-Rien in the war against Gardier, a nation of people who attack ...more

Feb 26, 2014
Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship by:
Kate Elliott
Warning: slight spoilers below. But stuff I’d have wanted to know.
An obscure epic fantasy that came highly recommended (by Kate Elliott, for instance. I like her books and the way she talks about books, particularly the social consciousness with which she reads, but I have to stop taking her fantasy recs. They’ve ranged from so-so at best – Daggerspell, Banner of the Damned – to unreadable at worst – Irons in the Fire, bleh). But in the end this bored me so much I took nearly a month to finish ...more
An obscure epic fantasy that came highly recommended (by Kate Elliott, for instance. I like her books and the way she talks about books, particularly the social consciousness with which she reads, but I have to stop taking her fantasy recs. They’ve ranged from so-so at best – Daggerspell, Banner of the Damned – to unreadable at worst – Irons in the Fire, bleh). But in the end this bored me so much I took nearly a month to finish ...more

this is actually a review of the trilogy, comprised of the wizard hunters, the ships of air, and the gate of gods. i think that you could probably read the later books without having read previous books and get filled in enough to comprehend what's happening, but don't do that. start at the beginning, even though the first book starts slowly, and enjoy spending time in this place with these people.
ile-rien is the world where several other of wells' books are set, so if you've read her other book ...more
ile-rien is the world where several other of wells' books are set, so if you've read her other book ...more

Thirty (or so) years have passed since the previous book, and much has changed in Ile-Rien. For one, the technology has jumped form mid-19th century to early 1930s (I noticed that the tech advance in Ile-Rien is a lot faster than in our world, but magic may have something to do with that). Most of the main character of the previous book are missing, absent or dead. Ile-Rien has been losing a war for about three years.
In the middle of all this, two sets of characters from two different worlds com ...more
In the middle of all this, two sets of characters from two different worlds com ...more

Jan 31, 2021
Ron
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
ebook
A steam-punk action-adventure tale set in the city of a previous series by Wells. This/these stories are independent. Strong, independent but not-yet self-assured female lead. Excellent story telling.
Early Wells work. Her voice has improved since. Still, fans of her Murderbot series may be disappointed that the self-depreciating humor and snarky inner dialogue of Murderbot aren’t there.
Unfortunately, I lost my notes, and while this is a good story I’m not inclined to re-read it just to pepper my ...more
Early Wells work. Her voice has improved since. Still, fans of her Murderbot series may be disappointed that the self-depreciating humor and snarky inner dialogue of Murderbot aren’t there.
Unfortunately, I lost my notes, and while this is a good story I’m not inclined to re-read it just to pepper my ...more

Martha Wells is one of my favorite writers. Her ability to create entire new worlds and, in particular, beings and societies, is amazing. She's very detailed and always displays great imagination. That being said, this trilogy was the first time I had trouble finishing one of her books.
Minor plot description: We've got Ile-Rien, a world technologically set in about the 1930s, except without airplanes or cannons. They also have magic. They are in a war with a mysterious race called the Gardier wh ...more
Minor plot description: We've got Ile-Rien, a world technologically set in about the 1930s, except without airplanes or cannons. They also have magic. They are in a war with a mysterious race called the Gardier wh ...more

This is a VERY different fantasy. Almost a steampunk fantasy, because the magic is worked by means of mechanical doohickeys. In one of the universes of this story. This story crosses multiple universes. Two, anyway, with a probable third. The heroine's world is at war with these technologically advanced magic haters that fly in blimps and fry the magical instruments of her world. The hero lives in a completely different universe where ALL wizards are evil, and all magic spells are curses. He's a
...more

This review is for the entire series, and contains spoilers.
Ile-Rien is under siege. Blackouts and bombings wrack the city of Vienne. But Tremaine Valiarde has something else on her mind: how can she kill herself most effectively, without causing problems for anyone else? When her guardian turns up, asking for her help with a dangerous spell, Tremaine leaps at the opportunity. Instead of killing her, though, the spell drops her in a strange new world, which just may hold the secret to saving her ...more
Ile-Rien is under siege. Blackouts and bombings wrack the city of Vienne. But Tremaine Valiarde has something else on her mind: how can she kill herself most effectively, without causing problems for anyone else? When her guardian turns up, asking for her help with a dangerous spell, Tremaine leaps at the opportunity. Instead of killing her, though, the spell drops her in a strange new world, which just may hold the secret to saving her ...more

First posted here
The land of Ile-Rien is under attack by the seemingly invincible Gardier, who use their black airships to destroy, then seemingly disappear. The Gardier also somehow have the ability to block all the magic the Ile-Rien have for protection, and they also have a magic of their own that destroyed mechanized weapons.
Invincible army, one person holds an object of power, a person may wonder why I even cracked the cover of what seems like a very trite read. I admit at times in the book ...more
The land of Ile-Rien is under attack by the seemingly invincible Gardier, who use their black airships to destroy, then seemingly disappear. The Gardier also somehow have the ability to block all the magic the Ile-Rien have for protection, and they also have a magic of their own that destroyed mechanized weapons.
Invincible army, one person holds an object of power, a person may wonder why I even cracked the cover of what seems like a very trite read. I admit at times in the book ...more

Spoiler-Free Review (I think . . .)
The story opened with a killer hook. What a fantastic opening line! It drew me in and introduced the heroine really well. Tremaine is an interesting character, full of delicious dichotomies. I love her moments of vulnerability because the rest of the time she's as tough as they come, but not with the kick-butt charisma of some other tough characters. She's so awkward. Ilias is strong with a good sense of humor; Giliead is protective and uncomfortable with the ...more
The story opened with a killer hook. What a fantastic opening line! It drew me in and introduced the heroine really well. Tremaine is an interesting character, full of delicious dichotomies. I love her moments of vulnerability because the rest of the time she's as tough as they come, but not with the kick-butt charisma of some other tough characters. She's so awkward. Ilias is strong with a good sense of humor; Giliead is protective and uncomfortable with the ...more

Fantasy/magic with a dose of steampunk. Readers searching for something slightly different in fantasy may be pleased here.
Some folks might call this a SciFi story; I'd say that's a huge stretch (magic & spells + wizards + magical creatures = pure fantasy). Tossing in a few traditional weapons and dirigibles doesn't make it SciFi.
It varied from 1.75 to 3+ stars for me, with the best parts being those that followed Tremaine and Florian. So let's call it 2.75 stars for me--but I think many fantasy ...more
Some folks might call this a SciFi story; I'd say that's a huge stretch (magic & spells + wizards + magical creatures = pure fantasy). Tossing in a few traditional weapons and dirigibles doesn't make it SciFi.
It varied from 1.75 to 3+ stars for me, with the best parts being those that followed Tremaine and Florian. So let's call it 2.75 stars for me--but I think many fantasy ...more

I've committed to trying to give more word reviews instead of my typical stars, including going back and writing reviews as I re-read anything I've already read.
The Wizard Hunters is a book I frequently re-read. It's always loaded on my nook, although the first time I read it, it was a paperback version I picked up in a used book store. My usual used bookstore bookcheck involves picking out something with a title or cover that draws me in, reading the back or the inside flap, and then reading on ...more
The Wizard Hunters is a book I frequently re-read. It's always loaded on my nook, although the first time I read it, it was a paperback version I picked up in a used book store. My usual used bookstore bookcheck involves picking out something with a title or cover that draws me in, reading the back or the inside flap, and then reading on ...more

Martha Wells has more imagination and more heart than any other 12 authors put together. (Unless you're exceptionally persnickety about which authors you pick and the list includes a lot of names like "Pratchett," "Dunnett," and "Bujold.)"
She creates the most breath-taking and ambitious, and also enjoyable, worlds. In the Raksura books, she created the best tree-houses ever. Here, she reminagines World War II and the London Blitz, being sure to incorporate world-travel and a gorgeous cruise ship ...more
She creates the most breath-taking and ambitious, and also enjoyable, worlds. In the Raksura books, she created the best tree-houses ever. Here, she reminagines World War II and the London Blitz, being sure to incorporate world-travel and a gorgeous cruise ship ...more

Dammit, Wells! Her first book was excellent, her second was good, her third was terrible and this, her fourth, is only passably good. The story starts with the main character trying to kill herself. She’s sarcastic about the reasoning behind her suicide, which really endeared her to me; unfortunately, I didn't like the character that much for the rest of the novel. Wells excels at constructing theories of magic and dealing with the ensuing complications, and the novel itself is set in a magical
...more

I loved the prequel, The Death of the Necromancer, but it took me a while to settle into this story. But once I did, it worked for me - well, strong fantasy with a subtle romance would obviously tick all my boxes. This was written almost ten years ago, and I thought its age showed slightly, but overall, good read.
...more
...more

Very, very rough start -- it's like a crossover event with two series you haven't read before. But if you can get past the first couple of chapters it starts to flow much more smoothly, making for an interesting book. Not really Wells's best (that would be the Death of the Necromancer), but good all the same.
...more

Read this for my old book group. I liked it quite a bit at the time, it was an intriguing high fantasy, but now I don't really remember the details much. It's something that I would recommend, though, and that I'd pick up again if was in a mood for high fantasy.
...more

In case you're wondering how into this series I am, I definitely almost chanted "OT3! OT3!" out loud at more than one point. (I for sure did it in my head.)
...more

My favourite of her novels thus far.
I love her heroine. I love the opening. It's just what I wanted to read. ...more
I love her heroine. I love the opening. It's just what I wanted to read. ...more

So here we are, 14 years before Murderbot 1. Wells has a few books under her belt, and we have #1 of a trilogy.
It's a fairly standard alternate-world magic-and-soldiers adventure, but some things stand out and suggest that this author's going to rise above the others eventually.
Tremaine, for one. She's plucky, but doesn't start out that way, and as she grows into her power and confidence, her own opinion of herself lags behind her achievements. She'll be a good one to carry into subsequent vol ...more
It's a fairly standard alternate-world magic-and-soldiers adventure, but some things stand out and suggest that this author's going to rise above the others eventually.
Tremaine, for one. She's plucky, but doesn't start out that way, and as she grows into her power and confidence, her own opinion of herself lags behind her achievements. She'll be a good one to carry into subsequent vol ...more

Jun 16, 2020
Zora
marked it as couldnt-get-into
I felt like I'd gone to a party where I didn't know anyone and knew nothing of the people they were talking about. Maybe you have to read a different series before reading this one? Disappointing, after my liking the murderbot books so well.
...more

I’m sorely tempted to poke fun at all the eyebrow action going on in this book, but that would be ungrateful of me. This was a very entertaining read that kept me hooked until the end, with a nice wrap-up that left me satisfied enough to wait several hours before starting on the sequel.
This is the first book I remember with an unlikeable main character that I still found interesting to read about. It helps that Tremaine doesn’t like herself for many of the same reasons I don’t like her. It made ...more
This is the first book I remember with an unlikeable main character that I still found interesting to read about. It helps that Tremaine doesn’t like herself for many of the same reasons I don’t like her. It made ...more

Reading this ate up most of yesterday. I was hooked from the first line. Great adventure story with lots of twists and cool magic reveals. I'll be buying book two soon!
...more

My favorite under-rated character might be the Sphere itself. This book is so much fun, now I need to read the sequel. Because the world needs more of this sort of team co-operation and girls who are encouraged to be the winning-est winners on the team. Also a bit of respect for a very different worldview goes such a long way for a cheering read in these times.

As might be expected from the first in a trilogy, “The Wizard Hunters” has a lot of setup in it, but Wells prevents this from dragging by deploying the backstory in the form of a series of unfolding revelations. Depressed, bohemian playwright Tremaine Valiarde (our heroine) is not what she seems: her father Nicolas was an adventurer and master criminal, and Tremaine’s unusual background has given her some unexpected skills and attitudes. The mild-mannered, scholarly wizard Gerard, being a former
...more

I went back and forth on whether I wanted to rate this one 3 or 4 stars. I did get what wanted out of it, which was an engaging and not overly-heavy adventure story, but I don't think I'd come back to it, and I'm not in a huge hurry to read the sequels. Tremaine and Ilias are great characters, but most of the secondary characters feel less developed. The setting of Ile-Rien is an unusual one for fantasy, but we don't get a lot of time to explore it outside of Tremaine's memories. Meanwhile the c
...more

Premise: Tremaine lives in a world at war. Her home, the nation of Ile-Rien, has been besiged for years by the people known to them as the Gardier. They come in airships to bomb the cities, can disable engines and mechanisms from afar, and nothing Rien's highly educated sorcerers have come up with has been able to defend them. Somewhere both close and very far away, Ilias and Giliead live in a fishing village. There are indications that a wizard may be operating on the Isle of Storms, and they g
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Alternate History/Fantasy, WWII, with trapped sorcerers and a female protagonist [s] | 5 | 38 | Nov 29, 2013 08:51AM |
Martha Wells has been an SF/F writer since her first fantasy novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, The Death of the Necromancer, the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, The Murderbot Diaries series, media tie-ins for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering, as well as short fiction, YA novels, and non-fiction. She has won a Nebula Award, two Hug
...more
Other books in the series
The Fall of Ile-Rien
(3 books)
Related Articles
Need another excuse to treat yourself to new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day.
To create our...
49 likes · 21 comments
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...