Review – The Witches of Eileanan (Witches of Eileanan, Book 1) by Kate Forsyth (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: July 1, 1998
ISBN-13: 978-0451456892
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Witches of Eileanan series
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 5/5 stars
“On the Day of Reckoning, the witches of Eileanan were outlawed–and violations of the new order were punishable by death. Eileanan’s Great Towers, once meccas of magic and learning, were left in ruins. And now, the entire land trembles in fear….
Yet deep in the mountains, in the shadow of Dragonclaw, a young girl is being tutored in the old ways. Ignorant of her past, uncertain of her future, the foundling Isabeau will soon be forced down a dangerous path of prophecy, conspiracy, and magic. It is a world where dragons possess the key to ancient mysteries…where a lost prince will discover a strange and wondrous destiny…and where the ultimate battle between good and evil will be waged….
A new Day of Reckoning is at hand….”
This was a wonderful fantasy novel; it’s very traditional swords and sorcery epic fantasy. This is the first of six books in the Witches of Eileanan series. Previous to reading this series I had read Forsyth’s Rhiannon’s Ride series (which I loved) and Bitter Greens (which I wasn’t able to finish). So I was pleasantly pleased when I enjoyed this book even more than the Rhiannon’s Ride series.
I loved all the interesting characters and world presented here. You switch viewpoint a lot but I was impressed with how quickly I became engaged in each characters story and the events surrounding them. This is a world where witches have been forced into hiding while a powerful sorceress takes over the throne of Eileanan.
There are magic, dragons, different types of fae and some interesting prophecies and traditions. There is a lot of adventure in here (which I love), some fascinating magic, and intrigue.
Overall I thought this was an amazing fantasy novel and a great start to this series. I loved everything about this book including the characters, the world, the writing style; it was all incredibly engrossing and engaging. If you haven’t read this fantasy series yet, and are a big traditional fantasy fan, I would highly recommend it!
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge
