What do you think?
Rate this book
The Godwars #1
Forbidden Magic
In the time of the beginning, when the First Gods created all things, they brought forth two children, Tharn and Balatur, lesser gods, to walk upon the new world. But Balatur was arrogant. Tharn was consumed with madness, and the First Gods were forced to condemn them to an eternal, deathlike sleep, lest they destroy creation.
Now a mysterious wizard seeks to awaken the mad Tharn and unleash his terrifying power into the world. If he succeeds, the god’s insane fury could rip apart the fabric of existence and give the diabolical magician what he seeks most of the scepter of domination over the forces of chaos.
Only the young scholar Calandryll has the knowledge and skill to stop the evil wizard’s plan. Accompanied by a cynical mercenary, protected by an enigmatic magic, he must journey across a war-torn countryside, facing terror and treachery both real and magical, to find the ancient book whose incantations can bring the evil god back to life — and destroy it forever.
Forbidden Magic is the thrilling beginning of The Godwars , an epic adventure of heroism and sorcery by one of the most exciting new writers of fantasy today.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Now a mysterious wizard seeks to awaken the mad Tharn and unleash his terrifying power into the world. If he succeeds, the god’s insane fury could rip apart the fabric of existence and give the diabolical magician what he seeks most of the scepter of domination over the forces of chaos.
Only the young scholar Calandryll has the knowledge and skill to stop the evil wizard’s plan. Accompanied by a cynical mercenary, protected by an enigmatic magic, he must journey across a war-torn countryside, facing terror and treachery both real and magical, to find the ancient book whose incantations can bring the evil god back to life — and destroy it forever.
Forbidden Magic is the thrilling beginning of The Godwars , an epic adventure of heroism and sorcery by one of the most exciting new writers of fantasy today.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
472 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
11 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Angus Wells
66 books37 followersaka William S. Brady (with John Harvey), J.B. Dancer (with John Harvey), Ian Evans, Charles C Garrett (with Laurence James), Matthew Kirk, Richard Kirk (with Robert Holdstock), James A Muir, Charles R Pike (with Kenneth Bulmer and Terry Harknett), Andrew Quiller (with Kenneth Bulmer and Laurence James), J.D. Sandon (with John Harvey)
Angus Wells (1943 - 2006) was a British writer of genre fiction, including fantasy and westerns.
Angus Wells (1943 - 2006) was a British writer of genre fiction, including fantasy and westerns.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 30, 2012
Weaknesses: One-dimensional, stereotypical characters, unrealistic story, primitive dialogs and language, little creativity (fantasy by the numbers).
Strengths: Straight-forward fantasy with clear-cut villains and heros and lots of action, might be enjoyable for undiscerning (young) readers.
Strengths: Straight-forward fantasy with clear-cut villains and heros and lots of action, might be enjoyable for undiscerning (young) readers.
December 14, 2022
I read this when I was very young.
It was my first fantasy book, and it was… ok-ish?
Standard fantasy setting, etc etc
It was my first fantasy book, and it was… ok-ish?
Standard fantasy setting, etc etc
August 13, 2018
Real page-turner, highly recommended
August 1, 2016
This is a slow read. The chapters are all 25 pages, give or take a page. That's a really long chapter, and when you know that's how long the next chapter is going to be, you wait until you have time to read the whole thing before opening the book up again. On top of that, Wells did this weird thing where he screwed up grammar in an effort to sound old-fashioned and fantastical, especially in the beginning of the book. In a list, he'd remove the "and" before the final item, whether it was a list of actions, pack supplies, or descriptors of a character. He still does it (I'm reading the second book now), but he does so less often, and I'm more used to it.
Worse, though, is when he'd use "-ing" words as verbs. I wish I could quote you a specific example with page number, but it's been nearly a month, and there are potentially 472 pages to hunt through. (The instance I seem to remember best, it was like he changed how he wrote the sentence partway through, then forgot to make the beginning match the ending.) I just know it was driving me nuts. This, too, occurred less often as Wells wrote more, like he stopped trying to prove he could write in a fantastical style.
Other things that I noticed:
Homoerotic undertones (and sometimes overtones) early on had me wondering if I'd managed to pick up '80s gay fiction. A certain encounter in Aldarin and the arrival of Katya, however, proved my suspicions ridiculous. (At least with regard to Bracht; nothing yet has convinced me of Calandryll's straightness. I suspect that will be addressed in the book I'm reading now.)
"The Kern." Wells refers to Bracht as "the Kern" more often than he refers to him as "Bracht." What is up with that? Once I noticed it, it started to bug me. It isn't that he never used "Bracht" or "the freesword" or personal pronouns; just that he seemed to alternate "the Kern" with one of those every time he referred to the guy. Really, now.
That said, I enjoyed the book. I'm reading the next one. There are good things. Calandryll puts in hard work to become a strong, independent type of guy. Katya is a strong, free-willed woman who remains independent of the men she interacts with. Calandryll isn't perfect, knows it, and beats himself up over it; he feels bad when he fails, then does his best to correct the error(s). Lots of good things in the book; I'm just better at complaining. I may not wander around recommending this book to everyone (definitely not for Dad – he could spend three hours on one chapter and still not make it), but I wouldn't discourage anyone if they came across it and decided to read it.
Worse, though, is when he'd use "-ing" words as verbs. I wish I could quote you a specific example with page number, but it's been nearly a month, and there are potentially 472 pages to hunt through. (The instance I seem to remember best, it was like he changed how he wrote the sentence partway through, then forgot to make the beginning match the ending.) I just know it was driving me nuts. This, too, occurred less often as Wells wrote more, like he stopped trying to prove he could write in a fantastical style.
Other things that I noticed:
Homoerotic undertones (and sometimes overtones) early on had me wondering if I'd managed to pick up '80s gay fiction. A certain encounter in Aldarin and the arrival of Katya, however, proved my suspicions ridiculous. (At least with regard to Bracht; nothing yet has convinced me of Calandryll's straightness. I suspect that will be addressed in the book I'm reading now.)
"The Kern." Wells refers to Bracht as "the Kern" more often than he refers to him as "Bracht." What is up with that? Once I noticed it, it started to bug me. It isn't that he never used "Bracht" or "the freesword" or personal pronouns; just that he seemed to alternate "the Kern" with one of those every time he referred to the guy. Really, now.
That said, I enjoyed the book. I'm reading the next one. There are good things. Calandryll puts in hard work to become a strong, independent type of guy. Katya is a strong, free-willed woman who remains independent of the men she interacts with. Calandryll isn't perfect, knows it, and beats himself up over it; he feels bad when he fails, then does his best to correct the error(s). Lots of good things in the book; I'm just better at complaining. I may not wander around recommending this book to everyone (definitely not for Dad – he could spend three hours on one chapter and still not make it), but I wouldn't discourage anyone if they came across it and decided to read it.
April 30, 2014
Mi aspettavo di meglio.
Mi aspettavo un libro profondo e complesso, e invece ho trovato un'avventuretta neanche troppo brillante.
Ho faticato a mantenere l'attenzione concentrata sul racconto per praticamente tutta la durata del libro, e il prurito alle mani per la voglia di vedere come andava a finire non l'ho mai sentita.
Ho anche trovato "non adatta" la traduzione di Voglino, è troppo forbita, troppo impegnata...troppo.
Ci sono parti carine, ma anche i personaggi sono un po' superficiali, stereotipati, proprio come la trama.
Proverò a leggere i successivi sperando che le cose migliorino ma non sono certa di riuscire ad arrivare alla fine.
Mi aspettavo un libro profondo e complesso, e invece ho trovato un'avventuretta neanche troppo brillante.
Ho faticato a mantenere l'attenzione concentrata sul racconto per praticamente tutta la durata del libro, e il prurito alle mani per la voglia di vedere come andava a finire non l'ho mai sentita.
Ho anche trovato "non adatta" la traduzione di Voglino, è troppo forbita, troppo impegnata...troppo.
Ci sono parti carine, ma anche i personaggi sono un po' superficiali, stereotipati, proprio come la trama.
Proverò a leggere i successivi sperando che le cose migliorino ma non sono certa di riuscire ad arrivare alla fine.
March 6, 2020
I have to admit, I am definitely more of a self-help/educational reader, but my boyfriends dad gave him this series, and he started reading it.
After he read a chapter or 2, I was sick of him spending time to read it so I thought, if I read it out loud, we could spend time together and both reap the benefits of hearing the story.
It was a slow start. I stumbled on many words and there were so many words and phrases that neither of us knew that we had to keep pausing and looking up, (even when we used context clues we were still sometimes off at guessing what a particular item was or action someone took).
Mind you, my boyfriend is an MIT graduate and even he had a hard time with it.
The chapters are between 25 and 50 pages on average, and it took me about 30 min to an hour per chapter if that helps with timing.
Despite the lengthy descriptions the author includes in the beginning of many chapters, and the repetitive use of long words and phrases from like hundreds of years ago, I do think this book has a pretty good plot.
SPOILER WARNING- I am going to summarize my thoughts on the characters and plot, so I will be talking about what happens. If you don't want to spoil it for yourself, just pick it up and give it a shot!
Calandryll is a prince that falls in love with a woman that gets betrothed to his older brother. Saddened by that loss, he finds himself on a quest with 2 others to find and destroy a book of magic.
Throughout the journey to reach the book, (and boy, it's a journey), the characters relationships between one another develop, and I really do love the main romance between 2 of our protagonists, (although it drags out a little, well maybe a lot). I found myself saying, "Come on, just kiss already!")
We see Calandryll go from whiny, young, naive prince to a slightly less whiny, respectable man who learns a lot about himself, (my boyfriend doesn't like him because he's too soft).
Our trio of main characters get to the magical book, with the aid of many along the way, and honestly, some of the side characters are really interesting! The way they are described to look and act just makes me want them as my friends.
After gaining possession of this powerful book, a character swoops in and steals it, and to Calandryll's loss, he is betrayed. He learns that him and the other 2 main characters were prophesied to retrieve the book so, he really feels played because that guy just literally used him to take the book for himself by telling him that they should get it and destroy it
We leave this book on a bit of a sour note. The main character feels bad for himself because he has been tricked, but is also mad. He just went through hundreds of pages of grudgingly reaching the book, (and finding some strength in himself along the way), just to get it ripped out from under his nose.
To make matters worse, the man who is now in possession of the book wants to use it to raise the Mad God out from the grave or wherever he is, not really sure, just know that it is bad and he basically wants to unleash evil on the world so now, to stop that from happening, the group of 3 must find the man who took it and actually destroy him and the book so the world can stay as it is, (and there's the setup for book 2).
The Gods don't really come into play in this book as much. The Gods each rule different parts of the map like the sea or this country or so on and so forth. I am somewhat into the 2nd book in this series though and they start to play a bigger role later.
The character development is a little slow, but I think that is just because the author is really trying to set up their personalities before they really change in the next books, (like I said, I have already started to read the next in the series and there are already some really big character changes).
All in all, it was slow to get through due to the language, but a really fun, challenging read! I think a big part of why I really enjoyed it was because I got to read it aloud to my boyfriend, and it was fun spending time together and learning new words and laughing at the book, (there are some really funny parts, and especially when you get into the next in the series).
As for action, not so much happened, I mean I guess... but action scenes don't really make me jump out of my seat. What really interests me is the reason why for an action scene, or what follows.
Not much pulled on my heartstrings this book, but I thought it was perfect because the author really set us up with the personalities and actions of the characters so you really get to love or hate each one, or at least have a feeling on who they are or how they will act. The second book starts changing it up, character shifts, new characters, (and some of them are even better than the first book... I really love the new characters), and more exciting stuff happening, rather than just action scenes fighting dragons and getting past them, it's more like, (SPOILER ALERT FOR BOOK 2), finding out you have magical powers and trying to figure out how to use them and what they even are.
All in all, if you give this book a read, be ready for it to feel a bit slow and dragging, but especially if you make it to the last page, you NEED to pick up the next book. It is a waste of time to invest in just the one! It really gets better and I am only a couple chapters into book 2! Also, if you have a friend of significant other, try reading it with them! Like I said, I am not usually a fan of books that are just stories, I usually read something more educational but, this was a good one!
Sorry if I was all over the place... I am not the best at reviews just, wanted to share my thoughts!
After he read a chapter or 2, I was sick of him spending time to read it so I thought, if I read it out loud, we could spend time together and both reap the benefits of hearing the story.
It was a slow start. I stumbled on many words and there were so many words and phrases that neither of us knew that we had to keep pausing and looking up, (even when we used context clues we were still sometimes off at guessing what a particular item was or action someone took).
Mind you, my boyfriend is an MIT graduate and even he had a hard time with it.
The chapters are between 25 and 50 pages on average, and it took me about 30 min to an hour per chapter if that helps with timing.
Despite the lengthy descriptions the author includes in the beginning of many chapters, and the repetitive use of long words and phrases from like hundreds of years ago, I do think this book has a pretty good plot.
SPOILER WARNING- I am going to summarize my thoughts on the characters and plot, so I will be talking about what happens. If you don't want to spoil it for yourself, just pick it up and give it a shot!
Calandryll is a prince that falls in love with a woman that gets betrothed to his older brother. Saddened by that loss, he finds himself on a quest with 2 others to find and destroy a book of magic.
Throughout the journey to reach the book, (and boy, it's a journey), the characters relationships between one another develop, and I really do love the main romance between 2 of our protagonists, (although it drags out a little, well maybe a lot). I found myself saying, "Come on, just kiss already!")
We see Calandryll go from whiny, young, naive prince to a slightly less whiny, respectable man who learns a lot about himself, (my boyfriend doesn't like him because he's too soft).
Our trio of main characters get to the magical book, with the aid of many along the way, and honestly, some of the side characters are really interesting! The way they are described to look and act just makes me want them as my friends.
After gaining possession of this powerful book, a character swoops in and steals it, and to Calandryll's loss, he is betrayed. He learns that him and the other 2 main characters were prophesied to retrieve the book so, he really feels played because that guy just literally used him to take the book for himself by telling him that they should get it and destroy it
We leave this book on a bit of a sour note. The main character feels bad for himself because he has been tricked, but is also mad. He just went through hundreds of pages of grudgingly reaching the book, (and finding some strength in himself along the way), just to get it ripped out from under his nose.
To make matters worse, the man who is now in possession of the book wants to use it to raise the Mad God out from the grave or wherever he is, not really sure, just know that it is bad and he basically wants to unleash evil on the world so now, to stop that from happening, the group of 3 must find the man who took it and actually destroy him and the book so the world can stay as it is, (and there's the setup for book 2).
The Gods don't really come into play in this book as much. The Gods each rule different parts of the map like the sea or this country or so on and so forth. I am somewhat into the 2nd book in this series though and they start to play a bigger role later.
The character development is a little slow, but I think that is just because the author is really trying to set up their personalities before they really change in the next books, (like I said, I have already started to read the next in the series and there are already some really big character changes).
All in all, it was slow to get through due to the language, but a really fun, challenging read! I think a big part of why I really enjoyed it was because I got to read it aloud to my boyfriend, and it was fun spending time together and learning new words and laughing at the book, (there are some really funny parts, and especially when you get into the next in the series).
As for action, not so much happened, I mean I guess... but action scenes don't really make me jump out of my seat. What really interests me is the reason why for an action scene, or what follows.
Not much pulled on my heartstrings this book, but I thought it was perfect because the author really set us up with the personalities and actions of the characters so you really get to love or hate each one, or at least have a feeling on who they are or how they will act. The second book starts changing it up, character shifts, new characters, (and some of them are even better than the first book... I really love the new characters), and more exciting stuff happening, rather than just action scenes fighting dragons and getting past them, it's more like, (SPOILER ALERT FOR BOOK 2), finding out you have magical powers and trying to figure out how to use them and what they even are.
All in all, if you give this book a read, be ready for it to feel a bit slow and dragging, but especially if you make it to the last page, you NEED to pick up the next book. It is a waste of time to invest in just the one! It really gets better and I am only a couple chapters into book 2! Also, if you have a friend of significant other, try reading it with them! Like I said, I am not usually a fan of books that are just stories, I usually read something more educational but, this was a good one!
Sorry if I was all over the place... I am not the best at reviews just, wanted to share my thoughts!
May 26, 2020
Well, the downside to being able to go on-line 24/7 to buy things is I apparently have picked up a few items in my sleep, the trilogy this book kicks off being one of them. This wouldn't be a problem, as I wanted to buy it, but I do feel it is a bit overpriced (to be fair, I'm cheap), particularly book 2, and I was waiting to see if the price would drop. But that aside...
I first read this when I was a kid, and I loved it. I still love it, but there is a possibility that if I had first read it as an adult, I would have a different opinion. It's a pretty basic plot - protagonist has a quest, he meets his companions along the way, and they fight the evil that would prevent them from completing the quest. This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.
My only real complaint is it appears that to make the ebook version, rather than go back to original files (it was the early 90s, I guess they no longer exist), they clearly scanned it, and the OCR errors are aggravating.
I first read this when I was a kid, and I loved it. I still love it, but there is a possibility that if I had first read it as an adult, I would have a different opinion. It's a pretty basic plot - protagonist has a quest, he meets his companions along the way, and they fight the evil that would prevent them from completing the quest. This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.
My only real complaint is it appears that to make the ebook version, rather than go back to original files (it was the early 90s, I guess they no longer exist), they clearly scanned it, and the OCR errors are aggravating.
January 7, 2022
Typos killed me
September 15, 2022
I really enjoyed it
July 7, 2020
Not true spoilers since I’m not yet finished with the book. The previous reviews I read for this book made me uninterested in this read. I’ve sense learned to really enjoy he diction and literary style Wells provides. Don’t be turned off my the long chapters nor the occasional word you had never seen before this truly will stay in my library and be my hidden gem.
November 16, 2015
Forbidden Magic is a fast-paced fantasy tale with a lot of magic and sword fighting. The characters are well developed and the book reads well. It is a grim world on the brink of war, and a young man finally opens his eyes and sees the world as it really is.
There is a map in the front of the book, something I always enjoy, and the main characters are always on the move. If you like the writings of the Terry Brooks and the Shannara series, or David Eddings and the Belgariad series, you will love this book.
Have you ever picked up a book and felt instantly comfortable with the writing style? Well, that is the way I felt with Forbidden Magic. I love a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure where there is a trek, a map, and the ultimate evil that will destroy the world, unless the main character stop it.
I had a hard time putting this book down. I became very caught up in the lives of the main characters and couldn’t wait to turn the next page to find out what was going to happen next. I love stories like this.
Forbidden Magic is a excellent read and I wonder what will happen in the next book in this series, Dark Magic?
I rate this book a 9½ out of 10.
There is a map in the front of the book, something I always enjoy, and the main characters are always on the move. If you like the writings of the Terry Brooks and the Shannara series, or David Eddings and the Belgariad series, you will love this book.
Have you ever picked up a book and felt instantly comfortable with the writing style? Well, that is the way I felt with Forbidden Magic. I love a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure where there is a trek, a map, and the ultimate evil that will destroy the world, unless the main character stop it.
I had a hard time putting this book down. I became very caught up in the lives of the main characters and couldn’t wait to turn the next page to find out what was going to happen next. I love stories like this.
Forbidden Magic is a excellent read and I wonder what will happen in the next book in this series, Dark Magic?
I rate this book a 9½ out of 10.
April 9, 2010
I felt like this book was shallow in its plot, and the character development was not very well done. It just wasn't a very well written book. The adventures failed to keep my interest nearly as much as other fantasy books I've read.
Read
March 12, 2013I liked it in high school. that is not necessarily an insult; I think the foreshadowing of plot twists and the interrogation of loyalty in an enjoyable setting were very useful in the development of my reading. they are no longer useful in the development of my reading.
November 25, 2008
It's fantasy, it's fun. Gets me away from the daily grind.
October 21, 2010
I really like this kind of story so I thought it was good.
December 2, 2024
This was an awesome series!
April 29, 2012
The typo's are killing me.
August 21, 2014
It's kind of a cliché-based all-too-typical fantasy novel. But if you don't crave anything too complicated and just want some light reading, I guess it's nice enough :)
February 15, 2016
I can't wate to read the second one. It read like a good D&D adventure.
Want to read
January 14, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13996367
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13996367
April 17, 2013
Good book. Slow to get started but the plot and characters are enjoyable. Worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews