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The Witches of Eileanan #1
The Witches of Eileanan
Named Best First Novel by Locus'Twas a time when dragons left their lair and evil shadowed the land....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 prophesy, 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....
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
326 people are currently reading
10581 people want to read
About the author
Kate Forsyth
86 books2,562 followersKate 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 WWII; 'The Wild Girl', the love story of Wilhelm Grimm and Dortchen Wild, the young woman who told him many of the world's most famous fairy tales; 'Bitter Greens', a retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale; and the bestselling fantasy series 'Witches of Eileanan' Her books for children include 'The Impossible Quest', 'The Gypsy Crown', 'The Puzzle Ring', and 'The Starkin Crown'
Kate has a doctorate in fairytale studies, a Masters of Creative Writing, a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, and is an accredited master storyteller.
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 WWII; 'The Wild Girl', the love story of Wilhelm Grimm and Dortchen Wild, the young woman who told him many of the world's most famous fairy tales; 'Bitter Greens', a retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale; and the bestselling fantasy series 'Witches of Eileanan' Her books for children include 'The Impossible Quest', 'The Gypsy Crown', 'The Puzzle Ring', and 'The Starkin Crown'
Kate has a doctorate in fairytale studies, a Masters of Creative Writing, a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, and is an accredited master storyteller.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
February 12, 2010
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!
November 24, 2015
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.
October 13, 2016
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
September 21, 2015
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.
May 28, 2025
💀 DNF at 31%.
"Complex and gripping," the blurb says.
It's outrageously boring, ridiculously descriptive, absurdly clichéd, ludicrously outdated, and one of the most tedious, tiresome, and profoundly unexciting book I've read in a long time. Ergo, out of here I am.
P.S. Because the author is Australian I
October 27, 2022
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 even interested a little bit. There was a lot of magic that I couldn't really wrap my head around.
I did make a solid attempt - had it sitting by the bed for at least 6 months I reckon before finally giving up. I HATE having things on my dnf list though so who knows?
Such a shame because I read such glowing reviews for it? Honestly, I just don't get it. But it was the accents that did my head in most of all so I guess if you can get past that maybe it's a better story. *shrugs*
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 even interested a little bit. There was a lot of magic that I couldn't really wrap my head around.
I did make a solid attempt - had it sitting by the bed for at least 6 months I reckon before finally giving up. I HATE having things on my dnf list though so who knows?
Such a shame because I read such glowing reviews for it? Honestly, I just don't get it. But it was the accents that did my head in most of all so I guess if you can get past that maybe it's a better story. *shrugs*
Want to read
July 16, 2020$0.99 Kindle sale, July 16, 2020. Dragons + witches!
September 6, 2020
(TW / CW: first book has a very graphic 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 interesting.
One thing that took me by surprise was how much darker this book was than I originally thought. I started reading this wonderful book of a young girl and her old witchy mentor living in the deep mountains and woods, making animal friends, and then having to leave on a quest. The old witch heads to the dragons, where she helps them and finds the other part of her prophecy. The young apprentice witch has her first taste of freedom (and while she doesn't always make the best decisions with that freedom, it's sill beautiful to see). And then *bam* comes the CW scene. That scene felt quite gratuitous, mostly because it wasn't necessary to impart information, it was very graphic, and we could have been shown that the Banrigh's rule is evil without having to assault a child.
This was clearly a first-of-a-saga book: there are clear plot elements lined up, we get to know most of the major players, our would-be-heroes are not only introduced but have their first forays into the greater world and experience reality (aka evil) at the hands of the rulers. If I compare this to the first book of the Crown of Stars series (published around the same time period, similar amount of books, and has similar characters though the plot is very different), I have to say that this book was far more set up, and not as much pay off.
Worldbuilding: This is the only map I could find: link. Unfortunately it only gives us the broad strokes of the land of Eileanan. There are so many places and cities mentioned in the text that I can only guess at their location: Caeryla, the jugglers forest, Iseult's lands, the place the Blind Jorge lives, Margrit's kingdom, etc. I wish I had a better map, but I'm glad something exists.
This world is based on a Celtic-Ireland-type country. People speak with a very strong accent conveyed through text (it took me a few chapters to really parse what they were saying), and use a lot of terminology and fantasy words I'm not familiar with. However, almost all of these can be gleaned from the text and the rest I looked up. I really love how intertwined with Celtic folklore everything is, as I've only had a passing interaction with that mythology before.
Characters: Meghan is my favorite character ever. She is true to herself. She is kind to creatures smaller and less capable than her. She especially sanctifies life so much, that she is not willing to harm it and in fact admonishes Iseult for daring to kill anything near her. She is also a very cunning and creative old witch, which just reinforces all the other elements I love about her. Meghan takes no nonsense. She is kind and wonderful to animals. And because of her dear animal friends, when offered some furs to wear, the book says, "Meghan could no more wear the skin of a dead animal than she could that of a dead human." and I just want to say thank you for finally having a morally consistent character.
Isabeau, Isabeau... oh Isabeau how much I don't like you as a main character. Far too many flaws and not enough points in your favor. Okay, that's not entirely fair. She is a sheltered, naive 16 year old, and doesn't know the ways of the world. My main gripe is that Meghan specifically warns her 1. not to use magic 2. trust no one and 3. keep well away from civilization and she ignores all 3 precepts. Perhaps Meghan should have forced Isabeau to live without relying on magic for a time in order to know she was able to not rely on it for everything. I am sad that her foolishness lead to her trauma. I do like that Kate Forsyth realistically dealt with her injury and the psychological impact afterwards.
Iseult really annoyed me at first. Not like Isabeau, though. Iseault was so stuck in her ways, stuck in her absolute conviction that the way her people live is the right way and any other way is wrong. And that her people have very strict gender roles did not endear me at all. However nearing the end of the story I found myself warming to her. She's still not a great person, however she also does not abandon Meghan and flee back to her own people, she allows herself to be drawn and starts to explore the rest of the world.
Lachlan just rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. Annoying little fairy creature. Isabeau saved your life and you steal from her and almost get her caught, have a terrible attitude and hate everyone? And then I heard his life story and I felt very compassionate for him. I understand why he is filled with so much bitterness.
Jorge was mostly harmless, somewhat interesting, until we had his chapter where he discovered the young boy with a healing gift. I think that was when his true role in the story came to light and we were given a glimpse of the man he is underneath the blind beggar persona.
Maya I hated with a blindness you reserve for any evil usurper, and then after we had her chapters I felt really bad for her. She is also a victim of trauma (oh god does her father suck), but she does not deserve forgiveness. Her policies across Eileanan have caused the destruction of a culture, of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of lives including innocent children. She is a cruel and petty person who only wishes for power in order to stand up to her father.
Other shout-outs to characters I loved and hope to see more of: the tree-changer girl Isabeau traveled with for a short time and the juggling / carnival troupe she in turn found, all the cool dragon folk who take no shit from anyone, and I hope we see a bit more of the little thief children as ornery as they are. I like that the fair folk we do meet are all unique, and generally quite different from humans. Many are willing to help humans for one reason or another, but they won't necessarily help just because. They are also varied and don't have one main leader. I do hope some of these hunted fair folk will be able to grow their populations again; the world would be sadder if no more fae lived in it.
Relationships: Meghan and Isabeau have an interesting relationship that we only see at the beginning of the story. Isabeau is always asking questions and instead of answering them Meghan admonishes her to 'watch' or 'listen'. I get that, but also I wish she would just explain things. Meghan and Iseult seem to do better... but Iseult does not understand Meghan's ways, although she'll be more ready to bow to her whims.
I like the slow build up of the relationship between Lachlan and Iseault. Lachlan has a lot to hate humans for, and yet he is somehow charmed by her. In turn, Iseault has never relied on anyone, or been seen as beautiful, so it allows her to soften a bit in his company. I am excited to see where they will go.
The relationship between Jorge and the little boy he found (I forget his name right now) is just very sweet and charming. He's rambunctious and curious and wants to know everything, and you can tell he had a very loving, kind childhood. I can't wait to see more of them (please don't hurt them Kate Forsyth).
Animal Friendships: This book had a few wonderful animal friendship. Firstly there's Meghan with Gita, a monkey-like creature? I'm not exactly certain. But Gita is so charming and will comfort Meghan and help her out when she feels out of her depth or very worn down. As a witches familiar could you ask for more?
The other beautiful friendship is Isabeau and the horse, Lasair. I like that she does not coerce him to submit to her, but rather they have a mutual understanding that also makes sense (unlike a lot of Daine and her animal companions in the Wild Mage books).
Social Justice Elements: I believe most of this world is populated by one race of people, all derived from the original settlers (potentially from another world? The book had this to say, "the native inhabitants of Eileanan were not all pleased at the invasion of humans from another planet." which makes me feel like space / time travel might become a thing in future books.) So the main prejudices existing across this land is witches and fairy folk vs interloper humans vs original settler Fairgean.
Honestly at the point where we learn a bit more of the Fairgean history I started asking things like who even has a right to a place? The Fairgean were there first, but they are also a race of brutal warrior people not willing to compromise. The human-like folk (I'm not 100% on if they are entire humans) that populate most of Eileanan and farm it came last, however they've been there at least for 450 years, have spread to almost all the reaches of the land, and for most of that time lived in harmony with the fair folk and the magic users (mostly known as witches). Now that the usurper Banrigh Maya has decreed magic and fair folk outlawed and subject to death, who's to say that this isn't a better way of life? (Obv it sucks for everyone getting killed, but I have a feeling the Fairgean wouldn't hesitate to kill the whole world if it meant they could rule it; their morality is not our morality). So far this book is saying 'life is better with all species living in harmony' but what do you do when one species won't submit?
I'm happy to have not seen any overt signs of sexism, misogyny (women are allowed to rule just as easily as men), homophobia or other queer-hate. I guess the people here keep all their hate for the other-bodied fair folk and otherwise try to get by. I don't notice a huge case of classism, however there are distinct groups of 'haves' and 'have nots'. Although there's been a civil war for 16 years, people generally don't seem to be starving or suffering as long as you're not a fairy or fairy blood (aka magic user).
Overall: I really like this world, I'm intrigued by how the plot will play out (I read the blurbs for future books already), and I love a lot of these characters. They all feel very real, and their struggles are real. I will continue reading this 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 interesting.
One thing that took me by surprise was how much darker this book was than I originally thought. I started reading this wonderful book of a young girl and her old witchy mentor living in the deep mountains and woods, making animal friends, and then having to leave on a quest. The old witch heads to the dragons, where she helps them and finds the other part of her prophecy. The young apprentice witch has her first taste of freedom (and while she doesn't always make the best decisions with that freedom, it's sill beautiful to see). And then *bam* comes the CW scene. That scene felt quite gratuitous, mostly because it wasn't necessary to impart information, it was very graphic, and we could have been shown that the Banrigh's rule is evil without having to assault a child.
This was clearly a first-of-a-saga book: there are clear plot elements lined up, we get to know most of the major players, our would-be-heroes are not only introduced but have their first forays into the greater world and experience reality (aka evil) at the hands of the rulers. If I compare this to the first book of the Crown of Stars series (published around the same time period, similar amount of books, and has similar characters though the plot is very different), I have to say that this book was far more set up, and not as much pay off.
Worldbuilding: This is the only map I could find: link. Unfortunately it only gives us the broad strokes of the land of Eileanan. There are so many places and cities mentioned in the text that I can only guess at their location: Caeryla, the jugglers forest, Iseult's lands, the place the Blind Jorge lives, Margrit's kingdom, etc. I wish I had a better map, but I'm glad something exists.
This world is based on a Celtic-Ireland-type country. People speak with a very strong accent conveyed through text (it took me a few chapters to really parse what they were saying), and use a lot of terminology and fantasy words I'm not familiar with. However, almost all of these can be gleaned from the text and the rest I looked up. I really love how intertwined with Celtic folklore everything is, as I've only had a passing interaction with that mythology before.
Characters: Meghan is my favorite character ever. She is true to herself. She is kind to creatures smaller and less capable than her. She especially sanctifies life so much, that she is not willing to harm it and in fact admonishes Iseult for daring to kill anything near her. She is also a very cunning and creative old witch, which just reinforces all the other elements I love about her. Meghan takes no nonsense. She is kind and wonderful to animals. And because of her dear animal friends, when offered some furs to wear, the book says, "Meghan could no more wear the skin of a dead animal than she could that of a dead human." and I just want to say thank you for finally having a morally consistent character.
Isabeau, Isabeau... oh Isabeau how much I don't like you as a main character. Far too many flaws and not enough points in your favor. Okay, that's not entirely fair. She is a sheltered, naive 16 year old, and doesn't know the ways of the world. My main gripe is that Meghan specifically warns her 1. not to use magic 2. trust no one and 3. keep well away from civilization and she ignores all 3 precepts. Perhaps Meghan should have forced Isabeau to live without relying on magic for a time in order to know she was able to not rely on it for everything. I am sad that her foolishness lead to her trauma. I do like that Kate Forsyth realistically dealt with her injury and the psychological impact afterwards.
Iseult really annoyed me at first. Not like Isabeau, though. Iseault was so stuck in her ways, stuck in her absolute conviction that the way her people live is the right way and any other way is wrong. And that her people have very strict gender roles did not endear me at all. However nearing the end of the story I found myself warming to her. She's still not a great person, however she also does not abandon Meghan and flee back to her own people, she allows herself to be drawn and starts to explore the rest of the world.
Lachlan just rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. Annoying little fairy creature. Isabeau saved your life and you steal from her and almost get her caught, have a terrible attitude and hate everyone? And then I heard his life story and I felt very compassionate for him. I understand why he is filled with so much bitterness.
Jorge was mostly harmless, somewhat interesting, until we had his chapter where he discovered the young boy with a healing gift. I think that was when his true role in the story came to light and we were given a glimpse of the man he is underneath the blind beggar persona.
Maya I hated with a blindness you reserve for any evil usurper, and then after we had her chapters I felt really bad for her. She is also a victim of trauma (oh god does her father suck), but she does not deserve forgiveness. Her policies across Eileanan have caused the destruction of a culture, of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of lives including innocent children. She is a cruel and petty person who only wishes for power in order to stand up to her father.
Other shout-outs to characters I loved and hope to see more of: the tree-changer girl Isabeau traveled with for a short time and the juggling / carnival troupe she in turn found, all the cool dragon folk who take no shit from anyone, and I hope we see a bit more of the little thief children as ornery as they are. I like that the fair folk we do meet are all unique, and generally quite different from humans. Many are willing to help humans for one reason or another, but they won't necessarily help just because. They are also varied and don't have one main leader. I do hope some of these hunted fair folk will be able to grow their populations again; the world would be sadder if no more fae lived in it.
Relationships: Meghan and Isabeau have an interesting relationship that we only see at the beginning of the story. Isabeau is always asking questions and instead of answering them Meghan admonishes her to 'watch' or 'listen'. I get that, but also I wish she would just explain things. Meghan and Iseult seem to do better... but Iseult does not understand Meghan's ways, although she'll be more ready to bow to her whims.
I like the slow build up of the relationship between Lachlan and Iseault. Lachlan has a lot to hate humans for, and yet he is somehow charmed by her. In turn, Iseault has never relied on anyone, or been seen as beautiful, so it allows her to soften a bit in his company. I am excited to see where they will go.
The relationship between Jorge and the little boy he found (I forget his name right now) is just very sweet and charming. He's rambunctious and curious and wants to know everything, and you can tell he had a very loving, kind childhood. I can't wait to see more of them (please don't hurt them Kate Forsyth).
Animal Friendships: This book had a few wonderful animal friendship. Firstly there's Meghan with Gita, a monkey-like creature? I'm not exactly certain. But Gita is so charming and will comfort Meghan and help her out when she feels out of her depth or very worn down. As a witches familiar could you ask for more?
The other beautiful friendship is Isabeau and the horse, Lasair. I like that she does not coerce him to submit to her, but rather they have a mutual understanding that also makes sense (unlike a lot of Daine and her animal companions in the Wild Mage books).
Social Justice Elements: I believe most of this world is populated by one race of people, all derived from the original settlers (potentially from another world? The book had this to say, "the native inhabitants of Eileanan were not all pleased at the invasion of humans from another planet." which makes me feel like space / time travel might become a thing in future books.) So the main prejudices existing across this land is witches and fairy folk vs interloper humans vs original settler Fairgean.
Honestly at the point where we learn a bit more of the Fairgean history I started asking things like who even has a right to a place? The Fairgean were there first, but they are also a race of brutal warrior people not willing to compromise. The human-like folk (I'm not 100% on if they are entire humans) that populate most of Eileanan and farm it came last, however they've been there at least for 450 years, have spread to almost all the reaches of the land, and for most of that time lived in harmony with the fair folk and the magic users (mostly known as witches). Now that the usurper Banrigh Maya has decreed magic and fair folk outlawed and subject to death, who's to say that this isn't a better way of life? (Obv it sucks for everyone getting killed, but I have a feeling the Fairgean wouldn't hesitate to kill the whole world if it meant they could rule it; their morality is not our morality). So far this book is saying 'life is better with all species living in harmony' but what do you do when one species won't submit?
I'm happy to have not seen any overt signs of sexism, misogyny (women are allowed to rule just as easily as men), homophobia or other queer-hate. I guess the people here keep all their hate for the other-bodied fair folk and otherwise try to get by. I don't notice a huge case of classism, however there are distinct groups of 'haves' and 'have nots'. Although there's been a civil war for 16 years, people generally don't seem to be starving or suffering as long as you're not a fairy or fairy blood (aka magic user).
Overall: I really like this world, I'm intrigued by how the plot will play out (I read the blurbs for future books already), and I love a lot of these characters. They all feel very real, and their struggles are real. I will continue reading this series.
October 15, 2007
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.
May 1, 2007
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 memorable characters, and the world is very well developed. If you're new to epic fantasy, this is probably not the best series to start with. But if you're a fan of the genre, and haven't yet read the work of Forsyth, you're in for a treat.
The main characters can be grating and annoying at times but the support cast is full of lively and memorable characters, and the world is very well developed. If you're new to epic fantasy, this is probably not the best series to start with. But if you're a fan of the genre, and haven't yet read the work of Forsyth, you're in for a treat.
January 12, 2021
I listened to this audiobook and at first I thought the narrator was monotonous, but not so. She speaks with a beautiful accent and does a great job with different characters. This is a fantasy world with lots of creatures, both good and evil. The world building is great, gradiently given to the reader. By the end of the book I was enthralled and sad to say goodbye. So, of course I'm going to have to get book 2!
December 13, 2015
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.
May 28, 2017
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 phase. Nevertheless, this is a consuming and head boggling beginning of what I’m certain will be a fantastic journey.
The witches who were once respected in Eileanan are now persecuted, tortured, and burned, thanks to Maya, a mysterious woman who entranced the Righ (King-ish) of the land. However, some of the witches escaped the bloodshed of those early days and have since been plotting a revolution. We follow Meghan, a powerful witch, and her apprentice Isabeau, as the cogs for the uprising begin to turn.
There are a fuckload of characters crammed into this novel, and there’s a fair lot of talk about politics and history and lineage, so if you’re looking for a quick, light read, this may not be for you. For fans of slightly more intense and complex epics, however, you will find something to like here. The language, too, could be difficult for some to adapt to. It’s all ‘ye’ and ‘och’ and ‘ken’ - at first a little distracting, but it does the job of dragging you into the world of Eileanan very well.
The characters themselves are engaging and interesting, though truly, at this stage in the presumably sweeping epic that is this series, I don’t yet know them. Isabeau is fiery and wilful and naive; Meghan is tough as old toenails and rather impatient; I’m most interested in Khan’derin, who is thus far sulky but bright and mysterious.
The story itself is well paced and considering that the main arc is only just beginning, a lot happens. Isabel gets herself into some truly terrible situations (one of which truly surprised me with its level of explicitness and horror), and there are heaps of characters and creatures that we are briefly introduced to who we can be on the lookout for later. The tone is at first whimsical with a darker undercurrent, but that darkness seeps through with a promise of worse to come. I loved that many of the characters were multi-faceted - a character who at first is portrayed as villainous may turn out 3 pages later to be misunderstood/lonely/having a laugh.
Also, there are DRAGONS. I am excited to see how they complicate the politics of the continuing story, but mostly I just want them to rain terror upon Isabaeu and Meghan’s enemies.
January 21, 2018
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 on my shelves she lets out a groan saying "Do you remember how much of a brat you were over these?!" I love you too mum!
Kate Forsythe created a mystical world, full of adventures and quests, magic and faeries, and dragons. The world building is fantastic. The characters are just so full of life, they leap off the page. It's so easy to get completely lost in this world, and it never fails to enchant me.
I honestly cant say anything bad about this. To me, its perfection.
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 on my shelves she lets out a groan saying "Do you remember how much of a brat you were over these?!" I love you too mum!
Kate Forsythe created a mystical world, full of adventures and quests, magic and faeries, and dragons. The world building is fantastic. The characters are just so full of life, they leap off the page. It's so easy to get completely lost in this world, and it never fails to enchant me.
I honestly cant say anything bad about this. To me, its perfection.
September 2, 2012
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 thrown in when it is a commonly used one that does not generally feature in the language of, say, Australia or the USA, but an entire book where the characters ALL speak in almost a dialect? No thank you. I hate that an otherwise good story was made more difficult to enjoy by this, because the story WAS good. Not sure if I will be picking up the next one unless someone whose taste in books I trust recommends it to me.
November 12, 2015
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 Dead, in the arms of John Snow, or being sleep sandwiched by Aragorn and Legolas. And so forth, you get the idea.
The first pages of The Witches of Eileanan described a secret tree house, which should be so safe, I felt like packing my bags and moving up there right away. To find the entrance up in the trees already seemed practically impossible, then getting in required a trick and once inside, the rooms go all the way down to the bottom again. I'd like to sleep there. Now.
So as I was reading this with the thought of "I'm so going to give this 5 stars/oh my god, this is amazing", I became slightly disappointed when the impenetrable treehouse turned out to be quite penetrable after all. In fact, it didn't even take a full chapter to be destroyed almost entirely.
This whole "Phew, we're safe now...Oh no, foiled again!"-thing was a recurring theme throughout the entire book. It sometimes felt like watching a 'Revolution'-episode, where people get captured, escape, get captured again etc., etc. No wonder it got cancelled recently. Don't get me wrong, it's good for a story when not all things go according to plan. There wouldn't be much excitement left now would there? In this book, however, I feel like it's sometimes a bit too much. Like a wild goose chase that never ends.
This, and the sometimes overly complicated political aspects of the world the story takes place in, made me drop my rating from 5 stars to 3.5. I'd love to give it 4 stars because I truly DID enjoy it. Yet, then I think of other books I've given 4 stars to, and they're just better. Period. While 3 stars, on the other hand, would sell this book short.
I'm anxious to start the second book in the series as this one abruptly ended with a cliffhanger. Small note for the next one: I hope it includes a freaking MAP! Since there's a lot of traveling going on plus the depicting of other nations/tribes/races with their accompanying regions, it would sure help giving a better estimation of the actual distances.
The first pages of The Witches of Eileanan described a secret tree house, which should be so safe, I felt like packing my bags and moving up there right away. To find the entrance up in the trees already seemed practically impossible, then getting in required a trick and once inside, the rooms go all the way down to the bottom again. I'd like to sleep there. Now.
So as I was reading this with the thought of "I'm so going to give this 5 stars/oh my god, this is amazing", I became slightly disappointed when the impenetrable treehouse turned out to be quite penetrable after all. In fact, it didn't even take a full chapter to be destroyed almost entirely.
This whole "Phew, we're safe now...Oh no, foiled again!"-thing was a recurring theme throughout the entire book. It sometimes felt like watching a 'Revolution'-episode, where people get captured, escape, get captured again etc., etc. No wonder it got cancelled recently. Don't get me wrong, it's good for a story when not all things go according to plan. There wouldn't be much excitement left now would there? In this book, however, I feel like it's sometimes a bit too much. Like a wild goose chase that never ends.
This, and the sometimes overly complicated political aspects of the world the story takes place in, made me drop my rating from 5 stars to 3.5. I'd love to give it 4 stars because I truly DID enjoy it. Yet, then I think of other books I've given 4 stars to, and they're just better. Period. While 3 stars, on the other hand, would sell this book short.
I'm anxious to start the second book in the series as this one abruptly ended with a cliffhanger. Small note for the next one: I hope it includes a freaking MAP! Since there's a lot of traveling going on plus the depicting of other nations/tribes/races with their accompanying regions, it would sure help giving a better estimation of the actual distances.
April 15, 2012
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, witches and uile-bheistean could all just get along with each other.
Forsyth Trivia: If you like reading kids books, read "The Locket of Dreams" by Kate's sister, Belinda Murrell, first. This is based on a true family legend the girls grew up with. You'll get a giggle in the first couple of chapters of Dragon Claw if you do.
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, witches and uile-bheistean could all just get along with each other.
Forsyth Trivia: If you like reading kids books, read "The Locket of Dreams" by Kate's sister, Belinda Murrell, first. This is based on a true family legend the girls grew up with. You'll get a giggle in the first couple of chapters of Dragon Claw if you do.
February 7, 2014
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 moves fast and all of the characters are well written and interesting. I enjoyed every moment of it and am looking forward to the next one. Recommended to anyone who enjoys a well written fantasy of this type.
July 12, 2013
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 open fire, I found I had no idea what they were talking about and even wondered if I'd missed a book. I felt lost until I realised that the main character is feeling the same way, and the reader isn't supposed to have knowledge of the events being discussed. It was after this scene that I was able to let myself fall completely into the story.
Dragonclaw is a rich tale full of witches, magic and dragons, and it isn't long before our protagonists are on a significant quest. There is much backstory to learn and Kate does a great job of drip feeding it into the plot although I was hungry for more. It was clear midway through the book that their quest would take them beyond book one of this series in much the same way that readers of Eragon realise they're settling in for a great journey a few hundred pages in.
My favourite part of the book were the few scenes with the dragons; I found their characteristics and view of human life fascinating and I hope they appear again later in the series. In summary, I recommend Dragonclaw to readers who enjoy fantasy novels and quest-driven plots where good and evil must battle for control of the realm.
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 open fire, I found I had no idea what they were talking about and even wondered if I'd missed a book. I felt lost until I realised that the main character is feeling the same way, and the reader isn't supposed to have knowledge of the events being discussed. It was after this scene that I was able to let myself fall completely into the story.
Dragonclaw is a rich tale full of witches, magic and dragons, and it isn't long before our protagonists are on a significant quest. There is much backstory to learn and Kate does a great job of drip feeding it into the plot although I was hungry for more. It was clear midway through the book that their quest would take them beyond book one of this series in much the same way that readers of Eragon realise they're settling in for a great journey a few hundred pages in.
My favourite part of the book were the few scenes with the dragons; I found their characteristics and view of human life fascinating and I hope they appear again later in the series. In summary, I recommend Dragonclaw to readers who enjoy fantasy novels and quest-driven plots where good and evil must battle for control of the realm.
June 1, 2015
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 started a long insatiable thirst for magic and adventure.
This is such a wonderfully written book, that has stuck with me over the years and I would recommend it to readers young and old.
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 started a long insatiable thirst for magic and adventure.
This is such a wonderfully written book, that has stuck with me over the years and I would recommend it to readers young and old.
July 9, 2012
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, stoking up the fires of resistance and judging when the time is right to reclaim what was lost to them.
Dragonclaw starts with what I like to call the “Stay awhile and listen” beginning. This consists of a character (usually old), telling the story of the history of the world to another character. In some books it creates a huge information dump right at the start of the book and bogs it down a bit, but in Dragonclaw it’s gives a good run-down on some of what’s going on.
This book took me quite a while to get through, mostly because it’s just so complex! There are dozens of characters each with their own motives and plans, at least three of which are separate “baddies”. The main characters split up and go off to follow their own quest for a few chapters, then we jump back to a different tale that is going on at the same time. The individual stories tie together amazingly well, so we don’t miss out on any of the action, but the jumping back and forth can get a little confusing.
Another aspect that I found a little hard to get used to was the fact that all the characters “speak wi’ a wee bit o’ a Scottish accent, which is no’ a problem once ye get used to it”, but it takes a while to get your brain in gear.
The countries that make up Eileanan and the uile-bheistean that live there are unique and described in great detail. The city of Lucescere in particular, situated between two enormous waterfalls, sounds so beautiful! I’m looking forward to continuing with this series to get back to this world and its dramas.
If you’re looking to be swept away into a beautiful, magical world, full of danger and with a Celt-inspired mythos, The Witches of Eileanan is for you!
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, stoking up the fires of resistance and judging when the time is right to reclaim what was lost to them.
Dragonclaw starts with what I like to call the “Stay awhile and listen” beginning. This consists of a character (usually old), telling the story of the history of the world to another character. In some books it creates a huge information dump right at the start of the book and bogs it down a bit, but in Dragonclaw it’s gives a good run-down on some of what’s going on.
This book took me quite a while to get through, mostly because it’s just so complex! There are dozens of characters each with their own motives and plans, at least three of which are separate “baddies”. The main characters split up and go off to follow their own quest for a few chapters, then we jump back to a different tale that is going on at the same time. The individual stories tie together amazingly well, so we don’t miss out on any of the action, but the jumping back and forth can get a little confusing.
Another aspect that I found a little hard to get used to was the fact that all the characters “speak wi’ a wee bit o’ a Scottish accent, which is no’ a problem once ye get used to it”, but it takes a while to get your brain in gear.
The countries that make up Eileanan and the uile-bheistean that live there are unique and described in great detail. The city of Lucescere in particular, situated between two enormous waterfalls, sounds so beautiful! I’m looking forward to continuing with this series to get back to this world and its dramas.
If you’re looking to be swept away into a beautiful, magical world, full of danger and with a Celt-inspired mythos, The Witches of Eileanan is for you!
did-not-finish
September 27, 2012Irritating 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 some more. I got the impression that the novel would skip ahead to Isabeau meeting the people she is supposed to meet on the way to the castle. Instead I had to read through 50 pages of traveling and playing around. I don't understand how details were skipped over in some of the explanations early in the book, yet we are forced to experience every step of an overlong trip. Some people can read entire books about traveling across the world, and some authors can write books about such travel very well, this was not one of those cases. Add to that the grating language and accent. If I have to read the word "ken" one more time, I'm going to throw a fit. More than that, every single witch has the same accent and dialogue no matter where they are from. It's strange. One specific point of irritation was that Meghan's familiar, a donbeag called Gait, was never explained. I don't understand why the author is assuming we know what a donbeag is. She doesn't even explain what it looks like. Very strange. A faster paced novel with a lighter accent and less repetitive use of certain words would have been so much better.
June 5, 2017
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. An evil half-breed witch has become queen of a great kingdom, and tries to stamp out the existence of magic and witches in particular. When the book opens, this evil power has been in control for years, and while a rebellion stirs against her, the evil Mara has her own terrible plans for the future of their world.
While some of the unfamiliar Celtic terms can be a bit distracting, there is a convenient glossary at the end to help with translation. Some of it seems a bit self-indulgent, but it does make it feel authentic to a transplanted Celtic society. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading the rest if it stays this good.
No Catholic Inquisition to dodge doesn't mean all's well in the land of the witches, however. An evil half-breed witch has become queen of a great kingdom, and tries to stamp out the existence of magic and witches in particular. When the book opens, this evil power has been in control for years, and while a rebellion stirs against her, the evil Mara has her own terrible plans for the future of their world.
While some of the unfamiliar Celtic terms can be a bit distracting, there is a convenient glossary at the end to help with translation. Some of it seems a bit self-indulgent, but it does make it feel authentic to a transplanted Celtic society. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading the rest if it stays this good.
July 12, 2012
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 continuing with this series, and even slightly regretted having made my way all the way through this book. I really need to learn to stay away from colorful covers with dragons on them.
At the end, I realized that I had absolutely no interest in continuing with this series, and even slightly regretted having made my way all the way through this book. I really need to learn to stay away from colorful covers with dragons on them.
July 21, 2018
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.
January 26, 2021
Well drawn characters, good story telling, started the second book immediately after putting this one down. The only thing that annoyed me - the characters speak with a Scottish accent. I found that very distracting, but got used to it eventually. I had one of my Scottish work colleagues read out some passages to me one day, which was pretty funny....
September 19, 2017
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.
December 4, 2010
i loved this book XD i love the idea of witchcraft and sorcery and evil sea dwelling peoples XD tho i feel sorry for isabeau and her hand :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2021
This was a great find 🥰
January 10, 2023
Boring. Expositiony. Not a cliffhanger; the cliff is on the far horizon.
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