arcania's review against another edition
1.0
Le début d'une grande épopée style Seigneur des Anneaux. La constitution d'un groupe, d'une communauté éclectique, puis la quête. C'est vraiment la mise en place d'une grande histoire qui se déroulera sur plusieurs tomes. Mais au final ça rend celui-ci moins passionnant. C'est malheureusement pas mon genre.
marineb09's review against another edition
3.0
I first read this book maybe 10 years ago (and in french) and LOVED the hell out of it ... breathtaking, I binge read the serie in one go and couldn't stop thinking about it.
I kept this feeling with me since then.
I wanted to try again with this serie, but this time, in VO ;) and well... I am so upset now. I couldn't identify with this book anymore, I don't know why but I couldn't read it like I used too, I felt bored, not excited by the complexity of the characters and the world ... Maybe I wasn't in the mood to read adult fantasy and I push through ... and I ended up not enjoying the expérience..
Will see if I continue on maybe in a couple of month or not ... :(
I kept this feeling with me since then.
I wanted to try again with this serie, but this time, in VO ;) and well... I am so upset now. I couldn't identify with this book anymore, I don't know why but I couldn't read it like I used too, I felt bored, not excited by the complexity of the characters and the world ... Maybe I wasn't in the mood to read adult fantasy and I push through ... and I ended up not enjoying the expérience..
Will see if I continue on maybe in a couple of month or not ... :(
matty4's review against another edition
4.0
Premier tome de cette sage de dark fantasy. On y suit l'histoire de plusieurs personnages : Elena, une jeune sorcière ; Er'ril de Standi, un guerrier vieux de 500 ans hiver ; Nee'lahn, la dernière nyphai ; Kral, un puissant montagnard ; l'el'phe Méric ; Mogweed et Fardale, des si'lura (métamorphes) ; par son oncle Boln et Tol'chuk, un sage og're de demi-sang.
Les évènements de ce premier tome ne se passent que sur quelques jours, mais rapidement l'action y prend place et nous embarque dans une sacrée histoire. Au fur et à mesure, les différents personnages se retrouveront chez l'oncle Born, cette rencontre a pourtant été décidée bien plus tôt par la destinée.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce tome, qui était plutôt un tome introductif sur la suite qui nous attend. Mon personnage préféré est surement Kral, parce qu'il me fait penser à Cassian.
Très très hâte de lire la suite.
Les évènements de ce premier tome ne se passent que sur quelques jours, mais rapidement l'action y prend place et nous embarque dans une sacrée histoire. Au fur et à mesure, les différents personnages se retrouveront chez l'oncle Born, cette rencontre a pourtant été décidée bien plus tôt par la destinée.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce tome, qui était plutôt un tome introductif sur la suite qui nous attend. Mon personnage préféré est surement Kral, parce qu'il me fait penser à Cassian.
Très très hâte de lire la suite.
ettegoom's review against another edition
1.0
It was a relief to finish this. I felt like I ought to be more invested in the characters, but frankly, they were two dimensional and uninspiring. I won't read the rest of the series.
christdrake's review against another edition
3.0
Cross between Tolkien and Anne Bishop but the flow and character development isn't as good. 5 books in the series, and I just finished the third (Witch War).
mewsie's review against another edition
3.0
Here is the tale about Elena: a simple country girl whose life takes a sudden turn for the worse when she becomes a woman. She is no longer the daughter of an apple farmer in a quiet valley; now she becomes a Wit'ch, a woman who can wield great power but is feared among her land. Her destiny was forged five centuries earlier when three mages brought their powers together and sacraficed themselves to create the Book, which contains the last powers of the Chi in a land that was to succumb to dark powers. Once Elena became the Wit'ch, the Dark Lord who now rules over her land of Alasea is seeking her power, and she finds herself alone, very confused, and running away from the only home she knew. On her journey to find someone that can help her, she meets up with others who help her battle the Dark Lord's minion: a one-armed man, a half-breed troll, a nymph, and two shapeshifters stuck in their current forms. They work together to keep Elena from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord.
I read this book on recommendation from my husband and was pleasantly surprise with it. The book was a bit tough to stick with at the beginning, whether it was the writing style or the focus shifting constantly between characters, but it melded nicely in the end. I did like the fact that the story didn't just focus on Elena but included the stories behind her ragtag friends as well. Clemens did a good job giving life to these supplemental characters with intriguing stories of their own. Yes, there are issues with his writing style, especially all those added apostrophes (hence the three stars), but I think that it was worth working through since the story had a nice plot and good character development.
I read this book on recommendation from my husband and was pleasantly surprise with it. The book was a bit tough to stick with at the beginning, whether it was the writing style or the focus shifting constantly between characters, but it melded nicely in the end. I did like the fact that the story didn't just focus on Elena but included the stories behind her ragtag friends as well. Clemens did a good job giving life to these supplemental characters with intriguing stories of their own. Yes, there are issues with his writing style, especially all those added apostrophes (hence the three stars), but I think that it was worth working through since the story had a nice plot and good character development.
book_whispers's review against another edition
1.0
Thoughts:
This book had a really fun beginning. Showing that the book we are about to read is a history of how the old world ended, and that it is nothing but lies. Promising, right? How many fantasy books start off like that? Not many so I was really excited to start out.
Within 20 pages, nothing big really popped out. The reader has read the prologue that gives us some history, and we're rushing on to meet our young heroine. Who is just coming into her powers and is now a hunted girl because of them.
I've read a lot of fantasy books, and it's only natural to hit the same story over and over again. The thing with good fantasy books if they don't have a new idea, then the author takes the same old tale and spices it up. Spices it up by the writing style, characters and how they interact, and so many little factors. This book didn't really have any of that.
After 175 pages I can confidently say this book has solid writing, really good and descriptive. However, after that many pages all of the characters introduced, and still being introduced, I just couldn't connect with them. I was not interested in them, I could profile all of them in to standard fantasy character catergories. For all of the great writing, the characters never developed. I know it takes time for you to connect to the characters especially when some are still be introduced. After 175 pages, there should be some characters you care about, the author should be able to make you want to know the new ones.
After 175 pages, nothing new was being added to the plot and I was bored. Book Boredom is a rare thing that I have rarely visited, and quite frankly don't like to stay in too long. So out of self preservation, I stopped.
Then picked it up again and tried last week to read it. Maybe I wasn't in the mood (which can some times happen with fantasy), maybe I just didn't read enough, and so many other excuses.
First off no matter the fantasy book, or how many times the same old tale is being told. It should still give you something to make it new.
175-200 pages should be more then enough time to connect with a book, if it takes more the author is not doing their job.
Bottom Line:
This book had a great beginning and fantastic writing. Swiftly it falls into the standard fantasy plot and it doesn't distinguish itself from the other books out there. I found myself not caring about the characters. After 175 pages Book Boredom set in hard, and trying to pick it up again after starting did not cure it. For long term fantasy fans, stay away from this one. New fantasy adventurers, there's better things out there.
Sexual Content:
Nothing within a 175 pages, not even a kiss.
Rating:
1/5 –Couldn't even finish it, or wish I hadn't.
This book had a really fun beginning. Showing that the book we are about to read is a history of how the old world ended, and that it is nothing but lies. Promising, right? How many fantasy books start off like that? Not many so I was really excited to start out.
Within 20 pages, nothing big really popped out. The reader has read the prologue that gives us some history, and we're rushing on to meet our young heroine. Who is just coming into her powers and is now a hunted girl because of them.
I've read a lot of fantasy books, and it's only natural to hit the same story over and over again. The thing with good fantasy books if they don't have a new idea, then the author takes the same old tale and spices it up. Spices it up by the writing style, characters and how they interact, and so many little factors. This book didn't really have any of that.
After 175 pages I can confidently say this book has solid writing, really good and descriptive. However, after that many pages all of the characters introduced, and still being introduced, I just couldn't connect with them. I was not interested in them, I could profile all of them in to standard fantasy character catergories. For all of the great writing, the characters never developed. I know it takes time for you to connect to the characters especially when some are still be introduced. After 175 pages, there should be some characters you care about, the author should be able to make you want to know the new ones.
After 175 pages, nothing new was being added to the plot and I was bored. Book Boredom is a rare thing that I have rarely visited, and quite frankly don't like to stay in too long. So out of self preservation, I stopped.
Then picked it up again and tried last week to read it. Maybe I wasn't in the mood (which can some times happen with fantasy), maybe I just didn't read enough, and so many other excuses.
First off no matter the fantasy book, or how many times the same old tale is being told. It should still give you something to make it new.
175-200 pages should be more then enough time to connect with a book, if it takes more the author is not doing their job.
Bottom Line:
This book had a great beginning and fantastic writing. Swiftly it falls into the standard fantasy plot and it doesn't distinguish itself from the other books out there. I found myself not caring about the characters. After 175 pages Book Boredom set in hard, and trying to pick it up again after starting did not cure it. For long term fantasy fans, stay away from this one. New fantasy adventurers, there's better things out there.
Sexual Content:
Nothing within a 175 pages, not even a kiss.
Rating:
1/5 –Couldn't even finish it, or wish I hadn't.
whiterabbitslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Torture, Body horror, War, Kidnapping, and Slavery
19minnie's review against another edition
4.0
Dit is het eerste deel uit de Verboden en Verbannen-serie van Clemens. Ik vond het een heel mooi boek. Het intresseerde mij enorm. De spanning zat goed en ik wou dan ook zo snel mogelijk verder lezen.