Rating: 
Summary: Forsyth is an excellent writer...
Review: ... however frustrating it may be not to finish the story of Isabeau in the previous books. This is not to say that you shouldn't read the others in the series before this one (I highly recommend that) but you could still slip into the world of Eileanan with ease. But now, who knows how long this series could be? I went into the book a little peeved that I had waited so long to read a book about a side-character (I've followed the Witches of Eileanan series from the begining), but I was taken over by Kate Forsyth's masterful writing-- I completely forgot my frustration and wound myself in the novel. Of all the side-story books I've read, this one is the best. I highly recommend it.[Also recommended for this type of medieval-ish fantasy: Patricia McKillip... she writes like a tapestry! Try her first book, Forgotten Beasts of Eld :]
Rating: 
Summary: Great story, no doubts
Review: Ahhhh! Wonderful book. Perhaps slow starting, but still interesting. While the story line is rather far and away from what we have been reading in the last three books, it is a vital portion in the story. Please remember when reading, this book and "Scull of the World" are in a way one in the same book. While the stories are different, the time frame is the same, and if these two books had been combined, all you would get would be a confusing mass of story, whereas by pulling the stories apart, it helps negate confusion. All in all, if you enjoyed the first three, you should enjoy this, so read on! :)
Rating:
Summary: Finn!?!
Review: As others have already said, I was too, disappointed to not be reading further of Isabeau and the Firemaker. Which is the main reason for only four stars and not five. Although this portion of the series only remotely deals with Lachlan and Iseult, it does answer many questions about Finn and the League of the Healing Hand. However, the book does follow/parallel the same plotline of uniting Eileanan under the banner of peace that Lachlan and Iseult have been struggling to obtain for the last three books. Can't wait to read Skull, inorder to get back to the twins and Isabeau! As an anthropologist and pagan, I was highly impressed with Forsyth's development of the religious differences between those of the pagan tradition (polythiestic) and those of a Jewdeo-Christian type tradition (monothiestic). I have been overwhelmed with her display of research and thoughtfulness. From the research of euro-pagan belief and traditions, to what the effect of having two moons would do to the high/low tides of the oceans, to the cultures of the spine of the world and those of the coven, to the different beliefs of monothiestic and polythiestic religions and how the people of these religions would interact with eachother. Praise to Kate Forsyth for puting more thought into her novels than many authors today; the planning here with Eileanan, is remenicent of Tolkin's planning and thought through Middle-Earth. (I don't mean to imply that this is equivalent to Middle-Earth, because they are in two entirely separate classes of fantasy/fiction.) I highly recomend the entire series of Eileanan!
Rating:
Summary: Keep 'em coming!
Review: Book four and the characters are just as fresh and wonderful as always. I hate to see each book end. Good story telling and enjoyable reading. Can't wait for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Keep 'em coming!
Review: Book four and the characters are just as fresh and wonderful as always. I hate to see each book end. Good story telling and enjoyable reading. Can't wait for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: This is my favorite Fantasy series
Review: Hello, I am from Germany so please forgive me the basic language and the grammar mistakes :) I really like to recommend the whole series of the witches. The story is absolutely thrilling and keeps you reading all night long.. so be aware to have the next day off or at least prepare enough coffee :)
Especially I like the relationship between the 2 twin-sisters which are so different and yet become best friends. Isabeau's struggle to find her destiny in the land of the white gods and the struggle of the whole kingdom to survive the attacks of the merciless Fargean are told in such a brilliant way that only George R.R. Martin's "song of ice and fire" series was able to involve me more into the plot and to "feel" more intensely with the characters.
This fantasy series is unbelievable good.. so don't hesitate: get all 5 available books (and pre-order the 6th) and take a week off to read them all in a row.. but be aware: you will hardly sleep I promise !!!
Rating:
Summary: I love all of Kate Forsyth's books =)
Review: I love this book almost as much as I did the previous three. It may be shorter and may focus on Finn - but there are reasons for this! I have read a few of the earlier reviews and I felt some of the comments were misleading. The book is about Finn - yes - but it is still a great book. Isabeau re-enters the story in the book 5 (which I have also read - this is one of the few series we Australians get to read before other countries =). Books four and five are both of similar length (shorter than the others) because together, they made too big a book. And, for those who commented that the series seems to be going forever etc., there will be only six books in the series. So, although this is probably the book in the series that I liked the least (though still liked) because it didn't focus on my favourite character - Isabeau, it is still a great book to read! And it is well worth the wait to then read book five and find out what has happened to Isabeau, Maya, Bronwen, Ishbel, Khan'gharad etc. I strongly advise you to read it =)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I LOVED this book. I do understand some of what people say against it, it's not a book you should just pick up (especially if you haven't read the others in the series) and expect to enjoy. You have to think a bit more than most people like to, but it is well worth it.
This is my favorite book in the series. In it, Finn the Cat is sent by the Righ to free a prophet from the Black Tower. Along with her go both new characters like her cousin Bran, and favorite old characters like Dide and Enit.
Lachlan the Winged wants to free the prophet so he can help win back the lands of Elfrida, what were taken by the evil Fealde before Elfrida was born.
I really enjoyed certain parts of this book; the part in the nyx cave, her report to Lachlan, the battle with the Fealde.
If you like fantasy at all, this book is for you!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I LOVED this book. I do understand some of what people say against it, it's not a book you should just pick up (especially if you haven't read the others in the series) and expect to enjoy. You have to think a bit more than most people like to, but it is well worth it.
This is my favorite book in the series. In it, Finn the Cat is sent by the Righ to free a prophet from the Black Tower. Along with her go both new characters like her cousin Bran, and favorite old characters like Dide and Enit.
Lachlan the Winged wants to free the prophet so he can help win back the lands of Elfrida, what were taken by the evil Fealde before Elfrida was born.
I really enjoyed certain parts of this book; the part in the nyx cave, her report to Lachlan, the battle with the Fealde.
If you like fantasy at all, this book is for you!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing effort
Review: I really wanted to like the book. I had read the previous 3 with great enjoyment and was excited to see a sequel. However, while the book made for some light reading, I did not find it up to the usual level of Ms. Forsyth's writing. It was nice to see the character of Finn develop, but there is a jump of a number of years, and not much filled in about the time not seen. I found the adventure lively, but somewhat disconnected. I also was pleased to hear that Isabeau would be back in the next book, but unhappy to realize that this may be the start of several sequels that are not up to the standard of the original trilogy. I have noted this with several series I am reading and am in general not pleased with the trend toward poor writing to answer the question of "but what happened next?"
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