Rating: 
Summary: Extrodinary!
Review: This book was great!I cant wait or the 4th one!i laughed,was scared,and i even shed a tear or two!The battle scenes were great!They had my total attention.Kate forstyth brings many new characters in and many of the old.The book was exciting and i couldnt put it down!This trilogy(soon to be quartet i hope)is a must read for all fantasy lovers!
Rating:
Summary: The Cursed Towers -- Definitely a keeper
Review: This entire series is absolutely priceless. Wonderful characters, great setting, outstanding plotlines... this entire series is really something you have to read. Even the way that the dialogue is written (which is actually easy to get used to) adds flavor and definition to the book. "The Cursed Towers" does an effective job at picking up some of the loose ends from "The Pool of Two Moons" and at the same time starting some new sideplots. This book doesn't disappoint when delivering this story. Should you read it? Absolutely. It's superb fantasy writing at it's best.
Rating:
Summary: Great reading
Review: This series is delightful reading. Great characters. Get them all and enjoy yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Great reading
Review: This series is delightful reading. Great characters. Get them all and enjoy yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Truely a great exchange
Review: Truely another great book of the Eileanan series. Forsyth has finally explained about Lasair and his roll in the series, and Lilanthe has been given a reson for being as well. I thouroughly enjoyed the exchange between Iseult and Isabeau. During the second book we followed Iseult and her introduction to a 'new' culture and lifestyle; here in Towers we see how Isabeau handles her introduction to another culture.
I am impressed by the amount of planning and development that forsyth displays through the exchange of culture-shock. Although I can remember in an old high school fiction writing class that one major rule to character and character development is to not have more than one main character with the same first initial. Here Forsyth continually had me rereading in order to figure out who was doing and saying what...Isabeau, Ishbel, and Iseult - all three with the beginging of IS. Difficult and at times confusing for the quick reading person, however it did force me to read slower than I normally would and possibly kept me from sliding over some important information. All in all a good read and well recomended.
Rating:
Summary: A Book For The Keeping
Review: When I Began reading fantasy books which was a long time ago I stopped reading any other kind of book. I haven't read a non-fantasy book in over 4 years. I have read many thrilling fantasy novels that I love, but aside from all fantasy books that i've read 'The Cursed Towers' was the only one that ever made me cry so much. This book is full of emotions. After her sister is named Banrigh and Lachlan Righ, Isabeau takes Bronwen and flees to the Towers of Thorns and Roses, the tower of which she is an heir to. She lives with her mother, Ishbel the wind witch, Feld the sorceror, and discovers her father,though she's known him for quite some time. Isabeau, i think, is put through a lot of pain emotionally. Although her sister is banrigh she is still seen as a mere maid to most, she feels as though her sisters husband dislikes her greatly, and her taking in Maya's child does not help any. She goes to be with the Khan' cohbans and learn their ways, while she is there her great grand mother the firemaker treats her rather coldly, she feels as though her sister is loved more than she and feels a bit of jealously at Iseult and longing for her. She is not accepted in the pride at first and the people she loves are far away and she feels longing for them as well. With the war against the Bright Soilders many lose thier lives, many whom you grow to love throughout the story. I cried much throughout this story at the deaths of so many characters that I had grow to love. I cried at the isolation and depression that Isabeau had to endure. Although she felt lost and alone she never grew weak, knowing she had Bronwen, her mother, feld, and her father to take care of. I though this was a amazing story with a great plot. Kate Forsyth definately has a talent of her own. I can not wait until the fourth book is released as this book has left me hanging. I definately recommend this and the other books of this series.
Rating: 
Summary: impressed
Review: Wow, you know what really surprised me? I was coming to write: Book three, The Cursed Towers, is a middle book, there's no doubt about it. It's a bit longer than the rest, and at times it requires some pushing to read through. But it's worth it. And here are all these reviews, mostly positive, many by people who enjoyed it even more than the first two books! That's great. Maybe I was having a bad week. I gave it five stars because it is part of a story that, as a whole, deserves more than five. There was nothing bad about it, and looking back after having read to the end of the series, it seems even better now. So on to the summary... Isabeau the apprentice witch, her twin sister Iseult the Scarred Warrior, Lachlan the Winged have suceeded in rescuing the Lodestar, ancient scepter of the MacCuinn clan's power. Lachlan's brother, Jaspar, has died, his treacherous wife, Maya the Ensorcellor has fled, and Lachlan and Iseult sit on the throne as Righ and Banrigh. But the story is far from a happy ending. The country is rife with war. Civil war erupts in the land with Lachlan's ascention to the throne. Before his death, Jaspar names his infant daughter, Bronwyn, as his sucessor, with Maya as Regent. Maya's Red Guard, with the Seekers of the Awl of her Anti-Witchcraft League, are gaining the support of many citizens to restore the baby Banrigh to her throne. Lachlan's restoration of the witches' Coven and his decree against the persection of faery creatures have been unpopular with many. With help from an old enemy to the crown, the neighboring country of Tirsolleir has sent its Bright Soldiers marching on the land. And, if that weren't enough, the Fairgean, the sea people, ancient enimeies of the humans, have breached their defenses and menace the costal regions. Isabeau finds she must flee the Righ's palace for the safety of the baby, Bronwyn, whom she has cared for since her birth, as well as her rebellious horse friend, Lasair. She finds she must seek out the wisdom of her father's people, the fierce snow faeries. And so, Isabeau puts aside her Coven studies for a time, to begin her training with the Khan'cohban warriors. Their ways and customs are completly foriegn to her, and though she finds it difficult, and is often punished severly for her mistakes, she submits to their teachings, knowing that this is part of her destiny. Though for me it read somewhat more slowly, it is as rich in imagery as the other books. Everything in it is important to the story as a whole, and the reader will be glad later on for having stuck with it. The world and its characters continue to grow in scope and completxity. One wonders, how Isabeau, SO impetuous, and so not like Iseult, can possibly get by in Iseult's world? How can Lachlan, who is SO hot-headed and so often driven by emotion, and who is so young and inexperienced, possibly prevail in this three-sided assault on his throne? Why is Lachlan so nasty to Isabeau, who could really use a little kindness, when she is more like him than anyone else? These are just some of the questions which, while not necessarily answered here, serve to drive the story. There are others, but I'm trying not give away plot here. Enjoy the Cursed Towers and move on into The Forbidden Land.
Rating:
Summary: A good middle book...
Review: Wow, you know what really surprised me? I was coming to write: Book three, The Cursed Towers, is a middle book, there's no doubt about it. It's a bit longer than the rest, and at times it requires some pushing to read through. But it's worth it. And here are all these reviews, mostly positive, many by people who enjoyed it even more than the first two books! That's great. Maybe I was having a bad week. I gave it five stars because it is part of a story that, as a whole, deserves more than five. There was nothing bad about it, and looking back after having read to the end of the series, it seems even better now. So on to the summary... Isabeau the apprentice witch, her twin sister Iseult the Scarred Warrior, Lachlan the Winged have suceeded in rescuing the Lodestar, ancient scepter of the MacCuinn clan's power. Lachlan's brother, Jaspar, has died, his treacherous wife, Maya the Ensorcellor has fled, and Lachlan and Iseult sit on the throne as Righ and Banrigh. But the story is far from a happy ending. The country is rife with war. Civil war erupts in the land with Lachlan's ascention to the throne. Before his death, Jaspar names his infant daughter, Bronwyn, as his sucessor, with Maya as Regent. Maya's Red Guard, with the Seekers of the Awl of her Anti-Witchcraft League, are gaining the support of many citizens to restore the baby Banrigh to her throne. Lachlan's restoration of the witches' Coven and his decree against the persection of faery creatures have been unpopular with many. With help from an old enemy to the crown, the neighboring country of Tirsolleir has sent its Bright Soldiers marching on the land. And, if that weren't enough, the Fairgean, the sea people, ancient enimeies of the humans, have breached their defenses and menace the costal regions. Isabeau finds she must flee the Righ's palace for the safety of the baby, Bronwyn, whom she has cared for since her birth, as well as her rebellious horse friend, Lasair. She finds she must seek out the wisdom of her father's people, the fierce snow faeries. And so, Isabeau puts aside her Coven studies for a time, to begin her training with the Khan'cohban warriors. Their ways and customs are completly foriegn to her, and though she finds it difficult, and is often punished severly for her mistakes, she submits to their teachings, knowing that this is part of her destiny. Though for me it read somewhat more slowly, it is as rich in imagery as the other books. Everything in it is important to the story as a whole, and the reader will be glad later on for having stuck with it. The world and its characters continue to grow in scope and completxity. One wonders, how Isabeau, SO impetuous, and so not like Iseult, can possibly get by in Iseult's world? How can Lachlan, who is SO hot-headed and so often driven by emotion, and who is so young and inexperienced, possibly prevail in this three-sided assault on his throne? Why is Lachlan so nasty to Isabeau, who could really use a little kindness, when she is more like him than anyone else? These are just some of the questions which, while not necessarily answered here, serve to drive the story. There are others, but I'm trying not give away plot here. Enjoy the Cursed Towers and move on into The Forbidden Land.
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