Rating: 
Summary: Why Bother?????????????????
Review: I was sent this book as a Christmas present and after reading almost all of it, I'm only happy that I didn't spend my own money on it. Kirkus Reviews is quoted on the back dustcover as saying, "An intelligent debut.....headed for bestsellerdom." I would say that it is headed for deep cellardom. The characters are for the most part shallow, and the general plot and ambience of the book/story is one of a pubescent teen with a fetish for black leather/ high heels and whips and chains. Women are generally treated as being either insane and cruel or useful only for sex. Men aren't portrayed much better really. I've really tried to read the whole story and I may get there one day. Frankly this is a real disappointment and to save myself the time and my friends/family the expense I will make sure that they all know not to give me the sequel. Ballantine Del Rey must be scraping bottom to have published this. The inside jacket compares this book to Terry Goodkind. Please pay attention.......DON'T INSULT TERRY GOODKIND OR THE READER!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Dreadful
Review: I think several of the other reviews hit it on the head, this is a poorly fleshed out pulp fantasy novel. The characters are transparent, the dialog contrived (someone actually said "I swear by all that I am and all I will be I will avenge you!"), and the story predictable. The one interesting item that I enjoyed was not the origin of magical power (the blood), but the division of light and dark magic into the Vigors and the Vagaries. However, as with the rest of the book, both styles of magic are barely explained. Skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Hope the next one is better.....
Review: I gave this book 3 stars only because of the original idea of how the characters are capable of performing magic, their "endowed" blood. I guess this isn't a "bad" book, considering its Newcomb's first and I think many of the biggest problems could have been fixed by a good editor. It reminds me of how I play pool, "mediocre, with moments of brilliance." I got this book from the library, don't believe I will buy it for my collection, but I will read Newcomb's next offering, to see if there is any improvement. Next to David Eddings books this one is a bit of a yawn.
Rating: 
Summary: Important new series in fantasy genre
Review: Robert Newcomb's The Fifth Sorceress did not disappoint. With compelling action sequences, wrapped in a complex and broad plot, Newcomb weaves a tapestry that will enthrall and delight. I was impressed with the originality of the work, and the character development. The plot will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page, and wanting more. It is the beginning of a successful fantasy series. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great fun read showing knowledge of magic, myth, fantasy
Review: Sorry to those that are so sophisticated that this book bored them to tears, but in truth it is exciting, the sort of book that one carries around with them and reads in the bathtub and late into the night by a fire. The characters may be a little nebulous, but they round out nicely and the story is newly compelling and fresh, though it has been told and retold in fairy tales since the first millenium. Mr. Newcomb, welcome to the ranks of fantasy-epic writers! I am happy to have bought your novel in hardcover, and I can't wait to buy the others in hardcover as well. Paperbacks [age] - real books last in libraries for people to discover and love.
Rating:
Summary: Good, not great but good.
Review: The Fifth Sorceress is a very interesting book. It is pretty obvious that this was Robert Newcomb's first book. The first couple of chapters tend to start with something then trail off to more history of Eutracia (the world the book is centered around). Although interesting, it becomes kind of a drag. The characters from this book do not stray to far the regular fantasy books. The Wizard is all-powerful except for a single weakness and is an old and cranky man. The main character, Tristan, always goes for his sword and picks a fight. He is supposed to be 30 years old but acts like a teenager. He needs to grow up. The plot moves along at a very gripping and fast pace although it tends to lead off into worthless directions. An example: the wizard Wigg reveals that he was once married to the most evil of the bad guys (or bad girls). This was spoken of in about three sentences with no foreboding to it at all. It also provides suspense that (to my great disappointment) is released in about ten pages. Pros:
1. Will want to keep reading, for the most part.
2. New form of magic is quite intriguing Cons:
1. This is the first book by this author and it shows!
2. Very sexiest (girls are bad, guys are good)
3. Characters are very one dimensional.
4. Plot, although moving, has some very wasted treads that lead to nowhere.
5. The ending is rather disappointing. I plan to read Mr. Newcomb's further books when they are published. You should at least get it from the library (this book is not one to buy though...).
Rating:
Summary: Undeserving royalties...
Review: It almost scares me that a book like this one actually could be given 5 stars. What truly scares me is that the #1 reviewer on this website actually gave this book 5 stars. Who are we kidding here! A third thing that scares me is that the last book I bought with the adage "Epic Fantasy of the Year" was Martin's 'A Game of Thrones'. It is painfully insulting that this book, 'The Fifth Sorceress', actually holds the same royalty. A good thing about this book, the only good thing, was the cover artwork. After opening the book, everything just goes down the drain. From the dumbfoundingly blatant gender bias, to the totally repetitive writing style, to the amateurish info-dumping, followed by some of the worst-drawn characters I've seen in some time, this novel joined the very small fraction of books that I actually didn't finish. What threw me was the fact that I bought this book hardcover and actually paid the amount of money I did for this trash. What really hurts is when you have to read a book when the characters are constantly "amazed", "bewildered", "stunned", and "astonished", at every turn of the page. Not to mention the great amount of time these people spending crying and telling each other how much they love each other. It's like REALLY all they said during one chapter, "Do you love us, do you truly love us?" I was cringing. And if they spent so much time crying they should be crying out for an EDITOR! This story was like a mountain of repetitions that just got worse and worse. Not only was the writing extremely awkward and the pacing rampant, they whole story had absolutely now connection between its pages. And if the atrocious writing didn't hurt enough, the evil female sorceresses and the noble male wizards just screamed gender bias. I just can't understand it. The female characters were either totally deviant, ultimately evil, and perverted, or so pathetically submissive and useless it was like watching a sock-puppet in action. And the male wizards were just so perfect that they could keep their magic under control and be all noble and gracious? Please! Perhaps if there was some back story to explain how ANY of this stuff can to be, but it just seem so obvious I don't understand how the author couldn't see it. Wigg's condescending attitude toward Tristan's sister was really irritating, and just furthered the bias towards women that ran wild through this novel. Also, I would agree with an earlier reviewer that the author's portrayal of the activities of the evil sorceresses as 'deviant' just because they were homosexual in nature is not only totally tactless but is really offensive as well. I'm not a woman and I'm not gay but the anti-lesbian attitude is impolite to say the least. Let not forget info-dumping. The first chapter is nothing more than a history lesson. You have one of the main characters in the woods and then all of a sudden your learning all about the layout of the land, the history of the war, and how powerful Tristan is. Could I care? Talk about leaving nothing to create any mystery, any slowly evolving background story, any suspense at all. The idea of knowing everything makes you feel like you don't really need to know anything else. It doesn't leaving you wondering what will happen, BECAUSE YOU ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING!!!! And last and horribly least, comes our stereotypical characters. The amazingly talented, gorgeous hunk who doesn't want to be king. Can you say reluctant hero? Or the old and sort of mysterious guiding Gandalf who seems to have a condescending attitude towards everyone cause he has to explain everything to them. I am really getting tired of the 'old male magical Gandalf-figures' people, thank god Jordan gave us Moiraine in the Wheel of Time series. And then we have the useless Shailia (spelling) who is the beautiful and smart princess who everyone loves because she's just so nice. Then, across the sea come the EVIL, EVIL, EVIL (cue cackling witch) sorceresses who are just so one-dimensionally evil that it just couldn't get any more boring. They're just into rape and killing and being mean and that's just all they're about. Now if Tristan wasn't as stupid, Wigg wasn't as preachy, and Shailiah wasn't as 'just plain nice', I might be able to take the one-dimensional EVILs across the sea. But with a cast of nobodys running the show in this story, it just couldn't get any worse. Not really the cast worthy of "Epic Fantasy of the Year". I'm sure Martin, a fellow "Epic fantasy of the Year" author would laugh himself to pieces to see his cast compared to the trash in 'The Fifth Sorceress'. So, I would stay away from picking up this book because of its cover art or its totally undeserving royalties plastered upon the front cover. For buying it will be as useful as burning a $ bill. Don't make the same mistake we all of us already made.
Rating:
Summary: A Page Turner...
Review: I too, am puzzled by negative reviews of this story. From the first page I couldn't put it down. The characters were very real and likeable (or unlikeable in the case of the evil ones). Robert Newcomb took the time to help you get to know the characters and the land they live in. I found The Fifth Sorceress to be a wonderful story filled with all the aspects a fan of high fantasy needs. From the friendly and brotherly banter of Frederick and Tristan, to the attack on Eutracia, Robert Newcomb kept me hooked into the story. I can't wait to read more by this talented new author.
Rating:
Summary: *SIGH!*
Review: I bought this book with high anticipation and was not disappointed... initially. The plot had all the elements I like, medieval setting, prophecies, magic, wizards/sorceresses a relunctant prince and over 500 pages. Oh joy! It took me until halfway through the book when I started to feel the inklings of annoyance. Tristan at thirty years of age seemed more like a boy of nineteen. It is tiresome when the protagonist answers his frustration with rage and assaults the very people he needs to help him. It seemed a little heavy-handed. I kept expecting to him to use his brain, but he used his dirks and his sword instead. Oh bummer! As has been stated in some of the other reviews, the women were either simpering/good or wanton/evil. This was also tiresome and more than a little disturbing about the undertones of the female characterizations. There were also threads in the story that were blatently transparent to me. Natasha/Lillith and the relationship between Failee and Wigg, not to mention Narissa - I saw it all coming before they were revealed and I'm not a rocket scientist. And poor Tristan falling in love after only hours of meeting a female who wants him because of him, not who he is, only to have it backfire. Give me a break! I'm hoping Newcomb has the skill to use some shades of gray instead of the stark black and white (or dark and light) in his world. I can understand why many people liked this novel. This fantasy has the bones of a really good epic. A good story, great world building, history, action, monsters and abominations, torture that will make your toes curl, wondrous creatures... and sex. I recommend reading it as long as you are prepared to care less and less about the characters as the plot moves along. I will read the sequel. I have to find out if Newcomb has the werewithal to put some flesh on dem bones.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Pot-boiler
Review: The Fifth Sorceress is an ambitious work and I thought it was fairly well done. Reading it was mostly enjoyable, but it has a few flaws. First, the book needed a better copy editor. There were the usual typos such as "were" in place of "where". Spellcheckers are less than worthless to catch such errors since they give one a false sense of confidence! Moreover, a better copy editor may have caught the discrepancy when Shannon the gnome was in front of Tristam as they rode into Shadowood, but is behind Tristam on the next page. Second, the characters seemed too contrived and stilted. I felt like the book was rigidly controlled throughout rather than letting the characters run with it. I understand the rationale for each character's behavior, but they all were so stereotypical. Either too good or too bad to be true. In many respects, the book reminded me of a morality play or Pilgrim's Progess. In particular, Tristam was much too impulsive. While this was intentional, he didn't have the other characteristics that you would expect. He was self-centered, but not selfish. He took advice and often deferred to the expertise of others. While the author claimed that his "pure" blood, in effect, took control, Tristam showed remarkable patience and self-control in several instances. His knive throwing ability, for example, was hard-earned and took a long time to acquire. The way he treated his horse also showed patience and self-control. Thirdly, the plot seemed to not overlook any mechanism or twist to increase suspense. If you are old enough to remember such, it felt like a Saturday morning movie serial -- The Perils of Pauline maybe? This is an extraordinarily good first novel. Hopefully, the sequel will be even better. Recommended to anyone who enjoys fast action in a fantasy setting.
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