Rating: 
Summary: Hearts and Bones
Review: The cover of The Fifth Sorceress proudly heralds Robert Newcomb's debut as the epic fantasy of the year. Praise such as that is rather frightening, sort of like seeing a ramshackle building with the following sign: Fred's Eatery/Simply the best food in the world. My favorite restaurant is housed in a barn and sometimes bragadocio proves to be truth.Although Newcomb's strong suit is not richly developed characters, his plotting is dynamic. A fresh breath is added to the fantasy universe as Newcomb adds a few new wrinkles to the genre. There is the usual magic and the stoic magi that accompany it. A rather cut and dried good versus evil exists. However, magic rests upon inherited blood and the unfathomable beings who seeded that strain of mysterious, magical bit of genetics into a world previously devoid of magic. A stronger dose of sexual perversion taints the evil ladies within Newcomb's world than is usually found within the worlds of fantasy, though the author does not get too heavy handed with using sex to portray his thoroughly evil antagonists. The tale's hero is an unassuming Prince Tristan who is destined to ascend to the throne of Eutracia upon his thirtieth birthday. That ascension is severely marred by sorceresses with an ax to grind from a war that had nearly decimated Eutracia some three centuries earlier. An invasion easily destroys the government of Eutracia and leaves the Prince without a kingdom. A journey of hearts and bones ensues as the story's plot twists into a maze that does come to a satisfactory climax. Hints and whispers offer an intriguing look at what might lie ahead in a second volume, but the book's initial conflicts are mostly untangled by the story's end. Most epic fantasy lovers will find this book to be satisfactory. It is a most elegant beginning for what has the potential to be one of the great fantasy epics. Sometimes there is elegant truth in advertising.
Rating:
Summary: Quite an eccentric epic!
Review: If you are tired of orcs, trolls, dragons, fireballs, mana, artifacts, and all that content we customarily see in contemporary fantasy literature, then take a look at this book! I had never seen a story like that before and was impressed with novelty of the author's ideas. I would like to praise one particular feature of the text: Instead of bulking long verses describing the background of the characters and their surroundings R. Newcomb neatly introduces medium-sized paragraphs here and there, so that the background information gets blended with the active storyline. Such an approach makes it hard to put the book down: it is filled with action and lacks boring tranquil passages. The text does have a few flaws, e.g. a number of expressions and idioms recur often enough for you to notice the repetition, yet they by no means annoy the reader. Dialogs appear to be... somewhat unnatural, artificial, but maybe I simply failed to acknowledge an ingenious writing style. Also note that the content would be too gory for young readers. The reviews on this book include loads of accusations claiming that the author has linked the sexuality of the sorceress to the wicked nature of their magic. However, if you do read the book carefully (it is so captivating that I cannot imagine any other way of doing it), you clearly observe that the gender differences have little to do with the plot, whereas it is the dark magic itself that intensifies lust and base desires of its practitioners, whether males or females. Resume: A good choice for a fantasy lover!
Rating: 
Summary: The Fifth Sorceress
Review: I also was puzzled by the negative reviews written here, I found it to be a delightful read. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I am female and was not offended by the content of the book. I found the fantasy world created by Robert Newcomb to be very original and interesting, so many books seem to be a recreation of what has already been done, but this one is new and refreshing. I have not enjoyed a fantasy book so much since George R.R. Martin's wonderous fantasy epic!
Rating: 
Summary: Fantasy Marooned
Review: I was eagerly awaiting the publication of "The Fifth Sorceress" last summer. Once I began reading, I developed a sinking feeling that this was not going to live up to my expectations. Mr Newcomb's fantasy kingdoms are exquisitely designed from a magical and architectural standpoint. The principal drawback is his spiteful, venemous depictions of women.
Either his women characters are wanton temptresses or insecure royal dolts. His one sided perceptions maroon this novel, teeming with promise in a confusing hodgepodge of sordid sexuality and misogynist rambling. The saving grace of this novel is the well delineated fantasy settings and the unceasing barrage of constant action and activity. Mr Newcomb has talent but needs the sensitivity to portray female characters in a more sensitive light.
Rating: 
Summary: The worst fantasy book I have ever read..!!
Review: What was Del Rey thinking??? "Epic Fantasy of the Year"...NOT!!! This book has very poor character development...a cliche storyline...and the author just does not let up on the rape and sexual allusions in the book...If people wanted to read about all that junk they would buy a Harlequinn romance or erotic book@@!! The most insulting thing in this book is the utterly weak roles the females characters played in this book...either your pregnant,"love-struck" and useless-bait, or conniving,nymphomanics....give us a break Newcombe!! Why can't a female character be in the book not just to serve as someone's love interest...but more for being a leader and an important character!! He really needs to learn how to develop characters and make them endearing to the reader...not just to be used as fillers in the novel....Anyways I will never buy another of his books!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Truly Intense Fantasy Classic!
Review: after reading all the negative reviews of this incredible book I must say I thought I might had read a different novel.Ok enough with that let me start my review. Robert Newcomb has fashioned a incredible fantasy epic with intensity so powerful I almost felt I was there.He tells the story of the land of Eustracia, a country that was focuspoint of a terrible sorcerous war between wizards and group of hideously evil sorceresses who plotted to enslaved the land three centuries ago and who were defeated and banished to beyond the seas.This novel also is the story of the reluctant monarch to be, Tristan who will soon become king of this land and who like his twin sister Shailiha
had magical endowed blood which will make them and particular Tristan powerful in the use of magic.Tristan will need all this and his warrior skills to defeat the sorceresses who after three centuries have hatched a diabolical plot to seize control of Eustracia and kidnap Shailiha and use her in a spell to remake the world in the own terrible image! Newcomb's epic fantasy novel has all of the trimmings to make this a classic: awesome world-building as his world comes alive with all of it's beauty, terror, magic and wonder.Powerful scenes of battles as you will watch in horror as the sorceresses's brutal army of wingmen called Minions lay seige upon Eustracia lead by the sadist Kluge who Tristan will vow to kill and finally stirring battle between Tristan and Kluge!Characters come alive through the pages of this unforgettable novel such Wiggs, master wizard who will Tristan seek to stop the sorceresses mad scheme.Geldon-the dwarf slave who will risk his life to defeat sorceresses. Faegan,
the powerful wizard who's tortured by coven of sorceresses and who knows how to defeat them. Failee, the leader of the coven who's dabbling in the dark magic has made her insane and finally Shailiha, Tristan's twin sister who is tortured in body and mind by the coven and turned into the fifth sorceress. One minor quibble in this book though and I think this might explain why few female readers will enjoy this book.It really doesn't have too many good women characters in it.Most of the female characters in this novel are absolutely evil and sadistic.Other than that pick of this book and journey with Tristan, wigg as they battle for their lives against some of the most evil villians and villianess that had ever been made upon the printed page!
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: When I read the reviews that said that this book was comparable to Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, I had to read it. I couldn't put it down. It's just an excellent read, full of sexual energy and an epic adventure. I'm a woman and took no offense to this book at all. This is just one darn good book and I can't wait for the next one!
Rating:
Summary: I too can publish an epic fantasy
Review: The Fifth Sorceress is a very painful read. I kept hoping it would get better, but the plot line and characterization were cliche and juvenile. "Uninterested heir suffers personal tragedy, seeks revenge, discovers untapped powers, destroys evil doers--almost." How about a sequel? Women are either evil, sexually deviant witches or supportive, tapestry sewing homemakers. Come on... Reading The Fifth Sorceress was a complete waste of time and money. The only redeeming quality is that it started me thinking. If Robert Newcomb is able to find a publisher, I think I just might give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: Every thing I expected it to be
Review: Looking forward to the next one. Couldn't put the first down.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Fantasy
Review: Couldn't put this one down and can't wait til the next. THis book was like battle of the sexes with magic. Great new Fantasy writer.
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