Wit'ch Fire

Wit'ch was bad enough. Then D'warf and og're. It just got to be annoying. It's the same old "generic fantasy" with a western european setting and feel, with the standard fantasy races. The plot differed somewhat from the norm and was mildly enjoyable. But the apostrophes stuck everywhere distracted me and made the book almost unendurable. I finished book 1. But read book 2 and 3? I'd rath'er p'ut ou't m'y o'wn ey'es f'irst.

I must admit, while reading the first several pages, I was doubtful that this book would be good, but I kept reading, and I'm very happy I did.

The plot is complex but good; everything fits together nicely. The author weaves the story with several very different and very interesting characters. Some you'll like, some you won't, and some you'll want to hate but you'll feel sorry for instead. Despite the fact that there are a number of characters to follow, I found it easy to follow the story and distinguish them. A tribute to Clemens' ability to create distinct characters.

If you can make it through the first several pages of the book, then you're in for a real treat. The action starts and doesn't let up until the end, and the pace will leave you breathless. The characters must face and outsmart or fight a variety of different creatures in order to live. The battles are interesting and vividly described. And just when you think it's over, something else happens. By the time I reached the end of the book I was desperate for the more. But alas, I'll have to wait until it's published. It's definitely on my "to buy" list.

Actually Wit'ch Fire starts out pretty enthralling. After a grim prelude with a grand magic ritual gone awry at the eve of destruction of a whole civilization, we meet young Elena and her brother 500 years later, when their sheltered life is abruptly thrown into uproar. Her family is slaughtered by evil magicians and the siblings have to run for their very lives. The initial action is pretty dire and tense and gets even more dynamic when Er'ril appears, the sole survivor of the afore mentioned ritual, who has wandered the world for centuries - bitter, desillusioned and past any hope for his doomed existance. A first climax of the plot is quickly reached, when the magicians who pursued Elena face Er'ril and his companions, resulting in the destruction of an evil avatar and the kidnapping of Elena's brother Joach by the surviving magician.

Until this point, I was like 'Wow, sinister and exciting - I'll love that series.' Alas I was terribly wrong. All of sudden, Clemens starts to add many secondary characters to his tale. Most of the introductions were hurried and pretty ungainly, so that I quickly lost interest to any of these subplots. I rushed through the book just to get to the chapters with Elena and Er'ril, but - oh what a disappointment - here things also turned out quite different than previously anticipated. Instead of taking time of develop Elena, to let her mature to a magic wielding witch who is slowing growing aware of her powers, she manages to handle her magic provebially over night. Also it takes only a few gremlins and a circulatory collapse of her beloved uncle to turn a frightened child to a resolute heroine. Not really plausible. But even worse is the development of Er'ril. Somebody who has lived as long as he did, should be past notions of a greenhorn swordsman, like impatience, misreading situations (i.e. when they first meet the shapechanger wolf, it's Elena who sees the wolf's intentions to help them, not the way more experienced Er'ril). Also I would have expected him to be much stronger in his beliefs: He has lived centuries with the concept that witchcraft is the ultimate evil. It should take more than just pity for a poor frightened child and shy smiles to make Er'ril offer Elena his service as protector and mentor. Ouh, oh, especially that sequence made me cringe: When Er'ril explains Elena that he's actually knows how to train young sorcerers, and that he'd be willing to lend his support to her, the whole scene is so casually described (10 lines), it could also have been the lighting of a cigarette. But that's symbolic for the whole book: It actually lacks depth (even despite the many subplots), most characters are pretty sketchy and Clemens' style itself ranges between trivial and pathetic at best.

Overall Wit'ch Fire disappointed me. Of course it holds some interesting ideas, and the concept of linking several individual plots into one grand scheme is ambitious. Especially since the individuals origin from very different cultures, races and even eras. But that isn't new and compared to other contemporary fantasy authors Clemens fares just poorly. Sure, not every debut of fantasy literature can be the second coming of G.R.R Martin, but Wit'ch Fire has too many weaknesses to come even close to a good fantasy novel. For me, the final dices have already been cast for this series: I won't waste time reading any of the other books of this series.

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 supplimental characters with intriguing stories of their own. Yes, there are issues with his writing style, especially all those added apostrophes, but I think that it was worth working through since the story had a nice plot and good character development.

Certain scenes had me exclaiming aloud, or at times laughing. Even if the story overall wasn't good (which is was) Clemen's writing style would have held me over through the whole thing. At first the fragmented storyline had me confused, but happily satisfied and purring when it all came together later (Oh, yes, I felt so devilishly clever :P). The characters all held me in rapture with their realism, and ability to evoke emotions. Many times I would feel like grumbling at their stupidity, or praising their daring bravery, though sometimes uncouth ;-)

Even if the storyline didn't beg for more books, the characters and writing did. Yes, at time I was bothered by Elena's reluctance to accept herself, or her sometimes evident immaturity, but really, who wants the perfect heroine? The old caricatures are quite tiresome. Clemens did a wonderful job writing this book, I loved the plot, people, style, flair, and excellence overall of Wit'ch Fire. (And I also noticed the ' in names. Nice touch that there). I am very looking forward to the third, fourth, and fifth books in the series.

Though I wouldn't recommend it to those who aren't willing to tolerate the air of mystery around some aspects of the story, I'd recommend it to almost anyone else. Happy reading!

I also wish that his editor had told Clemens that adding the really annoying ' character in the middle of common fantasy words doesn't accomplish anything useful. Wit'ch, moon'falcon, elv'in, Gul'gotha, etc.

Darkness has conquered the land, and only a few avatars of the ancient forces of good have survived. A girl is born to fulfill the prophecies and save the land from domination.

I gave it three stars because the writing is good enough that I was usually entertained while reading. May still read the second in the series if I find it used.

There's nothing better than dark evil magic brewing, chasing our heros around! Despite the complexity of the flashbacks and detailed mythology, the plot is easy to follow and makes you feel like you are really there.

There are many familiar character; Giants, Witchs, Shapeshifters, Ogres, but never have they been written like this before. There is such an immediacy and intimacy with the characters you would just love to live in their world.

I don't want to discuss too much about the characters or the plot because it is just too darn fun reading about it and finding out for yourself. I don't think I've dropped a book and said 'WHAT?! Oh that is too cool' so many times in my life.

If you love fantasy, you can't miss this one! :-)

p.s. I couldn't find any other books by James Clemens. Let me know if he writes any others, I would like to read anything he writes...

Before this series entered my life, Terry Brooks was my one and only favorite writer, but James Clemens is better a thousandfold! If you enjoyed any of the Shannara Series by Terry Brooks, or The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop, you will love this series!!
(Wit'ch Fire's sequels are Wit'ch Storm, Wit'ch War, Wit'ch Gate, and Wit'ch Star--the concluding novel.)

Clemens shows a descriptive power usually reserved for well-seasoned, veteran writers that makes his story compelling to the point of amazement. His mix of vivid imagery, character development, and a gift for juggling multiple story lines quickly and thoroughly pull the reader deeply into the story.

The opening pages of the book let the reader know immediately that this is a book different than others on the shelf. The book opens with various warnings, one in particular by the Director of University Studies that warns of the penalties of allowing this book to fall into the hands of the unprepared. This is followed by a document that must be signed and thumbprinted by the receiver of this issue. The story is then introduced by the author of the ancient text who eludes to the high cost of telling his tale.

The story shifts to the narrative of Elena and the strange mix of companions that accompany her on her new found adventure of magical self-discovery - shape-shifters stuck in their current form, an out-cast og're, a mage on a quest to discover his lost king, and a one-armed warrior destined to serve as Elena's guardian but weighed down by a secret guilt from five hundred years before. Clemens mixes these characters together, while keeping the plot moving forward at a near blinding pace, in a masterful way, that leaves the reader desperately grasping for the next book in the series.

If this author had never written another word, he would still be viewed as one of the best fantasy authors to publish in a while, but with more books waiting in the wings, this author promises even more exciting and compelling adventures ahead.

i was sucked in from the first pages.. the idea that the main character is not considered a hero among everyone (unlike most of the other fantasy books out there) remained with me through every page. i was constantly trying to judge the actions of elena and her commrads to decide if these acusations could indeed be supported, but of course i dont have near wenough information after one book to make a decision, or even a guess. so i ran off to the book store to get the next one.

this book is great, and i loved it. if u want a good and interesting read, pick this book up. enjoy.

I especially like Clemens' characterisations of characters, even if they are not one of the most important characters. He tells you the stories behind Mogweed, Fardale, Tolchuk, etc., offering in-depth views into their complex and intriging characters. And the way he writes it, readers are not compelled to instantly categorize characters as 'good' or 'bad'. I like the way he left people wondering who exactly was on Elena's side, offering readers a chance to puzzle it out before finally revealing the answer.

If there is anything to criticize, it is that Clemens is still - relatively - new to writing. The multiple prologues tend to feel pompous and are rather redundant. The apostrophe in the names is seriously overused. One final thing is the overkill of evil creatures attacking Er'ril and Elena (which is at every turn in the plot). By the 3rd book, the fear and adrenaline rush I felt whenever they were attacked had faded away as battle scenes became commonplace and victory was always guaranteed.

These aside, I wholeheartedly recommend the series. You can borrow a copy to read, but if you have the money, you *should* invest in a new copy for your own collecion.