Customer Reviews

Cursed Towers: Book Three of the Witches of Eileanan

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Crused Towers, which is the third book in Kate Forsyth's Witches of Eileanan series, is yet another marvel and a great read. If you are new to this series, don't start with this book, or you will more than likley be lost, but for those who are avid fans of the series so far, this book fills in a few gaps, while creating some more gaps. In this book, Isabeau and Iseult sort of change environments, which was extreamly fun to read on Isabeau's behalf. At the same time the Bright soilders presue thier war, as Lachlan still stuggles with those who want to put Bronwen back on the throne. Lots of war in this book, but still greatly ammusing. I couldn't wait to see the cover for the American version of this book, and its actually pretty awesome! Looks like the same illustrator as 'The Pool of Two Moons' (also a great cover illustration). Can't wait for the 4th. (yes, there is one more, this isn't that last) I love talking about these books so please e-mail me mir_goddess@hotmail.com

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.

I stumbled upon the first book in the series a couple of years ago and have egarly awaited each new addition. I was not disappointed at all by the Cursed Towers. The good news for those new to the series is that all the previous books are available and to those waiting for this book its already in paperback so no long wait for it to go from hardback to paperback.

The author has a real talent for writing characters that have depth and meaning for the reader and the world the story is set in is very well thought out. Although the plot has many standard elements, it is nonetheless fresh in many ways and the elements of an apprentenice coming of age, standard faire in fantasy novels, is extremely well done here.

I, personally, was pleased Iseabeau was the main character of book 3 and indeed has emerged as the main character of the series. She has ties to all the other main characters and is privleged to learn and live among different races that exsist on the world. There is also spiritual philosophy in the book but it is neither overdone nor preachy but very well presented.

Any fan of fantasy books from Tolkien on will be very happy to pick up these books up and go to Elithiean, they are very well thought out and a pleasure to read.

As a self proclaimed book connisseur (or bibliophile)I'm ever hopeful when cutting my teeth on the first pages of a new book. With this novel from Ms Forsyth, I was at first repelled by the inclusion of all the o's this and 'o that, but found myself quite innured to it by the last chapters of the book.

In fact I would like to point out that this book can be read on it's own, without first reading bk.1 or bk.2. I had not read either the first or second and came fresh to this book, and did not find it in the slightest bit confusing as long as you suspend picking over the small details which are not particularly important, and wait they will be, lo and behold, revealed to you all in the goodness of time. --SO basically I'm saying, I really enjoyed this book--

It will now be my pleasure to go back and read the first two books in the series, and look forward to the 4th (& final?)novel.

The book doesn't stall and dwelling on boring things such as views and just how perfect the day was and dally on discriptions of exactly what people were wearing, and digress into exactly how people were feeling.

I like to be accorded the intelligence to discern from intelligent prose the mood and humor of the charcters.

Kate Forsyth should be commended on her portrayl of Maya the Ensorcellor because she has made her a truly compelling character.

One more point to add - what is with trying to make the fairies all look different and so particularly describing when they have only one breast or two? I did find that perculiar but oh well, I guess she was a bit strapped for making them non-humanoid.

Breasts and accents, my only complaints, rather piddling really, so get the book!!

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.

I puchased this book based on customer rating. I enjoyed the first two book, but this third book is not as good as the first two. It was a slow reading. After I read about 250 pages, I had to give it up. The story is good actually, but for some reason I'm not sure why, it made a slow reading. I agree with Katie's review above that
reading this book was rather a chore than a pleasure.

It was difficult for me to put down this book. I almost never flip ahead in a book to see what is happening and I did in this one. I eagerly wanted to know what was going on with other characters. All the characters are well rounded and interesting. You can easily relate to any one of them, even the wicked ones on some accounts.

In the third book of the Witches of Eileanan series, the story line mostly focuses on the war at hand. The story flips from one character to the next as the reader follows the war from several different angles. It was an interesting way of writing the book. Although, because so much focus was put on the details of the war, I decided to give four stars. I don't mind explaining what is happening, but Forsyth was describing in detail hand to hand combat constantly and it caused the story to drag in some places.

Regardless, I have to admit I weeped at some points, especially when characters I began to enjoy reading about, died horribly, or gave up willingly. You'll have to read to find out more.

Those of you out there that have not read any books in this series, I urge you to give it a try, but recommend you began with the first.
Happy reading!

When I started reading these books, I was slightly worried that they'd blend together and I wouldn't be able to come up with separate comments on the individual books rather than the series as a whole. Fortunately, Forsyth has encorporated enough ideas that the books aren't really running together. I'm a little hazy at times on where one book ends and the next begins, but it's easy enough to flip to the back of the book and check. Each book is semi-independent of the others in that they do all continue the same story, but they have their own rising action, conflict, and resolution.

The first two books in the series dealt with restoring Lachlan to the throne of Eileanan, overthrowing Maya, the half-Fairge witch who ensnared his brother, the current, dying King, and has been forcing her will on the land. The Cursed Towers picks up after that, dealing with the other problems that plague Eileanan: the remaining supporters of Maya who want to put her daughter on the throne with her as regent, the Fairge who want to eradicate the humans from the land that they consider to be theirs, the mistrust and persecution of the Faerie races, and the Bright Soldiers coming in from the one area of Eileanan that never swore fealty to the King.

Of course, it doesn't deal with that all at once. All the problems are there, and they affect the actions of the characters, but only one issue can be handled at a time, and they're not all handled in this book. After all, there are three more books in the series.

I liked how this book divided the main characters not just with distance but also in the matter of their views. The conflicts between the various "good guys" added to the complexity and depth of the novel. I especially liked how Isabeau journeyed off on her own again to find herself, so to speak. Towards the end of the second book and definitely at the beginning of this book, I felt that she was becoming submerged in the fight to right the wrongs in Eileanan and also in her twin sister. I would have hated for Iseult and Isabeau to become mere extensions of each other rather than separate people with vastly different personalities, and I'm glad the Forsyth prevented that from happening. I also liked how she did it, because it was obvious that Iseult was the dominant twin personality-wise, and it wouldn't have seemed right if Isabeau had been able to resist the pull, especially given her emotional state. I thought the way it was worked was quite realistic.

Other than the dialect, which continues to grate on my nerves at times, the one thing that really bothered me about the book was just a tiny nit-picking detail. Lachlan's wings are the result of a spell that was cast upon him, transforming him into a blackbird. The Witches were never able to fully transform him back, and he was left with the wings. However, since they are the result of a magic spell, it doesn't seem to me that they could be passed to his child. There isn't anything in his genetic code that gives him wings; it's the result of magic. Still, the baby has wings as well. I'm sure that Forsyth came up with the baby's wings logically, but I didn't see it and that bothered me slightly.

Still, other than that I really enjoyed the book. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first books in this series.

I really loved the first two books in the series, and I love this one too, but it's not at all what I expected. It's quite grim in parts - I cried at least twice - and there's a lot of battles which I thought were done really well - not so much description that you get bored, and lots of interesting stuff about strategy and so on, which was actually quite fascinating. And the way the threads keep knotting together and then pulling apart. She's a really intriguing writer, and quite addictive once you get used to the fact she's not going to give you what you expect.

i found this book dissapointing, since i really enjoyed the first two books. this one had so much war in it you just get bored of it. that's what happened to me. i mean, i read the first two books in a day each. i'm still reading the cursed towers after 1 and a half weeks. i hope the rest of the series is better.
i also found the fact that iseult married lachlan dissapointing, since the series is more about isabeau than iseult. don't get me wrong, i like both of the twins, but i just think that isabeau should have remained the focus of the books.