Customer Reviews

Sorceress

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

 

 

Set in the early thirteenth century of North Wales. Bryanna of Penbrooke has always stood out from the rest. It is something she has always hated. No one ever believed Bryanna when she was little and mentioned the people and animals around that no one else could see. She has always been plagued by visions and voices. She has always been a sorceress, though she has been careful to keep it quiet. Now she is compelled by destiny to fulfill an age-old prophecy and to save an innocent life. So she begins traveling, alone, toward Tarth, in hopes of receiving some answers. At the same time she searches for four jewels for an enchanted dagger. Bryanna never expected to meet a stranger deep in the woods.

Hallyd killed a witch sixteen years ago, but not before the beautiful vixen cursed him. Hallyd must now keep to the darkness, never to enjoy the slightest bit of sunlight. He has waited so long for the witch's daughter, Bryanna, to come. She is the one chosen by the Fates. He will make her lift the curse and then enjoy the other sinister plans he has devised for her.

Gavyn of Agendor is hunted by his biological father, Lord Agendor, and his hired killers. Horribly wounded during his flight, Gavyn stumbles upon Bryanna's campfire. He is shocked to realize that Bryanna is the woman from his dreams; dreams he has had for years. If she will let him, Gavyn will protect Bryanna while teaching her amazing things. But Gavyn has no idea that Bryanna is also being hunted. Nor does he believe that one so lovely could possibly be a sorceress.

***** This story hooked me immediately and never let go. As I finished one suspenseful section, I was shocked to realize that my body had actually gone totally still and I had been holding my breath along with Bryanna! Author Lisa Jackson has written a breathtaking tale that will leave you believing in magic and true love. Astounding! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

A really lovely romantic book with interesting characters. It started with a good plot, but I never felt the 'climax' of the story. Was it when she found the first gem or when the enemy was defeated?

I felt that it has great potential with a great plot in the beginning, but it went downhill after the first gem. The villain seemed so powerful and complex, but turned out to be nothing. The 'witch' or demon was more interesting and she wasn't really the main focus even they tried to make her so. The main character is pretty good, but I never really understood everything about her. I didn't feel attached to her. Same with Gavyn and almost all the other characters. It just didn't have any oomph.

Alright book, but don't expect for it to captivate you.

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman

Bryanna learned early on not to talk about the people she could see-peole that were somehow invisible to everyone else. That didn't remotely prepare her for conversations with the dead. Well, not all of the dead, mainly just Isa. Isa, the nursemaid, who had cared for her, essentially raised her, secretly taught her the ways of the old ones, and died in her arms. Dead, but obviously not gone. She spoke to Bryanna almost immediately after her death, gave her a mission that makes no sense, led her to a map she can't read, and sent her on a perilous journey, alone.

In this romance fantasy, while Bryanna runs blindly toward the unknown, Gavyn runs blindly away from his past-from his various crimes and the father who never wanted him. They are bound to encounter each other. Fated to be a part of each other's quest. Drawn together, but mistrustful of themselves and each other.

They are being stalked by three separate groups and the gathering darkness of evil. Unaware of the specific threat and haunted by urgency, Bryanna and Gavyn travel throughout ancient Wales. Searching for answers, attempting to fulfill an unexplained destiny, not knowing whom to trust, and trying to keep their own thoughts from drifting constantly toward each other.

Straddling the line between romance and fantasy, Lisa Jackson weaves a marvelous tale. You worry for these characters, feel their frustration, share their rising sense of urgency and danger, grow closer to them as they grow closer to each other.

Armchair Interviews says: The final book in a trilogy, Sorceress easily stands alone.

I just finished this book and enjoyed it thoroughly. Previous reviews give good summaries of the story, so I am only going to add a few things. I thoroughly enjoyed Bryanna. She is only 16, yet her character is strong and intelligent. She doesn't just "go along" with the prophecy. She thinks about it and makes decisions based on what she knows, and a bit of faith/trust. I enjoyed Gavyn as well, alhough his character isn't as well-developed. There are a few interesting twists at the end. I'm giving this book only 4 1/2 stars because it gets a bit "long" at times. I skipped several pages on 3 seperate occasions and missed nothing. Also, there are segments about Brianna's sister, Morwenna, which are not necessary to this story. This book is part of a series, though, which, I assume, is why those segments are included. So, although readers who have read the first 2 books in the series might appreciate getting information about Morwenna, those who have not don't understand why it was included.

This book has the feeling of a good, sleazy, Dynasty-Dallas-type soap opera feel...but it's set about 700+ years ago and has a sorceress as the protagonist that sees invisible beings, but hey! It's fiction!

Kambria is a sorceress who is killed by an evil priest named Hallyd who wants the dagger so he can have ultimate power. Power to do what, I have no clue. It could be power to always have matching socks, power to fly through the air, power to make all the elves come out to play, or de-throne a King. But whatever it is, it's supposed ot be powerful. As she is dying, she curses him so that he can only live in darkness. So, he basically becomes a hermit in his castle.

Kambria apparently is a little on the hoochie side because she sleeps with a nobleman. Ironically, he knocks Kambria up the same time he knocks up his own wife. The nobleman's wife has a difficult delivery and her child dies. Kambria, fearing for the life of her own child, with her nobleman's help, they swap kids.

So, the kid that lives ends up living with her father and adoptiive mother, but no one knows she's not their full-blooded child except the nursemaid and her dad. Bryanna grows up to be a hot chick who has visions, has the hots for her brother-in-law, and has her dead nursemaid talking to her.

Because of the visions and talking to dead people, she goes and runs off...right into a boy she followed around in her childhood who happens to be the illegitimate son of some other nobleman who is fleeing his father who is trying to kill him.

So, the two go off together, guided by her dead nursemaid and followed by a wolf who happens to be her real dead biological mother so she can fulfill a prophecy of re-assembling a dagger.

Now, Bryanna's mom, Kambria, pops up every so often and saves their hides. Hallyd is now after her. He keeps a freaky old witch who survives pretty much on blood in the dungeon. She's a freak because it's of her own choosing. She tells Hallyd how he can uncurse himself and get the dagger for ultimate power to uhhhh, find the secret levels in Mario Brothers.

To break the curse he has to knock Bryanna up, get the dagger and give the baby to the witch in his dungeon. Freaky, huh?

I really enjoyed the freaky sex part with Hallyd because he comes to her when she is totally exhausted in the middle of the night. The sex is apparently good and she is all hot & ready for him, but what cracks me up is she is completely ready for some action and she isn't aware enough that she is doing old-wrinkled testicles. This guy had the hots for her mom! Ewwwww! She just gave her virginity to a guy old enough to be her dad. Gross, funny, and demented. I LOVED IT.

So, thus begins the fulfillment of the prophecy.

I guess at this point, you get to see good triumph over evil. I won't give a spoiler to the ending, but it was a good book.

In 1289 Wales, Bryanna of Penbrooke hates being different, a feeling she has had since as a little girl she could see people and animals that no one else saw. Over time, she learned to hide her curse to see what others could not from her neighbors so that she is not ostracized. However, her time has come to use her gift to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Reluctantly she begins her solo odyssey to Tarth, praying she will find guidance there as she searches for four jewels that make up a magical dagger.

Sixteen years ago, Hallyd the watcher killed a witch who just before she died cursed him to live in the darkness. His only hope to ever see sunlight resides with that witch's' daughter Bryanna coming into his shrouded woods. He knows she is the Fates' chosen one, but before she complete her destiny, he will make her lift her mother's curse from him

Lord Agendor sends his paid assassins to kill his son Gavyn. They almost succeed, but the severely wounded Gavyn makes it to Bryanna's camp. To his shock, he recognizes her as the female who has haunted his dreams; he believes he must protect her not aware that Hallyd is coming for her nor comprehending he endangers her with his father's killers coming for him.

This exhilarating medieval romantic fantasy grips the reader from the opening sequence in 1273 when Bryanna flees while her mother is murdered and never slows down as each of the players on Lisa Jackson's stage come together for a confrontational prophesy in 1289. The cast is solid as Bryanna the orphaned SORCERESS; Hallyd the patient Watcher; Gavyn the dream lover; and Agendor the killing ruler make the tale exciting. It is their destiny to complete the prophecy, but who will survive the ordeal will keep the audience reading SORCERESS in one superb sitting.

Harriet Klausner

I loved this book. It a great medieval fantasy, with passion, romance, and magic. I dolled it out, chapter by chapter each night and enjoyed every minute of it!

Kathrynn Dennis, author, DARK RIDER, Sept 2007