Wit'ch Storm (The Banned and the Banished, Book 2) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "ELENA STEPPED FROM THE CAVE, PUSHING ASIDE THE LEATHER HANGING that kept the warmth of the mountain folk's morning fires snug within the cavern..." (more)
Key Phrases: spider beast, goatskin satchel, small gray mare, Cassa Dar, Dark Lord, A'loa Glen (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Clemens continues his carefully constructed epic fantasy adventure (begun in Wit'ch Fire) about Elena, a young farm girl destined to be the "wit'ch" of ancient prophecy who will save her land from all-consuming evil, or die trying. The novel opens with Elena and her companions setting off for the legendary lost city of A'loa Glen, to use the magic of the Blood Diary hidden there to defeat the dreaded Dark Lord. A motley and fantastic crew accompanies Elena, including an immoral warrior with a dark past, a half-breed og're, a silver-haired elv'in, a tree-loving nyphai and a pair of si'luran shape-shifters. As Elena struggles to control the magic of the scarlet Rose on her right hand, the adventurers are beset by minions of the Dark LordAand by internal treachery. Meanwhile, at A'loa Glen, Elena's brother, Joach, snatched by a demon in the preceding novel, has been magically enslaved to Greshym, who serves the Dark Lord by posing as one of the good clerics sworn to protect the lost city from evil. Another side plot introduces Sy-wen, a young ocean-dwelling mer'ai destined to fulfill an ancient prophesy herself: summoning A'loa Glen's protector, the mighty dragon Ragnar'k. There's a lot of character buildingAmuch of it expertAbut a paucity of action in this installment. Hopefully Clemens will light a fire under the plot in the series' next entry.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Hunted by the Dark Lord because of the wit'ch mark she bears, Elena journeys with a group of trusted companions in search of a lost city reported to contain a way to defeat her enemy. At the same time, a young woman of the sea embarks on an arduous trek that leads her to a rendezvous with prophecyAand with Elena. Clemens (Wit'ch Fire, LJ 6/15/98) embellishes traditional high fantasy conventions with his own unique touches to create a vivid tale of a young woman's battle against the forces of evil. A strong addition to most fantasy collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (May 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345417070
• ISBN-13: 978-0345417077
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,382,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars well-crafted but gory read, September 25, 1999

By A Customer

If you were a big fan of Clemens's first book in this series, you should definately enjoy this story. However, faint-hearted souls should beware - this installment is MUCH more gory, and contains several scenes of shocking cruelty. I was a little disappointed by this; I know such things have a time and a place in a book, but Clemens seemed to take it a little far this time. Overall, though, the book is every bit as enjoyable and riveting as the first one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb Ride, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

Wow! Do yourself a favor and experience this writer as he is getting better and better. _Wit'ch Fire_ was good, this one's great, folks. All the misgivings I wrote about in my review of _Wit'ch Fire_ are gone. This book, like the first, is an awesome rollercoaster ride. It grips you from page one and never lets go. Superb pacing. And unlike the first, where the charcters were a bit simplistic in my opinion, they have become significantly more three-dimensional. The bad boys are truly interesting; most of them used to be regular people that have been twisted by a powerful dark force. This is an excellent novel for anyone who loves epic fantasy. How grateful I am to live in this time and have the pleasure to read this wonderful tale.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT NOVEL!, June 13, 1999

By	Kenneth W. Clifford "Bibliophile" (Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Witch Storm (Paperback)

James Clemens is an exceptional writer. Wit'ch Storm just blew me away. The characters are three dimensional, the writing is crisp, clean and cinimatic, and the story itself is relentless. I absolutely love the overall dark nature of the magic and the villians. Mr. Clemens' is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. While I read 1 - 2 books a week, there are only about 3 or 4 authors whose books I'd buy in hardback, or even large paperback format, but Mr.Clemens is worth every cent. If you're looking for other fantastic reads this summer, pick up Subterranean by James Rollins (wink, wink).