Wit'ch Fire, No. 1
Wit'ch Storm, No. 2
The Banned and the Banished
By James Clemens

     For a fast-paced read that can be greedily devoured in remarkably few sittings, considering the books' length, James Clemens' new fantasy saga delivers the goods. Young Elena tends her family's orchards and dreams of adventures, but when she becomes a woman she discovers that the red mark on her hand marks her as a witch (or rather wit'ch) and the focus of a lot of unwelcome attention. Five hundred years earlier, the mages of Alasea made a final effort to stop their kind from being wiped out and save the land from being overrun with Gul'gothal Dreadlords and their minions. They didn't manage it, but now Elena is the wit'ch that might just tip the balance and overthrow the Dark Lord. Fleeing her home and all she knows in the company of some strange people, she sets out to have some remarkable adventures.

     This is a wonderfully easy read, and James Clemens reveals himself from page one as one of those authors who manages to enthrall in some way, even when there isn't anything in particular happening, and who can create lively characters, immerse the reader in thrilling conflicts or well-realized landscapes. There is nothing new in this tale of witches, dark lords, ogres, elves etc., but Clemens does a remarkable lot with the old formula, blowing it off and presenting it to the reader in a way that isn't new, but is certainly enthralling. It is told with such gusto that it seems fresh and exciting. This ought to appeal to all lovers of this sort of fantasy, and promises to be a longer series than just the standard trilogy and a good thing, too. More please…