The Cursed Towers

Wow, you know what really surprised me? I was coming to write:Book three, The Cursed Towers, is a middle book, there's no doubt about it. It's a bit longer than the rest, and at times it requires some pushing to read through. But it's worth it.And here are all these reviews, mostly positive, many by people who enjoyed it even more than the first two books! That's great. Maybe I was having a bad week. I gave it five stars because it is part of a story that, as a whole, deserves more than five. There was nothing bad about it, and looking back after having read to the end of the series, it seems even better now.So on to the summary...Isabeau the apprentice witch, her twin sister Iseult the Scarred Warrior, Lachlan the Winged have suceeded in rescuing the Lodestar, ancient scepter of the MacCuinn clan's power. Lachlan's brother, Jaspar, has died, his treacherous wife, Maya the Ensorcellor has fled, and Lachlan and Iseult sit on the throne as Righ and Banrigh. But the story is far from a happy ending.The country is rife with war. Civil war erupts in the land with Lachlan's ascention to the throne. Before his death, Jaspar names his infant daughter, Bronwyn, as his sucessor, with Maya as Regent. Maya's Red Guard, with the Seekers of the Awl of her Anti-Witchcraft League, are gaining the support of many citizens to restore the baby Banrigh to her throne. Lachlan's restoration of the witches' Coven and his decree against the persection of faery creatures have been unpopular with many. With help from an old enemy to the crown, the neighboring country of Tirsolleir has sent its Bright Soldiers marching on the land. And, if that weren't enough, the Fairgean, the sea people, ancient enimeies of the humans, have breached their defenses and menace the costal regions.Isabeau finds she must flee the Righ's palace for the safety of the baby, Bronwyn, whom she has cared for since her birth, as well as her rebellious horse friend, Lasair. She finds she must seek out the wisdom of her father's people, the fierce snow faeries. And so, Isabeau puts aside her Coven studies for a time, to begin her training with the Khan'cohban warriors. Their ways and customs are completly foriegn to her, and though she finds it difficult, and is often punished severly for her mistakes, she submits to their teachings, knowing that this is part of her destiny.Though for me it read somewhat more slowly, it is as rich in imagery as the other books. Everything in it is important to the story as a whole, and the reader will be glad later on for having stuck with it.The world and its characters continue to grow in scope and completxity. One wonders, how Isabeau, SO impetuous, and so not like Iseult, can possibly get by in Iseult's world? How can Lachlan, who is SO hot-headed and so often driven by emotion, and who is so young and inexperienced, possibly prevail in this three-sided assault on his throne? Why is Lachlan so nasty to Isabeau, who could really use a little kindness, when she is more like him than anyone else?These are just some of the questions which, while not necessarily answered here, serve to drive the story. There are others, but I'm trying not give away plot here.Enjoy the Cursed Towers and move on into The Forbidden Land.

Forsyth was able to imbue a great sense of awe and wonder in me with this tale. The magic of the faeries is truly enchanting; it filled me with the glee of a child to read of Lilanthe and her journey to discover the roots of her ancestry. Her adventures read almost like children's literature, like a C.S. Lewis tale, though with the many adult themes throughout the book in its entirety, it would not be appropriate reading for a child.That said, I will comment on some of the characters. Lachlan (the winged man who was prophesied to lead the troops) overshadowed Iseult somewhat in this installment. Not that his overshadowing her is a bad thing. I believe that Lachlan's rise in prominence is a sign of Forsyth's maturity as a writer. She is able to create both female and male characters that have depth. But her most intriguing character (to me, at least), the one that I love to hate, is Maya. Forsyth does an astounding job of giving this sinister feminine creature just the right amount of redeeming qualities such that you can't help but like her to some extent, though she is inherently selfish, overly ambitious and, at times, ruthless. As far as the main protagonist is concerned, as in the previous installments, Isabeau shows great perseverance and strength of character. She journeys to find her ancestral roots in the ice covered mountains. Her experience is a harsh one, but she must adapt and learn vital things that she may succeed in her quest.This book was much more military intensive than Forsyth's previous two in the series. The battle scenes are done quite well. It is obvious that Forsyth has done her homework on medieval warfare tactics. If you are the type that likes lots of warfare stratagem in your fantasy books, you will love this addition to the series.One criticism I have about the series as a whole is the seemingly omnipotent power of the witches and the lack of results that they are able to achieve. While the witches seemed like valuable assets to Lachlan's forces in the general narration, in some of the actual battle scenes they are depicted in they seem no more adequate than a common foot soldier. It's almost as if when the eye of the camera is on them, they are relegated to a more mortal status. This greater mortality when the eyes are on them comes off seeming like an excuse to balance out the strength of the enemy at Forsyth's convenience. It would seem more plausible if the enemy had something that held Lachlan's witches in check, an antimagical power or witches/ warlocks of their own to counter them.Finally, on a positive note, Forsyth does a good job of wrapping the book up. She doesn't leave a ton of loose ends and what ifs. She tells the story to its completion and leaves just enough of a hint that there will be a sequel to leave you wanting more. All in all, this is a good series. It has captivating characters, a tight plot, smooth flowing narrative and an otherworldly place that seems wholly believable. Kudos to you if you buy it, for you have made the "Righ" choice!

I’m really loving the way she writes the whole book with the accent of the auld ones. Its easy to read and understand yet transports you to a whole new world. Every character stands out in their own shining way as tho each were the hero and heroine. That smacks of a good writer. I’m tired of books being solely about good guys bad guys drama. The author of this series however has given us a plot that actually supersedes the wars and battles of most books. I truly love her writing!

I love this series, it makes me laugh and cry, and want to remember the ways of old. Well done..

I really love anything by Kate Forsyth and this book is no exception. I enjoy reading books that take me away from the real world for a little while, and I was so drawn in to the continuation of the series that i finished the book in 2 days. I love the characters and the way she tells their story. Over all great read.

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 thatreading this book was rather a chore than a pleasure.

Great book, my 2nd or 3rd time through the series, but the only one out of all 6 that says it has screen reader for android (audible) but actually doesnt. Seeing as how i listin to books at work, reading and driving isnt a great idea afterall, it really puts a dampner on the series.

Katr Forsyth is a superb writer . She keeps her reader spellbound so that it is difficult to put the books down until they are finished. One hopes that the series will continue forever but realise that there has to be an end sometime and this thought is daunting.

A good yarn for traveling.

read the whole series and now onto the next

Die Saga um die Hexen von Eileanan und ihr Kampf um die Vorherrschaft im Reich geht weiter. Obwohl die einstigen Rebellen mittlerweile an der Macht sind, herrschen die alten Vorurteile und Ängste vor den magischen Wesen vieler Ortens noch vor. In der Reihe der Bücher um die Hexen Meghan, Isabeau und Iseult ist dieses wohl das kampflastigste, denn viele Schlachten müssen geschlagen werden, bis der neue Righ Lachlan vollkommen anerkannt ist.Wie auch in den vorherigen Teilen, schildert Forsyth die Geschichte in einigen parallelen Handlungsfäden, so dass keinerlei Langeweile aufkommen kann. Besonders interessant fand ich die Schilderung des Lebens der narbigen Krieger, bei denen Iseult aufwuchs.Da die Buchreihe bereits abgeschlossen ist, bin ich schon gespannt, wie die Geschichte zu Ende geht - wer allerdings erwartet, dass es im nächsten Band sofort weiter mit den bekannten Figuren geht, wird vorerst auf die Folter gespannt, denn zunächst wird die Geschichte der jungen Finn, ehemaligem Mitglieder der Liga der Heilenden Hand und mit dem Talent des Suchens ausgestattet, erzählt.

Arrived in good condition. Sadly, both my daughter and I were disappointed in the series.