Wit'ch Fire: Book One of THE BANNED AND THE BANISHED

A truly marvellous book. Now, I am a tad ashamed to admit I read this quite some time ago, ::looks down shuffling feet:: and though it is not fresh in my mind, I vividly remember how much I enjoyed it. Certain scenes had me exclaiming aloud, or at times laughing. Even if the story overall wasn't good (which is was) Clemen's writing style would have held me over through the whole thing. At first the fragmented storyline had me confused, but happily satisfied and purring when it all came together later (Oh, yes, I felt so devilishly clever :P). The characters all held me in rapture with their realism, and ability to evoke emotions. Many times I would feel like grumbling at their stupidity, or praising their daring bravery, though sometimes uncouth ;-)Even if the storyline didn't beg for more books, the characters and writing did. Yes, at time I was bothered by Elena's reluctance to accept herself, or her sometimes evident immaturity, but really, who wants the perfect heroine? The old caricatures are quite tiresome. Clemens did a wonderful job writing this book, I loved the plot, people, style, flair, and excellence overall of Wit'ch Fire. (And I also noticed the ' in names. Nice touch that there). I am very looking forward to the third, fourth, and fifth books in the series.Though I wouldn't recommend it to those who aren't willing to tolerate the air of mystery around some aspects of the story, I'd recommend it to almost anyone else. Happy reading!

This was a great fantasy about a young girl blossoming into womanhood and who is prophecized to free her land against a ancient evil that has enslaved it for five hundred years.She is pursued by the terrifying minions of that evil and she is aided by a motley band of heroes and outcasts.This novel's action scenes have a cinematic quality to them and the evil that is descibed is truly terrifying!Great combination of dark and epic fantasy genres.

This is great read. I am always looking for a great fantasy novel and this fits the bill. I put this on par with George RR Martin, Robert Jordan and Stephen Donaldson! Buy this book and read it. If the remaining books are half as good, they will be worth every penny. (Hopefully, Mr. Clemens will not drag this out forever like Jordan)

After reading Subterranean by James Rollins (an alias for this author) and also an excellent read, I was hungry for another book by him. Therefore, I was very excited when I found this book -- even though they're of different genres. It lived up to my expectations.I must admit, while reading the first several pages, I was doubtful that this book would be good, but I kept reading, and I'm very happy I did. The plot is complex but good; everything fits together nicely. The author weaves the story with several very different and very interesting characters. Some you'll like, some you won't, and some you'll want to hate but you'll feel sorry for instead. Despite the fact that there are a number of characters to follow, I found it easy to follow the story and distinguish them. A tribute to Clemens' ability to create distinct characters. If you can make it through the first several pages of the book, then you're in for a real treat. The action starts and doesn't let up until the end, and the pace will leave you breathless. The characters must face and outsmart or fight a variety of different creatures in order to live. The battles are interesting and vividly described. And just when you think it's over, something else happens. By the time I reached the end of the book I was desperate for the more. But alas, I'll have to wait until it's published. It's definitely on my "to buy" list.

This is a page turner. I'm always wanting to know what is going to happen next. The book is divided oddly. Its like 4 books in one, but then at the end of each book the main characters all turn out to be on the same quest. I liked that approach to writing and is something I hadn't seen before. Clemens shows his great skills as you read while seeing the story with great description. Clemens's intro into the book telling of why everything was happening was what truly took my by the arm and threw me into Elena's world. Another thing I noticed (and saw other people didn't like) was the ' that Clemens put in words (like his title Wit'ch Fire). I think its another new approach to writing. Why not have it typed like that. It makes for more interesting and meaningful names. I hope to read Clemen's next page turner soon. I'd recomend this book to anyone I meet (and have!).