The Witches of Eileanan

By: Kate Forsyth

Narrated by: Elle Newlands

Length: 17 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

‘Twas a time when dragons left their lair and evil shadowed the land....

On the Day of Reckoning, the witches of Eileanan were outlawed - and violations of the new order were punishable by death. Eileanan’s Great Towers, once meccas of magic and learning, were left in ruins. And now, the entire land trembles in fear.

Yet deep in the mountains, in the shadow of Dragonclaw, a young girl is being tutored in the old ways. Ignorant of her past, uncertain of her future, the foundling Isabeau will soon be forced down a dangerous path of prophecy, conspiracy, and magic. It is a world where dragons possess the key to ancient mysteries, where a lost prince will discover a strange and wondrous destiny, and where the ultimate battle between good and evil will be waged.

A new Day of Reckoning is at hand....

©1998, 2019 Kate Forsyth (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Waited a long time for this series

I stumbled across this book in my campus bookstore when it was new and read the series several times over the years. I’ve waited and searched for this to be released on an audio version for years.

I knew the most important choice for this book would be the narrator. The accent would be critical.

Elle Newlands was a new narrator to me and did not disappoint!

I’m so happy to finally have this on Audible ❤️

Not a completed story, or even story arc

This story is told through the third person perspective of many different characters. I had to get used to that.
It helps move the story along and tell different sides, but for me personally it’s harder to get emotionally invested in any character.
I also prefer first person perspective over third person. To me, this audio book felt like a story that’s being told, not something I was involved in, or experiencing alongside the characters.

Characters are well developed and believable.
A young person making stupid mistakes can sometimes irritate me. Like the character only makes so many mistakes for the story to go a certain way, or to create drama.
Thankfully I didn’t experience it that way in this story.

I was surprised the story ended on a cliffhanger. No completed story (-arc) or satisfying conclusion.
It was apparently deemed long enough to be a book and the story just cuts off, to be continued in the next book in the series, I presume.
I’m not a fan of that. I expect a satisfying experience when reading/ finishing a book, even if it’s part of a series.
And I don’t like the fact the last 3 books are significantly shorter than the first 3.. making people pay even more to finish the story.

The narrator has a very strong accent. Especially when using character voices. Hard to follow sometimes when English is not you native language. I did get used to it though, as the story progressed.
What I liked the least about the narration was the pacing. She pauses after a certain number of words, even if there shouldn’t be a pause at that place in the sentence.
The narration felt disconnected to the words/ story/ context because of this.
It annoyed me a lot in the beginning. So much so I couldn’t focus on the story and even quit the first time I tried the book.
The second time I started this audio book I tried to ignore the odd pacing, and managed to listen long enough for the story to draw me in.
After the first couple of hours, I didn’t notice the odd pacing anymore. Either she changed it, or I got used to it. So for most of the book I did enjoy and appreciate the narration.

If the whole series was an omnibus, I would have gladly continued my adventure.
But I’m not spending another 5 credits just to hear the end/ experience the satisfied feeling missing after finishing this book.

On last page, the author had a heart attack, Died!

Everything about this novel, the story line, narration and characters is fine. But on the last page... it just stops. As if the writer had a heart attack and died. Or maybe the novel was 34 hours long and they had to cut it in half somewhere. In any case it should be titled "The Witches..:Part One."

Not my usual genre

Not my usual genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed this , the narrator is very accomplished. Coming from a Scottish family I had no problem following the accents and the narrator did a great job portraying each character. I can't wait for the next book.

What a cliffhanger!

Kate's world of Eileanan is so richly detailed and woven with magic that even an otherwise dreary drive to work is transformed into an adventure and mysticism. The characters are just as enchanting and their trials and tribulations kept the grip on my steering wheel white-knuckled several times. Road rage vanishes when you compare your predicament to that of a persecuted witch you've come to grow deeply fond of.

I usually only read nonfiction but I'm so glad I made an exception with this first leg of a captivating story expertly and delightfuly told.

Really Enjoyed

I enjoyed the story. It was good, not great but the narrator was excellent. I enjoyed listing to her though-out the entire series. I actually enjoyed Elle Newlands' readings so much it's making it hard to get past the way other narrators are reading their stories.

amazing!

I have read this book before and listening to it is just as amazing. it is such an awesome story, beautifully written. It is definitely worth buying even multiple times (hard copy and audio).

One of the best new fantasy authors!

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish & hope for this to be one of my new favorite epic fantasy series. the worldbuilding feels real & immersive. The plot moves fast and stays intresting. And the charchters - om their own and their dynamics are the best part! The narration, with the accent greatly enhanced my listening experience.

Magics Renowned

A wonderful story of mythical beings, magic, and intrigue! Fantastic Narrative! A must read for all ages!

great listen

loved the story the characters are all relatable and the narrator was excellent. look forward to the next book.