Forbidden Magic

(The Godwars: Book 1)
by
Angus Wells

Bantam, May 1992, 472 pp.
ISBN: 0-553-29128-9

Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed: 10/28/1998

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Excerpt

Skeins of Prophecy

“You will seek that which cannot be had and find disappointment. But you will gain much, more than you lose. You will learn those things you reject and find that friendship is the strongest bond.

“There is water—beware the water, Calandryll! You must cross it to find what you seek, though men say it does not exist. There is danger, but you will be protected, not alone. There is a teacher, though may not welcome his lessons. Trust him! And one will come after, also to be trusted.

“You will travel far and see things no southern man has seen, perhaps no man at all. There is…No! I cannot see it…It hides behind itself. It is forbidden…I cannot…”

The voice grew harsh, choking. Reba began to cough, and the strange spell was broken.

Alarmed, Calandryll sprang to his feet . . .

Synopsis

This is the story of a young man, Calandryll, who is destined to never become the Domm of his holding because of his ruthless older brother. He is a scholar, but his father demands that he becomes a priest. He flees his holding with the Varent, a well-to do gentleman, and joins forces with a mercenary, Bracht. Varent sends them on a journey to find and ancient book, the Arcanum.

With this book destroyed, the Mad God can never be re-awakened. They are to retrieve the book and bring it back to him. There is also a power deep within Calandryll, a power that he does not understand and cannot control…a power like none has ever had before. The journey is fraught with peril . . . but at least they have the help of the Younger Gods to aid them . . . or do they?

Forbidden Magic is the first book in the Godwars trilogy by Angus Wells.

Review

Forbidden Magic is a fast-paced fantasy tale with a lot of magic and sword fighting. The characters are well developed and the book reads well. It is a grim world on the brink of war, and a young man finally opens his eyes and sees the world as it really is.

There is a map in the front of the book, something I always enjoy, and the main characters are always on the move. If you like the writings of the Terry Brooks and the Shannara series, or David Eddings and the Belgariad series, you will love this book.

Have you ever picked up a book and felt instantly comfortable with the writing style? Well, that is the way I felt with Forbidden Magic. I love a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure where there is a trek, a map, and the ultimate evil that will destroy the world, unless the main character stop it.

I had a hard time putting this book down. I became very caught up in the lives of the main characters and couldn’t wait to turn the next page to find out what was going to happen next. I love stories like this.

Forbidden Magic is a excellent read and I wonder what will happen in the next book in this series, Dark Magic?

I rate this book a 9½ out of 10.