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It has been sixteen years since the Day of Reckoning, when magic and witchcraft were outlawed throughout all of Eileanan. And though rumors say that she is dead, the Arch-Sorceress Meghan of the Beasts still lives. Traveling with her are the true heir to the throne and the red-haired warrior Iseult. Their fates are woven together in a quest to bring magic back to the land.As Eileanan nears its darkest hour, Meghan must gather rebel forces to move upon the city of Lucescere. There, the Rìgh show more lies near death, and his Queen, Maya the Ensorcellor, and her babe stand to inherit his power. To end Maya's brutal reign and bring magic out of the shadows, what was broken must be brought together: twin sisters who have never met, three parts of an enchanted key, and the winged man with the powers of the lost Lodestar.
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(Second of 6 : Witches of Eileanan series. Fantasy)
The story continues on from Dragonclaw with Iseult and Lachlan travelling with Meghan to meet Isabeau who is hiding in the castle under the very noses of the Awl. The Righ is dying and Meghan needs to re-unite the three pieces of the Key so as to recover the Lodestone, whose power is linked to the Righ. But time is running out; it all needs to be done before the eclipse of the two moons of this planet for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
The rebellion is fizzing and we see a bit of Maya's powers. We find out who the Hunchback is and more heirs to the throne appear.
(hah! Just worked out that the dreaded Awl is the acronym for the Anti-Witchcraft League. Sometimes these things have to be show more spelled out for me. All this time, I've been thinking of a pointed leather-working tool).
The witches are currently outlawed in Eileannan and continue to practice their rites in secret. But I have to wonder, since they came from another world, if their rites have any power on this world?
I did find Bachaiche’s grumpiness starting to be a pain in the neck. I managed to gloss over the accents as I read (unless I came across an unfamiliar word - like uile-bheist) and follow the story more easily.
Still admiring Neal Armstrong's cover illustrations.
(Reviewing four months on from my notes.)
3*** show less
The story continues on from Dragonclaw with Iseult and Lachlan travelling with Meghan to meet Isabeau who is hiding in the castle under the very noses of the Awl. The Righ is dying and Meghan needs to re-unite the three pieces of the Key so as to recover the Lodestone, whose power is linked to the Righ. But time is running out; it all needs to be done before the eclipse of the two moons of this planet for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
The rebellion is fizzing and we see a bit of Maya's powers. We find out who the Hunchback is and more heirs to the throne appear.
(hah! Just worked out that the dreaded Awl is the acronym for the Anti-Witchcraft League. Sometimes these things have to be show more spelled out for me. All this time, I've been thinking of a pointed leather-working tool).
The witches are currently outlawed in Eileannan and continue to practice their rites in secret. But I have to wonder, since they came from another world, if their rites have any power on this world?
I did find Bachaiche’s grumpiness starting to be a pain in the neck. I managed to gloss over the accents as I read (unless I came across an unfamiliar word - like uile-bheist) and follow the story more easily.
Still admiring Neal Armstrong's cover illustrations.
(Reviewing four months on from my notes.)
3*** show less
This is the second book in the Witches of Eileanan series. I read the first couple hundred pages of this book and then stopped. I just could not get into this book. There are so many characters and so much jumping around that I started to keep notes on who was who and who was involved with what.
The above coupled with the phonetically spelled out speech was driving me nuts. I loved the first book and the world it built, but this book just jumps around between too many characters. Additionally the phonetic spelling of the dialogue is hard to read.
I don’t understand why authors have to rune perfectly good books by phonetically spelling out speech patterns. It is just as effective to day “they talked with a Scottish accent” or show more “they spoke with rounded consonants” or something else that tells you how the speech sounds without making you struggle through reading it phonetically.
Overall I was disappointed in this book and will not be continuing the series. show less
The above coupled with the phonetically spelled out speech was driving me nuts. I loved the first book and the world it built, but this book just jumps around between too many characters. Additionally the phonetic spelling of the dialogue is hard to read.
I don’t understand why authors have to rune perfectly good books by phonetically spelling out speech patterns. It is just as effective to day “they talked with a Scottish accent” or show more “they spoke with rounded consonants” or something else that tells you how the speech sounds without making you struggle through reading it phonetically.
Overall I was disappointed in this book and will not be continuing the series. show less
Finally! After starting the series three times with [b:The Witches of Eileanan|264069|The Witches of Eileanan (The Witches of Eileanan, #1)|Kate Forsyth|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348601956s/264069.jpg|4290355] I moved onto book 2!
I still would like a map but I enjoy this series. A lot more happened in the book than I was expecting so I am interested to see where it will go from here.
I still would like a map but I enjoy this series. A lot more happened in the book than I was expecting so I am interested to see where it will go from here.
Meghan of the beasts knows the time is near. By the pool of the Two Moons in the ancient city of Lucescere the future of the witches of Eileanan will be decided. Our heroes have to travel there to try to solve the issues and to make a future happen.
It's a long read, but I can see that it's going places and I want to know more. Honestly I prefer some of her newer stuff.
It's a long read, but I can see that it's going places and I want to know more. Honestly I prefer some of her newer stuff.
This book almost completely changes focus, with the spotlight on Iseult and Lachlan. We also get glimpses of the ever-growing rebel forces and Isabeau does play a part, just not one that gets as much page time. The good thing about this is we have the already well-created characters that were showcased in book one, and now we get to see new characters developed. This eliminates the normal second book blues. If anything, this book was better.
My review here:
Full Review
My review here:
Full Review
Escaping the harsh laws that outlaw magic and witchcraft, Meghan o' the Beasts, along with her companions, Iseult, the warrior maid, and Bacache, the winged boy, travels to the Veiled Forest to seek a way to remedy the wrongs done by an evil queen and restore magic to the world.
More action than the first, and more shadings of character in both the heroes and the villains.
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308 works; 13 members
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66+ Works 9,595 Members
She is an Australian author who is well known for her historical novel Bitter Greens, which won the Historical Fiction category on the American Literary Association 2015 Reading List. She is the author of several children's books including The Gypsy Crown, The Puzzle Ring, The Starthorn Tree, The Wildkin's Curse, The Starkin Crown, and Dragon show more Gold. She has also published two heroic fantasy series, The Witches of Eileanan and Rhiannon's Ride, the poetry collection Radiance, and the novel Full Fathom Five under her maiden name, Kate Humphrey. Her more recent books include Vasilisa the Wise and Tales of Other Brave Young Women, and The Silver Well, which won the 2017 Aurealis Award for the best Australian collection. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- The Pool of Two Moons
- Original title
- The Pool of Two Moons
- Original publication date
- 1998
- People/Characters
- Meghan of the Beasts; Isabeau the Foundling; Iseult; Maya the Ensorcellor; Lachlan the Winged
- Important places
- Eileanan (Imaginary place)
- Epigraph
- A witch or a hag is she which being deluded by a league made with the devel through his persuasion, inspiration, and juggling, thinketh she can design wha manner of evil things soever, either by thought or imprecation, as to ... (show all)shake the air with lightnings and thunder, to cause hail and tempests, to remove green corn or trees to another place, to be carried of her familiar (which hath taken upon him the deceitful shape of a goat, swine or calf) into some mountain far distant, in a wonderful short space of time.
William West, sixteenth-century English lawyer - Dedication
- for my dearest mother,
Gillian MacKenzie Evans - First words
- It was the darkest hour of the night, when the pulse runs slowest and the tides of energy are at their ebb, that the three travelers left the woods.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)She rocked the babe against her heart, and wondered if Meghan had been right, that only the lame could love, only the maimed could mourn.
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