The Legend of Witch Bane


Fiction - Fantasy - General
330 Pages
Reviewed on 03/14/2009
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Kevis Hendrickson is the author of eight Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, including The Legend of Witch Bane and the Rogue Hunter series. His second novel Rogue Hunter: Quest of the Hunter won the Red Adept Annual Indie Award (2010) for 'Top Science Fiction'. His most recent novel is Rogue Hunter: Valor. The sixth book in the series, Rogue Hunter: Death Moon, is scheduled for release in 2016. He is working on a brand new urban fantasy series which also makes its debut next year.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but it this case you most definitely can. The cover of The Legend of Witch Bane is brightly colored and inviting. It speaks of adventures inside. Kevis Hendrickson creates his own imaginative kingdom complete with elves, goblins, werewolves, dragons, and even an evil queen. Three children set out on a quest to retrieve Witch Bane (a sword) to save their kingdom. Hendrickson has a talent for painting a picture using words. I could see the landscape developing in front of me as though he were using a paint brush.

I cannot do justice to this book. I believe that it could possibly become a legend of its own. This book would make great bedtime reading. Young adults will enjoy this fantasy, and so will older adults. If you like fairy tales and legends you will love The Legend of Witch Bane.

Toni Gillmore

Well Kevis I for one absolutely loved the art work; I think it is perfect for the book.
I found this book to be wonderfully refreshing, enchanting, and completely captivating to the end. I'm now reading it through the internet to my grandchildren in Virginia every night before they go to bed.
This book is about sibling rivalry, love, and a special bonding that children need more of. The way he has written it with himself as the narrator, makes the book feel more personal to me.
This story has everything that a fantasy reader could ask for: Trolls (or could that be giants)? Enchantment, Evil sorcerers', Dragons, Goblins, Fairies, etc.
This is a wonderful book for people of all ages, the way it pulls you in and you find yourself wanting to help the children.
My physical ability doesn't allow for me to write a lengthy review, if I could Kevis I would write you a twenty pager for I am very pleased with the way you wrote this( in that it is a book everyone can read). Now a day's with so much violence going on in the world, (a lot of the fantasy novels do get very violent and they do it in such detail that I would never read them even to my neighbor. We share fantasy novels together) that it is very refreshing to suggest this book to everyone.
I have been captivated by your story and I can't wait till the next one comes out.
To everyone who reads this review: THIS IS A MUST READ. It was defiantly worth the wait. I did not say a lot of what the book is about because I want you to read it and be surprised as I was. Thank you again Kevis and am faithfully waiting for the next one.

Viviane Crystal

The battle begins with the typical power struggle between an evil Queen, Rhiannon Eldess, and a kingdom which refuses to surrender its love of right! King Kruge Falinn and his wife are forced to surrender one of their female children to Rhiannon. Kodobos, Anyr and Laris are horrified and want to rebel but are powerless to avoid this evil fate. But the transfer of a magic gem from Anyr to Laris's pocket seals the latter's fate - that is until Kodobos vows to free her. Although he succeeds, the victory is costly with Rhiannon casting a spell of deep sleep upon King Kruge and his entire kingdom.

How will the three siblings reach Rhiannon's domain and seek the power to release their homeland from this awful destiny? Their quest will be daunting as they meet both helpful and destructive characters in their journey, such as Elyndia the powerful elf, a dwarf and ogre giant, goblins, werewolves, ancient water spirits, dragons and more amazing, exciting beings!

Laris, it turns out, has a deep dark secret but it's not the shameful one she acknowledges about her birth which she believes caused her mother's death. She possesses powers she has no idea are just lurking and waiting to explode in a powerful manner enough to sway the riveting conflict between Rhiannon and Laris's siblings. For Laris is related to the most powerful people in the world, a nation that even Rhiannon fears her own dark spells cannot defeat.

A sword which Kodobos eventually takes carries magic as well which displays awesome results in the final pivotal battle, a scene waged wildly and furiously, beyond any previously described war ever told

The Legend of Witch Bane is a finely tuned, explosive page-turning fantasy story that will hold any reader's interest to the last page. It ends most appropriately with an open suggestion of more to come in a series sure to engage any reader who loves a fantastic, tense, adventurous story.

M. Vickers

"The Legend of Witch Bane," by Kevis Hendrickson, is a great story for both children and adults alike. I have recently grown more interested in fantasy stories and "faerie" stories (as Tolkien would have called them), and this one is well worth the read.

As others have mentioned, it does seem reminiscent of Lewis, Tolkien, and other fantasy stories and fairy tales, but that is in no way a negative thing. Certain elements of fantasy can be retold in many ways without subtracting from any of them.

The story follows three children on a quest through many dangers and trials, both external and internal, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

I think that the idea of using an unknown narrator who tells the story directly to the reader (speaking directly to the reader at times) is wonderful. It almost makes the reader feel as if he or she is sitting around a campfire listening to the tale rather than simply reading it.

The best part of the story to me is that there is no cussing in the entire story. I point this out simply because it is very unusual in many modern books to find a story with no cussing in it. I think this is a big plus for the story (and the author), and far outweighs any minor stylistic issues that may have presented themselves. This is one book I could have my child read, eventually, without having to worry about the content.

Anyone who loves fantasy and "faerie" needs to read this book.

DianeG.

The Legend of Witch Bane is an incredible fantasy read. It will capture your attention from the first page to the last. This is brilliant creative writing at its best. With Mr. Hendrickson's descriptive writing, you can clearly envision every page.

This story is about three siblings that must go on a quest to save their kingdom. On this quest, they encounter trolls, dragons, wizards, werewolves, giants, and more. The story is about sibling rivalry, love, power, commitment, perseverance, betrayal, courage, strength, and magic, just to name a few. What these children must endure along the way, is truly an amazing story.

I thought the drawings of the characters were a flawless depiction, as to how they were described. I, for one, would love to see these characters come to life on the big screen one day. I am looking forward to a sequel.

Dori

While this book is promoted as a children's book I (70 + second childhood perhaps) ]enjoyed the read immensely. It is a delightful fantasy tale with so many cliff hanging moments that my fingernails suffered a beating. Warning however is that Legend of Witch Bane does severely interfere with household chores and other meaningful endeavors, as you just must get back to see what happens to these 3 children next. I was sad to see it end and look forward to the next book by this author.

Robin Kuhn

I teach seventh grade reading to readers who struggle. They loved this book. It is one of the few books that both the boys and the girls loved. The storyline can get complicated but the reading level was not so far above the students' heads that they were overwhelmed. We as a class hope that Kevis continues to write so we can continue to read. GREAT BOOK. We just can't say enough.

Diane L. Wright

The writing style of Kevin Hendrickson is reminiscent of Mark Twain for a younger generation. Comfortable and friendly, this reader felt as if she was sitting on the couch in her pajamas, being told a story before bedtime. Being completely caught up in the tale I did not put it down from the first page until the last.

The message of the book for me, for it does contain many, could be summed up in words of the future image of Kodobos self in the cave of dreams: " When put to it, most people would rather die than sacrifice the thing they love most. But what if the thing they love most is the thing they must sacrifice?" In order to save the kingdom many choices were placed before them. If they did not make the right ones their quest would fail and every
hardship faced for naught.

It is refreshing to find a writer that does not talk down to the reader and appreciates the beauty of English language. Although some of the words used in his books are not commonly used by the youth of today, they will not be learned if they never are. I did not find them to be so excessive that they would cause a stumbling block to anyone.

The characters continued to unfold from beginning to end. Introduced in an interesting fashion, I was eager to know more. As Kevis fleshed them out, I was obliged. Through their many adventures I continued to get close to them until as I turned the final page I was disappointed to say good-bye to my friends.

Marise

Overall, an exceptional and thrilling tale about three very young children thrown into a very harsh reality. "The Legend of Witch Bane" is exceptional especially in Kevis Hendrickson's use of a child's fairy tale narrative voice to tell a very dark and hopeful story. The whit, humor, creative solutions and mystical creatures clashed in an effective and interesting way with the bitter conditions and overwhelmings odds that the children of Witch Bane were faced with.
I could not get over how rapidly the plot progressed or how fast the many different threads of the plot intertwined and branched out into new aspects of the story. The reader is immediately caputred on the very first page by the plight of a kingdom that has to sacrifice some of it's daughters to a terrible queen. Furthermore, the story takes place in a very intricate fantasy world where our expectations are ever so slightly twisted.
The three royal children who embark on a quest to save thier parents and kingdom are far more human and fallible then most young protagonists of modern fantasy books I've encountered. The children are terrified and they make significant mistakes. What's more is that they grow up as the deal with the ordeals. However, this is not the usual happily ever after type of quest, but rather one with real, deep and enduring costs to the children.

Beth A.

I loved it!! This book is a very fun read, with a cast of very interesting characters. It is action packed, and moves along at a fast pace (it never lets you get bored). It is a wonderful story about the power of love and the strength that we have if we believe in ourselves.

T. Turner

The first thing that struck me about this book was the Grimm's Fairy Tale narration style. It took some getting used to, but it grew on me. I loved the characters exploring a world which was full of Norse Mythology. It was good fun traveling along with the three children to solve the curse of their kingdom. I felt like I was 13 again playing D & D. I think kids will enjoy this, and some adults too, esp. if they've played a few role playing games.