Dragonclaw is book one in “The Witches of Eileanan” series of six books by Australian Author Kate Forsyth. There is also a later series called “Rhiannon's Ride” set in Eileanan, of which the third one is due out in the middle of 2006. Dragonclaw was first published in 1997.

I enjoyed Dragonclaw, but I’m not sure I’ll be putting in the time to read the rest of the series. While the world was an enjoyable fantasy creation and I was interested in what was happening with the characters, I did find the characters and plot a little formulaic.

While most fantasy novels in the same vein are formulaic to some extent, the ones which keep me completely engrossed have something a little extra. Whether it be an extra quality in the writing, a twist on the ideas or characters I really fall in love with, as a primarily science fiction reader who dabbles in the occasional fantasy book I need something extra to really draw me in.

The nearest this novel comes is the immersion in the Scottish culture due to the premise that group of Scottish witches fled the persecution of witches in the 16th century to discover a new land. I assume that more will be revealed later on in the series about how they managed to do this, and the little snippets revealed throughout the first book were quite intriguing. As was the fact that the land they came to was already inhabited – a topical issue explored in a unique way, giving it a fresh perspective (something the sci-fi/fantasy genre lends itself to).

With all the different plot set-ups introduced in Dragonclaw, particularly with the slightly awkward introduction of new characters towards the end of the book, it’s clear the first novel in this series is setting up the world for the reader, and introducing themes and characters which have the potential for a great deal of exploration. So my reservations about it being a little too formulaic and hence predicable may not apply to subsequent books in the series where there will be a lot more room for originality.

For those who dabble in fantasy books, the thought of at least five more books stretching beyond this one might be a little too much to commit to. But for those who read a lot of fantasy books, the first book in the “The Witches of Eileanan” series indicates that this is a rich and interesting world in which to immerse yourself.