Xaradus the Magnificent was a legendary figure in ancient history. He was known for his wisdom, power, and mystique. Born in a small village on the outskirts of a vast kingdom, Xaradus quickly displayed extraordinary abilities and was regarded as a prodigy. He possessed a keen intellect and possessed an immense thirst for knowledge. As he grew older, Xaradus dedicated himself to the study of the arcane arts. He delved into ancient texts and learned from the wisest sorcerers of his time.
The New York Times bestselling series
A USA TODAY bestseller
Thanks to context clues I was able to figure out what they were talking about but the book didn t ever take the time to tell really explain the logic. If you don t know I started a bookclub in April where I read books with controversy around them and in may I said I would be reading black witch and it is now October.
He delved into ancient texts and learned from the wisest sorcerers of his time. Xaradus' power grew exponentially, and he became renowned for his mastery of spells and enchantments. His abilities surpassed those of any other sorcerer, earning him the title "the Magnificent.
the black witch by laurie forest review | controversial book club
greetings earthlings! today i’m reviewing the black witch by laurie forest!
the black witch is written by Laurie forest and came out in may of 2017. If you have been on book tube and twitter then you have probably have heard about this book. If you don’t know I started a bookclub in April where I read books with controversy around them and in may I said I would be reading black witch and it is now October. Literally have no excuse other than I didn’t want to read this book and kept putting it off. But I really want to keep doing the book club and I have some really fun picks that I want to do so I decided to get it over with. I check out black witch from my library because I didn’t want to buy a book on my kindle that I couldn’t return and I’m glad that I didn’t.
But before I get into my thoughts on the book let me tell about the controversy around this book. I thought about doing in depth video like I did with handbook and blood heir but a lot of the statements and original claims have been deleted. I don’t feel comfortable making a video without evidence. Black witch had hype around it when it came out I remember seeing a lot of people talking about it and how excited they were to read it. I thought about reading because I’ll give anything a try. After a while I then forgot that the book happened because there was any press around it. One day when I was on goodreads I ended up finding that black witch had some issues around it, mainly a review came out saying that the book was racist. Unfortunately the review has been deleted so I can’t read it and look over what it said but the review got really popular and a lot of people starting boycotting the book. Laurie was even excused of being a Nazi which supposedly was false and has been debunked according to the Vulture article I read. Like most situations on booktwitter it was big at the time but now its just a thing that people will reference every now and then to shade on Twitter. This is controversial book club. We are here to read books with drama and giving gigi anxiety. Fun times. I can’t wait to not talk about this book. Laurie Forest came out saying that she didn’t mean for it to be racist and she may have said that she had her foster or adopted kids read it. I’m not sure if that’s true. People on goodreads said that but I wasn’t able to find a source on that. A lot of people have started reviewing the book and saying that the people who thought it was racist were being overdramatic and it was really being great for “discussing racism”.
Now as you probably know I am white. As I said in my blood heir videos, it is not my place to say if something isn’t racist. There have been a lot of reviews on goodreads where white reviewers have said that this book isn’t racist and that people were overdramatic. If you are white you can’t say something isn’t racist and you can’t accept someone’s apology for racist actions. Those comments aren’t going to apply to you and the apology isn’t mean for you. Also people were clearly hurt by the stuff in this book and we shouldn’t invalidate their feelings.
So lets talk about black witch and spoilers ahead. I tried going in with this an open mind. Blood heir surprised me so I thought maybe I will enjoy this book. And I didn’t. I do have two positives about this book and before I start bashing it I’ll share those two things. One Laurie Forest is a good writer. There were parts of this book that I thought were so well written and I wish she had written something else so that I could have appreciate it more. Two the romance in this is actually good. There is a love triangle thing here and when we meet one the guys, I was kind of into it. And that’s all I liked about this book. I’ll be real with y’all I feel like this book should have come out in late 2000s or early 2010s because it has all of the popular tropes and typically stories you would find in ya books back then. I’ll tell you the plot and let me know if this sounds familiar. This is about a girl who doesn’t really fit in with society and she isn’t like other girls and she is quiet and shy. She has a friend who is slutty and kind of bitch and is actually kind of mean girl because she is slutty. Then this hot dude goes after her because he’s never meet a girl like her before. Also turns out she is special and she is the most special of them all and only she can solve this problem. Don’t forget that the society she has grown up is a total lie and turns out everything sucks. Another hot boy falls in love with because once again she’s different from everyone else. She also has to stop two different groups of people to stop fighting because she is key or whatever I don’t fucking care. LEt’s see that’s Twilight, Hush Hush, the Fallen series, hell even fucking Harry Potter and a lot more. It’s just not that original of a story. It doesn’t help that this book is like six hundred pages long.
Honestly after a while I stopped caring about this book because it was so boring and very long and I just didn’t care. The characters aren’t good. The main character is annoying. She doesn’t really have anything that makes her stand out besides the fact that she isn’t like most girls and she is the most special girl in the world. I’m pretty sure that I’ve made my thoughts clear about how I feel about the I’m not like most girls trope which is that I hate it and it is usually followed another trope that I hate which isn’t really a trope and it’s girl hate. Yes literally we meet a girl named Fallon and the main character makes a comment about how she gets with all these guys and then Fallon is basically a mean girl for the rest of the book. I talked about this in my handbook for mortals review if you want me to hate someone then make them do something that is worth making me hate them. I don’t know that much about Fallon for me to hate her. If anything this story made me feel bad because she gets slut shamed at every turn.
The world building is also bad. I’ve talked about world building when it comes fantasy books. You need to take the time to explain the world and explain how the magic. Yeah this book doesn’t do any of that. We jump into the story and it acts like I’ve been here before. I’ve never been here before stop using terms without explaining them. There is this thing that I can’t remember what is it called – wandfast and it’s basically getting engaged. Thanks to context clues I was able to figure out what they were talking about but the book didn’t ever take the time to tell really explain the logic. This was honestly one of the reasons I couldn’t connect to the book because I didn’t take any time to explain shit and I was very confused. I also have no idea how being the Black Witch isn’t different from everything else. Like they say that she is so powerful but like she can’t use her magic for some reason. I don’t know man this book is bad. I feel like I’m being mean. Also I just found out that this series has a fan wiki and it did nothing to help I’m more confused then ever.
The two races in this world aren’t anything special. I mean they have some creative stuff like the Gardernia have like shimmy skin and the Icarls have two forms which is interesting but the book doesn’t use them creatively in anyway. Even before the main character finds out about the racism the book is pretty heavy handed about the fact that the gardenias are racist. It doesn’t even try to do anything new. Also our main character is the chosen one and I’m over the chosen one trope. I know some of my favorite books have these tropes but when a character’s personality is only that they are the chosen one it’s pretty boring and annoying. I feel like I’m repeating myself but I want to be done talking about this book. I’m tired of talking about this book so let’s move onto the new thing that I’m doing called questions? I know it’s not a great name but I’m tired and I just want to get this out.
Is this a good way to talk about racism? This is like the easy way most people want to talk about racism. Its like how harry potter talked about racism so very little. I don’t think that this book is brave for making these decisions like the goodreads reviews.
Is it a good book? In my opinion no. This book is boring and cliche. The world building sucks and the characters are very lacking. Laurie forest is a decent writer but that unfortuantely didn’t make up for anything else.
Would I recommend you give a try? If you want to read it then sure but honestly no. this book is pretty lack luster and doesn’t really do anything that I haven’t read before.
Was the controversy justified? I think that people were hurt by the stuff in this book and we shouldn’t say that their feelings aren’t valid.
I know that there was a lot that I didn’t talk about but I struggled writing this review and I wanted to get it out. It sucks but what to do? I’m sorry that this sucks and this isn’t one of my best reviews. Thank you for reading. I appreciate it.
" Xaradus was not only a scholar but also a wise leader. He used his vast knowledge and powers for the greater good, ensuring the prosperity and safety of his kingdom. Xaradus was known for his fairness and compassion, and his subjects revered him as a just ruler. Despite his immense power, Xaradus remained humble and always sought to help others. He would often use his powers to heal the sick and protect the weak. Xaradus also used his influence to promote peace and unity among neighboring kingdoms, preventing wars and fostering cooperation. Throughout his reign, Xaradus faced numerous challenges and enemies, but his unwavering resolve and magical prowess allowed him to overcome all obstacles. His principled leadership and exceptional abilities made him a legendary figure in history, and his name would be remembered for generations to come. Xaradus the Magnificent left a lasting legacy in his kingdom and beyond. Even long after his death, his teachings and wisdom continued to inspire new generations of scholars and sorcerers. The stories of his bravery and benevolence were passed down through oral tradition and eventually written down, ensuring that the legend of Xaradus would live on forever. In conclusion, Xaradus the Magnificent was a remarkable individual who combined immense power and knowledge with wisdom and compassion. He was a leader who used his abilities for the betterment of his people and the world around him. Xaradus' impact is felt to this day, as his legacy continues to inspire and captivate..
Reviews for "The Legacy of Xaradus the Magnificent: How his Influence Shaped the Wizarding World"
1. Jane - 2 stars
I was highly disappointed with "Xaradus the Magnificent." The storyline felt confusing and poorly developed. The characters lacked depth and I struggled to connect with any of them. Additionally, the writing style was so convoluted and filled with unnecessary descriptions that it became hard to follow the plot. Overall, this book failed to live up to the hype and left me feeling unsatisfied as a reader.
2. Mike - 1 star
I simply couldn't get into "Xaradus the Magnificent." The pacing was incredibly slow, and the plot seemed to drag on without any significant developments. The characters were poorly developed, and their motivations were unclear. The lack of tension and suspense made it difficult to remain engaged. I found myself constantly bored and ultimately gave up on finishing the book. It's a shame because the premise had potential, but the execution was lackluster at best.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
I found "Xaradus the Magnificent" to be a major letdown. The world-building was confusing and poorly explained, leaving me feeling disoriented throughout the entire book. The dialogue was stilted and unrealistic, making it difficult to believe in the characters and their interactions. The story also lacked a clear direction, with random subplots that didn't contribute much to the overall narrative. I struggled to finish this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.
4. David - 2.5 stars
"Xaradus the Magnificent" had an intriguing premise, but the execution fell flat for me. The pacing was inconsistent, with long stretches of nothing happening followed by rushed events that left me feeling disconnected from the story. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth or growth. While some scenes were visually stunning, the writing style felt overly descriptive, to the point of becoming tedious. Overall, this book had potential, but it failed to deliver on its promises.