The publisher is promoting this book by first time author Robert Newcomb as the "Fantasy Epic of the Year." It must be a slow year over at Del Rey.

Not that The Fifth Sorceress is a terrible book. For a debut novel, it's not bad. Newcomb's prose is solid, if still a bit rough around the edges, showing occasional flashes of potential that bode well for the future. The characters, too, have potential, although by the end of this first volume it remains undeveloped. For someone who has never written a book and whose most recent life experience includes owning an auto dealership, Newcomb turns in a credible effort, but Del Rey has done him no favors with their 'Epic of the Year' publicity blitz, hyping him as the next Terry Goodkind. All they've done is set up Newcomb's audience for a deep disappointment.

That's too bad, because if the book was being promoted more appropriately, readers may be more inclined to give it a chance. The story itself is moderately entertaining, although you've certainly heard this typical good vs. evil tale before: reluctant hero and wise mage-cum-mentor lead the forces of light against opponents who will stop at nothing, including global destruction, to gain victory.

Here, the forces of darkness are represented by the Coven, malevolent sorceresses who nearly destroyed the land of Eutracia over three centuries ago. The kingdom's wizards managed to defeat them, if only just, and the few surviving sorceresses were exiled. Females in Eutracia were barred from ever being taught magic, while all male practitioners were required to vow themselves unswervingly to the side of the light.

Centuries later, the four remaining sorceresses are plotting vengeance from their exile. All they need to complete their terrible incantation and either win the world or destroy it is Shailiha, daughter of the ruling house of Eutracia. They plan to abduct her, and use her latent magical powers to wreak havoc. Only her brother Prince Tristan, heir to both the throne and wizardly powers of his own, and his advisor, Wigg the wizard, can save Shailiha and with her, Eutracia.

If all this sounds like a fairly typical, light swords-and-sorcery romp, you're not too far off. Newcomb has a few twists, though, which some readers (especially women) may find disturbing, or downright infuriating. In Newcomb's world, all females who can wield magic are evil. Even Our Hero's sister turns to the Dark Side (whoops, sorry, wrong genre!) when her abilities are unlocked. Although there are, presumably, many (non-magical) women in Newcomb's universe who are kind and good, we don't see them, and the story comes across as a 'men are good, women are bad' parable. Females, he seems to say, are inherently unsuited to wield power and will do terrible things with it if given the opportunity.

It is no surprise, then, the members of the Coven gleefully indulge in pursuits that are typically the province of male villains: rape, murder, torture, and the like. Perhaps their penchant for combining sex and torture is where the Goodkind comparisons come from, since he, too, seems to favor female characters with deviant sexual appetites.

The gender reversal could have been a clever and intriguing device, but Newcomb's handling of it is clumsy. He bludgeons the reader with it, using a sledgehammer where a scalpel would do, and neglecting to include any positive female characters for balance. Even Melanie Rawn's Exiles series, which is similarly blatant in its role reversals, adds a few very strong males as counterpoints to the mainly docile spouses of her female protagonists.

But readers should bear in mind that this is only the first book in the series, and the antagonists needed to be clearly established for future action. Also, there is reason to believe Mr. Newcomb will present a more balanced set of characters as the series progresses, for by the end of this volume, Prince Tristan has decided females should once more be taught magic, provided they take the same vows as the men. Of course, it does beg the question: why did it take 300 years—and 500-odd pages—to arrive at a conclusion most readers will have reached at the end of the prologue? Still, this development bodes well for the future of the series.

With at least four volumes planned, Newcomb will have many opportunities to polish his skills and develop what looks to be an entertaining, if fairly light, series. Ignore the inappropriate hype, and accept the book for what it is—a somewhat rough first novel by an author with interesting concepts and the potential to improve. If you can get a copy at the local library, it's worth a read. Otherwise, you may want to wait for the paperback version.

We give The Fifth Sorceress 2 ½ asterisks; it's not awful, but it's a far cry from being the fantasy epic of this, or any other, year.