Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Poor start, very strong finish
Lyn McConchie starts out Beastmaster's Quest with a lot of the same issues that existed in her collaboration with Andre Norton in Beastmaster's Circus. Namely, the female characters could do no wrong and the male characters were stone cold morons. While this sexism persists through about the first third of this book, it seems to go away as the plot moves along.

The eponymous Quest of this book is the search for the homeworld of Laris Trehannan's companion, the catlike Prauo. While the search does not have much in the way of drama, and the pre-voyage portion of the book is slowed by a lot of exposition, once the world they were seeking as a candidate for Prauo's home is located, things begin. The plot, pacing and story are all very similar to Andre Norton's first Beastmaster novels from some four decades past. The action, such as it is, is very short and to the point with no embellishments such as one might find in a sword and sorcery novel. The violence also seeks to advance the plot without being gratuitous.

The characters really come into their own in the final third of the book. The writing becomes almost seamless and some of the scenes are very touching, as the characters seem only too willing to sacrifice themselves for one another. The differing factions that they encounter on the alien world, and the characters' visceral reactions to the beliefs and actions of both sides put the characters into something of a pickle.

While the story ends with the typical sort of ending for the Beastmaster books, I cannot help but recommend this book. It's the most in keeping with the original Norton novels of this collaborative trilogy. While I would give a pass on Beastmaster's Circus, and would suggest Beastmaster's Ark only to get to know some of the new characters, Beastmaster's Quest is the best way this otherwise subpar trilogy could end: on a high note.

Final Beast Master story
Since Andre Norton died in March 2005, this has to be the final Beast Master story of 5. It does wrap up the series rather well, with Laris from Beast Master's Circus joined by the Storms & Logan Quade to find the home planet of Laris's telepathic cat Praou.
The first 2 of the series are now available in a combined reprint, that will be evident when you see it.

Beast Masters Quest
I have enjoyed Andre Norton's stories since finding my first one in my elementary schools'library nearly 40 years ago. This was tedious and difficult to maintain any interest in. I've tried to look at it as a stand alone novel; no go. It's just not a very good story. Thankfully, Ms. Norton's estate is re-releasing her original stories for fans old and new to enjoy. Track those down and read a real story tellers masterful hand. The other continuations were at least readable, but please don't waste your time and money on this one.

Very Very Disappointed
I was really looking forward to this book.As soon as it became available, I grabbed it.I have not read it all the way through, but after being a fan of Andre Norton since high school (I'm now 60)I have found it the most juvenile book I have ever read.Not up to par at all.Her co-author should go back to writing school.I will finish it, but not right now.Have to be in the mood.I really liked Beastmaster Circus and thought it would be a follow up of that book. Not.

this book is recommend to all
For those of you who might not have read the beast master series I highly recommend that you read it before this one but the entire series is great : ) ... Read more

Product Description
Mike and Susan feel a mounting sense of urgency and terror as they try to protect their younger brother who seems threatened by an invisible and powerful force in a house that has long been in their family, on which there is supposedly a curse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dolls are not all innocent
This story is not that scary, and it is more of a mystery with some supernatural things thrown in. If your looking for a fantasy then I suggest you keep on looking, this book would sadly dissapoint you. But if your ready to read any book with some supernatural stuff in it and a bit of a mystery then I would definitely recommend this book.

The characters are children, the plot centers on a curse that is told through magic of some old paper dolls. The end is a good one that finishes off the tale nicely. Middle grade kids would probably find the story enthralling, but older readers may be bored with the cliche-ness of the plot and characters. In all, a good book if you just want something different or a light read.

Fascinating reading!
This is more of a supernatural thriller than a si-fi type book...one of the few that I have read by Ms. Norton (&Miller). The story of Susan and Kuydall house is a nifty tale and well worth the read if you can find it.A novel addition to any Norton collection! ... Read more

Product Description
Four novels of rapid-fire interstellar adventure, set in a common universe, by the Grand Master of the form:

• The X Factor: Only Diskan Fentress’s mutant powers had a chance of stopping the looting of his new world.
• Voorloper: Three those survivors—an embittered wanderer, his son, and a young girl with a healing power—know they have nothing to lose and set out to find the secret of the Shadow Death that blights the planet Voor.
• The Eye of the Monster: Rees Naper had survived the onslaught of the alien Ishkurian “crocs,” but had to cover miles of jungle and pass through croc armies to reach safety. To do that, he would have to think like a croc, move like a croc . . . and see though the eye of the monster.
• The Sioux Spaceman: Kade Whitehawk chose to join the battle for Ikkinni freedom, even though that choice made him a renegade to his own people, and would almost certainly mean his death.  

Publisher’s Note: This is the first time these novels have appeared in one mass market volume.

  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Exemplars of Young Adult Science Fiction
I read these stories in the original ACE paperbacks many years ago and found them to instill the sense of wonder that was so critical to founding a lifelong interest in Science Fiction. The stories are full of optimism and focus on isolated individuals overcoming steep odds in alien settings.

Characterization and plotting are tight and riveting. Highly recommended.

Four Novels of Sweeping Vistas and Personal Journeys that Showcase this SFWA Grand Master's Exceptional Talent
In this collection of four novels set in the same universe by a SFWA Grand Master, the author repeatedly reflects on the great clash of civilizations and personal identity. In //The Sioux Spaceman//, Kade Whitehawk must bring his knowledge of plains culture into the far reaches of space to a subjugated race of aliens that need to remove their shackles. //Eye of the Monster// forces Rees Naper to run hard and fast in a race to save others from a native race of aliens suddenly turned hostile. Diskan Fentress must use his mutant powers to stop space pirates from destroying a culture they cannot understand in //The X Factor//. Voor is afflicted by a plague called the Shadow Death in //Voorloper// and it is up to three survivors to solve the crisis. In each of these narratives Norton creates grand worlds of strange delights and bizarre civilizations. At the individual level, each protagonist must work within the strangeness of the world to find who he or she is as a human. Norton makes the tales of this collection both sweepingly epic and extremely personal, providing the reader with wonderfully grand visions and significant emotional connections to people not so very different from us, even across the vastness of space and time.

Reviewed by
John Ottinger III

Good Andre Norton
I'd never read these stories before, even though I've been reading Norton's fiction since high school.I enjoyed them all, although some stories felt a little incomplete since they are some of her earlier works.I was left curious as to the big picture in one case.But over all a very pleasant read.

Minor Works By the Grand Mistress
The Game of Stars and Comets (2009) is an omnibus edition of four short SF novels, including The X Factor, Voorloper, The Eye of the Monster, and The Sioux Spaceman.These novels are set in similar universes, but at different times and locales.

Each is a standalone novel.Although The Sioux Spaceman is the last story in the book, it is actually the earliest story by the internal chronology.The other stories could have occurred at any time during the centuries of human expansion through the galaxy.

The X-Factor (1965) is probably set within the Council/Confederation sequence.The Survey Service allowed their space personnel leave to marry and to produce children.After several years, the marriage was break-bonded and the couple went their own ways.Any children from the marriage were raised in a Service creche.

In this novel, Diskan Fentress was raised in the Service creche on Nyborg.Unlike his fellows, Diskan was oversized and clumsy.Under direct or hostile supervision, he was even more clumsy.His superiors deemed him suitable only for the most degrading forms of manual labor.

Then Renfry Fentress returns from presumed death to find his son.His ship had been holed by a meteor and left drifting.Another scout from an unknown spacefaring species had rescued Renfry and took him back to Vaanchard.There he had married a Vaan woman and became stepfather of her two children, Rika and Drustans.

Since they could not have children of their own, Renfry searched for his children from previous service marriages and found Diskan.Before his long absence, Renfry had earned an impressive reputation as a First-In Scout.Obviously Diskan was not going to follow in his father's footsteps, so Renfry took him to a new home on Vaanchard.

The Vaans are a refined and sensitive culture.They do not issue rude remarks as had some of his crechemates.But they do consider him crude and inept.Diskan just doesn't fit in here anymore than he did at the creche.

One day Diskan finds himself in his father's study and decides to flee the planet.He takes a trip tape from a rack and heads for the spaceport.There he steals a smaller ship, inserts the tape, and goes into stasis for the remainder of the trip.However, the ship awakens him for an emergency landing.

Voorloper (1980) is set in the Forerunner sequence.It takes place on Voor, an agricultural world with a history of mysterious deaths.After fifty years of settlement, a hamlet in the north was wiped out by something since called Shadows.A couple of years later, another town was attacked.Then people in other villages disappeared until all northern hamlets were abandoned and everyone moved south.

Only a very few survived the malicious incursions.In one town, only a five year old boy remained alive, but without any memories of his past.In another town, a four year old girl, two infants and a brain damaged women survived the mysterious attack.No other survivors were ever found.

The Tangle covers a large area of Voor's northern plain.It consists of intertwined vegetation with large thorns and deadly properties.It acts as a natural distort, blanking radio and even vision.Aircraft that fly too low above it are brought down into the greenery and seldom recovered.Even blasters are useless against the vegetation.

In this novel, Bart s'Lorn was the only survivor of Mungo Town.His father -- Mac Turley s'Ban -- was away from the hamlet at the time of the attack, but his mother was among the victims.Bart has been traveling as a voorloper every since his father came and recovered him.His earliest memory is of riding a gar with his father striding beside him.

Illo is a survivor of the Shadow attack on Voor's Grove.She is even younger than Bart, but is a trained healer.She asks Bart's father for passage to the north and is given permission to accompany them.

Mac s'Ban has been scouting the stricken towns in the north for many years.In the first two or three excursions, he wore a Survey exosuit to protect himself from any noxious substances or lifeforms.Later, he rummaged through the ruins in his normal clothes.Yet he never let Bart go with him into the deserted towns.

Then a great storm strikes while they are far into the grassy plains.They free the gars and barricade themselves within the wagon.But the storm pushes the wagon across the plains and finally down into a gully.

Eye of the Monster (1962) is set in the Solar Queen sequence, but further in the future.The Council of the South Sector Empire has decided to let the natives govern their own planet and have withdrawn their military forces.The offworlders have been warned that they will be on their own after the Patrol leaves.

In this novel, Rees Naper is an orphan whose closest relative is his uncle, Milo Naper.Rees was a Survey brat and had been attending the Survey Academy when his father failed to return from a mission.Since his mother had already passed, Milo took Rees out of the Academy and brought him to Ishkur.

Dr. Milo Naper is a missionary to the Ishkurians. He has very different opinions about the Ishkurians than his nephew.In fact, they disagree about almost everything, particularly about the use of military force.Despite their disagreements, Milo has custody of Rees and refuses to let him return to the Academy.

Gordy Beltz is the young son of two missionaries.He has known no other home than the Ishkurian jungles.Sometimes he tags along with Rees on normal tasks around the mission.

Zannah is a Salarika cubling and is probably younger than Gordy.Rees finds her in a pit trap and rescues her.But the trap was poisoned with ka thorns and he goes to the mission office to get the only known antidote.

Isiga is second-companion to Lord Sakfor.She has been living at the Salarikan trade compound, but comes looking for Zannah.Her meeting with Rees at the mission is more than a little painful.

Then the Ishkurians -- Crocs -- start killing off all the offworlders within reach.They hit the mission first and then the Salarikan compound.Rees and Gordy now have no living kin on the planet and Isiga and Zannah are the only surviving Salarikans.

Rees has some small knowledge -- practically none -- in xenopsychology.His father's notes suggest that he try to "think like a spider".He knows a little about the reptilian natives, but nobody really knows how they think.Nonetheless, he uses what little he knows to anticipate the moves of the Crocs.

The Sioux Spaceman (1960) is set at a time when the Terran League first reached the stars.They found the Styor Empire occupying the most desirable planets.The Empire was old and beginning to crack, but was still capable of defeating an upstart newcomer.The League dealt with the Empire mostly through the Outworld Trade Service.

In this novel, Kade Whitehawk is a Lakota Sioux in the Outworld Trade Service.On his first post, Kade had taught a Styor lordling a painful lesson.Now he has been pulled off that assignment and shipped back to Lodi for disciplinary action.Yet he is being placed in an emergency reassignment to a Mixed Team on Klor.Kade is confused, for Mixed Team positions are supposed to be rewards, not punishment details.

Enroute to Klor, Kade learns as much as he can about his new assignment.He learns that Klor has three continents, two in the western hemisphere and the third in the east.This eastern continent is hook-shaped and stretches across the equator.A chain of mountains and foothills runs diagonally across this continent, but most of the land consists of grassy plains.

This third continent is the most important to the Trade Service. The Terran Trading Post is located in a level space among the mountains, equidistant from the Styor administrative center, Cor, and a giant smelter-producer complex.The rest of the continent is covered by the individual holdings of the lords.

The Trading Post is mostly interested in the furs of giant bat-like creatures.These flyers are trapped by teams of the native Ikkinni hired from various lords.These Ikkinni are slaves captured from the wild natives lurking among the peaks.

The Ikkinni are tall, but very slender, and are covered with fine, long black hair.Their wide mouths contain the sharp teeth of a carnivore.Around their necks are the collars that enslave them.

Strangely enough, his predecessor, Jon Steel, was also a Lakota.According to his briefing, Steel had been "lost by an act of violence", which meant neither death by the Styor nor death by accident.Kade is very interested in discovering exactly how Steel had died.

On Klor, Kade busies himself catching up with more current records and correspondence.He finds an interesting analysis of the native grass, comparing it with the grama grass of his native plains.He also finds himself in charge of a Terran bear destined as a gift to High-Lord Pac.

Kade becomes interested in Dokital, one of the native slaves permanently assigned to the Trading Post.The slaves on the post are owned by a Styor lord, but are overseen by a half-breed Overman named Buk.None of the slaves will have anything to do with the bear, but Kade tries to get Dokital used to the animal.

Kade presents the bear to High-Lord Pac and entices him with visions of riding horses.Since Klor has no domestic animals, Pac is definitely interested in a creature that responds to his commands.Kade orders a stallion and four mares from the nearest outpost.

Unlike many other novels by this author, none of these stories feature telepathy or other psionic powers.However, these stories do reflect other aspects of such works, including solving problems and taking responsibility for others.

Recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of alien planets, exotic societies, and high adventure.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Product Description
Andre Norton enthralled readers for decades with thrilling tales of people challenged to the limits of their endurance in epic battles of good against evil. None are more memorable than her Witch World novels.

Far from the besieged home of Simon and Jaelithe, in peaceful Norsdale, we meet Gillan, who longs to leave her dull life in a secluded country abbey. But when her wish comes true, she finds more than a little adventure. As she ventures out, not only is her life in danger, but also the power that lies within her, waiting to be discovered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A vivid science fiction audio, perfect for any lending library
Andre Norton's YEAR OF THE UNICORN enjoys a fine spirited performance by Kate Rudd as it pairs a coming-of-age story with a romance set in Andre Norton's Witch World. Gillian longs to leave her dull country life, but her desire for adventure brings her on a dangerous journey in this vivid science fiction audio, perfect for any lending library.

Witch World #3
Year of the Unicorn
(1965)
W
This is the third fantasy novel in the Witch World series, following[ASIN:B0027BETNE Witch World]],Web of the Witch Worldand The Year of the Unicorn It might be the very best of all the Witch World books. It introduces a young woman, Gillan, who undertakes a dangerous journey into a mysterious wasteland as one of thirteen brides who have been offered to the perilous Were-riders, mystical warriors who have helped High Hallack to defeat Alizon's technological armies.
________________________________________
Andre Norton
1912-2005
When Irene Harrison interviewed Andre at the World Fantasy Con in 1992, she asked Andre what she most hoped to achieve with her career.
"I just don't want to be forgotten," Andre replied graciously and humbly.

Dear, sweet lady. We will NEVER forget Andre Norton.

The next book in this series is Three Against the Witch World (Witch World #4)

I highly recommend this bookfor fans of Andre Norton, and of Fantasy.

GunnerOctober, 2,010

Nice to see Norton's books out on audio.
I enjoyed listening to this audio edition of one of my favorite Norton Witch World books. Kate Rudd has a pleasant voice and does a fine job of reading it. I've read it myself many times but there is something very soothing about listening to someone else read aloud. There are enough reviews here explaining what the book is about so I won't bother with that. My only complaint is the cover.....it looks like something from a romance novel (and I am not dissing romance novels.) The story does have a bit of romance between the leads, but not in the usual sense. I always liked the Witch World books when I was growing up because the male and female leads worked together as a team of equals and back in the time period when these came out that was something seldom seen.

Bound To a Were Rider
Year of the Unicorn (1965) is the third fantasy novel in the Witch World series, following Web of the Witch World.In the previous volume, Simon and Loyse slipped through the Kolder Gate to the other side.There they discovered the remnants of the Kolder rear guard.

These other Kolder crossed through the gate to the Witch World and laid siege to the outpost.Simon and Jaelithe entered the mind of a Kolder and forced him to open the defenses.The other Kolder rampaged through the outpost and then turned against the Estcarp forces.

In this novel, Gillan is an orphan freed from the Alizon Hounds.Some think that she is an Estcarp witch child.She has been living in the Norstead Abbey in the Dales for over a decade.

Lord Imgry is a power among the highborn of High Hallack.He is also the guardian of Lady Marimme.

Herrel is a Were Rider from the Wastes.He and his Pack have fought for the Hallack forces until the Hounds were defeated.Herrel shapechanges to a great cat.

Halse is also a Were Rider.He considers himself to be one of the strongest of the Pack.Halse shapechanges to a bear.

Hyron is Captain of the Were Riders.He shapechanges to a stallion.

In this story, the Great Compact with the Were Riders -- sorcerers and shapechanges -- calls for twelve and one brides in exchange for their services.Now the war with the Alizon Hounds is over and twelve brides are selected.The brides are brought to Norstead Abbey on their way to the Were Riders.

Gillan is approached by Lady Sussia and told about the fears of Lady Marimme.When Lord Imgry informs Marimme that she will be the last bride, she has hysterics.Gillan administers a herbal infusion that will calm her and put her to sleep.

When the brides leave the Abbey, Gillan goes with them as Lady Marimme.Later, Imgry discovers the imposture and threatens her.Yet she counters with the need for the party to meet the Were Riders in the Throat of the Hawk at the agreed time.

When Imgry turns the brides over to the Were Riders, Gillan finds herself seeing double.Sometimes the camp ground seems rich and luxurious, but other times she sees it as a wasteland in winter.Then the brides are sent out to select their husbands.

The cloaks spread on the ground seem elegant, but Gillan also sees them as rather plain and marked with runes.She is attracted to one tucked away in a corner and takes it.Thus she chooses Herrel as her husband.

Herrel comes to meet her and asks what she sees.When she describes the real appearance of the cloak and himself, he tells her to try to see the illusion instead.The Riders would be angry if they discover that she is witch born.

Halse is angry because his cloak was not selected, yet the weakest of the Riders -- Herrel -- was successful.He also comes to meet her and hints at his anger.Gillan decides that he will be a danger to Herrel and herself.

Later, they do have trouble with Halse, but there is no evidence to present to Hyron and the other Riders.Someone ties a hinder cord to Herrel's horse. This causes Herrel and Gillan to drop back behind the others and exposes them to Alizon Hound stragglers.

This tale leads Gillan into a protected land within the Wastes.She is left behind by the Riders and has to enter Arvon by another way.She gradually learns to use some of her talents to see through illusions and to protect herself.

This novel introduces another part of the Witch World.The next volume -- Three Against the Witch World -- returns to the land of Estcarp.Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of simple magics, armed conflict, and a bit of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

year of the unicorn
Each of Nortons Witch World books has been better than the previous one. Unusual for a series.
... Read more

Product Description
The works of Andre Alice North in one collection with active table of contents.

Works include:

All Cats Are Gray
The Defiant Agents
The Gifts of Asti
Key Out of Time
Plague Ship
Ralestone Luck
Rebel Spurs
Ride Proud, Rebel!
Star Born
Star Hunter
Storm Over Warlock
The Time Traders
Voodoo Planet
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great value, but...
This has many of Andre Norton's books for a very low price, but I found it disappointing that the books were in no order, and that books 1, 3, and 4 of the Time Trader series were included, but not book 2, Galactic Derelict.

Wonderful To Read It Again
I was thrilled with this collection of Andre Norton.Not only was it most of my favorites in one book, but it is also easy to navigate from the TOC.Good reading. ... Read more

Product Description
On the far off jungle world of Janus, Naill Renfro hopes to work off his debits and begin his life again. By Naill inexplicably begins to remember another life, in another time - a time when he was not human, but something else: a native of this world, in the days before its civilization fell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Norton sci-fi
This is part of a trilogy of books. A well written supenseful selcetion that can be read alone or as a group. Better as a trilogy. For Norton fans as well as not well worth the purchase.

Janus by Andre Norton
One of the earliest novels I can remember reading was DAYBREAK: 2250 AD (aka STARMAN'S SON) by Andre Norton. Like most science fiction readers of my generation, I went through an Andre Norton period.She was writing young adult fiction before the term was created.I was both curious and apprehensive when Baen announced that they would be re-issuing those books of hers that had been out of print.This volume reprints two of her novels, JUDGMENT ON JANUS (1963) and its sequel VICTORY ON JANUS (1966).I was hopeful that, but also nervous whether, her books would hold up after all these years.
The main character is Naill Renfro.The son of a space merchant family, he is living in a refugee camp called the Dipple on the planet Korwar at the beginning of the book.An interstellar war has killed his father and destroyed his family's spaceship.To buy drugs for his dying mother, Naill sells himself into slavery. Then he is shipped to the planet Janus.Naill has no idea how long the voyage was, because he was under suspended animation the entire time.
Janus is a planet fit for human habitation that consists of large continents covered by forests and separated by small seas.A religious sect called the Sky Lovers settled on Janus 20 years previously, and its members have been clearing the forests to build farms.Naill is bought by Callu Kosburg, one of these settlers.
The main female character is Ashla Himmer, one of the daughters of one of the other settlers.Naill and Ashla each discover an alien artifact, but contract an illness called the Green Sick.They survive, but they find they are no longer human.This is when their adventures really begin.
To my surprise, no romance ever developed between Naill and Ashla, and there was absolutely no sex of any kind in the book.Nor was there any gratuitous violence, which is not to say there is no action.Far from it.However, the protagonists are running away from their enemies as often as they face them.Furthermore, the resolutions of both novels require the characters to solve puzzles instead of killing or destroying something.
"Janus" refers to the Roman god who looks both forwards and backwards.After Naill and Ashla are transformed, they both find they have two sets of memories.In addition to their human ones, they also remember living as members of an intelligent, but extinct, species native to Janus.
As you would expect with forty year old science fiction, some of the science is out of date.For instance, Norton concept of a computer is one that uses vacuum tubes and requires maintenance shafts and crawlspaces.However, if obsolete science makes a story unreadable, it was probably not worth reading in the first place.This is not the case here.
I am glad to say that I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.The story kept me thoroughly engaged, and I found the characters interesting.I don't recall reading the novels when they first came out, but I'm glad I didn't have to wait three years between the original and the sequel.

Reviewed by Tom Feller for The Coffee Cramp Reviews

Thanks to Baen for Reprinting These Books
Judgement on Janus and Victory on Janus were first published in 1963 and 1966 repsectively.They are here published in one volume for the first time.

Naill Renfro is an inhabitant of the vast refugee camp/slum called the Dipple that developed on the pleasure planet of Kowar after the late war. It has become the source of cheap, desperate labor for the rest of the universe. Renfro was the son of a Free Trader who died with his ship during a fire fight.Ejected with his mother in a lifeboat they came to the Dipple as refugees, but even with the war ended they have no hope of escape.

His mother dying, Naill sells his body as contract labor on an agricultural planet known as Janus to buy her some peace at the end. Naill is shipped in cold sleep to the planet where his contract is purchased by one of the settlers, a member of a dour religious group who are tearing up the great forest of Janus in order to plant their cash crop.Again it seems Naill is in a trap with no means of escape.

Before saving the rain forest became fashionable, Norton wrote about the consequences of losing contact with nature.In this story there are forces on the planet that are trying to reestablish relationships between the Terrans and the planet by changing the Terrans as the Terrans try to change the planet to meet their needs.

This is prime Norton fiction and very entertaining. ... Read more

Product Description
Rahotep is more than a simple captain of the Nubian Desert Scouts-he is heir to the Nome of the Striking Hawk, which, with all of Egypt, has been under the harsh rule of the Hyksos. Accused of a crime ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Satisfied customer
I was happy with the book I received and very satisfied with the service I received.

Ten year old boy
This book was about a solder called Rahotep.He was an Egyptian officer that fought against the Hyskos.The Hyksos were a strong people who tried to conquer Egypt and they succeeded.Rahotep was trying to drive them out.In the end he succeeded using his archers to fire upon their horses.The Hyksos had chariots.The Egyptians wanted to make chariots but they didn't have horses which pulled the chariots into battle.They decided to steal the horses.Since they had to shoot the horses, they failed in the last two chapters.I found the book to be a little complicated to understand, especially the soldier's names.I also found that this book had many cool battles, especially the last one.Reading this book could thrill you or bore you depending upon the kind of person you are.If you like battles you will like this book fine but if you don't then don't read it.

Shadow Hawk
The book is about a young officer/archer in th Egyptian military.It takes place sometime in ancient times.He is the son of a noblemen.Many things happen to him and those he commands.
I thought this book was very good.It was exciting and entertaining.From the very beginning it captures your attention.There really wasn't much bad with the book except some confusing names.
I would like to recommend this book to anyone that likes war books because it has exciting battles and that sort of thing.

A Great book
Andre Norton's Shadow Hawk is about the invasion and occupation of ancient Egypt by the Hyksos, a nomadic Asian tribe, which ruled until all vestiges of their reign was permanently obliterated by the victorious Egyptians.It's the story of the Nubian Archers, and their leader, an Egyptian princeknown as the Shadow Hawk. He leads the loyal Egyptians in a rebellionagainst the invaders. Want to find something from that era? Sorry, youcan't. No records from that time exist.

An adventure in ancient Egypt.
Thoughshe is most noted for her science-fiction/fantasy books such as the Wich World series, SHADOW HAWK by Andre Norton is a work of historical fiction based on actual events which occurred in ancient Egypt. The story concerns the captain Rahotep, son of the viceroy of the pharaoh and heir to the nomarchy of the Hawk Nome in the southern provinces.The story takes place during the Hyksos occupation, thus Rahotep is given the nickname Shadow Hawk, as his nome is a shadow of its former being. Rahotep intercepts a message from the pharaoh Sekenenre in Thebes to the north, a plea for military assistance to once again unite the Two Lands.Rahotep, along with the commander Methen, faithful friend Kheti, and 10 Nubian archers, travel north to serve their pharaoh.When they arrive, the group is assigned to the eldest prince Kamose.Rahotep and company prove their worth on a raid with Kamose's younger brother Ahmose and are assigned to the personal guard of pharaoh himself.While serving this honorable but unexciting duty, Rahotep is framed as perpetrator in an attempt of pharaoh's life.He is arrested and severely punished but, with the aid of his friends, manages to escape.After proving his loyalty to the crown, he is taken in by Kamose, now pharaoh following the death of his father by the hands of scheming countrymen.Kamose, Ahmose, and Rahotep then plot to overthrow the Hyksos outpost Neferusi.The last part of the book concerns the attempt to capture the town, an event that would mark a turning point in the battle with the invading Hyksos to bring about a reversal of Egypt's fortunes. The book is basically an adventure story set in ancient Egypt.Norton has done her homework as the details smack of authenticity.The larger events outlined in the book actually took place.Kamose and his "troops of Medja-Nubians" (according to his stela) fell upon the nest of Asiatics at Nefrusy (just north of Khmun, the modern-day Ashmunein), his "brave army in front of me like a breath of fire . . .I overthrew him, I razed his wall, I slew his people . . ."Nefrusy was at the southern limit of the influence of Apophis, just north of the kingdom of Kamose in the area of Beni Hasan.Thus was the tide turned and Kamose and his brother Ahmose restored the glory of Egypt ... Read more

Product Description
Star Hunter is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Andre Norton is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Andre Norton then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Typical Norton novel - quick and entertaining
Ras Hume is an Out-Hunter on Nahautl, and agrees to participate in a conspiracy. He conspires with the Nahautl Veep to produce an heir to a rich estate. The heir, last seen as a boy of fourteen, was thought lost on the planet Jumala after his craft crashed there. There were no known survivors, and the craft was lost - until now. Hume has discovered its location, and wants to plant an impostor on Jumala. The impostor will be the lost boy, Rynch Brodie, who is now a young man. He will be planted near the craft. Hume will then escort a group of planet-hunting tourists there, who will "discover" the missing boy. Hume and the Veep will likely enjoy a large reward after the discovery.

Preparation begins to find a suitable impostor. Vye Lansor is that man. He awakens mysteriously one day on Jumala, with the memories of Brodie. But something is wrong... Lansor's mind alteration was not complete, and he realizes he may not be Brodie. His journey of discovery and his efforts to survive on Jumala create a fun adventure, which is an easy and quick read.

wonderful read
We love Andre Norton books!!!!! This is another fine example of her wonderful writing skill!!! A "must have" in anyone's collection of good books to keep!!! Can not go wrong with this book!!

A fun adventure story
This very short novella was previously published along with "Voodoo Planet" as "The Space Adventure Novels of Andre Norton." It takes place in Andre Norton's Forerunner universe. As humans explore the far reaches of the galaxy, they keep finding the ruins of highly advanced alien civilizations that have vanished. Some planets have not been well explored, some have been colonized, and some are home to aliens. (Click on my name to see the list of about 40 books in this universe.)

"Star Hunter" is a typical Andre Norton buddy story about two characters who don't like each other very well. In fact, one of them has had the other brainwashed, to be passed off as the heir to a fortune .. and to be used as someone's puppet. They end up trekking on foot across an unexplored planet, pursued by bizarre creatures, trying to figure out a mysterious alien device that has entrapped and killed all the humans who have come before. The relationship that develops between these two characters is the strong suit of this tale. If you're a fan of Andre Norton, you will probably enjoy it. I give "Star Hunter" four stars because it's entertaining but very much like many others by this author. ... Read more

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Under desperate circumstances, a beautiful young woman must team up with a star traveler in order to find the key to the start of civilization so that the future might be saved. Reissue." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Simsa searches for her true origin
Other Andre Norton books which include her Forerunner theme are "Sargasso of Space" (1955), "Exiles of the Stars" (1971), "Forerunner Foray" (1973), "Moon Called" (1982), and "Forerunner: The Second Venture" (1985).In most of these SF novels, Norton describes the ancient Forerunner ruins as vast, underground high technology installations where ordinary human beings can be driven crazy just by the odd angles to the walls, the mazes and tunnels where they're always getting lost, or by the harmful emanations from the ancient and only partly understood machines.

In "Forerunner" (1981) and its sequel, "Forerunner: The Second Venture" (1985), author Norton veers off the super technology highway and onto the mythical road of nature/nurture goddesses.All of a sudden, Forerunners (at least one of them) bear a strong resemblance to Ceres, Persephone, and (if you follow the Witch World novels) Gunnora.In Andre Norton's universe, there was more than one race that preceded humans into space.I just wish that she had differentiated between the technology-based Forerunner civilizations, and the Forerunner civilization that is explicated in this novel, which seems very anti-technology.

"Forerunner" begins in the ancient port of Kuxortal, which has built and rebuilt itself upon the ruins of ancient and decayed civilizations.The lowly Burrow-dwellers sometimes discover artifacts from the past as they tunnel beneath the current city's towers.

Simsa had been a runner and fetcher for an old Burrow-dweller, "until the mists of the riverside burrow bit so far into Old One's crippled bones that her body at last gave up..."She buries her mentor, who had probably rescued Simsa off of a garbage heap as an infant.The old cripple never revealed Simsa's origin to her, but it was obvious that the girl was different from any of the other Burrow-dwellers.Simsa tries to hide her differences--her platinum hair combined with blue-black skin, but she must flee from her only known home when scavengers attempt to loot the treasures that Simsa's ancient mentor had purportedly hidden there.The scavengers also consider Simsa part of the loot, but she fights her way free with the assistance of her retractable claws and her pet zorsal.

Zorsals are one of the best features of this book.They are cute, bat-like creatures with four paws and feathery antennae.Simsa is able to communicate with them on a very primitive thought-band, and they play an integral role in her adventure.

Now that Simsa has been driven from Ferwar's burrow, she attempts to sell her mentor's treasured artifacts to an off-world man who has come to Kuxortal in search of his missing brother.He in turn persuades her to accompany him to the deadly Hard Hills where his historian-brother was last seen.

After a long, difficult journey through the desert, where Simsa and her zorsals almost perish, she and Thom, the outworlder reach the Hard Hills and discover an ancient, alien city.It is here that Simsa learns of her true origin.

There are nice Norton touches in "Forerunner:" the zorsals; the underground healing pool; Simsa's hard and dangerous life in the Burrows; her difficult journey through the desert with Thom.However, the plot is muddied up with too many villains--greedy Guild Lords and skyjackers ('jacks' in Norton's terminology), and too many variations on the nature of the Forerunners.

I also preferred the Simsa at the book's beginning to the Simsa at the end.

However, the zorsals were wonderful throughout.

Note:"Forerunner: the Defender" has the same publication date (1981) as this novel, and I'm betting it's the same story under two different titles.

search for a missing archeologist on a Guild-dominated world
Don't confuse this book with _Forerunner Foray_ (public libraries sometimes mix them up). They're not part of the same series, in that they don't deal with the same characters or locales - just the same universe.

"Forerunner", in this setting, is a term used to refer to ancient artifacts of extinct species ('ancient' can be millions, or billions, of years). Forerunner artifacts may be gemstones, tumbled ruins - or massive automated installations, no telling, since there's no one 'Forerunner' civilization; it's just a catch-all term indicating both great age and alien culture. In this universe, archeologists compete not only with legitimate government agencies over custody of their finds, but with the Guild, that shadowy, loose organization of the Galaxy's criminals.

On the backwater, low-tech world where this story begins (if one can speak of real beginnings where roots run so deep), Kuxortal, favored by its location, draws not only on the sea trade and the trade of the continent drained by the river Kux, but the ships of the offworlders. While Kuxortal doesn't offer goods to attract the great combines who take the cream of interstellar trade, that in itself appeals to other elements - ships run by men who want a port where they can warehouse and exchange goods without awkward formalities like customs inspectors (as long as they pay due respect, and other proper dues, to the Guild Lords who run the city).

But the Guild Lords' palaces in the high reaches of Kuxortal are not the whole city - a city so old that its origins are lost in time, where any space vacated by the collapse or destruction of a building is speedily filled again, gradually raising the city ever higher above the river and the shore. In the depths, lie the Burrows - the basements, tunnels, and so on left by long built-over ruins, occupied by the lowest rung of the city's social ladder, scavengers who can only trade their pickings at the humblest of markets, who compete fiercely for any hope of a better life.

Odd things turn up in the burrows: lore that would surprise the lords, artifacts, and people - people sometimes resulting from such a mix of races that it seems that new species might almost be born from this cauldron - or even old ones from embers of an age long past. One such oddity is the foundling Simsa, of unknown parentage - whose startling silver-white hair is usually covered or darkened to match her blue-black skin, with weapons never seen until it's too late. (The edition illustrated by Barbi Johnson captures her appearance quite faithfully.)

So it is that after the death of her mentor Ferwar - the old crone who was both respected and feared as one who dealt in cures and old artifacts, with a fearsome command of curses - Simsa acts not just defend her place among the Burrowers, but to try to finagle her way into the upper city (or at least into a better grade of slum). The choicest of the artifacts left by Ferwar may, if traded to some offworlder, finance the venture.
Unfortunately, the man who stops to bargain with her isn't an ordinary crewman, but a scholar seeking not only Forerunner traces, but his brother, who vanished here seeking the same thing. Simsa, like everyone else, remembers the mad outlander who spat in the face of luck by venturing out into the desert.

Alas, even streetwise Simsa can't distance herself from Thom fast enough to escape the attention of the Guild Lords - those canny men who either wouldn't believe such a tall tale (and thus use 'interrogation' to find the real story) or who would seize any treasure for themselves and remove the witnesses. Like it or not, joining Thom in his search looks like the only way out...

Good old Andre Norton...
I first read this book when I was in my early teens and would read virtually anything with a "sci-fi" or "fantasy" prefix. I became far pickier now :) Forerunner is set in one of two main worlds ofNorton's, the same one where the Solar Queen traces the sky and It (or EEt,not sure of english spelling :) ) roams the uncharted stars. Like most ofAndre's stories, this one is character driven, other things beingsecondary, while still masterfully executed. It is not too exciting, but Iwill recommend it to any Sci Fi or Norton fan, along woth many of herearlier books. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Red Hart Magic
This book gives insight into the history of England during one of its turblent periods.It also gives a clear look at the problems facing children in new and strange circumstances.It is great reading for early teens.

strong fantasy wrapped inside a poignant family drama
Chris Fitton's father and Nan Mallory's mother marry leaving their stunned twelve year old offspring to stay with Aunt Elizabeth for six months while their parents gallivant in Mexico.Both children are used to living with someone else; whereas Chris stayed at boarding schools, Nan was raised by her grandma, who has moved into a senior citizen's community in which children can visit for short times, but cannot stay.At a nearby store, Chris finds the model of the Red Hart Inn.At night while asleep and dreaming, Chris and Nan believe they have traveled to the real Red Hart.

"The King's Hunters".During the rule of King James, Chris and Nan try to save the innkeeper accused of being a priest who if true illegally owns the Red Hart Inn which is punishable by death.

"The Gentlemen".The smugglers seek the wounded excise officer in order to kill him before he can identify them to authorities; he hides in the Red Hart Inn where Chris and Nan try to keep him safe.

"Hue and Cry".When the fire burned down Squire Mallory's barn, Chris is accused of committing the arson that almost killed several people.Bow Street runner Harry Hawkins, a friend of the family, tries to prove the lad is innocent before an angry mob takes justice into its own hands.

This reprint of a 1970s young adult tale is character driven as in between their adventures; Nan and Chris have problems at home and at school. They feel like they do not belong anywhere and reject being step-siblings.The most popular girl in class wants Nan as a friend, but at an exorbitant cost; the most popular boy in the school picks on Chris.However, their time travel "dreams" that they have shared provide confidence for both to seek the right thing.Thus the great Andre Norton provides the audience with a strong fantasy wrapped inside a poignant family drama.

Harriet Klausner

Abrupt
It's an interesting story but the ending is abrupt. It's as if Andre Norton got bored writing it and decided to stop. No explanation is given for what happened to the two protagonists. Nor is any explanation given as to if the strange things will continue or if they have stopped.

Some fascinating glimpses of the past.
Chris Fitton's father and Nan Mallory's mother recently married, but this isn't the Brady Bunch by a long way. Chris has spent his life in one boarding school after another, while Nan's grandmother raised her during her mother's long assignments overseas as a photographer. Even now, Chris and Nan are living with Chris' aunt Elizabeth; their parents just got married and promptly took off for a 6 month assignment in Mexico. Neither kid has seen them since before they announced the wedding.

For years, Chris' father has given him money to buy presents, since he's never with his son much himself to get to know what he'd like. When aunt Elizabeth drops Chris and Nan off at a movie soon after Nan's arrival, Chris opts to shop for a present instead. In a strange store he's never been to before, he finds a very old model inn, bearing the sign of a red hart (i.e., a male red deer).

Chris and Nan soon discover that the Red Hart carries some kind of magic; in their dreams, they find themselves in the real Red Hart, an English inn, in various periods of the past.

"The King's Hunters", in King James' reign, finds the two of them thwarting a Pursuivant who attempts to prove that the inn's owner is secretly a Catholic priest (a capital offense in that place and time). Catherine Aird's mystery _A Most Contagious Game_ would be a good read for anyone who's interested in how priests managed to survive and the tricks used to build hiding places for them.

In "The Gentlemen", a wounded Excise officer is being sheltered from local smugglers in the inn. This story makes a sharp, interesting contrast to Vic Crume's _Dr. Syn Alias the Scarecrow_, a terrific book that's also a movie by Disney with Patrick McGoohan (the hardest Disney classic to find on video as of this writing, may I add). The chief of the smugglers in "The Gentlemen" is as anonymous as the masked Scarecrow - 'he could be any man in the village, leaving out the parson and the squire.' (If you've read or seen the Scarecrow's story, you'll get the joke.)

In "Hue and Cry", Chris is falsely accused of setting fire to Squire Mallory's barn, a blaze that could have killed several men. Harry Hawkins, a friend of his father's days in Wellington's army, one of the Bow Street runners, is called in by Ira Fitton to uncover the truth. (This is *long* before the runners evolved into the Bow Street Station of Anne Perry's Thomas Pitt.)

In the present, the kids have their own troubles, apart from getting along with each other. Nan is 'befriended' by the most popular girl in class - only to find that the price of entry into her circle is too high. Chris, on the other hand, is the favorite target of the most popular kid in *his* school - the bully who's captain of the soccer team. The lessons they learn in the past stand them in good stead. ... Read more

Product Description
Left homeless by the war that reduced Terra to a radioactive cinder, Hosteen Storm – Navaho commando and master of beasts – is drawn to the planet Arzor, to kill a man he has never met.

On that dangerous frontier world, aliens and human colonists share the land in an uneasy truce. But something is upsetting the balance, and Storm is caught in the middle. He had thought the war was over – but was it?

“Miss Norton endows this story of a homeless, revenge-driven man with her own inimitable touch. The result is a compelling and compassionate tale.” – The New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Yawn.
Storm is a Beast Master; he can communicate by touch and telepathy with his eagle, meercats, and dune cat. He has been orphaned, now that his home planet is a mere cinder in space. So, he goes to Arzor, seeking revenge. This is a sincerely boring book. The plot meanders all over the place like a lazy stream. Character development is poor.Frankly, I didn't care whether Storm was able to exact revenge or not. I was more interested in his meercat than him. Good thing it was a short book; it didn't take me too long to blaze through it.

Super Reader
Hosteen Storm is an ex-soldier. After a war with aliens is over, the human soldiers are resettled on other planets, as Earth has been rendered uninhabitable. He chooses a home that should suit his preference for an outdoor lifestyle, and has brought his animal battle team with him. This includes an eagle, two meerkats, and a big cat. He takes a job that uses his animal control talents, and hence adds a horse to his group of friends.

He does have another motive, tracking down an enemy named Quade.

However, he ends up working with Quade, and makes an amazing alien discovery. His war is not over yet.

Great read.
I recently read this book. I couldn't put it down. I found that I had to keep reading to find out what happened next.

A VERY SOLID BIT OF WRITING AND A CLASSIC
I first read this one well over 40 years ago and am not ashamed to admit that I reread it every few years. It has a Strong story, strong characters and is simply well written.Warning:This is not the story found in the awful movies and TV series of recent years.Yes, the films do have animals, but that is about as close as they get.This is a good, clean read for any one of any age, told my a master story teller.There were a group of writers that came out of the late 50s and early 60s who all turned out work of this calibre, and Norton was one of them.Anyone interested in the evolution of SiFi (Fantasy?) writing needs to give this work a close look.So much of what has been turned out over the past 20 years has been directly influenced by this and the other works of it's ilk.Recommend this one highly and recommend you purchase it and add it to your collection.

Great tale of coming to terms with one's past
In _Beast Master_ Norton gave us a really good coming of age tale.Hosteen Storm was a beast master in the now-defunct Patrol.The military (and the need for his talents) was reduced after their defeat of the Xiks, which came only after those aliens had destroyed Terra.All Terrans are being repatriated to other human colonies, including Arzor where Storm has arrived.With him he has brought his Team, a Dune Cat, an African Eagle, and two Meercats.These are creatures developed and trained to work in concert with the telepathic beast masters.The eagle is the scout from the air, the meercats the saboteurs, and the cat provides muscle and cunning on the ground.

Storm has come for two reasons, to settle snd find a home, and to fulfill a vow made to his Grandfather for revenge.He has sworn to kill a man named Quade, for what Quade did to Storm's family.Storm meets with Quade before he is ready, and pretends not to possess the knowledge of his Navajo heritage.He ends up working with Quade to find that man's son, encountering a umber of natives ("Norbies"), with whom communication consists of sign language due to differing vocal abilities.

Storm signs on to help herd horses, then makes his way to the wilderness with some Norbies in tow.Exploration leads to danger, as they encounter remnants of an ancient civilzation that had lived upon Arzor.They also encounter violence, from Norbie-hating humans and some aliens who should not be there.It falls to the Beast Master team to oppose these foes.

Norton does a good job of presenting mood, exposition, and character development.The resolution is somewhat abrupt, leaving the reader wanting more.Eventually more was presented in _Lord of Thunder_.With new books coming out recently from Norton about the Beast Master, after a 40 year hiatus, I felt a review of the old ones was in order.They are both enjoyable reads. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Disturbing! A sordid tale of voodoo, bordellos, and blackmail
PARENTAL ADVISORY: This novel contains material that is not appropriate for small kids. It might be a good cautionary tale for young adults, though.

Wow, this is an intense book, not at all what I expected from the cover art. It's much more dark and gritty than most of this author's other novels. The "Dark Shadows" television series seems to have been the inspiration for this creepy Victorian adventure.

The story begins with a slow, gradual unfolding of plot and character, and then about halfway through, the action kicks in and doesn't stop until the end. The author goes to some length to describe life during the late 1800s, with particular attention to the rigid restrictions placed on women of good reputation. This is contrasted with the utter degradation of women in the bordellos of San Francisco's red light district.

Although the story is powerfully written, I give it four stars because the heroine kind of wimps out in the end. She is an admirable and sympathetic character, though. And she is pitted against villains who are so despicable, the reader pretty much wants them to die a terrible death. If you're a fan of Andre Norton, you'll probably enjoy this book. To see a list of other mysteries by this author, click on my name.


(SPOILERS - PLOT SUMMARY)
*
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Although Tamaris comes from a good family, circumstances have forced her to support herself by teaching at a proper ladies' school in the eastern United States. At age 24, she is beginning to worry that her future will be bleak if she doesn't find a husband. When she is offered a chance to travel to San Francisco as companion to a troubled teenage girl, she decides to take the risk and see where it will lead her. Little does she know that her carefully ordered life is about to be turned upside down, and she will be caught up in a nightmare of bordellos, abductions, satanic occult rituals, nudity, and violence.

The story describes the seamy underside of Victorian society, and it is ugly! That's the point of the title: everything is ostentatious (velvet chairs, velvet curtains, expensive furnishings everywhere), but Tamaris is surrounded by people who lack good taste and a sense of propriety. Worse yet, some of them have concocted an evil plot against her. Will she be able to extricate herself before it's too late?

Wonderful combo of gothic and post gold rush California
Told in traditional gothic's heroine's first person voice, this is a very good example of Norton's world building even when that world is the straitlaced world of high Victorian America. Both coasts are covered but it centers on San Francisco. Very good detail on period settings and clothing while holding to a very realistic appraisal of the rigid morals and confines for women ot that time.The heroine does it all but the hero does make a proper entrance from time to time and comes through at the end.Some very very good characterizations of a whole multitude of cast members. ... Read more

Product Description
n the 1960s, Andre Norton's career took a fateful and important turn. Having written adventure science fiction for almost thirty years, she turned to something new, science-fantasy, with Witch World. This unique world of sorceresses and the many others who fight such adversaries as the Kolder, the Hounds of Alizon, and other threats, has proven to be Miss Norton's most beloved and popular creation. Three Against the Witch World, Warlock of the Witch World, and Sorceress of the Witch World, the fourth, fifth, and sixth novels in the series, have long been recognized as novels that along with the first three novels complete the core of the series. Today, almost four decades after their first publication, these novels of adventure, excitement, and daring remain as fresh and original as when they first appeared. For the first time they are now available in a single volume for new readers of all ages to discover, and for fans to rediscover in an attractive, durable new format with a special introduction by Mercedes Lackey written just for this volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Classic Witchworld books
Some of Norton's best. Omnibus of the 3 follow-up books on each of Simon & Jaelithe's children from the original 2 Witchworld books. Well written & engrossing. Highly recommend!

One of my favorite fantasy trilogies
"Lost Lands of the Witch World" is a reissue of the very fine Escore trilogy, featuring the adventures of Kemoc, Kyllan, and Kaththea, the three children of Earth-born warrior, Simon Tregarth and his witch-wife, Jaelithe. The three novels combined in this volume are "Three Against the Witch World"(1965), "Warlock of the Witch World" (1967), and "Sorceress of the Witch World" (1968).

Kaththea Tregarth, born one of three triplets, could link telepathically with her birth-brothers, Kyllan and Kemoc.At an early age, she was forcibly separated from her brothers and taken to the Place of Silence to be trained in magic by Wise Women of Estcarp.

In "Three Against the Witch World" narrated by Kyllan, the warrior brother, the triplets escape from witch-ruled Estcarp to the magical land of Escore.There, they accidentally destroy the false peace that had long abided between the great powers of Light and Dark."Things awoke and gathered, and the land was troubled..." and the three learn that they must fight with the forces of Light, or be utterly annihilated by the Dark.

Unfortunately, in "Warlock of the Witch World" narrated by Kemoc, the wizard brother, Kaththea is wooed by the fair-seeming Dinzil, who is actually a creature of the Great Dark Ones.

Kemoc sets out to win allies against the Dark among the Krogan, who made their homes in the lakes, rivers, and waterways of Escore.When he returns from this failed mission, there are many other battles to be fought in the now-troubled land.During one such engagement, Kemoc is wounded and is almost captured by minions of the Dark, but is saved by the Krogan maid, Orsya.When Kemoc finally returns to the safety of the Valley of Green Silences, he discovers that his birth-sister Kaththea has ridden off to the stronghold of an apparent ally, Dinzil.

Off he goes on another quest into the magic-troubled land, where he meets with the gnarled Moss Wives, and Loskeetha of the Garden of Stones, Reader of Sands.Loskeetha shows Kemoc three separate futures--all which end in the death of his birth-sister, Kaththea, twice by his own hand!

Finally, she who was once a powerful witch is rescued by her brother, Kemoc, but because of her near-alliance with the Dark, Kaththea is stripped of her magic.No longer can she communicate mind-to-mind with her brothers, nor perform the simplest spell of healing.

A witch without her magic is a very dangerous thing to be in Escore: a vessel waiting to be filled by the Dark.In "Sorceress of the Witch World" narrated by Kaththea, the witch sister attempts to return over-mountain to Estcarp to seek help from the Wise Women, but is caught in an avalanche and then captured by a tribe of nomadic hunters.

Andre Norton is a scholar of Amerindian history and lore, and has incorporated her knowledge in many of her novels, e.g. "Sioux Spacemen" (1960), and "The Beast Master" (1959).The dog-sleds and temporary dwellings of the Vupsall, the people who capture Kaththea, are yet another example of Norton's borrowings from history and anthropology, although this particular Escorian tribe also works metal (maybe a touch of Finno-Ugric, rather than Amerindian).

At any rate, this author's careful attention to detail will bring to life the dimly-lit interior of Utta, the Wisewoman's tent where Kaththea begins to reacquire the magic that was her birthright.

The Dark receives a very satisfying thumping at the end of this fine fantasy trilogy, which does not suffer in comparison with Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books.In fact, my own personal preference is for Norton's Witch World.
... Read more

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To anyone who glanced casually inside the detention room the young man sitting there did not seem very formidable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Baldies are Coming
TheTime Traders

Andre Norton

(1958) is the first novel in the Time Traders series. In this original version, Ross Murdock is a young man with a bad record who is given a choice by a judge, to volunteer for a secret Operation or go to jail/prison.(A personal note:I was a company commander of a Basic Combat Training (BCT) company at Fort Knox, Kentucky during a part of the Viet Nam War).I kept running into Trainees with a RA service number prefix with lousy attitudes.A RA service number prefix meant that you were a volunteer; a US service number prefix meant that you were drafted. Come to find out that there was some judge who was giving the local miscreants a choice of going to prison or joining the Army. Gee thanks Judge, give me all your problems without even a warning.A number of these ended up in the stockade (the Army equivalent to jail).The premise of how Ross Murtock came to "volunteer" for Operation Retrograde is straight out of my own experiences.I wonder how long Judges have been doing this?)Back to the review.

After Ross Murdock is imprisoned he is given a battery of psychological test and a Major offers him an alternative to prison.He can join up or go to prison.Of course Murtock volunteers, but he plans to escape from the Major at the first opportunity.

You will learn about:

Major Kelgarries

Operation Retrograde

The Game

Hardy

Ashe

The white Wolf

Lurgha and the Wrath of Lurgha

The Mother

Lal, and

Deus Ex Machina,(Apparently Norton had the Greeks in the back of her mind because she uses Deus Ex Machina in her plot, but, to be fair, they were searching for themachina in the story (you just don't expect a plot device from the Greeks to be in a Science Fiction story) at least I didn't.)The next book in this series ia Galactic Derelict (Ross Murdock/Time Traders, 2)

Andre Norton dabbles in Psionics for the first time; I believe (other than telepathy, which is in her Star Man's Son).I highly recommend this book to fans of Andre Norton; I don't know why I waited so long to read it, just busy doing other things I guess.



Gunner August, 2009

Plebian for a Norton effort
This book is regarded by many as a springboard for books of its genre, and that may well be true. However, despite the gushing of other reviewers, this is a very average book whose plot actually belies its title.

In fact, very little trading is involved in the plot of the actual book. LOL

Some plot elements are just lost. For example, early in the book it is discussed that some 'time traders' are going to become very wealthy. It is presented in a way which makes the reader think that they will get to benefit in present time from their efforts in the past. The whole concept is, however, immediately dropped and is in fact inconsistent with the entire opertion of the time travel project thru the rest of the series.

Action plotting late in the book is badly flawed too, with travel times thru the wilderness conflicting with earlier accounts by the author of how long they should take.

Still, it is an acceptable read, and gets you to book two in the series, which is quite interesting and certainly the best of the series when it was actually written by Norton herself.

Time Traders itself has evidently fallen into the public domain, as you can find an ebook version of it on the Gutenburg Project web site. I would recommend that you get it there. Then if you like it, try out the remainder of the series. (Warning: skip book 5 (Firehand). It was not written by Norton AT ALL, and is one terrible piece of writing).

A Man Out of Time
The Time Traders (1958) is the first novel in the Time Traders series.In this original version, Ross Murdock is a young man with a bad record.While in detention, he is subjected to a series of psychological tests and, when called back into the courtroom for sentencing, he is offered a chance to volunteer for an unidentified government project as an alternative to Rehabilitation.

Ross chooses to volunteer and is turned over to someone called Major.He plans to run at the first opportunity, but the Major takes him up to the roof of the building where they are picked up by a helicopter.They land on an airfield, change to flying suits, and leave in a sleek flying machine that departs straight up.By the time that they reach their destination, Ross has learned that the Major is named Kelgarries, but has no idea where they are, except that it is thoroughly covered in snow.

Within the base, Ross is subjected to a series of tests, including a full day of physical examination.The rest of the time he spends in a cell-like room by himself on a very comfortable bunk.After the speaker in his room brays an announcement in the Major's voice, Ross is startled to see the opposite wall disappear, revealing an outdoor scene with mountains and fir trees, the scent of pine trees, and the moaning of the wind.

He hears a wolf howl, senses gray shadows in the trees, and sees a wolf come toward him, hears it growl and then sees it crouches down to leap.A bow twangs and the animal leaps into the air, then falls and bites at an arrow in its side.By this time, Ross has the blanket wrapped around his arm and is crouched down himself, waiting for the wolf's leap.Puzzled, he carefully walks to where the wall had been and discovered an unseen but solid surface at that location.He assumes that something new in image viewing has been developed and lies down to enjoy the remainder of the show.

Suddenly, all lights go out, leaving him in complete darkness.He feels his way to the door and finds it open.As he explores the corridors, he hears something crawling toward him, with frequent pauses and heavy breathing.Now the lights all come back on, temporarily blinding him, but soon revealing someone wrapped in bandages over his entire body.

Before he can move, Major Kelgarries comes running up and kneels besides the figure, calling him "Hardy".The Major reassures Hardy that he is safe and then tells Ross to go to the end room and call a "Dr. Farrell".Hardy is carried away by the doctor and two attendants, with the Major walking alongside holding Hardy's hand.Ross realizes that the project is important and has suspected that it is dangerous;now he is certain of that danger.

As he is contemplating the group around Hardy, his name is called by a dark stranger who identifies himself as Ashe and says that they have been partnered.Ashe states that the project is Operation Retrograde and then takes him to mess call.There Ross discovers ten men, with six being ordinary in appearance;two of the men, however, were clearly Oriental, with long black mustaches and blue tattoo marks on their foreheads and the back of their hands and the other pair are blond giants with long braids in their hair.

As they enter, another man -- Kurt -- calls to Ashe and asks him if he has heard about Hardy, saying that such injuries could occur to anyone.Although he is jeered down by the others, Ross notes that Kurt is a potential ally in escaping the base and agrees to meet him later.

From Kurt, Ross learns that the base has a technology that allows "taping" the characteristic of a person so that they can be traced anywhere.Kurt says he has a way to beat the taping, but needs a partner to escape.Ross is somewhat reluctant, so Kurt tells him that the project is sending teams back in time.

When Ross agrees to go with him, they immediately leave the base, wind through the mine fields, and steal a snow cat.When they reach their destination, Ross learns that Kurt is a plant for the Soviets and manages to wrest control from Kurt.Under the circumstances, he has no choice other than returning to the base.

After his return, Ross is cleared to know more about the project.It seems that the Soviets have discovered how to travel to the past and somewhen they have found a few superscience gadgets that have led to amazing strides in certain areas.The US has duplicated the time machine, but still has no idea where the Soviets found the futuristic gadgets, so Operation Retrograde has been formed to search the past for clues.Ross is slated to join one such team traveling to Stone Age Britain.

This series has changed over the years to adapt to the political upheaval in Russia, but the real enemies in this series has always been the Baldies.When faced with a superior technology from a group of hostile aliens, the political differences between humans looks less important.Thus, the cooperation with the Russian time travel project has been almost inevitable by the logic of this series.It is merely convenient that the real world has, for a change, agreed with the Time Traders plot.

This series has always been more complex than it appears on the surface, for lurking in the background is a vision of the probability multiverse such as found in Crossroads in Time.Change the past and forever lose your future.Thus, it raises the issue of how much change is required to spawn a new timeline.

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys tales of the past, the present, and the future within a single SF setting.

-Arthur W. Jordin

the time traders
one of the first books that I read as a young man which was so wellthought out and understandable, when it came to science fiction. the onlyregret that I have is that she waited so long to contine the serries. Lostin the distant Past, the hero of the novel must use his wits and enduregreat phyiscal pain to defeat the enemy.

An all time great Sci Fi book.
This was the first Sci Fi book I read 35 odd years ago.And it launched me into reading all her other stories and the other great Sci Fi authorstoo.It is fun to reread this book now for it takes place late in the 20thcentury.The Cold War fears of that time (remember it was written in the50's) are all thru the book and very familiar to one who grew up then. This book and the following three are still very good reads.They are fullof adventure and bold ideas and you do wnat them to end,And now I seewhere Ms Norton and another author are writing new Time Trader books.Icannot wait!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Indulge Yourself with the best classic literature on Your PDA. Navigate easily to any novel from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases.

Customer Reviews (2)

Great ebook!
The works of Andre Norton show the author's intermingling of science fiction and fantasy elements. The ability to move back and forth easily between the two genres is a trademark of the unsurpassed Ms. Norton. The readers enjoy her works that entertain yet leave the readers considering ethical principles. I'm a huge fan of Norton, and have read probably most of her published work. I strongly recommend this ebook!

A great book for a casual read
Works of Andre Norton. The Time Traders, Rebel Spurs, Voodoo Planet, Plague Ship and more (mobi)

I was thrilled with this collection of Andre Norton. Not only was it most of my favorites in one ebook, but it is also easy to navigate from the TOC. The novels may seem a bit simplistic and straightforward in our more jaded and cynical time, but I love the unapologetic way that Norton writes her adventure stories. This is a great book for a casual read or a light break in your hectic schedule. Recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, strange creatures, and a bit of romance.
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Product Description
In this long-awaited new novel in The Halfblood Chronicles, fantasy greats Norton and Lackey tell the enthralling story of the reclusive elvenlord Kyrtian, who emerges as a hero in a world torn by politics and war. When his cousin, Aelmarkin, tries to prove that Kyrtian is unfit to run his estate, the plan backfires, and soon Kyrtian, who doesn't share the venal, greedy nature of his cousin, finds himself with more power than he ever wanted.

Like his father before him, Kyrtian has always treated the humans on his estate like servants, instead of enslaving them as other elvenlords do. His father's legacy also leads Kyrtian to learn ancient military skills long since lost to elvenkind through the carelessness of the elvenlords. Kyrtian's rediscovered knowledge piques the interest of the current elvenlords, and soon Kyrtian finds himself appointed the new commander of the army, to the relief of his ruling peers.

For the sons of the most powerful elvenlords, the Young Lords, have rebelled against their fathers and are waging war. But by taking advantage of both the privileges of his new command and the help of some unexpected new friends, Kyrtian finally gains the resources to embark on his own, personal quest--resuming his father's search for the Great Portal, the magical doorway through which the original elvenlords entered this world.

As war rages between some sons and fathers, Kyrtian searches desperately for his own lost father, hoping to uncover not only the mystery of his disappearance, but also the secret behind the origin of elvenkind.
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Customer Reviews (23)

Elvenborn
This is the 3rd book in the series. The first 100 pages are a little boring, hard to hold my interest (it is a lot of background information) and then it connects to the previous two book's stories; it finally takes off and is continuing to interest me. I haven't finished it yet but I am sure it will be satisfying. If you read the first two books, you will enjoy this one. If you like to read about elves and dragons, and are also a Terry Brooks fan you will probably like this book. If you are a fan of Mercedes Lackey/Andre Norton you will like this book. Make sure you read the three books in order.

Love this genre
I loved this book!The characters are nicely developed and the fantasy characters are amazing.The only problem i have is that Andre Norton has passed away and I can't find any info on the next book in the series.Mercedes Lackey has reported on her blog that there will be more, but I don't see anything on the horizon.I hate to wait forever for a resolution to the series!

Elvenbred
OK let me start by saying i read these books when the first came out. And that been over 10 years atleast since the first book came. Im just wondering if and when is she going to release Elvenbred.

A nice continuation, but still no conclusion...
I enjoyed this one quite a bit... though I think the 2nd book was my favorite. Unfortunately, this book was fairly open-ended and Andre Norton has in fact passed away and it's been seven years already since this book's original publication, so I'm not sure if the 4th book "Elvenbred" will EVER be written... which is really a shame. I would have liked to read it next. As it is, I'm not really sure what I'll read next! A part of me is tempted to re-read all of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books... but, maybe I should take a break from fantasy...

Good story, but I came out wanting.
This was a good story, but I came out of it wanting. There is a great big building up throughout this story for the main character, Kyrtian, to find certain ancient Elven relics that have been lost since the Crossing. What they did find only held my interest because of the wonderful mood-setting job the authors did to make the place seem spooky, with an underlying menace. They never tell how the things they find came to be menacing when they were originally meant to *help* the Elves. Why would it now kill Elves? These things, which I had the most questions about, were simply not explained enough by the end, as I'd been hoping - indeed, as I'd been *expecting* due to their impact on both the characters and on me as a reader.

The final glimpse at the end of something otherworldly, even to that world, was fascinating, but was not followed up which I found terribly disappointing given the lack of other explanation I'm been hoping for at the end.

Some of the ending was rather predictable, while others seemed to have been just thrown in there because the authors needed to wrap the book up.

It's not all bad news. This book definately help my interest, which surprised me since I'd read the reviews here before reading it and was expecting it to be somewhat boring. It was good to see Keman growing as a character, though Shana doesn't really share the same treatment. Kyrtian as a main character was not someone I found boring at all. In fact, I liked the way he pulled his double- and triple-crosses, making use of his reputation to seem boorish and stupid. That brand of subtlety is good, andjust different enough to the other back-biting Elves.

I wished more had happened with Rena, who'd held most of my interest in Book 2 and whom I'd grown to like. I felt she was a little wasted, as was Mero.

This book was an odd clash between a good read and what could have been a brilliant story if it had been longer and the existing characters expanded upon more. I enjoyed it for the most part, though those unanswered questions annoyed me in the end. Someone here has mentioned there will be a fourth book. Maybe my questions will be answered in there. I hope so.

Four stars. ... Read more

Product Description
THE KEY OF THE KEPLIAN For time beyond memory, the fire-eyed Keplian horses have lured riders to their death, sating the blood lust of the Dark Tower. All Witch World knows that the hunted, hated beasts serve Evil--all except one young woman. Fleeing her home after her beloved grandfather dies, the orphaned Navajo-Comanche girl Eleeri follows an ancient and magical trail to Witch World. When she discovers the Kepliana mare Tharna and her newborn colt in the hands of men eager to destroy them, Eleeri fights for their freedom. Running for their lives, psychic Eleeri and telepathic Tharna bond. And in a hidden canyon, they discover the awesome truth: The Keplians were created to serve Light, and to ride with humans. THE MAGESTONE They are two strangers whose people have been at war for a millennium. Mereth, a Dales trader, crosses the sea to Estcarp and the archival citadel at Lormt, seeking clues to the fate of a missing heirloom, an ancient jewel of Power. At the same time, an Alizonder hound lord, Kasarian, finds that an ancestor's key opens a magic gate to distant Lormt. Alizonders are wolfish tyrants who fight with sadistic poisons ... Read more

Product Description
Two masters of epic fantasy have combined in this brilliant collaboration to create a rousing tale of the sort that becomes an instant favorite. This is the story of Shana, a halfbreed born of the forbidden union of an Elvenlord father and a human mother. Her exiled mother dead, she was rescued and raised by dragons, a proud, ancient race who existed unbeknownst to elven or humankind. From birth, Shana was the embodiment of the Prophecy that the all-powerful Elvenlords feared. Her destiny is the enthralling adventure of a lifetime.
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Customer Reviews (67)

Dragon-made tall tale comes to life
The world that the writing team of Norton and Lackey crafts is quite fascinating in its detail and description. The timeline and history of this world seems to place it sort of after the end of our present world, as a kind of post-apocalypse in which first the dragons found and then the elves, with the latter taking over and enslaving the remaining humans. I found the passage of time to be bothersome at times, since the authors seem to almost skip over the climaxes in favor of just relaying the information through the memories of the characters after the fact. More than once, I wished the writers could have written out this passage of time so that I can actually experience it as it happens.
The characters were all well-developed and unique, as the size of the book allowed the writers to spend lots of time focusing on a single character, even if his or her purpose seemed to end rather abruptly with death, such as Shana's mother, Serina Daeth. Normally, I have no trouble picking characters that I favored over the others, but with this book, no character seemed to jump out at me as so much better than the others, even the main character Shana, who seemed to lack in maturity as much as a pre-teen, with how she behaves around some of the other characters.
There were several over-arching themes in the book, such as the need for change, the call for justice, and how every rule has exceptions.Shana especially seemed to find the latter annoying as she continually found that what she was taught about elves, humans, or dragons was not always true. Even though the legend of the Elvenbane is merely a tall tale crafted by the dragons to stir up trouble with the elves and humans, Shana falls into the role by accident simply because of a dragon's kindness. Ironically, her up-bringing gives her the perfect personality for playing that role, as the main goal of this book was to put her in the perfect position to fill this role for the next book in the series, Elvenblood (Halfblood Chronicles).

Not Worth Reading
I've read a few novels by Mercedes Lackey that I enjoyed, but this definitely isn't one of them.The pacing of the book is very slow for the first 90% of it (then the end comes in a rush).The characters are developed reasonably well, but their interactions are trite and uninteresting.The twists on high fantasy stereotypes are interesting, and I thought that might bode well for an interesting story, but unfortunately the story is typical fantasy and the ending is downright banal.I won't be reading any of the other books in the series.

Poorly Constructed Tale
Interesting characters, poorly constructed plot. The story jumps all over the place and leaves many plot-threads. There are entire episodes that are completely unnecessary to the story (like the visit to the Elven Lady Triana, the "handfasting" with Mero) and neither introduce important characters or move the story forward. Interesting ideas, but these authors needed some severe editing and re-writing, because the story reads like a first draft.

However, the second book (Elvenblood), is much better.

Dragons and Wizards and Elves Oh My!
I first read this book when I was fourteen and fell totally in love with it. The characters are rich, interesting and unpredictable. The story grips you from page 1. I've read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi novels and The Elvenbane ranks as my favourite. If you like sweeping sagas with exotic, lavish locales, a focused, engaging plot and characters to love and hate aplenty, get this book. It's so well written; one of those wonderful reads that you're sad to say goodbye to when it's done. Luckily, there are 2 more books in the series, although this is the stand out of the 3. In true epic style, my copy of Elvenbane got destroyed by rain when the roof blew off my house during a particularly nasty storm- haha! I promptly ordered a new one. Love it love it love it!

Plot Overview:

Elves (a ridiculously good looking but cold-hearted race)have invaded Earth because their world had become uninhabitable. They promptly enslaved humans and constructed a decadent and self-indulgent existence for themselves. One of the wealthiest and most powerful Eleven Lords, Dyran, has a feisty and ambitious concubine named Serena. She falls pregnant to him (a crime punishable by death) so flees his estate. A shape shifting dragon encounters Serena in the final stages of giving birth and ends up taking the baby girl when Serena perishes shortly after. She names her Lashana (Shana) and raises her alongside her own son, Kerman. Shana grows up to be a gorgeous and strong willed teenager, who shows great promise as a wizard (something elves fear and suppress at all costs because it endangers their position in the world). She eventually meets up with a band of rebel wizards who suspect her to be "The Elvenbane" a mythical maiden prophesied to eventually bring down the reign of the ridiculously good looking but very nasty elves. Is she? Does she? Read it and see!

The Elvenbane By Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey
The Elvenbane
By Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

In The Elvenbane, a young fiery halfblood (half elven, half human) girl named Shana, is raised by a Kin of dragons. After using her magic to defend her foster brother Keman, Shana is banished to the desert where she is captured by human servants of elven lords; races she thought no longer existed. A rare mystery, Shana is about to be sold in a slave auction when she is rescued by disguised halfbloods who take her to a Citadel where wizards live in secrecy. Yet fate intercedes and soon the most diabolical of elven Lord's, and presumably Shana's father, discovers the location of the hidden city and Shana and her friends must fight for their lives.

Slow to build and exhaustively descriptive, The Elvenbane is 566 pages of introduction to the next book in the sequel. This first book in the trilogy takes place over approximately sixteen years of time, and you certainly feel it. While I found the story interesting and the writing good, the pace was just too slow for me. Admittedly, I am not a fantasy/sci-fi aficionado so please take this review for what it is worth.
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Product Description
The Defiant Agents
Key Out of Time
The Time Traders ... Read more