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Witch World Series 1: The Estcarp Cycle #2
Web of the Witch World
Simon Tregarth, whose Earthly prowess had won him a throne and a witch-wife in an alien world, knew that both triumphs were precarious as long as the invaders on Kolder held a foothold on the planet. These not-quite-human invaders, like Simon, had come to the witch world from another existence. Somewhere, they were building with their super-science the means of enslaving an entire world.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
78 people are currently reading
973 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
695 books1,384 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 17, 2018
Norton opens with a pair of really intriguing ideas, but leaves them partially dissected on the slab.
The original Witch World posits a stark equation of female empowerment versus the common good. Witch power can only be retained by celibacy, and a witch diminishes the whole if she does not eventually give up her power and have children. Having Jaelithe retain power after marrying Simon is a cop-out to the theme--she never feels the bite of this sacrifice and the path not chosen--but it raises conflicts familiar to dual-income families. Simon must examine his insecurities about not being the most important thing in Jaelithe's life, while Jaelithe in turn examines her first reaction to return to her place in the matriarchy. There's a suggestion in here that even absent the original stark equation that the career path may be more preferable.
Secondly, and this drives the rest, there is a tidy political conflict brewing, surrounding Loyse and her heredity. The Duke of Karsten wants her back so that he can cement relations with Verlaine and gain both a seaport and access to wealth, but other forces prefer Loyse in a figurehead role and an old enemy is using this whole mess as a blind for its own plans involving Estcarp and the witches. It's all very complicated and I wound up writing it all down in order to follow the chain of circumstances that led Koris and Simon on a rather madcap rescue plan. Loyse is, unfortunately, reduced to a plot token.
Only, of course, for it to be largely irrelevant, which is a risk when trying to cram this much into less than 200 pages. Once Kolder's hand is revealed then the political machinations fall away, Simon and Jaelithe reconnect and prove their insecurities to be nothing, and then it's time to sneak around the Kolder base and have gunfights. It's as though Norton got to a certain point and decided to cut the Gordian knot with action scenes.
The original Witch World posits a stark equation of female empowerment versus the common good. Witch power can only be retained by celibacy, and a witch diminishes the whole if she does not eventually give up her power and have children. Having Jaelithe retain power after marrying Simon is a cop-out to the theme--she never feels the bite of this sacrifice and the path not chosen--but it raises conflicts familiar to dual-income families. Simon must examine his insecurities about not being the most important thing in Jaelithe's life, while Jaelithe in turn examines her first reaction to return to her place in the matriarchy. There's a suggestion in here that even absent the original stark equation that the career path may be more preferable.
Secondly, and this drives the rest, there is a tidy political conflict brewing, surrounding Loyse and her heredity. The Duke of Karsten wants her back so that he can cement relations with Verlaine and gain both a seaport and access to wealth, but other forces prefer Loyse in a figurehead role and an old enemy is using this whole mess as a blind for its own plans involving Estcarp and the witches. It's all very complicated and I wound up writing it all down in order to follow the chain of circumstances that led Koris and Simon on a rather madcap rescue plan. Loyse is, unfortunately, reduced to a plot token.
Only, of course, for it to be largely irrelevant, which is a risk when trying to cram this much into less than 200 pages. Once Kolder's hand is revealed then the political machinations fall away, Simon and Jaelithe reconnect and prove their insecurities to be nothing, and then it's time to sneak around the Kolder base and have gunfights. It's as though Norton got to a certain point and decided to cut the Gordian knot with action scenes.
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November 21, 2023I read Web of the Witch World even before The Chronicles of Narnia, which makes it likely my first "portal fantasy," as well as my probable introduction to the concept of parallel universes. That concept--"the multiverse"-- is so prominent in popular culture now, it's easy to forget how mind-blowing it might have seemed back in the 60's (when the book was published) and 70's (when I read it). An infinite universe was a thrilling enough prospect: an infinite number of infinite universes was almost too awesome for my nine-year-old brain to process.
Even if the Witch World series had sucked, it would still have a place of honor among the books that most nourished my childhood imagination. However, my sense is that it didn't suck. I'd have to go back and re-read it to be sure, but I'd bet that it would hold up as a creative, fast paced, unpretentious fantasy adventure set in a convincing secondary reality, and probably one of the better examples of the sort to be published in the first half-generation after Tolkien. Just the thing to while-away a winter afternoon or two when you're nine.
It wasn't until many years after reading Witch World that I ever learned "Andre Norton," a pen name for "Alice Mary Norton," was a woman. Before then I'd assumed she was a man, like Andre the Giant.
Even if the Witch World series had sucked, it would still have a place of honor among the books that most nourished my childhood imagination. However, my sense is that it didn't suck. I'd have to go back and re-read it to be sure, but I'd bet that it would hold up as a creative, fast paced, unpretentious fantasy adventure set in a convincing secondary reality, and probably one of the better examples of the sort to be published in the first half-generation after Tolkien. Just the thing to while-away a winter afternoon or two when you're nine.
It wasn't until many years after reading Witch World that I ever learned "Andre Norton," a pen name for "Alice Mary Norton," was a woman. Before then I'd assumed she was a man, like Andre the Giant.
April 9, 2017
This second volume in the Witch World series is a continuation of the story begun in book 1. It is set a year after the end of book 1 and the marriage of the man from our world, Simon Tregarth, and Jaelithe, formerly one of the witches of Estcarp. Simon is now fully established as a citizen of his adopted home and has been made a marshal in the south of the country, in charge of a force guarding the border against aggression from their neighbour, Karsten.
As the story opens, Jaelithe realises that her power, which was supposed to have been lost when she married Simon, has returned, although she no longer has the jewel she used to focus it, having surrendered that to the other witches. She departs, intending to persuade them to return it, a quest that will prove an uphill struggle throughout the book.
The earlier political problems persist, with the countries bordering Estcarp once again the aggressors. Loyse, the young woman who in book 1 escaped from a forced marriage to the Duke of Karsten, is now abducted by the Duke's people. Simon must follow her trail, initially to Kars, the capital of Karsten, along with Koris, now seneschal of Estcarp and the man Loyse plans to marry. But as in book 1, when the Duke ordered a massacre of everyone within his land of the same racial type as the Estcarpians, the strange machine-dependent race known as the Kolder, who originate from another parallel world, are behind the Duke's actions. The mind control exerted by the Kolder has become more subtle, introducing an element of paranoia to the narrative. Before the story ends, the quest for Loyse will take Simon and some of his friends into the heart of the hidden Kolder base, and the fate of Witch World will be at stake.
As before, this is a fast paced action story with little character rumination or angst. The only thing approaching that is Simon's dismay at Jaelithe's prolonged absence and concern that her power means more to her than he does. But there is a nice balance, with Simon coming to accept that Jaelithe is her own woman and that her abilities do not rival his; on the contrary, the two of them compliment each other. There are some good set pieces, in particular Jaelithe's use of her powers against the red weed, which is a little reminiscent of the vegetation in H G Well's War of the Worlds.
The main character issue for me is the dimunition of Loyse into a more or less standard damsel in distress. I can't picture the woman of book 1 who scorned stereotypical female behaviour throwing herself into Simon's arms even if she had been held prisoner and subjected to mind control. Also, the character of Aldis, the Duke's mistress is odd; she works for the Kolder, and from what one of her masters tells Simon, something is done to such people to prevent them from having their own agenda and working against their masters, yet in the latter part of the story she seems to be cheering on certain characters who are about to turn on them. You would expect her instead to try to warn her employers.
The novel is most definitely science fantasy as the publisher of this edition, Tandem, labelled it - there is even more of an emphasis on the Kolder technology in this volume. My rating is 3 stars for a rattling good read, though don't expect an indepth character analysis or detailed world building; there are broad strokes only, sufficient for a plot driven tale with the emphasis on daring-do.
As the story opens, Jaelithe realises that her power, which was supposed to have been lost when she married Simon, has returned, although she no longer has the jewel she used to focus it, having surrendered that to the other witches. She departs, intending to persuade them to return it, a quest that will prove an uphill struggle throughout the book.
The earlier political problems persist, with the countries bordering Estcarp once again the aggressors. Loyse, the young woman who in book 1 escaped from a forced marriage to the Duke of Karsten, is now abducted by the Duke's people. Simon must follow her trail, initially to Kars, the capital of Karsten, along with Koris, now seneschal of Estcarp and the man Loyse plans to marry. But as in book 1, when the Duke ordered a massacre of everyone within his land of the same racial type as the Estcarpians, the strange machine-dependent race known as the Kolder, who originate from another parallel world, are behind the Duke's actions. The mind control exerted by the Kolder has become more subtle, introducing an element of paranoia to the narrative. Before the story ends, the quest for Loyse will take Simon and some of his friends into the heart of the hidden Kolder base, and the fate of Witch World will be at stake.
As before, this is a fast paced action story with little character rumination or angst. The only thing approaching that is Simon's dismay at Jaelithe's prolonged absence and concern that her power means more to her than he does. But there is a nice balance, with Simon coming to accept that Jaelithe is her own woman and that her abilities do not rival his; on the contrary, the two of them compliment each other. There are some good set pieces, in particular Jaelithe's use of her powers against the red weed, which is a little reminiscent of the vegetation in H G Well's War of the Worlds.
The main character issue for me is the dimunition of Loyse into a more or less standard damsel in distress. I can't picture the woman of book 1 who scorned stereotypical female behaviour throwing herself into Simon's arms even if she had been held prisoner and subjected to mind control. Also, the character of Aldis, the Duke's mistress is odd; she works for the Kolder, and from what one of her masters tells Simon, something is done to such people to prevent them from having their own agenda and working against their masters, yet in the latter part of the story she seems to be cheering on certain characters who are about to turn on them. You would expect her instead to try to warn her employers.
The novel is most definitely science fantasy as the publisher of this edition, Tandem, labelled it - there is even more of an emphasis on the Kolder technology in this volume. My rating is 3 stars for a rattling good read, though don't expect an indepth character analysis or detailed world building; there are broad strokes only, sufficient for a plot driven tale with the emphasis on daring-do.
March 6, 2020
This is more, of what I loved in the first book, the romance is as good as it was in the first one, the characters have more work done to them and our big bad is as evil and repugnant as in the first one.
So let's begin with a short introduction, the story starts right after the taking of Gorm and we see, Simon and Jaelithe, getting married as well as Loyse and Krom, but wait, Loyse is kidnapped by Aldis to fulfill her ax marriage and Jaelithe discovers that she still possesses her powers and goes back to Estcarp leaving Simon to take care of the problems arising and while all of this is happening the evil of Kolder continues to seep deeper into the surrounding capitals that are now planning on destroying Estcarp once and for all.
I have to say this was a very pleasant read and a quick one as well, this book is all about the relationship between Simon and Jaelithe and how their union makes them stronger and I can see that the author is very good at playing with your heartstrings which is just magnificent and for that this book, to me, is an instant recommendation because it is fast, it has romance, adventure, action and everything that makes an amazing story so go read it.
So let's begin with a short introduction, the story starts right after the taking of Gorm and we see, Simon and Jaelithe, getting married as well as Loyse and Krom, but wait, Loyse is kidnapped by Aldis to fulfill her ax marriage and Jaelithe discovers that she still possesses her powers and goes back to Estcarp leaving Simon to take care of the problems arising and while all of this is happening the evil of Kolder continues to seep deeper into the surrounding capitals that are now planning on destroying Estcarp once and for all.
I have to say this was a very pleasant read and a quick one as well, this book is all about the relationship between Simon and Jaelithe and how their union makes them stronger and I can see that the author is very good at playing with your heartstrings which is just magnificent and for that this book, to me, is an instant recommendation because it is fast, it has romance, adventure, action and everything that makes an amazing story so go read it.
December 24, 2016
Read for the Women of Genre Fiction Challenge.
I think I really like Andre Norton. This is only the second book of hers that I've read, the second of the classic Witch World series. I really love what she's done here but I think you've got to have read the pulp fantasy and sci-fi classics - in particular Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom series - in order to fully appreciate it. She's spun a new take on classic pulp fiction. In a way she was the George R. R. Martin of her time; she was flipping the tropes. But she was also establishing new tropes.
In this, the second book of the series, it's like a continuation of the story of Witch World where it left off. Simon Tregarth, interloper from our own world into the Witch World, has married the Witch of the previous book, whose name is Jaelithe (which was not known until the end of the first book, because witches do not share their names), and she surrendered her jewel of power when she did so (marking her as one of the witches, who rule the land of Estcarp,) as is tradition because the power of the witches is lost when they give up (or lose) their virginity. However, the glimmerings of witch power that Simon possessed, unknown among men in the Witch World, bonds with Jaelithe's witch powers, making them more than what she was before; though convincing the witches of this is a challenging task.
In the meantime, the witches, Simon, and the allies of Estcarp continue to fight the inter-dimensional invaders from Kolder, a society of advanced technology and no morality. They must trace the Kolders to their stronghold and defeat them and their technozombie and technology-possessed servants once and for all.
Many of the tropes she has flipped are based in gender. Burrough's heroes are men of action who are constantly rescuing the ladies of the piece. Norton's heroes are men of action also, but instead of cossetting and protecting the ladies of the piece, they are partners, with different but complimentary and co-equal skills, and the ladies of the piece rescue him just as often. For the 1960s this is well ahead of its time and I love it!
I can't help but wonder whether the makers of World of Warcraft read her books, because the inter-dimensional gates, and the worlds they separate, remind me a lot of the world of WoW. I wonder if she was one of the first to write about such things? As far as I can tell, she was the first author to ever use the term Star Gate (but that's another series.) These are the tropes she helped to establish, along with the super-advanced technological society facing off against a magical one.
I had pegged this series as "science fantasy" in my last review, saying that it was essentially fantasy but with elements of science fiction, but as Norton's world unfolds I have changed my mind. I think it's science fiction with some elements of fantasy. The "magic" of the witches, now that I think about it, is all explainable through psychic abilities, and may not be magic at all. And with that element considered, that might make it entirely science fiction after all.
Norton doesn't linger on the things that we consider to be essential to modern speculative fiction. She isn't that concerned with the long dissertations of the angst of the characters, such as how Jaelithe felt about having to give up her witch powers to follow her heart and marry Simon. But people don't understand that pulp fiction at that time was designed to be little 150 to 200 pages of high action book. It's an adventure story, and Norton keeps the pace lively; which is amazing, considering how much of the conflict takes place in psychic competitions of will and the actual sword and gunfighting is few and far between.
The purpose of the Women of Genre Fiction Challenge is to find new female authors to read whose work you enjoy. Well, it's done the job in the case of Andre Norton, one of the forgotten triumvirate of female Grand Masters of Fantasy and Science Fiction (the other two being C. J. Cherryh and Anne McCaffrey.) Glad I finally sunk my teeth into this series, and I'll be collecting and reading the rest of it.
I think I really like Andre Norton. This is only the second book of hers that I've read, the second of the classic Witch World series. I really love what she's done here but I think you've got to have read the pulp fantasy and sci-fi classics - in particular Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom series - in order to fully appreciate it. She's spun a new take on classic pulp fiction. In a way she was the George R. R. Martin of her time; she was flipping the tropes. But she was also establishing new tropes.
In this, the second book of the series, it's like a continuation of the story of Witch World where it left off. Simon Tregarth, interloper from our own world into the Witch World, has married the Witch of the previous book, whose name is Jaelithe (which was not known until the end of the first book, because witches do not share their names), and she surrendered her jewel of power when she did so (marking her as one of the witches, who rule the land of Estcarp,) as is tradition because the power of the witches is lost when they give up (or lose) their virginity. However, the glimmerings of witch power that Simon possessed, unknown among men in the Witch World, bonds with Jaelithe's witch powers, making them more than what she was before; though convincing the witches of this is a challenging task.
In the meantime, the witches, Simon, and the allies of Estcarp continue to fight the inter-dimensional invaders from Kolder, a society of advanced technology and no morality. They must trace the Kolders to their stronghold and defeat them and their technozombie and technology-possessed servants once and for all.
Many of the tropes she has flipped are based in gender. Burrough's heroes are men of action who are constantly rescuing the ladies of the piece. Norton's heroes are men of action also, but instead of cossetting and protecting the ladies of the piece, they are partners, with different but complimentary and co-equal skills, and the ladies of the piece rescue him just as often. For the 1960s this is well ahead of its time and I love it!
I can't help but wonder whether the makers of World of Warcraft read her books, because the inter-dimensional gates, and the worlds they separate, remind me a lot of the world of WoW. I wonder if she was one of the first to write about such things? As far as I can tell, she was the first author to ever use the term Star Gate (but that's another series.) These are the tropes she helped to establish, along with the super-advanced technological society facing off against a magical one.
I had pegged this series as "science fantasy" in my last review, saying that it was essentially fantasy but with elements of science fiction, but as Norton's world unfolds I have changed my mind. I think it's science fiction with some elements of fantasy. The "magic" of the witches, now that I think about it, is all explainable through psychic abilities, and may not be magic at all. And with that element considered, that might make it entirely science fiction after all.
Norton doesn't linger on the things that we consider to be essential to modern speculative fiction. She isn't that concerned with the long dissertations of the angst of the characters, such as how Jaelithe felt about having to give up her witch powers to follow her heart and marry Simon. But people don't understand that pulp fiction at that time was designed to be little 150 to 200 pages of high action book. It's an adventure story, and Norton keeps the pace lively; which is amazing, considering how much of the conflict takes place in psychic competitions of will and the actual sword and gunfighting is few and far between.
The purpose of the Women of Genre Fiction Challenge is to find new female authors to read whose work you enjoy. Well, it's done the job in the case of Andre Norton, one of the forgotten triumvirate of female Grand Masters of Fantasy and Science Fiction (the other two being C. J. Cherryh and Anne McCaffrey.) Glad I finally sunk my teeth into this series, and I'll be collecting and reading the rest of it.
December 24, 2010
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Web of the Witch World continues the story of Simon Tregarth, the modern man who escaped assassination by coming through a gate into the Witch World, and Jaelithe, a witch of Estcarp, as they fight the strange enemy who are invading their land. At the end of the previous novel, the Kolder, who are from a technologically advanced planet, had been defeated by the witchery of Jaelithe and her sisters (and it seems that Simon has some powers, too). Jaelithe gave Simon her name, thus showing her trust in (and love for) him, and Loyse and Koris declared love for each other.
But in Web of the Witch World the sappy stuff abruptly ends when Duke Yvian, formally betrothed to Loyse, kidnaps her because he needs to marry her to seal his claim to power in Karsten. This sets off another fast-paced science fantasy adventure in which everything is not as it seems, for once again our heroes discover that alien Kolder is influencing Estcarp’s enemies. Simon, Jaelithe, Loyse, and Koris must find and destroy the root of this evil while dealing with their own personal issues.
If you’ve read Witch World, you’ll definitely want to read Web of the Witch World since it is part two of the story — a direct continuation. Expect the same quick-moving plot filled with battles, captures, escapes, shapechanging, mind control, illusions, ships, and flying machines. Andre Norton created likable heroes and an interesting world, and the writing is pleasant, too. I listened to Brilliance Audio’s version read by Nick Podehl. He does a fine job — his narration isn’t particularly inspiring, but there’s nothing wrong with it either.
Where Witch World falls short of more excellent work is in the magic system, which is based mostly on telepathy and mind power. Thus, our heroes are able to do things by willing them strongly enough or by just “knowing” things, or sometimes through really good hunches. That works, I guess, but it’s not nearly as fun and exciting as the kind of stuff that, say, Brandon Sanderson dreams up. However, these novels were written in the 1960s — long before fantasy fans were demanding something “new.” Reading Andre Norton is valuable then, not just for a quick fun read, but also for an SFF history lesson.
Web of the Witch World continues the story of Simon Tregarth, the modern man who escaped assassination by coming through a gate into the Witch World, and Jaelithe, a witch of Estcarp, as they fight the strange enemy who are invading their land. At the end of the previous novel, the Kolder, who are from a technologically advanced planet, had been defeated by the witchery of Jaelithe and her sisters (and it seems that Simon has some powers, too). Jaelithe gave Simon her name, thus showing her trust in (and love for) him, and Loyse and Koris declared love for each other.
But in Web of the Witch World the sappy stuff abruptly ends when Duke Yvian, formally betrothed to Loyse, kidnaps her because he needs to marry her to seal his claim to power in Karsten. This sets off another fast-paced science fantasy adventure in which everything is not as it seems, for once again our heroes discover that alien Kolder is influencing Estcarp’s enemies. Simon, Jaelithe, Loyse, and Koris must find and destroy the root of this evil while dealing with their own personal issues.
If you’ve read Witch World, you’ll definitely want to read Web of the Witch World since it is part two of the story — a direct continuation. Expect the same quick-moving plot filled with battles, captures, escapes, shapechanging, mind control, illusions, ships, and flying machines. Andre Norton created likable heroes and an interesting world, and the writing is pleasant, too. I listened to Brilliance Audio’s version read by Nick Podehl. He does a fine job — his narration isn’t particularly inspiring, but there’s nothing wrong with it either.
Where Witch World falls short of more excellent work is in the magic system, which is based mostly on telepathy and mind power. Thus, our heroes are able to do things by willing them strongly enough or by just “knowing” things, or sometimes through really good hunches. That works, I guess, but it’s not nearly as fun and exciting as the kind of stuff that, say, Brandon Sanderson dreams up. However, these novels were written in the 1960s — long before fantasy fans were demanding something “new.” Reading Andre Norton is valuable then, not just for a quick fun read, but also for an SFF history lesson.
July 10, 2019
The conclusion of Simon and Jaelithe's story arc in this series, it's not as good as the first book, there's a bit too much fate and coincidence for my taste. In general, Norton writes standalone stories and sometimes duologies, and in many cases the second book isn't as strong as the first. So if I were to point out her weak points as a writer is she wasn't a big, fantasy brick writer (good!) and her SF fantasy romance was old school YA, partners as opposed to torrid love passion (good?). A decent read, but you can skip it and go on to #3, Three Against the Witch World without missing out.
July 11, 2022
Drugi tom Świata Czarownic przynosi ostatecznie starcie z Koldarem, wrogiem z innego świata, podłym kolonizatorem, który chce zniszczyć Estcarp i całą jego magię. Norton dokonuje soft-retconu mocy i zdolności Koldaru, przez co stają się jeszcze bardziej niebezpieczni i ustawia przyszłe problemy na kolejne tomy serii: jak to, że magia się zmienia, a społeczność czarownic nie jest gotowa tego zaakceptować. Generalnie magia u Norton jest niedookreślona, niemal jak Moc w Star Warsach, nie wiemy, jak działa, czasem wiemy, jak nie działa :D Tutaj mamy do czynienia głównie z akcją, bohaterowie rzucają się po całej mapie, zwiedzają wszystkie ościenne krainy i walczą z wrogiem, którego siła przeraża. Bardzo szybka, wciągająca lektura.
December 3, 2019
Why am I reading Andre Norton? I only recently added her to My Big Fat Reading Project because I read some things full of praise for her. She has been called "grande dame of science fiction." She wrote a gazillion books, various different series, sometimes in collaboration with other authors I have loved (Marion Zimmer Bradley and Mercedes Lackey, to mention a couple.)
She took the pen name Andre Norton (her name was Alice) to avoid the barriers to women in the sci fi writing community of the 1940s when she began publishing and she snuck right in. She also combined fantasy and sci fi in a time when that was taboo among both fantasy and sci fi purists. Now that I have read two of her Witch World series books, I am hooked.
Web of the Witch World picks up pretty much where Witch World ended. Simon Tregarth entered this world by means of the Siege Perilous (part of Arthurian mythology, a kind of sorting hat/portal and destiny director--look it up.) He had landed in Estcarp, home of an old race, ruled by witches, and under attack from the evil high-tech Kolder, who were also from another universe. Oh yes, it is twisty!
Simon is a brave and wily hero. He fell in love with Jaelithe, a witch, and she with him. In marrying him she had to give up her powers.
Web of the Witch World continues the story wherein Simon must once again outwit the Kolder, who are as evil as it gets. Meanwhile, like the good independent woman she is, Jaelithe goes off on her own to figure out how much witch power she still has and how to use it.
The psychic connection between Simon and Jaelithe goes beyond romance to show how a man and a woman, an earth man and a witch, a hero and a heroine, can live and love and work together to fight destruction and evil. Andre Norton writes adventure and intrigue and battle scenes as well as anyone I have read.
February 17, 2016
In the second of the Witch World series, Jaelith and Simon are trying rescue Loyse and stop Kolder from full scale invasion. A nice little sequel to the first book, this does a good job of digging a little more into Jaelith's and Simon's relationship and exploring more the origins of Kolder and its alien technology.
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May 5, 2015I finished this book with an odd sense of incompleteness. For example, the motives of Aldis of Kars are almost completely undeveloped. Norton was experimenting with multiple viewpoints in this book, but Aldis is represented internally only once, and thereafter her actions are only viewed by others.
It might've been interesting to see what she thought of things. As the only female Kolder agent (apparently), why did she abandon the plans she sold out to the Kolder to further? Why, then, did she turn against her Kolder masters, which the Kolder represented as impossible? I find her one of the more enigmatic characters in the series.
I did NOT intend to switch my entire review to this edition: I wanted to review this edition separately, because it's the edition I have. But I'll have to make the best of it.
This is, probably, the first edition, or at least the 1st paperback edition, although it's hard to say, because there is little publication information in this Ace edition. There's not even a table of contents.
The cover picture is a little odd. It's not clear who the woman is meant to be--maybe Aldis? She's one of the few developed characters who went anywhere near a Gate in the book.
The frontispiece is a map of the continent containing Estcarp. Later maps were more detailed, and less crude. None of the maps, as far as I know, include the Sargasso-type area surrounding the island where the Kolder Gate was located.
The blurb for this edition is frankly absurd. Simon Tregarth had at no time in his life a 'throne'. He had a fiefdom at Etsford, as lieutenant to Koris of Gorm--at this point still under the rulership of the Council. And for a while, he was the leader of the Borderers--until the next book in the series.
Contents:
Chapter I: Gauntlet Thrown: Simon and his new wife, the Lady Jaelithe, receive a call for help. By all the canons of the Witches, neither of them should be able to detect such a call (he because he's male, and she because she's a married woman). But there's a gap here: The sender ALSO shouldn't be able to broadcast such an appeal--Loyse, it's been repeatedly indicated, has no trace of the Power.
Chapter II: Border Foray: Simon Tregarth follows up on the appeal, while the Lady Jaelithe appeals for her jewel back.
Chapter III: Black Night: The viewpoint switches to Loyse, who has been lured by a false message. The evidence is that some party in Karsten hopes to secure Yvian's dukedom by enforcing the ax marriage from the 1st book.
Chapter IV: Fulk and--Fulk: Simon Tregarth, with a party of Borderers, raids Verlaine--and finds that Fulk has become an agent of the Kolder--and that he is forced by his masters to suicide rather than be captured. Simon, despite such warnings, decides to impersonate Fulk to travel to Kars.
Chapter V: Red Morning: Simon, Koris, and a small task force from the Borderers arrive in Kars--to discover that Yvian has been fatally wounded, and Loyse is gone.
Chapter VI: Duchess of Karsten: Another shift to Loyse's point of view, and a bit more backstory. Loyse also is puzzled as to Aldis's part in all this.
Chapter VII: The High Walls of Yle: Amidst chaos in Kars, the Borderer party concludes that Loyse has been taken to Yle. Simon comes up with a (frankly foolish) plan to get into Yle. Note that the map gives the name of the capital of Gorm (Sippar), which I hadn't been able to locate before.
Chapter VIII: Print of Kolder: Simon discovers that Fulk had been controlled by the insignia on his belt--and that he himself can't be taken over entirely--as long as his bond with Jaelithe remains...
Chapter IX: Torman's Land: This is somewhat misleading, since it's evident that Tormarsh is an aviacracy (ruled by grandmothers). Loyse and Simon are held by the people of Tormarsh (who don't use doors, apparently--which is not followed up later). The prisoners use their relationships with Koris, bearer of Volt's ax, to drive a wedge into the already shaky relationship between the Kolder and Tormarsh. The Torfolk decide to wash their hands of the whole business.
Chapter X: Jaelithe Found: Turns out she wasn't really 'lost', after all. She just retreated for a while to explore a new aspect of power. Now she's tracking Simon, Loyse, and Aldis to lead Koris and a Sulcar ship to the Kolder gate.
Chapter XI: It's not so much that it's (very) difficult to get a submarine into (and out of) Tormarsh. There's the question of WHY. But then that's the common question. Once the Kolder came to the Witch World, what prevented them from just settling down as other immigrants had?
Chapter XII: She Who Will Not Wait: There are very few 'she's' in this story (the Witches are presented as if they were a gestalt entity, though they evidently retain their own personalities most of the time). In this case, it's a matter of the Lady Jaelithe arranging passage on an adventurous Sulcar exploring ship.
Chapter XIII: Kolder Nest: It's clear from this chapter that the Kolder understand the people of the Witch World even less than the regular people understand the Kolder. By the way--are there any female Kolder at all? And if not, how do they reproduce? I mean, even if you grant the utility of taking over entire worlds (by which I'm trying to convey that I don't), if you're not immortal and you have no children, why bother?
Chapter XIV: Witch Weapon: Looks like Greek Fire to ME. Or not even that, since the weed is evidently inflammable, so it's not necessary to sustain a fire on top of water--just set the weed afire.
Chapter XV: Magic And--Magic: The Witches don't approve of the use of power by unorthodox agents like Simon Tregarth, Loyse, and The Lady Jaelithe. But they hold their noses and USE them, since their own powers can't overcome the 'science' of the Kolder.
Chapter XVI: Gateway: The Kolder gate is apparently rebuilt, because it hasn't been in use for some time. But it's unclear what the Kolder think they can recover from the world they fled from for good cause--so why reopen the gate?
Chapter XVII: Blasted World: The Kolder homeworld is essentially inhabited by ghosts. The vengeful indigenous people don't seem to be surviving for any reason OTHER than revenge. They have, apparently, no hope of rebuilding a viable world--or of following the Kolder into the Witch World, and establishing themselves there.
Chapter XVIII: Kolder Besieged: The gate is destroyed by one of the Kolders' own weapons. So it's really irrelevant that some of them still hold out in their fastness. But the vengeful ghosts from the Kolder homeworld think it's necessary to end matters--in mutual annihilation.
Chapter XIX: Drink Sword--Up Shield: Whatever FOR? I'd say just slip away quietly. The gate is destroyed, and the Kolder and their ghostly adversaries have evidently joined in a suicide pact. What more is there to do?
Where the first volume was left open-ended, this is apparently meant to be conclusive. But it didn't work out that way. Next is Three against The Witch World.
It might've been interesting to see what she thought of things. As the only female Kolder agent (apparently), why did she abandon the plans she sold out to the Kolder to further? Why, then, did she turn against her Kolder masters, which the Kolder represented as impossible? I find her one of the more enigmatic characters in the series.
I did NOT intend to switch my entire review to this edition: I wanted to review this edition separately, because it's the edition I have. But I'll have to make the best of it.
This is, probably, the first edition, or at least the 1st paperback edition, although it's hard to say, because there is little publication information in this Ace edition. There's not even a table of contents.
The cover picture is a little odd. It's not clear who the woman is meant to be--maybe Aldis? She's one of the few developed characters who went anywhere near a Gate in the book.
The frontispiece is a map of the continent containing Estcarp. Later maps were more detailed, and less crude. None of the maps, as far as I know, include the Sargasso-type area surrounding the island where the Kolder Gate was located.
The blurb for this edition is frankly absurd. Simon Tregarth had at no time in his life a 'throne'. He had a fiefdom at Etsford, as lieutenant to Koris of Gorm--at this point still under the rulership of the Council. And for a while, he was the leader of the Borderers--until the next book in the series.
Contents:
Chapter I: Gauntlet Thrown: Simon and his new wife, the Lady Jaelithe, receive a call for help. By all the canons of the Witches, neither of them should be able to detect such a call (he because he's male, and she because she's a married woman). But there's a gap here: The sender ALSO shouldn't be able to broadcast such an appeal--Loyse, it's been repeatedly indicated, has no trace of the Power.
Chapter II: Border Foray: Simon Tregarth follows up on the appeal, while the Lady Jaelithe appeals for her jewel back.
Chapter III: Black Night: The viewpoint switches to Loyse, who has been lured by a false message. The evidence is that some party in Karsten hopes to secure Yvian's dukedom by enforcing the ax marriage from the 1st book.
Chapter IV: Fulk and--Fulk: Simon Tregarth, with a party of Borderers, raids Verlaine--and finds that Fulk has become an agent of the Kolder--and that he is forced by his masters to suicide rather than be captured. Simon, despite such warnings, decides to impersonate Fulk to travel to Kars.
Chapter V: Red Morning: Simon, Koris, and a small task force from the Borderers arrive in Kars--to discover that Yvian has been fatally wounded, and Loyse is gone.
Chapter VI: Duchess of Karsten: Another shift to Loyse's point of view, and a bit more backstory. Loyse also is puzzled as to Aldis's part in all this.
Chapter VII: The High Walls of Yle: Amidst chaos in Kars, the Borderer party concludes that Loyse has been taken to Yle. Simon comes up with a (frankly foolish) plan to get into Yle. Note that the map gives the name of the capital of Gorm (Sippar), which I hadn't been able to locate before.
Chapter VIII: Print of Kolder: Simon discovers that Fulk had been controlled by the insignia on his belt--and that he himself can't be taken over entirely--as long as his bond with Jaelithe remains...
Chapter IX: Torman's Land: This is somewhat misleading, since it's evident that Tormarsh is an aviacracy (ruled by grandmothers). Loyse and Simon are held by the people of Tormarsh (who don't use doors, apparently--which is not followed up later). The prisoners use their relationships with Koris, bearer of Volt's ax, to drive a wedge into the already shaky relationship between the Kolder and Tormarsh. The Torfolk decide to wash their hands of the whole business.
Chapter X: Jaelithe Found: Turns out she wasn't really 'lost', after all. She just retreated for a while to explore a new aspect of power. Now she's tracking Simon, Loyse, and Aldis to lead Koris and a Sulcar ship to the Kolder gate.
Chapter XI: It's not so much that it's (very) difficult to get a submarine into (and out of) Tormarsh. There's the question of WHY. But then that's the common question. Once the Kolder came to the Witch World, what prevented them from just settling down as other immigrants had?
Chapter XII: She Who Will Not Wait: There are very few 'she's' in this story (the Witches are presented as if they were a gestalt entity, though they evidently retain their own personalities most of the time). In this case, it's a matter of the Lady Jaelithe arranging passage on an adventurous Sulcar exploring ship.
Chapter XIII: Kolder Nest: It's clear from this chapter that the Kolder understand the people of the Witch World even less than the regular people understand the Kolder. By the way--are there any female Kolder at all? And if not, how do they reproduce? I mean, even if you grant the utility of taking over entire worlds (by which I'm trying to convey that I don't), if you're not immortal and you have no children, why bother?
Chapter XIV: Witch Weapon: Looks like Greek Fire to ME. Or not even that, since the weed is evidently inflammable, so it's not necessary to sustain a fire on top of water--just set the weed afire.
Chapter XV: Magic And--Magic: The Witches don't approve of the use of power by unorthodox agents like Simon Tregarth, Loyse, and The Lady Jaelithe. But they hold their noses and USE them, since their own powers can't overcome the 'science' of the Kolder.
Chapter XVI: Gateway: The Kolder gate is apparently rebuilt, because it hasn't been in use for some time. But it's unclear what the Kolder think they can recover from the world they fled from for good cause--so why reopen the gate?
Chapter XVII: Blasted World: The Kolder homeworld is essentially inhabited by ghosts. The vengeful indigenous people don't seem to be surviving for any reason OTHER than revenge. They have, apparently, no hope of rebuilding a viable world--or of following the Kolder into the Witch World, and establishing themselves there.
Chapter XVIII: Kolder Besieged: The gate is destroyed by one of the Kolders' own weapons. So it's really irrelevant that some of them still hold out in their fastness. But the vengeful ghosts from the Kolder homeworld think it's necessary to end matters--in mutual annihilation.
Chapter XIX: Drink Sword--Up Shield: Whatever FOR? I'd say just slip away quietly. The gate is destroyed, and the Kolder and their ghostly adversaries have evidently joined in a suicide pact. What more is there to do?
Where the first volume was left open-ended, this is apparently meant to be conclusive. But it didn't work out that way. Next is Three against The Witch World.
April 17, 2016
A while back, a then-friend who is a huge Andre Norton fan challenged me to read Witch World, in exchange for which she would watch Doctor Who. To the best of my knowledge, the latter never happened, but I kept my part of the bargain.
Simon Tregarth and Jaelithe are together now, the Witch having surrendered her name, and her virginity, and therefore her powers to Simon. I think a powerful story could have been told about just that; they are at war, and Witches, never plentiful, are fewer in number now even than usual because they've been hunted by the enemy, and I think it would make for a solid hook for her superiors to have fought a whole lot harder to prevent her from committing herself to a course of action through which she will – as they thought – lose her powers. As a Witch she was valuable to the Cause; without her powers, what has she to offer? For that matter I'd have liked to have seen her own inner turmoil about the situation.
But this isn't that kind of book. She made a decision, her superiors protested it, she ignored them and married Simon. And, to her amazement, she discovers that her powers aren't, after all, quite gone – with a little practice she might be right back where she was. Which begs the question of whether she is unique in this, or whether the enforced celibacy is necessary… Again, it's not that kind of book.
Loyse is enspelled, and vanishes, and the book is a hunt to get her back and find out exactly what her father is up to, and to learn how the Kolder agents are being used and put a stop to that as well. There is again some good action, and an enjoyable story, if – as I said for Witch World – definitely not as it would have been written today. There would have been a great deal of sex today, very likely …
I liked it all more than I expected to, but not as much as I was intended to by my challenger. Someday I might read more Norton ... but then, there are an awful lot of books out there.
Simon Tregarth and Jaelithe are together now, the Witch having surrendered her name, and her virginity, and therefore her powers to Simon. I think a powerful story could have been told about just that; they are at war, and Witches, never plentiful, are fewer in number now even than usual because they've been hunted by the enemy, and I think it would make for a solid hook for her superiors to have fought a whole lot harder to prevent her from committing herself to a course of action through which she will – as they thought – lose her powers. As a Witch she was valuable to the Cause; without her powers, what has she to offer? For that matter I'd have liked to have seen her own inner turmoil about the situation.
But this isn't that kind of book. She made a decision, her superiors protested it, she ignored them and married Simon. And, to her amazement, she discovers that her powers aren't, after all, quite gone – with a little practice she might be right back where she was. Which begs the question of whether she is unique in this, or whether the enforced celibacy is necessary… Again, it's not that kind of book.
Loyse is enspelled, and vanishes, and the book is a hunt to get her back and find out exactly what her father is up to, and to learn how the Kolder agents are being used and put a stop to that as well. There is again some good action, and an enjoyable story, if – as I said for Witch World – definitely not as it would have been written today. There would have been a great deal of sex today, very likely …
I liked it all more than I expected to, but not as much as I was intended to by my challenger. Someday I might read more Norton ... but then, there are an awful lot of books out there.
January 16, 2025
2025: Ah, the golden days of fantasy and adventure devoured through the imagination of another. It's fun to go back and enjoy these books again. I loved them as a young teen and again as an adult and now as someone basically older than dirt. The imagination and the books that inspire it are ageless. 2021: I still love these books. I found them as a pre-teen in the Sixties--Andre Norton being my "gateway drug" into SF/F. I saved money, did extra chores, and worked after school to buy them as they released. I pretty much have the whole series in the original paperbacks. They remain on a shelf of honor in the home library. Sadly, I'm too scared to read them, for fear they'd fall apart. Also, I'm old. Reading comes much easier via audio books. Imagine my delight when I discovered that Brilliance Audio is slowly releasing the Witch World books in audio. So now I'm saving my money, doing extra chores, and...well...I'd love to have the whole series in which to indulge. FYI, Nick Podehl does a most credible job of narration.
Simon and Jaelath are prominent in this book, though their relationship hits some rocky shores. Married at the beginning of the story, Jaelithe thought she had forsaken her witchood by accepting Simon as husband. Turns out, together they make their own magic. There's evil afoot and when Loyse is taken by subtrefuge, Simaon, Jaelithe, and Koris go after her, each in their own way. The Kolder are involved and there's movement from the rest of Estcarp's enemies. There's derring-do fantasy with a taste of SciFi (the Kolder are a "technically advanced" species). Good fun with just desserts at the end.
September 29, 2017
This was fun but not quite as good as the first Witch World novel. In a lot of ways, it felt like a retread that didn't add much new stuff. Simon is once again sent on an adventure across the different nations around Estcarp on a mission against the Kolder. He and Jaelithe have sort of split up because she seems to have regained her witch abilities, and Loyse is in danger again. Koris, for better or worse, is nowhere to be found, but at least Loyse continues to be a fairly active heroine. I liked the stuff from her point of view, and also enjoyed the part where Simon is mind controlled and we get to see what the Kolder perspective is like. There's also a brief trip to the Kolder's home dimension towards the end, which is interesting if a bit underwhelming, since it's all ruins. I think aside from the plot being kinda samey my issue is that Simon feels more like a native of the Witch World and less like a man from our time and place. There's less of the fish out of water making use of unique abilities here. Yes, he has some form of magic/psychic powers, but even if that's special for men on the Witch World, it doesn't feel like it reflects his Earth nature the same way as John Carter's fighting skill and impressive leaping. This was still a fun read, but it just didn't pull me in as much as the first. I'm going to keep going with the series, even if the next one I have seems to go on a tangent and after that the books sound a bit like the old Star Wars EU. After all, these are fun little adventures even if this wasn't as amazing as the first.
November 27, 2016
Another ridiculous 80s cover though, as I have no idea what the smaller figure is representing - Simon, I suppose but not in any way as portrayed in the book.
The 2nd book follows on the heels of the 1st, although it starts with Simon and Jaelithe married, a done deal - so nothing is shown of the decision to sacrifice her powers, confronting her sisters or any internal angst.
Having established the characters and players in the 1st book, there is more plot action relating to those dastardly Kolders, and wraps up with rather more drama than the confrontation in the 1st book. Lots of blood and death throughout, but mainly in the background. Loyse is allowed another minor POV but the main POVs are Jaelithe and Simon, and of the two Simon is the one who spends more time thinking about the relationship and Jaelithe's decision. A bit more in the way of character development here as Simon and Jaelithe focus on developing their link and powers separately and in tandem. Admittedly, I cannot figure what would have caused Aldis to do what she did at the end of the book as there was no benefit for her, in more ways than one.
In a way, I suppose, the 1st 2 Witch World books are an introduction to this world as Simon and Jaelithe do not figure in the remaining books... to my recollection.
The 2nd book follows on the heels of the 1st, although it starts with Simon and Jaelithe married, a done deal - so nothing is shown of the decision to sacrifice her powers, confronting her sisters or any internal angst.
Having established the characters and players in the 1st book, there is more plot action relating to those dastardly Kolders, and wraps up with rather more drama than the confrontation in the 1st book. Lots of blood and death throughout, but mainly in the background. Loyse is allowed another minor POV but the main POVs are Jaelithe and Simon, and of the two Simon is the one who spends more time thinking about the relationship and Jaelithe's decision. A bit more in the way of character development here as Simon and Jaelithe focus on developing their link and powers separately and in tandem. Admittedly, I cannot figure what would have caused Aldis to do what she did at the end of the book as there was no benefit for her, in more ways than one.
In a way, I suppose, the 1st 2 Witch World books are an introduction to this world as Simon and Jaelithe do not figure in the remaining books... to my recollection.
September 10, 2016
A quite good book. As was Witch world (first of this series), not quite as enigmatic nor dark as some of Norton's other books, but still quite good. There were several places in this story where events weren't explained very well, and I wasn't quite sure what was happening. Also, as in the first book, the ending was a bit anti-climatic. The story built up to a big battle, but there wasn't much to the ending battle. Sitll, very enjoyable, though.
The different series in the Witch World books was rather confusing to me. To assist others, here are several sites with good information:
A suggested reading order:
http://www.andre-norton-books.com/arc...
Although I'm not sure I'd agree with this. Publication date order is often the best.
I like this site better. It gives a listing of the books by Cycle order and also lists publication date. This, I believe, was created by the author (or, at least putatively, endorsed by her):
http://www.andre-norton.org/wworld/ww...
And, on that same site, an overview of the available information about the entire series (at least 35 books):
http://www.andre-norton.org/wworld/
The different series in the Witch World books was rather confusing to me. To assist others, here are several sites with good information:
A suggested reading order:
http://www.andre-norton-books.com/arc...
Although I'm not sure I'd agree with this. Publication date order is often the best.
I like this site better. It gives a listing of the books by Cycle order and also lists publication date. This, I believe, was created by the author (or, at least putatively, endorsed by her):
http://www.andre-norton.org/wworld/ww...
And, on that same site, an overview of the available information about the entire series (at least 35 books):
http://www.andre-norton.org/wworld/
May 21, 2015
This is the third of the 'Witch-world' novels I have read, and the 2nd of the earliest 'series' of said books.
Like much of classic fiction, it's inteeresting to read a book that formulates and utilizes cliches and tropes, especially when some of those tropes now evoke a very different cultural response. I expected Witch-world to be fantasy, and it was, and yet it reminded me far more of say Michael Morcooks' Runestaff books than it did of Tolkien. Ancient alien forces utilizing some sort of technology battling against witches. A strange magical structure that it seems might not be as rigid as we(and the characters) were first led to believe. Gender dynamics and relationship structures that are to a degree now anachronistic(though nowhere near comparable to say Lensmen.)
While this book didn't blow me away it did keep me reading and I did enjoy it more than the first one.
Like much of classic fiction, it's inteeresting to read a book that formulates and utilizes cliches and tropes, especially when some of those tropes now evoke a very different cultural response. I expected Witch-world to be fantasy, and it was, and yet it reminded me far more of say Michael Morcooks' Runestaff books than it did of Tolkien. Ancient alien forces utilizing some sort of technology battling against witches. A strange magical structure that it seems might not be as rigid as we(and the characters) were first led to believe. Gender dynamics and relationship structures that are to a degree now anachronistic(though nowhere near comparable to say Lensmen.)
While this book didn't blow me away it did keep me reading and I did enjoy it more than the first one.
September 29, 2015
“Web” was a bit of a surprise. I liked “Witch World”, but didn’t love it. I struggled with the prose and simply the act of reading. The version of the book I had was a first edition paperback with a font that looks like 6 point on yellowing paper so old, it’s orange. I could only read about twenty pages before getting tired. It was nominated for a Hugo in 1964, but it didn’t generate the excitement in me I thought it would. “Web” on the other hand, had me totally enrapt. I ate it up despite the similar prose, tiny font, orange pages, and watering eyes. I’m guessing that I needed to warm up to the world building with one book, so I could slide right into it with this one.
Come visit my blog for the full review:
http://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspot...
Come visit my blog for the full review:
http://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspot...
December 8, 2018
I've rediscovered Andre Norton thanks to a book club member who included this one in an order. The hero finds himself embroiled in an alien world war to which he has traveled. In this new environment he has won a throne and a witch-wife but finds it threated by highly scientific alien invaders from a place called the Kolder. The story provides an enjoyable read as Simon Tregarth and his witch-wife, Jaelithe, strive to save the world to which he has been transplanted. The reader hears the story from both when they are separated by events. Very good read.
July 11, 2013
As one might expect, this volume doesn't work as well as "Witch World". However, it is an enjoyable read and furthers the adventures of the characters we have already met in Norton's interesting universe.
For those interested, the entire series in reading order is:
Witch World
Web of,the Witch World
Year of the Unicorn
Three Against the Witch World
Warlock of the Witch World
Sorceress of the Witch World
Later on Norton added Spell of the Witch World--a collection of stories set in that universe.
For those interested, the entire series in reading order is:
Witch World
Web of,the Witch World
Year of the Unicorn
Three Against the Witch World
Warlock of the Witch World
Sorceress of the Witch World
Later on Norton added Spell of the Witch World--a collection of stories set in that universe.
March 30, 2011
A fine sequel to The Witch World (#1), though it doesn't have the remarkable pacing, extraordinary reversals and vast scope of the first book. Norton ties up lots of loose ends and spends too much time adding new muscles to the Hero. The antagonists remain quite terrible in this book, though somehow despite their pervasiveness and ever trumped power, the tension fails to hold. Norton seems to have violated the key to maintaining horror: an asymmetry of power and knowledge between the villains and the heros.
July 26, 2025
Неожиданно зачетный (особенно на фоне средненькой первой части) science fantasy боевик, с псионикой, мечами, танками, древними цивилизациями, коварной политикой, межмировыми вратами и всем прочим. Очевидный источник вдохновения для Фармера с его Многоярусным миром, как в свою очередь сам Фармер позднее послужил источником вдохновения для Желязны с Амбером, ну и далее везде, вплоть до строссовских Merchant Princes. Занятная такая творческая эстафета через десятилетия :)
October 31, 2010
Strangely sloppy and unsatisfying, and reads as if it were written under extreme deadline pressure; situations spin by without clarification, characters come and go for no reason, and parts of the prose are almost impossible to read with a straight face. However, Andre Norton's baseline brilliance of invention is hard to beat.
December 1, 2011
A reasonably enjoyable book. There's some clunky grammar in here, and most of the characterisations are pretty thin, but it's not looking too shabby for a book that's nearly 50 years old! At any rate, it's been 20 years since I last read a Witch world book, so this served as a good reintroduction to that universe.
August 8, 2008
A good follow up to Witch World. I have it in Hard back from the SF book club. The volume includes the first three books.
June 13, 2018
I have never liked this as much as the other books about the Witch World, and after reading others' comments, I realized it is because it feels incomplete and out of place.
March 29, 2013
Just as good as I remembered from the first time I read it in 1985.
July 16, 2016
Love her books
I have her books in paperback now I'm putting them here where I can make text larger so I can enjoy them again.
I have her books in paperback now I'm putting them here where I can make text larger so I can enjoy them again.
January 2, 2017
great norton
Not her best but well worth a read ! Well deserves the title of GRAND MASTER !! I Liked it .
Not her best but well worth a read ! Well deserves the title of GRAND MASTER !! I Liked it .
September 16, 2017
Book #2 is not so much a sequel but a continuation of Book #1, set a year later.
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