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Water Witch
At the instigation of her con-artist father, Deza masquerades as a witch who can control the water supply of the desert planet of Mahali, in order to deceive its rulers and become rich, but the deception backfires.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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385 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Felice
16 books12 followersAn American science fiction writer. Her first novel, Godsfire, and her first short story, "David and Lindy", were published in 1978. She and Connie Willis have co-written three novels that are often considered young adult fiction, according to Willis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 14, 2017
Might be three and a half. I found the first half of the novel a bit confusing and slow. Deza seemed a simpering gold digger and Radi was a pompous ass. I didn't find the love story all that believable. But they grew on me and once Deza regained her memories the novel vastly improved. I also was pleasantly surprised by Edvar who proved to be resourceful and intelligent instead of a stupid boy lead around by his man-parts. I do think this would have been better as a longer novel with more fleshed out characters and more world building.
September 26, 2023
I book I read somewhen between 9 to 13 that stuck with me for so long that I had to go search it out decades later. Imagine my surprise when I learned Connie Willis, who wrote two of my favorite books* was co-author. Now if I can get the courage to read it again.
*Bellwether and To Say Nothing of the Dog
*Bellwether and To Say Nothing of the Dog
March 10, 2011
On the planet of Mahali, where the ancient talent for water-witching has been replaced by a computerized system, two characters collide: Deza, daughter of a con artist whose plan has gone horribly awry; and Radi, on a royally appointed mission to deal with the threat of the Tycoon. The story incorporates romance, adventure and intrigue on a river-ride to what seems like a no-win conclusion.
The feel of this story is intriguing: it's either a science fiction story with fantasy trappings, or a fantasy story with science fiction trappings, depending on how you look at it. Because of this, despite the fact the book is almost thirty years old, the science in it wears very well. The only part that made me burst out laughing was a bit about the lack of communications between the Tycoon's compound and the City due to the lack of landlines. Oh really?
However, for me, the emotional dimensions weren't always written fully and convincingly. In particular, I didn't buy into the love story. In a story that was otherwise fairly deep into the character's heads, much of the chemistry was introduced through actions without support of thought or emotion. Now, I hate the romance novel cliche of bashing the reader over the head with the "mysterious feelings," but this book goes too far in the other direction.
In addition, I never got the impression that Radi loved Sheria (the princess he starts the story engaged to) - it read like a marriage of convenience, and I was surprised when he was upset later on. (Contributing to my confusion was the fact that Radi seemed to think nothing of sleeping with another woman. This is somewhat fitting to the time period of the setting the SF millieu mimics, but it was never explained or even mentioned, so I was left with a slightly sour puzzlement.)
I'm not quite sure whether the principle development in the latter half of the story was meant to be a surprise; it was certainly obvious to me from before the character was even introduced, which leads me to believe the reader was meant to know, but who knows.
The character of the father and how he is incorporated into the story as a deceased spirit is great, and his commentary throughout is a delight. This story also has one of the best one-thing-after-another sequences, as character after character barges into Deza's bedroom to speak with her. It's so tight and perfect that I put the book down at the end of the last entrance and howled. The character of Edvar (the Tycoon's son) is also a refreshing surprise.
Overall, this was a solid story with some shining moments, but I felt that it lacked some depth and intensity, and I would have enjoyed the romance better if the setup had been more distinct.
The feel of this story is intriguing: it's either a science fiction story with fantasy trappings, or a fantasy story with science fiction trappings, depending on how you look at it. Because of this, despite the fact the book is almost thirty years old, the science in it wears very well. The only part that made me burst out laughing was a bit about the lack of communications between the Tycoon's compound and the City due to the lack of landlines. Oh really?
However, for me, the emotional dimensions weren't always written fully and convincingly. In particular, I didn't buy into the love story. In a story that was otherwise fairly deep into the character's heads, much of the chemistry was introduced through actions without support of thought or emotion. Now, I hate the romance novel cliche of bashing the reader over the head with the "mysterious feelings," but this book goes too far in the other direction.
In addition, I never got the impression that Radi loved Sheria (the princess he starts the story engaged to) - it read like a marriage of convenience, and I was surprised when he was upset later on. (Contributing to my confusion was the fact that Radi seemed to think nothing of sleeping with another woman. This is somewhat fitting to the time period of the setting the SF millieu mimics, but it was never explained or even mentioned, so I was left with a slightly sour puzzlement.)
I'm not quite sure whether the principle development in the latter half of the story was meant to be a surprise; it was certainly obvious to me from before the character was even introduced, which leads me to believe the reader was meant to know, but who knows.
The character of the father and how he is incorporated into the story as a deceased spirit is great, and his commentary throughout is a delight. This story also has one of the best one-thing-after-another sequences, as character after character barges into Deza's bedroom to speak with her. It's so tight and perfect that I put the book down at the end of the last entrance and howled. The character of Edvar (the Tycoon's son) is also a refreshing surprise.
Overall, this was a solid story with some shining moments, but I felt that it lacked some depth and intensity, and I would have enjoyed the romance better if the setup had been more distinct.
January 17, 2018
I first read this when I was in high school over thirty years ago some time ago, shortly after the book was published. At the time, I was a voracious sci-fi reading machine, zipping through several books each week, and mostly, they all blend together now, but I remembered that this one was pretty good, so when I noticed it was available on kindle unlimited, I decided to read it again.
I would say it is still a pretty good, although overly simple, science fiction adventure story. Both the world-building and the characterization could have been fleshed out a bit more, but it was entertaining. Some descriptions of the world were quite vivid, and I liked the dialogue. For some reason, I never read any of Willis's later books, and as I've heard she improved a lot, I will probably check them out at some point.
Read for Unapologetic Romance Readers 2018 challenge: science fiction category (It's not primarily a romance, but there's some romance in it, so I say that counts.)
I would say it is still a pretty good, although overly simple, science fiction adventure story. Both the world-building and the characterization could have been fleshed out a bit more, but it was entertaining. Some descriptions of the world were quite vivid, and I liked the dialogue. For some reason, I never read any of Willis's later books, and as I've heard she improved a lot, I will probably check them out at some point.
Read for Unapologetic Romance Readers 2018 challenge: science fiction category (It's not primarily a romance, but there's some romance in it, so I say that counts.)
March 3, 2013
This book, co-written by Cynthia Felice, was Connie Willis' first published novel. (1982).
Unfortunately, although this book is a perfectly acceptable sci-fantasy adventure, it does not show any of the witty, original aspects that have subsequently catapulted Willis to the forefront of her field.
The cover blurb is by Andre Norton, and it reads very much like it was strongly influenced by Norton.
On a desert planet, controlling the underground water supply is of primary importance. Unfortunately, infighting has decimated the nobility, and the final surviving princess has none of the hereditary water-witch mental powers needed - instead she relies on computers - and seems to be making shady deals with off-worlders for weapons and more.
Her trusting fiance tries to do damage control on the situation - but a flyer accident strands him in the desert - where he meets another victim of recent disaster - Deza, a young woman whose life has been that of a con-artist, pretending to be a water-witch herself, along with her father.
Now, her father has been killed, and her father's spirit seems to be able to telepathically communicate with her through an animal known as a mbuzi - the bones of which have long been associated with both the water-witch powers and other legends - and which now seem like they may become a hot commodity off-world...
The complexity of the situation here deserves more than a 200-odd page book, and although the book is entertaining, it doesn't achieve greatness.
Unfortunately, although this book is a perfectly acceptable sci-fantasy adventure, it does not show any of the witty, original aspects that have subsequently catapulted Willis to the forefront of her field.
The cover blurb is by Andre Norton, and it reads very much like it was strongly influenced by Norton.
On a desert planet, controlling the underground water supply is of primary importance. Unfortunately, infighting has decimated the nobility, and the final surviving princess has none of the hereditary water-witch mental powers needed - instead she relies on computers - and seems to be making shady deals with off-worlders for weapons and more.
Her trusting fiance tries to do damage control on the situation - but a flyer accident strands him in the desert - where he meets another victim of recent disaster - Deza, a young woman whose life has been that of a con-artist, pretending to be a water-witch herself, along with her father.
Now, her father has been killed, and her father's spirit seems to be able to telepathically communicate with her through an animal known as a mbuzi - the bones of which have long been associated with both the water-witch powers and other legends - and which now seem like they may become a hot commodity off-world...
The complexity of the situation here deserves more than a 200-odd page book, and although the book is entertaining, it doesn't achieve greatness.
February 17, 2025
Deza and her father try to con the people of Mahali by passing her off as a Water Witch - making her a heriditary ruler of the planet. When things start to go wrong, she realises she has taken on far more than she originally bargained for.
A fairly slow start, mostly concerned with world building, the story picks up pace about of a quarter of the way through and gains momentum as the novel comes to an unexpected climax. Willis and Felice write believable and recognisable characters, which helps "sell" the science fictional and fantastic elements of the plot.
A fairly slow start, mostly concerned with world building, the story picks up pace about of a quarter of the way through and gains momentum as the novel comes to an unexpected climax. Willis and Felice write believable and recognisable characters, which helps "sell" the science fictional and fantastic elements of the plot.
June 14, 2007
SF. For generations, water witches have ruled the desert planet of Mahali, their sensitivity to water allowing them to find and direct the underground river to where it's needed, but the current ruler has no sway over the water and must rely on a computer system to manipulate its flow. That actually sounds like a really interesting premise. Too bad this book chose to focus more on the poorly orchestrated murder attempts and the wandering around in the desert.
I have no idea who Cynthia Felice is, but this didn't read like Connie Willis at all. There were some nice hints at world building and, in comparison, a surprising amount of detail devoted to the animal life on the planet, but the romance had no heat or reason behind it; the big reveal wasn't a revelation; the extended flashbacks weren't necessary (at least not at that length!), and we spent a good 20% of the book walking through underground caverns in the dark. Also, Deza, the main female character, was dangerously close to being a Mary Sue. She was kinda telepathic! She had both male leads in love with her! She could sense water with her delicate cheekbones!
Two stars. The stuff with the animals was great, and though I mock the telepathy, I did enjoy Deza's relationship with the goat-thing.
I have no idea who Cynthia Felice is, but this didn't read like Connie Willis at all. There were some nice hints at world building and, in comparison, a surprising amount of detail devoted to the animal life on the planet, but the romance had no heat or reason behind it; the big reveal wasn't a revelation; the extended flashbacks weren't necessary (at least not at that length!), and we spent a good 20% of the book walking through underground caverns in the dark. Also, Deza, the main female character, was dangerously close to being a Mary Sue. She was kinda telepathic! She had both male leads in love with her! She could sense water with her delicate cheekbones!
Two stars. The stuff with the animals was great, and though I mock the telepathy, I did enjoy Deza's relationship with the goat-thing.
March 8, 2016
As far as I know Water Witch is Connie Willis' earliest work and it's a nice introduction to her world. The book was written thirty years ago but it hasn't aged at all, it feels like it could have been written two years ago. The characters and plot do lack depth compared to other novels by Willis and the story is predictable but the book is an entertaining nonetheless. There is a bit more romance than in other Connie Willis books I've read in the past but I've noticed that this usually happens when she collaborates with Cynthia Felice (granted, there is a lot less romance here than in Promised Land). Ultimately, I think what I enjoyed most in Water Witch is the world created by Willis & Felice. The character of Deza's father and the way it is incorporated in the story is also a nice addition to the book. A fun read!
June 21, 2021
I didn't know this existed until it appeared in the Leaning Tower of Literacy.
September 9, 2023
This is Cynthia’s third book and Connie’s first book. They have co-authored 3 books. This one, Light Raid (1989), and Promised Land (1997). The books aren’t connected in any way other than being co-authored.
This book can be summed up as - Slippery Jim goes to Arrakis. This is a somewhat facetious description, but also not wholly inaccurate. The back cover blurb starts with ‘On the desert world of Mahali, he who controls water rules an empire.’ Of course on a desert world water would be power. The concept is not unique to Dune, or to this book, it’s more a truism of the setup. There are many books which fit this basic mould. But there is also gembone, a unique substance which enables meta-physical mind powers passed through the bloodline of the water witches and is valuable off world. Spice or Bene Gesserit anyone? There deadly singing snakes instead of sandworms.
Slippery Jim diGriz aka The Stainless Steel Rat. This book opens with Deza and her father pulling a con which goes sideways. The very essence of an SSR story. Deza’s attitude and actions remind me very much of Harry Harrison’s classic character.
So you’re probably thinking I didn’t like this book, however the exact opposite is true. I loved it because of the similarities. I loved the Dune books and the SSR books, and I love this book because it takes some of the best elements from those books and recombines them into something new, that is also familiar and cherished.
The book is an SF Fantasy hybrid, like Dune and Star Wars. You’ve got spaceships, people from different planets, laser guns, and computers for the SF element. And you have royal houses, magical powers, and quasi-medieval setting for the Fantasy element.
I haven’t read any of Cynthia’s sole authored books, but I have read many of Connie’s. This book is comparable to Connie’s other books in terms of writing. It’s is very much a charcter driven book with intricately detailed settings.
This book isn’t life-changing or mind-blowing. It’s is great story telling. Believable characters in a complex plot of love and betrayal and revenge with the fate of a world in the balance. Highly recommended escapist entertainment.
This book can be summed up as - Slippery Jim goes to Arrakis. This is a somewhat facetious description, but also not wholly inaccurate. The back cover blurb starts with ‘On the desert world of Mahali, he who controls water rules an empire.’ Of course on a desert world water would be power. The concept is not unique to Dune, or to this book, it’s more a truism of the setup. There are many books which fit this basic mould. But there is also gembone, a unique substance which enables meta-physical mind powers passed through the bloodline of the water witches and is valuable off world. Spice or Bene Gesserit anyone? There deadly singing snakes instead of sandworms.
Slippery Jim diGriz aka The Stainless Steel Rat. This book opens with Deza and her father pulling a con which goes sideways. The very essence of an SSR story. Deza’s attitude and actions remind me very much of Harry Harrison’s classic character.
So you’re probably thinking I didn’t like this book, however the exact opposite is true. I loved it because of the similarities. I loved the Dune books and the SSR books, and I love this book because it takes some of the best elements from those books and recombines them into something new, that is also familiar and cherished.
The book is an SF Fantasy hybrid, like Dune and Star Wars. You’ve got spaceships, people from different planets, laser guns, and computers for the SF element. And you have royal houses, magical powers, and quasi-medieval setting for the Fantasy element.
I haven’t read any of Cynthia’s sole authored books, but I have read many of Connie’s. This book is comparable to Connie’s other books in terms of writing. It’s is very much a charcter driven book with intricately detailed settings.
This book isn’t life-changing or mind-blowing. It’s is great story telling. Believable characters in a complex plot of love and betrayal and revenge with the fate of a world in the balance. Highly recommended escapist entertainment.
October 23, 2020
Willis, Connie, and Cynthia Felice. Water Witch. Ace, 1996.
Connie Willis is always a class act who finds new ways to treat traditional genre material. Water Witch would seem at first to be pure fantasy, but we gradually realize that all the seemingly paranormal elements are really bits of far future tech. A father-daughter team is running a game on the Tycoon (it seems to be an official title) in a desert city. The daughter pretends to be a princess with a paranormal gift of water divination. But then the game goes sour, and the plot thickens in unexpected ways. Characters are surprisingly nuanced, and the story has several satisfying twists. Fun.
Connie Willis is always a class act who finds new ways to treat traditional genre material. Water Witch would seem at first to be pure fantasy, but we gradually realize that all the seemingly paranormal elements are really bits of far future tech. A father-daughter team is running a game on the Tycoon (it seems to be an official title) in a desert city. The daughter pretends to be a princess with a paranormal gift of water divination. But then the game goes sour, and the plot thickens in unexpected ways. Characters are surprisingly nuanced, and the story has several satisfying twists. Fun.
October 8, 2020
Was just in the mood for a short book after finishing the 10 book Amber series.
Enjoyable enough book. Gets straight into some action without building up too much back story which I usually like, but did find it a bit confusing to get into.
Not a huge amount of depth to the characters. The 2 main ones got a bit more likable as the book progressed.
A bit of intrigue and some twists but generally predictable.
Enjoyable enough book. Gets straight into some action without building up too much back story which I usually like, but did find it a bit confusing to get into.
Not a huge amount of depth to the characters. The 2 main ones got a bit more likable as the book progressed.
A bit of intrigue and some twists but generally predictable.
February 2, 2021
Definitely the product of its time. It brought to my mind a strange mix of Dragonriders and Dune
There are very noticable underdeveloped protagonists and uneven plot. And honestly I don't buy the romance between them
There are very noticable underdeveloped protagonists and uneven plot. And honestly I don't buy the romance between them
October 6, 2017
A solid 3.5 stars.
May 18, 2019
A slight and pleasant and quickly-read book. 3.5 stars really.
October 5, 2022
Ugh
Struggle to get through this one. Plot and characters were just a heavy slog. At the end didn't really care of outcome
Struggle to get through this one. Plot and characters were just a heavy slog. At the end didn't really care of outcome
May 29, 2023
Meh. Character development paper-thin and not very credible, world-building atrocious if you've read Dune, handy when dropping off to sleep.
August 8, 2012
Disappointing, but at least I only paid $.50 for it. I love Connie Willis's other work, but this one didn't do it for me. The setting was interesting enough: the world of Mahali is comprised largely of desert, with the water controlled for generations by "water witches", whose sensitivity to and mastery of the element allowed them to direct available water to specific areas, including changing the course of rivers to drain the underground chambers that now house their capital city. Over time, however, fewer and fewer inherited the trait, and the role of the water witch became more ceremonial, with the witches themselves called "priests", and actual control of the water relegated to an elaborate computer system. The last of the hereditary rulers of the city have all died or fled due to various plots and coups. Now the city is under the rule of Sheria, who wears the outward symbols of the water witch, but has no actual power of her own.
A new wave of colonists has recently arrived from the original home planet of the inhabitants of Mahali; there has been no contact between them in generations (perhaps centuries) due to civil wars and other conflicts there. These new immigrants are far out of step with the lifestyle of a water-poor society, and some of them see Mahali's few resources only as things to exploit for their own profit.
Deza, a young Mahali woman con artist, has recently been part of the household of a powerful and wealthy colonist, called only The Tycoon. At her father's instigation, Deza had planned to seduce the Tycoon's heir and then get the family to pay her off to leave him alone. Unexpectedly, her father changes their plans and the two flee the estate, only to meet with disaster when their hovercraft crashes and her father is killed. Trying to survive in the hostile environment, she meets Radi, a prince of the city and Sheria's fiance, traveling in disguise, and to her dismay he takes her right back to the Tycoon's stronghold, where he intends to uncover what plot the newcomer is hatching. Deza has been passing herself off as a water witch - but her ploy is much less of a lie than she believes it to be. Together they try to maintain their respective pretenses and save their world.
A new wave of colonists has recently arrived from the original home planet of the inhabitants of Mahali; there has been no contact between them in generations (perhaps centuries) due to civil wars and other conflicts there. These new immigrants are far out of step with the lifestyle of a water-poor society, and some of them see Mahali's few resources only as things to exploit for their own profit.
Deza, a young Mahali woman con artist, has recently been part of the household of a powerful and wealthy colonist, called only The Tycoon. At her father's instigation, Deza had planned to seduce the Tycoon's heir and then get the family to pay her off to leave him alone. Unexpectedly, her father changes their plans and the two flee the estate, only to meet with disaster when their hovercraft crashes and her father is killed. Trying to survive in the hostile environment, she meets Radi, a prince of the city and Sheria's fiance, traveling in disguise, and to her dismay he takes her right back to the Tycoon's stronghold, where he intends to uncover what plot the newcomer is hatching. Deza has been passing herself off as a water witch - but her ploy is much less of a lie than she believes it to be. Together they try to maintain their respective pretenses and save their world.
May 27, 2014
Connie Willis's collaborations with Cynthia Felice aren't at the level of her best solo work. In particular, Willis is just not good with villains, and her best books involve heroes struggling against impersonal forces of nature: in "Doomsday Book", the Black Plague; in "To Say Nothing of the Dog", history. Perhaps this is why the villains in "Water Witch" appear more like impersonal forces than actual people. Sheria is power-hungry in the manner of a James Bond villain, someone who seems to pursue evil more or less for its own sake. Further increasing her resemblance to a Bond villain, she has a diabolical plan to destroy the capital city; given that it's also her capital city -- she comes as close as anyone does to ruling the world on which the novel is set -- you do wonder a bit if this was really the best plan she could come up with. She also hates Radi, our hero, for reasons that are never explained. Harubiki, her henchwoman, displays a fanatical loyalty that is also of unclear origins, given that she and Radi were at one time lovers (actually, as Sheria and Radi are engaged at the start of the book, there may be a pattern here). And our final villain is never even named: he's merely "the Tycoon". Ironically, he actually gets the most detailed characterization: the problem is that Willis and Felice can't quite seem to decide whether he's merely a greedy dupe of Sheria or if he's just as complicit as she is. However, in real time these problems are less important: Radi and our heroine, Deza, are both well-drawn and sympathetic, the plot is expertly arranged and moves quickly, Deza's conversations with her father's ghost (residing in a small ungulate) add a touch of humor, and Willis and Felice never bog the story down with unnecessary explanations. Perhaps this book's most impressive accomplishment is just how rare it is for some aspect of it to echo "Dune", a not inconsiderable feat for a sci-fi novel set on a desert planet.
August 23, 2008
This is a sci fi story about a desert society where the rulers have an ability to detect water. The ruling princesses are given special cheek implants which further enhance this ability. At this time there is only one princess with this power, and she relies more on technology than any powers to detect and control water. There was a coup many years ago and the original rulers with this ability fled and were said to be dead. This story centers around a con-artist pretending to be the exiled princess, and a military leader from the palace sent to arrest her. Light and enjoyable. A little predictable. Interesting world. I think that this is probably not Connie Willis' best work but it is fun.
January 9, 2013
This book is really by Cynthia Felice AND Connie Willis, despite what Goodreads lists above. Deza is a con artist trying to pass herself off as a water witch, someone with a supernatural ability to detect, control, and communicate through water, which is a big deal on this dry, poisonous planet. But her con isn't going well as her father has just died and his spirit has been transmuted into this goat-like creature that is sending her telepathic messages.
BTW, I liked this book about 100 times more than Light Raid by the same authors, and yet I give them both four stars. Go figure.
BTW, I liked this book about 100 times more than Light Raid by the same authors, and yet I give them both four stars. Go figure.
October 7, 2015
This is a book whose story has stayed with me down through the years. I recently re-read it and once again thoroughly enjoyed it. The alien environment is well realized and dialogue witty. But how to explain that special quality? If you enjoyed "The Witches of Karres" by James Schmitz, "Citizen of the Galaxy" by Robert Heinlein, "The X Factor" by Andre Norton, "An Accidental Goddess" by Linnea Sinclair or oddly "The Secret Garden" by Francis Hodgson Burnett, you will like this book.
August 4, 2009
thanks to the marvels of bookmooch, i got my hands on a copy of this (from iran, of all places). and it was a good, satisfying read, although not as good as Willis on her own, and not nearly as good as Promised Land. then again, not much is.
May 11, 2010
Obviously one of Willis's early efforts, I still enjoyed the glimpses of creative myths/technologies and their interweavings. This book has a lot of potential to be expanded and elaborated on at some future date.
January 22, 2012
One of my favorite old time SFR books. Great early Connie Willis (I actually like her earlier books which were character sketches-her newer books are world building and plot driven masterpieces but nothing comes close to a good character study-for me anyway!)
October 12, 2015
It was a unique story by two authors. The main characters are likable and their relationships are complex. I appreciated the blend of writing I'm familiar with (Willis') with another author whose style was new to me (Felice's).
March 18, 2010
Once you meet all the main characters it is totally predicatable and not eapecially charming.
October 11, 2011
The worldbuilding was fascinating for this one, but I got hung up on how cliched it felt, despite some interesting twists and characterizations. [March 2010]
July 16, 2011
This wasn't as fun as "To Say Nothing of the Dog", but I enjoyed it. Will continue to read this author (Willis)
May 5, 2012
Obviously early Willis. It's good, but not great. I did enjoy it, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews