The Crystal Gryphon

Witch World Series 2: High Hallack Cycle #5

by Andre Norton

When Ulm is invaded, a young boy who carries the curse of his ancestors discovers a crystal gryphon which helps him save the kingdom

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult, Romance

250 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Andre 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.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

DAW Collectors #75

Cover Artist: Jack Gaughan

Name: Norton, Andre Alice, Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA, (17 February 1912 - 17 March 2005)

Alternate Name: Andrew North

Her first science fiction novel was Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. published in 1952.

The Crystal Gryphon is the first book of the Gryphon Trilogy.

the story is told via duo viewpoints, that of Lord Kerovan of Ulmsdale and his promised bride, Lady Joisan of the Dales of High Hallack.

When Kerovan’s mother was to give birth, she was forced to shelter in the mysterious ruins of the Old Ones. Due to this, or perhaps the rumor that she had blood of the old race herself, her son was born with small cloven hooves instead of feet and his eyes were the color of butter amber. His father decides to name him heir despite his unusual features, and to prove his intentions, he “ax-weds” his ten year old son to an eight year old girl of good connections. Young Joisan remains with her family, to be sent for when she comes of age.

When Kerovan becomes a man, there is danger afoot as the Hounds of Alizon attack the mountains of High Hallack and Kerovan joins the Dale armies to represent Ulmsdale. Before he leaves, he sends Joisan a beautiful crystal gryphon encased in a globe, an object of power that he had found, almost as an after thought. Soon, Kerovan’s father dies and his mother rejects Kerovan’s claim to Ulmsdale, wishing to pass it on to her daughter and her new betrothed. Ulmsdale is betrayed to the enemy and falls, leaving Kerovan to depart and travel across the war-torn lands of High Hallack to Joisen’s Dale.

As she has grown, young Joisen learned how to wear armor and to fight with a light sword. She wears the tiny gryphon under her mail as a keepsake from her unknown fiance, a man she has never met in person. When Kerovan finds her, she mistakes him for one of the Old Ones due to his cloven feet and reserved manner.

The two set off into the wilderness as the Dales fall to the invaders, seeking the lands of the Old Ones and learning about the power of the gryphon and of each other. They hope to save their people from enslavement and destruction.

Gryphon Trilogy:

The Crystal Gryphon (1972)
Gryphon in Glory (1981)
Gryphon’s Eyrie (1984) with A. C. Crispin

[Byrd Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Andre Norton books (and series) that I spent some time Sunday re-reading. This is more of a homage, perhaps than a review. Re-reading it, I still felt that magic from so long ago - and part nostalgic, and part for the story I rank this a high 5 stars.

I probably read this when it was first published in 1972 (by DAW books, I believe). I had already discovered Norton with one of her earlier SF stories due to a recommendation from my favorite Huber Heights librarian who had taken me under her wing.

The Gryphon series (including the three original books) details the lives of Kerovan and Joisan in High Hallack with alternating first person accounts of the two main characters. We get background of who they have been since birth, their status in society, and the people who support (or work against) them.

Both are children when they are Axe married (Norton studied Anthropology and you can find a lot of true historical details in her books if you look), however they don't physically meet until about 75% of the book. The dynamic of being married through proxy puts them both into having conflicted emotions about their relationship. When they meet, Joisan mistakes Kerovan for an Old One and the POV of each on how this effects this is really wonderful. I wanted this to go on for chapters!

In this first book, we also get a better feel for the medieval feel of the landscape (something that is lacking in the next book, Gryphon in Glory) as both Kerovan and especially, Joisan, must navigate a world that is experiencing an over sea invasion.

One of the most evocative scenes is when a minor character who has helped Joisan escape, dies. His burial recalls the vibe of medieval Camelot. It's just one of the touches in this book which makes it one of Norton's strongest.

Many of the themes found throughout Norton's works can be found in this one such as:

1.) the hero that doesn't fit into current society. Kerovan with his winged eyebrows over yellow eyes and cloven feet isn't your typical Dalesman. Instead he's been raised apart, making rumors arise that he is a "monster" among the Dale society.

I think this is one reason her books speak to young people where you are at an age where you feel unaccepted, misunderstood, and the oddball. It is why I would still recommend many of her books to young people today - they are a great introduction to SFF without all the smutty teen sex crap that is in current YA fiction nowadays.

YA books should be about self-discovery, identity, and your place in the world, but instead the genre has been swamped by New College Adult books where sexual chemistry is the main story line. Blech. I prefer YA to remain YA, please.

2.) the uncertain parentage of the prime character. Kerovan's conception and birth being interfered with by Higher Powers is a constant theme in the High Hallack and Witch World series. This theme is returned to again for example in The Jargoon Pard (where Kethan's mother is also trying to birth a pawn she can control so she can seize power) as well as many of her other books and short stories.

3.) the hostile mother figure (oh boy, I don't know what Norton's mom did, but the wicked mother theme is one of her favorites), along with horrible scheming siblings. As a plot device, this further isolates the character from having anyone who he/she can rely upon.

4.) the ending where the cast of characters are used as pawns or invoke Higher Powers (the Old Ones in this series, Forerunner in her SF) to overcome danger. This can mean that you don't get that zinger of an ending that I like. However, this is a typical Norton trademark ending.

5.) the magic generally revolves a lot of foretelling or scrying (the future or current events in order to bypass distances between characters), candle magic, calling upon Higher Powers for aid, and the use of talismans or amulets such as Gunnora's pendant or the Crystal Gryphon described in the title here.

In a way the magic is more about your personal power being able to invoke assistance, and again, this is probably more like "real life" documented ways in our world that people have channeled (or believed they did) supernatural power to harm or to heal.

Geographically, Witch World which includes Estcarp (Simon Tregarth, his marriage and triplets) is divided by an ocean from High Hallack (which includes the Dales, and the Waste - an area filled with dangerous radiation, and Arvon, a pastoral ideal). It's why I don't like the lumping together of WW with HH. Two different worlds and in the beginning a marked different society.

The Crystal Gryphon is a great introduction to the High Hallack setting as it is explained well with a good set up of many characters and events that are touched upon by others in the High Hallack and Witch World books: the invasion of HH by mysterious overseas people, the battle fought by Imgry in trying to keep the Dales fighting, Gunnora as a patron goddess for women, and the background of the Old Ones.

The Crystal Gryphon is probably best for readers - 12-14, especially for both girls and boys who feel they are different and don't fit in. It's also a great choice for readers of all ages who want a clean story without sex scenes. If you enjoy older SFF, check this series out.

What readers of today won't like about this book: there isn't a lot of adventure and big swordplay. A lot of Norton's books are told from inside the character's head, and scenes can happen off stage or are discussed as an event that happened in the past. Her books don't have a lot of sexual tension and romance is implied. Actually, these aren't romantic fantasy (which seems to dominate SFF now), but more of a story about identity and believing in yourself.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember the day I first discovered science fiction grand dame Andre Norton. I walked into our favorite used bookstore in San Antonio, Texas. The same used bookstore where I first ran across so many other gems. This particular trip I was looking for something unusual and different and my eye caught on the cover on the left above. I liked how angular the art was and the look of the two companions traveling through what appeared to be an extremely bleak, almost sinister landscape. So I picked up THE CRYSTAL GRYPHON and took it home with me. I was intrigued by the title as I had absolutely no idea what a gryphon was or if a crystal one was exceptional in any way. Shortly after returning home I blew back into the shop, hoping against hope they would have the two sequels it listed inside the cover. Lucky for me, they did. And they had learned by then not to be surprised by the neighborhood kid's urgent comings and goings. I'm pretty sure one of them was a Norton fan anyway.

Kerovan has been cursed since birth. On her way home, his mother was forced to take shelter in one of the ancient ruins of the Old Ones and, as a result, Kerovan was born with hooves instead of feet and eyes the color of molten amber. The heir to the Ulmsdale estate in High Hallack, Kerovan's life has never been his own and he spent much of it being tutored in private and shunned in public by his father's people who do not trust the eldritch young lord. At the same time, far away in the Dales, the young lady Joisan has been married by proxy since she was eight years old to a mysterious Lord Kerovan whom she has never met. Expected to grow up and take over the reins of running his household, Joisan's path takes a drastically different turn when an unidentified force invades High Hallack from the sea. With nothing but a small gryphon set in a crystal globe sent from her lord to wear around her neck, Joisan takes up the armor and weapons to defend her homeland. Kerovan is forced to travel to find Joisan and the two strangers must join together to defeat the dark magic that is invading their land.

In this case, I can tell you that the cover art on that first book is right on. I can't imagine a cover that would more effectively convey the marvelous blend of cold magic and unknown danger that fills this novel. I fell instantly under its spell and could not get enough of Kerovan and Joisan and the awkward way they had to get to know one another against a backdrop of war. They are both so tentative and independent and used to silence and walking hallways alone. The idea of the marriage by proxy fascinated me in a sort of morbid way. I felt so bad for Joisan, but bad for Kerovan as well as he was not used to people becoming accustomed to him and/or welcoming them to their homes. He cannot imagine Joisan would want him and, when she mistakes him for one of the Old Ones upon first meeting, he is sure of it. The story alternates between their points of view and by the time they actually meet for the first time the reader is filled with that delicious mouthful of more knowledge than the characters themselves have and a fierce urging to root for them. It was a pleasure watching them get to know one another and it was especially interesting as the world itself is such a well-developed major player in the novel. Things are by no means "resolved" by its end and I plowed through the next two with relish. A highly recommended trilogy, certainly for Norton fans, but also for those who enjoy their fantasy mixed with a hint of the weird and featuring a pair of strong main characters.
Reading Order: THE CRYSTAL GRYPHON, Gryphon in Glory, and Gryphon's Eyrie (co-written with A.C. Crispin)

[Mandapanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I picked this up on a Goodreads recommendation but it didn't appeal. Written back in the 70's, it felt very outdated. Olde English style dialogue that failed to excite me. The two MC's were stupidly noble to the point that they seem to actively participate in their own downfall.

[Aldrea Alien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say, having read Gryphon's Eyrie first, I went into this book with a knowledge of one who has read a series and now has the prequel.
Though, as one of the main characters, Kerovan's manner is stiff and rather formal. When one places it against the foil of his upbringing - the emotional abandonment of his father; the hatred from his mother; and the eventual loss of those he'd come to know as friends - such detachment is rather human. This inner turmoil is constant in all of narrative, yet it does not overwhelm the reader in a 'poor me' attitude, instead it has an atmosphere of acceptance.
On the other side of the coin, Joisan, who we are told from the get-go is to become his wife (and shares the chapter-switch with Kerovan) is confident in herself and, though not sure of her abilities, has a wide streak of determination that goes far to make her a good and strong character.
Though set against the back-drop of an invasion (one whose origins are clearer if read in sequence with the other witch world novels), there is little in the way of political or military talk, but it's pretty clear early on that this is more about the characters inner struggle than the physical battles happening around them, yet both play an important part to make this story a fantastic read.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story. One of my first Andre Norton reads lo these many years ago. What could be better than a hero who was mistreated and maligned all his life who has butter yellow eyes and cloven hooves for feet? I loved both Kerovan and Joisan. High adventure, romance and Norton's brand of mystic magic. Great story.

[Alex Ankarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonkers and fascinating. I've loved it forever.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story which is set in the Dales where people without power migrated after the land was abandoned by the Old Ones (who I think moved northwards, from what I read recently in 'The Jargoon Pard' though I don't know why). They have left behind remnants of their magic, including certain ruins and monuments, and those who have some trace of psychic ability are drawn to these, sometimes with ill results.

The book is told from two alternating first person viewpoints. Kerovan is the son of the heir to Ulm keep, but he was born in one of the Old Ones' ruins when his mother's party were forced to shelter from a storm enroute to the shrine of Gunnora. Seemingly as a result (though much later it is explained how his mother's meddling was culpable) he has amber eyes and hooves instead of feet. His mother rejects him, and he is sent away to the foresters to be raised, by an old soldier and a man called Riwal, who is psychic and is studying the Old Ones ruins and broken artefacts, though not for evil purposes.

Over the years, we are told, Kerovan is visited by his father, although that is not actually shown. His father eventually tells him that, given his absence, a lot of rumours have been spread that he is monstrous. He arranges for Kerovan to return to the keep to be acknowledged his heir. It seems odd that his father chose to exile him in this way, but that is eventually explained. For certain members of Kerovan's family are in league with dark forces.

Joisan, meanwhile, is the niece of the ruler of another stronghold. Her uncle agrees to betroth her to Kerovan, with the eventual marriage mooted for eight years in the future (she is eight and Kerovan is ten). As a girl, Joisan is not able to inherit the rulership of her dale despite the fact that her uncle has no heir - he could make her his heir, but would have to name her as such. Despite this, however, he is quite decent to her throughout her upbringing which is mainly undertaken by his formidable sister, a woman who had previously planned to become a nun (the Dales people follow the worship of the Flame) but had returned to the keep where she was raised to become the chatelaine when her brother's wife died.

As she grows older, Joisan has to contend with rumours about her betrothed, after she is first confronted with them by a spiteful cousin. She commissions a small painting of herself, as is customary, and sends it to Kerovan with a request for the same from him, but never receives one in return. However, he does send her a beautiful necklace - a pendant of a gryphon within a globe which he found near a place of the Old Ones when exploring once with Riwal. The pendant seems to be an object of Power, but of the light. Joisan eventually learns from her uncle that the purpose of her betrothal was to make available the manpower of their Dale in the event that her future husband's inheritance is contested by others in his family.

Into this situation intrudes an invasion by the Hounds of Alizon who feature in series one of the Witch World stories as a threat to Estcarp, and who have colluded with aliens and have access to their technology. The rest of the story takes place against a background of war and hardship, with the added danger provided by members of Kerovan's family, who will stop at nothing to kill him and deepen their connection to the dark forces with which they have already dabbled.

I found this a good page turning read and am awarding it 4 stars.

[LaDawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was introduced to science fiction and fantasy by Andre Norton back in the 70's, though for some reason,I never picked up any of her Witch World series.

Ive been reading a lot of indie authors lately, and it was a relief to read a true master of the genre. Now, I think I must go find the very first Witch World book and start reading right away!

[Bowee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire Gryphon series has such wonderful, almost lyrical writing, all other graces aside. Usually obfuscated magic bothers me. I prefer the sort of explained magical system of Brandon Sanderson's novels, but really beautiful writing is certainly worthy of forgiveness, especially if the words themselves seem like magic.

[R.J. Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 5 star book. Andree Norton has done it again. She creates a whole world with humans and animals that can talk to each other and does it in such a way as to draw you into the story in and you hate to see it come to an end.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read everything she ever wrote before leaving home at 17, so I know I'm not impartial. But it was nice to come back to it after all these years and still enjoy it, it may be a bit too stand-by-your-mannish and roll on destiny, but if your man has hooves it's a little more palatable.

[Silver James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've read this book. I loved Andre Norton's Witch World when I was young. Her books were my "gateway" into fantasy, and to a lesser extent, SciFi. I'm glad that her library is now being releases in audio. This book is part of the High Hallack cycle. The Dales are close the lands of the Old Ones and there are strange powers that pop up. This is the story of Kerovan, heir to one of the Holds, and Joisan, neice of another Holder. Handfasted as children, but never introduced, Kervan is not what he seems and when war comes to the Dales, life will never be normal again for either of them. It was fun to revisit this corner of the Witch World and there is more to their story, revealed in a 2nd book. I'll get around to following up some day soon.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. This is set during the early years of the war that led to Norton's Year of the Unicorn, showing why Alizon was able to ride roughshod over the Dales (partly, it appears, because they borrowed tech from the Kolder). Kerizon is a golden-eyed, cloven-hooved nobleman betrothed in childhood to Joisan, an average but strong-hearted woman; when time comes for the marriage, the war postpones it. Both fight in different ways, inevitably moving into each other's orbit.
There are some good touches here. Kerosan's mother seems to despise him as a monster, but it turns out it's because she tried to imbue him with dark, evil magic (hence the hooves and eyes) and got a force for good instead. Joisan accepts getting married is part of her job, and she's going to do her duty (nothing wrong with rebellion, but this does make her different from a lot of female leads).
On the downside, there are too many times the magic does the work for them, jerking them or guiding them along. That's never a plus for me.

[David Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andre Norton has never been known for daring or strikingly original writing. However, her books are always dependable for very human characters in mythical settings. "The Crystal Gryphon" is set on the Witch World, a series Norton had begun a decade earlier. Originally, the stories were ostensibly science fiction, supposedly occurring in another dimension in which magic replaced science. Really, these novels are all medieval fantasy, written in a period when it was still a slightly frowned-upon genre and writers felt they had to provide at least some science fiction cover. Thus, the series fits in with Anne McCaffrey's Pern series and Jack Vance's "Maske: Thaery" in being Tolkien-stuff dressed like science-fiction. By the time Norton writes "The Crystal Gryphon," there are really no science-fiction decorations left. This is pure heroic fantasy with lords, ladies, magicians, Old English sounding names, magical objects, and all the other rigamarole that goes into heroic fantasies. The story is set in High Hallack, far across the sea from the region of the main Witch World series. This is rough country on a social and technological level of around year 1100. It is split into small kingdoms. This land was once the realm of the Old Ones, who had advanced technological and magical abilities, but for an unknown reason largely abandoned the land, though occasionally one or two will put in an appearance to push things along. The remains of their society are scattered across High Hallack in the form of derelict buildings and inscrutable artifacts. The principal characters are two adolescents, Kerovan of Ulm and Joisan of Ithkrypt. Both are nobility and heirs to their respective kingdoms. Kerovan, however, is a hybrid creature, of cursed birth because his mother tried to make a deal with the Old Ones. Kerovan did not turn out as planned, having goat feet and green cat's eyes. Therefore, he is raised independently, far away from the kingdom, and has little knowledge of ordinary society. Joisan is raised by her uncle and his sister, a "Dame" who has some knowledge of the powers of the Old Ones (i.e. magic). For political expediency, the two are "married" even though they never see each other at the time, and in fact do not meet until late in the book. Their world is thrown upside down when an evil invading force from across the sea brutally colonizes High Hallack, using guns and other more advanced weaponry. The main story, then, involves these two characters, on the run, leaving behind their destroyed homes and legacies, and coming into their powers as fully-fledged adults. The narrative is a first-person account by each of the protagonists, alternating. Thus, the reader several times gets two different views of the same scene or situation. Norton does a good job of distinguishing the narrative voices. The story has all the defects, in my view, of medieval fantasy. For instance, our concern is solely with "lords" and "ladies," with the upper classes, and all others, who must, after all, make up the bulk of the society, are merely there as part of the scenery. The rules by which the magic works are never particularly clear, so that often the magic works by convenience to move along the story rather than by rational means. Still, one talent Norton has that many writers of this genre do not is the ability to get the reader to care for the lead characters. Even though they are high-class and "special" in some way, they are still human and still have the normal desires, mistakes, and limitations of ordinary people. The reader wants Kerovan and Joisan to succeed not because they are abstractly "good," but because they are conflicted, and like the rest of us they struggle to find the right thing to do.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crystal Gryphon is the story of Kerovan, heir to the throne of Ulmsdale, who, thanks to the circumstances and result of his birth, is set apart from the regular folk in the Dales. When Kerovan’s mother gave birth to him she did so sheltered in a ruin of the ‘Old Ones’, mysterious folk who once inhabited the Dales, and Kerovan was born with the cloven feet of cattle and eyes the colour of deepest amber. Kerovan’s mother, the Lady Tephana, swore she could never love such a creature, and Kerovan was forced to grow up living apart from his birth family, with Jago – a keepless man of good birth.

With Jago Kerovan learns the arts of war. But it is the Wiseman Riwal that nurtures Kerovan’s true passion; a thirst for knowledge of the secrets of the past. With Riwal Kerovan travels to places feared by the folk of the Dales, looking for answers. On one such journey Kerovan comes upon a mysterious crystal pendant, adorned with a gryphon, and feels compelled to send the relic to the wife he has never met, the Lady Joisan. Across the land, Joisan treasures the relic, and dreams of the husband she will one day meet. But in the year of the Moss, when Joisan is due to take up her wifely duties, a bloody war sweeps through the land as the Dales fall victim to an invasion from the sea. The keep at Ulmsdale is betrayed and Kerovan sets off across the Dales to find his betrothed whose own home has been destroyed.

The developing relationship between Joisan and Kerovan forms the base of the main storyline and the chapters of the book alternate, being told by Kerovan and Joisan in turn. Despite having never met, Joisan and Kerovan each harbour a certain fondness for each other, each of them drawn, and warmed by the other. As though they are bonded by something stronger than the laws which connect them as husband and wife, a deeper presence draws them to one another. Even when Joisan mistakes Kerovan for one of the Old Ones, you can tell that she is drawn towards him, the strange ‘Lord Amber’, despite not knowing his true identity.

Norton uses Olde English-style dialogue, and a medieval-type setting to create a spectacular backdrop for a strange, dark and somewhat frightening fantasy world. From the start I was completely absorbed by the mystery surrounding the Old Ones. I can imagine the parts of the world that were inhabited by this mysterious race of beings appearing like a ghost town, deserted, but with an ominous presence alluding to troubled past. I am fascinated by old buildings and the remains of ancient civilisations, so the idea of there being such relics, buildings and ruins dotted across the countryside, which tell only part of the tale of a whole different existence is really quite mesmerising to me. I was so easily drawn into Kerovan’s travels, and got completely caught up in the mystery of his fantasy world. The whole way through The Crystal Gryphon I was desperate to know more about the Old Ones, and the world that they inhabited.

Thank goodness it is only the first of a trilogy! The Crystal Gryphon is a wonderfully mysterious and gripping tale, which combines the fantastical with the uncanny, and at times borders on the downright creepy. I don’t know what more to say other than I loved it and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trilogy has in store.

First published on Jade the Obscure

[David Sarkies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably should not be read as a stand alone
24 October 2012

The biggest problem that I found with this book was that it turned out that it was written in the middle of a massive series of books, namely the Witch World series, of which I had no real knowledge. I have noted that quite a lot of people really enjoyed this book, and I was attracted to it by the cover where you had an army of early modern soldiers slaughtering an army of medieval soldiers. However, as I mentioned, this book sits in the middle of a larger series of books, and in a way I found it hard to follow, and pretty much got lost a third of the way through. Oh, I should also mention that this book was a present given to me by a young lady that I knew at high school, and has been sitting on my shelf ever since, namely because it was a part of a series (which is probably why she gave it to me).
Anyway, the story is sort of written in a style that has become popular with Game of Thrones, where each chapter is told from the point of view of a main character, however in this story we only have two, Kerovan and Josian. Kerovan is basically a freak. He was born in a storm after taking shelter in a building built by the old ones, has hooves instead of legs, and strange eyes. Since he is such a freak, he is rejected by his mother, and pretty much treated as an outcast, despite being the heir to Ulmsport (his father seems to accept him). Josian is the woman that has been betrothed to him and is expected to marry him. Norton writes it as if they were already married, though they had to wait until they came of age to consummate the relationship. Some have suggested that this is an interesting point, but in reality, this is the way things happened between noble families for a long time. There is nothing different between what happened in this book, and what happens with regards to arranged marriages.
To be honest, this was about the time the book lost me. I know that Kerovan went off and discovered some crystal orb which contained a gryphon, and that it was like powerful, and I also know that somehow Josian landed up with it, but really, the book did not captivate me all that much. I also know that there was some invasion pretty much destroying the land, however, I believe that the bad guy, and the plot, had little to do with this invasion, and was focused on something else. It really only acted as a background. As for the book, well, if you had read it as part of the series, then maybe it will make more sense, however for me, I am nowhere near as obsessed with fantasy as I used to be, so this will simply be thrown into my read book pile, and maybe, if I have time, I might take a second look at Witch World.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narration in The Crystal Gryphon alternates between our two leads, Kerovan and Joisan. Kerovan was born of humans but with his taint of Old Blood showing in his amber eyes and hoofs. He is shunned by his mother and grows up apart, despite being the son of a lord. Wishing to affirm Kerovan as his heir, his father makes a political betrothal for him to Joisan. She’s strong-minded and independent, but fiercely conscious of honor, duty and loyalty. Officially married as children but never meeting, Kerovan and Joisan follow separate paths, until all plans change with the coming of invaders from across the sea.

I love Kerovan and Joisan, and the growth they each experience. Kerovan in some ways comes to terms with his past and his differences–and in other ways does not, which is okay because there are two more books after this. Joisan is always intelligent and strong, and in time of crisis she emerges as a leader for her people.

The culture and the world is immensely rich and complex, with several societies jostling together. Kerovan and Joisan’s people have a feudal structure and loosely Medieval technology. The invaders come with modern weaponry. And all throughout the land, there are traces of the Old Ones, who possessed mysterious powers. The book has some sense of a larger context, and is part of Norton’s larger Witchworld series. I don’t know much of the larger context, but I don’t feel like that was ever a barrier to reading.

I have a few criticisms…Norton relies a bit on characters experiencing compulsions, to make them do things that don’t entirely make sense but move the story forward. Considering powerful magic and larger forces are woven throughout, though, I’ll mostly give that a pass. The alternating POV is brilliant for getting into both characters, but can make the chronology confusing in places, when we jump backwards in the timeline with a POV shift.

But those are relatively minor issues, more than made up for by Norton’s beautiful writing style and wonderful characters. Highly recommended.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andre Norton was the fantasy and sci fi pen name of Alice Mary Norton. She was my favorite sci fi author when I was eleven and twelve years old. When I found this novel among the effects of my recently deceased friend Andre Levi, I assumed that after nearly forty years I'd find it puerile or poorly written.

Not so. It's hard to pull off a novel from two points of view, but Norton does this successfully with close third-person narration alternating between her two protagonists. In this fantasy, the hero and the heroine rescue each other. While the alienated hero realizes his previously unknown mystical potential in coming to the physical aid of his betrothed, she is no helpless storybook princess. Clad in chain mail and armed with a bow, she develops from obedient daughter to leader of a band of refugees. She participates in her own rescue, while saving the hero from his loneliness and alienation.

Highly recommended.

[Valerie]

Norton was experimenting in this book with stories told from two or more different viewpoints. Generally a successful effort, in this case--both the main characters are well-developed, though it's somewhat difficult to fathom the motives of minor characters.

Unfortunately, as is common with Norton's books, this one is appallingly edited. There's a typo on the first page. Some of this is Norton's own problem--when she went back to characters over a lapse of years, she often forgot how she'd spelt their names. But the editors and publishers are at least partly responsible.

All in all a good book, but there needed to be more books set in the Dales before the Hounds of Alizon arrived--it's sometimes difficult to work out what life was like there in more peaceful times. For example, was it blood-feuds that prevented the Dales from uniting earlier?

[Scot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite in the series by far for as much as I have yet read. There are two well structured plot links for characters we can sympathize with: Kerovan, born with cloven hooves that set him apart as odd and make him a loner. He has a future as his father's heir but is raised off by himself with two very different mentors, and his mother is cold, callous, and uncaring for him. We get half of the tale narrated from his perspective, and half from Josian, who was pledge betrothed to him when both were age eight through a proxy ceremony.

It is a story of these two people of high character in a world where many are far less reliable, and where larger forces of good and evil, of war from without and plotting from within, might easily destroy both of them, as they quest to connect, to discover whom they might beceome.

[Jacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a re-read of a book read and enjoyed many years ago. It’s sometimes a mistake to go back, but though it’s of its time, this stood up pretty wall. Kerovan, born with hooves instead of feet and with amber-coloured eyes, is his father’s heir, but he’s raised away from the castle, and by the time he’s ready to inherit invaders from over the sea, the Hounds of Alizon, have turned his homeland into a battleground. His proxy marriage to Joisan all but forgotten, he becomes a scout. Joisan in her turn, has nothing of her husband except for hids gift, a tiny globe which encases a perfect miniature gryphon. Told by the pair in alternating chapters we see the war unfold and each of them do their duty before finally coming together.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Original review from Sep 2005)

One of Norton’s finest fantasy novels, from her Witch World/High Hallack series. Having read this when it was new and I was young, I may have “impressed” on it like a baby chick, but this tale of the war- and magic-crossed protagonists, one a noble maiden who seeks her independence, the other the magically mutated scion of another duchy, still resonates with me. How they face prejudice, betrayal, war, and other Shakespearean-class plot complications continues to appeal.

I recently purchased a second-hand hardcover edition of this, to make up for my worn-to-falling-apart paperback. It’s a pity it’s out of print.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another example of what's so great about the High Hallack setting. There's a lot to pick up on for having read more of the Witch World than I had at first reading: more of an idea of the Old Ones (which float quietly in the background) and their connection to Escore, already knowing the outcome of the Dales invasion, the origin of Alizon's strange weapons.... So even though I don't like every entry equally, the lesser Witch World stories stll add richness to the best. In its own right, though, the changing PoV narration is potent, particularly since it imbues both characters with equal agency. There is also, simply, a constant tension throughout.

[Annalisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book of the Gryphon trilogy I read, and it really took me to another world. Norton has the ability to create very alien, magical landscapes and compelling charcters, both of which I found engrossing as a young girl. Especially because the main character was also a young girl on a quest. I don't remember all the specifics, (there was a guy she became involved with, and an underground maze, and desert, and some special jewels, and secrets about a long lost civilization... I should probably read it again) but really enjoyed it, and read it several times.

[Anne Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book a lot.

The story alternates between two narrators, Kerovan and Joisan. I find Kerovan particularly easy to sympathize and even identify with. He feels like an outcast because he has yellow eyes and hooves for feet. Joisan, the girl he weds long-distance when they're both children, is also sympathetic. They are separate at first, as the story shows how they each try to do their best in difficult circumstances.

Now I want to see how they fare in the sequel, Gryphon in Glory. {Smile}

[Linda Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Crystal Gryphon

This book deserves a rating of 10 from me. 😊 I read this book the first time when I was 15, and I had a hard time putting it down. It is still just as interesting as the first time I read it. That's saying something! I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did.

[jonathan rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a great love story giving us a little of the old ones trying to open our eyes to the knowledge of the old one's

So we can look beyond the veil a little more from the writings to know the old ones
☺


Great book

[Lacynda Mathes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book with all my being.

[Emma Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this as a pre-teen and loved so much that it’s one of the few books from my childhood that I still own, with its really clever original Bayeux tapestry-like imagery. When I reread it recently I wondered how much of it I’d really understood back then. Certainly I knew it to be a love story, although it’s really gentle in that vein - not enough to be classed a romance (my daughter wouldn’t approve). But I don’t think I could possibly have understood the careful path it treads between high fantasy and sci-fi. In fact, I’m not sure I really recognised the sci-fi elements at all (although I later ate that up). As others have said, it’s more properly a coming of age novel.

I read it as a stand-alone novel, and it never occurred to me that it was part of any other series. In its UK Peacock/Penguin version there’s no mention of Witch World or sequels. Perhaps they (sequels) weren’t written then. And it never occurred to me that there would be. Whereas now my instant question is, when’s the next one out?

Note, my copy was published in 1972, not 1985 as listed here.