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Magic in Ithkar #3
Magic in Ithkar 3
The stories:
"Three Knives in Ithkar" by Gareth Bloodwine - A somber story of an apprentice herbalist who falls in obsessively in love with a pretty shill for a knife-throwing booth.
"Were-Sisters" by Ann R. Brown - Two sisters who happen to be werewolves bake yummy deer-meat pastries for the opening of the Ithkar Fair. Unfortunately, another baker has a grudge against them.
"The Magic Carpet" by James Clark - A carpet seller has a bad day at the Fair when an item of his merchandise floats. The punishment for magicking sales goods is rather severe in Ithkar.
"The Amiable Assassin" by A.C. Crispin - When a young guard, who also works in his mother's laundry talks about 'taking care of dirty laundry' in an alehouse, he is mistaken for an assassin.
"Guardians of the Secret" by Ginger Curry and Monika Conroy - I have problems with stories with lines like "Night was squatting once again upon Ithkar" or "Dawn was a vampire lover kissing the slumbering city awake." At any rate, an old perfumer passes on a world-shattering secret (which we never learn) to her young successor (who immediately turns old and ugly).
"The Beggar and His Cat" by Gene DeWeese - A beggar indulges in a long monologue about his cat, who may or may not be magical.
"Flarrin Red-chin" by M. Coleman Easton - A young woman's dowsing talent manifests itself in a rather unusual fashion.
"Covenant" by P.M. Griffin - An artist and a warrior take on the dark god, Thotharn.
"What Little Girls Are Made Of" by T.S. Huff - A hugely popular candy-maker makes her annual trip to the Fair and is forced to bargain with a follower of Thotharn for her granddaughter's honor. The story's good except for a slightly unbelievable ending.
"Eyes of the Seer" by Caralyn Inks and Georgia Miller - A blind seer loses his gift when a harlot steals his 'amulet.' A tinsmith who wants to apprentice himself to the seer promises to make him a new one.
"Fiddler Fair" by Mercedes Lackey - A girl disguised as a boy tries out for the Bardic Guild. When she wins the trial and announces her true sex, the Bards promptly smash her instruments and kick her out of the tent. However, this isn't the end of the story.
"The Silverlord" by Morgan LLywelyn - A genetically enhanced white stallion catches the eye of a beautiful race rider. Will they find true love across the species barrier?
"SunDark in Ithkar" by S. Lee Rouland - A girl with the magical gift of being able to predict the positions of astronomical objects wants to apprentice herself to an astrologer. Meanwhile the priests of Thotharn (he really has a big presence in this volume) plot to use an eclipse to acquire more followers.
"Hair's Breath" by Susan Shwartz - Two married traders and their baby are kidnapped by underwater demons. Fortunately, the husband is a dream-singer with an unusual harp.
"The Singing Eggs" by Kiel Stuart - A down-on-her-luck portrait painter acquires a new apprentice, a batch of singing eggs, and an important client. So, what's the catch?
"Three Knives in Ithkar" by Gareth Bloodwine - A somber story of an apprentice herbalist who falls in obsessively in love with a pretty shill for a knife-throwing booth.
"Were-Sisters" by Ann R. Brown - Two sisters who happen to be werewolves bake yummy deer-meat pastries for the opening of the Ithkar Fair. Unfortunately, another baker has a grudge against them.
"The Magic Carpet" by James Clark - A carpet seller has a bad day at the Fair when an item of his merchandise floats. The punishment for magicking sales goods is rather severe in Ithkar.
"The Amiable Assassin" by A.C. Crispin - When a young guard, who also works in his mother's laundry talks about 'taking care of dirty laundry' in an alehouse, he is mistaken for an assassin.
"Guardians of the Secret" by Ginger Curry and Monika Conroy - I have problems with stories with lines like "Night was squatting once again upon Ithkar" or "Dawn was a vampire lover kissing the slumbering city awake." At any rate, an old perfumer passes on a world-shattering secret (which we never learn) to her young successor (who immediately turns old and ugly).
"The Beggar and His Cat" by Gene DeWeese - A beggar indulges in a long monologue about his cat, who may or may not be magical.
"Flarrin Red-chin" by M. Coleman Easton - A young woman's dowsing talent manifests itself in a rather unusual fashion.
"Covenant" by P.M. Griffin - An artist and a warrior take on the dark god, Thotharn.
"What Little Girls Are Made Of" by T.S. Huff - A hugely popular candy-maker makes her annual trip to the Fair and is forced to bargain with a follower of Thotharn for her granddaughter's honor. The story's good except for a slightly unbelievable ending.
"Eyes of the Seer" by Caralyn Inks and Georgia Miller - A blind seer loses his gift when a harlot steals his 'amulet.' A tinsmith who wants to apprentice himself to the seer promises to make him a new one.
"Fiddler Fair" by Mercedes Lackey - A girl disguised as a boy tries out for the Bardic Guild. When she wins the trial and announces her true sex, the Bards promptly smash her instruments and kick her out of the tent. However, this isn't the end of the story.
"The Silverlord" by Morgan LLywelyn - A genetically enhanced white stallion catches the eye of a beautiful race rider. Will they find true love across the species barrier?
"SunDark in Ithkar" by S. Lee Rouland - A girl with the magical gift of being able to predict the positions of astronomical objects wants to apprentice herself to an astrologer. Meanwhile the priests of Thotharn (he really has a big presence in this volume) plot to use an eclipse to acquire more followers.
"Hair's Breath" by Susan Shwartz - Two married traders and their baby are kidnapped by underwater demons. Fortunately, the husband is a dream-singer with an unusual harp.
"The Singing Eggs" by Kiel Stuart - A down-on-her-luck portrait painter acquires a new apprentice, a batch of singing eggs, and an important client. So, what's the catch?
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 15, 1986
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105 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
690 books1,371 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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