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The
Gates To Witchworld by Andre Norton check out website: www.tor.com and www.andre-norton.org
If you are a devoted Science Fiction and fantasy reader, hopefully, you can suppress the voice. If not all is lost you might as well read something like the telephone directory, which incidentally, is complete Science Fiction. You'll know this if you've ever tried contacting anyone using a number in it! As a young person I devoured these books, adding Witchworld to the list of places I was able to escape to when the fancy took me. Returning to them now, would I feel the same? The story begins in 'Witchworld'. Simon Tregarth has no place else to go. A man without a future, he is increasingly aware his time is running out. Whilst enjoying what he thinks is a last meal in a decent restaurant, a man approaches him with an offer he cannot refuse. If there was a way out, would he take it? He is presented with the chance to leave Earth through a portal that opens on an unknown world. To a desperate man living on his wits, this seems like a good idea. As a soldier, when he is cast into a strange environment, he quickly chooses sides in a continuing war with a deadly enemy. Saving the life of a Witch he is taken to Estcarp, the home of the witches. The power of magic is not without price and the women chose to remain virgins rather than surrender it. They inspire some admiration and allies in neighbouring countries and also inspire fear and hatred as the only country with a female power base. Moved out of his familiar world, Simon finds new challenges. He also discovers that hidden within him is some small part of the witches' power. This is intriguing to a man of soldiery. It also creates a strong bond between him and the witch whose life he saves. Simon is bound to the Witchworld and as a matter of course decides to help them in the struggle against the dark power of the Kolder. As they approach the stronghold in Gorm the forces encounter 'dead-men walking'. It seems that the Kolder power is also from another world. This story is a combination of fantasy elements with a Science Fiction premise. I was not always happy the way it progressed and I feel that the Science Fiction elements date the story more than the fantasy. I am guilty of wanting the story to move faster because I was impatient for it to unfold. The characters are swiftly drawn and the story moves with little time for sentiment. It follows Simon as closely as an external narrator can. He and we are the outsiders discovering the races and the conflicts as he goes along. The Witchworld societies are not overly complex being still feudal. A victim of this system is Loyse who chooses to renounce her place in society and take up arms with the witches rather than submit to a dynastic marriage. She meets Koris, the displaced and misshapen heir to Gorm, a land under the thrall of the Kolder. The story of Simon Tregarth continues in 'Web Of The Witchworld'. Part of Witchworld now, Simon's happiness is short-lived and he must once again follow a call to arms against the Kolder who remain a malignant presence on the borders of the Estcarp. Simon and Jaelithe follow the Kolder to their final stronghold. With the 'Year Of The Unicorn', a new story commences which takes place some years later in another kingdom of the Witchworld. This third book in the saga follows a young girl brought as captive to High Hallack. This country does not deal in witchery and Gillan know she is subtly different from her fellow novices at Norstead Abbey. Not wanting to take the veil herself, she seeks escape from her confinement. When the Lords of High Hallack come to seek brides for the Were-Riders following their aid in the war against Alizon she sees this as a means to escape. Little does she know that her choice of Were-Rider partner will lead to a challenge that could mean a new life or death for both. Norton skilfully creates the character of Gillan, the outsider with witchblood, who is able to think beyond the physical appearance and see into the hearts of men. She needs all her skills to conquer fear and keep herself alive. Her self is a concept that we are continually brought back to as magic is used on her to split her 'selves' Once again a theme emerges of men's desire to have power over women and manipulate them. Setting this in a mythical place does not dilute the message that she has to decide to save herself. In the Witchworld books, Andre Norton has created another world which we may or may not enjoy living in. It certainly has its share of dangerous magic, exciting and darkly handsome men. It also has strong heroines who are clever enough not to depend on their men to save them and a little romance but not too much to turn off the male readers. All three books are an enjoyable read but they are not the same. The first two should be read as two complete episodes of the Simon Tregarth story. They deal with the power of witches, Viking-like armies who happen to communicate with falcons and a Science Fiction oriented plot. The third book is more of a hard-edged fairy tale. Gillan is a modern damsel who chooses to fight rather than be passive. She is in fact a witch by birth and her power grows through the book. Her chosen partner the Were-Rider is a shape changer. I did find that the story stuck in places in all three books and the 'Year Of The Unicorn' is somewhat overlong with the final two chapters going on a bit for my taste. Overall, it is still nice to escape to worlds where all the morals are cut and dried and no one has to make any difficult decisions other than to fight or die. These books are part of the Science Fiction heritage. With portals and mind control it predates Star Trek and Stargate with its dreams. As a part of the fantasy canon, it is in the tradition of C.S. Lewis with its dreams of another world where life is simpler. Long may they continue to be read. Sue Davies
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OTHER REVIEWS - February 2004
BOOKS The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold The Separation by Christopher Priest First Meetings In The Enderverse by Orson Scott Card Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt-Evans The Dolphins Of Pern by Anne McCaffrey Reach For Tomorrow by Arthur C Clarke The Mammoth Book Of Best New SF # 16 edited by Gardner Dozois 1610: A Sundial In A Grave by Mary Gentle Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss Trading In Danger by Elizabeth Moon Richard Matheson: Collected Stories Vol. 1 edited by Stanley Wiater The Gates To Witchworld by Andre Norton Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Mission Gamma: Lesser Evil by Robert Simpson The Killing Of Worlds by Scott Westerfeld Star Trek: The Original Series: Gemini by Mike W. Barr MUSIC COMPUTER GAMES Wallace and Gromit - Project Zoo RPGs & WARGAMES MAGAZINES On Spec: The Canadian Magazine
Of The Fantastic vol 15 no. 2 & 3
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The Witchworld books have been around over
thirty years and spawned numerous sequels and short stories, some
of them co-written with other authors. To celebrate its longevity
this edition has been produced with the first three tales in it.
When
you are young, the idea of remote worlds where nothing is the same
as here, with no school and people who live on their wits seems
very appealing. At what stage does our internal voice take over
and mutter, 'That's not very likely is it?'
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