Witch World

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Simon Tregarth knows he???s about to die ??? he???s being hunted down by a professional assassin and he has a ???feeling??? that it???s going to happen tonight. But then the infamous Doctor Petronius interrupts Simon as he???s savoring his last meal and offers him an escape. Dr. Petronius???s services don???t come cheap, but this expense is a no-brainer (after all, you can???t take it with you). The only downside is that neither Simon nor Dr. Petronius knows where Simon is actually going, for he will sit on King Arthur???s Siege Perilous and be sent to a world where his soul is at home???

Andre Norton (her real name was Alice, but she chose to write SFF under a male pseudonym back in the 60s) is often called the Grande Dame of Science Fiction and Fantasy and was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society. I???ve been meaning to read Witch World for years and since Brilliance Audio has just released the first Witch World novel on CD, this was the perfect opportunity.

As expected, I enjoyed Witch World. Andre Norton???s language is pleasant, if not brilliant, and all the characters were instantly engaging. I liked Simon immediately ??? how can you not like a guy who has already killed two of his potential assassins and is now eating a steak dinner while waiting for the arrival of the last and best one? I also particularly liked Loyse, daughter of the odious Fulk, who doesn???t want to marry the equally odious duke.

Though decades old, the plot was quick, fun, and refreshing and I liked the blend of science fiction and fantasy. However, the book wraps up a bit too quickly and easily at the end; I could have used a bit more tension. But perhaps if you go straight on to the next novel (Web of the Witch World, also being produced on audio) you won???t feel this way since it???s a continuation of the story.

Nick Podehl was the reader for this book and he did an adequate job, though his voice could sometimes be described as plodding and soporific. Consequently, I didn???t find that his reading added anything to the story. It didn???t reduce my enjoyment of the story, but I was disappointed that it didn???t enhance it.

I???m looking forward to Web of the Witch World. I like Simon and his companions and I???m wondering what they???ll do next in Simon???s new world.

reviews.metaphorosis.com

2.5 stars

Simon Tregarth, hunted and tired, pays all he has for a guaranteed escape. He finds himself on another world, where he promptly helps a witch defeat her own pursuers, and becomes entangled in her land's troubles.

When I was growing up, I was well aware of Andre Norton, but I don't believe I read more than a couple of her books. I knew about the Witch World, but I just wasn't very interested. Decades later, I decided to give her another try. I read the Time Traders series (with various co-authors), and wasn't impressed, but I figured that it was the Witch World books that were what she was best known for.

I'm sorry to say I didn't think much of this first book in the series. It starts well, with intriguing, gritty streets and an act of desperation. Then there's a reasonably standard (for the period) man saves woman, becomes champion scenario. The book then turns to a mix of interesting concepts, and I give it credit for interesting cultures and an interesting approach to multi-dimensional trade. Where it is weaker is in the human relationships. Our hero, Simon, while shown to be intelligent and resourceful, rarely shows much initiative. He wanders hither and thither as the plot requires, with no real interests of his own. He's a mechanism, not a character.

Unfortunately, I had a similar reaction to the Time Traders series - thinly sketched, not very credible action heroes in ‘luckily it all worked out' situations. In this novel, the environment and plot were more interesting, but I think what eight books tells me is that I just don't care much for Norton's work. I don't see going on to the other (31!) books in this series.