Title:

Witch World

Author:

Andre Norton

Category:

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Rating:

Date Reviewed:

September 1, 2023

read The Girl Who Drank the Moon, and on the back flap, the brief biography of the author Kelly Barnhill mentioned that she was a finalist for the Andre Norton Award, which is given to the best Young Adult science fiction / fantasy book of the year. Andre Norton! I had forgotten all about her. When I was young, she was as big as Asimov or Heinlein, I remember the SF shelves at our library containing lots of her books. I recall reading The Zero Stone and Uncharted Stars, though my only memory of those books is that a rat-like alien named Eet turned out to be more powerful than any anticipated. I have since learned that Norton lived in Cleveland, Ohio - my home town - and attended Case Western Reserve, just like my father, sister and first cousin. I decide I should read one of her stories to see if it still was a good story.

Witch World is probably Norton's most famous novel, it was nominated for the 1964 Hugo Award (Clifford Simak won the 1964 Hugo for Way Station, which I have not read. Simak is another author I have forgotten about who used to be big). It is the first in a series of books, though it is unclear to me exactly how many Witch World novels were written, since they seem to be assigned to different "cycles". Witch World is the first book in the Estcarp Cycle; Estcarp is the name of the kingdom where the magic-wielding witches live.

Colonel Simon Tregarth is a veteran of World War II. He is being pursued by a cabal of assassins because enemies have framed him for crimes. Tregarth has already dispatched two of his would-be killers, but now the dreaded, invincible Sammy is on his tail and Tregarth knows his hours are numbered. Simon decides to enjoy one last steak dinner at a restaurant - but he is approached by an unassuming man who offers him a way out. There is a portal stone in the center of an old circle of standing stones - sit on that portal stone at dawn, and you will be transported to another world. Simon has nothing to lose, so tries the portal stone and is stunned to discover himself on another world.

Simon has little time to gather his wits on this new planet, because he sees a woman being pursued by fearsome riders and a pack of hunting hounds. They are clearly intent on killing her, but before they can deliver the fatal blow, Tregarth uses his revolver to come to the woman's rescue. Everyone involved (those who are still alive) are astonished by Simon's intervention, but the woman is rescued. She and Simon escape to Estcarp, where Simon learns about this magical world. It seems that Estcarp is threatened by enemies on all sides, and it is in danger of being overrun. Simon quickly joins their forces. The technology is a mix of medieval weapons and advanced engineering, something which puzzles Simon - soldiers fight with axe and sword, but also with dart guns and magic.

There is quite a bit left unexplained by the end of Witch World; it is clear Norton was thinking of making this a series from the beginning. Simon Tregarth displays some magical ability himself - this unheard of; on Witch World, only virgin women have the ability to work magic. It is clear that the an alien Koldor civilization had taken over Gorm - but where did these aliens come from, and are there more of them still threatening Estcarp (my guess is yes!). The ambitious Fulk still remains in power at Verlaine - certainly he poses a threat to Estcarp. The man who approached Tregarth in the restaurant made it clear that he had helped others escape with the use of the portal stone, so presumably other Earthlings will appear on Witch World in later volumes in the series - maybe even the dreaded assassin Sammy.

Fantasy novels typically included maps, but alas, the edition of Witch World that I read did not include one. It would have helped get a sense of where Simon's adventures were taking him.

To know the name of the witch is to diminish her power, and so the heroine of the novel is never named. Although the Estcarp society has many witches, there is really only one witch in the novel, and so Norton get away with referring to her as "the witch" or using feminine pronouns her or she, but couldn't the unnamed woman have "nickname"? I am thinking of A Wizard of Earthsea, where magic is strongly influenced by knowing the true name of something - in LeGuin's book, the reader knows that the young mage's name is Ged, but everyone refers to him as Sparrowhawk. The citizens of Estcarp must have a way of identifying which witch they are referring to.

Witch World is only 240 pages long, the writing style is unlike the expansive novels that dominate today's fantasy books. Descriptions are kept to a minimum, there are few secondary characters, nor are there subplots. Norton moves briskly from point to point in the novel (it is divided into four sections: Venture out of Sulcarkeep, Venture of Verlaine, Venture of Karsten, Venture of Gorm) - but it seemed to me the novel would have been stronger if Norton had provided a bit more connectivity between each section. This style keeps the pace up, but it makes it seem that the novel is stitched together from four short, related shorter stories. Witch World isn't a great read, but I might check out the next book, Web of Witch World.