Garan the Eternal is a collection of four fantasy tales spanning almost 30 years of the author's career.

Garin of Tuv is the story of Garin Featherstone, a wartime pilot now searching for a job. He is hired as a pilot on an antartic expedition to investigate an anomaly near the South Pole. When the three planes of the expedition reach the area, Garin's mind is possessed by a strange power which guides his airplane deep within a crater. There he discovers an old and alien race that has brought him down to fight an ancient evil.

Garan of Yu-Lac is the story of a previous incarnation of Garin who falls in love with the Emperor's daughter, Lady Thrala, and finds an enemy in Kepta of Koom. This tale is the backstory of Garin of Tuv.

Legacy From Sorn Fen is a tale of misused power and the peculiar justice found within the fens of High Hallek.

One Spell Wizard is a yarn about a Wizard's apprentice in High Hallek who learns only one spell but uses it cunningly if not quite wisely.

This collection is not the best works produced by the author, but does show some of her characteristic style and wordage. Recommended for Norton completists.

Strictly speaking, what we have here are 2 novellas about Garan and 2 unrelated short stories, rather than a novel, although the novellas are titled merely 'part 1' and 'part 2' rather than being given their original names in the table of contents. (I'll rectify that here.) The Garan novellas are set in an alternate history of our own world, but the short stories are from the Witch World series; the settings are unrelated.

The "Garin" vs. "Garan" spelling issue is not a typographical error, incidentally. The modern-day character's birth name has the 'i' spelling and pronunciation, while the people of Tav and Krand render it the other way.

"Garin of Tav", a.k.a. "People of the Crater" (1947) - Garin Featherstone's 15 minutes of fame passed years ago, after leading a daring airstrike during a long war. But down-and-out pilots still have their uses during an Antarctic exploration, seeking a crater with unusual characteristics, only seen once before from the air. While this may sound like a clone of _The Lost World_, it quickly diverges from that path. The story has an intriguing start, but the "tell" to "show" ratio is a little too high once we're introduced to the world of Tav. Several "death before dishonor" scenarios pop up that seem inadequately justified. Worth reading, but the follow-up story below is more to my liking.

"Garan of Yu-Lac" (1969, 1973) - The very beginning and ending of this story involve the Garin and Thrala of the present day, as she reveals to him the tale of an age long past in which they met once before. The tale in between is the first-person narrative of that other Garan, on the long-vanished world of Krand. As the offspring of a forbidden cross-caste marriage, Garan's life has been shaped by Krand's rigid caste system; the only life open to him was that of the military, and that only by a merciful decree of the Emperor. Now, secretly, he has raised his eyes to the throne at the Emperor's right hand - Thrala, the emperor's daughter, in hopelessness. But other, darker secrets infest Krand. Two other characters seen briefly in "Garin of Tav" also appear in this past-life scenario, and their behaviour in the first story takes on added depth.

Krand reminds me of the original Buck Rogers comics in terms of technology (not that the details are allowed to become obtrusive); that's actually a point in its favour, for me. Garan's personal problem is handled with great artistry, as are the more world-threatening issues.

"One Spell Wizard" - See Norton's _Moon Mirror_. A humorous Witch World story, even though the manner of storytelling is typical of the series, of an unsuccessful wizard who deliberately takes an apprentice with a speech impediment - since he wants an assistant for small-time con jobs, rather than spellcasting.

"Legacy from Sorn Fen" - Like _The Toads of Grimmerdale_ (with which it appears in _Lore of the Witch World_), this tale features a man who rose from obscure beginnings to lordship in a Dale left leaderless in the wake of the Invaders' War, but Higbold and Treyvan have little in common otherwise.

Apparently partly written in the late 40's, Garan the Eternal is standard S&S fantasy of the time. A fighter pilot is tagged for a secret mission which ends up transferring him to a fantasy world where he overcomes dark evil and wins the hand of the princess. Not as good as Burroughs but better than Lin Carter.

'Horn Crown' is an immensely entertaining epic fantasy. The plot culminates in a classic good vs. evil matchup.

At times thought it seemed that Norton gave more attention to detail than plot. She goes to great lengths in describing an ancient castle at the expense of action. I found my mind wandering as I read the three pages of describing stones, hallways and tables. I didn't realize the story had resumed until I was two paragraphs into to, necessitating a re-read. There were several such instances.

A good book for a cold night.

'Horn Crown' is a prequel to the series of Witch World books that are set in the dales of High Halleck, e.g. "Year of the Unicorn" and "The Crystal Gryphon". We learn about the original settlers who came through a Gate to the Dales, and their introduction to the Light and Dark forces that still lingered among the ruins. This book is vintage Norton and a must for Witch World fans. I withheld one star because 'Horn Crown' is talkier and carries a bit less of a plot line than most of her WW novels. However, she has a lot to explain and 'Horn Crown' is, after all, a prequel. As always, her hero and heroine are outcasts from the normal run of medieval settlers who came through the Gate in order to claim land and build Holds. The story is told from the masculine viewpoint, and there is a bit more sex (although very tastefully done) than is usual for Norton. We actually get to meet the Goddess Gunnora, who is an intriguing mixture of Ceres, Diana, and Aphrodite (the latter two 'aspects' were a bit of a surprise to me as I had always associated Gunnora with harvests and childbirth, and not much more). There's lots of interesting magic and really evil creatures of the Dark (as I said, vintage Norton if you are a WW fan). You really need to read this if you liked 'Year of the Unicorn' or 'The Crystal Gryphon'.

My best friend, Kal, recommended that I read this book and I've read it ten times since I purchased it. Definitely a wonderful read! :)

"Ice Crown's" heroine, Roane belongs to a small team of archeologists chosen to land on Clio in search of Forerunner ruins. Clio is a closed planet, which means that space-farers like Roane must leave the human inhabitants strictly alone to evolve their own destiny.

Roane soon breaks the non-interference rule when she is caught in a savage storm and seeks shelter in an abandoned stone tower in the forest. Unfortunately, some of the local inhabitants also stumble into the tower. There are several armed men plus a bound, ill-treated woman, and Roane's pity overrules her archeological training. She frees the woman, who turns out to be the local princess (Clio is a medieval world of warring kingdoms) and they escape from the tower together, Roane pretending to be a Clioite.

The off-worlder is soon unmasked by the astute Princess Ludorica, and Roane reluctantly agrees to help the Clioite search for her lost Ice Crown--a gift from the ancient "Guardians" to the royal line, and the source of their power to rule.

"Ice Crown" is not a typical Norton 'Forerunner' story, in that the mysterious installation on Clio turns out to have been set up by the long-discredited human Psychocrats, motivated to perform a nasty, planet-wide, multi-generation experiment in mind-control and fixed destiny. The plot gets a bit jumbled up in Clio's dynastic feuds, but the characters are pure Norton: the cold technocrats from an advanced civilization versus primitives with a touch of magic in their makeup. Roane is a typical Norton heroine in that she is made to feel inferior by her more educated/experienced companions, and she acts according to her conscience rather than a set of rigidly defined rules. In short, she is a very likeable person who is caught up in a conflict not of her own making, but one where she is determined to do the right thing.

Vintage Norton with just a slightly confusing plot.

The planet of Clio is split into warring factions but a series of consolidations are under way so that there are only a small number of buffer states between two huge powers. When the offworlders arrive to examine the unusual development of Clio, they find that an alien race has been there before them and conditioned the rulers into following alien plans. This left the terrans in a quandry - do they obey their noninterventionist policies, or try to do something for the trapped inhabitants?

Wonderful mixture of Medievil and Futurist Space adventures! Well worth the reading. You won't want to put it down!

I first came across Andre Norton as a teenager. This was one of the first novels that I read that used cats as the main characters. Made me think and realize that everything is interconnected. This novel, Iron Cage, made a major impsct on my life and has continued to do so

Iron Cage is the story of a young boy, Jony, who escapes from an alien race which used humans as experimental tools. He finds friends with the People - a race of bear-like, intelligent animals. When humans arrive upon the planet, and try to subject the People to their will, Jony finds himself in a difficult posistion - should he protect the People? Or should he join his own kind?

I really enjoyed this book! The only reason, in fact, I'm denying it that last star was because the story was sometimes hard to follow. Despite this, read it anyway!

This is one of those books that really make you think and re-evaluate your values and beliefs. Andre Norton is great, and this is one of her best efforts! If you like this one, try 'Breed to come'.

I just finished this book (paperback). Is it just me or was that terrible. I gave it two stars because, as much as I hated it, the plot was pretty good:
Kethan , heir to the throne of Car do Prawn, one day gets this belt brought by the traveller Ibycus. As it intices him, it becomes an obsession. It holds transformation powers that Kethan must figure out to control, for he is driven out of the keep by his jealous cousin Maugus. Anyway, It's a cool plot.

But, I was terribly sick of the writing. Every other sentence began with an "I". If you're going to write in that 1st person, you cant write it like that. She seemed to throw in details just as they became effective. It was written like a journal. And there was hardly any dialogue. I was not impressed. The details themselves were not even that clear.
Anyways, I felt this was a terrible book.
Good plot, Bad English.
Oh yeah, the word "stuff" made me really angry.

this is a good book I strongly recommend it.

I am biased about Qndre Norton, so thus will be this review.I believe she is te most creative, and yes, spiritual author of fantasy today; modeling oour goals and principals through action, never a lecture. Her sentences are packed , eachword of consequenmce, he plots are a unique combination ofevery scientific and alternative fact or fictionwoven expertly together and every page, inclding the last,casrries on the plot without excuse or apology.For the Jargoopn Pard she has combined anti-discrimination valuies, witchcraft, alternative worlds,ideal human qualities and fully developed characters into a constantly suspensefuland exciting tale. The plot, copied by many movies is ingenious and the twists are unexpected, keeping the suispense and the anticipation high./There is a way which Ms. Norton uses words , how se weaves them into a sentence that not only moves the plot and explains the action bt er syntax is at times poetic. This is a great book-as are most of hers.

This book hooked me on si-fi and Andre Norton. Man has been in space so long that Terra is nearly forgotten. The social and political structure has fallen apart. A group of Space rangers and a ship of civilians crashes on a nearly empty world that has nomads, and sealed empty cities. The leader of the civilians takes control of the city and has the ability to control minds. Hate for non-humans grows and the Rangers choose to go it alone in the wild. They make the amazing discovery that this planet is Terra, the birth place of man. This was my first introduction to science fiction. I hope someday that this book will become a movie. Zinga is a match for a Drak or a Jedi anytime.

When I was 9 years old I found this book in the school library. I had never read such a wonderful book! It was my first science fiction novel, and it took me places that I had never dreamed existed.

My family moved 3000 miles away soon after that, and I often thought that I might go back to that school and find the thrilling science fiction book whose name and author I couldn't remember.

As these things happen, roughly 30 years later, I found the book as I was looking through a used book shop. Of course, I was seeing it through the eyes of a child, and the book lacked the depth, sophistication and complexity that I now desire. However, the characters and the plot could form the framework for a much richer novel or movie. Anyone know a good movie producer? I haven't seen a science fiction movie worth a farthing for a long time.

Blasters, rocket ships, and Space Patrols became staples of science fiction very early in its life as a separate genre, usually used in rather poor, pulp-level stories that were often nothing more than Westerns translated to outer space. But Norton took these common elements and added her own special flavor, and the result is a very satisfying adventure that truly qualifies as 'real' science fiction, one that will tickle that 'sense of wonder' that is such a prime requisite for imaginative fiction.

In the waning days of a vast interstellar empire, a lone ship of the Patrol crash lands on a minor, very out of the way planet. Quickly scouting around their crash site, they find evidence of a long vanished high tech civilization in the Sealed Cities, along with nomadic hunter-gatherer level groups of humans. Looking for better shelter to tend their injured personnel, the rangers enter one of the cities, only to find it occupied by another group of refugees and ruled by the Acturian Cummi, a master telepath, one who is not above overpowering and directly controlling other peoples minds, who is bent on becoming the sole ruler of the planet. Zinga, a member of the ancient historian race of Zacathans (a reptilian race that populates many of Norton's science fiction works), and the human Kartr, both high order telepaths themselves, though not of the strength of Cummi, end up in a memorable mental battle with Cummi. The result of this battle and its aftermath lead to a very surprising and exciting ending, one that has resonated in my mind for forty years.

Norton's work with the telepath aspect was unusual at the time of this book's writing (1953), showing measurable grading of telepathic ability, the dirty, nasty possibilities that such a talent engenders, the intriguing invention of the Can-hound as an android built for external mental control, and the indication that telepaths would not automatically form a society onto themselves, but might still be the object of unreasonable prejudice. She also strikes an accurate note in her depictions of the traditions and customs of the Patrol and the alienation that outsiders to that heritage can be made to feel. Her characterizations of Kartr and Zinga, while not excessively deep, are more than adequate to allow the reader to become engrossed in their problems and actions.

A grand adventure yarn, with more than a bit of meaning, depth, and moral injunctions hiding behind the fast pace. This is Norton at her best.

I grew up reading Andre Norton. And the adventures of the Solar Queen were always a favorite. Once again the intrepid crew must overcome the obstacles in their pursuit of profitable trade, from pirates and aliens to a strange telepathic link developing between the main characters. Olds fans will enjoy it -- still some of the best young adult sf. This is not "great" sf, but it is a fine rainy afternoon read, and what more can anyone want.

This is a sequel to the novel, "Derelict for Trade." It makes substantial references back to the previous book, and the reader should probably read the books in the order they were written. The story is interesting as the crews of the North Star and Solar Queen attempt to exploit the mineral resources on the planet Hesprid IV. It turns out not to be a milk run as they encounter wretched weather, unexpected XTs, stranded miners, and pirates. The question is whether they can come out of the venture with a profit. The story is well developed and generally well written. The authors have an annoying habit of sometimes switching back and forth between using characters' first names and using their last names - potentially confusing if a reader has not developed a rapport with the characters.

Yes, another Solar Queen adventure. Again Andre Norton has surpassed the average writer's abilities to write a great book. Sherwood Smith was the reason why I bought this book, he needs to get more books out in print, NOW!

I first read this book back in high school, and it got me interested in fantasy and science fiction again. As an ancient Egypt enthusiast, I am still impressed by how much research Norton put into the the pseudo-african culture where most of the book takes place. It is also a quick read.
It tells the story of an American archaeologist who is drawn into an alternate universe where Egyptian culture still thrives. She must assume the identity of a dead princess/priestess to defeat an uprising with a mysterious leader.
I found this book refreshing because it is a sci-fi book whose main character is a black woman, and a smart, no nonsense one at that! It's not the usual sci-fi or fantasy i am used to seeing. So if you're interested in books that feature strong women and "Stargate" like Egyptian culture, I reccomend this book strongly.

I have a copy of this book from the '70s. It's falling apart from being re-read so many times. The book is entertaining, suspenseful and just down right good.

Tallahassee is a great herione. She is smart and willing to fight the good fight. She is taken back in time to a place that was only fabled to exist. This place is being threatened by an evil that will destroy it, unless Tally can convincingly take the place of the just deceased princess.

This book is a great way to introduce young readers to science fiction and time travel.

i first read this book back in the seventies when i was in high school. it is one of science fictions' best. when an archeologist finds an ancient tailsman, she is transported back in time and is a dead ringer for a princess that has just been killed trying to protect the artifacts. she then takes the idenity of the dead princess and the story that follows is really great. will she stay in the past to help fight the evil that caused the death of the princess or go back to her own

time? the story is well written and i think it is definelty worth reading.

I read this book when it first came out. If you like Ms. Norton's Witch World, read these short stories. From these stories from other writers some of her later collaborative efforts were developed, including the Falconer who takes a wife. Many aspects of her world are explored from minor characters to expansion of history and legend.

The short stories herein are set in many different locales in the Witch World, on both sides of the ocean, and in many different times (before, during, and after the Kolder War). I'd suggest reading the first few novels before reading them, to get the background. If you're already familiar with the Witch World, enjoy; some long-unanswered questions and unexplored bits of history are addressed here.

My comments are organized alphabetically by author, rather than order of appearance in the book.

Belden, Wilanne Schneider: "Fenneca" - Set during the worst devastation of the Invader's War. The title character is a fey child - not entirely a mortal human - whose destiny is bound up with the rebuilding of the Dales.

Bloch, Robert: "Heir Apparent" - The narrator - Lady Tephana's chief servant, her former nursemaid - tells her side of "Of the Shaping of Ulm's Heir" (see below). If you like, you could read both stories before tackling _The Crystal Gryphon_.

Crispin, A.C.: "Bloodspell" - This tale of Herrel and the Were-Riders is set during Herrel's youth in Arvon, and answers a question left unanswered in _Year of the Unicorn_.

de Lint, Charles: "The White Road" - Set in the time between the end of the Invader's War and "Changeling", by which time Nordendale had a new lord. Saren, the innkeeper's daughter, is hitting the road in man's guise to seek her fortune.

Dunn, Marylois: "Cat and the Other" - Cat, the toughest of the toms in the castle, is annoyed at the Other's presence in his mind; the castle's Witch, attempting to cast the suitor of her protege out of his body and into a pigeon, missed her aim. Cat, fearless and acquainted with the Witch's familiar, takes charge of getting the Other back where he belongs. (More of Cat's adventures can be found in other volumes of the series).

Griffin, Pauline: "Oath-Bound" - A Sulcar captain, who broke his leg saving the life of Tronel, a Falconer serving on his ship, asks a favor in return: to escort the Lady Qu'el back to her native gate, now that her term of service to the Sulcar is done. Tronel is honor-bound - despite his people's double distrust of women bearing magic.

Heidbrink, James R. "Of Ancient Swords and Evil Mist" - Jobec, captain of the Sulcar warship _Red Dawn_, is the sole survivor of a shipwreck after a great storm, following a raid on Alizon. A bad place to be, even if he hadn't stumbled across mysterious ruins...

Inks, Caralyn: "Nine Words in Winter" - Many characters in the Witch World swear by the Nine Words of Min; here we learn more about them.

Lackey, Mercedes: "Were-Hunter" - A young woman from our universe discovers, upon stumbling through a Gate into the Dales, that she has Were abilities - but she doesn't know how to control them.

Mayhar, Ardath: "Neither Rest Nor Refuge" - The narrator, a boy of the Old Race, is speaking as a fugitive just after the three-times-horning (see _Witch World_ for the decree that put his people to the sword).

Miller, Sasha: "To Rebuild the Eyrie" - Set some years after the Turning, in which the Falconer's Eyrie was destroyed. Eirrian, a tavernkeeper's niece, has been kidnapped - and the kidnapper is a romantic young idiot of a Falconer who wants to reestablish the Eyrie, complete with the separate women's village.

Norton, Andre: "The Shaping of Ulm's Heir" - As recounted at the beginning of _The Crystal Gryphon_, the house of Ulm was cursed after its lord violated a treasure-house of the Old Ones - that lord died, leaving his son Ulric to inherit, and the other members of the expedition also died swiftly. More: Ulric could get no living children, so that he set his second wife, Elva, aside for barrenness, despite his love for her, and wed Lady Tephana instead (a widow with a living son as proof of fertility). This tale is told by Ylas - daughter of the Marshal on that ill-fated expedition, cursed with a harelip, and personal servant of Elva - the tale of how Lady Tephana came to call on evil magic to bear an heir to Ulm, and what came of it.
Scarborough, Elizabeth: "Milk from a Maiden's Breast" - Freyti, a Mosswife, comes to the rescue of Tregemma, a famed warrior of Escore caught in an ambush.

Schaub, Mary H. "Night Hound's Moon" - Kennard, an asthmatic boy left alone after the wise woman who raised him died, had only one companion - the mysterious hound he freed from a trap (its elaborate collar was entangled with some brush). Now humanity has found him again - in the form of bandits who have sold him to a mysterious crew of evil magicians. A well-told story, but I was distracted for quite some time by asking, "Who ARE these guys??"

Severance, Carol: "Isle of Illusion" - Metae of Komlin Keep is fast approaching her coming-of-age, when she will take the rulership from her uncle, who has acted as regent since the death of her father (who defeated him in a quarrel over the lordship after the disappearance of their elder sister). Now she's about to find out what happened to her aunt. You may never look the same way at seashells again after reading this; it's cool.

Stuart, Kiel: "Green in High Hallack" - Tymmons' people are facing famine - but he can't help having mercy on the Ranthan whose life he saved, and he won't see it sacrificed.

Vardeman, Robert E. "The Road of Dreams and Death" - Luanna, daughter of the lord of Rozdale, has fallen in love with a farmer she first met at the market in Quayth; but after having one daughter wed to a mere merchant, he's not about to concede *this* match.

This was the first ever witch world book I read and I enjoyed it alot. It was kind of hard to understand somtimes because I don't know any of the background. Such as why falconners hate women. At one point in the book Eirran is trying to guess. for all I know she could be entirely correct or entirely wrong. I suggest that you read a few other witch world books before this one.

The Crossroads of Time is the first novel in the Crosstime series. Blake Walker is an entering art student at Havers who is staying in a hotel prior to registering at the school. He is an orphan who was found in an alley by two policemen, one of whom became his foster father. Since both of his foster parents are now dead, he has no known kin.

In this novel, Blake has a premonition that something dangerous is about to occur in his vicinity and, when it peaks, he is drawn to the corridor. After easing the door open, he finds a man holding a gun on another man who is unlocking the room across the way. Blake grabs the gunman's throat and yanks his head back, providing the other man with an opportunity to knock the gunman unconscious. The rescued man introduces himself as Kittson, an FBI agent. Soon, two of Kittson's associates come and take away the gunman. Shortly thereafter, someone identifying himself as a hotel security officer knocks on Blake's door, but Kittson tells Blake to say that he is going to check with the desk and the stranger goes away.

Since someone is obviously curious about the recent events, Kittson takes Blake with him when he leaves. They travel to a loft apartment atop a warehouse, where Blake finds three other men in addition to Mark Kittson. Apparently, these men are doing a great deal of reading, for piles of books, with numerous bookmarks, are all around the living room. One of the men, Jason Saxton, claims that the books are part of his hobby, the study of history, and turns the conversation to the subject of decision points in history causing diverging timelines. Later, Blake is awakened to find Kittson injured and being helped into another bedroom. The next day, that bedroom is locked and then someone or something comes up the elevator to the outside door and sends a mental presence into the room, attacking Blake. Although Blake holds out for a while, he collapses after the attacking presence is scared off by the returning agents.

When the others learn of the intrusion, they prepare to more their operation elsewhere. However, they tell Blake a little more about the crosstime secret and their mission to catch a power-mad renegade. Blake learns just enough to pretend to be totally ignorant of the true mission when he later falls into the hands of the opposition.

While not the first of its type, this novel is an early example of travel between probability universes or alternate timelines, such as in Smith's The Probability Broach. It did precede Piper's Paratime series by a few years but has a similar premise. The author has only written one other novel in this series to date: Quest Crosstime.

This story features psionic powers, but lacks many of the other characteristic plot elements of the author's later works. However, the author does include an ordinary kitten who plays a significant role in defeating the villain. I found the story to be interesting, maybe for nostalgic reasons, but it is not one of her best works.

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys SF adventures in strange universes.

"The Crossroads of Time" is the first of two volumes concerning Blake Walker's adventures on alternate Earths. Blake, a 1950s citizen of our own Earth is accidentally caught up in the chase for a telepathic psychopath who is looking for an alternate Earth to rule.

This is a solid adventure about a brave band of Time Wardens, who have sworn to protect alternate Earths from manipulation by sociopaths. Blake is an appealing young man who is enlisted in the bizarre cross-world pursuit, almost against his will. He is tumbled from Earth to Earth, burnt, frozen, terrified at times and struggling to survive against ogres, robotic worms, and the renegade telepath. He finally lands in the ruins of New York City on an Earth where Hitler won the Battle of Britain. In an eerie echo of our own time, Blake joins the fight against evil with gritty New Yorkers who have survived both bombing and plague.

Andre Norton's rendition of tough guy dialogue may ring quaintly in modern ears, but that shouldn't keep her fans from seeking out this book and its successor, "Quest Crosstime."