Ashe Gordon and Ross Murdock, angry following the loss of their fellow agent and friend, Travis Fox on the planet Topaz, are on the planet Hawaikan, a warm planet that is mostly ocean, intent on setting up a time gate. The world is so different from what they expected after viewing the information from the alien ship that brought them to the planet, that they have decided to do a risky experiment and travel into the past of the planet. They are joined on this venture by two mutant dolphins and a female agent of Polynesian descent.

However, just as they set up the time gate, a storm blows up and disaster strikes. Murdock is flung through the gate and into the planet's past. The time gate is destroyed. Murdock is left to try to cope with the different and aline world he finds himself in, where it seems there is currently a three way struggle going on even without the presence of the mysterious aliens who have dogged the Time Traders from the start.

Without many references to the Russian/US race to colonize space, this book is not much dated at all. Murdock's resentment about the interjection of a woman into their crew is all too believable. However, Norton rarely takes the expected route and the story remains thoroughly entertaining.

Key out of time is one in the series that I think started with Time Traders. This is the race between the U.S. and USSR to utilize technology left in the distant past on Earth by an interstellar race.

The setting is on another planet and goes back into time on it and the travelers meet the race that originated the time technology. Throw in a coven of real witches, dolphins that can communicate with humans and you have one heck of a good story

Beast Master was one of my favourite teen books and this is an unusual sequel inasmuch as that it is at least as good as the original.

N.B. The film "Beast Master" is very obviously based on these books, though migrated to a fantasy setting. I never saw them credited anywhere though. The film is an enjoyable romp, nice humorous touches without going over the top. The hero looks very good though he is awful with a sword. Worst moment: practicing sword on mountain. Best moment: "ferocious" feline threatening pretty girl.

This book is a continuation of the Beast Master. I was only able to read it 2 or 3 times and now I cannot find a copy. The book continues with the adventures of Storm and his companions. The hunt for the downed shuttle and the journey through the caves of the Old ones was exciting. Norton has a way of describing things that allow you to see with your imagination. I also enjoyed the conclusion with the final battle between the Nitra, Storm, and the Lord of Thunder. I hope that there are further books in the series.

If you can't find this volume, note that everything herein (except "Legacy from Sorn Fen" and C.J. Cherryh's introduction) also appears in Norton's collection _Wizards' Worlds_. Most first saw the light of day in non-Norton anthologies or in magazines. I've discussed them below in order of internal chronology, as best I can determine, rather than their order within the book or order of publication.

"Falcon Blood" (1979) - A Sulcar woman and a Falconer are the only survivors of a shipwreck - cast up on the land from whence the Falconers originally came, before they founded the Eyrie. If you ever wondered *why* Falconer men so hate and fear women, especially women who traffic in magic, here's your answer.

"The Toads of Grimmerdale" (1973) - In the last days of the Invaders' War, Hertha had been sent from her family's keep to an abbey for safety - only to meet an Alizon ambush en route. A band of High Hallack fighting men caught the Hounds before they turned to their captive, but they weren't rescuers. Now, on this last night before the Year of the Unicorn begins, Hertha is once again leaving her brother's keep - because she refuses to abort the child she carries, and she wants justice on the man who raped rather than rescued her. After making a plea at Gunnora's shrine, she seeks the ruins at Grimmerdale, to treat with those who may locate the man she seeks.

"Changeling" (1980) - The child whose conception precipitated "The Toads of Grimmerdale" has been born - with stigmata like those of the Old Ones with whom her mother, Hertha, dealt in her quest for vengeance. So Hertha takes the road again, this time seeking to undo the damage done, that her daughter Elfanor may be free.

"Legacy from Sorn Fen" (1973) - Set in High Hallack, immediately after the Invaders' War; first appeared in _Garan the Eternal_. As you may have gathered, Lord Imgry wasn't the only man of High Hallack to see opportunity amid the upheavals of the war; many dales, bereft of their lords and fighting men, provided a chance of betterment for fighting men who could lead. Nordendale, in the 2 stories mentioned above, was lucky in acquiring a good man by the time "Changeling" rolled around.

Klavenport hasn't been so lucky. Oh, Higbold wed Lady Isbel, right enough, but he's an unscrupulous, ambitious man. So much so that when Caleb, the mauled veteran taken on as Isbel's gardener, overhears one of Higbold's secret meetings, Caleb flees for his very life into uncanny Sorn Fen. But the real monsters in Sorn Fen aren't what you might expect...

"Spider Silk" (1976) - Ingvarna, Wise Woman for the village of Rannock, had just enough warning from the Guardians of Estcarp to evacuate the village before the Turning - not enough to save the men of the fishing fleet (half were lost, in the tsunami and storm caused by the rending of the mountain range on the Estcarp-Karsten border). The night of the Turning gave as well as took away, though; Rannock's right of storm wrack brought them to salvage the raider ship washed ashore.

Its cargo, though, consisted of no wholesome trade goods; the raider was a slave ship that had touched far shores. Only one little girl, stricken with amnesia and hysterical blindness from the horrors she'd lived through, survived: Dairine, taken as an apprentice and fosterling by Ingvarna. She proves to have a great talent for weaving - enough to keep the interest of occasional Sulcar traders. So when, after Ingvarna's death, a young Sulcar captain tells her of the spider-silk weavers of Usturt, who produce priceless silk, but kill men from outside on sight. Might they teach their art to a woman who seems to be no threat?

"Sword of Unbelief" (1979) - An Elys and Jervon story, set near the end of the Invaders' War (a.k.a. the Kolder War); although the Weres turned the tide of battle, the Waste is still haunted by outlaws and other dangerous creatures. Elys returns from an exploration of nearby ruins to find that raiders have struck their camp - and they kidnapped Jervon rather than simply trying to kill him. And this world really *does* have fates worse than death, as Elys knows all too well, tracking the outlaws across the Waste, hoping to intercept them before they reach their mysterious destination.

"Sand Sister" (1979) - Set in the Tormarsh, in the generation born after the Kolder War. As told in _Witch World_ and _Web of the Witch World_ (and recounted here in passing from the opposing viewpoint), Koris of Gorm's mother was a Torwoman, one of the remote people of the marshes who are not quite of humankind. Their history stretches back very far indeed: back unto a day when they were nearly brute beasts, when in his loneliness, the Old One Volt took them under his wing. (They know he wasn't a god, but they revere his memory greatly.) They greatly love their homeland, so the Witches' sealing off of Tormarsh after the war doesn't grieve them much; Norton skillfully illuminates the beauty of the marshes, as well as Tor culture (which is not only ancient, but somewhat hidebound), through the eyes of the Tormaiden Tursla.

In these latter days, their people are gradually dying out, so even an odd child like Tursla is accepted, and like all children, raised in common by the clan. Tursla thinks of Koris often, wondering if he ever yearns for his Tormarsh heritage, feeling any lack, as she does, having been marked from birth as strange. She dreams - and ever she sees a pool of blue-green water surrounded by red-gold sand...

This group if shorit are gread and, in a way, introduce us to several characters that are filled out in "Witch World" novels. I own the Daw'80 paperback and have read it many times. If you can find a copy, I highly recomment it!

I've been searching all over for this book, which was such a delightful read when I was younger. The combination of magic and history in this wonderful story makes this a terrific gem for children of all ages. It's especially touching for anyone who has ever pretended to be someone else, and wished it could become reality. In these days of Harry Potter and magic mania, I would love to see this book reprinted for a new generation.

I hope every young adult discovers this wonderful little book. Lorrie, the main character, has problems to deal with just like all young adults. Then one day she enters a mysterious house where she travels back in time. But most importantly, Lorrie meets a wise old woman who helps Lorrie to grow as a person.

I ran into the first story in this interconnected series, Toys of Tamisan, in a 1969 issue of IF magazine. It was one of Norton's few short stories, therefore, to be highly prized. Later it appeared in a DAW collection called the Many Worlds of Andre Norton (1974). Here (1976) it appears with a sequel that ties up the loose ends left at the end of Toys.

The remaining stories appear here for the first time and are all worth reading. This isn't the best Norton has done, but even mediocre Norton is very good indeed.

Each of the 4 stories in this volume are set against a common background: the city of Ty-Kry, in a world whose culture and economy are bound up in dreams - Ty-Kry's primary tourist attraction for those who travel between the stars. The Hive produces professional dreamers - women who create fantasy worlds so powerful and detailed that they can be shared with a client, hooked up to the proper machinery. Dreamers may be A dreamers (who produce action/adventure dreams) or E dreamers (who produce erotic dreams). Since dreamers care for nothing except dreams and the research needed to develop them, the Hive is always run by a non-dreamer, the Foostmam, who handles the financial side of the dream business.

The setting of Ty-Kry and its dream-based economy is not drawn out in detail; these stories are all centered around the dreamworlds woven by the dreamers. In three of the four stories, dreams are found to be a key to crosstime (a.k.a. paratime) travel, providing acces!s to alternate histories. In the Tamisan stories, Tamisan and her client are trapped in a dream, but in 'Get Out of My Dream', the client is deliberately attempting to change history, to prevent a disaster that cannot be stopped in the present.

The only quibble I have with these stories of the dreams of Ty-Kry is that I'd like more :). We don't see much of the Sea-Kings' culture, for instance; on the other hand, the protagonists have their hands full just trying to survive their dreams! (Notice, incidentally, that this book was written long before virtual reality or immersive video games came on the scene; here the creators of fantasyworlds connect directly to their clients' minds.)

If you enjoy these, you should try "Long Live Lord Kor!" in _The Book of Andre Norton_, where an organization sends agents' minds back in time on many worlds to prevent atomic wars and other disasters. Or if crosstime travel appeals to you outside this context, try Norton's _Crossroads of Time_ and _Quest Crosstime_, or H. Beam Piper's _Paratime_. If you'd like elaborate dream-like scenarios without time travel, try Larry Niven and Steven Barnes' _Dream Park_ for a different spin.

"Toys of Tamisan" - Tamisan, daughter of a space-traveller and a woman of Ty-Kry, is unique among dreamers - a dreamer who is fully aware of the waking world, and aware that she is virtually a slave, who must conceal her differences if she is ever to have a chance to be free. After being sold to Lord Starrex, whose adventurous life has been curtailed by a crippling injury, Tamisan begins to experiment with creating dream scenarios in which history took a different path, and finds unexpected results.

"Ship of Mist" - A continuation of "Toys of Tamisan." Tamisan and Starrex have exchanged one dreamworld for another - this time to become Tam-Sin and Kilwar, in a timeline where the seafolk on Ty-Kry's world were not wiped out.

"Get Out of My Dream" - Itlothis, a PerSearch agent, has come to the Hive to recall Oslan to his homeworld upon the unexpected death of his Clan Chief, only to find that she must follow him into a dream.

"Nightmare" - Five wealthy offworld men have died mysteriously while dreaming in the Hive, but no traces of foul play could be found. Now one Organization agent has been infiltrated into the Hive as an A dreamer, while another has been given a false identity to tempt the Hive into attempting to make him the 6th victim.

"Plague Ship" (1956) is the second installment in Andre Norton's so-called Dane Thorson series, and is a direct continuation of the previous volume, "Sargasso of Space." (A reading of that earlier novel is highly recommended before going into this one.) "Plague Ship" does everything that a good sci-fi sequel should: It expands on the possibilities of the previous book, deepens the characters, increases the action and leaves us wanting still more. This time around, Thorson and his 11 shipmates on the galactic trader Solar Queen...
It's a very fast-moving and suspenseful tale, full of unusual detail and unexpected turns. There are several highlights that make the book really shine, such as the gorp hunt early in the story. (And when I say "gorp," I'm not talking about high-energy nut-and-raisin trail mix, but rather reptilian, crablike monsters!) This gorp hunt takes place at sunset on the reefs of an oily sea, and is a highly atmospheric and exciting segment. Other great sections include a raid on an asteroid's emergency station; a landing in the Big Burn... and the viewing of the mutant life-forms therein; and the battle... near the book's end, where our heroes make a desperate bid to make their plea for justice to the citizens of the solar system. Like I said, this is a slam-bang sequel, that will leave few readers unsatisfied.
That having been said, I need to also mention that there are a few inconsistencies in the book. At one point, Norton tells us that Dane has been in the trading service for a few months; somewhere else, she says that it has been a full year. Huh? And I feel that I must chastise Ace Books for the deplorable job with which this book has been put together. Now don't get me wrong: I LOVE these little Ace paperbacks from the 1950s, especially those 2-in-1 Ace doubles. But there are so many typos--not to mention punctuational and grammatical errors--in this book that the reading thereof is made a labor. Should we blame Norton or the publishers for a sentence such as this: "His hands, blundering within the metallic claws of the gloves, Dane buckled two safety belts about him." How could any copy editor or proofreader let such an egregious line such as this get through, when just the simple deletion of that first comma would have made all the difference?! Apparently, these little Ace books were never proofed or edited. They're wonderful volumes, with marvelously pulpy covers, but sadly, the contents were not given their due. But enough about Ace's carelessness. "Plague Ship," despite the occasional blunder, is still a marvelous entertainment, and I do highly recommend it.

Solar Queen adventure about trading contract for the planet Sargol acquired after losing planet Limbo contract to Star Patrol(Sargasso of Space). Van and Dane find that the Inter-solar(I-S) company there ahead of them. Still, they tried for fair trade with the Salariki for their koros gems. The crew of the Solar Queen after takeoff find they have a plague on board and as the crew one by one becomes sick finds the Star Patrol out to destroy the ship on sight. Classic Andre Norton

This is an absolutely wonderful book. Exciting at all times. I have reread this book many times. And will read it again.

Mankinds ultimate nightmare has become a reality. The wonderful simple life on the island of San Isadore -until the american seabees arrive,and with the secret project they construct.boats start to disappear and a strange creature appears on the shore. now there is concern to everyone a impending threat of nuclear war.! there is nowhere man can hide and what is doom headed our way

This contains every story from _Lore of the Witch World_ except "Legacy from Sorn Fen". All the others (except "Were-Wrath", so far) have appeared in previous collections, primarily _High Sorcery_ and _The Book of Andre Norton_; for my detailed commentary on those stories, see my reviews of those books.

"Falcon Blood", "Toads of Grimmerdale", "Changeling", "Spider Silk", "Sword of Unbelief", "Sand Sister" - see my review of _Lore of the Witch World_.

"Toys of Tamisan" - This Ty-Kry story and its sequel, "Ship of Mist", can be found in Norton's Ty-Kry collection _Perilous Dreams_ (see my review for details). Although it appeared without its sequel in _High Sorcery_, it shows to best advantage with the other stories set in the same world. Briefly, Tamisan is an action dreamer - one of the fabled women who live only to create dreamworlds where clients can experience the adventures they desire. But unlike other dreamers, Tamisan isn't absorbed in the toys of her own creation - she's aware of the real world, and her new owner, as more than just raw material.

"Wizards' Worlds" - Formerly titled "Wizard's World", this one previously appeared in the collection _High Sorcery_ (see my review). It isn't a Witch World story; so far it stands alone. Craike, an Esper whose cover was blown in a setup, is no longer fleeing even for his life - just for the chance to die rather than face torture and forced betrayal of his comrades. But when he dives into a dry gorge in the desert, he surfaces in a raging river in another world, his desperation coupled with ESP having opened a gate.

"Mousetrap" - From _The Book of Andre Norton_. If you like Norton's Solar Queen stories, this one's setting has a similar flavor. Every bright boy with a new variety of glue wants to try it out on the mysterious sand statues of Mars - as with building a better mousetrap, it'll make a fortune if a statue can be handled and moved safely.

"Were-Wrath" - This doesn't seem to be a Witch World story, and bears no relation to the Were Riders. Lady Thra, a refugee from the south, has just seen the last of her men hanged by the lord of the valley below the forest. Compared to the horrors she's seen, a hut with carvings depicting the life of a young were-creature seems a small enough risk to run.

"By a Hair" - A stand-alone story from _High Sorcery_, set in a tiny European valley occupied in one war by the Nazis, only to descend into an even more terrible bondage under the Soviets. The surviving fighting men still remember the ways of guerilla warfare, but there's no defense against the treachery of an ambitious woman - or is there?

"All Cats Are Gray" - From _The Book of Andre Norton_, an SF story with a Solar Queenesque flavor.

"Swamp Dweller" - This was written for the 1st _Magic in Ithkar_ anthology, so if you want a proper grounding in the Ithkar universe, you should pick up a copy. It stands fine on its own, but it's more pleasant to see it in an all-Ithkar setting. (I'll refer you to that book rather than trying to describe Ithkar here, though.)

This is one of the best purchases I have ever made! I am very fond of this series and enjoy all her short stories and novels as well. Even when she is co-author you can still see her shining through. If you are a fan of this master, then this book is a must!

"Year of the Unicorn" is my favorite Witch World novel among the many five-star novels in this series by Lifetime Grand Master of Fantasy, Andre Norton (Alice Mary North). Each setting, each character is illuminated with clear description and color, like scenes from a medieval Book of Hours. Even though I first read this book in 1965, I can still close my eyes and see Gillan and the ancient Dame Alousan gathering herbs in the high-walled garden of Norstead Abbey. I can see the twelve and one high-born maids riding forth from the Abbey - the twelve and one maids who were promised as brides to the Were-riders of the Waste....

"Year of the Unicorn" is a grand adventure, a love story, a coming-of-age novel set like a jewel amidst the fantastical Dark and Light of Norton's Witch World. 'Unicorn' veers away from the 'mainstream' WW adventures of the Tregarth family ("Witch World", "Web of the Witch World", "Three Against the Witch World", etc.), but it is perfect in its own setting (the Wastes and Dales of High Hallack), and in its own right. This is Norton at the top of her form.

The courageous Gillian changes places with a distraught bride-to-be, in order to escape from the dull, unvarying routine of the convent. Little does she know that the groom-to-be is a were-rider. When his comrades discover that Gillian is part witch, they create a fetch, a false Gillian to ride with the pack. The true, shadow Gillian must follow the were-riders through many harrowing, supernatural adventures in order to become whole. Strongly plotted, believable heroine, and one of Norton's strangest and most beautifully detailed settings

Andre Norton: Fables & Futures by gifted writer Anne Braude is a well written book that you won't want to miss... A book (a prize in fiction!)