Many transformations in this one: people reborn as cats, cats reborn as people, and some who have tried both and need restoration to their preferred shape.

Barwood, Lee "A Woman of Her Word" - Tarberry, after a near-death experience in a breeding mill, uses new-found talents to help his rescuer.

Bell, Claire "A Tangled Tahitian Tail" - Told by the first European to set foot on Tahiti: the ship's cat.

de Lint, Charles "Saxophone Joe and the Woman in Black" - The sax player lost his woman when he stumbled across her true name - was she really human? And did he care?

Dunn, Marylois "Teddy Cat" - Cory Johnson's allergic - to everything her stepfather doesn't want her to have: ice cream, the teddy bear he destroyed. But Cory won't let him take the idea of Teddy Bear away from her - so the wild tom that befriends her is Teddy Cat.

Fontenay, Charles L. "Cat O' Nine Tales" - Adrian is a professional writer who makes a modest living through hard work. When Diana Colfax hired him through his agent to live at her family home and write her family history, he accepted the contract. But on his arrival, the situation at Nine Tales is fishy. A young man and woman greet him, saying that the old lady recently died and no arrangements were made for a book. Angered at having packed up his life, including his cat, for a long trip, then being fobbed off with an obvious lie (his agent's got the contract, only a week old, for goodness' sake), Adrian starts poking around. (The ending is somewhat rushed, but the setup is OK.)

Griffin, P.M. "Partners" - As indicated by the title, this is another Bastet story (as in Catfantastic 2 and 5), rather than the Trouble stories of 1 and 4. The cat facing Bastet before his next reincarnation has never had a human Partner in the full sense of the term. Not that he was physically abused in his past life, far from it; he spent his life as a pedigreed Persian, in show cages and stud cages, with excellent care but no affection.

Johnston III, John E. "...But a Glove" - With every full moon, Tom becomes a cat (a wayward gift shared by some descendants of Clan Chattan). Plays the devil with one's social life...

Inks, Caralyn "Fear in Her Pocket" - Jayle is called to help a camilicat shed her old life for a new one, but the price this time comes high.

Lackey, Mercedes "A Tail of Two Skittys" - See my review of her short story collection _Werehunter_, which contains all the Skitty stories to date.

Mayhar, Ardath "Hermione as Spy" - Hermione's first job as a wizard's familiar, fresh from school.

McConchie, Lyn "Moon Scent" - Tale of the dravencat Many Kills.

McQuillin, Cynthia "Cat's World" - Cat acts as Guardian of the Old Knowledge, preserving the laboratory where his kind were designed before the rest of the world ended, because of a prophecy that their creator had once traveled into their present, her future.

Miller, Ann; Rigley, Karen "Snake Eyes" - Lori's aunt and uncle recently died in a fire, survived by their cat, Silver, and their son, Ray. (No accident that her cousin comes second in that list.) But now the auditor hired as part of the proposed sale of the family business has been killed by a hit-and-run driver...

Miller, Sasha "One Too Many Cats" - Continues the tale of young wizard Ferdon, his wife, and his familiar. Ferdon's familiar was once a woman; she's now enduring life as a cat. (She's not much help as a familiar, has a hate / hate relationship with Ferdon's wife, and is *allergic* to cats even after her transformation). Ferdon, who's now aware of the nature of her problem, persuades his wife to help him return the cat to human form. At least, that was the idea...

Norton, Andre "Noble Warrior Meets with a Ghost" - "Noble Warrior" is the translation of Thargun's full name, a Siamese sent by a grateful Princess to young Emmy, the daughter of an Englishman who saved her father's life (see all Catfantastic volumes in sequence for his complete adventures). Here a thief seizes his traveling basket in a train station.

Reyes, Raul; Waters, Elisabeth "Connecticat" - The lama's young nephew hadn't learned the discipline necessary to successfully evade all the traps along the path to rebirth. When his uncle finally locates his reincarnation, he's a LONG way from home...

Scarborough, Elizabeth Ann "The Cat Quest of Mu Mao the Magnificent" - The secret valley of Shambala is the only haven left, after the world ended in blinding light and thunder. Mu Mao, who has achieved the highest state of enlightenment (rebirth as the last cat in the world), is, alas, now subject to feline urges - and having gone to so much trouble to get In to Shambala, he must now go Out.

Straub, Mary H. "The Cat, the Wizards, and the Bedpost" - A continuation of the Flax & Drop stories from 1 & 2 (which are concluded in 4). Drop, the stray accidentally changed into a human boy, may finally return to normal: the wizard who developed the keep-shape spell has asked Flax for help in another matter.

Schimel, Lawrence "To Skein a Cat" - The lonely Fates have adopted 3 kittens - and we all know about mixing kittens with thread.

Schwartz, Susan "Asking Mr. Bigelow" - Lisa isn't a cat person - she's more of a mouse: the kind of mouse who waits in lines forever while the cats get served first. Now she's suffering from a migraine after losing yet another promotion, and someone on the street directs her to Bigelow's (an upscale drugstore). But Mr. Bigelow is a cat, and he can see what she *really* needs for her problem. If you like this, try "Cat Tale" by Vicki Ann Heydron (M.Z.Bradley's _Greyhaven_ anthology).

I loved this continuation of stories about our most beloved pet-the cat. I especially liked the diversity of styles. Glad to see continuations of Skitty and Noble Warrior

Once again a delightful blend of authors have come up with tales about cats and the people who are owned by them. I always enjoy a collection of shorts and this was no exception!

Though she is most noted for her science-fiction/fantasy books such as the Wich World series, SHADOW HAWK by Andre Norton is a work of historical fiction based on actual events which occurred in ancient Egypt. The story concerns the captain Rahotep, son of the viceroy of the pharaoh and heir to the nomarchy of the Hawk Nome in the southern provinces. The story takes place during the Hyksos occupation, thus Rahotep is given the nickname Shadow Hawk, as his nome is a shadow of its former being. Rahotep intercepts a message from the pharaoh Sekenenre in Thebes to the north, a plea for military assistance to once again unite the Two Lands. Rahotep, along with the commander Methen, faithful friend Kheti, and 10 Nubian archers, travel north to serve their pharaoh. When they arrive, the group is assigned to the eldest prince Kamose. Rahotep and company prove their worth on a raid with Kamose's younger brother Ahmose and are assigned to the personal guard of pharaoh himself. While serving this honorable but unexciting duty, Rahotep is framed as perpetrator in an attempt of pharaoh's life. He is arrested and severely punished but, with the aid of his friends, manages to escape. After proving his loyalty to the crown, he is taken in by Kamose, now pharaoh following the death of his father by the hands of scheming countrymen. Kamose, Ahmose, and Rahotep then plot to overthrow the Hyksos outpost Neferusi. The last part of the book concerns the attempt to capture the town, an event that would mark a turning point in the battle with the invading Hyksos to bring about a reversal of Egypt's fortunes. The book is basically an adventure story set in ancient Egypt. Norton has done her homework as the details smack of authenticity. The larger events outlined in the book actually took place. Kamose and his "troops of Medja-Nubians" (according to his stela) fell upon the nest of Asiatics at Nefrusy (just north of Khmun, the modern-day Ashmunein), his "brave army in front of me like a breath of fire . . . I overthrew him, I razed his wall, I slew his people . . ." Nefrusy was at the southern limit of the influence of Apophis, just north of the kingdom of Kamose in the area of Beni Hasan. Thus was the tide turned and Kamose and his brother Ahmose restored the glory of Egypt

The book is about a young officer/archer in th Egyptian military. It takes place sometime in ancient times. He is the son of a noblemen. Many things happen to him and those he commands.
I thought this book was very good. It was exciting and entertaining. From the very beginning it captures your attention. There really wasn't much bad with the book except some confusing names.
I would like to recommend this book to anyone that likes war books because it has exciting battles and that sort of thing.

Andre Norton's Shadow Hawk is about the invasion and occupation of ancient Egypt by the Hyksos, a nomadic Asian tribe, which ruled until all vestiges of their reign was permanently obliterated by the victorious Egyptians. It's the story of the Nubian Archers, and their leader, an Egyptian prince known as the Shadow Hawk. He leads the loyal Egyptians in a rebellion against the invaders. Want to find something from that era? Sorry, you can't. No records from that time exist.

The novel Spell of the Withch World was an adventure book that held my intrest most of the way through it. The main Characters in this story were the twins Elys and Elyn. Elys is a witch and Elyn is a warrior. They travel around the countryside to gain back their home land of Wark and come across wierd events. I'm not to interested in these kind of books but I wouldrecommend this book for people who like stories of fantisy lands.

"Dragon Scale Silver" - This is the tale of Elys, and of how a woman obviously of Estcarp's witch blood should happen not only to live in the Dales, but to ride with Jervon, just as clearly of High Hallack ancestry. It isn't long enough to make a full-length novel, but it's longer than the usual short story.

The tale begins with two shipwrecked refugees, obviously of Estcarp blood, being washed ashore at Wark, near Vastdale in High Hallack, in the Year of the Salamander. Although this is before the Invaders' War erupted in High Hallack, remember that Estcarp had been fighting what is called 'the Kolder War' on their side of the ocean for some years at that point.

Almondia, who was a Witch in her former life, opts to lay down her oath and take Truan for her husband, after casting one last spell, ensuring that although she dies after giving birth to twins, she leaves behind a son, Elyn, for Truan and a daughter, Elys, leaving them only the legacy of the dragon scale silver cup created by her last act of magic.

The story follows Elys through the opening years of the Invaders' War, when the people of Wark must flee from their seacoast village and take refuge far inland. (Elyn left Wark to join the Dales' forces as a warrior.) Jervon stumbled across the refugees' new village with his dying lord, the last survivors of one of the early, desperate battles against the Hounds. Elys and Jervon join forces to find and rescue Elyn when the dragon scale silver cup gives warning that Elyn is in mortal danger.

Elys and Jervon encounter Joisan in _Gryphon in Glory_, and also appear in _Gryphon's Eyrie_.

"Dream Smith" - The Dales are full of stories warning of the danger of handling artifacts from those who lived in the Dales before the coming of mortals. Collard, a young smith, was crippled and disfigured in an explosion caused by trying to work a mysterious metal brought out of the Waste. Upon his return to such health as he can now enjoy, he discovers a talent for working the strange metal into lifelike figurines, based on images he now sees in dreams. The Wise Woman Sharvana, who nursed Collard back to life after the accident, brings him into contact with the invalid Lady Jacinda, exiled to her father's country estate to get her out of her stepmother's household. Can either of them hope for a life with more than dreams?

"Amber Out of Quayth" - In the years after the Invaders' War, life in the Dales entered a time of flux. Many lords, together with their heirs and most of their fighting men, were lost in the early stages of the war, when the Hounds still had the Kolders' support to draw on (the Hounds had access to Kolder tanks, the Dales had swords and crossbows). After the war, women outnumbered men, especially nobleborn women, and few Dales were prosperous enough to provide adequate dowries.

Ysmay, the sister of the lord of Uppsdale, acted as chatelaine during the Invaders' War; in her brother's absence, she ruled the dale in his place. After the war ended and her brother brought home a bride, Ysmay's duties were transferred to the new lady, except for those involving her talents with herbs. Ysmay's only dowry is an amber mine which can no longer be worked after being blocked by a cave-in years before, so she has no prospects of escaping through marriage (and she refuses to be pushed off into a convent).

Enter Hylle, Lord of Quayth (an obscure hold bordering on the Waste west of High Hallack). Hylle has brought with him to the fair near Uppsdale a great wealth of amber, including a great deal of finished, fine jewelry; in fact, his products are so fine that the local nobility expect that he will have trouble finding buyers in the post-war Dales who can pay him a fair price. Oddly enough, though, Hylle's prices can be afforded even by Uppsdale's lord (if only for one bracelet). Is Hylle trying to build up a market slowly, sacrificing immediate profit in favor of long-range plans for trade?

And why is a man so wealthy in amber bargaining for Ysmay's hand in marriage, a woman he has never met? Even though his skills in alchemy (e.g., in brewing explosives) allow the mine to be reopened, why should he be interested in the ordinary amber produced by Uppsdale's mine when he obviously has so much of his own?

"Amber Out of Quayth" has a few overtones of the old story of Bluebeard; a young woman married to a stranger, and finding that he seems to be hiding a sinister secret. "Dragon Scale Silver" is roughly in the same vein as some other major love stories in the Witch World - Kerovan and Joisan (_The Crystal Gryphon_), Gillian and Herrel (_Year of the Unicorn_). Although each differs considerably from the others in terms of the actual events that befall the protagonists, if you like one you'll probably like the others.

"Dragon Scale Silver" also occupies an interesting point in the history of the Invaders' War - during the first devastating defeats of the Dale forces, long before the lords made pact with the Were Riders.

IRRELEVANT NOTE: The cover paintings for the 2 editions of _Spell of the Witch World_ with which I am most familiar are both drawn from the first story, "Dragon Scale Silver." The edition that may be the most well-known has a Michael Whelan cover painting whose centerpiece is a woman (either Almondia or Elys) holding the dragon scale silver cup.

I have always enjoyed shorts that follow a constant theme...and she always seems to have them flesh out WW while at the same time well able to stand on their own...not only her own works, but those of others she chooses as well.

"Star Soldiers" is the republication of two old Norton scifi juveniles: "Star Guard" and "Star Rangers." The books have no connection with each other. I still have the old paperback publications of these books which deal with opposite ends of time: man's conquest of the stars and his retreat. It seems to me that everything from the original publication is here.
"Star Guard" is a book that has stuck in my memory from my youth. It featured Norton's patented great action and strong characters. I hadn't read the book for years and expected it would lose something on this rereading. And it did, to some degree...it seemed much shorter now. I realized as I retraveled an alien world with the human mercenary troops of the "Star Guard", trapped, abandoned by "Central Control" and dying but always striving, how sophisticated Norton's juvenile's were and are. A happy ending for the hero, yes, but plenty of trial and loss along the way.
I have a slight preference for "Star Guard" over "Star Ranger." The mercenaries of the first book may be taking their lumps but they're considered a "young" race. The humans of "Star Rangers" seem old and tired. Not so much our young heroes but the civilization as a whole which I found rather depressing when I was a kid and still do now. Still the action and great character development is here. It is in "Star Rangers," I believe, in which Norton first writes about the strong human/alien bonds, team work and tolerance which will become signiture features of her later books.

One thing I did notice as I reread these books was the absolute
gender bias in these early books that I was not aware of as a teen. There are no women characters in the first book and virtually no females until the end of the second book. Although strong female characters soon appear in Norton's novels, these early works were "supposed" to be written for boys by boys...thus "Andre." The dark secret of the sex of noted women scifi writers is laughable today but seemed important back then. I was considered odd for reading scifi. If you don't own these books, I would suggest getting them to complete your Norton collection...and as a good introduction to her juveniles for all your teen friends.

My first encounter with Andre Norton came around age 11 or 12 when I bought "Star Guard," a story loosely based on Xenophon's "Anabasis." It proved a rollicking good yarn. Earthlings had gone to the stars and met with a powerful empire under Central Control. Earthlings being too backward for anything else, they were allowed into the empire as mercenaries. "Star Guard" follows the adventures of a unit of mercenaries sent to serve a usurper on a backwater world. Their boss loses and they have to fight their way to freedom across a hostile world. I read and re-read the story several times, and I still have the old thirty five cent Ace paperback lovingly tucked away on a shelf in my library. "Star Guard" forms half of the book "Star Soldiers."

The other half comes from another novel I read multiple times as a preteenager--"Star Rangers." This book also found its inspiration in a historical incident (or at least a historical legend). During the decline of Rome an Emperor decided to rid himself of a pesky legion. He ordered them to march east; they obeyed; and they marched right off the pages of history. Some 6,000 years after that Emperor's edict, it is repeated by another crumbling civilization. Central Control is losing its grip on its far flung galactic empire. The Star Rangers are somewhat of a nuisance to Central Control, so it sends them off on a fool's errand of exploration. "Star Rangers" chronicles the history of this last mission.

The Central Control of "Star Guard" was very similar to the Central Control of "Star Rangers," but try as I might, I could never reconcile the dissimilarities enough to say that "Star Guard" and "Star Rangers" both occurred in the same fantasy universe.

The two stories are aimed at juveniles, their "science" is bankrupt, and they are little more than space opera. But they entertain, and that is all that they were intended to do.

If you haven't got the original books, get this copy. Or if you have more than one child, get one for each.

I grew up on Andre Norton books. Her young adult books have
lost none of their relevance to children today, and I raised
my sons on the very same books I read. Yes, the early books have
male characters, probably because it was hard enough for a woman
to get science fiction published then. Heinlein, if you notice,
managed to get away with writing strong female characters.
I was an oddity for a female in those days - refused to read/
couldn't stand the "Sweet Valley High" type stuff that was
published for girls, and Andre Norton's books, even if they
had male characters, at least dealt with problems of growing up
and with struggles to remain honest, honorable. Star Rangers
gave aliens a fair deal and they seemed alien enough to me then,
but also characters I could understand and admire. Took me years
to realize the message I'd absorbed - judge the person by what
they are and how they act, not by what they look like. That
message still needs to be delivered, and this is a great, enjoyable way to deliver it to young people.

Nothing quite like curling up with a purring cat in your lap and an adventures cat in your book! ^_^

As with all compendiums there are some good, and some bad stories, but I feel that the good drasticaly outweight the bad. I've found this to be a well collected anthology series and would highly recommend it to anyone who is fond of cats!

Belden, Wilanne Schneider: "The Last Answer" - Perielle is the precocious child in this one (look for one, generally a very interesting character, in almost every Belden story). The conspirators who are trying to seize power upon the disappearance of her father the king need her to be able to steal the Royal Relics; she herself has shown no signs of developing Royal Power, but the ability to use the magic of the relics isn't necessary for what the conspirators have in mind.

Braude, Anne: "The Quincunx Solution" - Quincunx lives with Margaret and her father (who, after inheriting a modest legacy, retired from his work as an apothecary to squander the family's money on alchemy). Sensible daughter/scatterwit father story.

Carr, Jayge: "Circus" - The felines here include both housecats and an alien masquerading as a lion in an interstellar circus. Cool.

Edghill, India: "Tybalt's Tale" - Here is the tale of the Prince of Cats (who have no king, since a cat speaks for himself).

Fontenay, Charles L. "Miss Hettie and Harlan" - Harlan's the cat; he can talk.

Gladney, Heather; Clayton, Don; Osborne, Alan Rice: "The Tale of the Virtual Cat" - Decades ago, when mice were still used, somebody thought it was funny to hook up their drivers in the new lattice software to data about *real* mice. Now Mice are a big problem for Virtual Reality operating theaters, so a surgeon suggests a tried-and-true method for exterminating mice. (In case anybody gets the notion that it's always easy to shut down a computer system and reboot, consider why the phone company is stuck with a lot of antiquated computers before posting negative reviews.)

Griffin, P.M.: "The Neighbor" - Finally, a followup to "Trouble" from _Catfantastic_, rather than one of the Bastet stories from 2, 3, and 5.

Hamilton, Jane: "Arrows" - The arrows in this case are elfshot; 2 mischievous jinn have accidentally messed up a stray cat's life, and are trying to undo the damage.

Horwood, Sharman: "Tinkerbell" - The spirit of the former ship's cat still helps her human companion through Jump in times of great need.

Lackey, Mercedes: "SCat" - See my review of her collection _Werehunter_.

Linaweaver, Brad & Fredsti, Dana: "Professor Purr's Guaranteed Allergy Cure" - Bastet, for reasons never explained, decides to kill all dogs, all humans who don't like cats, and 'return the world to the true religion'. Only one cat hater, portrayed as a complete sleazeball, is to be spared when the cats take over. (The cat massacres of the 14th century, which contributed to the Black Death, are mentioned, but didn't merit such treatment.) Apparently Bastet only approves of freedom in that you're free to agree with her or die. I'll pass up this 'paradise.'

Lindskold, Jane M.: "Noh Cat Afternoon" - The Daimyo offended the Fox Spirits' lord, so the Fox Spirits have entered a troupe in his Noh competition, to use his generosity against him when they win the prize. But the geisha Okesa, a cat in human guise, has other ideas.

Major, A.R.: "Totem Cat" - Who's in charge, he who sits on the cushion or those who hold doors and empty litter pans? :)

McConchie, Lyn: "Deathsong" - A dravencat story (see also Catfantastic 5).

Norton, Andre: "Noble Warrior, Teller of Fortunes" - Installment #4 (see the other volumes of Catfantastic). Thargun was separated from Emmy at the beginning of tale #3, and has now been picked up by a band of Gypsies.

Pack, Janet: "One with Jazz" - Jeff's cat Satchmo has an uncanny ability to tell good jazz from bad, so Jeff makes a foolish wager.

Scarborough, Elizabeth: "Born Again" - Peaches has earned Nirvana, but he isn't interested unless it's his cushion by the heater back home.

Schaub, Mary: "The Cat, the Sorcerer, and the Magic Mirror" - Concludes the Flax & Drop stories from 1, 2, & 3; Drop is now back in cat shape.

I just can't get enough of cat antics! There is something for everyone in this charming set. And I usually don't even like short stories!

This book is not in any way original, or very thought provoking for that manner. But this is bulk sci-fi at its best. It takes a story that has been written at least a dozen times, and remakes it in a way that is very readable and entertaining. The main characters are from a tribe of superwarriors who have to fight much stronger and better equipt enemies. While this is a plot that has been made several times, and by better authors, this books works like most saturday action movies that Hollywood creates. It's not that thought provoking and you know what is going to happen but it is still good entertainment for a rainy day.

Andre Norton as long been one of my favorite authors and one can but hope that there will be more of these books coming.

Brothers and Sisters of Shadow unite to fight evil and greed in the complex instellar reaches.

Andre Norton is one of my favorite authors,so when I saw this book I had to get it.At first it's a little slow but you get drawn into the story very quickly.

While this doesn't hold me as much as some of her others have, it is still a very good book. Ms. Norton is one of the best authors in the genre and this book is typical of her work. If you haven't read it, find a copy and do so.

Moon of Three Rings was great. But Flight in Yiktor took it futher! If you read one, you MUST read the other. The Thassa of Yiktor are, in my opinion, alive today on Earth. They're the Witches of today. Moon Singers, and Shamans...not a race apart, but people with special insight into the hearts of man/woman. Andre Norton is one of the great SF/Fantasy writers of all time. "Flight in Yiktor", proves it once again! (Notice I didn't talk about the character "Farree". You read "Flight in Yiktor" and you'll know what I'm talking about! Great book!

A friend recommended that I read this book, citing Norton's beautiful prose. She was right..it is beautiful. Often, throughout the first 100 pages I was struck at how fluid the language was..and the story was interesting too. It was a classic epic fantasy quest..until halfway through the book.

Then it turns into a love story. The reader is subjected to Kerovan's thoughts on Joisan, and Joisan's thoughts on Kerovan. Norton didn't make it any easier on the reader by alternating viewpoints between Joisan and Kerovan. Example: Kerovan is walking, reunites with Joisan, is overcome with emotion, switch to Joisan viewpoint..we go back a few hours and don't come back to the Kerovan scene for another 10-15 pages. I've never liked a writer who holds the reader hostage.

It's a good book. I didn't understand some references because I didn't read the first book, so I recommend starting at the beginning.

This along with thte other two "gryphon" books are of Andre's Best! This is were the whole things coems together! My first introduction to the Witch world was in these books. So here was the real love and the two heros of this book stil have the power to move me with their feelings. This is the Glory of the Witch world and the Real feelings and spirit of the stories!

Synopsis - The Waste was stirring and strange forms of the Dark, long quiet, began to wake as Kerovan - whose cloven hoofs marked his kinship with the Old Ones - journeyed into the Waste on a secret mission, leaving behind the girl he loved. Joisan, however, rode after him, wearing about her neck Kerovan's gift, a small crystal globe encasing a miniature gryphon. While Kerovan strove fror answers to the riddles of the Dark, Joisan worked to unlock the power of the crystal gryphon. But only together could they hope to find the ancient Sleeper and defeat the forces of evil

This is an easy book to read. It only takes about two days and then you are through. It is about a dead race and planted treasure. It takes place on a plant called Janus. Where Nail Renfro sold himself into slavery. There he finds a treasure that gives him the Green Sickness. And many memories that belong to the Ayyar of the Iftin. After the change of mind and body he goes on the fight a evil force. The entire book is good until the end. Then it gets vague. And leave you with a feeling like "so." If you are a Norton fan go on and read it. It this is your first Norton book find another.

Judgment on Janus is the first novel in the Janus series. Janus is a frontier planet settled by the Sky Men, whose cash crop is the lattamus bush, which must be planted in a completely bare field. Thus, the settlers are clearing the native trees for their fields and selling the bark for extra income. However, there is something sentient, but not human, dwelling in those forests.

In this book, Niall Renfro is the son of Free Traders who have lost their ship in a war and have been relocated to the Dipple, the displaced persons zone on Korwar. His father died with their ship and his mother is dying, probably of heartache from the loss of her husband and ship. Niall sells himself to the labor recruiters for enough money to let his mother die in a pleasant dream of lost times. After he gets his mother to drink the drug, he reports to the processing station to be placed in frozen sleep until he reaches Janus.

On Janus itself, Niall is sold to Garthmaster Callu Kosburg and taken to the family garth on the Fringe, where he is put to work with a stripping ax. He is told that sometimes treasures are found in the forests and must be reported immediately to the Garthmaster. He is also told that those who touch these treasures get the Green Sick and are left in the woods to die. Soon after, he finds such a treasure and saves part of it in a tree bole. When the rest of the treasure is found, all the workers are ordered back to the bunkhouse until a Speaker comes and the treasure is battered and blasted into ashes.

That night, Niall is called by his dreams to the hiding place of the treasure, but is followed by Sim Tylos, another of the bought laborers, and is threatened with a knife if he doesn't relinquish the treasure. However, the Garthmaster and his son have been lying in wait for anyone who comes for the treasure. They take Tylos back for lessoning, but Niall is left in the forest when he is found to have the Green Sick. Feverish, with strange dreams, Niall crawls to water, drinks, and finds that he is loosing his hair and his skin is turning green.

Soon the fever leaves him, but he is ravenously hungry. After he feeds, he notices that he recognizes the the puff-pods as fussan, the hunter's friend, and remembers eating them many times. He also knows that borfund with cubs is feeding down stream, although he can't see them. Worst, his memories are telling him that he is Ayyar of Iftcan, Lord of Ky-Kyc. He recognizes that "something terrible has happened to him, outside, inside. He is no longer Niall Renfro."

This novel is vintage Andre Norton. A young person from the Dipple finds a way out and then discovers alien artifacts that lead to strange adventures. It also involves a symbiotic relationship with an intelligent animal, in this case an alien bird much like an owl.

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys alien planets, intelligent animals and resourceful young people in a SF setting.

Those familiar with Andre Norton's universes will find the begining of Judgement On Janus familiar from such books as Catseye. A displaced person signs on as contract labor and is sent out to the planet Janus. Of course, strange and wonderful things happen to him, and he becomes one of the Iftin, former lords of the planet. There are deadly beasts, and a strange and powerful foe to overcome, and the company of others of his kind as he finds the place he had been destined to fill, and his true home. If you enjoyed Catseye, you will love Judgement On Janus.

This was the very first science fiction book I read in my life, at age 10 or 11 or so. I still have it and pull it out every few years to get some easy to read classic sci fi, and a feeling of nostalgia. Nice simple, straightforward story.

Terrans of the future may only leave planet as mercenaries for contract on other planets. Archs primitive weapons or Mechs modern weapons Swordsman third class Kana finds himself on a planet on such a mission with the Arch Legion only to find themselves fighting against a rebel legion of Mechs where the fate of the whole human race hanging on the outcome. classic Norton

Star Guard is the second novel in the Central Control series, but the first in internal chronology. When Terrans learned to travel the space lanes, Central Control assigned them to a special role that suited their aggressive temperament and also provided a safety valve for all other belligerents among the great confederacy. The Terrans became the mercenaries of the Galaxy. Arch Hordes served on the relatively primitive worlds and Mech Legions served on the relatively advanced worlds. However, even the Mechs weapons were less advanced than those available to the Galactic Patrol. Three hundred years passed before any challenge arose to this system.

In this novel, Kana Karr, newly graduated Arch Swordsman Third Class, comes to Prime to receive his first assignment. Waiting in the hiring hall, he hears rumors of lost legions and refused assignments. Then, a senior Combatant, accompanied by a Galactic Agent, announces that the troubles on Nevers have been fully investigated, with the assistance of Central Control, and certified that the defeat there was due to local problems and that the rumors concerning this episode are not to be repeated by any of the Corps. Naturally, this stirs up even more rumors.

Shortly thereafter, Karr is offered a position with Yorke's Horde and accepts the assignment. He is told to report to Dock Five at seventeen hours, so he goes to the transients' mess to eat. While there, he hears still more rumors. Then he goes to an information booth to learn the languages of Fronn, the planet where he is to serve, as well as any other facts available. When he returns the record-pak, he notices that a Mech scoops it up before the return belt can load it back into the machine.

On the journey to Fronn, he bunks with Trig Hansu, a very experienced Swordtan. In fact, all the men headed to Yorke's Horde, except himself, are very experienced and, when they reach Secundus, he only finds two other S-Threes in the Horde. Although most of the man seem to be amiable, the other S-Threes warn him to avoid Zapan Bogate. However, when they reach Fronn, Bogate and one of his buddies, Sim, decides to crowd Karr a little. When Karr chops a clutching hand, Sim slaps him in formal challenge. Karr, however, has the choice of weapons and chooses bat sticks. Although Sim proves to be an expert swordsman, he is confused by the relative lightness of the stick. Furthermore, he uses it as a rapier, but Karr waits until he can draw it across Sim's forearm, so that the pain forces Sim to drop the stick, thereby conceding the duel. Of course, Sim is furious, but the other veterans rather respect Karr for using his knowledge of the planet in this manner.

After a week of intensive drill to shake out any lingering effects of the space travel, they move out with their employer. As Karr is marching on point, they overtake a caravan of Venturi and he notices that one of the figures walks differently. His team reports his suspicions and keeps the caravan under observation until a troop of Llor cavalry flushes the suspicious wayfarer from the caravan, straight toward them. The troopers lasso the fugitive, but he sits up and fires a flamer at them. Immediately, the Combatants fire at the shooter. The robed figure proves to be a Llor, who had no business possessing a flamer, which are reserved for the Patrol. After seven Fronn days, they meet the forces of the enemy and are called to parlay, but the enemy ambush their employer and capture his men. When the Combatants talk to the enemy leader, they are told that the Terran way does not apply to Fronn.

Now that their employer is dead, they head to an auxiliary starport in the hills to get off world. The port is Venturi, but these natives soon leave to go back to their islands, leaving the building to the Terrans. They are forced indoors by a cariolis storm, but find an unusual sight after the storm: a wrecked crawler with a Vegan onboard and boxes of flamers as cargo. Then they find a downed Patrol ship in a rocky valley with bodies in Patrol uniforms laid out as for inspection.

This novel is an early Norton SF work. It has some of the signature images, including the Zacathans who crop up everywhere in the authors SF. However, in many ways it more resembles The Stars Are Ours, with Central Control as the repressive force. Nevertheless, it ends on a note of hope.

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys alien planets and peoples as well as competent young people coping with disaster.