Fantasy/SF Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoWind in the Stone by Andre Norton
Eos, November, 1999.Hardcover, 280 pages.
ISBN: 0380976021.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
At the Place of Learning, the elders despair of the slow
progress of the
seemingly inept student-mage, Irasmus. But there is
a lot more to Irasmus than meets the eye. He is
thoroughly evil, and has systematically
ransacked the libraries for evil spells to help
him in his goals of domination of the lovely
and ancient Forest and the nearby Valley where
the humans dwell in peace. Irasmus leaves before
his teachers discover that he is not quite as inept
as they think, and with his conjured demon slaves
he sets out to further his plans. Irasmus holes up
in a Black Tower and manipulates a local girl's fate,
ensuring that she will bear a child. The girl bears
twins, and Irasmus takes the boy to be his
apprentice. But the girl child makes it to the
Forest, where she is raised by native Sasqua
and the Wind, the powerful but so far silenced voice of this
world. The girl, Felice, and the older and wiser
mages from the Place of Learning must use all
their powers to help the boy grow to be a man who
will overcome the evil Irasmus, and allow the Wind
once more to roam free on the world, keeping all
good creatures in communication with one another.
The inimitable Andre Norton hasn't slowed down a bit over the years, (See, Scent of Magic, The Shadow of Albion etc.) and her stories get better and better. Wind in the Stone is a classic fantasy tale, with an imaginative setting, wonderful characters (especially the Sasqua) and a fast pace. Fantasy lovers will definitely want to add this one to their Norton collection.
Legends Walking by Jane Lindskold
Eos, Dec., 1999.Paperback, 403 pages.
ISBN: 0380788500.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The Athanor live among humans, but they
are not really human at all. Immortal, possessed
of special powers (some can shapeshift, for
example), they exist quietly in our society,
ruled by Arthur. Over the centuries, Arthur has
been known as Gilgamesh, King Arthur and
many other famous historical figures.
A few humans know of the
Athanor, and Arthur has two human
assistants. Changer, perhaps the oldest of the
lot, is the most talented shapeshifter, preferring to take
the form of the wolf when possible. In Nigeria,
a terrible plague of smallpox has broken out,
and it may be that an Athanor is behind it.
Changer agrees to help track down the
source of the plague, but he also has problems
with his daughter, Shahrazad, born a wolf
but who is discovering her own, unique powers.
Meanwhile, Arthur also has his hands full with the less-human
Athanor -- the yeti, satyrs and the like-who want to
come out of hiding and tell mankind of their
existence. But modern day Earth is hardly
ready for the appearance of creatures who
have been consigned to the realm of mythology.
Legends Walking is the second novel of the Athanor, following Changer. Lindskold has the gift of creating her own intricate mythology, using portions of our own world and weaving them with her own imagination. This urban fantasy works quite well: the characters are captivating and blend quite well into modern-day society. Just when you think you have a Lindskold plot figured out, the author hits you with another plot twist, building the story in layer upon well-crafted layer. Lindskold is destined to be a star in the fantasy/sf world, so keep an eye out for her future efforts.
Fantasy/SF Reviews
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