Witch World
Ratings5
Average rating3.6
Ex-colonel Simon Tregarth was a hunted man--and the hunt was beginning to come to its inevitable deadly end. Tregarth was desperate, and his situation required a desperate solution. His only alternative was wild beyond imagining--sorcery.
Simon was forced to give himself up to the mysterious Siege Perilous, the ancient stone of Power. It would judge him, determine his worth, and then deliver him into a world in which his mind and spirit should be at home.
Simon Tregarth's lot would pit him against an uncanny world where the laws of nature operated... differently. Where in fact, "magic" was science.
For Simon Tregarth there would be no return, he could never escape from the WITCH WORLD.
Series
Series
10 primary booksWitch World Series 1: The Estcarp Cycle
Witch World Series 1: The Estcarp Cycle is a 10-book series with 10 primary works first released in 1963 with contributions by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie.
Series
26 primary books28 released booksWitch World
Witch World is a 28-book series with 26 primary works first released in 1963 with contributions by Andre Norton, norton-andre, and A.C. Crispin.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Simon Tregarth knows he???s about to die ??? he???s being hunted down by a professional assassin and he has a ???feeling??? that it???s going to happen tonight. But then the infamous Doctor Petronius interrupts Simon as he???s savoring his last meal and offers him an escape. Dr. Petronius???s services don???t come cheap, but this expense is a no-brainer (after all, you can???t take it with you). The only downside is that neither Simon nor Dr. Petronius knows where Simon is actually going, for he will sit on King Arthur???s Siege Perilous and be sent to a world where his soul is at home???
Andre Norton (her real name was Alice, but she chose to write SFF under a male pseudonym back in the 60s) is often called the Grande Dame of Science Fiction and Fantasy and was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society. I???ve been meaning to read Witch World for years and since Brilliance Audio has just released the first Witch World novel on CD, this was the perfect opportunity.
As expected, I enjoyed Witch World. Andre Norton???s language is pleasant, if not brilliant, and all the characters were instantly engaging. I liked Simon immediately ??? how can you not like a guy who has already killed two of his potential assassins and is now eating a steak dinner while waiting for the arrival of the last and best one? I also particularly liked Loyse, daughter of the odious Fulk, who doesn???t want to marry the equally odious duke.
Though decades old, the plot was quick, fun, and refreshing and I liked the blend of science fiction and fantasy. However, the book wraps up a bit too quickly and easily at the end; I could have used a bit more tension. But perhaps if you go straight on to the next novel (Web of the Witch World, also being produced on audio) you won???t feel this way since it???s a continuation of the story.
Nick Podehl was the reader for this book and he did an adequate job, though his voice could sometimes be described as plodding and soporific. Consequently, I didn???t find that his reading added anything to the story. It didn???t reduce my enjoyment of the story, but I was disappointed that it didn???t enhance it.
I???m looking forward to Web of the Witch World. I like Simon and his companions and I???m wondering what they???ll do next in Simon???s new world.
