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hexe_19's review
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault and Murder
duriangray's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tracey_stewart's review
3.0
A while back, a then-friend who is a huge Andre Norton fan challenged me to read Witch World, in exchange for which she would watch Doctor Who. To the best of my knowledge, the latter never happened, but I kept my part of the bargain.
Simon Tregarth and Jaelithe are together now, the Witch having surrendered her name, and her virginity, and therefore her powers to Simon. I think a powerful story could have been told about just that; they are at war, and Witches, never plentiful, are fewer in number now even than usual because they've been hunted by the enemy, and I think it would make for a solid hook for her superiors to have fought a whole lot harder to prevent her from committing herself to a course of action through which she will – as they thought – lose her powers. As a Witch she was valuable to the Cause; without her powers, what has she to offer? For that matter I'd have liked to have seen her own inner turmoil about the situation.
But this isn't that kind of book. She made a decision, her superiors protested it, she ignored them and married Simon. And, to her amazement, she discovers that her powers aren't, after all, quite gone – with a little practice she might be right back where she was. Which begs the question of whether she is unique in this, or whether the enforced celibacy is necessary… Again, it's not that kind of book.
Loyse is enspelled, and vanishes, and the book is a hunt to get her back and find out exactly what her father is up to, and to learn how the Kolder agents are being used and put a stop to that as well. There is again some good action, and an enjoyable story, if – as I said for Witch World – definitely not as it would have been written today. There would have been a great deal of sex today, very likely …
I liked it all more than I expected to, but not as much as I was intended to by my challenger. Someday I might read more Norton ... but then, there are an awful lot of books out there.
Simon Tregarth and Jaelithe are together now, the Witch having surrendered her name, and her virginity, and therefore her powers to Simon. I think a powerful story could have been told about just that; they are at war, and Witches, never plentiful, are fewer in number now even than usual because they've been hunted by the enemy, and I think it would make for a solid hook for her superiors to have fought a whole lot harder to prevent her from committing herself to a course of action through which she will – as they thought – lose her powers. As a Witch she was valuable to the Cause; without her powers, what has she to offer? For that matter I'd have liked to have seen her own inner turmoil about the situation.
But this isn't that kind of book. She made a decision, her superiors protested it, she ignored them and married Simon. And, to her amazement, she discovers that her powers aren't, after all, quite gone – with a little practice she might be right back where she was. Which begs the question of whether she is unique in this, or whether the enforced celibacy is necessary… Again, it's not that kind of book.
Loyse is enspelled, and vanishes, and the book is a hunt to get her back and find out exactly what her father is up to, and to learn how the Kolder agents are being used and put a stop to that as well. There is again some good action, and an enjoyable story, if – as I said for Witch World – definitely not as it would have been written today. There would have been a great deal of sex today, very likely …
I liked it all more than I expected to, but not as much as I was intended to by my challenger. Someday I might read more Norton ... but then, there are an awful lot of books out there.
arthurbdd's review against another edition
3.0
Hampered by trying to do more stuff than can really fit into the page count. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2020/05/27/witch-world/
2ndbooktotheright's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
gwydion's review against another edition
5.0
Classic Sci Fi from the queen Andre Norton. Still holds up after all these years.
jameseckman's review against another edition
3.0
The conclusion of Simon and Jaelithe's story arc in this series, it's not as good as the first book, there's a bit too much fate and coincidence for my taste. In general, Norton writes standalone stories and sometimes duologies, and in many cases the second book isn't as strong as the first. So if I were to point out her weak points as a writer is she wasn't a big, fantasy brick writer (good!) and her SF fantasy romance was old school YA, partners as opposed to torrid love passion (good?). A decent read, but you can skip it and go on to #3, [b:Three Against the Witch World|1183811|Three Against the Witch World (Witch World Series 1 Estcarp Cycle, #3)|Andre Norton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1317936321l/1183811._SY75_.jpg|1979484] without missing out.
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