To the King a Daughter (Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan, Book 1) [Hardcover]

Andre Norton (Author), Sasha Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2000

To the King a Daughter begins the cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan: the four powers of the world who have been warring for centuries. The Clan of Ash is slowly dying, their totem tree in the sacred square withering away to nothing. There is a prophecy that a daughter of Ash will rise again, but none have survived the mass killings, thereby rendering the prophecy unfillable.

But deep in the swamps, in the care of the witch-healer all need and all fear, there is a young girl-woman who can not be the witch's daughter; a girl who, in fact, by virtue of her beauty and elegance and simmering power, can only be a Daughter of Ash, the one who will rise to fulfill the prophecy--and the destiny of her birthright.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This novel from beloved writer Norton and coauthor Miller begins a new fantasy series: The Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan. Fans of Norton's classic Witch World stories will find familiar terrain in this tale of a crumbling kingdom besieged by dark forces. Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan are the four legendary powers of the world, now fallen on hard times after years of warfare and mutual betrayal. Weak-willed Boroth, King of Oak, and his scheming wife, Ysa, sorcerous Queen of Yew, hold the monarchy for now. Desperate to escape the ancient prophesy that a Daughter of Ash will claim the throne, Ysa orders the death of Boroth's runaway lover, Lady Alditha of Ashe--without knowing Alditha has already given birth to Boroth's bastard daughter, Ashen. Years pass. Boroth's health fails. As Ysa grooms her unworthy son, Florian, to inherit the throne, Ashen is raised by Zazar, a wise woman living with the Bog Folk. When Zazar dies before she can warn the girl of her true heritage, Ashen must trust her instincts and the little magic she knows for protection. After she saves Obern, the dashing son of Snolli, High Chief of the Sea Rovers, who seek alliance against enemies from the north, Ashen and Obern travel to court with Lord Harous, who distrusts Ysa's intentions. Here book 1 concludes, almost as soon as the story really begins. While Norton fans will be eager to read her newest book, they're likely to be disappointed by its slow pace and minimal storyline. --Charlene Brusso

From Library Journal

Born to a mother who dies in childbirth, the girl known as Ashen grows up among the wild people of the swamps, raised by a witch yet marked by destiny as a daughter of Ash. Veteran sf and fantasy author Norton combines her formidable storytelling talent with coauthor Miller (Ladylord) to create a new seriesDthe "Oak, Yew, Ash and Rowan" cycleDthat should appeal to adult and teenage fans of high fantasy. Featuring an engaging and courageous female protagonist, this epic tale of hidden heirs and unfolding prophecies is for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (September 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312873360
• ISBN-13: 978-0312873363
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,341,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A promising kick-off, August 26, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To the King a Daughter (Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan, Book 1) (Hardcover)

Andre Norton and Sasha Miller deliver--again. It would be a pity to give away too much of the story, so I'll just say that you'll find strong female characters and a great story with original twists.

It's apparent that this book is the entry point for a new series, and my only criticism is that I really don't want to wait 18 months for the next book to be released.

I greatly enjoyed this book and tore through it in about two days.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great start to a new series, August 24, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To the King a Daughter (Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan, Book 1) (Hardcover)

Rendel seems to have always contained four major powers: Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan. However, centuries of endless war have devastated Ash and Rowan, leaving the King being an Oak and the Queen being a Yew. In reality, the evil Queen Ysa rules with a strategic objective to insure her throne remains in the hands of her descendants even if the magic she uses is malevolent.

Ysa knows that the only potential obstacle is the prophecy that a female Ash will rise to wrestle the throne from her. Already loathing that house for providing her spouse with a mistress and to insure that the prophecy never occurs, Ysa has committed genocide and wiped out the House of Ash. However, deep in the swamp lives a girl being raised by a healer. That girl is the biological daughter of the king's deceased mistress. Could she be the focus of the foretelling of the return of the House of Ash or is it too late since Ysa has control of the rings of magic?

TO THE KING A DAUGHTER, the first entry in a new fantasy series, is an exciting tale that brings to life a magical world. The story line apparently sets the tone for subsequent novels as readers learn about Rendel, leaving characters in the background with the exception of Ysa. The apparent heroine never slides into prime focus until the end of the tale. Genre fans will enjoy the opening gamut that sets the stage for the series, but future surfers may find it difficult to float in and out without this well written novel as a guide.

Harriet Klausner

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing world, Good Writing Great Potential, No Action, November 30, 2000

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: To the King a Daughter (Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan, Book 1) (Hardcover)

I love Andre Norton. When I discovered SF, it was Norton who turned me on. Her collaboration with Sasha Miller hasn't diminished her ability to string together a fascinating world. The land of Oak, Ash, Yew, and Rowan has the potential to be as interesting as Witch World.

In this initial book in the series, however, we are treated to Ashen who never really takes the novel into her own hands. Instead, she reacts. Reacts to Zazar, the witch-woman who raises her, to the Bog people among whom she is raised, and to the man who captures her. Prince Florian (Ashen's half-brother) is not much of a character either. All he is is greedy. Although the Sea Raiders are set up as good-guys, their cold-blooded attack on the bog people put me off.

I liked Queen Ysa. Alone among the characters in TO THE KING A DAUGHTER, she knows what she wants and sets about getting it. The fact that Ashen is in her way means little to her--and why should it? Ysa believes she is doing what is right for the kingdom and there is every evidence that she is right. At least she is making decisions and moving the book forward.

The writing and the setting are too compelling not to look forward to the next book in this series. Although I had troubles with the novel, I still found it hard to put it down. Just don't expect a WITCH WORLD.