Knave Of Dreams [Paperback]

Andre Norton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1984

Ramsay Kimble finds himself living in an alien world, the focus of a complex and dangerous political struggle, and only his ability to dream can help him triumph over his adversaries.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ace (June 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441450024
• ISBN-13: 978-0441450022
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,377,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dream Warriors and the fate of Worlds, April 18, 2004

By 

OAKSHAMAN "oakshaman" (Algoma, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Knave of Dreams: 2 (Hardcover)

Osythes, Chief Shaman of Ulad, representative of Powers Unseen, was troubled. He had been asked to search the planes for the one twin soul to Crown Prince Kaskar- then cause both souls to unite in one body and destroy themselves on an alternate world. He knew that this was an evil act. He knew that both he and those of the old nobility that came to him with this plan would have to answer for it at the end of their days when they faced the Final Gate. Yet Prince Kaskar was a weak and corrupt man who was under the control of dark forces. Kaskar's grandfather had forged Ulad into a bastion of Justice, Peace, and Order in a world of chaos and violence. His father had maintained the realm against this Darkness. Kaskar, however, was of the third generation and lacking in courage, strength, and will. He was a weak soul that had easily become a puppet of hidden Evil- it was the soul of a weakling. Hence, Osythes sought to banish this weak, corrupt soul to an alternate world before the old king died and this abomination could take the thrown. He resigned himself to doing a smaller evil to prevent a far larger Age of Evil.

However, when the Chief Shaman found the twin soul that he had been looking for (by searching the worlds in dream trance) it was not at all what he expected. This soul connected to Kaskar belonged to Ramsay Kimble- of the blood of the Iroquois nation. This was not the soul of a coward, but of a hero. Not only that, but Ramsay's blood was familiar with the Big Dream and the Spirit Quest. Such a soul did not have to die locked with that of a weakling- it could cross over to reanimated Kaskar's empty body. Perhaps the judgment at the Final Gate wouldn't be too harsh after all, for the soul, and heart, of a hero far outweighs that of a coward....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wild card body swap, September 29, 2001

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knave Of Dreams (Paperback)

There are a couple of plot devices in books I tend to avoid: the amnesiac device, where the main character spends most of the book trying to remember who he or she is; and the mind-swap device, where the main character spends most of the book trying to get back into his or her original body.

Unfortunately for Ramsey Kimble his original body is back on Earth, dead and buried. In the alternate universe that had been troubling his dreams, the body he now inhabits is supposed to be dead, too, but there was a hitch in the plot to murder Kaskar, crown prince of Ulad. Thus Ramsey wakes up on a bier surrounded by flowers, candles, and guards who have been spelled into statues.

There is magic afoot in Ramsey's new world, and plots to murder or manipulate the new Kaskar-returned-from-the-dead. He must quickly sort out his friends from his enemies. His ability to dream true in this new universe makes him the wild card in any scheme to seize the throne of Ulad.

Ramsey-now-Kaskar has become the Knave of Dreams.

Norton tells a rousing, tightly paced adventure. My only problem with "Knave of Dreams" is the reason for the original body-exchange. Instead of swapping Kaskar into Ramsey's body and causing him to die in a car crash, why didn't the plotters just hold a pillow over his face or drown him in a butt of Malmsey?