Magic in Ithkar I: Emperor of Irish [Paperback]

Andre Norton (Author), Robert Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1988

Mass paperback reprint of 1985 trade paper first edition. Collection of fantasy stories set against a common backdrop. First in series, followed by Magic in Ithkar 2, Magic in Ithkar 3, and Magic in Ithkar 4. Contents: Prologue, essay by Robert Adams; The Goblinry of Ais, by Lin Carter; To Take a Thief, by C. J. Cherryh; Jezeri and Her Beast Go to the Fair and Find More Excitement Than They Want, by Jo Clayton; Fletcher Found, by Morgan Llywelyn; Well Met in Ithkar, by Patricia Mathews; Esmene's Eyes, by Ardath Mayhar; Swamp Dweller, by Andre Norton; Qazia and a Ferret-Fetch, by Judith Sampson; For Lovers Only, by Roger C. Schlobin; Dragon's Horn, by J. W. Schutz; Homecoming, by Susan Shwartz; The Prince Out of the Past, by Nancy Springer; Cold Spell, by Elisabeth Waters; Biographical Notes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (April 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812547152
• ISBN-13: 978-0812547153
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,442,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy story collection, December 14, 2006

By 

Paul Brooks (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Magic in Ithkar I: Emperor of Irish (Paperback)

Magic in Ithkar - A word to long time Fantasy readers [and fans of Andre Norton] we are treading on very familiar ground here - ancient visitors, priest and temples, legends of an ancient war, good magic, bad magic, intelligent animals etc, etc. If done adequately, spiffed up and handled with TLC these Fantasy elements can assist the authors to hang a good story on - and entertain the reader. I found the story quality quite good - that is entertaining. My real grip with this book is that several of the stories made references to people and places that the authors must of assumed the reader had prior knowledge of. Perhaps the background information concerning Ithkar provided to the authors was considerably more detailed than that printed in the introduction. My search found four Ithkar books all edited by Adams and Alice Mary Norton aka Andre Norton. Since the concept of Ithkar and the yearly fair could generate four books of stories perhaps one of the authors was motivated to write a related novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Come to the fair at Ithkar, November 19, 2002

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Magic in Ithkar I: Emperor of Irish (Paperback)

I believe there were only four 'Magic in Ithkar' volumes, which is a shame because Norton and Adams did a great job of soliciting (and editing?) these commonly-themed fantasy shorts. Each of the four collections has the same prologue by Robert Adams, which explains how the fair originated in Ithkar (a religious anniversary turned pilgrimage), the set-up (temple, campgrounds for the merchants, docks and canals for the riparian traffic, etc.), and the difficulties encountered on a pilgrimage or trading voyage to Ithkar (Death Swamp, dragons, outlaw wizards). All weapons must be surrendered before entering the fair and wizards are discouraged from glamorizing shoddy goods with their spells. Of course, as at any large festival, the fair at Ithkar has its share of rogues, piratical merchants, bravos, potion-makers and witches, troupes of entertainers (not a few of them turning tricks), and gullible pilgrims.

A sampling of stories:

"The Goblinry of Ais" by Lin Carter - a rather pedestrian story on the theme of 'be careful what you wish for,' especially if the genie in the rock happens to be a goblin.

"To Take a Thief" by C.J. Cherryh - A young apprentice-thief's master hangs from a gibbet down near the docks. How will he survive at a fair already overrun by thieves, and worse?

"Jezeri and her Beast Go to the Fair and Find more Excitement than They Want." by Jo Clayton - this story about a young girl and her mysterious telepathic pet is written like a chapter taken out of a novel. It's a 'day in the life of' rather than a story with a true ending. I checked Jo Clayton's bibliography to see if Jezeri and her Beast came whole-cloth out of a novel, but didn't find anything to indicate that it did.

"Fletcher Found" by Morgan Llywelyn - One of my favorites. A young fletcher is robbed of his wares on the way to Ithkar, but manages to replenish part of his stock of arrows with the help of a peculiar wild magic. His new arrows are not precisely saleable.

"Well Met in Ithkar" by Patricia Mathews - A blind jewelry maker is fighting long odds when she identifies a priest of Thotharn as the man who ruined her family.