Mirror of Destiny (Five Senses, Bk. 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Andre Norton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996

The Industrial Monster has descended upon Varslaad, devouring all the arable land in its path. And now, by royal decree, the displaced must turn westward toward the mountains... venturing into the perilous woodland domain of a strange and secret race. Once again, Andre Norton displays her unparalleled imagination and astonishing storytelling abilities to present a unique and unforgettable fantasy that is at once a breathtaking magical adventure, and a cautionary fable for our time. The King's lottery has determined that young Twilla must marry - for only the wedded can survive the terrible fate awaiting those who penetrate the primeval forest. An orphaned apprentice to a renowned wise woman, Twilla will not proceed unprotected, however. For she carries on her journey a talisman of great power...an astonishing artifact that obscures and illuminates, that alters appearance and perception. But it alone cannot guard Twilla - as she weaves her way from peril to peril in the company of Ylon, a commander's son tragically blinded by a forgotten sorcery. For the hidden peoples who inhabit the wood are also armed - possessing mystical weapons of the body, mind and spirit that they will freely wield to repel an unwanted human invasion. Now two armies prepare to do battle - and only Twilla can avert the impending bloody hostilities. For only she can rescue the vanquished of an ancient war of magicks. . .and shape the destiny of a disputed land.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Over a celebrated career that has already spanned six decades, Andre Norton has written many highly regarded works of fantasy and science fiction, including Scent of Magic, Mirror of Destiny, The Hands of Lyr, Brother to Shadows, and the popular Witch World and Beast Master series. She has received lifetime achievement awards in both science fiction and fantasy, the most prestigious honors in her field. Ms. Norton presently resides in Tennessee.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Eos (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380779765
• ISBN-13: 978-0380779765
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #917,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars First half intriguing, second half a tad conventional, March 17, 2010

By 

Marysia (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror of Destiny (Five Senses, Bk. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

A healer girl who possesses the eponymous talisman, determined to aid a young lord blinded by a mysterious woodland people. Women rounded up into a marriage lottery at a military outpost. A fleshed-out society of arrogant woodland beings, elf-like yet domineering enough to be interesting. A cruel and beautiful elf woman challenging the rule of the forest lord. Elves treating their human captives like slaves and the half-decent bunch turning a blind eye so as not to antagonize their peers.

This book certainly had promise. I enjoyed the heck out of the first half. We are introduced to the forest people, their scorn of humans, their complex society hemmed in by rules that prevent them from punishing injustice in their own ranks. I loved the characters at this point. Lotis was a worthy villainess, sadistic in her bewitchment and torment of Ylon but hardly the perpetrator of "ultimate evil" she later becomes. Elf King Oxyle was a half-decent fellow with just enough careless edge to him that we question what his motives are concerning heroine Twilla, in whom he takes a marked interest and incurs the wrath of Lotis. What were Oxyle and Lotis to each other? How would Twilla's friendship with the Lord of the Wood progress if they were allowed to talk of anything other than battle strategies? Could Oxyle indeed have a romantic interest in her? How would Twilla balance this against her loyalty to the blind and captive Ylon?

We will never know, my friends. The second half of the book (about the time Twilla and co. meet the obligatory dwarves) was where the "action" really took off and the book devolved into conventional sword and sorcery. All of a sudden the forest people are divided in ranks: the followers of Lotis and the followers of Oxyle, who suddenly want to discuss peace treaties with the humans. Lotis turns from catty woman to outright Evil Sorceress, seeking to break the bonds of the obligatory "Ancient Evil" to take over rule of the forest people and obliterate the humans. Oxyle becomes everyone's ally and a Noble Elf Lord to make Tolkien proud. Numerous fights with evil inevitably follow before the humans, elves, and dwarves can make peace.

It's a shame Norton felt the need to repeat an old formula, because I really think she had something going. Her beginning chapters were slow-paced but character-focused, examining important issues such as industrialization, mistreatment of women, marriage as commodity, the superiority of one race over another and why that's a dangerous position to assume even if your people are in the right. I was led to believe that the book would be about the characters and their relationships with each other, not on their concentrated Fight Against Evil.

To be fair to Norton, the traditional storyline is extremely well told and those who love conventional fantasy should be very pleased. To me at least the traditional plot took the focus away from the characters, the people who kept me turning the pages in the first place. The same weighty themes mentioned above could have been addressed just as well in a character-based book.

Three stars because for what it is, it's very good. Minus two stars because the tone is uneven. Halfway through you think you're in for a romantic fantasy, then the plot becomes standard fare. At least it's not as predictable as some.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it, October 1, 2001

By 

jennifer parker (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror of Destiny (Five Senses, Bk. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I think that anyone who says that this book isn't good is a true lover of fantasy. The plot was great and well-developed, the characters strong and the scenery fantastic. It was the first book I've read by Norton and I am now a great fan of hers! I know a good book when I read it and this was definitely one of them!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Give it a chance, June 13, 2001

By 

"angelsb82" (All Over, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirror of Destiny (Five Senses, Bk. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Most reviews of this book were to say the least bad. I however enjoyed it. it was what I like to call brain candy. YOu don't have to think hard to read it. You just enjoy it. If you like Andre Norton's works, this is not her best effort, but it is a fun and quick read to pique further interest into scifi/fantasy reading for someone just starting to develop a taste for it. BTW, I wouldn't reccommend this for a guy. This was definitely a chick book.