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5.0 out of 5 stars
15 short stories, written for rather than by Andre Norton, June 1, 2002
This review is from: Moonsinger's Friends: In Honor of Andre Norton (Paperback)
This anthology is dedicated to Andre Norton; all the stories herein are the type that Ms. Norton herself would like to read. Here I've ordered them alphabetically. Schwartz also provides an introduction, and Joan D. Vinge an open letter to Andre Norton.
Anderson, Poul "The Forest" - Set in the Stone Age (see author's note for details). Thunder Horse's people face an age of change: the Land is changing from steppe to forest as the glaciers retreat; either they must follow the reindeer north, or venture south into the forests. Thunder Horse, no longer in first youth but one of the few who doesn't fear the uncanny forest, ventures south to see what - or who - may be there before the tribe makes a decision.
Bradley, Marion Zimmer "Sea Wrack" - See Bradley's short story collection LYTHANDE.
Carr, Jayge "The Price of Lightning" - The backstory of a character from HECATE'S CAULDRON: how Brancel (born a prince) first set his feet on the path to wisdom rather than political power.
Cherryh, C.J. "Of Law and Magic" - Melot never had any luck - she waits tables and worries about her little brother Gatan, the wizard. But she's tough; when two older wizards prepare to duel over him, she calls on Dr. Toth, the "lawyer" consulted by all the wizards of Leincester. But Dr. Toth isn't a solicitor: he practices the law of nature. First-class story; I hope Cherryh returns to this setting.
Clayton, Jo "Team Venture" - Arryn and her companions Horse (whose equine body covers an analytic mind and scientific curiosity), the independent Cat, and free-flying Hawk were bound into their bodies and exiled to wander between realities by the Judges of Savastorn a dozen years ago. But one member of the team isn't so easy to live with: the other half of Arryn's soul, Nys-within. Moonwitch and murderess, bound into one flesh - the answer to a prophecy they know nothing about.
Duane, Diane "Lior and the Sea" - A short story set in the world of TALE OF THE FIVE, but not concerning any of the characters in THE DOOR INTO FIRE/SHADOW/SUNSET. Orphaned as a child, Lior was found to have Fire and accepted training as a Rodmistress. She had already lost what she loved most, and rather than taking up a prestigious practice, she returned to the little fishing village where she grew up, and came to know the moods of the sea better than those of any human being. When one night she couldn't persuade it not to throw a stormy tantrum, she decided to offer the sea a dare.
Kurtz, Katharine "Catalyst" - First written for this collection as a coming-of-age story containing a few cats; set in Camber MacRorie's household 15 years before CAMBER OF CULDI. "Catalyst" was later included in THE DERYNI ARCHIVES (see).
Lee, Tanith "The Pale Girl, the Dark Mage, and the Green Sea" - More a poem than a short story. The young witch fell hopelessly in love with the mage living in a tower by the sea. Her attempts at courting him failed until a powerful friend - the sea itself - took a hand.
McCaffrey, Anne "A Flock of Geese" - Story of a very tough survivor. Some experiment far in the future has flung Earth headlong into the well of time, bouncing apparently at random through terrible time-storms between various points in history. The only safe places are those like the cave ruled by the 18th-century refugee Wicca, set deep in basalt and unchanging save over millions of years.
Miesel, Sandra "The Shadow Hart" - King Valdemar of Denmark, after his wife's brutal murder of his lover, prayed in anguish for God to keep heaven, leaving him the earth holding her grave. In this version, however, other men of his court who sinned alike share his eternal punishment: riding every night until Judgement Day across the lands they once knew. But one woman's love strives to reach beyond death...
Paxson, Diana "Sky Sister" - Paxson's recurring character Shanna, Royal Daughter of Sharteyn (just one of the northern princedoms, really), seen here after her experiences in "Sword of Yraine" from SWORD AND SORCERESS #1. This is the tale of her first meeting with her future partner Chai during Shanna's long search for her brother, who set out for the imperial capital and never returned.
Pierce, Meridith Ann "The Woman Who Loved Reindeer" - Caribou's brother will soon return from following the reindeer herds - so her sister-in-law, having borne a child by a mysterious stranger in the meantime - begs Caribou to take the baby in. But how uncanny *is* the other half of the boy's ancestry?
Springer, Nancy "Bright-Eyed Black Pony" - An arrogant highborn young runaway seeks shelter with a solitary sorcerer, who begins trying to straighten him out.
Tarr, Judith "Defender of the Faith" - Published before THE HOUND AND THE FALCON, let alone the novels featuring Morgiana as a major character. From the days of Hasan-i-Sabbah, Alamut's greatest assassin was the ifritah Morgiana, but by the time of ALAMUT she had become disenchanted with the Assassins. This is the tale of how she first came to weary of killing for the cause.
Yolen, Jane "The Foxwife" - If you liked Neil Gaiman's graphic novel THE DREAM HUNTERS, this story also features a shapechanging fox who falls in love with a mortal man, although it plays out differently. Norton's own works featuring foxes in this vein include THE WHITE JADE FOX and IMPERIAL LADY, both of which draw on a Chinese framework.
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