Fur Magic (Paperback)

~ (Author) "It was cold and far too dark outside the window to be really day-time yet..." (more)
Key Phrases: Yellow Shell, Uncle Jasper, Black Elk (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Had the Changer, the Indian spirit, in reshaping Cory Alder as a beaver and testing his belief in a greater power, really transformed him into a stronger person? What is clearly a rhetorical question to the author demands a credulity of the reader that the story is not strong enough to evoke: Cory as a boy afraid of the slightest movement on his Indian foster uncle's ranch seems a sissy since there's no motivation for his fears; and his extended adventures as Yellow Shell, a beaver-who-is-not-a-beaver, involving animals alternately scrambling about and acting sententious, often seem silly. Especially as expressed in mock-Indian language and phrasing. The climactic contest between the Changer, part-coyote, part-man, whom would enslave all creatures, and Thunderbird, the spirit of the White Eagle, who opposes him, and who, with Cory's aid, disarms him, is undeniably exciting but the greater part of the book is shallow realism and fuzzy fantasy. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Enter a world of ancient magic

When his father is called to active duty in Vietnam, Cory Alder is sent to spend the summer with his adopted Native American uncle, Jasper. Accustomed to life in the city, Cory finds the reality of the ranch scary—every shadow is full of menace. But when an encounter with a medicine man catapults Cory into a world of Native American legend, conquering his fears becomes a matter of survival. Transformed into a beaver called Yellow Shell, Cory is now part of a war between the People, animals whose intelligence equals that of humans. In order to return home, Cory must help Yellow Shell and his allies defeat the Changer, who is attempting to enslave the People in this world—and in Cory’s world as well. With two worlds hanging in the balance, Cory will have to use every ounce of courage and animal instinct within him to defeat this enemy . . .

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback
• Publisher: Pocket Books (September 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671414038
• ISBN-13: 978-0671414030
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,410,717 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spirit Dream?, March 22, 2003

By	Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fur Magic (Hardcover)

Fur Magic (1968) is the second fantasy novel in the Magic series, following Steel Magic. It is based on the legends of the North American Indians.

In the tales of the Nez Perce, and other tribes, the Changer is a great power who has the ability to shape things. Often called the Trickster, the Changer delights in confounding others with his changes. Long ago, the Old People, sapient oversized animals, ruled the world, but then the Changer made mankind and changed everything.

In this story, Cory Adler is a Floridan boy whose father has been assigned to Viet Nam by the Army and whose mother is taking care of his grandmother in San Francisco. An old Army buddy of his father, Uncle Jasper, has invited Cory to stay on his ranch while his parents are away and Cory looks forward to it with great anticipation. Yet the actual experience is much more frightening than he expects; the horses are big and buck him off, the animals have sharp teeth and claws, and the night is filled with strange noises.

The day after Cory's unsuccessful attempt to ride a horse, Uncle Jasper takes him up to an old line cabin in the high country and leaves him there while the adults ride off to inspect the young horses. Cory agrees to wait for Black Elk, an old indian shaman, to arrive at the cabin and then to phone for a jeep to carry the old man to the main house. Cory is willing, as long as he doesn't have to ride a horse, and soon starts to explore the surrounding area. He accidentally falls into a shallow hole and breaks a basket and a turtleshell rattle within the hollow. He takes a leather bag back to the cabin to get a better look at it, but decides it is a medicine pouch and replaces it within the broken basket.

While exploring some more, he notices brown shapes moving around on a distance hillside and uses his binoculars to resolve the image into three buffalo, two adults and a calf. Moreover, he sees a man wearing an animal skin, possibly coyote, dancing close to the animals while carrying a decorated stick and a turtleshell rattle. He is held motionless by fear, but manages to drop the binoculars, which frees his muscles. Still terrified, he nonetheless runs toward the site where he has seen the buffalo and the man, but only tracks remain of the animals and man.

When he returns to the cabin, he finds an old indian man sitting motionless by the firepit. He asks the old man if he is Black Eagle and is finally answered with a bare acknowledgment. Cory makes a meal in the firepit for the old man, who eats everything given to him and Cory's portion as well. Afterwards, the old man pulls out a leather bag, the same medicine pouch that Cory had returned to the basket, throws some dust on the fire that causes a steady stream of smoke to rise above it, and insists that Cory has done wrong and must purify himself by holding the pouch in the smoke. When Cory complies, he is transported into the mind of an oversized beaver named Yellow Shell.

Cory thinks that he is in an exceptionally vivid dream, but cannot awaken. His mind accompanies Yellow Shell as he fights against marauding minks and clever crows which are minions of the Changer. He even meets the Changer face to face and is able to fight back and find a way to return to his own body. Moreover, he is now able to overcome his fears.

This story may be the earliest of the author's tales involving the legends and people of the tribes. Other works influenced by these traditions include the Beast Master series, The Sioux Spaceman, and The Defiant Agents. These tales of indian ways have been very influential to many young people through the years, possibly including Jane Lindskold, author of Changer and the Firekeeper series, which contain some of these same images.

This novel is intended for young people, but like her other juveniles, is also enjoyable to an old man like me.

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys simple tales of exotic folks and heroic quests.

-Arthur W. Jordin