Book Log 52/2009 - Silver May Tarnish
Sep. 5th, 2009 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaceyAndre Norton & Lyn McConchie – Silver May Tarnish
Tor, 2005
First of all let me say that I'm a sucker for all things Witch World. Andre Norton is one of the first SF/F authors I ever read and in particular her Witch World books fired my developing imagination when they were first reissued in the 1970s in the UK.
This is stand-alone Witch World book set in the Dales. Though Andre Norton’s name is on this, from the intro it’s obvious that it’s all Lyn McConchie’s work as she plays in Norton’s Witch World and this suffers because although McConchie can take the world out for a spin and create characters and situations, she can’t add to canon. Nothing she writes can alter Norton’s timelines and history. It’s a ‘more of the same’ book, but at the end of it, nothing has changed in the world.
Lorcan, the son of a minor noble house, is orphaned when raiders come to his Dale. He's forced to grow up living on the charity of distant and not very pleasant relatives until his position becomes untenable and he’s cut loose. After ending up in a hostage situation he's rescued by Meive of Landale, the only survivor of her village, Honeycoomb, and a wise-woman-in-training who talks to bees. Lorcan and Meive gradually gather survivors and try to build a new community together, but as the original raiders from Alizon retreat, the war-torn country is beset by the dispossessed who are almost as dangerous as their previous enemy. In a world where so much has been destroyed the people who have little become a target for those who have nothing at all, and the people who have everything want more.
This is in some ways a slight book though it's very true to the originals. Norton’s characters and plots often outshine her dialogue and sometimes a new author manages to retain the best part of Norton whilst avoiding the cod-historical vocal inflexions which are the least attractive part of Witch World. Sadly not this time. McConchie is – if anything – too true to Norton’s formidable style and voice. I enjoyed this, but at the end of it can compare it with eating a bowl of ice cream. It was nice while it lasted, but I didn’t really need it.
Tor, 2005
First of all let me say that I'm a sucker for all things Witch World. Andre Norton is one of the first SF/F authors I ever read and in particular her Witch World books fired my developing imagination when they were first reissued in the 1970s in the UK.
This is stand-alone Witch World book set in the Dales. Though Andre Norton’s name is on this, from the intro it’s obvious that it’s all Lyn McConchie’s work as she plays in Norton’s Witch World and this suffers because although McConchie can take the world out for a spin and create characters and situations, she can’t add to canon. Nothing she writes can alter Norton’s timelines and history. It’s a ‘more of the same’ book, but at the end of it, nothing has changed in the world.
Lorcan, the son of a minor noble house, is orphaned when raiders come to his Dale. He's forced to grow up living on the charity of distant and not very pleasant relatives until his position becomes untenable and he’s cut loose. After ending up in a hostage situation he's rescued by Meive of Landale, the only survivor of her village, Honeycoomb, and a wise-woman-in-training who talks to bees. Lorcan and Meive gradually gather survivors and try to build a new community together, but as the original raiders from Alizon retreat, the war-torn country is beset by the dispossessed who are almost as dangerous as their previous enemy. In a world where so much has been destroyed the people who have little become a target for those who have nothing at all, and the people who have everything want more.
This is in some ways a slight book though it's very true to the originals. Norton’s characters and plots often outshine her dialogue and sometimes a new author manages to retain the best part of Norton whilst avoiding the cod-historical vocal inflexions which are the least attractive part of Witch World. Sadly not this time. McConchie is – if anything – too true to Norton’s formidable style and voice. I enjoyed this, but at the end of it can compare it with eating a bowl of ice cream. It was nice while it lasted, but I didn’t really need it.
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Date: Sep. 5th, 2009 11:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Sep. 5th, 2009 03:47 pm (UTC)In fact if I didn't know I might easily think this was Norton herself - despite the reset button - as she's written plenty of novels herself that don't change the world. However, even though they don't necessarily make any changes they often reveal more depths and have more insight. I'm thinking 'The Jargoon Pard' or Gillan setting out from Norstead to discover the were-riders
When you're writing in someone else's world you're limited to what's already there and relying entrirely on their imagination, however much you might want to invent pink were-goblins or a new big bad army of mages from a hitherto unmentioned country.
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Date: Sep. 6th, 2009 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Sep. 7th, 2009 11:06 am (UTC):-)
I'll post them a.s.a.p.
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Date: Sep. 7th, 2009 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Sep. 7th, 2009 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Sep. 7th, 2009 10:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Sep. 7th, 2009 10:20 pm (UTC)