I enjoyed this story which is set in the Dales where people without power migrated after the land was abandoned by the Old Ones (who I think moved northwards, from what I read recently in 'The Jargoon Pard' though I don't know why). They have left behind remnants of their magic, including certain ruins and monuments, and those who have some trace of psychic ability are drawn to these, sometimes with ill results.

The book is told from two alternating first person viewpoints. Kerovan is the son of the heir to Ulm keep, but he was born in one of the Old Ones' ruins when his mother's party were forced to shelter from a storm enroute to the shrine of Gunnora. Seemingly as a result (though much later it is explained how his mother's meddling was culpable) he has amber eyes and hooves instead of feet. His mother rejects him, and he is sent away to the foresters to be raised, by an old soldier and a man called Riwal, who is psychic and is studying the Old Ones ruins and broken artefacts, though not for evil purposes.

Over the years, we are told, Kerovan is visited by his father, although that is not actually shown. His father eventually tells him that, given his absence, a lot of rumours have been spread that he is monstrous. He arranges for Kerovan to return to the keep to be acknowledged his heir. It seems odd that his father chose to exile him in this way, but that is eventually explained. For certain members of Kerovan's family are in league with dark forces.

Joisan, meanwhile, is the niece of the ruler of another stronghold. Her uncle agrees to betroth her to Kerovan, with the eventual marriage mooted for eight years in the future (she is eight and Kerovan is ten). As a girl, Joisan is not able to inherit the rulership of her dale despite the fact that her uncle has no heir - he could make her his heir, but would have to name her as such. Despite this, however, he is quite decent to her throughout her upbringing which is mainly undertaken by his formidable sister, a woman who had previously planned to become a nun (the Dales people follow the worship of the Flame) but had returned to the keep where she was raised to become the chatelaine when her brother's wife died.

As she grows older, Joisan has to contend with rumours about her betrothed, after she is first confronted with them by a spiteful cousin. She commissions a small painting of herself, as is customary, and sends it to Kerovan with a request for the same from him, but never receives one in return. However, he does send her a beautiful necklace - a pendant of a gryphon within a globe which he found near a place of the Old Ones when exploring once with Riwal. The pendant seems to be an object of Power, but of the light. Joisan eventually learns from her uncle that the purpose of her betrothal was to make available the manpower of their Dale in the event that her future husband's inheritance is contested by others in his family.

Into this situation intrudes an invasion by the Hounds of Alizon who feature in series one of the Witch World stories as a threat to Estcarp, and who have colluded with aliens and have access to their technology. The rest of the story takes place against a background of war and hardship, with the added danger provided by members of Kerovan's family, who will stop at nothing to kill him and deepen their connection to the dark forces with which they have already dabbled.

I found this a good page turning read and am awarding it 4 stars.

( )

I love this story. One of my first Andre Norton reads lo these many years ago. What could be better than a hero who was mistreated and maligned all his life who has butter yellow eyes and cloven hooves for feet? I loved both Kerovan and Joisan. High adventure, romance and Norton's brand of mystic magic. Great story. ( )

I love the Witch World books, but particularly the Gryphon Saga. There's something special about the characters and their relationship, and how they persevere on their quest that has always stayed with me. Great stuff for early fantasy. I really enjoy Norton's use of archaic language style and the simplicity and formality of the world she portrays. Simple by today's bloated standards, but great stuff.
What struck me on re-reading this is that these books must have been an inspiration for many modern fantasy writers, but particularly Robert Jordan. You can see in the structure of the world, the striving of dark vs. light powers, the idea of cycles and possession some of the concepts that are very prevalent in the Wheel of Time series. This is much, much simpler, but I can still see the same foundation in these stories. ( )

The story starts out quickly and continues moving well. You are never quite sure what is going to happen around the next bend.. but you find yourself rooting for Kerovan and Joisan all the way through the story.
And even though the book comes to a clean end, it leaves you longing to know what came next. ( )

A good story. Again, this is one I've read so often and had as part of my life for so long that it's hard to think about it clearly. The alternating chapters are an interesting conceit, particularly when they tell the same events just slightly differently. I like both Kerovan and Joisan; they're interesting people. Kerovan had a weird upbringing; Joisan's was more conventional, for that time and place, though she came out of it with a very individual view of the world and her place in it. I love the time when they're together, with Kerovan as Lord Amber - though she forgives him for the lie rather too easily. On the other hand, she doesn't discover it until the climactic battle, so I guess she had other things on her mind. A sort-of happy ending, with Kerovan's low self-esteem clearly showing - still, it would have made an ending if she'd never gone on to write more. Enjoyed it, as always. ( )