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Norton, Andre
THREE AGAINST THE WITCH WORLD
book-date: 1965
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GRADING:
Ace F-332
1965
1st
Paperback
Jack Gaughan
.40
VG+
ex-ChUSFA: stamp on first inside page, page 85. MORE INFO

Artist Jack Gaughan has had an affinity for this series since the first one, and his wraparound cover nicely captures a confrontation between the 3 siblings and some of the dark forces that occupy Escore.

"Warrior, sage, witch - three - one - I will this! Each a gift. Together - one and great - apart far less!" This was the destiny cried out by Jaelithe in the birth hour of her 3 children by Simon Tregarth. When the need came they could act as a single person - Kyllan the arms for action, Kemoc the brain, and Kaththea the heart and controlled emotion. Their mixed heritage of Simon's alien blood and Jaelithe's witch magic brings each of them a special gift and the rare ability to combine their wills to wield great power. Simon and Jaelithe were more active as Wardens of the South border than close parents, and when Simon disappeared overseas, Jaelithe soon had to follow in search of him. Simon and Jaelithe had kept the Council of Es away from their daughter, but once they were gone, the Witches took Kaththea into their training in order to make her one of their own and bolster their fading strength.

Kyllan and Kemoc bided their time, waiting for relaxed vigilance before they would attempt to rescue their sister. During this wait, Kemoc studied at Lormt and found a place they could go to escape the pursuit of any Witch - to the East! He had discovered that the 3 siblings of mixed heritage could perceive all 4 directions, but to everyone else the East was a blank in the mind, a blank in legend in history. Kemoc determined that the Old Race had come from the East long ago, stirred the mountains with Power behind them, and set a block in memory until it became part of the race.

During a time when the Witches prepared a massive use of Power, Kyllan and Kemoc freed their sister and fled overmountain - to the East, as planned. They fight through barriers of illusion to find Escore. There they find legends and tales to amuse children have real sources - Moss Ones, the Krogan, the Thas, the People of Green Silences, the Flannan. They find pockets of evil, and when Kaththea uses magic to scout the land, a balance which has existed for centuries is disturbed. Kyllan finds himself drawn to the Lady of Green Silences, and then becomes the agent by which aid is called to Escore...



I claim there is a set of 9 Witch World books that are the best - all of them meet her highest standards and are worth re-reading. There are as many or more other "Witch World" books as this set - not one of them is as satisfying as any of these. I'll be happy to sell as many good-condition single-copies or sets as I can find.

Witch World + Web of the Witch World - the first book in the series was a Hugo-nominee, featuring Simon Tregarth, a man of our world who passed through a gate to arrive on the Witch World, where magic worked. There an ancient nation of witches (Estcarp) is beset by Alizon to the north, and Karsten to the souith, with the worst threat coming from the Kolder - who do not seem to be native to this world. Simon's fate becomes entwined with the witch Jaelithe, and after a struggle to break the Kolder's power (the first 2 books) - they marry.

Three books feature their 3 children: one centering on each: Three Against the Witch World, Warlock of the Witch World, and Sorceress of the Witch World.

Then there are 4 books taking place overseas, in a region known as High Halleck. The Hounds of Alizon had been supported and armed by the Kolder - encouraged by them to seek conquests in any weaker land. The Hounds considered the Dales of High Halleck ripe for easy plucking, but their invasion foundered when support from the Kolder stopped. (No more high-tech tanks, and the ones they had stopped working.) The Dalesmen formed an alliance with the Were-Riders of the western Waste to drive off the invaders. Year of the Unicorn, Spell of the Witch World, The Crystal Gryphon, and The Jargoon Pard.