The Sorcerer's Conspectus:

A comprehensive view of Andre Norton's Witch World

by Lotsawatts

Three Against the Witch World

3rd Novel in the [Witch World: Estcarp Series] by Andre Norton

See Also: [Martinez ~ Glossary] [Martinez ~ Races] [Schlobin ~ Survey] [Coulson's Index]

[Expanded Reading Order] [Bibliography Page] [Read it Here] [Return to Contents]

Edition Used for Analysis:

(1965) Published by ACE, PB, #80805 1978 $1.95 251pg ~ cover by Harry Borgman 

Synopsis:

Simon and Jaelithe have three children, born as triplets and sharing among them the powers of their parents: Kyllan, the warrior child who narrates this book; Kemoc, the warlock child who masters many of the occult secrets of the witches; and Kaththea, the witch child. When the three children are young and Pagar of Karsten is threatening Escarp from the south, Simon disappears while on a expedition and, after a time, Jaelithe sets out to find him, leaving the children in the care of Loyse and Koris. The boys train as soldiers and fight against Pagar, while their sister is abducted by the Witches Council and trained in “witch lore”. During a final battle with the forces of Karsten, while the witches are using all of their power in defense, Kyllan and Kemac succed in freeing Kaththea from the witches' control, and together they flee the witches' wrath by crossing the mysterious mountains to the east. Across the mountains they find Escore, the original home of the Old Race and the witches. Their arrival upsets a delicate balance between the forces of Light and Shadow, and Kyllan in particular finds himself in almost constant deadly struggle with strange forces. He is saved buy Duhaun of the Green Silences and with her aid saves Kemoc and Kaththea from certain death. The three then vow to rid Escore of the Shadow and restore is as the golden land of their ancestors, even if they must perish in the attempt.

Timeline Points:

1. p2. Kemoc, Kyllan and Kaththea born as triplets in Estcarp, Falconers woman as midwife.
2. p5. Jaelithe falls into a trance, awoke a year later.
3. p6. Pagar of Geen becomes Duke in Karsten four months later.
4. p10. Aged 6 Kemoc & Kyllan given swords.
5. p11. Kemoc & Kyllan aged 12 go on first foray against Pagar - Sulcar raiding Alizon.
6. p13. Two years later Simon disappears.
7. p17. Some months later Jaelithe followed.
8. p19. Kemoc, Kyllan and Kaththea 17 - Pagar suffered defeat.
9. p21. Kaththea taken by witches.
10. p23. Koris wounded.
11. p27. Months followed.
12. p28. Koris returned the Axe to the sea-cliffs of the south.
13. p29. Beginning of second year after Kaththea taken, Kemoc injured and went to Lormt.
14. p30. Months passed.
15. p31. Facellian Baron in Alizon.
16. p41. The Turning.
17. p55. Kaththea returns and all three enter Escore.¹
18. p148. First meeting with Dahaun.
19. p190. Meeting with Ethutur.
20. p198. The Horning. (see: Witch World)
21. p203. "It had been close to twenty-five years ago since that happening…" The Horning.
22. p248. Refugees enter Escore.

Sorcerer's Notes:

Footnotes:
1. It takes all the rest of the night of the Turning and until the evening of the first day after. It is two more days before they reach the mountains. They rest the entire next day. They climb up and come across a valley of trees "Sometime in the distant past they had begun as might any normal tree, but when their boles had reached perhaps ten feet above the ground surface they had taken a sharp bend left or right. After proceeding in that new direction for some feet, they again pointed skyward, to repeat the process again and again, lacing a vast crisscross of such branched levels, with the rue ground of the valley far below." They rest the night before crossing this valley. They go down the valley rim into a steamy, mossy country and eventually come to the ruins of a farm. There is a river near it and beyond there is a series of spiral pillars - a trap of the Dark.

The Sorcerer’s recommend that you read next: Old Toad

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Formatted and Edited by Jay Watts ~ May, 2022

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