The Sorcerer's Conspectus:

A comprehensive view of Andre Norton's Witch World

by Lotsawatts

Ciara's Song

 8th Novel in the [Witch World: Estcarp Series] by Andre Norton

This book was written solely by Lyn McConchie but set in Andre Norton’s Witch World, hence marketed as collaboration.

See Also: [Martinez ~ Glossary] [Martinez ~ Races] [Schlobin ~ Survey] [Coulson's Index] N/A - Published after 1996

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

Edition Used for Analysis:
(1998) Published by Warner Aspect, PB, 0-446-60644-8, 978-0-446-60644-8, $6.50, 245pg ~ cover by Kevin Johnson

Synopsis:

A family of the Old Race living in Karsten learns of the thrice-horning, but they have no time to escape the slaughter.  They can, however, see to it their young daughter, Ciara, reaches a hiding place.  After the slaughter is over and done with, the Lord of the neighboring Keep rescues her and raises her as his own, with Trovagh, his young son.  When the children are grown, they marry and raise their own children, who have little of the look of the Old Race, since Ciara's father was only half Old Race.  So they live peacefully with the other Karsten people.  The oldest grandson upon reaching adulthood wants to go and live in Kars City, where he becomes corrupted by the vices of the major Lords there, and eventually tries to take over his grandparents' Keep, killing them and trying to kill his much younger sister.  She escapes, however, and makes her way to Estcarp. ~ SL

Timeline Points:

1. p1. Book One "Thrice-Horned to Death and Destruction".
2. p3. Horning ordered in Karsten. (see: Witch World)
3. p6. Ciara barely 9 years old.
4. p13 Trovagh a year older than Ciara.
5. p29. Yvian is short a bride (Loyse), Estcarp made a foray against the Kolder, Kolder are gone from Kars.
6. p34. Betrothal of Ciara & Trovagh.
7. p35. Later that year.
8. p47. Death of Yvian. (see: Web of the Witch World)
9. p54. Ciara 10 in less than a week.
10. p60. A year past then another 18 months - Ciara 12 Trovagh 13.
11. p62. Civil war reaches South.
12. p67. Clan squabbling for four years.
13. p70. Ciara is 13.
14. p101. Ciara is 17.
15. p102. Year of the Pronghorn - Ciara is 18.
16. p107. Ciara and Trovagh wed.
17. p110. Three years pass - a boy is born, four years later a daughter - Pagar begins his rise.
18. p111. Next two years Pagar strengthens his keep, three years later crowned as Duke. Pagar is 33 when announces a campaign against Verlaine.
19. p113. Attack on Kars by Estcarp/Sulcar - revolt by half-brother, three years pass.
20. p114. Ciara's daughter is 16 - Pagar raids Estcarp over the next few years.
21. p115. Ciara's daughter dies.
22. p118. Another year.
23. p120. Ciara and Trovagh's son has a son - three years pass, another son.
24. p121. Pagar harrying Estcarp forces - mention of Facellian.
25. p128. Alizon will be defeated.
26. p135. The Turning. (see: Three Against the Witch World)
27. p137. Book Two "If the Dream Is Worth the Price".
28. p139. “Aisling was almost eleven.” (Ciara’s grandaughter)
29. p140. “Kirion was now twenty, while Aisling had just celebrated her eleventh name day. Keelan at seventeen was kinder to his younger sister.”
30. p164. “She [Aisling] celebrated her twelfth name day with Keelan assisting. His name day would come in early spring. He would be eighteen.” Snow.
31. p167. Keelan turns 18.
32. p175. “Two years after Keelan had deserted Iren [his mother's keep], Shandro became duke of Kars.”
33. p208. Aisling is 17.
34. p243. Aisling meets Neevor. (see: The Crystal Gryphon, Gryphon in Glory, Gryphon's Eyrie, The Jargoon Pard, set before The Warding of Witch World.)

Sorcerer's Notes:
There is a major problem with the timing in this novel - from all the other works the time between The Horning and The Turning is "close to 25 years" (see: Three Against the Witch World), which is insufficient time for a 9 year old to become a grandmother. In addition the Year of the Pronghorn is sometime BEFORE The Horning - (see: Silver May Tarnish) Also, why is Neevor in Escore and what is he doing welcoming strange girls who just came through a magic portal there by himself? The second half takes place between The Turning and The Gate of the Cat.

From the information in Ciara's Song, The Duke's Ballad and Silver May Tarnish I have come up with the following timeline. ¹

Footnotes:

1. See Also: Timeline Ciara's Song

The Sorcerer’s recommend that you read next: The Gate of the Cat

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Formatted and Edited by Jay Watts ~ May, 2022

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