Children of the Gates
~ An Omnibus of Novels by Andre Norton
Contains ~
- Here Abide Monsters (1973) Published by Atheneum, HC, 0-689-30422-6, LCCN 73075438, $5.95, 215pg ~ cover by Jack Gaughan {Orange Cloth Boards, Taupe End Papers}
- Yurth Burden (1978) Published by DAW, PB, # 304, UE1400, 0-879-97400-1, LCCN 2001569707, $1.75, 158pg ~ cover and illustrated by Jack Gaughan
Synopsis ~
Write-up from the back of Tradepaper ~
"Here Abide Monsters"
On a world where parallel and alternate universes intersect, Celtic faery folk, modern humans and inhabitants of a distant future share the planet's surface, along with aliens in saucer-shaped ships who are capturing and enslaving new arrivals who fall through the gates from our Earth. One group of new arrivals meets a protector, a man who calls himself the Herald. He promises safety - but the price he requires may be too high to pay.
"Yurth Burden"
Two races share Zacar - the plains dwelling Raski and mountain dwelling Yurth, who have mental powers which make them feared and hated by the Raski. Terrible wars periodically break out between the two peoples along the borders of their realms. Then a young Yurth woman goes on her coming-of-age vision quest and is stalked by a young Raski warrior. The two blood enemies will reluctantly find they need each other to survive - and together they discover a secret that will unbalance their world and may change Zacar forever.
Write-up from a fan ~
Here Abide Monsters ~ This starts out with the premise that there are 12 spots around the world where the wall between universes is thin and where people have disappeared. Nick Shaw and Linda Durant pass through a door into a world that at first seems like our own. Then they run into "mythical" creatures, some benign and others horribly nightmarish and deadly. They join up with an English group who fill them in on the dangers of the world and they meet with what on their world would be members of the Fairy Folk who tell them to go away. Then they witness attacks by alien spaceships that are taking captives. The fairy Folk are immune to the weapons of the aliens and their cities are safe from attack. They try to get Nick and the other humans to join them and become part of the Folk, but the humans resist for fear of losing their own identities. Nick gets captured and an unexpected ally teaches him how to tap into latent psychic powers that he unknowingly possesses. Will his newfound abilities prove a key to his and his band's survival? Action packed right up to the last page. ~ PG
Yurth Burden ~ Ok, other than a clever pun, who are the Yurth and why and how are they Burdened? The Yurth, a peaceful people with telepathic powers share the planet Zacar with the Raski who were there first and resent and hate the Yurth.
Elossa a Yurth girl must make a pilgrimage to a mysterious place in the mountains to learn the secrets of functioning as a full member of adult society. This is a dangerous journey, made even more so by the presence of Stans, a Raski boy who is following her to find out any secrets and stop or kill a Yurth as a continuation of an ancient blood feud. After each one saves the other's life, they travel together and face ancient evils along the way. When they reach their destination, they learn the incredible truths about the origins of the Yurth , the burden, and the enmity of the Raski. It will be dangerous for each one to go back to their own people and spread the truth, but they decide to become peacemakers. And this is only halfway through the book. From then on, the going gets rougher. There should have been a sequel. ~ PG
Bibliography of English Editions ~
- (2013) Published by BAEN, TP, 978-1-4516-3889-9, $13.00, 376pg ~ cover by Stephen Hickman
- (2013) Published by BAEN, DM, 978-1-451638-89-9, $8.99, 512pg ~ cover by Stephen Hickman
- (2014) Published by BAEN, PB, 978-1-476736-38-9, $7.99, 432pg ~ cover by Stephen Hickman
