Sorceress of the Witch World

~ 5th Novel in the Witch World: Estcarp Series by Andre Norton

sorceress of the witch world 1968 h 084

 

Synopsis ~

Write-up from the back of the ACE paperback editions ~

“I Summon Your Banner!”
With these words, Kaththea the sorceress called forth a power such as no longer existed on the distant planet known as the Witch World. It was a power so great that it could destroy all that she loved best – and might even prove to be a greater evil than the shadow itself.
Yet there could be no other choice for Kaththea than to call on Hilarion in the death-naming. For she was a Witch deprived of power and she needed a guide to regain her lost skills and her lost world. There was only the ancient one, the opener of gates, with force mighty enough….
Sorceress of the Witch World completes and rounds out Andre Norton’s fabulous series.

 

Write-up from the back of the 1970 UK paperback edition ~

Snatched by her warlock brother from a citadel of the Shadow, Kaththea was bereft of her ancient wisdom and still tainted by the evil of the Dark Ones, an emptiness into which something alien tried to pour itself. In her search for healing and the regaining of her witch-power she passed through a gate into a stronghold of the very Power which threatened the existence of her world.
 And there in the centre of the web of evil, was the one who could prove the salvation of Escore, the creator and opener of gates who alone could summon strength enough to destroy or save all that she loved best.

 

Write-up from the front flap of the Gregg Press edition ~

BEREFT by evil enchantment of her witch’s power and believing her very presence dangerous, Kaththea took leave of Escore and all she held dear. Until she regained her magic, the Shadow that threatened Escore could enter the land through her. Kaththea’s power was restored, but by means she never forsaw. Her quest began with a galling apprenticeship to a tribal Wise Woman and then carried her through a gate in time and space. In the world beyond the gate Kaththea found and rescued Hilarion, an adept of the Old Race who could prove a powerfull ally to Escore—or a dreadful enemy.
Fifth in the series of Andre Norton's Witch World novels, Sorceress of the Witch World concludes the sage of the three children of the House of Tregarth: Kyllan the Warrior (Three Against the Witch World), Kemoc the Seer (Warlock of the Witch World), and Kaththea the Sorceress. This new edition of Sorceress of the Witch World features special endleave maps of the Witch World by Barbi ]ohnson.

 

Write-up from the back of the 1988 UK paperback edition ~

At the very heart of evil lay hope… if only the broken sorceress had the power to seek it out!
In the month of the Ice Dragon the Shadow came hunting Kaththea; through her dreams stalked a power she’d meddled with before. Striped of her ancient knowledge for her betrayal in the Black Citadel, the sorceress shivered naked before the blast of an alien force. Her weakness, she, knew, was a danger to those she loved most dearly – from her mind the Dark One could forge a weapon to strike them once more.
So Kaththea renounced the warmth of the Green Valley and, alone and unaided, sought a restoration of the once-noble witch-power. Help would come, but from a quarter she had hardly dared to expect it… from the dust of years would step a figure she had lost hope of ever seeing again.
“If the Witch World had never been written, so many other worlds would be poorer.” – C.J. Cherryh
“Rich, brilliant, superbly imaginative.” – Lin Carter
“Her story telling gift is phenomenal” – Anne McCaffrey

 

Write-up from a Gregg Press sales flyer ~

Now that she has lost her witch power, Kaththea worries that she will become a gate for the evil forces of Shadow to enter the safe places of Escore and sets out to seek the aid of the Witches of Escarp in regaining her power. Swept up by an avalanche in the mountains, she is captured by the primitive and savage Vupsall tribe. Their leader, Ifeng, forces her to become the tribal seeress, but after she fails to foresee an enemy attack, she seizes the chance to flee. Drawn through an interdimensional gate, Kaththea finds herself in a sterile world inhabited by the Kolder-like Zandur. Her fear turns to amazement and delight when she discovers her parents, Simon and Jaelithe, still captive after many years. Through the combined use of their powers and with the help of Hilarion, an old God of Escore, they all escape to the Green Valley and there, reunited with Kemoc and Orsya, Kyllan and Dahaun, they deal the final blow to the Shadow, regaining the golden peace of Escore's past.

 

Write-ups from fans ~

This is a powerful (no pun intended) tale of fall and redemption of Kaththea Tregarth. At the end of Worlock of the Witch World, she was duped into aiding an evil sorcerer and lost her powers as a witch. She decides to travel back to Estcarp for healing. She never makes it and is rescued from an avalanche by a tribe of nomads with a dying Wise Woman who offers to train Kaththea in the ways of magic. Kaththea learns how to do magic enough to help the tribe survive, but then traps her to take over when the old one dies. Slowly she figures out how to escape, when the tribe is attacked. She and a girl from the village hide in a ruined fortress and pass through a Gate into another world. There, she finds the owner of the fortress who is imprisoned and enslaved in this new world. In her attempts to free him, she contacts her Parents who are looking for a Gate back to Estcarp. They escape and walk into a battle against deadly evil. Can they trust the new Adept that they had just met? Can Kaththea trust herself? ~ PG

 

Reviews ~

Various reviews ~ For more info and other listings see Articles Over the Years

1969 by Gary Zachrich in The Pulp Era #70 (fnz), January/Feruary
1977 by E. Sisco in School Library Journal, September
1977 by Charles N. Brown in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Winter
1988 by Andy Sawyer in Paperback Inferno #73
2015 by James Nicoll
2017 by Judith Tarr

 

Bibliography of English Editions ~     

  • (1968) Published by ACE, PB, # H-84, $0.60, 221pg - #77551 1970 $0.75 224pg 2nd print - #77552 1975 $1.25 224pg 3rd print - #77553-5 1976 $1.50 224pg 4th print - #77554-3 1977 $1.75 224pg 5th print - #77555-1 1978 $1.95 224pg 6th print - covers by Jeff Jones ~ #77556-X 1983 $2.50 280pg 7th print - #77558 1986 $2.75 280pg 8th print - #77558-6 1988 $3.50 280pg 9th print - covers by John Pound
  • (1970) Published by Tandem, PB, 0-426-05055-X, £ 5s (60p), 224pg ~ UK printing ~ cover by Philip Castle
  • (1977) Published by Gregg Press, HC, 0-839-82360-6, LCCN 77023226, $7.95, 221pg ~ As Witch World 5: Sorceress of the Witch World ~ Dust Jacket and Text Art by Jack Gaughan, Frontmatter by Alice Phalen, Endpaper Maps by Barbi Johnson {Binding: 5.625 x 8.25 - Dark Blue Cloth Boards with Gold Lettering} Limited to 1200 copies.
  • (1977) Published by G Prior, HC, 0-860-43073-1, £4.40, 232pg ~ UK printing ~ This Edition is an identical copy of the Gregg Press release with the exception of the Title & Copyright Page.
  • (1978) Published by Universal (Tandem), PB, 0-426-05055-X, £0.75 ~ UK printing ~ cover by Rodney Matthews ~

NOTE: this release has been erroneously placed on many lists in the past but was never published.

Rodney Mathews completed eight paintings for the “Witch World” series published by Universal. Unfortunately, three of them were never released as book covers. “Sorceress of the Witch World”, “Warlock of the Witch World” and “Year of the Unicorn”. [SEE: Matthews, Rodney’ cover-art for images of these paintings.]

  • (1988) Published by Gollancz, PB, 0-575-04000-9, £2.95, 222pg ~ UK printing ~ cover by Michael Posen
  • (2020) Published by The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency (Worldbuilders Press), DM, No ISBN, $2.99, 204pg ~ cover by Cynthia Lucas
  • (2020) Published by The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency (Worldbuilders Press), TP, 978-1-680-68197-0, $9.99, 264pg ~ cover by Cynthia Lucas

 

Non-English Editions ~

  • (1976) Published in Rastatt, Germany; by Pabel, Terra Fantasy 22, DM2.80, 145pg ~ translation by Susi-Maria Rödiger ~ cover by Jeff Jones ~ German title Das Mädchen und der Magier [The girl and the magician]
  • (2018) Published in Germany by APEX VERLAG CHRISTIAN DÖRGE, 978-3-7438-4156-7, DM, €5.99 ~ German title DIE HEXENMEISTERIN - Fünfter Roman des HEXENWELT-Zyklus [THE WITCH MASTER - Fifth novel of the HEX WORLD Cycle]
  • (1979) Published in Bologna, Italy; by Libra Editrice, I Classici della Fantascienza, n. 40, 8,000 lir, 518pg ~ translated by Roberta Rambelli ~ cover by Allison ~ omnibus containing Il mago di Escore [Warlock of the Witch World] and l’incantatrice [Sorceress of the Witch World] ~ Italian title I maghi di Estcarp [The Wizards of Estcarp]
  • (1976) Published in Tokyo, Japan; by Sogensya, 44-886-0206-1, 350pg ~ translation by Enoki Rin ~ Cover by Motoichiro Takebe ~ Japanese title 魔法の世界の夜明け [The dawn of a magical world] ~ reprinted in 1982
  • (1991) Published in Warsaw, Poland; by Amber, 83-854-2340-0, 223pg ~ translation by by Ewa Witecka ~ cover by Steve Crisp ~ Polish title Czarodziejka ze Świata Czarownic [Sorceress from the World of Witches]
  • (2014) Published in Warsaw, Poland; by Nasza Księgarnia, 978-83-10-11798-4, PB, 320pg ~ translation by Ewa Witecka ~ Polish title Czarodziejka ze Świata Czarownic [Sorceress from the World of Witches] 

 

Russian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (1990) Published by Rank Xerox - Fanzine (self-published) ~ Russian title Год Единорога [Year of the Unicorn] ~ Frontispiece Notes: The inscriptions on the lower right in small print: "Not published in the USSR." ~ On the printing press in the circle of the inscription: “The Golden Fund of Modern Fiction. Best-selling science fiction books."

Contains:

    • "Year of the Unicorn"
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World"

 

  •  (1992)-1 Publishedin Moscow by Nakhodka, 5-700-20001-5, HC, 368pg ~ cover by E. Tsarev ~ Russian title Кристалл с грифоном. Волшебница колдовского мира. Да здравствует лорд Кор! [Crystal with griffin. Sorceress of the witching world. Long live Lord Cor!] ~ Also sold with pirated dust jacket

Contains:

    • "The Crystal Gryphon" as "Crystal with a Griffin" ~ pp. 5-150
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Witch of the Witching World" ~ pp. 151-300
    • "Long Live Lord Kor!" as "Long live Lord Cor!" ~ pp. 301-361

 

  • (1992)-2 Published in Novosibirsk, by EYA, 5-872-16014-3, HC, 448pg ~ cover by M. Mikhalev ~ Russian title Колдовской мир [Witching World]

Contains:

    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Witch of the Witching World" ~ pp. 3-126
    • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ pp. 127-222
    • "The Crystal Gryphon" as "Crystal with the Griffin" ~ pp. 223-354
    • "Spell of the Witch World" as "Enchantment of the Witching World" ~ pp. 355-448
      • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Part I" ~ pp. 355-401
      • "Dream Smith" as "Part II" ~ pp. 402-413
      • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Part III" ~ pp. 413-448

 

  • (1992)-3 Published in Moscow, by Interbook, 5-766-40814-5, HC, 348pg ~ cover by V. Kurilov ~ Russian title Год Единорога [Year of the Unicorn]

Contains:

    • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ pp. 3-102
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Sorceress of the Witching World" ~ pp. 103-244
    • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon with Silver Scales" ~ pp. 245-294
    • "Dream Smith" as "The Dream of a Blacksmith" ~ pp. 295-307
    • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber Keita" ~ pp. 309-347

 

  • (1992)-4 Published in St. Petersburg, by Severo-Zapad (North-West), 5-835-20013-7, HC, 608pg ~ cover by Denis Gordeeva ~ Russian title Трое против Колдовского Мира [Three Against the Witch World]

Contains:

    • "Three Against the Witch World" as "Three against the witching world" ~ translation by A. Pakhomov, pp. 5-168
    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "The caster of the witching world" ~ translation by N. Lebedeva, pp. 169-366
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "Sorceress of the witching world" ~ translation by A. Smirnova, pp. 367-606

 

  • (1993) Combined with "Warlock of the Witch World" and "Sorceress of the Witch World" ~ Published in Angarsk, by Amber and Zelenograd, by Zelenogradskaya Books, 5-863-14011-9, HC, 512pg ~ Russian title Колдовской мир [Witching World]

Contains:

    • "Three Against the Witch World" as "Three vs. The Witching World" ~ pp. 3-150
    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "The Wizard of the Witching World" ~ pp. 151-328
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Witch of the Witching World" ~ pp. 329-509

 

  • (2000) and (2001) Published in Moscow, by AST, 5-237-03689-9 and 5-170-10355-7, HC, 573pg ~ cover by M. Van Houten (left side) & Luis Royo (right side) ~ internal illustrations by V. Martynenko ~ Russian title Чародей Колдовского Мира. Волшебница Колдовского Мира. Гоа Единорога. [Wizard of the Witching World. Sorceress of the Witching World. Year of the Unicorn] ~ #03689-9 10000 + 5000 copies in 2000 & 10355-7 Limited to 8000 +3000 copies in 2001

Contains:

    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "The Wizard of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, p. 5-220
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Witch of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, p. 221-428
    • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, p. 429-573

 

  • (2004) Published in Moscow, by Eksmo and St. Petersburg, by Domino, 5-699-06536-9, HC, 848pg ~ cover by I. Zhmaylova and Y. Katashinskaya ~ Russian title Колдовской мир [Witching World]

Contains:

    • "Witch World" as "Book I. The Witching World" ~ translation by S. Stepanov, pp. 11-188
    • "Web of the Witch World" as "Book II. The Web of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Pakhomov, pp. 189-328
    • "Three Against the Witch World" as "Book III. Three against the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Pakhomov, pp. 329-468
    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "Book IV. The Caster of the Witching World" ~ translation by N. Lebedeva, pp. 469-640
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "Book V. The Sorceress of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Smirnova, pp. 641-846

 

  • (2005)-1 Published in Moscow, by Ermak and AST, 5-170-26909-9 and 5-957-71700-2, HC, 976pg ~ translation by A. Grusberg and Oleg Kolesnikov ~ Cover by Luis Royo (insert) and M. Van Houten (background) ~ Russian title Колдовской Мир [Witching World] ~ limited to 3000 copies

Contains:

    • "Witch World" as "The Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 5-184
    • "Web of the Witch World" as "The Web of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 185-338
    • "Three Against the Witch World" as "Three against the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 339-480
    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "The Wizard of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 481-666
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Sorceress of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 667-844
    • "The Year of the Unicorn" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 845-971

 

  • (2005)-2 Published in Moscow by AST, 5-170-26911-0 and 5-957-71699-5, HC, 976pg ~ Russian title Колдовской Мир [Witching World] ~ Limited to 2000 copies

Contains:

    • "Witch World" as "The Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 5-184
    • "Web of the Witch World" as "The Web of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 185-338
    • "Three Against the Witch World" as "Three against the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 339-480
    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "The Wizard of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 481-666
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Sorceress of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 667-844
    • "The Year of the Unicorn" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 845-971

 

  • (2021) Published in Moscow by Azbuca-Atticus, 5-170-26911-0 and 5-389-18124-3, HC ,864pg ~ cover by O. Zacis and S. Shinkin ~ Russian title Колдовской мир [Witching World] ~ Limited to 5000 copies

Contains:

    • "Witch World" as "The World of Witchcraft" ~ translation by Sergey Stepanov, pp.11-192
    • "Web of the Witch World" as "The Web of the Magical World" ~ translation by A. Pakhomov, pp. 193-338
    • "Three Against the Witch World" as "Three against the World of Witchcraft" ~ translation by A. Pakhomov, pp. 339-480
    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "The Spellcaster of the World of Witchcraft" ~ translation by N. Lebedeva, pp. 481-654
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Sorceress of the Magical World" ~ translation by Alla Smirnova, pp. 655-861

 

  •  Pirated edition, marked as being published by "North-east", a non-existent publisher. ~ Russian title Кристалл с грифоном [Crystal with griffin] ~ see: 1992-1

 

Ukrainian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (2010) Published in Kyiv, Ukraine by Globe, (Fanzine), HC, 728pgs. ~ cover by Rodney Matthews ~ Ukrainian title Колдовской мир-2 [Sorcerer's World-2] ~ Limited to 10 copies and not released until October 2018

Contains:

    • "Warlock of the Witch World" as "The Wizard of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 5-162
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Sorceress of the Witching World" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg , O. Kolesnikov, pp. 163-311
    • "Trey of Swords" as "Three of swords" ~ translation by K. Prilypko, pp. 313-430
    • "Ware Hawk" as "Beware of the hawk" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg, pp. 431-585
    • "The Gate of the Cat" as "Feline Gate" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg, pp. 587-725

See Also: The Sorcerer's Conspectus entry for this title.

View the 1986 ACE Contract

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://andre-norton.com/works-of-a-master/series-of-a-master/the-witch-world-saga/345-sorceress-of-the-witch-world#sigProId9f420d7198

 

 

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