Witch World by Andre Norton
"Witch World" is a fantasy novel that follows the journey of Simon Tregarth, a World War II veteran who escapes a manhunt through a magical portal known as the Siege Perilous, transporting him to an alternate dimension. There, he encounters a young woman, a fugitive from the land of Estcarp, who is one of the powerful witches of the realm. In this new world, Tregarth learns that the strength of Estcarp lies not in military force but in the magical abilities of its women, who must remain nameless and untouched by men to harness their powers.
As Tregarth allies with the exiled warrior Koris and the witches, they face threats from neighboring lands such as Alizon and Karsten, alongside the formidable Kolder, who seek to enslave the people of Estcarp. The narrative unfolds through various battles and betrayals, emphasizing themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the complexities of power dynamics between genders. Tregarth ultimately dedicates himself to defending Estcarp, leading to a climactic confrontation against the Kolder. The story culminates with the witches leveraging their magic to mount a counterattack, and Tregarth's relationship with the witch deepens as she reveals her name, symbolizing trust and connection in their tumultuous circumstances.
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Witch World
First published: 1963
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—magical world
Time of work: The early 1950’s
Locale: An unnamed American city and the land of Estcarp in Witch World
The Plot
When World War II hero Simon Tregarth finds himself the quarry of a manhunt, a mysterious scientist offers him a strange escape: passage into an alternate dimension through the Siege Perilous. Tregarth doubts the power of a magical stone, but it transports him to another existence, where he encounters a fugitive like himself, running from an equally deadly if much more primitive manhunt. This self-reliant young woman cannot speak Tregarth’s language, but she appears to sense his good intentions and accepts his help. Together they escape the pursuers and rendezvous with a party of armed allies. These Guardsmen, led by exiled warrior Koris of Gorm, escort Tregarth and his female companion back to her homeland of Estcarp.
In Estcarp, Tregarth learns that the power of this ancient land is founded not on the military might of its men but on the magical talent of its women. The fugitive he rescued is one of Estcarp’s “witches,” learned women who can combine mental powers with magic, providing they remain nameless and untouched by a man. Because of the fear these witches inspire, Estcarp finds itself besieged by its neighbors, Alizon and Karsten. To the west is a more ominous threat, the mysterious Kolder who have come from “oversea” to pillage the coast and make mindless slaves of its inhabitants. Tregarth gives his whole-hearted allegiance to the seemingly doomed land of Estcarp and becomes a Guardsman.
The fight against the Kolder begins with a skirmish at the hold of Estcarp’s allies, the Sulcarmen sea traders. Kolder’s slaves appear from the air to take the keep, and the battle is lost despite the magical spells of Tregarth’s witch. When Estcarp’s evacuated forces are separated at sea, the nameless witch finds herself the captive of the sea-scavenging duchy of Verlaine. She befriends Loyse of Verlaine, a plain but strong-willed heiress. Disguised as a young warrior, Loyse successfully smuggles out the witch, and together they take refuge in Karsten.
Meanwhile, Tregarth and Koris have washed ashore and are guided south to Karsten by a mental summons from Tregarth’s witch. They arrive in time to save the other fugitives from a Kolder-inspired eruption of genocide against the Old Race of Estcarp. This escalates the looming tension into full-scale war. During one skirmish with invading Kolder forces, Tregarth is captured and taken to the Kolder stronghold of Gorm. In a scientific laboratory, he evades the soul-destroying technology that the Kolder use to create their slaves and discovers that one machine-linked man runs the entire fortress. After Tregarth escapes and returns to Estcarp, the witches build a magical counterstrike around his understanding of the enemy’s technology. They successfully rout the Kolder. Koris of Gorm and Loyse of Verlaine pledge their troth, and the witch whom Simon rescued gives him the ultimate gift of trust and love: She tells him her name.