Year of the Unicorn (Witch World Series 2, High Hallack Cycle, #1)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Year of the Unicorn (Witch World Series 2: High Hallack Cycle #1)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 771 ratings · 37 reviews

There is a prequel called Horn Crown, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Taken from their families in the Year of the Unicorn, thirteen were the payment to settle the Great Bargain by which the Hounds of Alizon were finally beaten from High Halleck with the aid of the Were-Riders.

The Were-Riders wore the bodies of men, but they were not human-kind, and the price of th...more

Mass Market Paperback, 224 pages

Published 1965 by Ace

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,063)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 27, 2012 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: omnibus, fantasy

I read the first three Witch World books in omnibus form (Gate to Witch World), and this was my favorite of the three. It's more of a straight fantasy than the other two - Witch World and Web of the Witch World contained a strong Sci Fi angle this one did not. There are no flying ships or laser guns in Year of the Unicorn. (Don't be fooled, though: there are no unicorns, either.)

I admit it – it's also my favorite in part because of the theme of arranged marriage. There's something about the psyc...more I read the first three Witch World books in omnibus form (Gate to Witch World), and this was my favorite of the three. It's more of a straight fantasy than the other two - Witch World and Web of the Witch World contained a strong Sci Fi angle this one did not. There are no flying ships or laser guns in Year of the Unicorn. (Don't be fooled, though: there are no unicorns, either.)

I admit it – it's also my favorite in part because of the theme of arranged marriage. There's something about the psychology of a girl being sent off to marriage with a man she doesn't know, and the reasons for it, and whether it ends up tolerable or horrendous or wonderful and how, that – done well and not gratuitously – fascinates me. Here it was amplified: the marriage on which the book is focused is one of thirteen that are the result of a bargain made years ago between the folk of High Hallack and the Were Riders of Arvon. The Riders are … well, no one civilized is quite sure exactly what they are. They are rumored to be sorcerers, shape-shifters; they are indisputably formidable in battle. They are not quite human. And so High Hallack sought the Riders' aid in the wars – and it was granted, in exchange for the promise of brides when it was all over. The time has come: the Riders contributed to victory, and with now thirteen nobly born girls between 18 and 20 with no physical defects are to be delivered at the turn of the Year of the Unicorn.

If the book had been written today the concentration would be on sizzling sexual tension, and said tension would build and build to unbearable levels as the book went along; Herrel would have been more barbaric, probably, though still honorable of course, and there would have been near-rape by the rivals and perhaps by Herrel and eventually garments falling like autumn leaves. (I wonder how many times this exact plot has been lifted and … modernized. That would be another interesting study.)

This, I think, while adhering to the mores of High Fantasy and whatever formal or informal censorship was in place at the time, is actually more realistic. Instead of a gorgeous virgin sacrifice succumbing to the temptations of whatever et cetera, Gillan is a practical, pretty (but not astonishingly so), intelligent young woman who chose this path open-eyed, and faces the consequences head-on, often terrified but never really considering giving up. She does not have emerald green eyes or raven hair. Instead of the shockingly masculine, astonishingly beautiful perfect-except-for-being-attractively-damaged barbarian-with-a-heart-of-gold-and-the-honor-of-a-storybook-knight, Herrel is a young (or young-seeming) man with a good many flaws both real and perceived who is not beautiful ("He was neither handsome nor unhandsome by human standard, merely very different"), though he is honorable. Not happy about it, but honorable. We never hear a word about his muscles, or … organs, and while he does have green eyes, they are very simply green eyes. He never expected a bride from this transaction, and certainly never expected one who was almost immune to the illusions, and this new life is almost as difficult for him as it is for her – especially given the bitter hatred of the other, deprived Rider. They don't fall instantaneously in love, and they don't leap into bed immediately or even soon, and it's altogether awkward for them until they are forced to fight together for a common goal. And even then it isn't instant connubial bliss, but more of a comradeship which could lead to a real marriage that really endures.

I like these two, and I like them together. The plot did kind of continue what I hope isn't an over-arcing theme of sex as a trade-off for women: they give up their virginity and they give up their magic, and their instincts fight it. But it is something of a medieval sensibility in a largely a medieval setting, and as such this is a good, solid, well-told story.

There's a bit more to this on my blog...(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Chy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first bought and read this sometime before 2006 (since, if that had occurred in 2006 or afterward, I'd have a record in GR, and in my A Writer's Gotta Read stuff), but it couldn't have been too long before. I remembered loving it, though having some problems with is, and that's the same way I feel this time. I think it's safe to say I couldn't connect to the characters in The Memory Keeper's Daughter because they were flat characters, not because Blood Meridian made me a sociopath permanently....more

like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Wise_owl rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Witchworld series is a classic in the genre, and yet I kind of feel that this isn't a book that would be written now. It has a classic quality to it, like I'm reading an arthurian legend or something similar, yet unfamiliar at once. It's tale of sexual politics, in a world in which Witches have power only while they remain virginal, is surprisingly well done, even though it's 'age' shows some-what.

This is a book I'm not sure you'd get now adays. With a protagonist whose principal initial act...more

like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first read this at 19. I loved it then, but at 55 it doesn't speak to me the same way.

The story is a riff on the classic tale of beauty and the beast - a young woman who doesn't quite fit in her own community has an opportunity to ride away with a strange group of shape-shifting horsemen as the bride of one of them.

She must choose the cloak of the man she will marry. Rather than the most beautiful cloak, she chooses one that is a little bit odd ... and ends up with a man who is a little bit o...more

like · see review

Dec 23, 2010 Kat Hooper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Year of the Unicorn, third in Andre Norton’s Witch World saga, is a departure from the first two novels. It’s the story of Gillan, a girl with no family and an unknown heritage who has grown up in an abbey in High Hallack, far from the places we visited with Simon and Jaelithe in the first two Witch World novels. Gillan feels stifled in the abbey and longs for something more. She also feels the stirrings of a strange power within her. She finds a way to es...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Year of the Unicorn, third in Andre Norton’s Witch World saga, is a departure from the first two novels. It’s the story of Gillan, a girl with no family and an unknown heritage who has grown up in an abbey in High Hallack, far from the places we visited with Simon and Jaelithe in the first two Witch World novels. Gillan feels stifled in the abbey and longs for something more. She also feels the stirrings of a strange power within her. She finds a way to escape her meaningless life by volunteering to be one of the 13 maidens that High Hallack has promised to a group of shapeshifters who helped them win a war. This leads her on a terrifying adventure in which she discovers her power and, possibly, love.

Year of the Unicorn has a completely different feel from the previous Witch World novels. It’s written in first person and is, therefore, much more introspective than the action-packed stories about Simon and Jaelithe. The prose, also, has a completely different tone, and is most comparable (in my experience) to Ursula Le Guin’s. This comparison seems especially notable with the audio edition because it feels a lot like the audio version of Le Guin’s Voices — even the voice of the reader (though different) is extremely similar. Kate Rudd reads Year of the Unicorn for Brilliance Audio and she does a great job.

I enjoyed learning more about Andre Norton’s universe. The world-building is extensive and Norton avoids infodumping, so we just get a tantalizing glimpse of the Witch World with each book. The first half of Year of the Unicorn flies by while we learn about High Hallack and get to know Gillan as she makes sneaky plans and moves quickly to implement them. Unfortunately, the magic system, which relies mostly on willpower, is not so intriguing. Basically, supernatural things are accomplished by thinking and willing strongly enough. This is forgivable for a fantasy novel published in 1965, but it’s still boring.

Speaking of fantasy history, according to Wikipedia, Year of the Unicorn marks “the first time in American publishing history that a young woman is the primary protagonist in a fantasy book” (no citation, retrieved on May 12, 2010). I don’t know if that’s really true, but I can say that Gillan is a likable young woman and her characterization is strong. However, this was actually both boon and bane, for Gillan, as she says herself, “speaks little… but she thinks much” and each thought she has is recorded for us. Thus, we are frequently subjected to her inner queries and then her entire cognitive process as she contemplates a catalog of potential answers. This includes frequent exclamations of “I could not... or could I… but how… how could I?” (etc.) and habitual reiterations of her terror. This caused the second half of the story to drag and to become frustrating when it seemed that Gillan had worked out a solution, acted on it, and then discovered that she was wrong and had to start over. I usually enjoy a first-person point-of-view, and I loved the first half of Year of the Unicorn, but by the end, I was quite eager to get out of Gillan’s head.

Those, especially female readers, who enjoy a strong introspective heroine, are likely to enjoy Andre Norton’s Year of the Unicorn. This can be read as a stand-alone novel.(less)

like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 Aldrea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another good Witch World book. The focus is fully on Gillan as she struggles with her magical abilities and the intrigue within the were-riders, especially since they target Herrel, the man she has chosen for a husband.
This inner conflict is a good foil for the outer which happens in the second half of the story, the pair running together in a satisfying battle of both will and physical endurance both Gillan and Herrel face in the end. I was sorry when I reached the end.

like · see review

Jan 01, 2013 Keith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, science-fiction, fantasy

I read, Year Of The Unicorn, many years ago. In 1966. Gillan is the female heroine. She is of unknown heritage. Gillan does not want to remain in the abbey and takes the place of 1 of 13 maiden brides. They are to be taken afield of their own land and are to be wed to shapeshifters. The young bride to be has a terrifying adventure. An enjoyable more introspective novel than Norton's usual.

like · see review

Sep 22, 2007 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Norton fans, romantic fantasy fans

For many years, I considered this book one of my favorites of Norton's works, but rereading it this time I was less impressed. I think I liked it originally because it was the first of her Witch World books which was unequivocally straight medieval-level-culture fantasy, in contrast to the earlier ones which were a science fantasy blend of magic vs. machines. On the whole, I have always prefered straight fantasy. This time through, I was more struck by how much it resembled all the other woman-o...more

like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Three rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read

My father gave this to me when I was a teenager. I liked it, but it wasn't something I adored. Honestly, I'd been reading the Xanth novels, and although a smaller volume, this was considerably more weighty. I read it to please him more than anything.

I suspect I would enjoy it more now than I did then.

like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Katherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favorite Andre Norton book so far. I think I read it my senior year in college and I definitely loved it. Great High Fantasy with a female character I actually liked (most of the time female protagonists are either too silly or too brilliant in my opinion, but she is likable-y normal in a fantasy way.)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 01, 2010 Nona King rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With Andre Norton it is hard to decide which of her books is my favorite. This happens to be in the top two, with The Mirror of Destiny a close second.

I'm a sucker for a fantasy, and I'm a sucker for a true, if only mild, romance (clean). Put the two together and you have Year of the Unicorn.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 13, 2012 Esther rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book when I was a teenager. I am not a big fan of Norton's style, assuming this is typical, to the extent that I've never read any others. What I like about it is the actual story, as well as the world of the Dales and Arvon. What I hate about it is the dorky stilted language that sounds like a bad movie producer's idea of how Medieval Europeans talked.

like · see review

Aug 03, 2009 Valerie added it · review of another edition

It's always tricky to enumerate the Witch World books--they weren't written in anything remotely like chronological order. This one takes place shortly after the death of Past Abess Malwinna of Norstead Abbey, and includes That Which Runs The Ridges, which is dealt with more thoroughly in Gryphon's Eyrie.

The characters in this book appear in several other books (most notably The Jargoon Pard). The storylines are often a bit tangled due to a somewhat dreamlike aura of sorcery, and it's somewhat h...more

like · see review

Apr 23, 2009 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While an interesting aside in Andre Norton's Witchworld series, the ending left a bit to be desired and I felt that the plot smoldered a little with some unknown reason preventing any absolute resolution of the issue.

like · see review

Nov 11, 2011 Arwen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: four-star

I was almost to the end of this book before I decided whether I liked or not. But I did enjoy this slow-paced, surprisingly romantic novel. Gillan is a strong heroine and I enjoyed reading about her journey.

like · see review

Jul 18, 2011 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book better than the others I read in this series. I'm not a big Andre Norton fan, but her books are usually a decent light-weight read. This one is good, though.

like · see review

Apr 25, 2011 Alec rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

Didn't like this book much at all. An endless quest, unclear motivations, questions about the land the Were Riders were from unanswered. I thought it was boring and predictable.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 24, 2011 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My favorite in the Witch World series. Rich and full of memorable detail. Romantic underdogs, beautiful.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 02, 2010 Susan added it · review of another edition

I like this book and re-read it every few years. Its an awesome story and much like beauty and the beast.

like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Doris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gillan wishes to leave her dull life as a collector of herbs and creator of herbal recipes. However, when her wish comes true, she finds that sometimes the same routine can be good.

Girls have been selected as a bride to the were-riders, as payment for their aid in war. They are brought to the abbey where Gillan resides, but one, a pretty girl, does not truly belong, and Gillan decides to take her place.

As she moves away from the abbey with the man who will be her husband, she finds danger and...more

like · see review

May 08, 2011 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is among my favorite books ever written. I re-read it periodically as comfort.

like · see review

Jan 30, 2012 Therese rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The first Witch World series book that I read, and the one that hooked me on Andre Norton.

like · see review

Jun 15, 2009 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my favorite book of the original Witch World series.

like · see review

May 26, 2011 Walter Herrick marked it as to-read

Shelves: bookswappers

Don't really like Andre Norton - so giving away the book.

like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Best. Witchword. Book. Ever.

like · see review

Mar 30, 2009 Donna Jo Atwood rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-spring-challenge, fantasy

Book Challenge 25.3 Rora

like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Howard added it · review of another edition

like · see review

Jun 13, 2013 Laura Lough rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Everything that is great about high fantasy.

like · see review

Jul 29, 2008 Catsalive rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Were Riders wore the shape of men but they were not human.The price of their aid was thirteen beautiful maidens to be taken a brides. This is the story of one of them.

This is an enjoyable tale - I find the High Hallack Cycle more entertaining than the Estcarp Cycle - but I don't see how Gillan & Herrel's tale helps in the fihgt of Light against Dark. Perhaps it's not meant to, & is just to be enjoyed.

like · see review

Jan 30, 2013 Derek Broughton rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Oh, dear. This series is going downhill. Gillan's journey meanders so badly it's a miracle that the book ever ended.

Fortunately I've been reading them in story-internal chronology, rather than publication order, so I know that it's not just a matter of getting worse as time goes on - there are later-published books I enjoyed more.

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 35 36 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's The Name o...: Vikings or similar fantasy version, arranged marriage [s]	7	34	Apr 27, 2013 08:53pm

combine
Other Editions (14)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

78 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

9 users

Science Fiction

8 users

Adventure

2 users

Sci Fi Fantasy

2 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Andre Norton

Born February 17, 1912 in Cleveland, Ohio, Alice Mary Norton has always had an affinity to the humanities. She started writing in her teens, inspired by a charismatic high school teacher. First contacts with the publishing world led her, as many other contemporary female writers targeting a male-dominated market, to choose a literary pseudonym. In 1934 she legally changed her name to Andre Alice....more Born February 17, 1912 in Cleveland, Ohio, Alice Mary Norton has always had an affinity to the humanities. She started writing in her teens, inspired by a charismatic high school teacher. First contacts with the publishing world led her, as many other contemporary female writers targeting a male-dominated market, to choose a literary pseudonym. In 1934 she legally changed her name to Andre Alice. The androgynous Andre doesn't really say "male" to English speaking readers, even though it is a man's name in other languages (i.e. Norwegian). She also used the names Andrew North and Allen Weston as pseudonyms.

Andre Norton published her first novel in 1934, and was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society in 1977, and won the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) association in 1983.

Norton was twice nominated for the Hugo Award, in 1964 for the novel Witch World and in 1967 for the novelette "Wizard's World." She was nominated three times for the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement, winning the award in 1998. Norton won a number of other genre awards, and regularly had works appear in the Locus annual "best of year" polls.

On February 20, 2005, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, which had earlier honored her with its Grand Master Award in 1983, announced the creation of the Andre Norton Award, to be given each year for an outstanding work of fantasy or science fiction for the young adult literature market, beginning in 2006. While the Andre Norton Award is not a Nebula Award, the eligibility requirements and award procedures are the same as those for the Nebula Awards.

Often called the Grande Dame of Science Fiction and Fantasy by biographers such as J. M. Cornwell and organizations such as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Publishers Weekly, and Time, Andre Norton wrote novels for over 70 years. She had a profound influence on the entire genre, having over 300 published titles read by at least four generations of science fiction and fantasy readers and writers.

Notable authors who cite her influence include Greg Bear, Lois McMaster Bujold, C. J. Cherryh, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Tanya Huff, Mercedes Lackey, Charles de Lint, Joan D. Vinge, David Weber, K. D. Wentworth, and Catherine Asaro.(less)

More about Andre Norton...

Books by Andre Norton

The Elvenbane (Halfblood Chronicles, #1)

Witch World (Witch World Series 1: Estcarp Cycle, #1)

The Time Traders (Time Traders/ Ross Murdock, #1)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Year of the Unicorn

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Year of the Unicorn
avg rating	preview: Year of the Unicorn Goodreads rating: 3.91 (771 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7695111-year-of-the-unicorn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265346188l/7695111.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7695111-year-of-the-unicorn?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Year of the Unicorn by Andre Norton[/url]

Year of the Unicorn (Witch World Series 2: High Hallack Cycle #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website