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No Night Without Stars
In a world nearly destroyed by a cataclysmic natural disaster, a young metalsmith leaves his own people to seek out some of the ancient skills and knowledge.
246 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
8 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
703 books1,407 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 7, 2026
Something devastating had happened on Earth a long time ago. The descendants of those who survived the cataclysm have little knowledge of what it was. Their legends and myths could point to a series of natural disasters, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, or perhaps a man-made catastrophe, a nuclear war. The story is similar to Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D but with an important female character added to satisfy a 1975 readership, more girls were reading SF than in 1952. Star Man's Son recounts the adventures of young Fors, cast out from his tribe for showing signs of mutation into a post nuclear holocaust America. Fors has a large cat for company and an ability to communicate with it telepathically as he journeys through tribe after tribe, strange creature after strange creature.
In No Night Without Stars young Sander walks away from his tribe after being turned down as the natural successor to his late father's position as a master metalsmith. He wanders off to search for ancient metalwork accompanied by a huge coyote, so huge Sander can ride it. Sander and the coyote have telepathic abilities, but Sander prefers to reject what he sees as inappropriate to a hard-working smith. At that point the two stories move apart - a little. Sander meets Fanyi, a young woman left without a tribe and journeying to find an ancient stronghold which seems to be drawing her with an equally ancient magic.
She, too, has animal companions with which she can make contact called fisher-cats, possibly a mutated cross between otters and felines. Unlike Sander, Fanyi accepts her spiritual side and is walking the path to shamanhood. Up to a point there is a sense of the opening philosophy of Dickens' Hard Times. Fanyi represents the imaginative dreamer with thoughts that discipline could only limit, while Sander is a Gradgrind at heart, everything needs to be "Facts!". He loves the hard reality of metal beneath his firm and begrimed hands. I suppose it could just as easily represent an author from an earlier generation insisting on putting women into creativity and art and men into industry and skill. Who knows?
Together they carry on with their journeyings and adventures through the distorted land and mutated fauna of what is probably the remains of the ancient killing fields of America. They encounter the White Ones who are at war against an army of giant mutant frogs. Andre Norton loved cats, even big ones that could tear your heart out with a single swipe of its claws, but her dislike of the froggy world appears again - giant, horrible, warty things that don't like humans. And so onward to Fanyi's destination and a rather weak ending, a little rushed as many of Norton's endings were.
If the story ends up having a moral it is probably that it is pointless to always look back to a supposed Golden Age that will have the answers. Far better to work out your own answers, build your own future and avoid the blunders of the past. Not a great Norton and too similar to Star Man's Son, though not as exciting. However, still worth reading as escapism.
In No Night Without Stars young Sander walks away from his tribe after being turned down as the natural successor to his late father's position as a master metalsmith. He wanders off to search for ancient metalwork accompanied by a huge coyote, so huge Sander can ride it. Sander and the coyote have telepathic abilities, but Sander prefers to reject what he sees as inappropriate to a hard-working smith. At that point the two stories move apart - a little. Sander meets Fanyi, a young woman left without a tribe and journeying to find an ancient stronghold which seems to be drawing her with an equally ancient magic.
She, too, has animal companions with which she can make contact called fisher-cats, possibly a mutated cross between otters and felines. Unlike Sander, Fanyi accepts her spiritual side and is walking the path to shamanhood. Up to a point there is a sense of the opening philosophy of Dickens' Hard Times. Fanyi represents the imaginative dreamer with thoughts that discipline could only limit, while Sander is a Gradgrind at heart, everything needs to be "Facts!". He loves the hard reality of metal beneath his firm and begrimed hands. I suppose it could just as easily represent an author from an earlier generation insisting on putting women into creativity and art and men into industry and skill. Who knows?
Together they carry on with their journeyings and adventures through the distorted land and mutated fauna of what is probably the remains of the ancient killing fields of America. They encounter the White Ones who are at war against an army of giant mutant frogs. Andre Norton loved cats, even big ones that could tear your heart out with a single swipe of its claws, but her dislike of the froggy world appears again - giant, horrible, warty things that don't like humans. And so onward to Fanyi's destination and a rather weak ending, a little rushed as many of Norton's endings were.
If the story ends up having a moral it is probably that it is pointless to always look back to a supposed Golden Age that will have the answers. Far better to work out your own answers, build your own future and avoid the blunders of the past. Not a great Norton and too similar to Star Man's Son, though not as exciting. However, still worth reading as escapism.
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May 18, 2010It's not clear what caused the apocalypse in this story: the 'Rememberers' seem to've been far too narrowly focused on 'useful' knowledge.
The argument is made that the people in this world are hospitable, and try to negotiate solutions to conflict. I see no sign of it. The protagonists encounter at least four types of human or other intelligent life, and in no case do they make any attempt to negotiate--they simply attack or evade. There are arguments that negotiations have been proven futile--yet in at least three of the cases, there's no evidence that they've ever been tried. In the case of the 'White Ones', the argument is that the whole 'race' are fanatically xenophobic, so much so that they suicide rather than fall into the hands of their enemies. What, ALL of them? Every last single solitary one? How did this come about? Why isn't anybody seeking a way it can be changed? Later it's argued that the White Ones are driven to suicidal fanticism by fear of their shamans--so there's basis to argue that they could be reached, if it were done right.
There's also a reiteration of the argument that there are people it's morally culpable to feel compassion or compunction for. The Traders admit to attempted genocide against the giants...in fact, they boast of it.
There's also a question of whether the computer in the survival shelter would have gone mad (in a Gotterdammerung sort of way) if its tenders hadn't gone there first. From the beginning, the smith Sander doesn't question the shaman Fanyi's commitment to unrelenting blood-feud, even though he could argue that blood-feud is incompatible with her shamanic duties, at least as she has construed them before. Sander has, of course, a tendency just to shrug and accept things (it's hard to say how he became even so much of a rebel as to take 'out-rights'), but still...
On a technical note, the animals as depicted on the cover of this edition don't even remotely resemble the animals described in the text. The coloration's completely wrong. The 'koyot' is described as being, essentially, a giant coyote, with appropriate coloration. The 'fishers' seem to be otterlike creatures, and their coloration is actually more like that of housecats. Additional info (pays to consult the 'unabridged' dictionary): 'fishers' are a seperate species, a form of 'marten', which is a member of the weasel family. Cf 'pine marten'.
The argument is made that the people in this world are hospitable, and try to negotiate solutions to conflict. I see no sign of it. The protagonists encounter at least four types of human or other intelligent life, and in no case do they make any attempt to negotiate--they simply attack or evade. There are arguments that negotiations have been proven futile--yet in at least three of the cases, there's no evidence that they've ever been tried. In the case of the 'White Ones', the argument is that the whole 'race' are fanatically xenophobic, so much so that they suicide rather than fall into the hands of their enemies. What, ALL of them? Every last single solitary one? How did this come about? Why isn't anybody seeking a way it can be changed? Later it's argued that the White Ones are driven to suicidal fanticism by fear of their shamans--so there's basis to argue that they could be reached, if it were done right.
There's also a reiteration of the argument that there are people it's morally culpable to feel compassion or compunction for. The Traders admit to attempted genocide against the giants...in fact, they boast of it.
There's also a question of whether the computer in the survival shelter would have gone mad (in a Gotterdammerung sort of way) if its tenders hadn't gone there first. From the beginning, the smith Sander doesn't question the shaman Fanyi's commitment to unrelenting blood-feud, even though he could argue that blood-feud is incompatible with her shamanic duties, at least as she has construed them before. Sander has, of course, a tendency just to shrug and accept things (it's hard to say how he became even so much of a rebel as to take 'out-rights'), but still...
On a technical note, the animals as depicted on the cover of this edition don't even remotely resemble the animals described in the text. The coloration's completely wrong. The 'koyot' is described as being, essentially, a giant coyote, with appropriate coloration. The 'fishers' seem to be otterlike creatures, and their coloration is actually more like that of housecats. Additional info (pays to consult the 'unabridged' dictionary): 'fishers' are a seperate species, a form of 'marten', which is a member of the weasel family. Cf 'pine marten'.
March 30, 2020
Andre Alice Norton does it again. I read this in a reprint version, packaged with 'Daybreak 2250', a way for the publisher to profit from these stories fifteen years past Norton's death. This story was first published in 1975, but it holds up well, even if the style of writing (heavy narrative, light dialogue) is more 1950 than modern. It is essentially the same story as 'Daybreak 2250'; in a post-nuclear holocaust world, the ambitious young protagonist forsakes clan and goes exploring, hoping to make a name for himself. The world is filled with monsters, wonders, and hostile tribes that make for almost non-stop adventure.
Presumably, these two stories have been packaged together because they take place in the same destroyed-but-rediscovered world. Aside from the rip-roaring story, the most interesting connection may be in the subtle changes that twenty-five years brought to Norton's writing. In this work, the protagonist meets a tough, capable young woman on a mission to discover some of the old knowledge. They grudgingly join forces and proceed as equals, with no romance whatsoever. In the 1950's tale, males are explorers and warriors and women are homemakers or maids in waiting. Both books are written for young male audiences, but this one, the 1975 story, tests the waters for gender equality in the 23rd century and reveals the changing standards of adventure-sci-fi.
Presumably, these two stories have been packaged together because they take place in the same destroyed-but-rediscovered world. Aside from the rip-roaring story, the most interesting connection may be in the subtle changes that twenty-five years brought to Norton's writing. In this work, the protagonist meets a tough, capable young woman on a mission to discover some of the old knowledge. They grudgingly join forces and proceed as equals, with no romance whatsoever. In the 1950's tale, males are explorers and warriors and women are homemakers or maids in waiting. Both books are written for young male audiences, but this one, the 1975 story, tests the waters for gender equality in the 23rd century and reveals the changing standards of adventure-sci-fi.
March 5, 2025
I have to confess I made a mistake thinking this was a Dying Earth-style story, but No Night Without Stars isn't set that far off into the future. Which, amusingly enough, raises certain problems by itself through incongruities. Only one way to find out whether that detracts from the story, however.
The Dark Times are still clouded in mystery to the people who survived their fallout and now claim the world as their own. In their fragmented communities they carry on the myth about "humanity being punished by earth and sea" and refer to those ancient as the Before People. Surprisingly, their legacy still plays a big role. World shifting around and those civilizations disappearing does not mean their resources vanished. This directly affects Sander, a young smith of Jak's Mob and their ever-migrating ways, as his position is threatened after his father's death. Mob needs only one smith and his uncle now claims the vaunted, almost magical role. Feeling robbed of what is rightfully his Sander leaves in order to learn more about the various metals, painstakingly traded for from other groups, and master his craft. Taking with him only his koyot Rhin and basic smithing tools our adventure begins... before they come across unlikely companions.
A decent chunk of No Night Without Stars reads almost like a travel log. Only problem is I don't think the sights are that interesting. Yes, it's a post-apocalyptic setting, but presented in that fashion where characters don't really comprehend the relics of old they're looking at. Taking into account both Sander and Fanyi, young shaman woman he allies with early on, are serious people even as they hold different priorities this translates into playing it safe. There's also a lot of inferred information, like koyots and fishers which lets you guess where the story takes place, but we'll never get any details if that's what you crave like I generally do. Our duo eventually ends up being in strange lands as they pursue mysteries of old. More often than not they end up running for their lives. Since I've touched on world building it comes across a bit slap-dash. Like how koyots are now large enough to be mounts, there are frog people running around with their own mockery of civilization, and there's a greater intuitive understanding between humans and animals. Sander and Rhin can practically understand each other, but what Fanyi has with her two fishers is almost two-way communication. Not to mention this notion of Power and her channeling it, explaining how it goes back to the beginning of the Dark Times. Add to this a technological angle towards the end and... well, bit of a kitchen sink fantasy going on. We get a time frame of some events at the which only makes the outlandish things we witnessed earlier even more improbable.
I was surprised by author avoiding the all-too-easy romance hook. By the end Sander wonders should they still pursue the legacy of the Before People after their discovery, one he sorts out with his hammer and sheer willpower in glorious HULK SMASH moment, and Fanyi despite her earlier pursuit to discover what her father did is at least willing to consider the notion. In fact, it's amusing how the two have this "wary allies through necessity" going on through the story. They end up saving each other on multiple occasions, but they come from different cultures with one carrying righteous resentment and other the blood guilt of having failed her town. Their animal companions comes to mutual agreement faster despite even greater differences, though. I really liked how they're not mere accessories or played for some comedic mascot factor. I would argue the entire novel is presented in a very straightforward and serious manner. When humor strikes it's incidental.
Would I recommend No Night Without Stars? More difficult to answer than I anticipated at first, but provided you know what you're getting into. Despite being on the short side I honestly think it could've well dropped some of the travel log bits as they're mostly characters following a blip on the radar and seeing resident monster-of-the-week characters. If you want a post-apocalyptic story where focus lies more on the journey, animal kinship and less hard world building then this might be up your alley. Perhaps a bit too lightweight for my taste.
The Dark Times are still clouded in mystery to the people who survived their fallout and now claim the world as their own. In their fragmented communities they carry on the myth about "humanity being punished by earth and sea" and refer to those ancient as the Before People. Surprisingly, their legacy still plays a big role. World shifting around and those civilizations disappearing does not mean their resources vanished. This directly affects Sander, a young smith of Jak's Mob and their ever-migrating ways, as his position is threatened after his father's death. Mob needs only one smith and his uncle now claims the vaunted, almost magical role. Feeling robbed of what is rightfully his Sander leaves in order to learn more about the various metals, painstakingly traded for from other groups, and master his craft. Taking with him only his koyot Rhin and basic smithing tools our adventure begins... before they come across unlikely companions.
A decent chunk of No Night Without Stars reads almost like a travel log. Only problem is I don't think the sights are that interesting. Yes, it's a post-apocalyptic setting, but presented in that fashion where characters don't really comprehend the relics of old they're looking at. Taking into account both Sander and Fanyi, young shaman woman he allies with early on, are serious people even as they hold different priorities this translates into playing it safe. There's also a lot of inferred information, like koyots and fishers which lets you guess where the story takes place, but we'll never get any details if that's what you crave like I generally do. Our duo eventually ends up being in strange lands as they pursue mysteries of old. More often than not they end up running for their lives. Since I've touched on world building it comes across a bit slap-dash. Like how koyots are now large enough to be mounts, there are frog people running around with their own mockery of civilization, and there's a greater intuitive understanding between humans and animals. Sander and Rhin can practically understand each other, but what Fanyi has with her two fishers is almost two-way communication. Not to mention this notion of Power and her channeling it, explaining how it goes back to the beginning of the Dark Times. Add to this a technological angle towards the end and... well, bit of a kitchen sink fantasy going on. We get a time frame of some events at the which only makes the outlandish things we witnessed earlier even more improbable.
I was surprised by author avoiding the all-too-easy romance hook. By the end Sander wonders should they still pursue the legacy of the Before People after their discovery, one he sorts out with his hammer and sheer willpower in glorious HULK SMASH moment, and Fanyi despite her earlier pursuit to discover what her father did is at least willing to consider the notion. In fact, it's amusing how the two have this "wary allies through necessity" going on through the story. They end up saving each other on multiple occasions, but they come from different cultures with one carrying righteous resentment and other the blood guilt of having failed her town. Their animal companions comes to mutual agreement faster despite even greater differences, though. I really liked how they're not mere accessories or played for some comedic mascot factor. I would argue the entire novel is presented in a very straightforward and serious manner. When humor strikes it's incidental.
Would I recommend No Night Without Stars? More difficult to answer than I anticipated at first, but provided you know what you're getting into. Despite being on the short side I honestly think it could've well dropped some of the travel log bits as they're mostly characters following a blip on the radar and seeing resident monster-of-the-week characters. If you want a post-apocalyptic story where focus lies more on the journey, animal kinship and less hard world building then this might be up your alley. Perhaps a bit too lightweight for my taste.
January 3, 2020
Although I don't think it could happen, this story is based on a cataclysmic destruction of most life and civilization. Ms. Norton, one of the best science fiction writers, kept me enthralled throughout. I'd like to think we could come up with a better plan to keep knowledge safe (not to mention people); but, this book clearly shows some of the pitfalls that could throw any plan into disarray. Not just a think piece, there is a lot of action to keep you entertained. I did think the computer description a bit dated; Ms. Norton was writing before a lot of our modern breakthroughs happened. Recommended.
November 29, 2025
Its been so long since I read this book, it was like reading a new book. This is a sequel to Daybreak 2250 A.D. (Star Man's Son), written 24 years after. It can be read as a standalone, they have no characters in common.
Sander is a smith/techy and Fanyi is a shaman/magic user, a typical Norton buddy team, but they didn't work well together. They are also not the most likable, they and their world seem much more bloodthirsty than that of Star Man's Son.
The adventure bits are good, some nice widgets, weird monsters and strange landscapes.
All in all, it's a bit bleak with characters that aren't that memorable. Its OK but maybe read Star Man's Son first.
Sander is a smith/techy and Fanyi is a shaman/magic user, a typical Norton buddy team, but they didn't work well together. They are also not the most likable, they and their world seem much more bloodthirsty than that of Star Man's Son.
The adventure bits are good, some nice widgets, weird monsters and strange landscapes.
All in all, it's a bit bleak with characters that aren't that memorable. Its OK but maybe read Star Man's Son first.
November 30, 2009
I enjoy Andre Norton, although the theme tends to be the same in a wide variety of settings. This one is a post-nuclear world of mutants and scavenging the wreckage of the cities of the "Before Ones". Always Norton has 2 protagonists: a woman and a man, and their gender differences seem to make them uncompatible until they discover that their differences complement each other... It's good for light reading.
December 17, 2009
This kind of fell apart at the end but before that it was a fun, light-weight post-apocalyptic story of barbarians and mutants duking it out in the ruined wasteland. How could I not love those parts?
February 2, 2018
An enjoyable, if lightweight, post-apocalyptic adventure tale. A young blacksmith and a young psychic must leave their homes and wander the ruins of civilization destroyed in a cataclysmic natural disaster. There are some crazy mutants along the way, but I found the long wandering middle chapters dull and slow-moving. The overly long middle section means the "climactic" showdown at the end feels rushed and muddled. I don't know if Norton had a maximum page count set by her publisher, but I have the feeling she was running out of pages, so she wrapped up the story abruptly.
Also, the fact that the two point-of-view characters come from medieval-level cultures means that they can't express or identify exactly what they are seeing or experiencing, which can be a frustrating exercise for the reader. It doesn't have to be, but I don't think Norton got the execution exactly right this time.
BTW, I'd bet real money this book was an inspiration for the cartoon "Thundarr the Barbarian." The setting is identical.
Also, the fact that the two point-of-view characters come from medieval-level cultures means that they can't express or identify exactly what they are seeing or experiencing, which can be a frustrating exercise for the reader. It doesn't have to be, but I don't think Norton got the execution exactly right this time.
BTW, I'd bet real money this book was an inspiration for the cartoon "Thundarr the Barbarian." The setting is identical.
September 15, 2025
Set in the same environment as Daybreak 2250 A.D., but written years later, this story doesn't quite hold to the same standard as the 2250 story does. In fact the first thought that came to mind upon reading was that this encapsulates a Star Trek script quite closely. Some of the exploration bits are okay. I have always liked the author's use of animals in her stories. Nonetheless this was really just so-so for me, particularly held up next to her earlier work in this genre.
April 22, 2020
A pleasant enough yarn from Norton. A young man and young woman, in a world that has devolved into barbarism, go seeking their fortune. There be monsters and other dangers, presented encounter by encounter, in vivid minimalist prose. Really wanted a bit more from the boss battle. Recommended for 6th to 8th level characters under the psionics supplemental ruleset.
January 19, 2023
At first I thought this was more fantasy than sci fi but I had faith and was rewarded handsomely. Not as gripping as iron cage but close. Many of the same tactics and themes used as in her previous work I read. I like the strong presence of morality through moral lessons. She’s very clear in this and as a result speaks her truth with a booming voice.
February 3, 2019
Wanted to see if I still liked her as well as I did when I was in high school. Lost a little luster, but a great novel for YA readers.
September 16, 2021
Great book for young readers. I still enjoyed it as an adult just as I enjoyed the very first book of Andre Norton I read at 11 years old.
March 19, 2023
Reread it after nearly 50 years. I wish there had been a sequel.
May 5, 2023
It was a fairy interesting story, but the language and grammar style used were archaic enough to make some parts of the story awkward and slightly confusing.
November 7, 2017
I enjoyed many of Norton's books when I was a pre-teen, but they do not read well as an adult. Her writing style is stilted and erratic; she likes long complex sentences with obscure vocabulary. The passages just do not flow smoothly. In this book there are the elements for a good adventure: post-apocalyptic world, an outcast hero, a young woman who is the sole survivor of her tribe, their trip across the wastelands where they meet mutants, monsters, an underground world, and a computerized "Wizard of Oz" but nothing is explained or pursued. Total lack of excitement or adventure; climax consists of the hero destroying the computer with a few well-placed swings of his hammer. But who cares? I have decided to quit reading Norton altogether.
June 8, 2011
I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, simply because it's got an awesome title. However it seems, sadly, from the bit I've read so far and the reviews here that it's going to be more like all her other mediocre books, instead if he awesome I have hoped for. ::sigh:: oh well. You write 80 books in your lifetime, they won't all be paragons of originality; but I really wish it didn't seem so formulaic. I discovered her when I was young and I've always considered her one of my favorite authors, but not that I am taking the time to read as many of her works as I can find, I'm kinda disappointed.
October 18, 2014
Sander was a metalsmith who should have succeeded his father as the new master smith. But everyone thought that he was too young. He sets out to the ruins of the Before people to try to llearn their skills and prove himself. He meets Fanyi who is at the ruins for her own reason. A good clean fantasy for young adults.
May 3, 2020
The world they live in is filled with various creatures - monsters and hostile tribes that fill this short book with continuous adventure as a young man and young woman learn to work together and share the effort and the credit for actions taken.
June 22, 2015
Fantasy in sci fi clothing. So typical of the time, the "technology" that might as well be a magical sword for as vague as the science is.
It's hard to read as an adult, but I loved this stuff as a kid. It's a good gateway drug for "real" science fiction.
It's hard to read as an adult, but I loved this stuff as a kid. It's a good gateway drug for "real" science fiction.
October 24, 2013
great story about finding your way with out help..
May 21, 2015
Very good post-appocalyptic reading.
July 18, 2014
Very typical Andre Norton. If you like her writing, you'll like this story.
March 5, 2015
1977 grade C+
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews