The Key of the Keplian

Witch World Series 4: Secrets of the Witch World #1

by Andre Norton, Lyn McConchie

For time beyond memory, the fire-eyed Keplian horses have lured ridersto their death, sating the blood lust of the Dark Tower. All Witch Worldknows that the hunted, hated beasts serve Evil -- all except one youngwoman.Fleeing her home after her beloved grandfather dies, the orphanedNavajo-Comanche girl Eleeri follows an ancient and magical trail toWitch World. When she discovers the Kepliana mare Tharna and her newborncolt in the hands of men eager to destroy them, Eleeri fights for theirfreedom.Running for their lives, psychic Eleeri and telepathic Tharnabond. And in a hidden canyon, they discover the awesome TheKeplians were created to serve Light, and to ride with humans.Cover design by Don PuckeyCover illustration by Kevin Johnson

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Witches, High Fantasy

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1995

About the author

Andre 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.

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have loved this when I was fourteen, as I voraciously read my way through Pern and Witch World. Keplian follows the standard story of the young woman marginalized by society because of her differences. The plot hinges on her discovering those differences give her access into a new world/power. In Pern, it was Lessa and dragons, Menolly and fire-lizards; in this homage to Witch World, it's a Native-American girl and horses. But not just any horse; this is a fully cognizant animal that has been hunted for it's role in carrying off humans to their doom, kelpie-style.

Both Pern and Witch World were some of the first 'grown up' serial fantasies I remember reading, and the first written by women (a huge relief after abandoning the Thomas Covenant Chronicles). Stylistically, Norton was often short on the details of world-building I enjoy, but had an interesting focus on gender dynamics and sorcerous power. Norton didn't hold hands; like her characters, the reader was often thrown into Witch World and left to build impressions through experience. This book, with co-author credits given to Lyn McConchie, contains more detail than I expected, and contains a nicely succinct history of the Witch World.

Fortunately for me (but less fortunately for my enjoyment of the book), I am no longer fourteen. The beginning lacks sophistication and comes straight out of most Navajo stereotypes any not-completely-ignorant person would have about the culture. Granted, is generally admiring and attempts to show the reader the horrible way the half-Navajo girl was treated. However, it always makes me nervous when people of not a given heritage appropriate another for their own uses. I can't speak to either authors' background, but it is something I'm wary of, particularly as McConchie hails from New Zealand. Thankfully, this section was relatively brief, so the plot and characterization became less about ethnicity and more about Eleeri's personal characteristics.

Characterization was fine, if somewhat starry-eyed. Eleeri's survival skills, somewhat suspect in modern America, enable comfortable survival new world, especially when she ends up meeting a surrogate grandfather. The transition from Earth to Witch World is very easy for her, and has none of the normal disorientation, confusion and violence of Norton's world--it's Witch World for young adult, if you will. From there, it settles into learning about the world and making her way to discover her powers, and is more general enjoyable fare. Young woman and kelpian learn to challenge their assumptions about the other. The last bit is a confrontation between her many new found allies and a Great Evil. And a happily ever after, of course.

Two and a half starry-eyed stars.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy* · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://bookslifewine.com/r-the-key-of...

Publishing Note: The Key of the Keplian was originally published by Aspect which was a division of Time Warner Books. Time Warner Books was consumed by Hachette Book Group which merged Aspect into Grand Central Publishing. The Key of the Keplian is no longer in print but can be purchased in digital format.

The Key of the Keplian is currently one of my favorite Witch World stories. As with all my favorites, this review will be special, lol.

Reading the Witch World series is...very different than most other series out there. Andre Norton uses a very...formal/affected way of writing (especially dialog) that reads dated on some occasions. Andre Norton's style of writing offers an additional barrier to entry: she rarely summarizes her series so new readers have a large knowledge curve. The Key of the Keplian is one of the few stories that tries to give the audience historic information.

The Key of the Keplian is the story of Eleeri, a Native American (part Comanche, part Navaho) girl who enters a gate to the Witch World, finding her fortune by unlocking long lost secrets of Witch World power and lore.

Eleeri was orphaned at a young age, left to be raised by her aunt and uncle. Eleeri's aunt and uncle hated her Native American heritage, thus mistreating her badly. Eventually Eleeri's great-grandfather, Far Traveler, takes custody of her but he is very old - so old that opening lines are about his death.

The old man was dying. Once, she had thought he would live forever. Now she was older and knew that all things died in their time. This was his. His eyes met hers calmly and she knew then that we would tell her what to do.
- pg 1

Eleeri is 16 when her grandfather dies - young enough to be forced back into the home of her abusive relations. Instead of passively going back to be abused, Eleeri takes a special pack Far Traveler made for her and runs, chased by Social Services. Inside the pack Eleeri finds a map showing her a location of a path of "the gone-before ones" (ancestors who also traveled gates). Eleeri travels through this gate and finds herself in an non-populated part of Karsten. She travels for a time before she meets an elderly Lord of a destroyed Old Blood Karsten hold, Cynan. Cynan (as a character) serves the same basic purpose as Far Traveler: an elderly male teacher/mentor. Being close to death, Far Traveler and Cynan have no need or ability (plot wise) to stand in the way of a younger Eleeri traveling swiftly and exploring widely; being male allows Far Traveler and Cynan both to teach Eleeri necessary weapons and warrior training. Eleeri stays with Cynan for only the length of time necessary to learn the language, sword work and better control of her powers.

I find this idea of the "gone before ones" intriguing. Witch World - with the exception of the powerful Old Ones - was ever populated by newcomers through gates. The Key of the Keplian says that Eleeri looks remarkably like the descendants of those with the Old Blood:

"Eleeri, be careful who you approach in this land. The memory of what was done to us lies heavily of Karsten still."

The girl raised eyebrows. "What has that to do with me?"

"Your looks," the old man said bluntly. "You may be no witch, you say you have no power, but you look like one of the race. Gray eyes, black hair." He ticked the points off on his fingers. "Your cheekbones are high and your chin more pointed than blunt. You are slender, as we tend to be." He nodded. "I know you are not of our blood, but from the outside and to one who may have only heard a description, you appear to be of Estcarp. Be very wary. Karsten blames the witches for what happened to their land."
-page 28

This so interesting - could it be that Native Americans were the original people who are now mostly living in Estcarp and Escore (the Old Blood descendants)? They would all fit the physical appearance and almost all people who arrive in the Witch World via a gate have power.

When Eleeri leaves Cynan, she feels compelled to travel towards Escore. Upon arriving in Escore, Eleeri comes upon a small Hold that has managed to capture a Keplian mare and her newly birthed colt. As Keplians are thought to be of the Dark, the Holdspeople felt justified in torturing the Keplians. Eleeri sees this and bargains for the Keplians's freedom. This singular act changes everything.

Eleeri and the mare, Tharna, bond with each other. Their needs for a safe place to live changes the Witch World forever. Eleeri learns that the Keplian were created to serve the Light. This is an amazing fact - the Keplian had been known to be of the Dark for time out of mind. The hardcore Witch World fan received a small hint of this when reading Songsmith in which appeared a half-breed Keplian who was of the Light.

The Key of the Keplian is a wonderful tale that really fits well in Witch World Universe. I highly suggest this book and series!

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never read any Witch World books, or anything of Andre Norton's, to be honest, so when my friend chose The Key of the Keplian for her group's book of the month, I agreed to read it and participate in the discussion. Unfortunately, I can't say that I enjoyed it much. I wanted to like it much more than I did, but I kept being distracted by the writing and storytelling, and I couldn't get into the story enough to be able to overlook the issues that were bothering me.

I think part of the issue is that, though this is the first book in a story arc within Witch World's overall series, it is not the introductory point, nor does it make a very good one, in my opinion. Technically, it can be read as a standalone - the story is complete enough for that, in that there's a beginning, middle, and end - but I think that lack of prior Witch World experience hurt more than it helped. There was a lot of content that assumed the reader knew the reference, so explanations were either not forthcoming, leading to random sentences that just didn't make sense, or an explanation came after it would have been helpful to the reader.

Here are two examples:
First, this:

The Keplians had an ability to handle evil at closer quarters, where humans would faint from the stench of the Dark.

I made a note here that said, and I quote: "Uhhhh, what?" This was especially baffling, considering that there were no Keplians present during the final Boss fight - only humans, and none of them had fainted at the appalling stench of evil.

Second, a passage relating a joke shared between two characters:

"He's a nice old man but very stuffy and pompous. It was kind of him to ride all the way out here and he only came to go over our fortifications for us. But he would keep on about the importance of having escape passages. We should have at least two, one known only to us. We were both sitting there trying to look interested and he just kept on and on. The next thing, I had this picture--" She broke off to snicker again while Eleeri waited patiently. "It came from Jerrany. It was of Lord Terne as a burrower, digging tunnels madly all underneath the keep until the whole thing fell in on him. Then this burrower with his face sat up in all the dust looking so surprised. I couldn't help it." She was laughing again, and visualizing it all. So was Eleeri.

I didn't get the joke until later, when it's explained that a burrower is a "small stout animal who did indeed have an air of surprised pompousness about them." Until then, I failed to see what was funny.

I mean, that's a small, throwaway scene, but it's a good one to illustrate my point. If there was no explanation that a burrower is an animal, I'd have been completely confused. As it was, the explanation came too late for me to be in on the joke as well. So all I got out of it was bewilderment and then a bit of irritation at the fact that it could have been written in a way to include the reader as well.

Eleeri, the main character, isn't from Witch World - she came through a gate from our world, so everything she knows about WW, she had to learn. But she learns it off-screen; the reader is never involved in the process, we don't get to learn about the world with her, but what's more aggravating is that we're only told that she has learned something immediately before it will benefit her to use the knowledge in some way. So not only did this book constantly tell rather than show, but it also seemed extremely convenient and coincidental how things just fell into place for Eleeri. Everything was incredibly easy for her. She makes "intuitive leaps" several times that left me baffled when I tried to connect the dots. I could not figure out what either piece had to do with the other, but obviously it made perfect sense to Eleeri. Either that or she's the best and luckiest guesser I've ever read about. In fact, only one time did something not go as planned or prepared for, and in that case, her friends showed up in the nick of time to save her. Conveniently.

It was very hard for me to care about Eleeri, in general. I felt like I was being kept at arm's length from her because of the writing. At the halfway mark of the story, Eleeri was still being referred to at times as "the girl" - something that bugged me quite a lot. By this point, I believe she was 20 or 21, so she was NOT a girl anymore, and calling her "the girl" just created distance from Eleeri for me. I think Norton was going for a connotation of innocence, but the term also connotes inexperience, naivete, & immaturity, which contradict what I was told and had seen of Eleeri, an independent and proud hunter and warrior.

Another example of distancing the reader from the story is the repeated use of "these ones", "these", "this one" etc when referring to people or Keplians. It just seemed dismissive to me. There were times, toward the end, that I understood the use to avoid saying names in a place of power where the names could be used against them - but throughout the story, these terms are used, and it was distracting to me. Likewise with the references to Light and Dark. I get the good vs evil thing, and even that they might have a kind of consciousness or power (even though this was never mentioned in the book, I'm just extrapolating here) - but the way they were constantly named and referred to, in capitalized form, just seemed so cliched and distracting to me.

Finally, there was the "romance" plotline. *sigh* As soon as the love interest's name was introduced, before I'd even met the guy, I knew exactly where this was going and how it'd get there. It was predictable in the extreme. By the end, I was just waiting for it to happen - I no longer cared. Though, if I'm brutally honest, I will say that I harbored a small hope that Norton would pull the rug out from under me and let Dark win. Alas, that was not to be. I know, I was shocked, too. ;)

Anyway, this book didn't work for me, but I have been known to be nitpicky. If you're used to Norton's writing, or looking for a light, not-very-complex story to kill some time with, I'd say go for it.

[Snarktastic Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I read this book as a group read. I am not sure I would have tried to jump into a series such as this in any other fashion.

Trying to determine what to read next so I downloaded the sample for this book. The sample ends on, "Far Traveler would not have sent her to die. . . . With the hovering machine, triumph turned to horror. The Social Services woman shrieked wildly." Sigh. Now *that* is the way to end a sample to force me to buy the book.

So, the story continues to tell the story of a young girl who, upon the death of her beloved guardian, leaves the world she knows for something totally new and beyond her ken. In doing so, she makes beloved friends and takes steps to correct a grievous wrong. While the story does not sound drastically original, it is the writing, characterizations, and relationships that carries it along.

I adored the writing style. It was so lyrical in nature - it just flowed. Almost like music. It reminded me of the feel of the early Pern books by Anne McCaffrey. Even though there is not really a ton of action or dialog, the story just glided along.

So, too, the relationships between Eleeri and the Keplians bring to mind the dragons and riders on Pern. There is just something blissful about a deep connection with another being on such a heartfelt level. It will get me every time.

This is the first Witch World book I have read - I can't find the early ones at my library, I have been trying. So, what *did* really bother me was I felt like I was missing something. I didn't really understand *what* Witch World was? And, how any of this was related. Which characters were from WW? And, how did they get where they were?

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Not as good now as it was for the 12-year-old horse girl I used to be, still the proto-cozy-fantasy vibes back then were balanced with enough blood and tragedy to make it relaxing without putting me to sleep.

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches that just because something has always been a certain way doesn't make it right and doesn't mean it can't change. Anyone familiar with Andre Norton's "Witch World" series "knows" that the Keplian is evil. That "fact" is drilled into us from the very first.

The Keplian is a beautiful, black, oversized horse. It is fast, cunning, and to be avoided, or killed outright as the evil that it is.

But our protagonist in The Key doesn't react that way. She does the impossible. She basically changes history - definitely remolding the future outcome for an entire species.

This book shows that justice is not always just, that freedom isn't free, and that the accepted truth can always be pulled out and re-reviewed in light of new information.

Probably the best book I have ever read, and that is saying a lot. I have read it a dozen times, and will probably read it again.

Update Aug 19, 2009 - I just reread this and again I have to say - excellent. The minds of the Keplian are different and to an untutored mind-touch can be deadly - kind of like picking up a hot pan without protection. But the book teaches a few great lessons, and underscores a theme that brings me back again and again - right will triumph, and even if it doesn't make everything perfect, it improves that one corner for now.

Update Nov 16, 2024 - Another thought on this favorite book, which I just reread. I neglected to mention a key feature of this book, and often in many others: ignoring something bad doesn't make it go away. In fact, ignoring bad things (bullying, school shootings, serial killers, bombing of fishing boats) does not make the bad thing disappear, but often makes 'it' worse. Taking on a bad player in this book allows the long time evil to be defeated by a character who doesn't have the long training to go around instead of through and to whatever the evil is that needs to be addressed.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I showed on my Goodreads that I had read this before, but had NO memory of the story, so it was fun to read this adventure from Lyn McConchie and Andre Norton.

It was fine and I enjoyed it, but I am not 12 any longer, or 16, or even 24. I am a haggard old crone, and while I will always love Andre Norton and her Witch World books, this was not her best and I judge a bit more harshly. But hey, it was a magnitude better than that dreckish sequel to Quag Keep. Now that was a dog with fleas. Hoo boy it was awful. Compared to that , this book was the Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

[Jacqueline Heidorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has always been one of my favorite Witch World stories. It a story of overcoming abuse and adversity. It is a story of courage and redemption. Andre's stories never grow old.

This is for all readers who like stories about adventure and strong women overcoming great odds as well as magic.

[Andy Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

a return home

This is a story about the courage of a warrior who is of two worlds. A descendent of Indians, and of the people of Eastcarp who rights ancient wrongs and brings happiness to many.
A good story and a good moral

[Crysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book ever!!!!!!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this so many times as a tween, this book was absolutely formative for me.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another amazing book by Andre Norton. A must read if you are a fan of the Witch World.

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another view Witch World. Sill fresh and entertaining.

[Lauma Lapa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess, one of my all-time fav books from the Witch World.

[Earlleen Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great tale as only Andre Norton can tell them.

Great fun to read. Love the characters and the story. This is a story I have read before but after many years it is fresh and new.

[Vassanta Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Мабуть, найулюбленіша з книжок цієї серії. Хоч читала її багато років тому, але досі інколи згадую якісь сцени.
Дуже б хотіла, щоб колись її видали українською.

[Stacy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

We return to Andre Norton's fantastic Witch World! An orphaned young woman with a gift for training horses joins forces with a a horse like Keplian mare on a quest that could change their world.

[Aelvana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleeri lives with her great-grandfather, the only relative who loved her. But when he dies, she chooses to flee into the wilderness rather than go back to an aunt and uncle who despise her. Following a map left by her great-grandfather, she finds herself in another world. There she befriends the Keplain, an intelligent horse-like species most fear as servants of the Dark. But soon she has to choose between keeping her comfortable life or confronting the Dark to save one in its clutches.

I was in the mood for a comfort read, so I picked this up. And on that front, it's fantastic. You can tell where the story's going immediately, more or less guess how things will play out, so you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. This isn't going to break any new ground but it offers a pretty solid journey.

Eleeri's story is almost too contrived in some ways, though. In the beginning when hardly anyone has names, it can be harder to get into the flow of the story. When she first comes to the new world, a lot of the history is dumped in an extended conversation, most of which isn't relevant to the current story. And the plot often has her thinking "I want" or "Wouldn't it be nice if" just before something happens that answers that line of thought. I also could've done with a bit less time in the final tower. Yes, Dark Lord lives in a black tower that crumbles when he's vanquished (comfort read, like I said).

What I did really appreciate was the focus on Light and love and gradually building relationships. Eleeri might be stumbling into very fortunate coincidences, but she's also got to work hard to keep herself in food and clothing and to win the trust of humans and Keplain. Even the romance is built slowly as she first begins to know him and only later realizes that the relationship has gone beyond friendship to something more.

So all in all, this one's pretty easy to recommend to fans of Valdemar, as it treads a similar road, but those looking for a bit more complexity or drama may want to pass. I should also note that despite Goodreads listing this as part of a series, it's very much a standalone book, and the sequel doesn't look to have anything much to do with it. I rate this book Recommended.

See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....

[Valerie]

Norton had too strong a tendency to argue that it's possible to deserve suffering and death. Others accepted the products of her facile imagination and meticulous research, but were more than a little uneasy with this basic premise. Attempts to mitigate or reject the premise are many, and Norton was evidently ambivalent on this count, so she occasionally cooperated with such revisions.

Not to say there were no murders in the book, nor justifications for murder. One is the oft-repeated 'They were killers, so I had to kill them'. Come again? Who kills you, since you're now a killer? What happens to your murderer? Another is the argument (repeated in other books) that it only takes one to start a war. Rot! The notion of implacable hostility is one of Norton's worst delusions, and too many people didn't seriously object to it.

Not one of the best books, even so--some collaborations work better than others. This one was average, but worth reading for the changes. Others do similar things better.

Note that this book falls into a sub-genre of Norton's works, in which First Nations people are either primary heroes, background characters, or sometimes both.

[Kurt Springs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier.

Synopsis:

One of the most feared creatures of the Witch World is ebony, red-eyed Keplian: intelligent horse-like creatures who lure riders to their deaths. When a young Native American girl comes through a gate from our world, she rescues a Keplian mare and her colt. With this act of kindness, she discovers the truth. Adepts who served the Light created the Keplians to ride with humans who served the light against the darkness. Eleeri begins a quest to rescue and rehabilitate as many Keplians as possible while taking on the dark forces that enslave them.

Review:

In celebration of the new year, I’ve returned to my favorite author, the late Andre Norton, and her most beloved fantasy series, The Witch World. The Secrets of the Witch World trilogy are some of the last novels written in this world. In the 1990s, the Berlin wall came down and old adversaries began looking at each other in a new light. Andre Norton wove this theme into this trilogy.

[penny shima glanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I find it difficult to get my hands on any copies of Norton's witch world series, this was my first foray into that land. I really enjoyed it and am now in the middle of "Secrets of Witch World" which also includes The Key of the Keplian. I guess the fact that I immediately started reading The Magestone speaks for how much I enjoyed The Key of the Keplian. Parts of the plot and character development left me rolling my eyes but overall I found it a fun fantasy escape.
I borrowed them from the library and I'm reading these on my new touch and enjoying the adventure.

[Jessie Omer · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes this book is part of a Series, but i have to say this one is my favorite manly because in this story the women is the hero and the one with all the power. she is a young indian girl who travels from our world to another while here she descovers secrets about her own ancestors. while in this new country she uses her gifts to talk to animals to make new friends and survive, eventuraly a great evil threatens her new family and she must set out to stop it and save this new world she has made her home in.

[Sally Bisbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Andre Norton is listed as an author, even after her death, the book rates 5 stars. What an incredible imagination! Thankfully, she was a prolific author. I don't read much sci-fi (everyone knows vampires are real), but I read every Witch World book I could get my hands on and was transported. It was magical.

There were other books written by Ms. Norton that were very similar to the Witch World series, but it was far and away my favorite.

[Sandy Shin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the witch world books, this is probably my favorite. The daring escape from the restrictions of "normal" society to the opportunities and dangers of a new land is captivating. I wish we had more books following up these characters

[Little Red Readinghood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horses, magic, and a kickass heroine. What more can you ask for? Part of the series but easy to read as a stand-alone. We are introduced to Witch World with the heroine so it is a good start even if it is one of the later stories. Read and reread.

[iLa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts of the story that I enjoyed but the writing style got a little in the way for me.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of the series.

[Doranna Durgin]

Wonderful Norton!

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Witch World book.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

witch world is a wonderful series about magic and learning about society