A Taste of Magic [Mass Market Paperback]

One morning Westeria, commonly known as Eri, goes out hunting deep in the woods and on her return her powerful Wyse magic senses death and bloodshed in her Village Nar. When she arrives at her home she sees that everyone is dead except for Alysen who was protected by a "do not see me" spell by the witch Nanoo Gafna. Alysen claims that the leader of the men Lord Purvis came to kill Eri because her father the food taster for the Emperor is dead as is the Emperor. The empress wants the magic of her line to die with her.

Eri swears a blood oath to kill Lord Purvis but first she must get Alysen to the witches in Mardel's Fen protected by the woods and the earth magic that allows them to keep intruders out. Before they get there they rescue a trapped bird-like creature not knowing it is evil. It orders the two females to take it to a certain place but they destroy it before it can harm Eri and Alysen. After Alysen is put under the care of the Nanoos, their leader and Eri try and rescue Nanoo Gafna who saved Alysen. Eri is then free to complete her mission only she learns Lord Purvis is going to the village of Mardel's Fen; she races against time to stop another bloodbath.

This is the last book Andre Norton started to write before she died; Jean Rabe using outlines, notes and a few written chapters written complete the fine fantasy which contains the same magical feel as all the great author's books seem to have. Readers will sympathize with the heroine who blames herself for the deaths of her loved ones. However the shocker that makes this a delightful read is to learn who her true enemy is.

Harriet Klausner

A Taste of Magic (2006) is a standalone fantasy novel. Wisteria t'Kyros is the daughter of the Emperor's food taster. Like her father, Eri has the wyse talent of tasting the air around her. She has an elder brother, Rembert, who is serving as a guardsman for some lord.

Eri was taken in by Lady Ewaren -- House Lady of Nar -- when her mother died. In that household, she learned to weave and care for the house. Yet she had also become a docent of Bastien t'Ikkes, once a royal guard and a fabled Moonson, who had saved the life of the Emperor. His injuries had led to a discharge and retirement to Nar.

In this novel, Eri has gone hunting and is returning with her kill when she hears a cow bellowing for milking. She tests the breeze and tastes blood and death throughout the village. The only survivor is ten year old Alysen.

While Eri is examining the body of Lady Ewaren, Alysen t'Greer attacks Eri with a knife, accusing her of being a demon. After calming down, Alysen tells of men who came looking for Eri. Lord Purvis of Elderlake had his men break the fingers of Lady Ewaren trying to find Wisteria's whereabouts, but Lady Ewaren did not know where Eri had gone. When she could not provide the information, the demon-of-a-man had her slain.

Nanoo Gafna had saved Alysen from Lord Purvis and his soldiers by weaving a ward spell over her. The soldiers looked right at Alysen without seeing her. Gafna had fled from the killing toward her home in the fens.

In this story, Eri takes a bloodoath against Lord Purvis, but first she must deliver Alysen to the Nanoo village for protection. As they are approaching the center of the fens, Alysen takes off running and leads Eri to a bird-like thing caught up by vines. Alysen and Eri free the creature -- named Grazti by Alysen -- and take it with them.

When Eri and Alysen reach the Nanoo village, Nanoo Shellaya -- the village leader -- informs them that Gafna has not returned from Nar. Eri scrys for Gafna and learns that she is being held in a village by the sea. She too has been tortured by Lord Purvis.

This story relates the journey of Eri and Shellaya to the village Elspeth's Knot to rescue Gafna. Eri learns a few things about patience and planning during that rescue, but they do rescue Gafna. Shellaya takes Gafna back to the Nanoo village and Eri continues her effort to slay Lord Purvis.

In Derilynn village, Eri scrys for Lord Purvis and discovers that he is back in the fens. Tillard -- a young man raised in the Nanoo village -- rides back with her. On the way, they start to see prior events in a different light.

This tale was outlined and partially completed by Andre Norton, but was finished by Jean Rabe. Norton struggled with this story for several years, but the words just didn't flow as in the past. So it does not have all the storytelling magic of Norton and the ending appears to be lacking something. Yet it is a better tale than many other works of fantasy. Read it, but remember the other tales that flowed from the author's pen.

Recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic magic, muddled quests, and impulsive women warriors.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I was not blown away by this book. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't fantastic either - it was ok. Took me an afternoon to read it. The book just didn't grab me. You could tell that it was not put together by 2 writers working together - it just didn't flow in parts. I also found certain events, especially reactions to events occurring in the story, beyond believability. It is not a book I will re-read, & I am not waiting breathlessly for its sequel, which I am sure will be written.

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