Scent of Magic

Five Senses #3

by Andre Norton, Kinuko Y. Craft (cover illustration)

Book 3: The Five Senses Set

An orphaned child and captive scullery maid, young Willadene possesses an uncanny ability to sense and understand the magical odors that pervade her world. It is this remarkable talent--or curse--that carries her far from the fetid kitchen into an apprenticeship with a revered herbalist and ultimately to the highest circle of the Ducal court. But there is depravity lurking within the castle's walls, inspiring brazen treacheries and usurpations--and a foul abduction as unthinkable as it is unexpected. Something horribly strange and forbidden has struck at the dawn of a new day of corruption and terror. And an innocent girl finds the heightened sense that has been her fortune is now drawing her down into a maelstrom of evil.

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

350 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

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

[Kogiopsis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as part of my ongoing shelf audit. Verdict: it's possible that, despite everything, I just... don't like Andre Norton.

I have long found it interesting to read old SFF, especially by those considered masters of the genre, but between this and Elvenblood, I'm afraid one of the genre's most famous masters may just have a style I'm not compatible with. My struggle with this book was that it was so slow, both in prose and in plot. Sentences felt overwrought, and it took FOREVER for things to actually happen, and even after a significant character is kidnapped and a supposedly desperate chase begins, there's minimal sense of urgency. The magic also felt ill-defined, and the scent connection felt tenuous most of the time and didn't add much interest to the plot.

This book is definitely not a keeper for me, and while I still want to try at least one more Norton (I have to read one Witch World book, right?), I won't be surprised if I conclude that she's just not for me.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

He was definitely no Jafar, and I totally want Sssaaaa as a pet.

[Natalie Cline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose to read Scent of Magic by Andre Norton for the second prompt of the 52 Book Club 2024 Reading Challenge.

Prompt Two: Bibliosmia: A smelly book
Favorite Quote: "But what I am - surely not what I always believed myself to be."
Why I chose this book: When I saw the prompt, I was absolutely determined to find a book with a character who has a magical sense of smell.
Review: I gave this book a 2 out of 5 stars. I struggled with this one. I enjoyed seeing Willadene leave her oppressive life and find tutelage under the herbalist and seeing Mahart formally introduced to her kingdom, but the political situation in the book got away from me. Towards the end, so did the magic system. I lost interest about halfway through and ended up having to force myself to finish reading. I struggled to keep track of who's who and relationships amongst characters. There was not a natural flow to the writing.

[Nona King · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter how many times I have read this story, I love it more each read.

[Ahmad Sherief · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book so much. It is one of those fiction books that succeed to take you to another world and completely immerse you in its details. The characters are a bit two dimensional, so you just know the parts about them where it serve the story line, but it does not affect the overall depth of the immersion experience.

What I did not like the most about the book is the selection of names for the characters. We find some eccentric names like the Duke's Chancellor, Vazul, but then we face a character with a very common name, Nicholas. There is no homogeneity when it comes to name selections. In my opinion character names should all come from the same "cultural" back ground to give more depth to the world.

The story line is very well woven together. Andre is a superb story teller. I loved how the characters' paths met and intertwined to form the complete picture. The richness of details and careful description of the places and garments gave me a wonderful experience.

I would recommend this book for anyone with love for the fantasy worlds and mysterious encounters with old evil powers that aim to control the world.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this story interesting-seemed to be a medieval type world that relies on herb and perfume magic but in which some special people, like Willadene, have a special sense of smell that can detect anything, even evil. I was getting into the story as Willadene used her special sense to track the kidnapped High Lady but all of a sudden there were magical mysterious encounters with a lost evil fortress without much explanation of what was going on. And at the end of it, Willadene and her three companions are bound together as forever friends to ward off the evil forces. The conclusion just seemed too rushed and too bound in mystery to be satisfying for me.

[Ceallach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gift from a Friend | Fun little YA read. Slow build, solid writing (though magic system is never *quite* satisfactorily explained (possibly b/c this in book #3)), F/M friendship likely to turn into a romance. Currently not interested in pursuing the rest of series.

Rating System:
★★★★★ = Excellent - Loved it! Have reread and recommended.
★★★★ = Good - Really liked it! Would reread or recommend.
★★★ = Average - Decent read, might recommend.
★★ = Fair - Problematic and/or struggled to finish.
★ = Poor/DNF - Didn't like and would not recommend.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, was anybody else shipping Wiladene and Mahart?
This book was just ok for me. Interesting enough to keep reading, but not interesting enough to reread or read a sequel. I felt like the ending was rushed, but that seems to be a trend in this set of books. I'll read the next one, since books 2-4 are in the Kindle Unlimited set, but I'm not planning on reading the others.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent half my weekend purging my book collection and the other half re-reading some of my favorite books. Andre Norton was such a gifted world builder and writer. I almost forgot how much I enjoyed the heroine, Willadene, and her story. This book is definitely staying on my shelves!

[Kel · Rating 3 out of 5]

...I had no idea this was part of a series. The more you know.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another new Andre Norton for me. Enjoyable read.

[Mrs Dalloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 bo mam z tą książką same dobre wspomnienia; lato, czytanie po nocach, beztroska, dużo fantastyki. Poza tym naprawdę dobrze się czyta Norton

[Heather Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a did not finish.

I stopped at page 229ish. I have no idea what I read.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not know how I came to own this book. It's purchase was most likely a mistake. But there it was in my bookshelf, and I have a horrible cold and am not up for using my brain right now, and I figured it was the perfect time to read it.

OK, this is not a good book. What can I say? There is of course a princess. And an apprentice scent/potion/healer girl. She mixes together all kinds of stuff, some of which is magical, and some of which would be right at home in a L'Occitane shop. She is able to "sniff out evil", which comes in handy because evil is of course is afoot. (My dog thinks she can sniff out evil too.) She has some sort of scented amulet that she wears around her neck, and when things get stressful/stinky, she sniffs it for comfort. Unfortunately, each time she did this, and she did it frequently, she reminded me of the Kevin Kline character in "A Fish Called Wanda" who sniffs his armpits when things get stressful.

Here is a quote:
"But remember this, only your nose can bring aid to [the princess] and perhaps safety to all [of the kingdom] in the end."

So the first 2/3 of the book involves mixing potions and whatnot in the castle. Then the princess gets kidnapped and our bloodhound girl goes off sniffing after her. At this point, things get very ridiculous and I will not attempt to describe the plot.

The only interesting character in the book is Ssssaaa, who is some sort of weasel-thing with magical powers, who keeps having the save the day. I would have stopped reading this book long before the end, but I soldiered on because I wanted to know more about this kung-fu/jedi weasel, but alas, I was disappointed.

[Valerie]

There are times when it's appropriate to judge a book by its cover. This ain't one of them. If you go by the blurb, you might think this was a right bloody awful book. In fact, it's not half bad. The changes of viewpoint are a bit disorienting betimes, but the characters are mostly engaging.

This edition contains samples from several other books, including (bizarrely), itself--all at the end, making the book seem longer than it is.

The introduction of a nameless, nebulous evil really contributes little to the plot. The evil force uses dynastic plotting as bait to draw people whose life-force it absorbs: but apart from extending its own life, it seems to have no goals.

There are several loose ends. The most obvious is that there was a revivified horse in an oasis in the fern forest--but why? It's feeding itself up, and is tended to, and then it just disappears from the plot. Why mention it at all?

There's one point that's consistent in Norton's works. She seemed to be under the impression that all forests are perennially inhabited with biting, stinging insects. I've lived in several places she did, and I didn't usually experience such things. Granted, my body chemistry is atypical, and does often act as a mosquito deterrent. Or then again, maybe I've just spent more time in forests.

[Lindsay Stares · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a decent character-centered adventure fantasy. There's nothing groundbreaking, but nothing boring either. The characters are well articulated and interesting: Willadene, timid but insightful, Halwice the Herbmistress is kind and secretive, the Duke who is uncomfortable with ruling, his daughter, dealing with suddenly being called upon to be a public figure, the Chancellor, loyal even against the Duke's outward wishes, and others.

I like the idea of scent-based magic. Something as simple as switching the sense the narration focuses on alters the feel of the story strongly.

It doesn't come together by the end as much as I might have hoped. While the ending is fine, it relies a bit too heavily on a few cliches and one of Norton's favorite crutches: unexplained mysticism. This makes it all feel rather mythic, but that doesn't mesh well with the very down-to-earth beginnings of the story. Also the resolution of one major character is poorly explained.

The beginning and middle is stronger than the end, but not enough for me to really recommend this.

More Reviews at The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

[lin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the first edition. While the story was enjoyable, the editing was so terrible that it really affected my opinion of the book.

Within the first nine pages of the book, the main character's name was spelled three different ways (Willadene according to the dust jacket, yet we also have Walladene and Willidene). Any half-brained proofreader should have caught this.

Twelve of the fifteen pages in Chapter 5 were, excruciatingly, given in the past perfect tense. Upon rereading, I see that this part of the chapter was introduced as an exposition of past events, but I cannot imagine a more discordant handling - it truly read as though some editor was told "make it a flashback!" and simply inserted "had" before every verb. It made for incredibly awkward reading, and could have been fixed any number of ways.

I had a really hard time continuing the book after these flaws, but fortunately I did not find any more glaring editing issues after that. The story was cute, in a sort of 'fantasy lite' fashion; really more of a fairy tale.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really ought to put this one on the fantasy shelf only because it is pure fantasy without a lick of science fiction in it. I believe, though, that fantasy falls under the umbrella of science fiction so... there it goes.

I don't care much for Andre Norton in general. She's always been my author for when absolutely nothing else is available. Every library has some of her books.

This book is one of her better ones. It reads as a legend and, thus, is slightly more believable. I have a hard time with credibility when the author uses the magical "and then it appeared" writing device. There was no reason for a sanctuary to appear but it does. No one offered prayers or anything. It just appeared. There was no reason for a lot of things to occur. People just have compulsions or hear voices or whatever and, for no known reason, decide it's a good idea to follow those compulsions.

The Scent of Magic is high fantasy so set your skepticism and good sense aside when you read it.

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Willadene has been abused and mistreated since the death of her parents in a plague, and now has been directed to marry someone she doesn't wish to. The directive turns out to be in order to get money for her guardian, the woman who is paid to take care of her (similar to a foster parent).

Willadene has a rare gift though, and can smell magic, illness, and evil in addition to goodness and purity, and thus falls into the hands of a witch type, a herbmistress who serves the duchy. Even as these events happen, more evil is afoot, which sucks in all the players, and Willadene plays a key role in the solution, although not the only role.

A little sluggish, with too much castle and inhabitants commentary, but otherwise another well written book by the Grand Master.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a most enjoyable read. Meet Halwice, herbwoman extraordinare; Wiladene, her assistant who has a nose for determining good, evil and different people as well as all other odors; Mahart, sheltered princess who has so much to learn about the world; The Bat, spy for the king; and so many other intriguing characters. This is a classic tale of good versus evil with kingdoms at risk and a bit of romance thrown in between Wiladene and The Bat and the princess and a warrior prince who has no time for simpering women. I quite liked it.

[deeann linford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for wonderful fantasy ride.

As always Andre Norton never fails to lead you to new spellbinding lands and wonderful adventures. Yet again new magic is intertwined in a tale full of highs and lows. You feel like you are aboard a fantasy rollercoaster. Special well developed characters are present again and the story theme with evil, love, terrible monsters, and scary scenarios abound.

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recent read a lot of eBooks that were not mainstream (and perhaps not well edited?) I am reminded again of the power of a fantasy author in full control of her craft. Well drawn characters, intriguing mystery, and depth of world-building that raise a light fantasy story to one that is enjoyable, memorable and unique. The reader is drawn into the story along with a young protagonist and is immediately given a rich and believable world to inhabit and explore.

[Tayranno · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must be picking up all the wrong books by Norton...

This started out interesting, where the main character could smell the specific scents of magic and magical substances. By the end of the book she was basically a bloodhound, being able to suddenly smell everything, including a missing girl's scent. This ultimately ruined the whole idea of the story for me, and it was a struggle to finish this one.

[Angela Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i felt like the ending was a little bit cobbled together- not worthy of the rest of the book at all. it was just the last couple of pages really that are lacking in my opinion, i just like to sometimes get a little bit more detail in the closure of all those loose ends the characters wrap up. but all in all great story and of course well written. how cold it not be? its andre norton...

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometime along the way, I realized that I've definitely read this before, but a while ago. It's a wonderful book. I wish that my local library had more of her books. I love the female characters and how they do what they need to do.

[Jenny Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was a quick and enjoyable read. The story was not particularly complex - a fairly standard good vs. evil kind of tale. The main attraction to me was that almost all of the major characters were women. I love fantasy novels with a variety of female characters.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scent of Magic (Five Senses #3)
by Andre Norton
a wonderful fantasy with a strong heroine

[Vanessa Breijer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books as a young teenager. I'm finally re-reading it and am finding it still holds up after all these years!

[Gail Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

very detailed story of a fight between good and evil using the sense of smell to sort out the difference.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

***1/2
I really enjoyed the first part of the book, but I was rather disappointed in how everything wrapped up. Didn't hate it, just thought it could have gone in a better direction.