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The Morgaine Cycle #1
Gate of Ivrel
Scattered about the galaxy were the time-space, gates of a vanished alien race. Long before the rise of the native civilizations, they had terrorized a hundred worlds--not from villainy but from folly. Now the task was to destroy their potency for mischief. This is the story of one such Gate.
191 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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2880 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Cherryh
291 books3,513 followersCurrently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began with the modest ambition to learn to skate backwards and now is working on jumps. She sketches, occasionally, cooks fairly well, and hates house work; she loves the outdoors, animals wild and tame, is a hobbyist geologist, adores dinosaurs, and has academic specialties in Roman constitutional law and bronze age Greek ethnography. She has written science fiction since she was ten, spent ten years of her life teaching Latin and Ancient History on the high school level, before retiring to full time writing, and now does not have enough hours in the day to pursue all her interests. Her studies include planetary geology, weather systems, and natural and man-made catastrophes, civilizations, and cosmology…in fact, there's very little that doesn't interest her. A loom is gathering dust and needs rethreading, a wooden ship model awaits construction, and the cats demand their own time much more urgently. She works constantly, researches mostly on the internet, and has books stacked up and waiting to be written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
January 9, 2015
3.5 stars
I really like Science-Fantasy. It’s not surprising I guess given that two of my favourite genres are the mainstays of the wider umbrella ‘speculative fiction’: sci-fi and fantasy, so the mash-up of the two would seem to be a no-brainer, right? Normally science-fantasy stories tend to have the ‘flavour’ of fantasy: swords and medieval-ish settings where ‘technology’ as the society understands it is at a fairly low level, but where Clarke’s third law comes into full effect as the explanation for the ‘magical’ elements. There are of course exceptions to this: Dune comes to mind - a work that is often explicitly considered science fiction, but that definitely has the tinge of fantasy about it and which I would consider to fall into the science fantasy umbrella. Much science-fantasy also comes from the pulp era, perhaps most famously in the Barsoom novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs and the other ‘sword and planet’ stories of writers like Leigh Brackett and C. L. Moore. Finally I would probably tend to lump many ‘dying earth’ stories into this category, from Vance’s seminal The Dying Earth & Cugel stories to Gene Wolfe’s New, Long, and Short Sun series’.
Alright, enough with the categorization/explanation and on to the book in question. _The Gate of Ivrel_ is one of C. J. Cherryh’s entries into the genre in which we follow the adventures of Vanye, the bastard son of a minor lord in a seemingly medieval world who is cast out for standing up to his oppressive brothers and inadvertently killing one and maiming the other. As he makes his way across the harsh landscape of his world populated by clans who would like nothing more than to end the life of a miserable outlaw he stumbles across a ‘miracle’ in the person of Morgaine: a figure of power and fear out of legend seemingly magically returned and to whom he becomes joined by bonds of duty and obligation. What the reader knows already is that Morgaine is actually an agent from a high-tech society sent to seek out and destroy the many ‘gates’ that were created by the alien qhal and allow their users to travel instantaneously through space and time. It was soon discovered, however, that these gates were the cause of the extinction of the qhal and could also lead to the extinction of the human race, and possibly all of time and space itself, should they continue to be used.
Morgaine is the last member of the original team that was sent out on this desperate mission and is anxious to seek out and destroy the gate on Vanye’s world (which one must assume was at one point a human colony populated through use of the gates which has since forgotten its origins) after the tragedy of her initial attempt in the past (recent to her and ancient to Vanye) that led to the deaths of thousands, including her few remaining comrades. As a result of this tragedy Morgaine’s name has become a byword for evil and destruction amongst the people of this world. Vanye is thus at first a very reluctant retainer of Morgaine and fears her seemingly alien nature as much as the tasks she forces him to perform. He is constantly dealing with the tension between his honour and sworn oath to Morgaine on the one hand and the fear and natural suspicion which his people hold for her and her apparent goals on the other. The taciturn Morgaine does little to aid in easing Vanye’s worries, but somehow along the way her actions and character cause him to gain a grudging respect and admiration for her and Vanye comes to understand the importance of the mission she has set for herself even though key details are unknown to him.
I enjoyed the story and thought Cherryh did a good job of melding the science fiction and fantasy elements into a pretty seamless whole. One thing that came across as a bit odd was Morgaine’s constant use of “thee” when referring to Vanye or others in conversation. I know Cherryh was doing this to provide a verbal clue to the fact that Morgaine came out of a small gate that had caused her to jump forward in time hundreds of years to the ‘present’ of the novel and thus she spoke in a more archaic form of the language, but the fact that “thee” was used exclusively despite the context (she never used “thou”) struck me as awkward and possibly grammatically incorrect part of the time (though I’m not an expert on archaic English usage by any means). That niggle aside I thought the story was successful in presenting a fantasy-style quest set against seemingly insurmountable odds in order to reach the goal: in this case the destruction of the main qhal gate on this world. Morgaine is dogged in her pursuit of her goal, but also seemingly doubtful about the possibility that it can be met which, when tied with Vanye’s constant doubts and fears, leavens the story with a foreboding sense of near despair. Morgaine remains a cypher due to the fact that the story is told from Vanye’s point of view and, as already mentioned, Morgaine is an extremely tight-lipped liege. She is indeed only willing to take on Vanye because she has no other option short of trying to achieve the impossible on her own. So, all in all, I think this was a good story where pretty much every obstacle Cherryh could possibly throw at Vanye and Morgaine was utilized, though I’ll admit to not being totally blown away. I’m sufficiently interested, though, to keep seeing how the adventures of these two progress across time and space.
I really like Science-Fantasy. It’s not surprising I guess given that two of my favourite genres are the mainstays of the wider umbrella ‘speculative fiction’: sci-fi and fantasy, so the mash-up of the two would seem to be a no-brainer, right? Normally science-fantasy stories tend to have the ‘flavour’ of fantasy: swords and medieval-ish settings where ‘technology’ as the society understands it is at a fairly low level, but where Clarke’s third law comes into full effect as the explanation for the ‘magical’ elements. There are of course exceptions to this: Dune comes to mind - a work that is often explicitly considered science fiction, but that definitely has the tinge of fantasy about it and which I would consider to fall into the science fantasy umbrella. Much science-fantasy also comes from the pulp era, perhaps most famously in the Barsoom novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs and the other ‘sword and planet’ stories of writers like Leigh Brackett and C. L. Moore. Finally I would probably tend to lump many ‘dying earth’ stories into this category, from Vance’s seminal The Dying Earth & Cugel stories to Gene Wolfe’s New, Long, and Short Sun series’.
Alright, enough with the categorization/explanation and on to the book in question. _The Gate of Ivrel_ is one of C. J. Cherryh’s entries into the genre in which we follow the adventures of Vanye, the bastard son of a minor lord in a seemingly medieval world who is cast out for standing up to his oppressive brothers and inadvertently killing one and maiming the other. As he makes his way across the harsh landscape of his world populated by clans who would like nothing more than to end the life of a miserable outlaw he stumbles across a ‘miracle’ in the person of Morgaine: a figure of power and fear out of legend seemingly magically returned and to whom he becomes joined by bonds of duty and obligation. What the reader knows already is that Morgaine is actually an agent from a high-tech society sent to seek out and destroy the many ‘gates’ that were created by the alien qhal and allow their users to travel instantaneously through space and time. It was soon discovered, however, that these gates were the cause of the extinction of the qhal and could also lead to the extinction of the human race, and possibly all of time and space itself, should they continue to be used.
Morgaine is the last member of the original team that was sent out on this desperate mission and is anxious to seek out and destroy the gate on Vanye’s world (which one must assume was at one point a human colony populated through use of the gates which has since forgotten its origins) after the tragedy of her initial attempt in the past (recent to her and ancient to Vanye) that led to the deaths of thousands, including her few remaining comrades. As a result of this tragedy Morgaine’s name has become a byword for evil and destruction amongst the people of this world. Vanye is thus at first a very reluctant retainer of Morgaine and fears her seemingly alien nature as much as the tasks she forces him to perform. He is constantly dealing with the tension between his honour and sworn oath to Morgaine on the one hand and the fear and natural suspicion which his people hold for her and her apparent goals on the other. The taciturn Morgaine does little to aid in easing Vanye’s worries, but somehow along the way her actions and character cause him to gain a grudging respect and admiration for her and Vanye comes to understand the importance of the mission she has set for herself even though key details are unknown to him.
I enjoyed the story and thought Cherryh did a good job of melding the science fiction and fantasy elements into a pretty seamless whole. One thing that came across as a bit odd was Morgaine’s constant use of “thee” when referring to Vanye or others in conversation. I know Cherryh was doing this to provide a verbal clue to the fact that Morgaine came out of a small gate that had caused her to jump forward in time hundreds of years to the ‘present’ of the novel and thus she spoke in a more archaic form of the language, but the fact that “thee” was used exclusively despite the context (she never used “thou”) struck me as awkward and possibly grammatically incorrect part of the time (though I’m not an expert on archaic English usage by any means). That niggle aside I thought the story was successful in presenting a fantasy-style quest set against seemingly insurmountable odds in order to reach the goal: in this case the destruction of the main qhal gate on this world. Morgaine is dogged in her pursuit of her goal, but also seemingly doubtful about the possibility that it can be met which, when tied with Vanye’s constant doubts and fears, leavens the story with a foreboding sense of near despair. Morgaine remains a cypher due to the fact that the story is told from Vanye’s point of view and, as already mentioned, Morgaine is an extremely tight-lipped liege. She is indeed only willing to take on Vanye because she has no other option short of trying to achieve the impossible on her own. So, all in all, I think this was a good story where pretty much every obstacle Cherryh could possibly throw at Vanye and Morgaine was utilized, though I’ll admit to not being totally blown away. I’m sufficiently interested, though, to keep seeing how the adventures of these two progress across time and space.
January 21, 2016
Once upon a time there were the qhal and they connected all manner of worlds and times with Gates, which in the end destroyed them. In latter years, humans found the Gates and, wishing to avoid the fate of the qhal, sent a team a hundred strong to follow the the Gates, closing them one by one, until the network was no more. Now, an indeterminate time later, only one remains of that party -- Morgaine, wielder of the sword Changeling, a mighty force in its own right.
This is not her story.
This is the story of Nhi Vanye, exiled from his home for kinslaying, who inadvertently frees Morgaine from imprisonment and finds himself caught up in her struggle, torn between obligations to her and to his kin, threatened as a result by forces he can barely imagine.
This is not her story.
This is the story of Nhi Vanye, exiled from his home for kinslaying, who inadvertently frees Morgaine from imprisonment and finds himself caught up in her struggle, torn between obligations to her and to his kin, threatened as a result by forces he can barely imagine.
June 13, 2023
Cherryh serves up a rousing sword and planet adventure in one of her first published books circa 1976, and Gate of Ivrel became the first of a series known as the Morgaine Saga. The backstory is roughly given in the prologue. An ancient civilization, the qhal, build a series of 'gates' that transported one from planet to planet, but also from time to time. Eventually, something went wrong (time paradox?) and 'boom, boom, boom, down come the lights'; the civilization imploded. A civilization once again arose and the gates were rediscovered, their danger became known, and a 100 people were sent through the gates with a one-way mission to shut them all down before disaster strikes once again.
Our main protagonist, Morgaine, is one of the last of the 100, and we encounter her on a world where, 100 years prior, she and 4 others of the 100 led an army to destroy the empire that controlled the gates on that planet; the army was destroyed and Morgaine vanished through a gate. Our other main character, Vanye, is the bastard son of a king in this world, exiled for killing his half-brother and condemned to be an ilin, something akin to a Japanese Ronin. Vanye inadvertently trips the gate from which Morgaine fled and she reappears; for her, an eyeblink has passed in time, but 100 years have passed on the planet. She still has her mission-- destroy the gate on this world and move on, but she, leading a vast army, could not do it 100 years ago, what chance does she have with only herself and Vanye the ilin?
Morgaine and Vanye have a quest and of course, face all kinds of trials and tribulations along the way. Cherryh's world building is functional and the quest exciting, but the what made this stand out from the crowded sword and planet adventures of the era are the characters. Morgaine has lost everything and now only lives for her quest; she can trust no one, and repeatedly questions Vanye's allegiance, despite his blood oath and his honor. Honor plays a key role in the story here, and Cherryh presents honor as a blend between Japanese and European feudal era legend. Lots of gritty emotional drama, which really became Cherryh's forte in her later works. Good stuff! 4 strong stars!!
Our main protagonist, Morgaine, is one of the last of the 100, and we encounter her on a world where, 100 years prior, she and 4 others of the 100 led an army to destroy the empire that controlled the gates on that planet; the army was destroyed and Morgaine vanished through a gate. Our other main character, Vanye, is the bastard son of a king in this world, exiled for killing his half-brother and condemned to be an ilin, something akin to a Japanese Ronin. Vanye inadvertently trips the gate from which Morgaine fled and she reappears; for her, an eyeblink has passed in time, but 100 years have passed on the planet. She still has her mission-- destroy the gate on this world and move on, but she, leading a vast army, could not do it 100 years ago, what chance does she have with only herself and Vanye the ilin?
Morgaine and Vanye have a quest and of course, face all kinds of trials and tribulations along the way. Cherryh's world building is functional and the quest exciting, but the what made this stand out from the crowded sword and planet adventures of the era are the characters. Morgaine has lost everything and now only lives for her quest; she can trust no one, and repeatedly questions Vanye's allegiance, despite his blood oath and his honor. Honor plays a key role in the story here, and Cherryh presents honor as a blend between Japanese and European feudal era legend. Lots of gritty emotional drama, which really became Cherryh's forte in her later works. Good stuff! 4 strong stars!!
July 2, 2024
I’ve said it before, I’m a sucker for portal fantasy, especially 1970’s science fantasy style.
This is a cool book with a melange of influences. It’s essentially fantasy, but with hints of this bigger sci-fi world, an ancient civilization that made a network of star gates on worlds that have forgotten them and have fallen to a medieval level. There’s definitely some gene Wolfe/jack Vance vibes and definitely a bit of moorcock’s elric in there too.
This was a short, enjoyable quest adventure with some interesting characters and world building. It seems weird that I’ve been reading sci-fi so long and am only now getting around to a grand master like CJ Cherryh but this felt like a good start, even better considering I read somewhere that she wrote this in two months of evenings and weekends while working as a full time teacher. Now I’ve got to decide if I want to continue this series or go on to Downbelow station, one of her best known works.
This is a cool book with a melange of influences. It’s essentially fantasy, but with hints of this bigger sci-fi world, an ancient civilization that made a network of star gates on worlds that have forgotten them and have fallen to a medieval level. There’s definitely some gene Wolfe/jack Vance vibes and definitely a bit of moorcock’s elric in there too.
This was a short, enjoyable quest adventure with some interesting characters and world building. It seems weird that I’ve been reading sci-fi so long and am only now getting around to a grand master like CJ Cherryh but this felt like a good start, even better considering I read somewhere that she wrote this in two months of evenings and weekends while working as a full time teacher. Now I’ve got to decide if I want to continue this series or go on to Downbelow station, one of her best known works.
February 10, 2012
Ludicrous cover aside, this is a real corker of a fantasy adventure with science fiction underpinnings. Numerous gateways through time and space built and rashly exploited by a race called the Q'hal have resulted in all sorts of temporal collapses. A group of people have resolved to travel from gateway to gateway, sealing each one so that this won't happen again. Of their number, only one survives - the mysterious, powerful Morgaine.
This novel is set on a world that exists in a pre-industrial, feudal level of development with rival clans vying for High Kingship. Vanye is a half-blood in a time when clans stick to their own, cast out by his father for slaying a half-brother. During his wanderings, he releases Morgaine, a figure of century-old dark legend on his world, from a temporal prison and is made to swear an oath of allegiance to her and accompany her on her quest to seal this world's gates.
Cherryh has, as usual, created a richly detailed geography and ethnography, and it's a complex, fascinating world that this story plays out against. There's just enough detail, never too much, and I was completely drawn into Vanye's struggles to make sense of his strange liege-lady and to negotiate the currents and counter-currents of intrigue that surround them everywhere they go.
A few plot developments towards the end happen faster than I could follow at first, but this for the most part a compact but rich novel, skilfully paced and packed with nuanced characterisation and deep worldbuilding. I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy.
This novel is set on a world that exists in a pre-industrial, feudal level of development with rival clans vying for High Kingship. Vanye is a half-blood in a time when clans stick to their own, cast out by his father for slaying a half-brother. During his wanderings, he releases Morgaine, a figure of century-old dark legend on his world, from a temporal prison and is made to swear an oath of allegiance to her and accompany her on her quest to seal this world's gates.
Cherryh has, as usual, created a richly detailed geography and ethnography, and it's a complex, fascinating world that this story plays out against. There's just enough detail, never too much, and I was completely drawn into Vanye's struggles to make sense of his strange liege-lady and to negotiate the currents and counter-currents of intrigue that surround them everywhere they go.
A few plot developments towards the end happen faster than I could follow at first, but this for the most part a compact but rich novel, skilfully paced and packed with nuanced characterisation and deep worldbuilding. I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy.
March 23, 2022
A fine, restrained mix of scifi & fantasy that I'm blown away to read was Cherryh's first novel!
I agree with others who've said Morgaine has a definite Elric vibe, and I think that's a good thing. I also think it's useful for the book to focus on her unwilling-to-start servant, Vanye, for his knowledge of the culture of the world this story takes place on, and his more grounded, relatable perspective.
Speaking of perspective, Wikipedia says: "Cherryh uses a writing technique she has variously labeled "very tight limited third person", "intense third person", and "intense internal" voice. In this approach, the only things the writer narrates are those that the viewpoint character specifically notices or thinks about. The narration may not mention important features of the environment or situation with which the character is already familiar, even though these things might be of interest to the reader, because the character does not think about them owing to their familiarity."
I think this use of perspective was an excellent choice, one that played a role in how engrossed I was by the book, which I read quickly, then slowly as I tried to savor it, then quickly again as I neared the end! I will definitely be reading the rest of this series, as soon as I can track down a copy of #2.
I agree with others who've said Morgaine has a definite Elric vibe, and I think that's a good thing. I also think it's useful for the book to focus on her unwilling-to-start servant, Vanye, for his knowledge of the culture of the world this story takes place on, and his more grounded, relatable perspective.
Speaking of perspective, Wikipedia says: "Cherryh uses a writing technique she has variously labeled "very tight limited third person", "intense third person", and "intense internal" voice. In this approach, the only things the writer narrates are those that the viewpoint character specifically notices or thinks about. The narration may not mention important features of the environment or situation with which the character is already familiar, even though these things might be of interest to the reader, because the character does not think about them owing to their familiarity."
I think this use of perspective was an excellent choice, one that played a role in how engrossed I was by the book, which I read quickly, then slowly as I tried to savor it, then quickly again as I neared the end! I will definitely be reading the rest of this series, as soon as I can track down a copy of #2.
April 13, 2015
The entire book is emotionally and interpersonally complex, containing layers of motivations and relationships that drive events. Morgaine herself, though her thoughts are never revealed for certain, seems the most straightforward: her quest is to close the Gates.
But that goal is almost a background item as the story is told. Vanye, Morgaine's bound henchman, is the reader's guide through the web of rivalries and hostilities between clans as well as Vanye's own disputes and allegiances. Everyone has a reason for his or her actions, and these reasons are grounded all the way down in the backstory.
The petty lords of the Middle Lands fear and resent Morgaine because her first attempt to close the Gate failed, and the real history of that has been distorted and lost. Those who do not fear have avarice for the Gate power and technology. But even this avarice, in Erij's case, is backed by inadequacy and need to prove himself.
Vanye is caught between the bonds of his new lord--"liyo"--and the personal debts he accumulates and his own honor, none of which does he see clearly. So on top of everything else, he has his own problems to work through.
But that goal is almost a background item as the story is told. Vanye, Morgaine's bound henchman, is the reader's guide through the web of rivalries and hostilities between clans as well as Vanye's own disputes and allegiances. Everyone has a reason for his or her actions, and these reasons are grounded all the way down in the backstory.
The petty lords of the Middle Lands fear and resent Morgaine because her first attempt to close the Gate failed, and the real history of that has been distorted and lost. Those who do not fear have avarice for the Gate power and technology. But even this avarice, in Erij's case, is backed by inadequacy and need to prove himself.
Vanye is caught between the bonds of his new lord--"liyo"--and the personal debts he accumulates and his own honor, none of which does he see clearly. So on top of everything else, he has his own problems to work through.
April 22, 2014
Sword & Sorceress Adventure: Morgaine rivals Elric with her dragon blade
This reviews Gate of Ivrel, which I read as part of the The Morgaine Saga which was DAW’s 2000 omnibus of C.J. Cherryh Sword & Sorcery trilogy (1. Gate of Ivrel 1976; 2. Well of Shiuan 1978; 3. Fires of Azeroth 1979). There is a fourth book Exile's Gate written in 1988. Actually, this is my first C.J. Cherryh novel and I was impressed (Gate of Ivrel was her first published work, and it is quite good).
Morgaine is reminiscent of Michael Moorcock’s Elric, since she is a doomed hero, traveling through interstellar space with a dragon-cursed sword that sucks souls (Morgaine’s blade Changeling is almost kin to Elric’s Stormbringer). There are Sci-Fiction elements to this that are kept obscure enough that it reads as pure fantasy (everything scientific appears as magic).
Morgaine’s charge is to destroy alien Gates, which allow for travel between time and universes; for those who want to stay put, the “witchfires” of the Gates fuel sorcery and extended lives. We quickly learn that she was imprisoned hundreds of years before the start of the story as she lost an epic battle with the evil magician Thiye. He apparently still lives (via said sorcery):
Strangely Thiye does not emerge for most of this novel. Instead there are compelling "new" threats from a host of others (some in relation to Vanye), and the book is full of magical clashes in which Changeling obliterates souls! It may be "her" saga, but book one introduces her through her male companion Vanye, an outcast bastard prince. The story arc for Book 1 belongs to him. Vanye becomes her servant after he releases her from a magical prison, and so the two enter an uneasy pairing. They make a good team, but trust comes slowly as Vanye enables Morgaine to confront those supporting the Gate:
Great stuff. I expect the rest of the trilogy to flesh-out Morgaine’s character (otherwise it should be renamed Vanye’s saga). The ending was fine, but I was left questioning the direction a bit (I’ll hide that in a spoiler twistee).
This reviews Gate of Ivrel, which I read as part of the The Morgaine Saga which was DAW’s 2000 omnibus of C.J. Cherryh Sword & Sorcery trilogy (1. Gate of Ivrel 1976; 2. Well of Shiuan 1978; 3. Fires of Azeroth 1979). There is a fourth book Exile's Gate written in 1988. Actually, this is my first C.J. Cherryh novel and I was impressed (Gate of Ivrel was her first published work, and it is quite good).
Morgaine is reminiscent of Michael Moorcock’s Elric, since she is a doomed hero, traveling through interstellar space with a dragon-cursed sword that sucks souls (Morgaine’s blade Changeling is almost kin to Elric’s Stormbringer). There are Sci-Fiction elements to this that are kept obscure enough that it reads as pure fantasy (everything scientific appears as magic).
Morgaine’s charge is to destroy alien Gates, which allow for travel between time and universes; for those who want to stay put, the “witchfires” of the Gates fuel sorcery and extended lives. We quickly learn that she was imprisoned hundreds of years before the start of the story as she lost an epic battle with the evil magician Thiye. He apparently still lives (via said sorcery):
...Carcasses were found near [the Gate of Ivrel], things impossible, abortions of Thiye’s art, some almost formless and baneful to the touch, and others of forms so fantastical that none would imagine what aspect the living beast had had.
Strangely Thiye does not emerge for most of this novel. Instead there are compelling "new" threats from a host of others (some in relation to Vanye), and the book is full of magical clashes in which Changeling obliterates souls! It may be "her" saga, but book one introduces her through her male companion Vanye, an outcast bastard prince. The story arc for Book 1 belongs to him. Vanye becomes her servant after he releases her from a magical prison, and so the two enter an uneasy pairing. They make a good team, but trust comes slowly as Vanye enables Morgaine to confront those supporting the Gate:
"Morgaine was supremely beautiful …when he saw her in that hall, her pale head like a blaze of sun in that darkness, her slim form elegant in tgihio and bearing the dragon blade with the grace of one who could truly use it, an odd vision came to him: he saw like a fever-dream a nest of corruption with one gliding serpent among the scuttling lesser creatures—more evil than they, more deadly, and infinitely beautiful, reared up among hem and hypnotizing with basilisk eyes, death dreaming death and smiling.”
Great stuff. I expect the rest of the trilogy to flesh-out Morgaine’s character (otherwise it should be renamed Vanye’s saga). The ending was fine, but I was left questioning the direction a bit (I’ll hide that in a spoiler twistee).
September 4, 2010
Gate of Ivrel starts out really strong, with a banished (and bastard) warrior observing a beautiful warrior "witch" ride out from some sort of time travel gate, located in a blasted landscape filled with Lovcraftian nasties and murderous men. (Cherryh also prefaces the immediate story with some convoluted pre-history that will have you turning back several times to read.) Morgaine, the "witch," sports some space age weaponry, and a fascinatingly deadly sword called Changeling. Its properties seem virtually nuclear. The story line is, on surface at least, one of revenge, though honor and duty are also wrapped up in the mix. Vanye, banished from his own kingdom for killing a half-brother, swears allegiance to Morgaine, and follows her on her seeming path of vengeance (there's more to it than that). Why he swears allegiance is never totally clear to me, but I was ok with that, at least until the half way point in the novel. At that point Vanye seems to offer up a profound oath every other page or so -- that soon gets betrayed. I can see that Cherryh wants to show Vanye as conflicted, complex, etc. But after close to 200 pages of this (and with Cherryh, given the way she writes -- this can seem like 400), Vanye comes across as an ineffectual weenie. A Johnny Guitar with a broadsword. Morgaine however is fascinating, always mysterious, sometimes lethal, totally driven. Many of the other characters are also well done, and Cherryh's descriptive writing is often first-rate. What hurts the story is when stuff actually starts to happen. In the last 50 pages or so, there are some really unlikely escapes. When I see this kind of thing bunched up toward the end of a short novel, I feel the author is rushing to wind the story down. In this case, that's a shame, because I really do admire Cherryh's writing. There's two (or maybe 3?) more books in the series, and there's certainly enough in this one to make me want to read on. That said, I think with a little more patience and development, Gate of Ivrel could of been something special.
July 28, 2018
Disclaimer: I am writing this with voice to text and I am not editing for proper capitalization, Punctuation, spacing, Etc. Please bear with me! Thank you.
I Didn't love this book but I found it really interesting.
The Introduction compared the book to Lord of the Rings Which I eye-rolled at. Like, it is a speculative fiction book. Of course it's influenced by and comparable to Lord of the Rings. However, about halfway through this very small book, I realized that the comparison was actually pretty apt.
I feel like what a lot of Lord of the Rings fans take away from it when they go on to write their own stuff is big epic battles and mysterious histories and different Species of people and magical objects and Journeys with horses and taverns and stuff. besides the journeys and horses, this book doesn't have any of that. What seemed similar to me was feeling of desperation and a hopeless Quest. Also the hero is often at a disadvantage, and is often At someone else's Mercy.
The introduction also pointed out that the book doesn't have to be driven by battle after battle, because Of the complex characterization, which is true. There are plenty of battles to be had-- I thought the fancy sword was especially cool--But a lot of the book is journeying, worrying about being pursued, and disastrous attempts at making nice with local Lords.
This especially doesn't work well because the main character is the disgraced son of one of the Lords. the main character’s name starts with a v, but the rest of the letters are the letters in Kanye, so I'm just going to call him Kanye, because I can't teach my voice to text thing new words. So at the beginning of the book, Kanye kills one of his half-brothers and is banished from his Homeland. While on the Journey of looking for a new place to live, he meets Morgan ( her name has an extra I in it than the Name Morgan but again, this is what I'm going to call her for the purpose of this review) a powerful Warrior who lived 100 years prior to the present of the story.
Morgan takes Kanye on as a kind of HonorBound servant (slave)?? Because Morgan was responsible for a war a hundred years ago where everyone on her side died except for her, the legend goes that she betrayed her Army. she also has powers and items that go against the religion of Kanye and the rest of the people in his land. Kanye is pretty uncomfortable about being her servant But as he gets to know her better, he begins to realize that Morgan is a more complex figure and the Legends didn't quite get everything right.
The slow unveiling Morgan's past was one of my favorite parts of the book. Morgan is a badass and is Far and Away my favorite character. ( And basically the only woman worth noting in this book... I'm pretty sure this book does not pass the bechdel test.)
fun fact about this book: nowhere in its pages is Morgan described as wearing only a bra Such as the one she is wearing on the cover. her clothing is quite practical. Most of the book she is wearing pants and armor. the article of clothing talked about most in the book is her cloak which she wears depending on the weather or if she's going to use it as a blanket, Etc. At one point, she takes off Several layers of clothes in order to go to sleep, and Kanye is a little bit into it. her sexy clothing that she strips down to? Pants and a shirt. Even at her most sexilly dressed, she is still wearing pants and a shirt. I would like to point out that this book was published in 1976, and the Cover artist is a man.
I found the World building very interesting, complex and believable. I loved that there was a high-tech complex society with faster-than-light travel who f***** up space-time as a backstory to this very low-tech swords and horses story.The author did her research on science and technology... And also horses. I am not a horse expert, but there were lots of believable horse details. I also liked the intricacy of political alliances.
The reason I only gave the book 3 stars was probably because it wasn't very fun. Kanye was sad all the time and there wasn't much fun sci-fi Joy to counteract his sadness. Maybe I just couldn't connect to Kanye as a character. I also got kind of tired of all the Bros complaining about who hates Which other bro for whatever reason and thus suffers political consequences. if you like your sci-fi very serious with high stakes, I would definitely recommend this to you.
I don't know if I will read the next book in the series but think I'm still interested in trying other books or series by this writer.
Trigger warnings below..
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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Sexist male-dominated society, siblings killing, injuring, abusing, and manipulating each other (sort of a frighteningly realistic portrayal of a toxic relationship), lots of captivity and some Torture including sleep deprivation… horses injured in battle or from being pushed too hard while ridden. Kanye is involved in situations where he is compelled to do (non-sexual) things because of his servitude to Morgan. there's lots of “ I don't want to do this but I'm going to do it”.
also one civilization was referred to as uncivilized. Another group that was shown as bad (Can't remember how), was described as physically “dark”. :\
there may be other problems or triggers with the book that I cannot remember right now.
I Didn't love this book but I found it really interesting.
The Introduction compared the book to Lord of the Rings Which I eye-rolled at. Like, it is a speculative fiction book. Of course it's influenced by and comparable to Lord of the Rings. However, about halfway through this very small book, I realized that the comparison was actually pretty apt.
I feel like what a lot of Lord of the Rings fans take away from it when they go on to write their own stuff is big epic battles and mysterious histories and different Species of people and magical objects and Journeys with horses and taverns and stuff. besides the journeys and horses, this book doesn't have any of that. What seemed similar to me was feeling of desperation and a hopeless Quest. Also the hero is often at a disadvantage, and is often At someone else's Mercy.
The introduction also pointed out that the book doesn't have to be driven by battle after battle, because Of the complex characterization, which is true. There are plenty of battles to be had-- I thought the fancy sword was especially cool--But a lot of the book is journeying, worrying about being pursued, and disastrous attempts at making nice with local Lords.
This especially doesn't work well because the main character is the disgraced son of one of the Lords. the main character’s name starts with a v, but the rest of the letters are the letters in Kanye, so I'm just going to call him Kanye, because I can't teach my voice to text thing new words. So at the beginning of the book, Kanye kills one of his half-brothers and is banished from his Homeland. While on the Journey of looking for a new place to live, he meets Morgan ( her name has an extra I in it than the Name Morgan but again, this is what I'm going to call her for the purpose of this review) a powerful Warrior who lived 100 years prior to the present of the story.
Morgan takes Kanye on as a kind of HonorBound servant (slave)?? Because Morgan was responsible for a war a hundred years ago where everyone on her side died except for her, the legend goes that she betrayed her Army. she also has powers and items that go against the religion of Kanye and the rest of the people in his land. Kanye is pretty uncomfortable about being her servant But as he gets to know her better, he begins to realize that Morgan is a more complex figure and the Legends didn't quite get everything right.
The slow unveiling Morgan's past was one of my favorite parts of the book. Morgan is a badass and is Far and Away my favorite character. ( And basically the only woman worth noting in this book... I'm pretty sure this book does not pass the bechdel test.)
fun fact about this book: nowhere in its pages is Morgan described as wearing only a bra Such as the one she is wearing on the cover. her clothing is quite practical. Most of the book she is wearing pants and armor. the article of clothing talked about most in the book is her cloak which she wears depending on the weather or if she's going to use it as a blanket, Etc. At one point, she takes off Several layers of clothes in order to go to sleep, and Kanye is a little bit into it. her sexy clothing that she strips down to? Pants and a shirt. Even at her most sexilly dressed, she is still wearing pants and a shirt. I would like to point out that this book was published in 1976, and the Cover artist is a man.
I found the World building very interesting, complex and believable. I loved that there was a high-tech complex society with faster-than-light travel who f***** up space-time as a backstory to this very low-tech swords and horses story.The author did her research on science and technology... And also horses. I am not a horse expert, but there were lots of believable horse details. I also liked the intricacy of political alliances.
The reason I only gave the book 3 stars was probably because it wasn't very fun. Kanye was sad all the time and there wasn't much fun sci-fi Joy to counteract his sadness. Maybe I just couldn't connect to Kanye as a character. I also got kind of tired of all the Bros complaining about who hates Which other bro for whatever reason and thus suffers political consequences. if you like your sci-fi very serious with high stakes, I would definitely recommend this to you.
I don't know if I will read the next book in the series but think I'm still interested in trying other books or series by this writer.
Trigger warnings below..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sexist male-dominated society, siblings killing, injuring, abusing, and manipulating each other (sort of a frighteningly realistic portrayal of a toxic relationship), lots of captivity and some Torture including sleep deprivation… horses injured in battle or from being pushed too hard while ridden. Kanye is involved in situations where he is compelled to do (non-sexual) things because of his servitude to Morgan. there's lots of “ I don't want to do this but I'm going to do it”.
also one civilization was referred to as uncivilized. Another group that was shown as bad (Can't remember how), was described as physically “dark”. :\
there may be other problems or triggers with the book that I cannot remember right now.
December 20, 2017
This is a re-read after many years of the first in the Morgaine series, and at first I wondered if I would enjoy it as much as last time. The beginning, an extended info-dump that gives the background to Morgaine's mission to close the inter-planetary and time travelling gates because the temporal anomalies they caused led to disaster, is by today's standards an old fashioned way of story telling. But focus soon switches to the character of Nhi Vanye, a driven young man who has been raised as a charity case by his father, head of clan Nhi, and tormented for his whole life by his two legitimate half-brothers. Vanye has killed one of them, swearing they were trying to kill him, and maimed the other, almost as great a sin in a warrior-centred culture.
He is cast out as an outlaw and doomed to wander till he dies, either of starvation, exposure, being murdered in revenge or being killed by one of the strange creatures which Thiye, a clan leader with a reputation for using the evil magics of the past, has brought through the major gate, which he controls. Vanye's only hope to win back his honour and cancel his outlaw status is to find a lord who will accept his oath of service for either a year or to carry out a task, though surviving such service is not easy.
The story switches to his plight a couple of years later when, half-starved and freezing in the winter, he tries to shoot a deer with his bow, but succeeds in driving it through the pillars of what his people regard superstitiously as the Witchfires - a minor gate linked to the main gate on their planet - on a hill which is normally shunned but where he has accidentally wandered too close. The deer's entry displaces Morgaine, trapped within the gate for a century. She and her surviving comrades came to the planet to destroy its gates, and raised an army among the various clans, but disaster struck and Morgaine was blamed. Pursued, she had been forced to ride into the gate and been trapped there in stasis ever since. Her distinctive appearance - she is nicknamed Frosthair - indicates her identity, but Vanye, forced to shelter with her and share the meat from a deer she kills with one of her fearsome weapons, tries to tell himself it was only exhaustion which led him to think she rode out from between the stones. He then finds himself forced into swearing an oath of allegiance to her for a year's service or to complete her mission if she is unable to, and his problems really begin. The only mitigation is that, as a sworn follower of his lord - and Morgaine has lord status from her previous dealings with the indigenous people - he is in theory protected by her, but he soon meets members of various clans, including his surviving half-brother, who have different ideas.
Things become complicated when these various clans make demands upon Morgaine, trying to use her and her technology for their own ends, and it transpires that she is not the only individual with a knowledge of gates. For there are a number of villains in the story, greater and lesser.
When shelving this book, I elected to put it under both science fiction and fantasy, because the background is SF - interplanetary timetravel, ray weapons, a 'sword' which taps the power of the gates and has the power to pull living things through - but the setting is classic fantasy, with warriors and a warrior culture which is slightly reminiscent of the Japanese Samurai. It falls into the genre category of 'science fantasy' for these reasons.
The story is told from the fairly close third person viewpoint of Vanye so we never enter Morgaine's viewpoint and can only see her through his eyes. She is honest about the fact that she will abandon him at a moment's notice if it serves her mission, and she is totally focused upon the need to destroy or close the main gate at Ivrel, which is controlled by Thiye. Vanye, meanwhile, is torn by the deeds which his oath condemns him to perform, and a lot of the book concerns his angst at the rift with his surviving half-brother and his conflicting loyalties. The one weakness is really the geography - it becomes difficult to envisage how the various clan territories impinge and why travelling in a particular direction would bring him back within the grasp of his brother, for example. The edition I was reading did not have a map, and that would have helped. But I enjoyed the book and am rating it 4 stars.
He is cast out as an outlaw and doomed to wander till he dies, either of starvation, exposure, being murdered in revenge or being killed by one of the strange creatures which Thiye, a clan leader with a reputation for using the evil magics of the past, has brought through the major gate, which he controls. Vanye's only hope to win back his honour and cancel his outlaw status is to find a lord who will accept his oath of service for either a year or to carry out a task, though surviving such service is not easy.
The story switches to his plight a couple of years later when, half-starved and freezing in the winter, he tries to shoot a deer with his bow, but succeeds in driving it through the pillars of what his people regard superstitiously as the Witchfires - a minor gate linked to the main gate on their planet - on a hill which is normally shunned but where he has accidentally wandered too close. The deer's entry displaces Morgaine, trapped within the gate for a century. She and her surviving comrades came to the planet to destroy its gates, and raised an army among the various clans, but disaster struck and Morgaine was blamed. Pursued, she had been forced to ride into the gate and been trapped there in stasis ever since. Her distinctive appearance - she is nicknamed Frosthair - indicates her identity, but Vanye, forced to shelter with her and share the meat from a deer she kills with one of her fearsome weapons, tries to tell himself it was only exhaustion which led him to think she rode out from between the stones. He then finds himself forced into swearing an oath of allegiance to her for a year's service or to complete her mission if she is unable to, and his problems really begin. The only mitigation is that, as a sworn follower of his lord - and Morgaine has lord status from her previous dealings with the indigenous people - he is in theory protected by her, but he soon meets members of various clans, including his surviving half-brother, who have different ideas.
Things become complicated when these various clans make demands upon Morgaine, trying to use her and her technology for their own ends, and it transpires that she is not the only individual with a knowledge of gates. For there are a number of villains in the story, greater and lesser.
When shelving this book, I elected to put it under both science fiction and fantasy, because the background is SF - interplanetary timetravel, ray weapons, a 'sword' which taps the power of the gates and has the power to pull living things through - but the setting is classic fantasy, with warriors and a warrior culture which is slightly reminiscent of the Japanese Samurai. It falls into the genre category of 'science fantasy' for these reasons.
The story is told from the fairly close third person viewpoint of Vanye so we never enter Morgaine's viewpoint and can only see her through his eyes. She is honest about the fact that she will abandon him at a moment's notice if it serves her mission, and she is totally focused upon the need to destroy or close the main gate at Ivrel, which is controlled by Thiye. Vanye, meanwhile, is torn by the deeds which his oath condemns him to perform, and a lot of the book concerns his angst at the rift with his surviving half-brother and his conflicting loyalties. The one weakness is really the geography - it becomes difficult to envisage how the various clan territories impinge and why travelling in a particular direction would bring him back within the grasp of his brother, for example. The edition I was reading did not have a map, and that would have helped. But I enjoyed the book and am rating it 4 stars.
April 10, 2022
Почну одразу з найголовнішого: це одне з найкращих фентезі, яке я читав. Але я маю на увазі не цей роман, але весь цикл. Поодинці романи можуть здаватися слабкими, але разом... В них є певна магія, чарівність, якої я не зустрічав в жодному іншому циклі.
Особливістю стилю Черрі є те, що вона пише твори з перспективи жителів та жительок вигаданих нею світів. Не дуже звучить? Так, переказати і пояснити складно. Значно простіше прочитати - і відчути. Але я спробую. Отже, в описах світу, внутрішніх монологах героїв майже немає експозиції в класичному розумінні. Тобто головні герої не ведуть діалогів, які звернені до читачів та читачок, бо мають передати їм певну інформацію. Їхні думки також не є "цитатами з вікіпедії", які мають на меті допомогти читачам та читачкам зорієнтуватися, що ж відбувається. Так само і описи. В Черрі їх мало, бо ми, коли живемо в реальному світі, не завжди милуємося довколишнім світом. Часто ми просто маємо переміститися в просторі, виконати якесь завдання тощо. У нас тунельний зір, тобто чіткий фокус на ціль. Все решта наче розмите, на тлі.
І найцікавіше, що в інших творах Черрі такий стиль є великою перешкодою. Ми не "бачимо" декорацій, нам дають мінімум інформації про реалії вигаданого світу (їх потрібно "витягувати" з контекстів). Доволі виснажливе заняття. Але в цьому циклі все вийшло ідеально. По-перше, завдяки характеру головного героя (про що дещо згодом). По-друге, тому що це фентезі. Складно переказати, чому. Я спробую вдатися до порівняння. Подібний ефект в мене був під час читання "Володаря перснів", але ближче до кінця першого тому. Там ми також наче опиняємося серед легенди: світ має історію, яка сягає тисячоліть в минуле, а ми блукаємо серед цих пластів і намагаємося збагнути, що ж відбувається. От в Черрі таке відчуття одразу на початку роману. Головний герой їде через прокляту долину - і пригадує моторошні легенди. Жодних вступів та повільного входження у вигаданий світ. Ми одразу посеред моторошної долини, де навіть дерева ростуть криво, наче їх мучить біль. Заходить сонце, копита голосно стукотять по камінню. Зима, мороз, темне небо з цвяшками зірок повільно закриває темна снігова хмара. І серед цього головний герой пригадує давню пісню...
Як не дивно, але саме яскравою картинкою роман мене свого часу зачарував. Початок роману дуже візуальний. Захід сонця, яке пробивається крізь камені, поставлені сторчма у формі брами. Раптом з цього марева - ніби з повітря! - виїжджає сірий кінь із вершницею. А далі заметіль, сніг, олень, якого впольовано з допомогою... електрошокера? Ми ж не знаємо, що це, бо бачимо все очима аборигена, а він живе в умовному середньовіччі. Печера, вогонь, завірюха назовні... Обряд присяги на вірність, де треба ножем розтяти долоню, змішати кров із вином - і випити. Головний герой, який набирає жменю снігу, щоб зупинити кров... Це все так яскраво постає перед очима, що далі відірватися неможливо. І це добре, бо сюжет такий собі, а візуального далі стає дуже і дуже мало.
Але характери! Ось що дійсно тримає увагу. Попри всі недоліки. Проте настав час повернутися до сюжету.
Все починається з прологу. Це розлога цитата з Наукових записок якогось інституту. Мовляв, існують Брами, які дозволяють долати час і простір. Ми б зараз сказали, що це портали! Проблема в тому, що ці портали знайшли попередники людства - раса qhal. Вони захопилися мандрами крізь Брами - і привели світ до стану хаосу в прямому сенсі. Минуле і майбутнє переплуталися, як і простір став "рваним". Незрозуміло? Це ж цитата зі "статті". Стиль Черрі не передбачає більших пояснень: вливайтеся в контекст. І ось було відправлено команду із сотні чоловіків та жінок ці Брами запечатувати (невідомо, як саме). Вони мають "зливатися" з оточенням планет, куди вони прибувають, запечатувати Брами і рухатися далі. Важлива деталь, прибувають вони через ці самі Брами. Наче проходять двері - і закривають їх за собою.
Але от на планетах, куди вони прибувають, також були кхали. І в ролі нелюдських (в прямому і переносному значеннях) колонізаторів. Тому місцеве населення кхалів недолюблює, а Брам дико боїться. І наша команда рятівників, яка виходить прямісінько із Брами, захвату не викликає.
Це все контекст. Більше ви дізнаєтеся, читаючи роман. Ця передісторія там викладається просто шикарно в плані сторітелінгу. Ми бачимо все очима аборигена Ваньє, а тому ніякої експозиції. Але натяки та спорадичні згадки так гарно впорядковано, що історія складається як пазл - поступово, але повно.
Сама ж історія починається з Нгі Ваньє - нащадка правителя землі Ра-Морій, який випадково вбив одного свого брата і покалічив іншого. Щоправда, вони брати бо батьку, бо матері в них різні. Ваньє мав вибір - вчинити ритуальне самогубство (як харакірі), але він вибирає вигнання - з роду та країни. Стає іліном (в наших реаліях - роніном). Тепер його може вбити будь-хто - без жодних наслідків для себе. Або взяти його на службу: нагодував вечерею - маєш право вимагати року служби в цієї людини. Після року служби ілін переставав бути іліном, а знову ставав повноцінною людиною (в плані прав). На біду, за Ваньє женуться родичі його братів по материнській лінії, які хочуть його вбити. Саме тому він і ховається в моторошній долині. І зустрічає там Морґайне, яка зникла там... сторіччя тому. Наче випарувалася. А тепер - наче матеріалізувалася. Завдяки "магії" (тобто технологіям) рятує їх серед завірюхи в горах. І - саме так! - одразу ж вимагає у Ваньє року служби. Так і починається їхня подорож.
Мета Морґайне - знищити Браму Іврел. Так, головну Браму планети. Вона вже пробувала це зробити сто років тому. Але тоді все пішло не по плану - і загинули армії трьох королівств. Просто дематеріалізувалися. За це Морґайне і ненавидять: вона принесла хаос і розруху, які досі розгрібають мешканці цього світу. А Ваньє має тепер їй допомагати в її тому ж квесті...
Після перших сцен текст стає менш візуальним, а сюжет менш захоплюючим. Але динаміка стосунків між Морґайне і Ваньє... О, Черрі залишає стільки натяків, недомовленостей, що це просто задоволення стежити за тим, як Ваньє поступово перестає боятися Морґайне і сприймати її як свою господиню, а починає в ній більше бачити людину. Але - і це шикарно! - він і далі людина середньовіччя, а тому і далі мислить і сприймає її в категоріях станів, клятв, обов'язків і так далі...
Неймовірно тішить і сам розподіл ролей. По-перше, головна героїня - жінка! Вона "веде" сюжет. По-друге, між нею та Ваньє дуже химерний поділ "знань та вмінь". Зокрема, вона, як людина сучасності, розуміє, що всі ці клятви, вірування і так далі - соціальні конструкти. А тому їх треба використовувати як інструменти для досягнення цілей. І це дозволяє їй "обігрувати" противників. Але їй бракує знання деталей: хто з правителів які має слабкості, які закони та звичаї діють в тій чи іншій землі. А це вже сфера компетентності Ваньє. Таким чином вони ідеально доповнюють одне одного. Причому тут немає чіткого поділу, хто більш, а хто менш компетентний. Все перемішалося.
Також важливо, що ми все бачимо очима Ваньє. Він скрупульозно описує все, що бачить, але не розуміє. А ми ж то розуміємо! Тому для нас Морґайне постає дуже цікавою постаттю. Останньою із сотні, причому вона знає, що не повернеться на Землю, бо ж Браму за собою вона запечатує, а тому повернутися точно не зможе. І цією останньою вона стала після трагедії в долині Іврел: там загинули не лише армії трьох королівств, але й троє її останніх друзів (з цієї сотні сміливців та сміливиць). Тому, хоча Ваньє її поведінка здається дуже "дьорганою", ми все чудово розуміємо. Вона одна, її місія не має кінця, вона має кожного разу швидко "в'їхати" в нову культуру, розібратися в політичній ситуації та інтригах, і зробити все можливе, щоб виконати свою місію по запечатуванню Брами. Ясно, що це стрес, причому хронічний.
В тексту є ще одна перевага. Саме за цю рису я і люблю фентезі. І саме ця риса підважує для мене Толкіна. Події роману - просто епізод в історії цього світу. Причому не найголовніший - на думку його мешканців. Тобто цей світ існував до появи Морґайне, він існуватиме і після. Закриття Брами не означатиме початку нової Епохи (як в Толкіна), кола трава стане зеленішою, а сонце - яскравішим. Все залишиться таким, як було. Це створює відчуття, що світ продовжуватиме існувати і після того, як книгу буде закрито.
Ба більше, в цьому світі немає відчуття, що відбувається щось епічне - і це також чудово! Вони не ставляться до Морґайне як до незвичайної особи. Ось за це хотілося Черрі написати довгого емейла, де сказати, що з погляду соціології все вийшло просто ідеально. (Можливо, вона вчилася на соціології? Не знаю). Адже, коли ми стикаємося із неймовірною подією, ми, щвидше за все, виберемо одну з двох реакцій: 1) цього не було, а те, що ми чули чи бачили - не те, чим здається, 2) так це ж очевидно і логічно, нічого дивного. Тобто поява Морґайне після століття відсутності - це або "брехня" (всі спершу вирішують, що вона шахрайка, але Морґайне швидко переконує всіх, що це не так), або ж це очікувано: вона ж відьма, а тому для неї не проблема "зникнути" на століття, а потім повернутися. Це настільки шедеврально, що в мене нема слів! Це дрібна деталь, але яка точна і реалістична! А тому квест Морґайне для тубільців - цікава справа, але не дуже важлива: не більше за її примху. Вони допомагають, але не дуже ангажуються.
На цьому буду завершувати. Вийшов не зовсім зрозумілий відгук на книгу. Не дуже зрозуміло, що ж відбувається в романі. Але більше я написати не можу. Весь твір побудований на атмосфері. Переказувати сюжет - руйнувати цю атмосферу. Текст читається легко. І одразу скажу - його треба читати в оригіналі. Українського перекладу не існує, а російський дуже химерний. Десь цілі абзаци викинуто, бо... Незрозуміло, чому. Перекадачеві було ліньки перекладати? Десь зміст перекручено. А десь дописано від себе.
І головне, що Черрі пише архаїзованою мовою, причому в Морґайне мова містить більше архаїзмів. Але перекладач це повністю проігнорував.
П.С. а от власні назви... За мотивами оригіналу. Vanye став Вейні, Hjemur - Хеймуром і так далі. Навіщо так???
Особливістю стилю Черрі є те, що вона пише твори з перспективи жителів та жительок вигаданих нею світів. Не дуже звучить? Так, переказати і пояснити складно. Значно простіше прочитати - і відчути. Але я спробую. Отже, в описах світу, внутрішніх монологах героїв майже немає експозиції в класичному розумінні. Тобто головні герої не ведуть діалогів, які звернені до читачів та читачок, бо мають передати їм певну інформацію. Їхні думки також не є "цитатами з вікіпедії", які мають на меті допомогти читачам та читачкам зорієнтуватися, що ж відбувається. Так само і описи. В Черрі їх мало, бо ми, коли живемо в реальному світі, не завжди милуємося довколишнім світом. Часто ми просто маємо переміститися в просторі, виконати якесь завдання тощо. У нас тунельний зір, тобто чіткий фокус на ціль. Все решта наче розмите, на тлі.
І найцікавіше, що в інших творах Черрі такий стиль є великою перешкодою. Ми не "бачимо" декорацій, нам дають мінімум інформації про реалії вигаданого світу (їх потрібно "витягувати" з контекстів). Доволі виснажливе заняття. Але в цьому циклі все вийшло ідеально. По-перше, завдяки характеру головного героя (про що дещо згодом). По-друге, тому що це фентезі. Складно переказати, чому. Я спробую вдатися до порівняння. Подібний ефект в мене був під час читання "Володаря перснів", але ближче до кінця першого тому. Там ми також наче опиняємося серед легенди: світ має історію, яка сягає тисячоліть в минуле, а ми блукаємо серед цих пластів і намагаємося збагнути, що ж відбувається. От в Черрі таке відчуття одразу на початку роману. Головний герой їде через прокляту долину - і пригадує моторошні легенди. Жодних вступів та повільного входження у вигаданий світ. Ми одразу посеред моторошної долини, де навіть дерева ростуть криво, наче їх мучить біль. Заходить сонце, копита голосно стукотять по камінню. Зима, мороз, темне небо з цвяшками зірок повільно закриває темна снігова хмара. І серед цього головний герой пригадує давню пісню...
Як не дивно, але саме яскравою картинкою роман мене свого часу зачарував. Початок роману дуже візуальний. Захід сонця, яке пробивається крізь камені, поставлені сторчма у формі брами. Раптом з цього марева - ніби з повітря! - виїжджає сірий кінь із вершницею. А далі заметіль, сніг, олень, якого впольовано з допомогою... електрошокера? Ми ж не знаємо, що це, бо бачимо все очима аборигена, а він живе в умовному середньовіччі. Печера, вогонь, завірюха назовні... Обряд присяги на вірність, де треба ножем розтяти долоню, змішати кров із вином - і випити. Головний герой, який набирає жменю снігу, щоб зупинити кров... Це все так яскраво постає перед очима, що далі відірватися неможливо. І це добре, бо сюжет такий собі, а візуального далі стає дуже і дуже мало.
Але характери! Ось що дійсно тримає увагу. Попри всі недоліки. Проте настав час повернутися до сюжету.
Все починається з прологу. Це розлога цитата з Наукових записок якогось інституту. Мовляв, існують Брами, які дозволяють долати час і простір. Ми б зараз сказали, що це портали! Проблема в тому, що ці портали знайшли попередники людства - раса qhal. Вони захопилися мандрами крізь Брами - і привели світ до стану хаосу в прямому сенсі. Минуле і майбутнє переплуталися, як і простір став "рваним". Незрозуміло? Це ж цитата зі "статті". Стиль Черрі не передбачає більших пояснень: вливайтеся в контекст. І ось було відправлено команду із сотні чоловіків та жінок ці Брами запечатувати (невідомо, як саме). Вони мають "зливатися" з оточенням планет, куди вони прибувають, запечатувати Брами і рухатися далі. Важлива деталь, прибувають вони через ці самі Брами. Наче проходять двері - і закривають їх за собою.
Але от на планетах, куди вони прибувають, також були кхали. І в ролі нелюдських (в прямому і переносному значеннях) колонізаторів. Тому місцеве населення кхалів недолюблює, а Брам дико боїться. І наша команда рятівників, яка виходить прямісінько із Брами, захвату не викликає.
Це все контекст. Більше ви дізнаєтеся, читаючи роман. Ця передісторія там викладається просто шикарно в плані сторітелінгу. Ми бачимо все очима аборигена Ваньє, а тому ніякої експозиції. Але натяки та спорадичні згадки так гарно впорядковано, що історія складається як пазл - поступово, але повно.
Сама ж історія починається з Нгі Ваньє - нащадка правителя землі Ра-Морій, який випадково вбив одного свого брата і покалічив іншого. Щоправда, вони брати бо батьку, бо матері в них різні. Ваньє мав вибір - вчинити ритуальне самогубство (як харакірі), але він вибирає вигнання - з роду та країни. Стає іліном (в наших реаліях - роніном). Тепер його може вбити будь-хто - без жодних наслідків для себе. Або взяти його на службу: нагодував вечерею - маєш право вимагати року служби в цієї людини. Після року служби ілін переставав бути іліном, а знову ставав повноцінною людиною (в плані прав). На біду, за Ваньє женуться родичі його братів по материнській лінії, які хочуть його вбити. Саме тому він і ховається в моторошній долині. І зустрічає там Морґайне, яка зникла там... сторіччя тому. Наче випарувалася. А тепер - наче матеріалізувалася. Завдяки "магії" (тобто технологіям) рятує їх серед завірюхи в горах. І - саме так! - одразу ж вимагає у Ваньє року служби. Так і починається їхня подорож.
Мета Морґайне - знищити Браму Іврел. Так, головну Браму планети. Вона вже пробувала це зробити сто років тому. Але тоді все пішло не по плану - і загинули армії трьох королівств. Просто дематеріалізувалися. За це Морґайне і ненавидять: вона принесла хаос і розруху, які досі розгрібають мешканці цього світу. А Ваньє має тепер їй допомагати в її тому ж квесті...
Після перших сцен текст стає менш візуальним, а сюжет менш захоплюючим. Але динаміка стосунків між Морґайне і Ваньє... О, Черрі залишає стільки натяків, недомовленостей, що це просто задоволення стежити за тим, як Ваньє поступово перестає боятися Морґайне і сприймати її як свою господиню, а починає в ній більше бачити людину. Але - і це шикарно! - він і далі людина середньовіччя, а тому і далі мислить і сприймає її в категоріях станів, клятв, обов'язків і так далі...
Неймовірно тішить і сам розподіл ролей. По-перше, головна героїня - жінка! Вона "веде" сюжет. По-друге, між нею та Ваньє дуже химерний поділ "знань та вмінь". Зокрема, вона, як людина сучасності, розуміє, що всі ці клятви, вірування і так далі - соціальні конструкти. А тому їх треба використовувати як інструменти для досягнення цілей. І це дозволяє їй "обігрувати" противників. Але їй бракує знання деталей: хто з правителів які має слабкості, які закони та звичаї діють в тій чи іншій землі. А це вже сфера компетентності Ваньє. Таким чином вони ідеально доповнюють одне одного. Причому тут немає чіткого поділу, хто більш, а хто менш компетентний. Все перемішалося.
Також важливо, що ми все бачимо очима Ваньє. Він скрупульозно описує все, що бачить, але не розуміє. А ми ж то розуміємо! Тому для нас Морґайне постає дуже цікавою постаттю. Останньою із сотні, причому вона знає, що не повернеться на Землю, бо ж Браму за собою вона запечатує, а тому повернутися точно не зможе. І цією останньою вона стала після трагедії в долині Іврел: там загинули не лише армії трьох королівств, але й троє її останніх друзів (з цієї сотні сміливців та сміливиць). Тому, хоча Ваньє її поведінка здається дуже "дьорганою", ми все чудово розуміємо. Вона одна, її місія не має кінця, вона має кожного разу швидко "в'їхати" в нову культуру, розібратися в політичній ситуації та інтригах, і зробити все можливе, щоб виконати свою місію по запечатуванню Брами. Ясно, що це стрес, причому хронічний.
В тексту є ще одна перевага. Саме за цю рису я і люблю фентезі. І саме ця риса підважує для мене Толкіна. Події роману - просто епізод в історії цього світу. Причому не найголовніший - на думку його мешканців. Тобто цей світ існував до появи Морґайне, він існуватиме і після. Закриття Брами не означатиме початку нової Епохи (як в Толкіна), кола трава стане зеленішою, а сонце - яскравішим. Все залишиться таким, як було. Це створює відчуття, що світ продовжуватиме існувати і після того, як книгу буде закрито.
Ба більше, в цьому світі немає відчуття, що відбувається щось епічне - і це також чудово! Вони не ставляться до Морґайне як до незвичайної особи. Ось за це хотілося Черрі написати довгого емейла, де сказати, що з погляду соціології все вийшло просто ідеально. (Можливо, вона вчилася на соціології? Не знаю). Адже, коли ми стикаємося із неймовірною подією, ми, щвидше за все, виберемо одну з двох реакцій: 1) цього не було, а те, що ми чули чи бачили - не те, чим здається, 2) так це ж очевидно і логічно, нічого дивного. Тобто поява Морґайне після століття відсутності - це або "брехня" (всі спершу вирішують, що вона шахрайка, але Морґайне швидко переконує всіх, що це не так), або ж це очікувано: вона ж відьма, а тому для неї не проблема "зникнути" на століття, а потім повернутися. Це настільки шедеврально, що в мене нема слів! Це дрібна деталь, але яка точна і реалістична! А тому квест Морґайне для тубільців - цікава справа, але не дуже важлива: не більше за її примху. Вони допомагають, але не дуже ангажуються.
На цьому буду завершувати. Вийшов не зовсім зрозумілий відгук на книгу. Не дуже зрозуміло, що ж відбувається в романі. Але більше я написати не можу. Весь твір побудований на атмосфері. Переказувати сюжет - руйнувати цю атмосферу. Текст читається легко. І одразу скажу - його треба читати в оригіналі. Українського перекладу не існує, а російський дуже химерний. Десь цілі абзаци викинуто, бо... Незрозуміло, чому. Перекадачеві було ліньки перекладати? Десь зміст перекручено. А десь дописано від себе.
І головне, що Черрі пише архаїзованою мовою, причому в Морґайне мова містить більше архаїзмів. Але перекладач це повністю проігнорував.
П.С. а от власні назви... За мотивами оригіналу. Vanye став Вейні, Hjemur - Хеймуром і так далі. Навіщо так???
December 4, 2020
Another fantasy that falls into the trap of being more concerned with the characters walking from point A to point B and having lots of conversations than having much action. The compelling characters kept me in it until the end, but I don't know if I would continue the series.
November 25, 2021
Re-reading early Cherryh after it was mentioned at the finale of Among Others
August 26, 2018
It's no secret that I'm a Cherryh fan, though I've had less appreciation for her fantasy than for her science fiction. And I hadn't realized it, but Ivrel was her first published book. There's a VERY glowing intro by Andre Norton, at a point in time where Norton had never heard of Cherryh before; at this remove, it feels a little like handing off the baton from one writing great to another.
I enjoyed listening to this. It's very old school -- formal, somewhat stylized prose, very compacted storytelling with lots of scenes that would be expanded into chapters and chapters in a modern book, and so on. I was reminded of The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson, though that one's twenty years older than Ivrel. But the same sort of "Damn the moping around, full speed ahead!" attitude.
The story is set in a sword-and-sorcery milieu, but there's a prelude that makes it quite obvious that this is actually sf. There are a series of space/time portals which have twice led to the collapse of interstellar civilizations, and they must be closed at all costs. Morgaine is the last survivor of the party sent out years before to close these gates, which must be shut down world by world and can only be closed from the far side -- trapping her there. And obviously, to the sword-and-sorcery crowd, much of what she does looks like magic.
Although the series is referred to as The Morgaine Cycle (or sometimes Morgaine and Vanye), the main character is actually Vanye, Morgaine's minion/henchman/servant/guard. And poor Vanye can't catch a break. He wants to be a simple, honorable man, but everybody is out to get him in one way or another. Then he stumbles upon a mysterious witch woman who supposedly died 100 years ago, and then EVERYBODY is out to get him -- AND her. And she seems determined to get him killed too!
I already mentioned the formalized prose, but Cherryh's trademark efficiency still shines through. She does a great job of conveying the complexities of the relationships between Vanye and his half-brother, and between Vanye and Morgaine, with very little wasted verbiage. I wished at several points that she *wasn't* so efficient -- I especially wanted time to explore some of the more horrifiying plot points, like when one Bad Guy was trying to stuff his soul into Vanye's body -- but wallowing is just not what this book is about. We must be moving along to the next crisis!
But I'll stop here. In sum, I would like to see this story written in a modern style with more time to explore the nooks and crannies, but as a product of its time it's a lot of fun. I've put book 2, The Well of Shiuan, on Mt. TBR.
As for the narrator -- sadly, the narrator, Jessica Almasy, was not terribly impressive. She mispronounced quite a few words, and her delivery was rushed and sometimes jumbled the meanings of sentences. I have a second, older version of the book, -- but that narrator was too ponderous and the sound quality too bad (it was ripped from old cassettes), so I gave it up and went back to the first.
I enjoyed listening to this. It's very old school -- formal, somewhat stylized prose, very compacted storytelling with lots of scenes that would be expanded into chapters and chapters in a modern book, and so on. I was reminded of The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson, though that one's twenty years older than Ivrel. But the same sort of "Damn the moping around, full speed ahead!" attitude.
The story is set in a sword-and-sorcery milieu, but there's a prelude that makes it quite obvious that this is actually sf. There are a series of space/time portals which have twice led to the collapse of interstellar civilizations, and they must be closed at all costs. Morgaine is the last survivor of the party sent out years before to close these gates, which must be shut down world by world and can only be closed from the far side -- trapping her there. And obviously, to the sword-and-sorcery crowd, much of what she does looks like magic.
Although the series is referred to as The Morgaine Cycle (or sometimes Morgaine and Vanye), the main character is actually Vanye, Morgaine's minion/henchman/servant/guard. And poor Vanye can't catch a break. He wants to be a simple, honorable man, but everybody is out to get him in one way or another. Then he stumbles upon a mysterious witch woman who supposedly died 100 years ago, and then EVERYBODY is out to get him -- AND her. And she seems determined to get him killed too!
I already mentioned the formalized prose, but Cherryh's trademark efficiency still shines through. She does a great job of conveying the complexities of the relationships between Vanye and his half-brother, and between Vanye and Morgaine, with very little wasted verbiage. I wished at several points that she *wasn't* so efficient -- I especially wanted time to explore some of the more horrifiying plot points, like when one Bad Guy was trying to stuff his soul into Vanye's body -- but wallowing is just not what this book is about. We must be moving along to the next crisis!
But I'll stop here. In sum, I would like to see this story written in a modern style with more time to explore the nooks and crannies, but as a product of its time it's a lot of fun. I've put book 2, The Well of Shiuan, on Mt. TBR.
As for the narrator -- sadly, the narrator, Jessica Almasy, was not terribly impressive. She mispronounced quite a few words, and her delivery was rushed and sometimes jumbled the meanings of sentences. I have a second, older version of the book, -- but that narrator was too ponderous and the sound quality too bad (it was ripped from old cassettes), so I gave it up and went back to the first.
December 5, 2016
An unusual book, and a very good one. Sword and sorcery without the usual trappings of machismo. Science fiction where the science has become magic.
I was tearing through DAW imprint SF and Fantasy back when this was published, and I remember a friend had a copy, so it's odd that I never read this series. That missed opportunity has been remedied more than 30 years later.
I'm glad I finally discovered Cherryh. She can really write, transcending the hackneyed cliches and thudding prose common in the genre. The characters are believable and nuanced. Vanye, the proud young warrior agonizing over his shame, and Morgaine, the enigmatic and haunted hero/villain of legend. Cherryh offers action and thrills without over-the-top wish-fullfilment. A straight-ahead quest story that gradually reveals a textured history and background. The world she evokes is rich, strange, and perilous in the best traditions of sword and sorcery.
She does show some bad judgement, perhaps owing to the fact this novel was her debut. The internal monologues and soul-searching that the POV character Vanye indulges in, while well-written and psychologically truthful, sometimes drag on far too long and become oppressive. His private reflection of his suffering takes up more of the story than the events themselves, which slows the pace and interest of the story to questionable ends.
Combat scenes are strangely truncated and abstract. Told at a remove. Introspective musings on horseback may occupy nine pages, while an ambush and battle at the end of the journey is dealt with in a few sentences.
A bigger problem is the reliance of the plot on a series of coincidences, all involving meeting on the road, and then meeting again, a number of other important characters. By the final chapters, the tightening gyre of coincidence undermines the otherwise serious and authentic-feeling story. It also raises doubts about the setting. How small is this realm that riders routinely run into their enemies on wilderness trails and passes? And how can these various cultures remain distinct when they're apparently so close to one another, a day's ride away on horseback?
However, the characters and their struggle, and the haunted realm of Andur-Kursh, are engaging enough to keep me going through the turgid passages. The cultures have the ring of authenticity, their harsh warrior ideals balanced with ideals of honour and vow-taking. Cherry's subtle take on heroism and conflict is a refreshing change from the bombast and hero worship of other books I've recently read in the genre. I'll be sure to read not only the rest of the series, but try other series the prolific Cherryh has written. It's a rare pleasure to discover and enjoy a writer with such an immense back catalog to look forward to.
I was tearing through DAW imprint SF and Fantasy back when this was published, and I remember a friend had a copy, so it's odd that I never read this series. That missed opportunity has been remedied more than 30 years later.
I'm glad I finally discovered Cherryh. She can really write, transcending the hackneyed cliches and thudding prose common in the genre. The characters are believable and nuanced. Vanye, the proud young warrior agonizing over his shame, and Morgaine, the enigmatic and haunted hero/villain of legend. Cherryh offers action and thrills without over-the-top wish-fullfilment. A straight-ahead quest story that gradually reveals a textured history and background. The world she evokes is rich, strange, and perilous in the best traditions of sword and sorcery.
She does show some bad judgement, perhaps owing to the fact this novel was her debut. The internal monologues and soul-searching that the POV character Vanye indulges in, while well-written and psychologically truthful, sometimes drag on far too long and become oppressive. His private reflection of his suffering takes up more of the story than the events themselves, which slows the pace and interest of the story to questionable ends.
Combat scenes are strangely truncated and abstract. Told at a remove. Introspective musings on horseback may occupy nine pages, while an ambush and battle at the end of the journey is dealt with in a few sentences.
A bigger problem is the reliance of the plot on a series of coincidences, all involving meeting on the road, and then meeting again, a number of other important characters. By the final chapters, the tightening gyre of coincidence undermines the otherwise serious and authentic-feeling story. It also raises doubts about the setting. How small is this realm that riders routinely run into their enemies on wilderness trails and passes? And how can these various cultures remain distinct when they're apparently so close to one another, a day's ride away on horseback?
However, the characters and their struggle, and the haunted realm of Andur-Kursh, are engaging enough to keep me going through the turgid passages. The cultures have the ring of authenticity, their harsh warrior ideals balanced with ideals of honour and vow-taking. Cherry's subtle take on heroism and conflict is a refreshing change from the bombast and hero worship of other books I've recently read in the genre. I'll be sure to read not only the rest of the series, but try other series the prolific Cherryh has written. It's a rare pleasure to discover and enjoy a writer with such an immense back catalog to look forward to.
December 6, 2016
Voy al 72% de unas miserables 239 pags …y lo abandono.
No me aporta nada.
Los personajes son dos y aderezados con otros que salpican la historia. Pues bien, no valen para nada ni esos dos principales así que no digamos los otros.
La historia, en teoría sobre unas puertas que comunican el tiempo y el espacio (buen pinta, ¿no?) … estoy por ver todavía para qué valen. El resto es el sempiterno ambiente medieval con reinos enfrentados pero mal definido. El mundo creado (ese “worldbuilding” tan de moda) no vale para nada, es soso de cullons.
Salva un poco que el estilo directo, sencillote, hace legible la novela. Pero me daba la impresión de perder el tiempo y ahí se queda.
Hasta aquí hablo de la novela. El reto os lo podéis saltar, es filosofada barata.
¿Os pasa que los clásicos de CF os decepcionan una y otra vez? J0der, cada vez que cojo una novela de autores viejunos (autores que en su momento idolatraba) me llevo una decepción terrible.
Cherry me gustó bastante (su saga de Chanur, Cyteen, Paladín, Hermanos de Tierra, …) pero ahora no consigo acabar un libro suyo. Asimov y su detective Bailey (10/10 en tiempos) lo acabé en relectura a la fuerza. Vance, Heilein, Zimmer Bradley, Howar …sus relecturas han acabado siempre en fracasos.
Y como hoy en día es fácil conseguir esos libros que en su día se me escaparon en papel, pues de vez en cuando caigo y los leo. Pero me parece que les voy a borrar definitivamente del kindle y en el fututo Dios dirá si me aproximo – con miedo, eso sí- de nuevo a ellos.
Fin de filosofada
No me aporta nada.
Los personajes son dos y aderezados con otros que salpican la historia. Pues bien, no valen para nada ni esos dos principales así que no digamos los otros.
La historia, en teoría sobre unas puertas que comunican el tiempo y el espacio (buen pinta, ¿no?) … estoy por ver todavía para qué valen. El resto es el sempiterno ambiente medieval con reinos enfrentados pero mal definido. El mundo creado (ese “worldbuilding” tan de moda) no vale para nada, es soso de cullons.
Salva un poco que el estilo directo, sencillote, hace legible la novela. Pero me daba la impresión de perder el tiempo y ahí se queda.
Hasta aquí hablo de la novela. El reto os lo podéis saltar, es filosofada barata.
¿Os pasa que los clásicos de CF os decepcionan una y otra vez? J0der, cada vez que cojo una novela de autores viejunos (autores que en su momento idolatraba) me llevo una decepción terrible.
Cherry me gustó bastante (su saga de Chanur, Cyteen, Paladín, Hermanos de Tierra, …) pero ahora no consigo acabar un libro suyo. Asimov y su detective Bailey (10/10 en tiempos) lo acabé en relectura a la fuerza. Vance, Heilein, Zimmer Bradley, Howar …sus relecturas han acabado siempre en fracasos.
Y como hoy en día es fácil conseguir esos libros que en su día se me escaparon en papel, pues de vez en cuando caigo y los leo. Pero me parece que les voy a borrar definitivamente del kindle y en el fututo Dios dirá si me aproximo – con miedo, eso sí- de nuevo a ellos.
Fin de filosofada
June 16, 2020
Dumbest cover ever. It really is a cheat as all the action takes place during winter. (I guess nothing sells books like hot chicks)
In any case, I read this book waaaaay back in the last century. It has held up relatively well. The concept and characters are well done. The tale is told in stilted archaic style. It adds a little flavor without being tedious.
Having read many Cherryh books I can say that action scenes are not her strong suit. The action is this book is described better than most. The story is a bit cramped at the end with obstacles falling by the wayside. (I certainly didn't recall this from my past reading.)
If I needed to find an element that I disliked it would probably be the end because so many players showed up to contend for power and our heroes fell from the hands of one to another.
Worth a read.
In any case, I read this book waaaaay back in the last century. It has held up relatively well. The concept and characters are well done. The tale is told in stilted archaic style. It adds a little flavor without being tedious.
Having read many Cherryh books I can say that action scenes are not her strong suit. The action is this book is described better than most. The story is a bit cramped at the end with obstacles falling by the wayside. (I certainly didn't recall this from my past reading.)
If I needed to find an element that I disliked it would probably be the end because so many players showed up to contend for power and our heroes fell from the hands of one to another.
Worth a read.
December 5, 2018
Fantasy? Yes. Science fiction? Also yes! First read this when it was new, and it made me a lifelong fan of the author. I think Cherryh is a great, great storyteller, and this is one of her top five. Her enduring flaw, methinks, is a tendency to plant brilliant tales in middens of excess prose, and though I've read about everything she's published I've had to skip swathes of the last couple of dozen because they just went on and on to no purpose. But this opener runs around 200 pages, and that's the perfect length (the sequels get pretty wordy, but are also worthwhile). Recommended for everyone.
April 18, 2022
A good tale, and I’m excited to continue the series
April 16, 2019
In 1976 C.J. Cherryh published her first two books. This is one of them. My edition has an introduction written by Andre Norton. Norton states that she had read only a dozen or so books that excited her so much she would re-read them: The Lord of the Rings, books by David Mason (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...), a few of A. Merritt's works, and this book by Cherryh. In fact, she goes on to say, "Never since reading The Lord of the Rings have I been so caught up in any tale as I have in Gate of Ivrel." Cherryh herself when asked which of her own works is her favorite says, "Gate of Ivrel remains dear to my heart; Cyteen is one I’m quite proud of." (https://jsascribes.wordpress.com/2012...)
So, what's the big deal? I suspect with the writing of this book Cherryh found her voice. It has all the earmarks of the Cherryh style she maintained her entire career. Namely it's written in super dense, highly limited, third person omniscient. Terminology aside, what this means is that we get the story from one (and thankfully only one) character's perspective. We can only know as much about what's going on as that one character knows. Furthermore, the "limited" part means we don't even get to know everything the character knows, but to the extent we get to know his thoughts at all, and these usually come in the form of memories, we know only those memories that the situation the character is involved in evokes. William Faulkner employs a similar method in most of his work. Because what information Cherryh provides is so limited, the plot moves very fast. Also, much is demanded from the reader to bring his or her experience in to fill the narrative gaps.
Often, as in this book, Cherryh picks a very limited character as her protagonist. We don't have one as limited as Faulkner's intellectually disabled Benjy (The Sound and the Fury) in this case, but almost so. Our protagonist is a native of a medieval-level technology planet that has its own state politics going who gets caught up in a power struggle between interplanetary beings with advanced technology, including interstellar portals, advanced medicine, mind transplants, and weapons such as light sabers and Star Trek like phasers (I think). We can't be sure, remember, because these items are all seen and thus described from a primitive perspective. Nevertheless, they form an important part of the struggle.
The heart of the story for me is the relationship the protagonist forms with one of these interplanetary beings and watching it grow. It's an unconventional, unforgettable romance story set in a wonderful science fantasy setting. I don't want to give away any further plot points. They're hard to predict and great fun as surprise value. This entire story is an incredible ride!
So, what's the big deal? I suspect with the writing of this book Cherryh found her voice. It has all the earmarks of the Cherryh style she maintained her entire career. Namely it's written in super dense, highly limited, third person omniscient. Terminology aside, what this means is that we get the story from one (and thankfully only one) character's perspective. We can only know as much about what's going on as that one character knows. Furthermore, the "limited" part means we don't even get to know everything the character knows, but to the extent we get to know his thoughts at all, and these usually come in the form of memories, we know only those memories that the situation the character is involved in evokes. William Faulkner employs a similar method in most of his work. Because what information Cherryh provides is so limited, the plot moves very fast. Also, much is demanded from the reader to bring his or her experience in to fill the narrative gaps.
Often, as in this book, Cherryh picks a very limited character as her protagonist. We don't have one as limited as Faulkner's intellectually disabled Benjy (The Sound and the Fury) in this case, but almost so. Our protagonist is a native of a medieval-level technology planet that has its own state politics going who gets caught up in a power struggle between interplanetary beings with advanced technology, including interstellar portals, advanced medicine, mind transplants, and weapons such as light sabers and Star Trek like phasers (I think). We can't be sure, remember, because these items are all seen and thus described from a primitive perspective. Nevertheless, they form an important part of the struggle.
The heart of the story for me is the relationship the protagonist forms with one of these interplanetary beings and watching it grow. It's an unconventional, unforgettable romance story set in a wonderful science fantasy setting. I don't want to give away any further plot points. They're hard to predict and great fun as surprise value. This entire story is an incredible ride!
Read
July 28, 2024Read for book club. I had previously tried Cherryh's Downbelow Station and bounced off it, because the beginning just didn't grab me sufficiently to keep reading. I liked this one; I don't think I'll pick up the sequels, but I'm glad I read it.
I'm curious how this 1976 book fits in to the history of science-fantasy; it predates The Book of the New Sun, which I often see cited as an important early text in the genre.
Some of the worldbuilding and characters felt a little scattered, but the core trio of Morgaine, Nhi Vanye, and his half brother were great. I liked how both Morgaine and Nhi Vanye were motivated in different ways by extreme dedication to an ideal. I loved Morgaine's self-awareness as an arch-utilitarian who had nonetheless not lost her humanity; willing to sacrifice all of her ethical qualms to achieve her universe-changing goal, but still feeling human feelings. And "Changeling" is a super cool artifact weapon.
Having just read Three Hearts and Three Lions, I'm interested in how much Cherryh was inspired by the literary figure of Morgan le Fay in creating Morgaine; there are several clear parallels (outworlder from a place out-of-time who is ambiguously good/evil, closely associated with a cool sword).
I'm curious how this 1976 book fits in to the history of science-fantasy; it predates The Book of the New Sun, which I often see cited as an important early text in the genre.
Some of the worldbuilding and characters felt a little scattered, but the core trio of Morgaine, Nhi Vanye, and his half brother were great. I liked how both Morgaine and Nhi Vanye were motivated in different ways by extreme dedication to an ideal. I loved Morgaine's self-awareness as an arch-utilitarian who had nonetheless not lost her humanity; willing to sacrifice all of her ethical qualms to achieve her universe-changing goal, but still feeling human feelings. And "Changeling" is a super cool artifact weapon.
Having just read Three Hearts and Three Lions, I'm interested in how much Cherryh was inspired by the literary figure of Morgan le Fay in creating Morgaine; there are several clear parallels (outworlder from a place out-of-time who is ambiguously good/evil, closely associated with a cool sword).
February 19, 2021
I have been a fan of Cherryh for years, but I likely would not have picked this up so soon if I hadn't watched a conversation between Kacen Callender and R.J. Barker you may still be able to watch it here but I liked that Barker recommended her work and specifically this series. I haven't yet read either authors works, but I do intend to, I'd missed too reading a paperback, so much of my reading of late is digital or audio.
Morgaine comes into Vanye's life when he needs her most, becoming her vessel by oath and going along on a quest that may get the both of them killed -if Vanye's half brother Erij or his cousin Roh don't try, but the qhal of Ivrel and it's Gate must die too.
Morgaine comes into Vanye's life when he needs her most, becoming her vessel by oath and going along on a quest that may get the both of them killed -if Vanye's half brother Erij or his cousin Roh don't try, but the qhal of Ivrel and it's Gate must die too.
October 19, 2024
This is Cherryh's very first novel and as such it is not bad, I just felt that she hadn't quite hit her stride yet. This is somewhere between a medieval fantasy novel and a sci-fi book with the eponymous portal, the gate of Ivrel, being the central focus point. However, I wasn't inspired by the characters here and the narrative got confusing at points. Cherryh is working up to her third-person stream-of-consciousness style that works so well in the Chanur novels as well as Cyteen, but there are still some growing pains. As much as I love her stuff, I am not sure to carry on to the other 3 novels in this cycle.
June 28, 2022
These really did tend to come with some fantastically embarrasing covers, until I finally got my hands on the gorgeous omnibus edition with the John Higgins art. However, years later, this is me listening to the audiobook, as is my wont these days, giving me poor eyes a break, and what wonderful works of science fantasy they are - worlds long fallen into feudalism once linked across time and space by alien gates until an emipre-shattering catastrophe. Now Morgaine is the last survivor of a team sent out to travel through the gates, destroying them as they go, dooming themselves to never return and to a task of unknowable duration. Her motives and her aims are utterly unknowable to outcast Vanye, bound to her by oath, she is a creature out of legend come back to life dragging him into danger and across boundaries of family and loyalty she doesn't have the luxury to care about. A fantasy adventure with a science fiction foundation that's as tortured and twisted as any Norse myth.
June 8, 2009
I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. I just really had a fairly hard time getting caught up in it. I see a lot of others have rated it higher so it may just be me. I stopped here in the trilogy, though, and to this day haven't read anything else by Cherryh except some of the fine short stories she did in the Theives' World series.
May 27, 2022
Some of the most fascinating worldbuilding I've encountered. Bleak, human, liminal. Unputdownable. Exactly what I needed.
March 13, 2023
Gates of Ivrel makes clear at the start that this is a fantasy world by way of post-post-apocalypse scifi. Long ago, a race called the qhal built a galactic empire by utilizing "gates", technology which permitted instantaneous travel over distance and time. As is often the case, the qhal messed around with time too much and accidentally obliterated themselves in the process.
However, the gates still remain. It's never outright stated, but it seems enough time has passed that each world has developed its own post-qhal culture, with qhalian artifacts forgotten and shunned. You can see snippets of the qhal's influence in the language and history of the world (the specfic world in this book is called Andur-Kursh), but these descendants are strictly separate from them.
The danger of the gates - through malicious purpose, accident, or malfunction of the machinery itself - prompted the need for an organization (their origins never made clear) to send agents out to close the gates across the worlds.
The titular Morgaine is one such agent tasked with closing these gates. Who or what she is is not made clear in this book, and while her goal will ultimately help the world by closing the gates, that is of distant benefit to her. She is both an alien and legendary figure, treated more like a demon than a human. There's a mutual distance, distrust and fear between her and the inhabitants of the land.
Our protagonist, Vayne, is one such inhabitant. He is a royal bastard who is exiled at the start of the book and eventually becomes Morgaine's companion and servant via coincidence and fairly intricate contract law.
His story and character arc at first seem predictable: a skilled bastard who is ill-treated and eventually exiled when he becomes too much of an inconvenience, only to be swept up in a grand adventure where he's able to flourish and become the hero he was always meant to be.
But that is not Vayne. As the layers of the onion are peeled back, Vayne is revealed to be a sad and even pathetic character. He is a self-admitted coward, fearing death above all else, and apart from his code of honor he has little to call his own. He is loyal to Morgaine, for that is his greatest strength, but he is as often a burden and liability to her quest as an asset.
These wrinkles make Vayne into an extremely interesting character, particularly when contrasted against the stoic and driven Morgaine, who has weaknesses and a certain type of cowardice of her own. Exploring how their relationship evolves is one of the core threads throughout the book.
My greatest enjoyment came from the many character dynamics at play in Gates of Ivrel. Supporting characters might start as an ally only to turn foe and then back again depending on the situation. Andur-Kursh is politically complicated, and Morgaine herself is treated like a force of nature that can be coaxed in certain advantageous directions by opportunistic schemes.
Both Vayne and Morgaine are hanging by a thread for almost the entire book, just barely outrunning one plot only to stumble immediately into the next one. It makes for exciting writing, but at its worst it comes across like a Saturday morning cartoon where villains pop up with almost comical timing.
It's a quick read, but it would have been stronger for having a number of slower sections to give the plot a breather and to help convey the great distances being travelled. As it stands, the land of Andur-Kursh feels small, as characters are able to travel too quickly and set up confrontations and ambushes in ways that feel at odds with the geography she describes.
As far as genre goes, it's interesting to read a book in which the reader knows it's scifi but is treated in-world as a fantasy. You can intuit what the gates are and how the technology Morgaine wields works, but everything is strictly through the lens of Vayne who does not understand any of it. He'll describe events using his understanding and language, and all of a sudden it'll click what he's actually experiencing from "our" perspective. These are very satisfying moments in the book, so I won't spoil them here.
I know nothing of the Morgaine Cycle or Cherryh herself when I started this book, but I've quickly become a fan and I plan to read the next book (Well of Shiuan) in short order.
However, the gates still remain. It's never outright stated, but it seems enough time has passed that each world has developed its own post-qhal culture, with qhalian artifacts forgotten and shunned. You can see snippets of the qhal's influence in the language and history of the world (the specfic world in this book is called Andur-Kursh), but these descendants are strictly separate from them.
The danger of the gates - through malicious purpose, accident, or malfunction of the machinery itself - prompted the need for an organization (their origins never made clear) to send agents out to close the gates across the worlds.
The titular Morgaine is one such agent tasked with closing these gates. Who or what she is is not made clear in this book, and while her goal will ultimately help the world by closing the gates, that is of distant benefit to her. She is both an alien and legendary figure, treated more like a demon than a human. There's a mutual distance, distrust and fear between her and the inhabitants of the land.
Our protagonist, Vayne, is one such inhabitant. He is a royal bastard who is exiled at the start of the book and eventually becomes Morgaine's companion and servant via coincidence and fairly intricate contract law.
His story and character arc at first seem predictable: a skilled bastard who is ill-treated and eventually exiled when he becomes too much of an inconvenience, only to be swept up in a grand adventure where he's able to flourish and become the hero he was always meant to be.
But that is not Vayne. As the layers of the onion are peeled back, Vayne is revealed to be a sad and even pathetic character. He is a self-admitted coward, fearing death above all else, and apart from his code of honor he has little to call his own. He is loyal to Morgaine, for that is his greatest strength, but he is as often a burden and liability to her quest as an asset.
These wrinkles make Vayne into an extremely interesting character, particularly when contrasted against the stoic and driven Morgaine, who has weaknesses and a certain type of cowardice of her own. Exploring how their relationship evolves is one of the core threads throughout the book.
My greatest enjoyment came from the many character dynamics at play in Gates of Ivrel. Supporting characters might start as an ally only to turn foe and then back again depending on the situation. Andur-Kursh is politically complicated, and Morgaine herself is treated like a force of nature that can be coaxed in certain advantageous directions by opportunistic schemes.
Both Vayne and Morgaine are hanging by a thread for almost the entire book, just barely outrunning one plot only to stumble immediately into the next one. It makes for exciting writing, but at its worst it comes across like a Saturday morning cartoon where villains pop up with almost comical timing.
It's a quick read, but it would have been stronger for having a number of slower sections to give the plot a breather and to help convey the great distances being travelled. As it stands, the land of Andur-Kursh feels small, as characters are able to travel too quickly and set up confrontations and ambushes in ways that feel at odds with the geography she describes.
As far as genre goes, it's interesting to read a book in which the reader knows it's scifi but is treated in-world as a fantasy. You can intuit what the gates are and how the technology Morgaine wields works, but everything is strictly through the lens of Vayne who does not understand any of it. He'll describe events using his understanding and language, and all of a sudden it'll click what he's actually experiencing from "our" perspective. These are very satisfying moments in the book, so I won't spoil them here.
I know nothing of the Morgaine Cycle or Cherryh herself when I started this book, but I've quickly become a fan and I plan to read the next book (Well of Shiuan) in short order.
May 15, 2025
This author is genuinely approaching my GOAT Status! This is now my 12th book by C.J. Cherryh, and I am happy to say that this is arguably her best. The key standout in all of Cheryh's books - especially this one - is the relationships between characters. This is by far some of her best character work, only rivaled by Cefwyn and Tristin in the Fortress series. Our protagonist, Vanye, is the definition of a man trying his best. He has been ostracized by a family that never appreciated him when he was there. The youngest bastard in the ruling family of the Niya clan, Vanye was born to be treated less than. Even with the cruel circumstances in which he was born, he is a man who keeps his oaths. Whether that is to a brother who loves him but cannot like him, or to his lady Morgaine, who, though others only see what is said of her, he sees her for who she is now, not the crimes she committed in the past. I am beyond excited to continue this series. I do not own the last book, so I'm wondering whether I should read this series in a monthly manner, but we will see!
March 9, 2024
3.5 stars - read back in 80’s and enjoyed- listened this time years later and Vanye spends too much time pleading with everyone to understand him and let him do what he thinks is right regardless of cost & without thinking anything through as well- although i probably identified with that back then i have to say
Still quite enjoyable - Ms Cherryh has always excelled at the person out of place and understanding, trying to deal with hard choices
Still quite enjoyable - Ms Cherryh has always excelled at the person out of place and understanding, trying to deal with hard choices
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