NO NIGHT WITHOUT STARS

Rating:
Summary: Seeking the Before People
Review: No Night Without Stars is a post-apocalyptic novel that takes place three centuries after the cataclysm that caused the Dark Time. When the Earth danced, mountains belched fire and sea waves hammered the land, many animals and countless men had perished. The cold and great choking clouds of evil air killed many more. Only a handful of men and animals survived here and there.

After the skies cleared once again, there were changes. Some animals grew larger, like the clever and adaptable koyots who became riding animals for the Mobs. And the Traders spoke of distant species of men who had grown into giants.

In this novel, Sander left Jak's Mob to search for the secret of working the strange metals found among the ruins of the Before People. Together with Rhin, his mount, Sander came East seeking the ancient ruins where such metals were found. He finds a village by the sea that has been attacked by the Sea Shark slavers. Although he only takes some food and tools from the village, a survivor tracks him down during the night and questions him.

The next day, Fanyi finds him again under the open sky. She and her companions, the fishers Kai and Kayi, had been away when the raiders attacked Padford. Now, as the village shaman, she works to pay back the blood debt. She tells Sander that her foreseeing has shown their paths to run together, following her pendant toward the Great Place of the Before People.

In this story, Sander, Fanyi and their animal companions trek north and east, crossing forests, rivers and dry sea beds. They discover strange and dangerous new species, demolished cities, and ocean bottoms littered with huge bones, dead ships and ancient ruins. Eventually, they find the cache of old knowledge for which they are searching and face therein a danger greater than any other they have encountered.

This story has many of the author's signature elements. Two young persons and their mutated animals are engaged in a quest that takes them through ruins, tunnels and mountains of debris. They find an ancient and mysterious machine with mental powers which presents a danger to humanity. Despite learning that their hopes have been based on mistaken ideas, they persevere anyway and overcome all obstacles to emerge triumphantly and with new found wisdom.

This is not one of the author's major works, but is still an enjoyable read. Recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys quest tales among the ruins of civilization.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Rating:
Summary: Seeking the Before People
Review: No Night Without Stars is a post-apocalyptic novel that takes place three centuries after the cataclysm that caused the Dark Time. When the Earth danced, mountains belched fire and sea waves hammered the land, many animals and countless men had perished. The cold and great choking clouds of evil air killed many more. Only a handful of men and animals survived here and there.

After the skies cleared once again, there were changes. Some animals grew larger, like the clever and adaptable koyots who became riding animals for the Mobs. And the Traders spoke of distant species of men who had grown into giants.

In this novel, Sander left Jak's Mob to search for the secret of working the strange metals found among the ruins of the Before People. Together with Rhin, his mount, Sander came East seeking the ancient ruins where such metals were found. He finds a village by the sea that has been attacked by the Sea Shark slavers. Although he only takes some food and tools from the village, a survivor tracks him down during the night and questions him.

The next day, Fanyi finds him again under the open sky. She and her companions, the fishers Kai and Kayi, had been away when the raiders attacked Padford. Now, as the village shaman, she works to pay back the blood debt. She tells Sander that her foreseeing has shown their paths to run together, following her pendant toward the Great Place of the Before People.

In this story, Sander, Fanyi and their animal companions trek north and east, crossing forests, rivers and dry sea beds. They discover strange and dangerous new species, demolished cities, and ocean bottoms littered with huge bones, dead ships and ancient ruins. Eventually, they find the cache of old knowledge for which they are searching and face therein a danger greater than any other they have encountered.

This story has many of the author's signature elements. Two young persons and their mutated animals are engaged in a quest that takes them through ruins, tunnels and mountains of debris. They find an ancient and mysterious machine with mental powers which presents a danger to humanity. Despite learning that their hopes have been based on mistaken ideas, they persevere anyway and overcome all obstacles to emerge triumphantly and with new found wisdom.

This is not one of the author's major works, but is still an enjoyable read. Recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys quest tales among the ruins of civilization.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Rating:
Summary: No Night Without Stars
Review: The book that I am reading, No Night Without Stars, takes place in the future, when the earth danced on its axes in turmoil and destruction concieved a new beginning. The main characters in the book are Sander and Fanyi. Sander is a young blacksmith`s apprentice, who is set to inherit his father`s position as Master Blacksmith. At the time of his father`s death, Sander`s uncle, Ibbert, who is also a blacksmith, denies him his rightful position as Master Blacksmith and assumes the role for himself.Sander will not accept his uncle`s decision, and leaves his nomadic tribe that dwells in the plains of the west. Sander set out to the east lands by the sea,in search of forgotten technology. To have knowledge of metal forging from the past would surely give Sander the power to overtake his uncle`s role as Master Blacksmith. On Sander`s way to the east, he teams up with a woman named Fanyi, who is a cross between Zena`s Linda Lawless and the talk show host Lezza. Fanyi not only has beauty and brawn, but also brains and finesse. I enjoyed reading this book, with adventure around every corner and a verity of mutant creatures. The reading is easy, and the author does not insist on technical terms that would have you reaching for your dictionary after each turn of the page. I would recommend this book to young readers or adults who get bored with lengthy, hard-to-read novels. Our characters end up finding more than what they seek. The way they find their sought knowledge is unexpected and exciting.Andre Norton is a exciting science fiction writer, with a down-to-earth technique that does not play on vulgar expressions to entice his reader. The cover page illustration does not do the book justice.I believe my daugther would have done a better drawing with a box of crayons and construction paper. PEACE.

Rating:
Summary: The first novel I ever read. Still my favorite!!
Review: This was the first novel I read. I was in the 3rd grade and my older brother was visiting out house, I picked up No Night Without Stars and couldn't put it down. It opened my eyes to the works of Science Fiction. I then started reading an average of one novel a week. My teacher in school said she'd never seen anyone in the 3rd grade reading regular novels. No Night Without Stars helped me greatly in my schoolwork, because I started reading so much, my reading skills improved so much! I still re-read the book at least once a year.

Rating:
Summary: The first novel I ever read. Still my favorite!!
Review: This was the first novel I read. I was in the 3rd grade andmy older brother was visiting out house, I picked up No NightWithout Stars and couldn't put it down. It opened my eyes to the works of Science Fiction. I then started reading an average of one novel a week. My teacher in school said she'd never seen anyone in the 3rd grade reading regular novels. No Night Without Stars helped me greatly in my schoolwork, because I started reading so much, my reading skills improved so much! I still re-read the book at least once a year.