Wraiths of Time - Andre Norton - cover artist M Kane
Fawcett paperback - published 1978
reviewed by CR:
Two FBI agents visit a museum curator, a Ms Tallahassee Mitford a specialist in African artifacts, and request an appraisal of an enigmaticly designed container of considerable apparent antiquity. While awaiting the arrival of an Egyptian art expert the object is placed in a safe. We are informed that the item is radioactive.
Through a convoluted set of circumstances the safe is opened, the box breached to reveal a glowing ankh that floats in the air. At this point, thunder erupts, the light go out, Ms Mitford, is "guided' to an Egyptian exhibit with a ancient "rod" festooned with cryptic designs. Rod and ankh touch and our female protagonist is teleported to ancient Africa to confront a corpse that has a striking resemblance to herself. A few pages later soldiers with guns land in a helicopter-like flying craft and thing get more comvoluted. Eventually we are informed that Ms Mitford has be transported to an "alternate-earth" cotangent with our earth but separated by a veil that can only be parted with mystical powers. To say any more would spoil the plot resolution for potential readers.
I have read many of Ms Norton's novels and would recommend many other titles before this one. I found this book overly long, the plot unnecessarily convoluted and, well, just slow going and uninteresting at times. Nonetheless it is a book by Andre Norton so fans should read it!
The blurb printed on my Fawcett Crest paperback stated "Hurled through time to an ancient kingdom. She became a warrior goddess-enemy of evil". That about sums it up.
Wraiths of Time - Andre Norton - cover artist M Kane
Fawcett paperback - published 1978
reviewed by CR:
Two FBI agents visit a museum curator, a Ms Tallahassee Mitford a specialist in African artifacts, and request an appraisal of an enigmaticly designed container of considerable apparent antiquity. While awaiting the arrival of an Egyptian art expert the object is placed in a safe. We are informed that the item is radioactive.
Through a convoluted set of circumstances the safe is opened, the box breached to reveal a glowing ankh that floats in the air. At this point, thunder erupts, the light go out, Ms Mitford, is "guided' to an Egyptian exhibit with a ancient "rod" festooned with cryptic designs. Rod and ankh touch and our female protagonist is teleported to ancient Africa to confront a corpse that has a striking resemblance to herself. A few pages later soldiers with guns land in a helicopter-like flying craft and thing get more comvoluted. Eventually we are informed that Ms Mitford has be transported to an "alternate-earth" cotangent with our earth but separated by a veil that can only be parted with mystical powers. To say any more would spoil the plot resolution for potential readers.
I have read many of Ms Norton's novels and would recommend many other titles before this one. I found this book overly long, the plot unnecessarily convoluted and, well, just slow going and uninteresting at times. Nonetheless it is a book by Andre Norton so fans should read it!
The blurb printed on my Fawcett Crest paperback stated "Hurled through time to an ancient kingdom. She became a warrior goddess-enemy of evil". That about sums it up.