Andre Norton Forum

Re: So, anyone wanna convert a clueless, uninformed Andre Norton newbie into a devoted reader? :)

: : Hey... :) : : there's so much out there that I don't know where to start! In your opinion, which is the best Andre Norton book to start with? If you really wanted to get me hooked, which one would you make me read? :)

: Unfortunately my favorite Andre Norton books are sometimes hard to find.

: You also, quite rightly, didn't give us your age.

Hello, all; Just surfing. I'd like to suggest 'The Elvenbane' . . .... . which Andre Norton co-wrote with Mercedes Lackey as a first read . . . I even got my MOM into fantasy with that book. : My Favorite!!!! Andre Norton book, when I was 12 was SCAREFACE, this isn't Fantasy, it isn't even Science Fiction, it is an adventure story.

: I recommend visiting your local library, and scouting out the Young Adult section for whatever they have. Look for STAR KA'AT (junior readers), SECRET OF THE LOST RACE, and DRAGON MAGIC. None of these are really fantasy, but are very good 'reads'.

: If you are in the 16-20 range, I suggest some of the more hard hitting Science Fiction, like, NIGHT OF MASKS, MOON OF THREE RINGS, and ORDEAL IN OTHERWHERE. The last of these crosses over into Fantasy, as does the later books in the MOON series.

: If you like the "Seven People and a Quest" type of Tolkenisque fantasy, try out QUAG KEEP.

: If you like magic and monsters, any of the Witch World books (WITCH WORLD and YEAR OF THE UNICORN, and the follow on JARGOON PARD) will help you enter a world where magic is real, and the monsters can eat you.

: If you want to get your feet wet, try the anthology WIZARD'S WORLDS. This will give you a peek into many of the types of writing that Andre Norton does.

: If you want the type of Fantasy (a girl and her horse) that Mercedes Lackey & Tamora Pierce write, you could try KEY OF THE KEPLIAN, which is a Witch World novel, but doesn't really require you to have read the earlier books.

: I would definitely start at the library, and then visit the local used book store and then join the rest of us haunting every book source available (hooked, hooked, hooked)