: _Judgment on Janus_, in which a young man from the [infamous] Dipple sells himself into indentured servitude to buy a pain-free death for his mother. He finds glittery alien artifacts hidden in a tree, gets the "green sick" and awakens with the memories of a long-dead Ift.

: How's that? :)

Nice work, Jerrie. I made this as hard as I could, but figured such an indelibly great story would shine through for someone. And since you so nicely explicated the clues, no penalty for not including the character's name -- Niall Renfro.

And what's so great here? Oh, just the sheer magic. Being swept away to somewhere so distant and mysterious. The lost world of Iftcan is perhaps Ms Norton's best brush with the elegaic. Niall/Ayyar exploring the ancient forest citadel of Iftsiga brings, if I may permit myself crossing authors, a whiff of the glades of Laurelindorinan.

I see that Janus appeared the same year as Witch World; it certainly has elements that bridge over into (hate the term) "fantasy".

This and Storm Over Warlock were my two favorite Norton titles when I was a schoolboy. Janus has certainly stood the test of time; read it again this summer. I'm saving Warlock, but suspect it will re-enchant as well. For strength of magic, I'd rank Moon Of Three Rings right alongside.