The Hands of Lyr

Andre Norton

Book 1 of Five Senses

Language: English

Publisher: Avon

Published: Jan 1, 1994

Description:

Once the magnificent garden of the goddess Lyr, the land called the Ryrt lies blackened and desolate, destroyed by an ancient and cunning depravity. It is here that the beautiful child Alnosha came—to awaken, to learn… and to hone her astonishing ability to divine by touch.

Now years have passed, and another has made his way to this terrible ruined place – an embittered high-born youth fleeing the bloodthirsty servants of a false god. And though he mistrusts Alnosha’s powers, the fugitive Kryn is inexplicably drawn to the reluctant young heroine. For he has been chosen to serve as her sword and champion – to accompany her into the malevolent heart of an all-consuming darkness on a perilous quest for light.

Review

A beautiful child with the ability to divine by touch is born in a ruined land, and a fugitive finds himself drawn to her and her cause in Norton's riveting fantasy. Enjoy fast-paced action and a characterization which holds the fantasy plot together in this story. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Norton's latest fantasy features a psychic girl who, with the aid of a reluctant young noble, takes on a quest to destroy an evil wizard.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Norton, one of the first women sf/fantasy writers with the selling clout to match the Asimovs and the Heinleins, expands her impressive oeuvre with this tale of a fledgling priestess on a dying planet.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Norton's latest solo is a quest tale: a young warrior and an equally young priestess must find the hands (or at least the 10 fingers) of Lyr, which is something between an elemental force and an outright god. To do so is the only way to restore life to a wasted land. This is not Norton at her very best; the size of the book compared with the smaller size of the story makes for slow pacing. But the execution is competent enough, and the narrative includes various nice touches that reflect Norton's abiding conviction that men and women are best off going through the world two by two. Certain to find readers among Norton's large and devout following. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

This fantasy is set in a world where magic is spelled ``magick'' and miracles are commonplace and fearsome. It tells the story of the defeat of Razkan, an evil wizard who has enslaved the land, defeated the goddess Lyr, and plans on conquering the world. He has founded a religion and sent missionaries abroad to subvert neighboring countries. The heroes, Alnosha, a determined but wimpish novice priestess, and Kryn, the hotheaded outlaw heir to a fallen noble house, struggle to retrieve the dispersed, crystalline fingers of the goddess in order to restore her powers. They form friendships, are betrayed, but obstinately move forward. Together they overcome a standard set of obstacles, such as frightful beasts, greedy and ambitious nobles, and jealous wives, to prove themselves worthy of their quest. This is a real yawner, a formula fantasy with a formula quest, filled with standard characters, places, and situations of no particular interest except to die-hard fans of SF-and-fantasy veteran Norton (Brother to Shadows, 1993). -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.