The Crystal Gryphon is the story of Kerovan, heir to the throne of Ulmsdale, who, thanks to the circumstances and result of his birth, is set apart from the regular folk in the Dales. When Kerovan’s mother gave birth to him she did so sheltered in a ruin of the ‘Old Ones’, mysterious folk who once inhabited the Dales, and Kerovan was born with the cloven feet of cattle and eyes the colour of deepest amber. Kerovan’s mother, the Lady Tephana, swore she could never love such a creature, and Kerovan was forced to grow up living apart from his birth family, with Jago – a keepless man of good birth.With Jago Kerovan learns the arts of war. But it is the Wiseman Riwal that nurtures Kerovan’s true passion; a thirst for knowledge of the secrets of the past. With Riwal Kerovan travels to places feared by the folk of the Dales, looking for answers. On one such journey Kerovan comes upon a mysterious crystal pendant, adorned with a gryphon, and feels compelled to send the relic to the wife he has never met, the Lady Joisan. Across the land, Joisan treasures the relic, and dreams of the husband she will one day meet. But in the year of the Moss, when Joisan is due to take up her wifely duties, a bloody war sweeps through the land as the Dales fall victim to an invasion from the sea. The keep at Ulmsdale is betrayed and Kerovan sets off across the Dales to find his betrothed whose own home has been destroyed.The developing relationship between Joisan and Kerovan forms the base of the main storyline and the chapters of the book alternate, being told by Kerovan and Joisan in turn. Despite having never met, Joisan and Kerovan each harbour a certain fondness for each other, each of them drawn, and warmed by the other. As though they are bonded by something stronger than the laws which connect them as husband and wife, a deeper presence draws them to one another. Even when Joisan mistakes Kerovan for one of the Old Ones, you can tell that she is drawn towards him, the strange ‘Lord Amber’, despite not knowing his true identity.Norton uses Olde English-style dialogue, and a medieval-type setting to create a spectacular backdrop for a strange, dark and somewhat frightening fantasy world. From the start I was completely absorbed by the mystery surrounding the Old Ones. I can imagine the parts of the world that were inhabited by this mysterious race of beings appearing like a ghost town, deserted, but with an ominous presence alluding to troubled past. I am fascinated by old buildings and the remains of ancient civilisations, so the idea of there being such relics, buildings and ruins dotted across the countryside, which tell only part of the tale of a whole different existence is really quite mesmerising to me. I was so easily drawn into Kerovan’s travels, and got completely caught up in the mystery of his fantasy world. The whole way through The Crystal Gryphon I was desperate to know more about the Old Ones, and the world that they inhabited.Thank goodness it is only the first of a trilogy! The Crystal Gryphon is a wonderfully mysterious and gripping tale, which combines the fantastical with the uncanny, and at times borders on the downright creepy. I don’t know what more to say other than I loved it and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trilogy has in store.First published on Jade the Obscure
Probably should not be read as a stand alone24 October 2012tThe biggest problem that I found with this book was that it turned out that it was written in the middle of a massive series of books, namely the Witch World series, of which I had no real knowledge. I have noted that quite a lot of people really enjoyed this book, and I was attracted to it by the cover where you had an army of early modern soldiers slaughtering an army of medieval soldiers. However, as I mentioned, this book sits in the middle of a larger series of books, and in a way I found it hard to follow, and pretty much got lost a third of the way through. Oh, I should also mention that this book was a present given to me by a young lady that I knew at high school, and has been sitting on my shelf ever since, namely because it was a part of a series (which is probably why she gave it to me).tAnyway, the story is sort of written in a style that has become popular with Game of Thrones, where each chapter is told from the point of view of a main character, however in this story we only have two, Kerovan and Josian. Kerovan is basically a freak. He was born in a storm after taking shelter in a building built by the old ones, has hooves instead of legs, and strange eyes. Since he is such a freak, he is rejected by his mother, and pretty much treated as an outcast, despite being the heir to Ulmsport (his father seems to accept him). Josian is the woman that has been betrothed to him and is expected to marry him. Norton writes it as if they were already married, though they had to wait until they came of age to consummate the relationship. Some have suggested that this is an interesting point, but in reality, this is the way things happened between noble families for a long time. There is nothing different between what happened in this book, and what happens with regards to arranged marriages.tTo be honest, this was about the time the book lost me. I know that Kerovan went off and discovered some crystal orb which contained a gryphon, and that it was like powerful, and I also know that somehow Josian landed up with it, but really, the book did not captivate me all that much. I also know that there was some invasion pretty much destroying the land, however, I believe that the bad guy, and the plot, had little to do with this invasion, and was focused on something else. It really only acted as a background. As for the book, well, if you had read it as part of the series, then maybe it will make more sense, however for me, I am nowhere near as obsessed with fantasy as I used to be, so this will simply be thrown into my read book pile, and maybe, if I have time, I might take a second look at Witch World.
What do You think about The Crystal Gryphon (1985)?
(Original review from Sep 2005)One of Norton’s finest fantasy novels, from her Witch World/High Hallack series. Having read this when it was new and I was young, I may have “impressed” on it like a baby chick, but this tale of the war- and magic-crossed protagonists, one a noble maiden who seeks her independence, the other the magically mutated scion of another duchy, still resonates with me. How they face prejudice, betrayal, war, and other Shakespearean-class plot complications continues to appeal.I recently purchased a second-hand hardcover edition of this, to make up for my worn-to-falling-apart paperback. It’s a pity it’s out of print.
—***Dave Hill
I must say, having read Gryphon's Eyrie first, I went into this book with a knowledge of one who has read a series and now has the prequel.Though, as one of the main characters, Kerovan's manner is stiff and rather formal. When one places it against the foil of his upbringing - the emotional abandonment of his father; the hatred from his mother; and the eventual loss of those he'd come to know as friends - such detachment is rather human. This inner turmoil is constant in all of narrative, yet it does not overwhelm the reader in a 'poor me' attitude, instead it has an atmosphere of acceptance.On the other side of the coin, Joisan, who we are told from the get-go is to become his wife (and shares the chapter-switch with Kerovan) is confident in herself and, though not sure of her abilities, has a wide streak of determination that goes far to make her a good and strong character.Though set against the back-drop of an invasion (one whose origins are clearer if read in sequence with the other witch world novels), there is little in the way of political or military talk, but it's pretty clear early on that this is more about the characters inner struggle than the physical battles happening around them, yet both play an important part to make this story a fantastic read.
—Aldrea Alien
This was the first book of the Gryphon trilogy I read, and it really took me to another world. Norton has the ability to create very alien, magical landscapes and compelling charcters, both of which I found engrossing as a young girl. Especially because the main character was also a young girl on a quest. I don't remember all the specifics, (there was a guy she became involved with, and an underground maze, and desert, and some special jewels, and secrets about a long lost civilization... I should probably read it again) but really enjoyed it, and read it several times.
—Annalisa
