The Morgaine Saga is science fiction-fantasy, and I do not really read a lot of fantasy, esp given that fantasy heroines tend to be decked out in chain mail bikinis or be token playthings. Morgaine, however, is neither. Course she is thought to be a witch, but that is because she is from a distant, technologically advanced world. The last surviving member of the task force sent out to close interplanetary Gates (portals/wormholes) which are undermining the fabric of the universe, Morgaine is stranded on a planet where feudal rules prevail. She proves quite capable of playing by these rules, even though the odds are much against her and her liegeman, Vanye.

The trilogy could just as well be titled The Vanye Saga, as it is told from Vanye's point of view and Vanye is a most interesting and sympathetic character. At first he is horrified that he has unwittingly entered into an unconditional allegiance to Morgaine, whom he views as a not-human who wields terrible magic. He is caught in a bind- break his oath to her, which would mean the damnation of his soul for all eternity, or keep his oath to her, which would likely mean the same thing. The situation is not unlike his entire life- such being the lot of a bastard son born of a powerful lord and a very unwilling, equally powerful lady of an enemy house. Cursed and cast out for killing his half brother in self-defense, Vanye choses to see his year commitment to Morgaine as a chance at atonement. Once the year is up, he is a free man with a clean slate- he can actually live a life free of the worst of his stigmas.

During the break-neck, miserable struggle for survival that Morgaine's mission becomes, however, Vanye becomes aware of the awful burden on her and of the secret she carries that could destroy his world and will most certainly destroy her. He realizes that she is oath-bound to something much larger than he has ever known, something beyond the pale of the medieval powers and alliances and forces that want desperately to have it for themselves. Something that another person from far away has come to gain, as well.

The trilogy's first book, Gate of Ivrel, is set in Vanye's world and time. Well of Shiuan follows up events, hundreds of years distant on a quite different world(and yet but a momentary hop for Morgaine and Vanye), which have carried over through the gate and become hopelessly entangled with local politics and a looming natural disaster. This most directly spills over into Fires of Azeroth as thousands flee through the gate into yet another world, seeking to take it and the unlimited, unreliable, and unstable powers of the gates for themselves.

The character development is nicely done, the action fast-paced, the plot believable, and the resolution satisfying. Early Cherryh, she's still learning, but quite enjoyable. ( )

Pre09:
Characters: Pretty good. Morgaine wasn't really real though, so that hurt it.
Plot: Wait what? Yea, I don't think so. Neat idea, 'closing gates' but rather poorly done.
Style: Gah. I'm done with Cherryh. Even at the best here isn't good enough. ( )

Gate of Ivrel - If I had purchased this book alone, I would never have returned to buy the rest of the series. This first installment of The Morgaine Saga is comprised of 200 pages of bad grammar and clunky, nonrhythmic prose. The characters are hardly developed at all, but rather foisted upon the reader, eliminating any chance of engagement with them and, therefore, with their quest. The story is an adventure, yes, but despite the unique premise on which that story is founded, there is nothing gripping or unexpected in it. 2 1/2 stars.

Well of Shiuan - This second installment of The Morgaine Saga did much to redeem Cherryh in my eyes, and made me glad that I had bought the series in omnibus form, forcing me to read it through. Shiuan is far more enjoyable than Ivrel, not least of all becuase the relationship between Morgaine and her ilin Vanye has matured quite a bit. We finally see some deeper character development, and a more sophisticated picture of their interactions with one another. Because of this, the moral dilemmas which the two heroes find themselves facing become more real and more engaging to the reader. A vast improvement. 3 1/2 stars.

Fires of Azeroth - The third installment, like the second, continues the development of the main cast of characters, including giving a better understanding of Chya Roh and his own struggle for humanity. This was definitely my favorite out of the three, because the consequences of Morgaine and Vanye's quest are finally brought to realization in a way that hits home for the reader. I'm almost afraid to move on to Exile's Gate for fear it won't live up to this same level of emotionality. 4 stars.

As an aside, I'm wondering who they heck they got to write the blurb on the back of this edition (DAW Science Fiction). It's like someone read the book, then invented their own framework to situate the story in for their description of it. The blurb talks about a "Union Science Bureau" and "intervention in backtime" - a whole bunch of nonsense that never figures into any of the books in the trilogy at all, and actually somewhat cheapens the world as Cherryh designed it. I've never before encountered a back-cover-blurb that was so disjointed from the book itself. ( )

Best female protagonist in SF, ever, stuck with one of the all-time greatest moral dilemmas, ever. ( )

Classic Cherryh, A man who has lost honour in his culture redeams himself as a servant to a powerful alien, on his world, and in time, others. Compelling writing - what would you do for the greater good and a promise sworn faced against kin and betrayal?

After re-read

One of my favourites, eventhough it doesn't really feature Cherryh's writing at her best, and hs some fairly large plot holes. Neither of these detract from a gripping story, best read as the trilogy entire for the last book Fires of Azeroth is hte best.

Gate of Ivrel.
100 years ago inthe mountainous Andur Kursh 5 strangers came to the Hall Lords of the clans south of the teror of Hjemur and claimed their aid. 10000 marched and only 1 survived Morgaine she was called, frost fair hair and qual blood. Anethma to the common people she fled.

Nhi Vayne, honourable to a fault and quick tempered too is surviving his second winter outlawed from his clan for borther killing though only chance spared his life at the time. A chance meeting with a strange women leads to his Claiming - a year's servitude in penitance for his crime. Morgaine, aloof and not answering questions still aims at her old goal. However as they cross the lands much has changed from her memories of them and the honour of the old lords has fallen. In Leth she meets one who may have been an old comrade, and in the forests they meet Vanyne's cousin Roh lord of clan Chya. When Vayne's remaining brother attempts to waylay them Roh's men aid them and Roh becomes involved in their chase to the Gate.

For this is no ordinary feudal land - the alien Qual were once here, building and using time and space travelling Gates, and Morgaine in dribs and drabs, reveals that she is part of (no explanation for how she joined) a human force sent out generations back to close all the gates for ever and ever. 100 were sent out. 5 Entered Andur-Hursh and only Morgaine remains.

Well of Shiuan

Vayne forced to choose between his brother and Morgaine dared the leap between worlds and follws her. Shiuan is a different place, old as only the Gates can pass such time, of eroded mountains and rising seas. Roh is on the road ahead of them and they need to get to the Gate before he does.

But again the people of the world are against them. Qual are here in numbers, and two different breeds of human. Vayne has doubts. And as the weather turns and the tide rises, the pair is plit up by the water and honour is once more put ot the test. Vayne alone and unsure of Morgaine's lie meets Roh in a Qual stronghold. Sworn on his soul he is to kill Roh, but without aid, he may never find Morgaine or reach this world's gate, and Roh is offering the only aid available.

The alliances and politics of theis world never quite make sense, although Vayne has only a few days to get to grips with them the impending high tides and aged world make this a particularly dark read by Cherryh's standards. My least favourite of the three.

Fires of Azeroth

After the disaster of Shiuan Vayne and Morgine find themselves in the gentler world of Azeroth, forest and plains gentle streams and plesant villages. And the horde of Shiuan's bearing down upon them.

Although Morgaine will not look back at what she leaves behind she will try and help Azeroth face the dangers she has partly created for them. However when she catches an arrow, Vayne is once again forced into Roh's and the Shiuan's company. This time armed with knoweldge, and again he is put in the unenviable position of deciding between competing interests and his Lady's wishes, with the future f not just this world but all worlds at stake. And Roh can raise doubts about Morgaine's integrity.

The writing in all three tales is strictly from Vaynes POV, and although Morgaine and Roh have some input, it is only as witnessed by Vayne - it is his honour that is at stake.

Although I dislike time travel as a plot device, this is particularly well done. It still has logical holes - like how many worlds with gates on were airless, 100 is too small a force for any kind of generations to persist without massive inbreeding, etc. Also of course although we speak of worlds these could eqully be continents on the same world, all the action happens within at most a few days riding. The populatyion of Shiuan even for a drowned world is given as 100000 - less than the size of a small city. But these are all minor quibbles. Innocent Vayne is slowly indoctrinated and corrupted to Morgaine's cause, his Kurshin soul rebelling at understanding Qual knowledge along the way. A very well written parable, maybe, for all of humankind's fascination with technology.

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