One theme in this novel could be redemption. That even at the end change can come. It could also be, being quick to judge can lead to ends, And being forgiving can make a world of difference. But it isn't in the theme that a great author shines. Norton paints a very human story and you become part of the characters. That is why I loved this story. ( )

This is the second book in a new sequence of books set in Andre Norton's Beast Master universe with a co-author, Lyn McConchie. In this story, much of the focus is on Laris, an orphan from a burnt off world who gets employed by a travelling circus to look after their animals. As she grows up in these surroundings, she becomes aware that the circus is a front for the growing Thieves Guild (a common background threat in many of Norton's books), and even more directly, her owner is attempting to gain control of a beast master linked animal with usually fatal results for all members of the team. With Storm next in line, the circus travels to Arzor where Laris is encouraged to become friendly with Storm and his family. What no-one had counted on was Laris falling in love with Arzor and Storm's younger brother, Logan and a plan is hatched to expose the circus as the front it is and to rescue Laris and her friend Prauo who was clearly more that the pet he appeared to be. There are a few discrepancies between this and the original two books but the fact that most of the action doesn't take place on Arzor stops this being too bad a distraction. ( )

This Beast Master novel was actually written by Lynn McConchie. ( )

A slightly different take on the legend of the Beast Masters - and the after-shocks of the intergalactic war.
It's always good to see Storm, Surra, Hing & Baku romping again.
This book is not Hosteen's story, it is Laris'. We have a passing of the torch as Lyn picks up the tales of the Beastmaster and aims it in a new direction. ( )

This is the fourth title in Andre Norton's Beast Master series. The first two (The Beast Master and Lord of Thunder) were written by Norton in 1959 and 1962. Three sequels were published as collaborations in the 2000s. The cover says by two authors, but it was obvious within a couple of chapters of this one that the only input by Norton herself was a story outline, if that. It got only more obvious as the book went on, because McConchie a) has not written a convincing pastiche of Norton's writing style, b) is not as good a writer. McConchie's own website states that all three of the "collaborations" were written solely by McConchie from brief collaboratively written outlines.

I don't have a problem with high quality sharecropped novels -- after all, I like good fanfic, and I'm perfectly happy to pay for pro-published fanfic if it's good enough. However, for me this example isn't good enough to buy, although it's worth checking out from the library if you want to read more about the beast masters. A particular irritation for me was that McConchie is addicted to head-hopping, and is not good enough to make it transparent. This is not just using an omniscient point of view -- this is dropping into a different character's head for a paragraph or two, sometimes in mid-paragraph, in order to provide information that the main character for that chapter can't know. By contrast, Norton had very tightly controlled point of view -- and as a result was the author who got me thinking at a young age about how different POVs work, and how it can be used to give different effects. Thus the head-hopping had a fingernails-down-blackboard effect on me, although other readers might not be irritated by it.

The primary focus of this book is Laris, a young woman who accepted bonded servant status to a circus owner to escape a refugee camp. Laris has a valuable talent with animals, and is used both in the ring acts, and behind the scenes to look after the animals. In her time with the circus, she's realised that it has ties to the Thieves' Guild -- and the latest scheme is the abduction of beast master's animals. When the circus heads to Arzor, she's used in a plot to acquire Hosteen Storm's animals. Laris's sympathy is with Storm and his family, but Laris has a beast companion of her own to protect... There's enough backstory dropped in that you could read this as a standalone, although I'd really have to suggest you go and get the original pair of books instead.

The story's enjoyable and fits in well with Norton's world, even if I didn't like some of the writing. Would I read the other two novels McConchie wrote using Norton's setting and characters? Yes, but going by this one I wouldn't go to any great trouble or expense to acquire them, and I probably wouldn't keep them once I'd read them. ( )