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ANDRE A. NORTON
© 1959
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Customer Reviews
Avg. Customer Review:
A Man of the People
, April 21, 2003
Reviewer: s
The Beast Master is the first novel in the Beast Master series. Hosteen Storm is a native of Terra,
an Amerindian, a Galactic Commando, and a Beast Master with an unusual affinity with animals,
who is mustering out of the service to be repatriated on Arzor. "The last desperate thrust of the Xik
invaders had left Terra...a deadly blue, radioactive cinder", leaving the native Terrans homeless and
in shock. Some had gone mad, killing themselves and others. Finally, all Terran troops had been
forcibly disarmed. Since Hosten has not displayed any symptoms of such delayed shock, the
service medics reluctantly agreed they could not deny Storm's release.
Storm, with Baku, Ho, Hing and Surra, his commando team, travels to Arzor on a troop ferry
and then looks for employment herding horses to the auction to be held during the Gathering at
Irrawady Crossing. To prove his ability to ride, he tames a young stallion and introduces him to
Surra, the dune cat. When the horse tolerates the cat breathing in his nose, Storm gets the job
without further questioning. He claims the stallion as his working mount and names him Rain-On-
Dust. Since the horse herd is an attraction for covetous natives as well as wild animals, Surra
patrols the camp at night and Baku, the African Black Eagle, scouts the route by day as they
proceed cross-country to the Gathering. On the first night, they encounter a yoris and Storm, Surra
and Baku kill the lizard in a coordinated attack before it can harm the horses, but its scent and
hissing causes the horses to stampede.
With the herd scattered all over the area, the drivemaster hires some Norbies, the native
sentients, to track down the horses. It soon becomes evident that someone has separated the herd
and stashed the small bands in out of the way places. However, even the Norbie trackers cannot
determine who has done this.
While the horses are being returned to the herd, Storm spends some time gentling a few of the
wild stock to replace riding animals lost in the stampede. The other men soon come to respect his
skills and he gains an even closer relationship with Put Larkin, the drivemaster, and Dort Lancin,
an old Arzor hand who is teaching him finger talk and other lore. However, Coll Bister has
developed a hostile attitude toward Storm for some unknown reason.
Storm has also become accepted by the Norbies as a fighting man with a fighting bird totem.
Gorgol, the youngest of the trackers, is drawn to storm by admiration and curiosity, providing
Storm with lots of chances to practice finger talk as he answers Gorgol's questions.
At the gathering, Storm fends off a couple of attempts to kill or maim him, in which Bister
seems to be involved, and meets Brad Quade, the man he has come to Arzor to see, but not quite
yet. He accepts a job with the Survey Service to locate and explore the Sealed Caves within the
High Peaks.
This novel is vintage Norton, but with an older protagonist than usual. However, there is the
psionic bond between man and animal, natives who are strangely like his own kin, and a deadly
danger that must be faced. Moreover, there is the element of hope that survives among disaster.
Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys tales of competent and talented persons,
dangerous but friendly animals, and mysterious alien artifacts.
--This text refers to the
edition
.
Finding a Home
, May 21, 2002
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Reviewer:
Back in the '50s and early '60s Norton wrote some excellent and original science fiction, before
turning mainly to fantasy writing. This book is one of the best of that period, an excellent adventure
that anyone of any age can enjoy.
Hosteen Storm is the Beast Master, a mustered out soldier after the end of Xik war, who has
managed to keep his military team of animals together - two meercats, Hing and Ho, an eagle,
Baku, and a sand cat, Surra, genetically enhanced animals that Storm has a strong empathic and
near telepathic bond with. Arriving on the planet Arzor that he chose as probably best for a man
who prefers outdoor living, that will provide him employment opportunities for himself and his
team, he quickly adds one more member to his team, a rugged, quick footed horse he names Rain-
on-Dust. Hired on to help herd the native equivalent of cattle, he makes friends with the local
native intelligent race, the Norbies, a people whose anatomy precludes their being able to talk and
have therefore developed sign language to an art, whose culture in many ways mimics that of
Storm's early life. Storm's heritage is that of the Dineh (Navajo), a name which simply means 'The
People' in their own language, and he was partially raised by his medicine-man grandfather, a
heritage he clings to, as Earth has been destroyed by the Xiks in one of the last acts of the war.
This is the background beginning to Storm's search for new home, one that respects his heritage
and can use his talents, with a buried unsatisfied anger at the Xiks, a festering grudge against a man
named Quade, and a conflicted self image. As he travels through this new planet, events lead to his
discovery of a buried city of the Old Ones, a race that traveled the star-lanes long before man (note
that this long vanished race appears in many of Norton's books of this period), and to discoveries
and actions that will eventually help heal his hurts and provide him with a more complete, mature
image of himself and the world around him.
As the above indicates, character development is quite strong in this book, applying not just to
Storm but also to his animals and his Norbie friends. Also strongly in evidence is Norton's excellent
look at the Native American culture, something she developed in several books and obviously
cared deeply about. The story line itself is fast paced, with plenty of action, and will make you
greedily keep turning pages, till you unhappily turn the last one, and realize there is no more to
enjoy. Though much of Norton's prose is fairly prosaic, there is sheer magic in her bits-and-pieces
revelations about the Old Ones, a magic that will fire your imagination and enter your dreams.
Thematically this book has much to say about prejudice, honor and friendship, the importance of
roots, courage and self-image, and the validity of alternate cultures, all quietly slipped in amongst
all the action.
This work bears almost no relation the movie of the same name, though it was supposedly based
on this book.. About all the movie kept was the concept of the animal team - the rest of the plot and
setting was totally changed, and in doing so completely lost the power of this story. I believe Ms.
Norton had her name removed from the movie credits, quite rightly not wanting to be associated
with such a poor, mangled 'interpretation' (if you could even dignify it as such) of one of her finest
works. Try this book, give it to your sons and daughters, loan it to your friends - this is one of those
books that the term 'sense of wonder' was invented to describe.
--This text refers to the
edition
.
Not the Movie or TV Series
, April 30, 2001
Reviewer:
This book is SciFi not fantasy. The only thing in common with the movie and TV series are the
animals. This is much better than they are as it is the original. Even the Beast Masters name is
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different in the book. In the book his name is Hosteen Storm, a retired soldier and his animals are
genetically modified with increased intellegence and empathy so they can bond with him. While
trying to avenge the death of his mother he discovers an ancient alien city and finds out that Earths
enemies are still around.
--This text refers to the
edition
.
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