TALES OF THE WITCH WORLD 3

A third collection of tales by various hands, 19 in all, set in Norton's best-known fantasy world. Norton's own part in this latest volume (beyond the admittedly key elements of background and inspiration) consists only of a three-page introduction. That leaves the rest squarely up to the talents of her contributors, who range in experience from such old hands as A.C. Crispin, Patricia A. McKillip, and Esther Friesner to writers with a bare handful of professional sales among them. Too many of them fail back on the tired YA formula of a young woman learning to wield her magical powers in the face of impending evil. The more entertaining stories are those that break the pattern: Jayge Carr's "Plumduff Potato-Eye," about a gentle giant beset by would-be giant slayers; Crispin's "Heartspell," in which the heroine gives up her chastity in hopes of avoiding initiation as a witch; or "A Question of Magic," Marta Randall's tale of a young woman who denies that magic exists. This one will appeal mainly to Norton completists and Witch World addicts; others can pass it by without feeling guilty.