Gate of Ivrel

Gate of Ivrel

First edition
Author	C. J. Cherryh
Cover artist	Michael Whelan
Language	English
Series	The Morgaine Stories
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	DAW Books
Publication date	March 1976
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (paperback)
ISBN	0-88677-257-5
Followed by	Well of Shiuan (1978)

Gate of Ivrel is a 1976 novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh, her first published work. It is the first of four books composing the Morgaine Stories, chronicling the deeds of Morgaine, a woman consumed by a mission of the utmost importance, and her chance-met companion, Nhi Vanye i Chya.

Cherryh lists it on her website as a fantasy novel, and noted author Andre Norton agrees with her. Others, however, classify it as science fiction or science fantasy.

Plot summary

The non-technological land of Andur-Kursh is split into warring cantons, each with ambitious, competing clans. Vanye is a barely tolerated bastard fathered by a Nhi lord on a captive from an enemy clan, the Chya. One day, he kills one legitimate half-brother and maims the other with his sword after being baited, for which he is exiled.

Hunted by his half-brothers' clan, Vanye enters Morgaine's vale, an eerie place shunned by all. He accidentally releases Morgaine, a beautiful woman trapped in a Gate long ago. Vanye recognizes her as a legend from the past. Weary, cold and hungry, he accepts food and shelter from her. Only then does he remember that she, alone of all women, has been given lord-right, which means she can (and does) claim a year of service for her hospitality.

She explains that the Gates that dot the land are passageways through both space and time. An alien species, the qujal, had found the Gates and used their powers to establish an interstellar empire and enslave other races, among them humans. But one reckless fool had gone back in time, triggering a cataclysm that wrecked qujal civilization. The Union Science Bureau seeks to end that threat, sending 100 men and women on a one-way mission, traveling through the Gates to other worlds, closing each one behind them. The last five survivors reached this world a century before and recruited allies to attack Thiye, lord of the master Gate at Ivrel. But they were betrayed and nearly their entire army was swallowed up by the Gate. Only Morgaine and a few soldiers escaped. Pursued, she was forced to seek refuge in a lesser Gate, to wait in stasis until freed.

Morgaine remains determined to close the Gate at Ivrel. She seeks aid from Clan Leth, a past ally, but its lord, Kasedre, is half mad. His chief counselor, Chya Liell, warns them to leave, killing a guard to give them no choice.

Morgaine and Vanye enter Chya lands and become uneasy guests of Chya Roh, Vanye's cousin. After questioning, they are let go, only to be attacked by Thiye's men. Morgaine draws her sword, Changeling, which can tap the power of the Gates to send its victims elsewhere. The two escape, but run into a Nhi band. She is set free, though without her sword, while Vanye is forced to remain behind by his half-brother Erij, now the lord of Nhi. Erij wants his brother to help him rule his land. When Vanye refuses, he draws Changeling, not knowing its powers. Vanye uses the ensuing mayhem to retrieve the dropped sword and rejoin Morgaine.

Roh had warned him not to trust Liell, whose body is rumored to have been taken over by another. Morgaine confirms this can be done using a Gate. Thiye has repeatedly prolonged his life this way, and Morgaine suspects her century-old betrayer has too.

After another clash with Nhi warriors, Morgaine is personally escorted by Roh out of his domain. Liell and his men capture all three. He takes Vanye to a Gate to switch bodies. Vanye escapes, stealing a horse which is carrying Changeling, but is recaptured by Erij.

Erij, emboldened by his possession of Changeling, is persuaded to attack Ivrel. After driving off Liell's men with the deadly sword, the pair breach Thiye's fortress. Vanye retakes Morgaine's sword in a surprise attack. Inside, they come upon the aged Thiye, but the old man is killed by Roh. Roh tells them that Morgaine is loose and that Liell is dead. He then flees.

Vanye finds Morgaine and gives her the sword. She tells Vanye that Liell has taken possession of Roh in his place. Roh/Liell has set the controls to soon shut down all the Gates in the world. He hopes to escape to another planet, leaving his enemies trapped here. Morgaine sets off in pursuit. Erij unexpectedly allows Vanye to follow. Together, Morgaine and Vanye pass through the Gate before it closes forever.

Characters

• Morgaine, a woman driven by an impossible mission
• Nhi Vanye i Chya, an outcast warrior
• Nhi Erij, Vanye's half-brother
• Chya Liell, a counselor in Leth
• Leth Kasedre, lord of Leth
• Chya Roh, lord of Chya
• Thiye Thiye's-son

Reviews

Andre Norton praised the novel highly, writing that:

... never since reading The Lord of the Rings have I been caught up in any tale as I have been in Gate of Ivrel. I do not know the author, but her talent is one I must envy. She has drawn an entirely believable hero on an alien and enchanting world, working in bits of customs, beliefs, and history so cleverly that it now certainly exists-somewhere.

Fellow fantasy and science fiction author Jo Walton found all four books in the series to be "too grim. They're good, but they're unrelievedly dark."

Publication history

• Gate of Ivrel. DAW Books, 1976. ISBN 0-88677-257-5.
• The Book of Morgaine (omnibus). Nelson Doubleday/Science Fiction Book Club, 1979.

Reissued as:

• The Chronicles of Morgaine. Methuen Publishing, 1985 and 1987. ISBN 0-413-56290-5.
• The Chronicles of Morgaine. Mandarin, 1989 and 1990 ISBN 0-7493-0007-8.

• The Complete Morgaine (omnibus). DAW Books, 2015 ISBN 978-0-7564-1123-7.

Further reading

• Brown, C. (June 30, 1976). "Review of Gate of Ivrel". Locus.
• Budrys, Algis (June 1976). "Review of Gate of Ivrel". Fantasy & Science Fiction. 50 (6): 44–46.
• del Rey, Lester (June 1976). "Review of Gate of Ivrel". Analog Science Fiction and Fact. 96 (6): 170.
• "Review of Gate of Ivrel". Publishers Weekly. 209 (5): 104. February 2, 1976.
• Glass, B. (August 1976). "Review of Gate of Ivrel". Delap's F & SF Review. 2 (8): 24–25.
• Meacham, B.; King, T. (March 1976). "Review of Gate of Ivrel". Science Fiction Review Monthly. 13 (1): 15.
• Wolansky, T. (September 1979). "Review of Gate of Ivrel". Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review. 1 (8): 108.