Lovely fantasy from the 70s about a girl torn away from her normal life and swept into a dark and troubled world at the end of the 2nd thousand years of a terrible curse. Although there is some of the contrivedly abstract writing often found in fantasy, the real strength is found in the stark and rich descriptions of the landscape as well as the characterization of the cast, even the Know-Nothings, side characters who provide warmth and humor to the tale. ( )

I borrowed this book from the library and read it as a child. I loved it. The dark brooding setting and the ending haunted me for years, but I was unable to remember the author's name or the title of the book.Many years later an friend and I were discussing books we'd loved as children and it turned out that not only had she also loved the book, but she knew the title and the author's name. Another friend, intrigued by our conversation, found and ordered a used copy, so I was finally able to reread the book.I was amazed in my rereading to see that it was even darker than I had remembered. Also, the protagonist, Tha, was a very angry girl whose attitude and actions were such that my adult self had trouble liking her. Had I not reread the book, I'm sure I would have given it the highest rating, based on the connection I felt as a child, but having reread it, I find my discomfort with the moral ambiguities and the angry nature of the protagonist temper my rating. ( )