The Goblin Mirror
Encyclopedia
The Goblin Mirror is a 1992 fantasy novel by science fiction
and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh
. It was first published in a hardcover edition by Ballantine Books
under its Del Rey Books
imprint, and featured cover art by Cherryh's brother, David A. Cherry
.
s, who once had access to human lands, were banished to their own realm
because of their misdeeds. But before they departed they left signs and clues as to how they could be contacted. They could not return unless they were summoned.
Hundred of years later, Mirela, a witch and queen of Hasel, read these signs and asked the goblins for help. Her daughter and heir
, Ylena was vain and ungrateful and Mirela did not want her to become queen when she died. The goblin queen gave Mirela a potion
of youth and beauty in exchange for access to the world of man for one night a year. Mirela's eternal youth infuriated Ylena and she stuck a bargain with the goblin queen: advice on how to depose Mirela in exchange for access to human lands for a year. One night Mirela died mysteriously and Ylena became queen. Even though Ylena did not want an heir, she still had a daughter, Ytresse, and suspected goblin treachery because Ytresse's magic was too strong for her. On the last day of the goblins' time on earth, the goblin queen offered Ylena another deal: Ylena would live for as long as the goblins possessed a small lake nearby. Ylena assented and the goblins gained unfettered access to human lands with the lake the goblin queen's center of power. Ylena, trapped by her bargains with the goblins, wanted no more to do with them. But Azdra'ik, a goblin lord and leader of a goblin rebellion against their queen, offered Ylena a secret in exchange for three wishes. The secret was that the goblin queen's power lay in a magic mirror. Azdra'ik got his wishes and Ylena set about constructing her own mirror into which she put every spell she knew. When the goblin queen found out about Ylena's mirror, she sent a goblin army to find and destroy it. Ylena was defeated, her mirror reduced to dust, and Hasel left in ruins. But the price the goblin queen paid for this victory was that her mirror cracked in two and a shard fell off. Azdra'ik stole the shard and gave it to Ytresse. Ytresse did not trust the goblin queen and arranged her own heir, Ylysse without the goblins' interference. Ytresse in turn passed power, and the shard, onto her heir, Ysabel. Ysabel and her twin brother, Karloy were apprenticed to Ytresse's daughter, Urzula.
Seeking to escape Ytresse's sphere of influence, Urzula took Karloy over the mountain where she married lord Ladislaw of Maggiar and gave birth to Stani, who later became the new lord. Karloy became Stani's wizard but Urzula never practised her magic in Maggiar. When Urzula (lady Gran) died she left the Stani household with tales of witches and magic from "over-mountain".
Back in Maggiar, Yuri, Tamas's younger brother has been left behind to look after Tamas's dog, Zadny. But Zadny, pining for his master, escapes his pen and tracks Tamas's scent over the mountain with Yuri in pursuit. Near Krukczy Straz, Yuri finds an injured Nikolai, and together they follow Zadny, still on Tamas's trail, to Tajny Straz. But by the time they get there, Tamas has already left. Then Karloy arrives and reveals to Nikolai the story of the succession of witches, their bargains with the goblin queen, and the mirror fragment. Karloy realizes that Ela must have the shard and says he must take it from her before she misuses it. The three then head for Hasel to find Ela. At Hasel, Zadny continues his pursuit of Tamas, and realising that Ela and Tamas must be together, they all follow Zadny.
Azdra'ik and Tamas find Ela near the goblin lake. Much of the surrounding landscape has been devastated by marauding goblin armies and a darkness spreads from the lake. The goblin queen is expanding her sphere of influence. Ela is tempted to try the mirror again, but Tamas, slowly becoming aware of the wizard in him, convinces her otherwise.
Yuri, running ahead in pursuit of Zadny, stumbles into the goblin queen's hall. There he finds the goblin mirror and sees Bogdan in it. Bogdan, under the queen's spell, pulls Yuri into the mirror. Tamas arrives and tries to persuade Bogdan to free Yuri, but Bogdan challenges Tamas and in his rage is accidentally killed. Tamas and Ela confront the goblin queen. The shard returns to the mirror but with their combined magic they seize control of it and banish the goblin queen and her armies. Karloy and Nikolai arrive but the darkness is already receding. Karloy reveals that Azdra'ik used goblin magic to "father" Ytresse with Ylena and that Ela is Azdra'ik's great grand-daughter and Karoly's niece. Tamas, now in control of Azdra'ik, elects to let the goblin lords remain on earth.
Witches
Goblins
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh
C. J. Cherryh
Carolyn Janice Cherry , better known by the pen name C. J. Cherryh, is a United States science fiction and fantasy author...
. It was first published in a hardcover edition by Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
under its Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
imprint, and featured cover art by Cherryh's brother, David A. Cherry
David A. Cherry
David A. Cherry is an American artist, primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He has been nominated eleven times for Hugo Awards, and 18 times for Chesley Awards , and he is a past president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.Cherry is the brother of the...
.
Backstory
The goblinGoblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
s, who once had access to human lands, were banished to their own realm
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
because of their misdeeds. But before they departed they left signs and clues as to how they could be contacted. They could not return unless they were summoned.
Hundred of years later, Mirela, a witch and queen of Hasel, read these signs and asked the goblins for help. Her daughter and heir
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
, Ylena was vain and ungrateful and Mirela did not want her to become queen when she died. The goblin queen gave Mirela a potion
Potion
A potion is a consumable medicine or poison.In mythology and literature, a potion is usually made by a magician, sorcerer, dragon, fairy or witch and has magical properties. It might be used to heal, bewitch or poison people...
of youth and beauty in exchange for access to the world of man for one night a year. Mirela's eternal youth infuriated Ylena and she stuck a bargain with the goblin queen: advice on how to depose Mirela in exchange for access to human lands for a year. One night Mirela died mysteriously and Ylena became queen. Even though Ylena did not want an heir, she still had a daughter, Ytresse, and suspected goblin treachery because Ytresse's magic was too strong for her. On the last day of the goblins' time on earth, the goblin queen offered Ylena another deal: Ylena would live for as long as the goblins possessed a small lake nearby. Ylena assented and the goblins gained unfettered access to human lands with the lake the goblin queen's center of power. Ylena, trapped by her bargains with the goblins, wanted no more to do with them. But Azdra'ik, a goblin lord and leader of a goblin rebellion against their queen, offered Ylena a secret in exchange for three wishes. The secret was that the goblin queen's power lay in a magic mirror. Azdra'ik got his wishes and Ylena set about constructing her own mirror into which she put every spell she knew. When the goblin queen found out about Ylena's mirror, she sent a goblin army to find and destroy it. Ylena was defeated, her mirror reduced to dust, and Hasel left in ruins. But the price the goblin queen paid for this victory was that her mirror cracked in two and a shard fell off. Azdra'ik stole the shard and gave it to Ytresse. Ytresse did not trust the goblin queen and arranged her own heir, Ylysse without the goblins' interference. Ytresse in turn passed power, and the shard, onto her heir, Ysabel. Ysabel and her twin brother, Karloy were apprenticed to Ytresse's daughter, Urzula.
Seeking to escape Ytresse's sphere of influence, Urzula took Karloy over the mountain where she married lord Ladislaw of Maggiar and gave birth to Stani, who later became the new lord. Karloy became Stani's wizard but Urzula never practised her magic in Maggiar. When Urzula (lady Gran) died she left the Stani household with tales of witches and magic from "over-mountain".
Plot summary
An ill-wind disturbs the peaceful land of Maggiar and the wizard, Karloy requests leave to consult with his sister, Ysabel over the mountain. Lord Stani instructs his two eldest sons, Bogdan and Tamas, and his master huntsman, Nikolai to accompany Karloy. After a difficult trip over the mountain, they approach a tower, Krukczy Straz where they hope to find shelter, but are ambushed by goblins. The goblins have overrun the tower, killing all inside. Tamas is separated from the others but is rescued by Ela, a witchling who takes him to her mistress, Ysabel in a neighboring tower, Tajny Straz. But this tower has also been raided by goblins and all are killed, including Ysabel. Ela goes into the tower and retrieves Ysabel's shard from the goblin mirror. Then Azdra'ik, the goblin lord appears, but does not threaten them. He tells Tamas he must take the mirror fragment from Ela because it is too powerful for her to use. Ela takes Tamas to the next tower at the ruins of what was Hasel. Here Ela looks into the mirror but is overwhelmed by the goblin queen staring back at her. Tamas is startled when the queen looks at him and calls him a wizard, which, he assures Ela he is not. Ela is drawn to the goblin queen at the lake and Tamas tries to follow her, but gets lost. Azdra'ik finds him and together they search for Ela.Back in Maggiar, Yuri, Tamas's younger brother has been left behind to look after Tamas's dog, Zadny. But Zadny, pining for his master, escapes his pen and tracks Tamas's scent over the mountain with Yuri in pursuit. Near Krukczy Straz, Yuri finds an injured Nikolai, and together they follow Zadny, still on Tamas's trail, to Tajny Straz. But by the time they get there, Tamas has already left. Then Karloy arrives and reveals to Nikolai the story of the succession of witches, their bargains with the goblin queen, and the mirror fragment. Karloy realizes that Ela must have the shard and says he must take it from her before she misuses it. The three then head for Hasel to find Ela. At Hasel, Zadny continues his pursuit of Tamas, and realising that Ela and Tamas must be together, they all follow Zadny.
Azdra'ik and Tamas find Ela near the goblin lake. Much of the surrounding landscape has been devastated by marauding goblin armies and a darkness spreads from the lake. The goblin queen is expanding her sphere of influence. Ela is tempted to try the mirror again, but Tamas, slowly becoming aware of the wizard in him, convinces her otherwise.
Yuri, running ahead in pursuit of Zadny, stumbles into the goblin queen's hall. There he finds the goblin mirror and sees Bogdan in it. Bogdan, under the queen's spell, pulls Yuri into the mirror. Tamas arrives and tries to persuade Bogdan to free Yuri, but Bogdan challenges Tamas and in his rage is accidentally killed. Tamas and Ela confront the goblin queen. The shard returns to the mirror but with their combined magic they seize control of it and banish the goblin queen and her armies. Karloy and Nikolai arrive but the darkness is already receding. Karloy reveals that Azdra'ik used goblin magic to "father" Ytresse with Ylena and that Ela is Azdra'ik's great grand-daughter and Karoly's niece. Tamas, now in control of Azdra'ik, elects to let the goblin lords remain on earth.
Main characters
Stani household- Lord Stani – lord of Maggiar
- Bogdan – Stani's eldest son and heir
- Tamas – Stani's second eldest son and nascent wizard
- Yuri – Stani's youngest son, aged 14
- Karoly – Stani's elderly wizard, Ysabel's twin brother, Urzula's apprentice
- Nikolai – Stani's master huntsman
- Zadny – Tamas's adopted stray dog
Witches
- Mirela – queen of Hasel
- Ylena – Mirela's daughter and heir
- Ytresse – Ylena's daughter and heir
- Ylysse – Ytresse's heir
- Urzula (lady Gran) – Ylysse's daughter, Stani's mother, Nikolai's mother
- Ysabel – Ylysse's heir, Karoly's twin sister, Urzula's apprentice
- Ela – Ysabel's apprentice, Azdra'ik's great grand-daughter, Karoly's niece
Goblins
- Azdra'ik ng'Saeich – goblin lord of the i'bu okhthi or noble goblins (taller than the itra'hi or worker/fighter goblins)
External links
.- The Goblin Mirror publishing history. Fantastic Fiction.