Wraiths of Time

by Andre Norton

Book Overview

"Science fiction at its best" (Portland Oregonian) from the author of Gryphon's Eyrie. When she tries to prevent the theft of a mysterious black box containing an Egyptian ankh, Tally Mitford is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0449235327
• ISBN13: 9780449235324
• Release Date: May 1980
• Publisher: Fawcett Books
• Length: 239 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Princess of Amun

Wraiths of Time is a singleton novel about an ancient Egyptian civilization. Tallahassee Mitford is a student of archaeology and an assistant curator at the local museum. She has been employed to help catalogue the Lewis Brooke collection after the owner's accidental death the previous year. Dr. Roman Carey, a specialist in Egyptian and Nubian artifacts, has been called in to study the collection.In this novel, the FBI have stumbled across a box in a locker at the airport that emits some unknown form of energy. Their initial survey does not find any obvious way of opening the object without damaging it. They involve Jason Robbins from the local FBI office because of his knowledge of African artforms and he then calls in his cousin Tally after recognizing the obvious age of the object. She identifies several African motifs in the design of the object and suggests that the FBI store the box in the museum safe overnight and then let Dr. Carey identify the artifact the following day.After storing the box and its lead-lined carrier within the safe, Tally and Jason go out for dinner and then he escorts Tally to her apartment. Her phone is ringing when she arrives and her boss, Dr. Greenley, asks her to return immediately to the museum. Someone has ransacked Dr. Greenley's office, but the artifact itself remains untouched within the safe. When Tally shows it to Dr. Greenley, the supercilious Dr. Carey elbows his way to the object and opens it by pressing on both sides.Within the box is a small bundle wrapped in yellowed material. Tally grabs his arm and warns him of the radiation, but Dr. Carey jerks away and picks up the bundle and, eluding an effort by Dr. Greenley to take the bundle, Carey unwraps it to show an ankh, which he then drops onto the desktop. There is a crash of thunder, the lights go out, and the glowing object rises in the air and moves off through the museum to another object stored therein, a rod of office from the Brooke collection. This object is also glowing, but more faintly. When she grasp the rod and the ankh touches it, Tally is surrounded by a riot of light, heat, sound and pain and then falls senseless.In this story, Tally is hurled into a time after Egypt has been overrun by barbarians. She gains consciousness in a place of rock and sand, where she finds the dead body of someone who looks like her yet is dressed as a Royal princess. Moreover, the body is holding the ahkh and rod in either hand. Then a woman in the mask of a lioness comes upon Tally and the body, calls in two other women, and has them carry the girl's body into the nearby temple of Apedemek, the lion god.Despite the evidence of her travel though space and time, Tally also discovers signs of an advanced civilization: a humming pillar and a flying machine with no apparent means of propulsion. And then she is introduced to a box that conducts thought between persons wearing the two earpieces.Tally learns that she been thrown into an alternate t

Archaelolgy Meets Great Sci-fi

I first read this book back in high school, and it got me interested in fantasy and science fiction again. As an ancient Egypt enthusiast, I am still impressed by how much research Norton put into the the pseudo-african culture where most of the book takes place. It is also a quick read.It tells the story of an American archaeologist who is drawn into an alternate universe where Egyptian culture still thrives. She must assume the identity of a dead princess/priestess to defeat an uprising with a mysterious leader. I found this book refreshing because it is a sci-fi book whose main character is a black woman, and a smart, no nonsense one at that! It's not the usual sci-fi or fantasy i am used to seeing. So if you're interested in books that feature strong women and "Stargate" like Egyptian culture, I reccomend this book strongly.

A KEEPER

I have a copy of this book from the '70s. It's falling apart from being re-read so many times. The book is entertaining, suspenseful and just down right good. Tallahassee is a great herione. She is smart and willing to fight the good fight. She is taken back in time to a place that was only fabled to exist. This place is being threatened by an evil that will destroy it, unless Tally can convincingly take the place of the just deceased princess. This book is a great way to introduce young readers to science fiction and time travel.

andre norton at her best

i first read this book back in the seventies when i was in high school. it is one of science fictions' best. when an archeologist finds an ancient tailsman, she is transported back in time and is a dead ringer for a princess that has just been killed trying to protect the artifacts. she then takes the idenity of the dead princess and the story that follows is really great. will she stay in the past to help fight the evil that caused the death of the princess or go back to her owntime? the story is well written and i think it is definelty worth reading.