Two Andre Norton novels in her Forerunner series featuring young alien/human hybrid Simsa, collected for the first time in one volume. A heroic young woman seeks her origins as she comes of age on worlds of peril and alien mystery.
Forerunner:
On the ancient planet Kuxortal, young Simsa grows up among the ancient ruins of a fallen galactic civilization—the Forerunners. But Simsa has always been different, with iridescent blue-black skin and a telepathic bond with her bat-like zorsal. When her mentor dies, her future looks bleak—until Thom, a star ranger, arrives and leads Simsa on a new path that takes both through danger to the ultimate revelation, which will change her life, and perhaps galactic civilization itself, forever.
Forerunner: The Second Venture:
Simsa has been captured by starfaring humans intent on discovering the secrets of the Forerunners. With the aid of her pet zorsal, Simsa escapes her captors and crash lands on another world touched by ancient Forerunner civilization. Now Simsa must battle the spirit within her that seeks to transform her into something utterly inhuman. But the ancient Forerunners, however scientifically advanced, have not reckoned with the courage of this young woman who is determined to keep her freedom and write her own destiny among the stars.
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Called "a superb talent"" by The New York Times, Andre Norton was a legend in science fiction, and one of our greatest storytellers. She wrote science fiction novels of very high quality for nearly five decades, beginning with the now-classic novel Star Man's Son in 1952. Many of today's top writers, including C.J. Cherryh and Joan D. Vinge, have cited her as a primary influence on their own work. She was Guest of Honor at the 1989 World Science Fiction Convention, and received the Grand Master award from the Science Fiction Writers of America and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the World Fantasy Convention. Astoundingly prolific, with over thirty books in her celebrated "Witch World" series alone, she introduced three generations of SF readers to SF and fantasy, both through her critically acclaimed YA novels and her adult works, and remains today as one of the most popular authors in both fields.