Ardath Mayhar

Stand-alone novels:

Warlock's Gift — (1982) Publisher: Warlock's Gift is an exciting fantasy adventure in which the hero, Karas Lantir, once the prince of his father's mighty and happy kingdom, dreams of deposing the frightfully evil warlock who stole control of Lantirion from its rightful owners through cheating and evil sorcery. His dreams harden into resolve when the warlock, seeking to protect himself from future trouble, attempts to have Karas found and assassinated, and when the incredible tales of the warlock's oppression become known. With the aid of only a few loyal men — and the power of his fiancee, Varil, a sorceress — Karal embarks on a perilous journey into the warlock's seemingly impregnable fortress where he must face the evil sorcerer's powers — alone. It is a rousing tale of magic and adventure.

Lords of the Triple Moons — (1983) Publisher: Johab, believing himself to be the last of his people, escapes from the usurper who killed his family and takes upon himself the task of freeing the plainsfolk from tyranny.

The Door in the Hill — (1984) Ages 9-12. Kindle format. Publisher: THE HOBBIT MEETS WIND IN THE WILLOWS. Here is an enchanting fantasy for the young of all ages that only the Balrog and Mark Twain Award author, Ardath Mayhar, could have written. When Lindy and Bud, a sister and brother from the U.S.A., are forced to spend the summer on their uncle's English farm, they look forward to a boring three months. But, when they open a mysterious door in the side of a hill, they stumble into the world of Cyril and Jessica Cairnbracken and the other "Turnipins." What's a Turnipin? Tiny people with small, gnarly faces, voices like the hum of many bees, tiny bright eyes, long faces, crooked chins, and long, drooping noses. They wear colorful trousers, tunics, and for five thousand and thirteen years have hidden away beneath the hills of ancient England. Thus begins a series of delightful, magical adventures that will change the lives of Lindy and Bud, as well as those of the Turnipins, forever.

Slewfoot Sally and the Flying Mule: Tall Tales from Cotton County, Texas — (1984) Publisher: TRUE, FANTASTIC STORIES FROM THE AWARD-WINNING FANTASY AUTHOR'S CHILDHOOD! These stories are based on things Balrog Award winner Ardath Mayhar saw and heard of growing up in the Piney Woods of East Texas. They are all based on true events, but in the tradition of her native Texas, the author has stretched each a bit. As she writes, "'The Backfire' is based on a tale told me by a friend about a doctor in the old days in Nacogdoches, Texas. 'The Dullshooter' is another story was told me by a friend about someone they knew personally. The caged-in grave is supposed to be in a small cemetery near Frankston, Texas. Its tenant actually dug himself out twice before he stayed put. I do hope he didn't try the third time! 'The Possum-Cats' adventure was the work of my own grandfather Ellington and two of his brothers. They were the ones who chased those cows along the frozen creek, too. In fact it was my granddad who was whipped every morning before school began, in the certain knowledge it would have to be done and it was better to get it over with. The crippled boy is patterned after my shirttail kin, Jack Windham, who was, for many years, a doctor in Shelby County, Texas. 'Cow in the Canefield' happened to a friend from Appleby, Texas. My younger brother and I roamed the woods, fished in the ponds, waded in the creeks, and learned the ways of the Piney Woods in the way that sticks with you forever. That was a world that has gone as completely as ancient Rome. Too bad — it was a hard life but a satisfying one. You may realize by now that it is very hard to make up anything much stranger or more outre than what actually happens here in the Piney Woods." These 23 stories are amusing, frightening, and even thought-provoking.

The Saga of Grittel Sundotha — (1985) Publisher: Seven-foot-tall Grittel, daughter of the Lord of Sundoth, has refused the impossible marriage arranged by her domineering mother. Now an embarrassment to her family, she is sent forth to make her own way in the world. But Grittel Sundotha is no shrinking maiden. Along the way she castrates a noble noted for his lechery; defeats the assassins he sends after her; and, having been trapped by a sorceress in an enchanted forest, winds up boiling the witch in her own cauldron, taking with her the spell book she finds there. This proves invaluable, for she finds that she has an innate gift for sorcery. When she meets a space ship's crew whose vessel has been pulled from their own dimension (where magic is impossible), into Grittel's (where technology does not work), she attempts to prove her abilities by "clearing" the Captain's head — and instead, inadvertently makes it invisible. She knows that she must find the wizard whose spell has trapped the ship, for only he can send the vessel home. But not all mages on this world practice white magic!

Makra Choria — (1987) Young adult. Publisher: The hereditary rulers of Sherath have psychic powers that can bring great good or evil to their people. When the Makra Theora murders her father and seizes his throne, her sister, the Makra Choria, raises an army, captures her sibling, and removes the "Gift" from both of them. Then Choria tries to undo the damage that her sister has done to Sherath and the surrounding states — and to fix Theora herself, if that's possible.

Trail of the Seahawks — (1987) With Ron Fortier from the Windwalker series.

Two-Moons and the Black Tower — (2004) Publisher: Two-Moons is an Onondaga warrior woman with the ability to Dream truly. When she was born, the extraordinary events that gave her name were considered predictive of an extraordinary life. That prediction comes true when a power-hungry Medieval wizard from another dimension kidnaps Two Moons, drawing her from her own time and place into Medieval England. With her extraordinary gifts, he hopes to use her to entrap her people to serve as his slaves. But through her dream gifts, Two-Moons is able to contact her own gods — setting the stage for an awesome duel that pits European sorcery against Obongda magic.

Witchfire — (2007) With Ron Fortier. Publisher: A brand new thriller from the minds of sci-fi Master, Ardath Mayhar, and horror pulp writer, Ron Fortier. With Illustrations by DC/Marvel Artist, Rob Davis. "As a young child, Morgan Rein was taught by Mother Kalavela the curative powers of White Witchcraft. Ancient Arts and skills employed in the service of mankind. The greatest of these elemental talents is the ability to control fire. Now, from out of her tortured past, comes a deadly threat in the form of a psychotic warlock bent on murder and destruction. A cruel, sadistic soul who also happens to be her brother. It will take all of Morgan's arcane skills, and the aide of a wisecracking cynical scientist, to control the Dark Forces unleashed against her. To survive she will have to summon the purest flame of all, Witchfire!"

Crazy Quilt: The Best Short Stories of Ardath Mayhar — (2009) Publisher: "Ardath Mayhar is a neglected writer, and that is criminal. She is one of those born storytellers and natural writers who has done so much so well that it is easy to take her for granted. Trust me, as the spider said to the fly: read Ardath's work. Be captivated by her worlds. They will never let you go. Promise." — from the Introduction by Joe R. Lansdale.

The Tulpa — (2005) Publisher: Araminta Palomer, the oversheltered child of a wealthy family, enlivens her life by imagining a near-invisible animal playmate-Willbe. But "Minta" possesses an unsuspected psychic talent, and so she unwittingly creates a tulpa, an envisioned being that gradually becomes tangible, first to herself and then to others. Willbe seems a loving companion at first, but as Minta matures, he changes into an increasingly perilous and unreliable friend. Learning to un-create Willbe becomes Araminta's lifelong ambition, as he threatens her governess, her family — and even herself!

The Tulpa

Araminta Palomer is the daughter of an elderly wealthy businessman and his second wife. Minta has been sheltered for all her life, living in the family mansion which is surrounded by high walls and patrolling Doberman Pinschers. She has a governess and is driven to town only rarely for shopping. Because she’s lonely, Minta creates an imaginary friend — an egg-shaped furry creature who loves her. Prophetically, she names him Willbe and she imagines him with sharp needle-like teeth because she’s got a really nasty older stepbrother.

At first, Willbe is the perfect companion; he’s warm and furry and sleeps next to Minta at night. The problems start when Willbe begins to manifest as a real creature whenever Minta feels threatened — and he’s not afraid to use those teeth. When Minta is kidnapped and Willbe steps in to protect her, the police start asking questions. Most people can’t see Willbe, but the governess, who has spent some time in Tibet, recognizes the creature as a Tulpa. She understands that Minta has summoned the tulpa, but she doesn’t know how to get rid of him, and he’s gradually getting more dangerous as he resists Minta’s control. He racks up several murders by the end of the story.

The Tulpa by Ardath Mayhar, who died this year, is a relatively short novel (168 pages in paperback, 5 hours in audio) that was originally published as The Tulpa: A Novel of Supernatural Horror in 2005 in ebook format. The plot is straightforward and linear — there is no divergence from the chronological storyline about Willbe. Since it’s a horror story, some departure or tension relief would have been welcome. The story isn’t particularly scary or gory, it’s just single-minded to a fault.

At first I was confused about Ardath Mayhar’s setting because Araminta’s family is so worried about her being kidnapped, she lives behind high walls, she has a governess instead of going to school, and her mother has been told that reading fiction causes children to become unhealthily fanciful. Then the governess mentions surfing the Internet and it’s clear that the setting is modern U.S.A. This all seemed incongruent to me.

Probably what saved The Tulpa for me was Kate Rudd’s narration of the audiobook version (published by Wildside Press). I have always enjoyed her performances and, though I accused her of being too angsty in the last audiobook I listened to her narrate, I didn’t find that to be a problem here (when she had even more cause to be angsty). She made Minta feel more real than Ardath Mayhar did.

If you’re looking for a short fast-paced supernatural horror story that’s not too gross or scary, The Tulpa will fit the bill. Don’t expect more than an uncomplicated unswerving monster story, though.

Ardath Mayhar’s writing style is pleasant, and I look forward to reading more of her work. I have one of her novels on my shelf and I fully intend to crack it open sometime soon. —Kat Hooper