Gate of Ivrel
core novel 1976 The Morgaine Cycle
Record
| First published | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.91 (2,842 ratings, collected 2026-08-26) |
| Page count | 191 |
| First-edition ISBN | 0-88677-257-5 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Gate of Ivrel, published in 1976 as C. J. Cherryh's debut novel, opens with the disgraced warrior Vanye bound by oath to serve Morgaine, a mysterious white-haired woman wielding an ancient sword called Changeling, after their paths cross under circumstances that leave him with little choice but obedience. Morgaine is the last survivor of an expedition sent to destroy a network of ancient, world-spanning Gates left behind by a long-vanished alien race, portals capable of instant travel between worlds and even through time, which she regards as too dangerous to be allowed to remain. As Vanye reluctantly accompanies her, uncertain how far he can trust this formidable and secretive woman, the pair must cross hostile territory and face local rulers and warlords who have their own designs on the power the Gates represent, all while Morgaine presses toward the Gate of Ivrel itself.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Morgaine Cycle
- Series: The Morgaine Cycle core; position 1 of 4 in the series' recorded order
- Author: C.J. Cherryh
Notes
- From the series record (The Morgaine Cycle): A sword-and-sorcery/planetary-romance hybrid about Morgaine, a warrior charged with destroying the ancient, dangerous gate-network left behind by a vanished civilisation, and the swordsman who becomes her reluctant companion. No further volume has appeared since 1988, and the author has not stated the story is finished, so this is treated as an unconfirmed-status series rather than declared complete.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series The Morgaine Cycle: position 1 of 4: next Well of Shiuan (1978)
Sources
← The Morgaine Cycle dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.