Beginning in 1964 with Witch World, Norton has used the coming-of-age theme, with young female protagonists, for most of her fantasy novels. The latest in the "Witch World" series is Ciara's Song: A Chronicle of Witch World, which Norton coauthored with Lyn McConchie. Published in 1998, it furthers events from several of the other books in the series. The main character is a young woman named Ciara, and the story follows her family for several generations. The "Witch World" series deals with magic overcoming mechanization, with female witches able to counter invaders by being in touch with nature and connected to the land.

Many of the themes and elements found in all Norton's work were introduced in her first science fiction novel, Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D. In this book, a young mutant tries to keep warring tribes from making mistakes that led to the end...