Norton is first and foremost a storyteller. She describes herself as "a very staid teller of old fashioned stories." The plot and its exciting situations take precedence over underlying ideas or messages.

Like her unpretentious hero Ross, she prefers action over contemplation. The narrative pattern is one of alternating conflicts and escapes, taking the hero from one exciting predicament to the next. Yet the ending, as in most Norton's novels, is shadowy and inconclusive, allowing for continuations. Will the Baldies return to destroy the Hawaikan civilization once again, leaving the beautiful but soulless planet of the beginning? Or has the interference of the Terran team in the affairs of the planet changed the course of history? The answer is not given except for a general impression of hope: "Grasp tight the present. Ross looked about him. Yes the present might be very satisfying after all."

Part of the...