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Light #1
Ghostlight
What is the Truth?
Truth Blackburn’s father thought he knew what it was. Thorne Blackburn and his followers settled at Shadow's Gate, a magnificent old house in upstate New York, and sought the Truth about life through ritual and magic. One night, something went badly wrong during Thorne’s most powerful ceremony. When the chaos had passed, Thorne had vanished, and Katherine, mother of Thorne’s young daughter Truth, was dead.
Thirty years later, Truth Blackburn searches for smaller what really happened that night at Shadow's Gate? Did Thorne truly have magical powers? And what happened to her half-siblings, a boy and girl Truth last saw that horrible night when her mother died?
Truth Blackburn’s father thought he knew what it was. Thorne Blackburn and his followers settled at Shadow's Gate, a magnificent old house in upstate New York, and sought the Truth about life through ritual and magic. One night, something went badly wrong during Thorne’s most powerful ceremony. When the chaos had passed, Thorne had vanished, and Katherine, mother of Thorne’s young daughter Truth, was dead.
Thirty years later, Truth Blackburn searches for smaller what really happened that night at Shadow's Gate? Did Thorne truly have magical powers? And what happened to her half-siblings, a boy and girl Truth last saw that horrible night when her mother died?
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
29 people are currently reading
971 people want to read
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
800 books4,879 followersMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook.
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
September 1, 2024
Thorne Blackburn and his followers settled at Shadow's Gate, a magnificent old house in upstate New York, and sought the Truth about life through ritual and magic. One night, something went badly wrong during Thorne’s most powerful ceremony. When the chaos had passed, Thorne had vanished, and Katherine, mother of Thorne’s young daughter Truth, was dead.
Years later, Truth Blackburn searches for smaller truths: what really happened that night at Shadow's Gate? Did Thorne truly have magical powers? And what happened that horrible night when her mother died?
This book, I once started reading as a teen, in a rainy vacation here in Holland, where I was perched on the couch in our mobile home with a cup of coffee on my lap. I remember it being such a cozy and thrilling read, I was really taken by this book.
Now, a decade later, I do see it has some faults, and some incredible plot holes. I mean, if Truth had gone to talk to her aunt Irene and Caroline in the first place, the whole story would have been quite different. But what are many stories, but based on miscommunication and assumptions?
I still reread it to this day, just to get into that "haunted house and murder mystery" feeling. And I still have a soft spot for Truth, because I can relate to her, in a different way.
But I can understand, if you are an avid fantasy reader and this is your first book by MZB, I would point you directly to her master piece, the Mist of Avalon. These books, and the whole of the Light/Colin McLaren series, are for "light" reading, and if Young Adult was a niche back then, it would probably have fit it.
Years later, Truth Blackburn searches for smaller truths: what really happened that night at Shadow's Gate? Did Thorne truly have magical powers? And what happened that horrible night when her mother died?
This book, I once started reading as a teen, in a rainy vacation here in Holland, where I was perched on the couch in our mobile home with a cup of coffee on my lap. I remember it being such a cozy and thrilling read, I was really taken by this book.
Now, a decade later, I do see it has some faults, and some incredible plot holes. I mean, if Truth had gone to talk to her aunt Irene and Caroline in the first place, the whole story would have been quite different. But what are many stories, but based on miscommunication and assumptions?
I still reread it to this day, just to get into that "haunted house and murder mystery" feeling. And I still have a soft spot for Truth, because I can relate to her, in a different way.
But I can understand, if you are an avid fantasy reader and this is your first book by MZB, I would point you directly to her master piece, the Mist of Avalon. These books, and the whole of the Light/Colin McLaren series, are for "light" reading, and if Young Adult was a niche back then, it would probably have fit it.
July 12, 2009
Bradley's "Witch" series is not as good as her Darkover novels. Part of the problem is that most of the books follow the same plot. Girl discovers she has powers, girl sleeps with men, and girl reaches a conclusion about her powers and about her men. This book is one of the worse because the central character, Truth, does not stay in character. She lacks a sense of realness about her. Sadly, the book is not very deep or interesting.
May 21, 2016
After several false starts on this book after checking it out from the library (and only getting a few pages in), three days before it was due, I didn't feel like doing anything at all and had the day off to oblige. I started it early this morning (about 4am) and finished it about two hours ago.
I'm disappointed to see all the pooh-poohing reviews because once I got into it I really liked it quite a bit. I might also be biased though because until last night I'd never read a fantasy fiction novel set so close to home (I live right next to Poughkeepsie in Wappingers Falls and drive past the mentioned CIA about once a week). It made everything seem so much more real to me.
-Spoilers follow-
Somebody mentioned inconsistent or flat characterization, especially in the lead, but maybe I'm just easily pleased because I didn't notice that with only a few exceptions, and those only because they were side characters who were either quiet, secretive, or hostile toward the main character, making it kinda difficult and (in the end) pointless to break point of view to expose the persons behind their masks. As for the main character, I didn't gather that she ever broke character at all.
I accepted the author's explanation that the house and the energies within, the repeatedly reincarnated (at least that's the interpretation I got out of the end where she and her sister call out each other's "real" names) gatekeeper within were warring with the person she'd always been before that point. By the end, I also felt she grew into a natural trajectory of reconciling the part of her she denied with the parts of her she was from the beginning, becoming someone new and never the same.
However, I do agree that the book may have been a bit better sticking more toward supernatural ghosts and haunting as the answer rather than dispelling the part of ghosts entirely by the end and making it purely about the magick she denied. I love fantasy but haunting just suited the book so much by the time she revealed there wasn't one and it was all magic.
My biggest disappointment is also something I was able to easily predict the moment Julian Pilgrim was introduced the way he was. Here is the villain in the climax...with a hint dropped identifying him more clearly than the others (to me anyway) as black, or at least mixed (she mentions the brown of his skin). I thought, oh, yay, an obviously minority character in a powerful and attractive role. Damn...he's getting described like the dangerous future villain, I hope he's not *sigh* and there's the spoiler, he was, complete with a gun and shootings in a high magic fantasy ritual at the end. So thug life. Bleck. I took off a whole star for that. I still like the story, but that part makes me grumbly.
I'm disappointed to see all the pooh-poohing reviews because once I got into it I really liked it quite a bit. I might also be biased though because until last night I'd never read a fantasy fiction novel set so close to home (I live right next to Poughkeepsie in Wappingers Falls and drive past the mentioned CIA about once a week). It made everything seem so much more real to me.
-Spoilers follow-
Somebody mentioned inconsistent or flat characterization, especially in the lead, but maybe I'm just easily pleased because I didn't notice that with only a few exceptions, and those only because they were side characters who were either quiet, secretive, or hostile toward the main character, making it kinda difficult and (in the end) pointless to break point of view to expose the persons behind their masks. As for the main character, I didn't gather that she ever broke character at all.
I accepted the author's explanation that the house and the energies within, the repeatedly reincarnated (at least that's the interpretation I got out of the end where she and her sister call out each other's "real" names) gatekeeper within were warring with the person she'd always been before that point. By the end, I also felt she grew into a natural trajectory of reconciling the part of her she denied with the parts of her she was from the beginning, becoming someone new and never the same.
However, I do agree that the book may have been a bit better sticking more toward supernatural ghosts and haunting as the answer rather than dispelling the part of ghosts entirely by the end and making it purely about the magick she denied. I love fantasy but haunting just suited the book so much by the time she revealed there wasn't one and it was all magic.
My biggest disappointment is also something I was able to easily predict the moment Julian Pilgrim was introduced the way he was. Here is the villain in the climax...with a hint dropped identifying him more clearly than the others (to me anyway) as black, or at least mixed (she mentions the brown of his skin). I thought, oh, yay, an obviously minority character in a powerful and attractive role. Damn...he's getting described like the dangerous future villain, I hope he's not *sigh* and there's the spoiler, he was, complete with a gun and shootings in a high magic fantasy ritual at the end. So thug life. Bleck. I took off a whole star for that. I still like the story, but that part makes me grumbly.
June 18, 2011
I rarely start a book and not finish it, it’s a compulsion and sometimes a desperate hope the author will redeem himself/herself, unfortunately this book was unredeemable.
Truth Jourdemayne is the main character it this trivial claptrap of a book, she is unlikable in my opinion based on the first 100 pages of her selfish, and whiny inner dialogue not to mention her uncanny ability to not show any intelligence we were led to believe she had. Based on her work compiling statistical information on things such as clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition, one reading this book would think the main character would be able to recognize at least some mystical goings on before it’s too late but alas no.
I also found this character to be disgusting in the way she finds out her Aunt, who raised her from 2 years old on, has a terminal illness and she is more concerned about her own inconvenience then her Aunt’s wellbeing & when she gets there she wants to leave as fast as humanly possible even when Aunt Caroline says she has things she needs to tell her. There’s nothing like sneaking out on a sleeping relative who’s dying to compel me to keep reading right? Wrong, in a chapter or two we have to listen to Truth’s lament about how she doesn’t know much about her mother & wants to know what she looked like, etc.; the problem is she was raised by her mother’s twin! Urgh!
This is all within the first 100 pages so I don’t feel I’m giving much away in the long run this book is full of magical gobblygook that seems like Zimmer Bradley just took terms and threw them together out of a few wiccan grimoires she found in the library.
I make it a point not to put spoilers in any review so I will not go into detail on other ill-conceived plot points that lead nowhere or around in circles.
In the end, the end was the best part of the book, not because it was any good but because it meant I could move on.
Truth Jourdemayne is the main character it this trivial claptrap of a book, she is unlikable in my opinion based on the first 100 pages of her selfish, and whiny inner dialogue not to mention her uncanny ability to not show any intelligence we were led to believe she had. Based on her work compiling statistical information on things such as clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition, one reading this book would think the main character would be able to recognize at least some mystical goings on before it’s too late but alas no.
I also found this character to be disgusting in the way she finds out her Aunt, who raised her from 2 years old on, has a terminal illness and she is more concerned about her own inconvenience then her Aunt’s wellbeing & when she gets there she wants to leave as fast as humanly possible even when Aunt Caroline says she has things she needs to tell her. There’s nothing like sneaking out on a sleeping relative who’s dying to compel me to keep reading right? Wrong, in a chapter or two we have to listen to Truth’s lament about how she doesn’t know much about her mother & wants to know what she looked like, etc.; the problem is she was raised by her mother’s twin! Urgh!
This is all within the first 100 pages so I don’t feel I’m giving much away in the long run this book is full of magical gobblygook that seems like Zimmer Bradley just took terms and threw them together out of a few wiccan grimoires she found in the library.
I make it a point not to put spoilers in any review so I will not go into detail on other ill-conceived plot points that lead nowhere or around in circles.
In the end, the end was the best part of the book, not because it was any good but because it meant I could move on.
June 13, 2019
Enjoyed; though I skimmed the ending because I wanted to go to sleep yet had to know how it would end.
January 20, 2009
A woman who uses science to study the paranormal becomes involved with the magical world of her mysterious father.
This book was difficult to finish. The main character was unlikeable and inconsistent, and the story was slow and shallow. Too much attention was paid to insignificant detail, the heavy description of outfits and decor seemed silly in contrast with the light, scattered characterization. The revelations at the end were (with the exception of one small detail) things that I had figured out fairly early on, so all that plodding build up didn't even lead to a good payoff.
I also thought the theme of science versus magic was amusing, considering that the book presents paranormal research as a representation of reason and rational thinking rather than the pseudoscience that it is.
This book was difficult to finish. The main character was unlikeable and inconsistent, and the story was slow and shallow. Too much attention was paid to insignificant detail, the heavy description of outfits and decor seemed silly in contrast with the light, scattered characterization. The revelations at the end were (with the exception of one small detail) things that I had figured out fairly early on, so all that plodding build up didn't even lead to a good payoff.
I also thought the theme of science versus magic was amusing, considering that the book presents paranormal research as a representation of reason and rational thinking rather than the pseudoscience that it is.
October 4, 2018
While I wasn't expecting great things from this book, I was hoping for at least a smooth read. Unfortunately, the foreshadowing was heavy-handed verging on ham-handed, and the fact that Ms. Bradley apparently felt the need to find (and share with the reader) places for quite a few minor characters from previous books was grating.
I did like the fact that the blocked trauma suffered by the main character was not a supernatural problem but rather one that could happen to any young woman. However, the way in which the traumatic past event is bound up with the traumatic current events in the main character's life is pretty obvious.
Overall, not a waste of my time, but certainly not a book I'll make an effort to re-read in a year or so.
I did like the fact that the blocked trauma suffered by the main character was not a supernatural problem but rather one that could happen to any young woman. However, the way in which the traumatic past event is bound up with the traumatic current events in the main character's life is pretty obvious.
Overall, not a waste of my time, but certainly not a book I'll make an effort to re-read in a year or so.
January 23, 2010
After reading Mists of Avalon and loving it I picked this up at the used bookstore and OMG is it ever bad! The weird thing about it, though, is I enjoyed it. And not just enjoyed it, but years later think about it with fondness. Not any of the details which are embarrassing and laughable, but the overall ambiance. I guess I'm just a sucker, but there's something peculiarly special about this crap that makes it seem like you're in a unique, dorky, spooky, magical, woman-created place and I find myself wanting to be there again.
September 2, 2016
Note to self, don't read before going to bed since you scare rather easily. This was an interesting read, but there were quite a few plot holes and loose ends at the end that weren't resolved. Not one of my favorites of hers although, I am a fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley.
May 9, 2020
DNF @ 50%. This started out ok, but went nowhere fast. The edition I have is only 300 pages long, so you'd think I'd be able to push through, however around page 140 I found I was dreading opening the book back up and continuing, so I knew it was over. If you enjoy dinner parties with quirky people and strange names, and reading about a woman doing research in a library, well, by golly, this book is for you. That's all that happened in the first half of the book. The premise on the back makes you think it's about a haunted house, and a woman reconnecting with her dead mother and her missing father, when in reality, the main character, Truth, is as bland as chalk and doesn't really care about anyone or anything. Her aunt and caregiver of more than thirty years dies and she can't even summon up enough feeling to call her on the phone. She works at some college doing paranormal study but doesn't seem to find joy in that, either. Marion Zimmer Bradley describes Truth's haircut as 'sensible'at least three times in the first half of the book. Every single character is an admitted (by the author!!) cliche. There's zero magic, zero haunting, and filled with Truth wandering around the house, being angry at everyone, and leaving to go to the library. That's it. It's as if MZB just needed a paycheck and was dragging herself through writing this. The story isn't going anywhere, and I don't see the next 150 pages paying off or going any place I want it to go. This is a huge let-down, since I really, truly enjoyed Firebrand, but also DNF'd The Priestess of Avalon, and was hoping that Ghostlight would tip the balance back in her favor. Sadly, it didn't.
May 11, 2022
Quite gripping but not a patch on mists of Avalon
October 1, 2018
My favorite of the Truth books, this is the one where Truth discovers her heritage.
This has an almost Gothic feel to it with the autumn setting and the fantastic haunted house of Shadow's Gate. I almost wish we got more of the motley cast of players Julian has assembled to carry out the Blackburn Work, though this isn't their story--it's Truth's.
It isn't until the very, very end that all the pieces fall into place, and you realize what happened to Truth in the prologue that made her so scared of living and such a rationalist.
As antagonists go, Julian Pilgrim is delicious. The spell he casts on Truth is believable right up until Thorne reveals who he really is...then his rapid devolution into Pilgrim once the mask comes off is just creepy. Seeing him manipulate the people around him, you understand the kind of charisma Thorne had to have possessed to gather the sort of following he had in the 60s.
*2018 read*
Since it's October, I felt like this was a good point to reread my "autumn books", starting with this one.
I have seen a lot of complaints about Truth behaving out of character... but how is that possible when she doesn't know who (or what) she is? As a toddler, she shut herself down psychically and has spent her life as walled off and detached as possible.
It's only when she gets to Shadow's Gate that the twin burdens of her magical heritage (Gatekeeper from her dead mother and sidhe from her very-much-alive father) and whatever seductive magic Pilgrim uses on her begin to crack her open.
I do wish there was more about the Circle's cast of characters - Donner and Caradoc are impossible to keep straight - and, like I said earlier, Irene with her motherly instincts and mystical babble is a treasure.
This has an almost Gothic feel to it with the autumn setting and the fantastic haunted house of Shadow's Gate. I almost wish we got more of the motley cast of players Julian has assembled to carry out the Blackburn Work, though this isn't their story--it's Truth's.
It isn't until the very, very end that all the pieces fall into place, and you realize what happened to Truth in the prologue that made her so scared of living and such a rationalist.
As antagonists go, Julian Pilgrim is delicious. The spell he casts on Truth is believable right up until Thorne reveals who he really is...then his rapid devolution into Pilgrim once the mask comes off is just creepy. Seeing him manipulate the people around him, you understand the kind of charisma Thorne had to have possessed to gather the sort of following he had in the 60s.
*2018 read*
Since it's October, I felt like this was a good point to reread my "autumn books", starting with this one.
I have seen a lot of complaints about Truth behaving out of character... but how is that possible when she doesn't know who (or what) she is? As a toddler, she shut herself down psychically and has spent her life as walled off and detached as possible.
It's only when she gets to Shadow's Gate that the twin burdens of her magical heritage (Gatekeeper from her dead mother and sidhe from her very-much-alive father) and whatever seductive magic Pilgrim uses on her begin to crack her open.
I do wish there was more about the Circle's cast of characters - Donner and Caradoc are impossible to keep straight - and, like I said earlier, Irene with her motherly instincts and mystical babble is a treasure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2010
Truth Jourdemayne has always hated her father, although she doesn't remember him. Thorne Blackburn was a celebrated occultist and near-cult leader of the 60's, but one of his rituals ended in the death of Truth's mother, and the disappearance of Thorne himself (one assumes, to escape murder charges). Scandal notwithstanding, Thorne Blackburn, Aleister Crowley-like, still has his followers - who regularly pester Truth for interviews or opinions on her notorious dad. In an effort to stave them off, Truth decides to work on a book on Blackburn, so that she can show him as he really was, in her opinion - a criminal, not a mystical hero. To further her research, she goes to her father's old estate, site of his notorious rituals. The estate is now owned by a significantly wealthy and charismatic man - and an odd collection of followers. Truth soon realizes they are Blackburnians, occultists devoted to recreating her father's rituals. But they offer her access to their collection of materials relating to her father... and soon she is drawn into a web of events that could lead to disaster - but which could also cause Truth to re-evaluate her father as a man, and to come to terms with her own emotions.
One of the better books in the 'Light' series, recommended for fans of occult fiction.
One of the better books in the 'Light' series, recommended for fans of occult fiction.
August 31, 2009
I really wanted to like this book (as "Mists of Avalon" by this author is a fave of mine - If you are a fan of Arthurian legends do yourself a favor and read the book, "Mists of Avalon" - then watch the TV adaptation starring Julianna Margulies and Anjelica Huston. It's almost Shakespearean and has an incredible soundtrack)-- But I digress -- this book just did not move me at all. I could not identify with the heroine and her quest to uncover the truth about her father and his 60's occult ceremonies, one of which resulted in the death of her mother. To me, the most interesting character in this book was the fascinating mansion called "Shadow's Gate". This novel is the first in a series, but I will not be reading any more of them.
October 29, 2009
I think this is a fantastic series. My favorite book of the set is Ghostlight. Marion Zimmer Bradley is so adept at creating moods and a sense of place in her writing that I always have the most vivid images while reading her books! I am not a big fan of her fantasy series (or really ANY fantasy series like that), so if you're putting off reading this because you don't like those, it's very different and stands on its own! :) The characters, though admittedly odd, are really well-described and fleshed out, and I found the plot to be really interesting! I have reread this numerous times, the descriptions of the area and the writing are just perfect for creating an almost tangible atmosphere.
August 11, 2017
Marion Zimmer Bradley is such a fantastic talented author. I was introduced to her through Mysts of Avalon, and have ever since reading all her books. This series is one of my favorites. There is something so entertaining and truthful about the story of Truth.
Truth grew up hainted by her family's past, being the daugther of Thorne it was hard to hide from the many questions and assumptions about her life and her father's work. She went into the field of parapsychology to be able to hide of her past, and give a rational explanation of the events, but life had another pathway prepared for her. As she began to research Thorne, she meets a circle of Thorne believers, and begin her own journey in magick and the occult.
Awesomd read.
Truth grew up hainted by her family's past, being the daugther of Thorne it was hard to hide from the many questions and assumptions about her life and her father's work. She went into the field of parapsychology to be able to hide of her past, and give a rational explanation of the events, but life had another pathway prepared for her. As she began to research Thorne, she meets a circle of Thorne believers, and begin her own journey in magick and the occult.
Awesomd read.
August 19, 2018
Positively spooky in parts, with a great skeptical paranormal statistician as its voice, this novel combines Bradley's vaunted narrative skills with a fascinated blending of the counterculture of the sixties, New Age religion, and modern paranormal research. I didn't want to put it down!
July 17, 2016
Other than The Mists of Avalon, this the only book from the author I have finished. I was disappointed. It felt silly and forced. I like fantasy, but this just didn't hit the mark.
November 27, 2021
A rural fantasy, read the Darkover novels instead.
September 15, 2018
Very different from her other books but very good read.
July 23, 2022
Na het lezen van de "Avalon" boeken van Bradley, werd het nu eens tijd om ook het andere werk van deze schrijfster te gaan lezen.
En dat werd het eerste deel van de "licht" trilogie.
Geestenlicht vertelt het verhaal van Truth, een jonge vrouw die op zoek gaat naar haar familie geschiedenis.
Haar moeder overleed tijdens een spiritueel ritueel dat zich eind jaren 60 voordeed, en dat werd geleid door haar vader, de magiėr "Thorne Blackburn".
Truths zoektocht brengt haar terug naar naar Shadow's Gate, het landhuis waar haar ouders in een commune geleefd hadden.
Truth stuit wederom op een bijzondere groep mensen die met elkaar in het landhuis leven. Geleid door de knappe Julian, die als doel heeft om het werk van Thorne Blackburn voort te zetten, en Truth onderdak biedt om haar zoektocht naar haar vader en zijn werk te vervolgen.
Ik vond het verhaal wat langdradig en het duurde tot aan het einde van het boek voor het eindelijk wat spannend begon te worden.
Na de " Avalon" serie viel dit boek wat tegen.
Misschien omdat ze moeilijk met elkaar te vergelijken zijn.
Maar in dit boek miste ik het betoverende dat de andere boeken van Bradley wel bezitten.
En dat werd het eerste deel van de "licht" trilogie.
Geestenlicht vertelt het verhaal van Truth, een jonge vrouw die op zoek gaat naar haar familie geschiedenis.
Haar moeder overleed tijdens een spiritueel ritueel dat zich eind jaren 60 voordeed, en dat werd geleid door haar vader, de magiėr "Thorne Blackburn".
Truths zoektocht brengt haar terug naar naar Shadow's Gate, het landhuis waar haar ouders in een commune geleefd hadden.
Truth stuit wederom op een bijzondere groep mensen die met elkaar in het landhuis leven. Geleid door de knappe Julian, die als doel heeft om het werk van Thorne Blackburn voort te zetten, en Truth onderdak biedt om haar zoektocht naar haar vader en zijn werk te vervolgen.
Ik vond het verhaal wat langdradig en het duurde tot aan het einde van het boek voor het eindelijk wat spannend begon te worden.
Na de " Avalon" serie viel dit boek wat tegen.
Misschien omdat ze moeilijk met elkaar te vergelijken zijn.
Maar in dit boek miste ik het betoverende dat de andere boeken van Bradley wel bezitten.
November 8, 2019
Eh, 3.5 stars. Actually I loved it, even though it was badly written and trashy. Perfect mid-90s paranormal weirdness story, lots of fun pop culture hints, plenty of spooky weirdness, a main character who flips and flops and practically throws herself into danger, a sexy bad guy, some various mysterious supporting characters, a big over-dramatic climax (ahem) to the story. It was fun, trashy, atmospheric, lots of storylines and hints left dangling, a couple of good reveals. Totally great airplane/work-trip mind-candy book. Loved it, even though I can’t in good conscience give it more than 3-ish stars.
March 4, 2020
This was a struggle for me as well. I disliked the main Character, Truth, from the beginning.
For a book about her trying to find the truth, she absolutely won't tolerate any view point except her own. For a scientist, it just feels like a glaring character flaw and it's a major issue with her during the entire book.
Parts of the story drew me in, and Julian's collection of friends was by far the most interesting. But there were misdirects that went nowhere and never got addressed, sections that felt heavy handed and preachy and some was just predicable.
I have to take this was a let down.
For a book about her trying to find the truth, she absolutely won't tolerate any view point except her own. For a scientist, it just feels like a glaring character flaw and it's a major issue with her during the entire book.
Parts of the story drew me in, and Julian's collection of friends was by far the most interesting. But there were misdirects that went nowhere and never got addressed, sections that felt heavy handed and preachy and some was just predicable.
I have to take this was a let down.
January 12, 2023
It took a while to get into, but around page 60, things get interesting. The fun is in getting to know all the strange characters and their place in this occult house.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. However, I never quite feel in love with the main character. I also never quite reconciled how she was a career paranormal statistician who didn't believe in anything otherworldly. She wasn't wholly a disbeliver, collecting data to debunk clclaims, but she also rejected everything she encountered. It was odd.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. However, I never quite feel in love with the main character. I also never quite reconciled how she was a career paranormal statistician who didn't believe in anything otherworldly. She wasn't wholly a disbeliver, collecting data to debunk clclaims, but she also rejected everything she encountered. It was odd.
January 8, 2018
Geestenlicht" is uit. Het is zeker geen aanrader. Ik ga niet eens de rest van de serie lezen. De plot rammelt aan alle kanten, de hoofdpersoon maakt vreemde gedachtesprongen die wat mij betreft niet verklaard worden door haar karakter of de omstandigheden en het flinterdunne liefdesdraadje is totaal niet interessant. Eerst dacht ik nog dat het aan mijn verwachtingen lag, maar het is gewoon een slecht boek.
February 18, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, which I received as a Christmas gift from my son. I loved the magick elements of the book, as well as the battle between good & evil. I also liked that you weren’t sure who the villain was until the end of the book. I see there are mixed reviews about the other three books in this series, so I will decide if I want to read the others at a later date. Give this book a try; if you enjoy reading witchy books, you will enjoy this one for sure.
November 25, 2022
This was a dense book. Lots of details. I liked the setup of Truth being a paranormal analyst crunching numbers who didn't believe in magick, but who is drawn further and further into magickal shenanigans.
I hesitated when I saw this was considered a combination of romance with urban fantasy as I have little patience for romance, but the little there was didn't detract much from the story.
Overall a decent read, and I'm ambivalent about going on to other books in this series.
I hesitated when I saw this was considered a combination of romance with urban fantasy as I have little patience for romance, but the little there was didn't detract much from the story.
Overall a decent read, and I'm ambivalent about going on to other books in this series.
October 21, 2018
This book (That was ghostwritten by Rosemary Edghill) goes from one cliche to the next, all the way up to the predictable ending. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be scary. If so, it failed on that department. It was funny that so many members of the circle had the names of real witches, like Cabot and Gardner. I liked this book okay but I wouldn't recommend it.
November 21, 2022
Not really my cup of tea, but it was my foray into the world of dark fantasy, albeit about 27 years after the book's publication. The story wraps up rather quickly, and it does read like it's the first in a series, which it turned out to be. Very much nineties in its style, which doesn't age too badly and harkens back to a simpler, pre-Internet-research-in-the-library time.
February 24, 2024
if the sister was the main character maybe it would be a better story. truth is kinda tiresome. at some point i was even rooting for julian (of course before that piece of shit going full criminal on her at the end).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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