The Complete Lythande

Thieves' World

by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Elisabeth Waters

It's a long wait until the Final Battle between Law and Chaos, when all Adepts of the Blue Star are pledged to fight on the side of Law. So what does one do in the intervening centuries? Lythande has to earn a living, after all. Music and magic are saleable skills—sometimes both together. There's a magic lute....

The allure of a mermaid's song...a temperamental music-loving dragon...magical artifacts that will allow no one to turn them from their appointed destinations...an unexpectedly dangerous small child—Lythande's life is full of challenges, of which the biggest is never allowing the Secret that preserves each Adept’s power to be revealed, on pain of total loss of magic... oh, and death.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2013

About the author

Marion 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)

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a recent discussion in a Goodreads group about how an author's (or narrator's) bad behavior – meaning truly bad, as in child abuse and rape and murder, not simply being an utter brat online – impacts one's perception of his work, Marion Zimmer Bradley naturally came up. (If you don't know what I'm talking about – well, lucky you. Go google "MZB daughter" or something like that if you want to know (but you don't). Better yet, do a tiny bit to counteract evil and use goodsearch.com.) In the discussion, I said something about not being comfortable reading her work knowing what her pattern of behavior was. What I forgot was that back in 2013 – which I'm pretty sure was before I found out about the accusations against her – I won The Complete Lythande on LibraryThing.

I had requested the book, and was glad that I received it (though I then forget about it) because it's an old … perhaps not a friend. Acquaintance, I suppose. It's a thread in the web of my early fantasy reading, picked up – probably at Stop & Shop, which once had a really wonderful sci-fi/fantasy shelf, believe it or not – when I was in my teens. It's part of the Sanctuary mythos, the shared universe anchored by the Thieves' World series; it's also linked by the author to the Sword & Sorceress series, which introduced me to some amazing writers, including Misty Lackey. (Say what you will about her writing, Valdemar was perfectly crafted for the teenaged girl I was.) I owned a copy of The Complete Lythande, enjoyed it, and loaned it a good friend … and like 99.999 percent of the books I've ever loaned out it never came back.

So. That's why I requested it, back when, and that's why I read it despite everything. I was right – the author's back story was ever present in my mind.

Other reviewers are quite right as well: these stories should not have been collected in one volume as they are. The backbone of the series is that each mage of the Blue Star has a secret, and if that secret is discovered by another adept then follows a loss of magic and death. Oh, and adepts of the Blue Star can't eat or drink in the presence of other men. And each of these things gets at least a couple of paragraphs in every single story, with very similar wording. It doesn't take long for "YES I KNOW" syndrome sets in.

I subsequently listened to a collection of Lord John stories by Diana Gabaldon. The main character is gay. But La Gabaldon never explicitly states this, much less says it in almost the same words over and over. (I found myself making the comparison while listening to the third story in the book and waiting for something to nitpick about the character description. It never came.) I'm not saying that Diana Gabaldon is a better writer than Marion Zimmer Bradley, but … Yes, yes I am saying that.

I was thinking of complaining that every single woman in these stories (except, you know, that one) is weak, dominated, and uses sex as a weapon, an all-consuming hobby, or a career … but then I realized that every single man is a cliché as well, thuggish and brutal and as apt to rape as to breathe. It relates to the aura of the Thieves' World as a whole, but it's still … sad.

I was frankly surprised at how indifferent I was to these stories. I know that once upon a time I devoured them. This time around it took me a long time to plough my way through.

[Ginny Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read bits and pieces of Lythande over the years and was happy to have them all in one place! Enjoyed them, of course, and hold an admiration for Marion Zimmerman Bradley.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book collects the various short stories MZB wrote about the mage Lythande. It's an excellent collection with stories written over the last 20 years of Bradley's life.

As might be expected with a collection of thinly-connected stories written over such a long time, there are continuity issues. The actual world Lythande inhabits fluctuates, from two or more secondary worlds to some version of our world and back. It's occasionally jarring, but the stories aren't about world-building anyway - a minor annoyance.

More annoying is the constant re-stating of Lythande's backstory & situation. Of course it's completely understandable and was really unavoidable - each story was published somewhere different for a potentially new audience, and Bradley did a fine job of bringing the necessary facts to each story in a different way. So, another minor annoyance really.

The editing, proofreading, and formatting are truly first rate in the ebook edition I received. Much appreciation to Elisabeth Waters, Judith Tarr, and Vonda N. McIntyre!

Overall it's a pleasant collection of mostly short, simple stories centered around a decent character finding interesting situations. Definitely recommended.

Note: I recieved this book free for an honest review.

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that these stories are classic, well-crafted MZB and well worth reading. So why three stars? Because they should never have been compiled into a collection of their own. The character Lythande has many special aspects that have to be explained in each story, and not only does that become terribly repetitious when you're reading them back to back, but it also consumes way too much of the time you're spending reading. So buy the book and put it somewhere you pick up only once in a while. Enjoy a story then put the book aside for another month or year.

[Rick]

I’ve read many of the stories in this anthology before.

Includes the stories:
The Secret of the Blue Star from Thieves' World.
The Incompetent Magician from Greyhaven.
Somebody Else’s Magic from Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Sea Wrack from Moonsinger's Friends: An Anthology in Honor of Andre Norton.
The Wandering Lute from Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Bitch from Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
The Walker Behind from Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
The Malice of the Demon from Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.
The Footsteps of Retribution from Fantasy #11.
The Wuzzles from Fantasy #14.
The Virgin and the Volcano from Sword and Sorceress VIII.
Chalice of Tears from Grails.
To Kill the Undead from Fantasy #23.
To Drive the Cold Winter Away from Space Opera.
Fool’s Fire from Fantasy #26.
Here There Be Dragons from Excalibur.
North to Northwander from Fantasy #36.
Goblin Market from Fantasy #44.
The Gratitude of Kings
The Children of Cats first publication.

[Magda Pais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quarto livro a contar para o bookbingo 2019, correspondente a:

6. Um livro de um autor que gostavas de conhecer

Quem conhece este blog e não caiu aqui de para-quedas, sabe da minha paixão pelas Brumas de Avalon. E mesmo sabendo que, eventualmente, a autora não era a pessoa mais sã do mundo (considerando as acusações póstumas que lhe foram feitas) a realidade é que separo muito bem, na minha cabeça, a pessoa da sua arte. E sem dúvida que Marion Zimmer Bradley tinha um toque especial para a escrita.

Lythande é um conjunto de vários contos que encontrei, por acaso, quando procurava por alguns ebooks. Nem toda a gente acha grande piada a contos, mas eu não me importo de os ler, até porque permite que se vá intercalando com outros livros. A única coisa que gostei menos - mas que percebo a intenção - é a repetição, em cada um dos contos, das regras que Lythande está obrigado por ser um adepto da estrela azul. Percebo porque, inicialmente, estes contos foram publicados em separado (ao longo de quase 20 anos) e porque podem ser lidos por uma qualquer ordem.

A escrita é, sem dúvida, maravilhosa. Lythande é mais juvenil que todos os outros livros que li desta escritora mas não perde qualidades por isso. Valeu a pena por ter regressado à escrita de Marion Zimmer Bradley (e deixou-me com vontade de repetir a leitura das Brumas...)

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "retro" sword and sorcery look at gender and sexuality

So, Marion Zimmer Bradley, well-known feminist author of late 20th century fantasy and sword-and-sorcery fiction, created the character of Lythande the mercenary magician for the Thieves' World anthology of what would today perhaps be grimdark, sword-and-sorcery fiction in a shared world setting. Although other authors used Lythande in that setting later, Bradley never did, instead moving the character to another setting (the World of the Twin Suns, and briefly another setting, somewhat by accident). It is not now much of a spoiler to reveal the twist at the end of the original story - Lythande is a woman crossdressed as a man, and in fact a vow links her sorcery to this secret. She also seems to be a lesbian, somewhat embittered by the fact that keeping her secret cuts her off from relationships with women (and men?), and she also seems contemptuous of other women in their gender-enforced subservient role in her world. She is not exactly trans, and one cannot help but wonder if today she would be a TERF. But in a way, she is like a fossil of late 20th century thinking on sex, sexuality, gender, etc. - fascinating, if not too comfortable now.

[stormhawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Fantasies

I'm a sucker for an interesting approach to magic, always have been. And I like bards, which is what attracted me to the Lythande stories many years ago. I had the original Lythande collection, but knew the character from reading The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The idea that one's magic depended on the keeping of a secret was intriguing, and works for standalone stories, but in a collection, it's getting reiterated every few pages, which gets tedious. I always wanted a novel length Lythande story, but alas, such is not to be.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little way in I was finding it a tad disjointed, which is only understandable for a book that began life as a series of short stories, but at the end it all ties up fairly decently.

Overall very enjoyable, but I couldn't give it a higher rating because of the inconsistencies. It seems to be set in about 3 different worlds, and some stories are light-hearted and others very dark and serious. Lythande seems to vacillate pretty wildly between heroic and cynically callous.

[Freyja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be another of my rereads. The book is a collection of all the Lythande short stories from other publications. Some are funny, some are spooky, some are mysterious, and some are difficult to easily describe as there are more layers than one expects in short stories. The quality is pretty even and easy to read in short sessions, if you have that kind of discipline. Me, I found the stories were like potato chips - I couldn't read just one.

[Raymond McFarlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still A Good Read

I haven't read Lythande in years but I always liked the stories. There are a few little inconsistencies but when the different stories are written over the course of years this always happens.

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining collection "Lythande" stories.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even after 25 years, this is still one of the books I enjoy a lot. It was fun to revisit the stories.

[Lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a fan of MZB's works, I had actually never heard of these short stories until I was approved of a copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers programme. This book is a collection of short stories featuring the mercenary-magician Lythande. With each story, the reader learns a little more about Lythande and the secrets that she carries.

The stories themselves were interesting, a mix of light tales and more serious quests. One title, “The Footsteps of Retribution”, was especially chilling. The stories were also a lot funnier at times than I initially thought it would be, which was a pleasant surprise. Lythande comes across some exasperating characters along the way, which adds a splash of colour to her travels. My favourite stories from this collection would probably have to be “The Incompetent Magician”, “Someone Else’s Magic”, “The Footsteps of Retribution”, “The Virgin and the Volcano”, “Chalice of Tears”, “North to Northwander” and “The Gratitude of Kings.”

The world in which these stories take place was also intriguing, mysterious and familiar in some ways (and yet in other ways it’s not). The different schools of magicians were interesting (this Final Battle between Law and Chaos that her order speaks of was especially intriguing; I initially thought that the various stories would somehow make its way to that battle but then realised it was merely part of the adepts’ beliefs and end goal/destination), as were some of the strange kingdoms that Lythande found herself in. It was a bit baffling at times as well.

Overall, The Complete Lythande was an interesting and wondrous read. I’ve always found MZB to be a wonderful storyteller with a unique voice in the fantasy genre and this collection once again reinforces that in my mind. I’m also quite glad that the publishers decided to collect and re-release these stories, I would definitely recommend checking them out, especially for fantasy fans who have enjoyed MZB’s previous works.

The original review of this collection was posted on my blog at http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2...

[Stuart Lutzenhiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as part of an Early Reviewers Edition. That being said: I'm very glad this book was compiled and published. This is a posthumous anthology of stories of the wandering Magician and Musician Lythande who is a woman compelled by her society and associations to live secretly as a man. MZB was well known in her life as a writer with a very keen sense of Women's issues and brought that to her writing. These stories carry on that tradition in an interesting way. Lythande actually isn't that most powerful magician. In many of the stories, Lythande is overwhelmed by other magics or other powers and must use her brain and luck to get out of a sticky situation. Also interestingly, the stories aren't always a confrontation, but rather more domestic. The final story, the only one unpublished up until now, tells of Lythande helping return a young girl to her family and then helping them come to the understanding that they must send her to school for magic in order to protect her and themselves. Bradley started writing in the fifties and this kind of story would have been much less likely to have been written without the impact of MZB and other writers continuing to push the envelope of fantasy as it relates to women. That being said, each story stands on its own and was published on its own - so each story has to weave into it that Lythande is a woman pretending to be a man because of her training as a magician; that she can't eat or drink in front of men, etc. There are various world-building elements of the narrative that have to be addressed in every story so that the reader knows what's going on. Makes sense when there is only one story - but when there are 21 of them - it does eat up a fair amount of reading space.

[Mirrordance · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ho trascinato la lettura per tre mesi sperando di sentirmi maggiormente ispirata ma inutilmente. Il libro non scorre, non prende, è noioso.
Peccato perchè lo spunto della storia poteva essere interessante ma ci troviamo di fronte ad una collezzione di "sorie", piccoli racconti che ci presentano Lithande senza raccontarci nel dettagli la sua storia ma ripetendoci a grandi linee il fatto che è un mago donna che deve nascondere la sua identità di genere in quanto ha conquistato la sua magia mentendo e nascondendo il suo esasere donna ed ora deve continuare a nasconderlo se vuole mantenere il suo potere. Ogni piccola storia in qualche modo è a sè e racconta di nuovo cose già raccontate in precedenza. Il personaggio avrebbe giovato di una storia di maggiore respiro, del racconto dettagliato delle circostanze che l'hanno porata dov'è e un approfondimento maggiore del mondo in cui vive piu' che queste piccole avventure alla fine assai simili tra di loro.

[Dryad86 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I second the other reviewers opinion that all these stories shouldn't be put in an single volume. The character of Lythande takes explanation and as these stories were originally written as stand alone, the explanation appears in each story.

It gets tedious. A few of them are also...lesser. At least once, I suspected someone got ahold of a story from MZB's trash bin.

Ah well. Overall, it was nice wander through the Lythande world again.