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Darkover (Publication Order) #2
The Sword of Aldones
Lew Alton was returning to Darkover - returning at the command of men who had once been all too glad to see him leave. For Lew, a Darkovan on his father's side, and a Terran on his mother's, had always walked between two worlds, accused by each of belonging to the other, and trusted by neither. Yet Lew alone had the power to understand both worlds and to save them from each other's unknown forces. That was the reason he had returned at last - armed with the legendary sword of the Sharra matrix, whose destiny was to cross forces with the equally mystic Sword of Aldones in one mighty battle that would decide Darkover's fate . . .
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1962
49 people are currently reading
733 people want to read
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
800 books4,873 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 51 reviews
March 9, 2016
"It is-- OVER? No, no Marion. This is the part of me you never knew would come. It is a telepathy of a sort..." I shook my head tersely as I haltingly explained what I have had to explain before for too many times. I sighed. "Must I say this again if only to say it once more? Marion, when we were in rapport, it was only as a duty-- I was blocking you from truly entering my mind because... because--" I broke off interjectingly. I just could not do this to this poor, young, beautiful girl. But I had to. "Marion, it is because your book is not good for me."
She looked at me weepingly, silent with her sweet, girlish eyes. Must she make me prolong this torture! "My telepathy makes me vulnerable to your childish, convoluted style, Marionhia" I added the Darkoverian pet name, to soften the blow. "Marionhia, when we are in rapport, it is as if... it is as if--" I looked away, grievously, and then continued explainingly, "...my telepathic powers will absorb your shitty, cumbersome prose." I glanced fleetingly at my beloved, girlish foe, and--
She was-- GONE!
I had told her warningly, I am no hero.
She looked at me weepingly, silent with her sweet, girlish eyes. Must she make me prolong this torture! "My telepathy makes me vulnerable to your childish, convoluted style, Marionhia" I added the Darkoverian pet name, to soften the blow. "Marionhia, when we are in rapport, it is as if... it is as if--" I looked away, grievously, and then continued explainingly, "...my telepathic powers will absorb your shitty, cumbersome prose." I glanced fleetingly at my beloved, girlish foe, and--
She was-- GONE!
I had told her warningly, I am no hero.
February 11, 2017
Because I read and loved The Mists of Avalon back in the 80s, I decided to include Marion Zimmer Bradley in My Big Fat Reading Project and read all of her novels in order of publication. The Sword of Aldones is the first book she wrote in her renowned Darkover Series.
There are two schools of thought regarding how to read that series because, like Star Wars movies, they were not written in chronological order. MZB provided a numbered chronological list before her death and some people read them that way. She also recommended reading the books in order of publication, so that is what I am doing.
The Sword of Aldones was written when she was 16, so while she had clearly done her world building in her mind, not all of it comes across smoothly. It is mostly an action tale, there are many characters, and the magic, of which there is plenty, doesn't all make sense.
I liked it anyway, as a tale of two intergalactic civilizations in conflict. Terran is on a path to take over as many planets as possible for trade purposes. Darkover runs on magic and myth. It is a theme of hers and of many other writers, both speculative and historical. I found that theme in Mary Renault's two historical novels about the legend of Theseus (The King Must Die and The Bull From the Sea.) It is also the major theme of The Mists of Avalon.
The writing and plotting and characters are all a bit sketchy and suffer from her inexperience but her voice is there and the promise of what became a fascinating series.
There are two schools of thought regarding how to read that series because, like Star Wars movies, they were not written in chronological order. MZB provided a numbered chronological list before her death and some people read them that way. She also recommended reading the books in order of publication, so that is what I am doing.
The Sword of Aldones was written when she was 16, so while she had clearly done her world building in her mind, not all of it comes across smoothly. It is mostly an action tale, there are many characters, and the magic, of which there is plenty, doesn't all make sense.
I liked it anyway, as a tale of two intergalactic civilizations in conflict. Terran is on a path to take over as many planets as possible for trade purposes. Darkover runs on magic and myth. It is a theme of hers and of many other writers, both speculative and historical. I found that theme in Mary Renault's two historical novels about the legend of Theseus (The King Must Die and The Bull From the Sea.) It is also the major theme of The Mists of Avalon.
The writing and plotting and characters are all a bit sketchy and suffer from her inexperience but her voice is there and the promise of what became a fascinating series.
August 17, 2020
5/10 en 2010.
Allá por el comienzo del milenio leí muchos e esta saga de Darkover y la mayoría rondaron o superaron el 8/10. Así que en 2010 me dije, "vamos a leer a esta tía, que me gustó mucho con la saga de Darkover y la de Las nieblas de Avalón"... vale, pues este no me gustó nada.
Ya digo que los anteriores de la saga tuvieron muy buena nota. ¿Por ser más jovenzuelo? Ni idea.
Tb bueno el de La antorcha, que va de la guerra de Troya con Casandra de protagonista.
Esta señora murió en 1999 y se oyeron cosas muy raras -y malas- sobre ella. Quedémonos con su obra.
Allá por el comienzo del milenio leí muchos e esta saga de Darkover y la mayoría rondaron o superaron el 8/10. Así que en 2010 me dije, "vamos a leer a esta tía, que me gustó mucho con la saga de Darkover y la de Las nieblas de Avalón"... vale, pues este no me gustó nada.
Ya digo que los anteriores de la saga tuvieron muy buena nota. ¿Por ser más jovenzuelo? Ni idea.
Tb bueno el de La antorcha, que va de la guerra de Troya con Casandra de protagonista.
Esta señora murió en 1999 y se oyeron cosas muy raras -y malas- sobre ella. Quedémonos con su obra.
May 7, 2020
Storyline: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 3/5
There’s always a little disorientation when starting a new fantasy novel. That period trying to keep track of all the new names, pick up on the different titles, lands, alliances, abilities, and whatever else the author decides to make part of their world. Some authors make this more enjoyable than others, but it is always there to some degree. That period lasted a long time into The Sword of Aldones, especially considering it was such a short book. There were just so many characters and circles of allegiances, the relationships between them all important for understanding the emotions and drama. Most of the characters just weren’t on the page enough to imprint on memory early in the book. The coherence with the characters and the proper nouns does finally come, but not before some new disorientation is introduced. Bradley has a lot going on in this brief tale, and I found it surprisingly difficult to follow. The writing, at times, was efficiently flowery and pleasant, marking the book as belonging to a higher class of science fiction. Bradley was especially insistent on showing rather than explaining. When it worked, it worked well. More often than not, however, it was near impossible to understand what was going on. The book is full of hints and understated implications, the reader left unsure when the revelations are going to be made. So often a big reveal would come with the barest of emphasis. The reader can seldom be certain as to when they have the answers. It is not that Bradley was being mysterious but that answers are often given so perfunctorily and incompletely that one can never be sure that it is the final word. The pacing, too, compounded this problem. Some events were foreshadowed and built up while other, equally significant ones were hurried through without preparation or resolution. The reader gets jerked about through the story, sometimes with small spurts moving us only a little forward and other times with great heaves which prevent one from seeing what is being passed along the way.
One of the more promising elements of the novel were the mechanics of the paranormal science on Darkover. I’ve long found tantalizing the pseudo-science and imaginative systems of magic featuring in science fiction and fantasy classics. Whether it be van Vogt’s Null-A, Asimov’s psychohistory, Dickson’s Alternate Laws, or Jordan’s One Power, these can provide delightful anticipation, rewarding fulfillment, or—when they work best—both. The idea of matrix mechanics here provided that delightful anticipation, but by the end of the book I was thoroughly confused as to what was going on. Between the poorly clarified answers, the twists and turns, the rough fantasy worldbuilding, and the incoherent magic system, I experienced most of the book in a fugue. I was genuinely happy with the last page came and put and end to it all. There is a neat world in here; a fairly well-drawn rash, young protagonist; some capable lines of prose; a creative perspective on imperialism; and plenty of action and adventure. It was all in the background of a muddled picture and ultimately was difficult to enjoy.
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 2/5
World: 3/5
There’s always a little disorientation when starting a new fantasy novel. That period trying to keep track of all the new names, pick up on the different titles, lands, alliances, abilities, and whatever else the author decides to make part of their world. Some authors make this more enjoyable than others, but it is always there to some degree. That period lasted a long time into The Sword of Aldones, especially considering it was such a short book. There were just so many characters and circles of allegiances, the relationships between them all important for understanding the emotions and drama. Most of the characters just weren’t on the page enough to imprint on memory early in the book. The coherence with the characters and the proper nouns does finally come, but not before some new disorientation is introduced. Bradley has a lot going on in this brief tale, and I found it surprisingly difficult to follow. The writing, at times, was efficiently flowery and pleasant, marking the book as belonging to a higher class of science fiction. Bradley was especially insistent on showing rather than explaining. When it worked, it worked well. More often than not, however, it was near impossible to understand what was going on. The book is full of hints and understated implications, the reader left unsure when the revelations are going to be made. So often a big reveal would come with the barest of emphasis. The reader can seldom be certain as to when they have the answers. It is not that Bradley was being mysterious but that answers are often given so perfunctorily and incompletely that one can never be sure that it is the final word. The pacing, too, compounded this problem. Some events were foreshadowed and built up while other, equally significant ones were hurried through without preparation or resolution. The reader gets jerked about through the story, sometimes with small spurts moving us only a little forward and other times with great heaves which prevent one from seeing what is being passed along the way.
One of the more promising elements of the novel were the mechanics of the paranormal science on Darkover. I’ve long found tantalizing the pseudo-science and imaginative systems of magic featuring in science fiction and fantasy classics. Whether it be van Vogt’s Null-A, Asimov’s psychohistory, Dickson’s Alternate Laws, or Jordan’s One Power, these can provide delightful anticipation, rewarding fulfillment, or—when they work best—both. The idea of matrix mechanics here provided that delightful anticipation, but by the end of the book I was thoroughly confused as to what was going on. Between the poorly clarified answers, the twists and turns, the rough fantasy worldbuilding, and the incoherent magic system, I experienced most of the book in a fugue. I was genuinely happy with the last page came and put and end to it all. There is a neat world in here; a fairly well-drawn rash, young protagonist; some capable lines of prose; a creative perspective on imperialism; and plenty of action and adventure. It was all in the background of a muddled picture and ultimately was difficult to enjoy.
August 5, 2024
Ok, tanta tanta confusione.
Una serie di intrighi incomprensibili, i cui effetti sono talmente improvvisi che neanche riescono a interessare.
Meno personaggi magari la prossima volta eh?
Ma poi parliamo delle storie d'amore... Persone che si Aviano a caso, figli a caso, ossessioni a caso...
Bah
Una serie di intrighi incomprensibili, i cui effetti sono talmente improvvisi che neanche riescono a interessare.
Meno personaggi magari la prossima volta eh?
Ma poi parliamo delle storie d'amore... Persone che si Aviano a caso, figli a caso, ossessioni a caso...
Bah
April 8, 2015
Sword of Aldones (1962) 184 pages by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Sword of Aldones is a Darkover novel. In this universe the galaxy has been colonized mainly by humans. The Terran empire is trying to expand its influence to all planets, not necessarily by force, but by economic pressure, etc. Darkover is holding out, although there is a Terran presence on the planet. The Darkover culture is unique, largely in part to having telepaths. There are several clans, Hastur, Alton, etc., each with different abilities.
Lew Alton, after six years away from Darkover has been summoned to return. The storyline takes off from there. He reunites with people he hasn't seen in years, there is intrigue. One of the Aldarans wants to marry Callina Aillard and regain a seat on the Comyn council. The Aldarans were kicked out generations ago for giving the Terrans a foothold on Darkover. Now the council is almost forcing Callina to accept.
I found the telepathy at times hard to conceptualize. I don't know if there were some ground rules, or if they were being made up as the story went along. A bit of that I can accept. What was a little harder was the relationships between the characters. At times I thought I was missing some of the conversation. Why did Lew slap her, I [the reader] wanted to know the rest of what she was going to say.
The book still flowed, there is some reading between the lines. Maybe with a couple more darkover novels it'll make more sense.
Sword of Aldones is a Darkover novel. In this universe the galaxy has been colonized mainly by humans. The Terran empire is trying to expand its influence to all planets, not necessarily by force, but by economic pressure, etc. Darkover is holding out, although there is a Terran presence on the planet. The Darkover culture is unique, largely in part to having telepaths. There are several clans, Hastur, Alton, etc., each with different abilities.
Lew Alton, after six years away from Darkover has been summoned to return. The storyline takes off from there. He reunites with people he hasn't seen in years, there is intrigue. One of the Aldarans wants to marry Callina Aillard and regain a seat on the Comyn council. The Aldarans were kicked out generations ago for giving the Terrans a foothold on Darkover. Now the council is almost forcing Callina to accept.
I found the telepathy at times hard to conceptualize. I don't know if there were some ground rules, or if they were being made up as the story went along. A bit of that I can accept. What was a little harder was the relationships between the characters. At times I thought I was missing some of the conversation. Why did Lew slap her, I [the reader] wanted to know the rest of what she was going to say.
The book still flowed, there is some reading between the lines. Maybe with a couple more darkover novels it'll make more sense.
September 22, 2020
No.
Assolutamente no.
Ok che siamo negli anni 60, ok che zia Marion era ancora agli albori come scrittrice, ok tutto, però questo libro rimane un grosso no.
Quando ho finito di leggere avevo le sopracciglia talmente sollevate che tra un po' spiccavano il volo: trama inesistente, personaggi fatti a cazzo, stile che boh, ambientazione straconfusa (e io ho già letto dei romanzi di Darkover e capivo vagamente di cosa stavano parlando!). Decisamente non ci siamo.
Gli do 2 stelline giusto perchè so che la saga merita e leggerò sicuramente anche agli altri, ma finora questo è il più brutto tra quelli che ho letto.
Assolutamente no.
Ok che siamo negli anni 60, ok che zia Marion era ancora agli albori come scrittrice, ok tutto, però questo libro rimane un grosso no.
Quando ho finito di leggere avevo le sopracciglia talmente sollevate che tra un po' spiccavano il volo: trama inesistente, personaggi fatti a cazzo, stile che boh, ambientazione straconfusa (e io ho già letto dei romanzi di Darkover e capivo vagamente di cosa stavano parlando!). Decisamente non ci siamo.
Gli do 2 stelline giusto perchè so che la saga merita e leggerò sicuramente anche agli altri, ma finora questo è il più brutto tra quelli che ho letto.
October 21, 2022
I enjoyed learning of another planets culture, economics, lore, science and landscape of Darkover. The author paints the world, precisely, through action, dialogue, and precise descriptions. I am intrigued to learn more on this timeline and the history of Darkover. I am looking on reading the chronological order to have a historical viewpoint of this universe, versus the recommended publication reading of the series.
January 29, 2021
What a mess... I liked The Planet Savers because it blended Fantasy and Science Fiction very well with some of my favorite sensibilities from both genres. Apparently written when Bradley was 16, reads very much like fantasy with rockets. Yes, the magic is psychic, but with how inconsistent and weird the psychic rules are, it may as well have been magic. This is about twice as long as The Planet Savers, but it felt at least five times longer. It has a ton of characters with complicated Phantom Menace politics along with secret twins, secret babies, and a surprising amount of rape/attempted rape. I have no idea how this was up for a Hugo. I laughed out loud when I saw it lost to The Man in High Castle because even thinking about both competing seems ludicrous. I did think the hero with a disability was refreshing, though nobody in this really has time to be too much beyond one dimensional. Also, Bradley continues identifying with the person in-between two worlds, which is nice, but done better in the earlier publication. This is quite the accomplishment for 16, but it really never should have been published. No wonder Bradley rewrote it.
February 7, 2008
This is Bradley's second Darkover novel -- at least in terms of when it was published. Darkover is not really a "series," in that the story did not continue chronologically as the books came out.
It took me a couple of weeks to get through this short (164 page) novel. I just wasn't motivated to pick it up! Especially during the first half of the book, there were just too many characters, peoples and concepts introduced all at once. When you create a fictional world, you have to bring the reader into it, not just throw made-up terms around without enough context to give them meaning. That's what happened here -- lots of "stuff" and not enough plot to move all that baggage along. Even some additional exposition would have helped, as I often didn't understand what role certain prominent characters were supposed to be playing when I was clearly supposed to know.
After I read the book, I took a look at the user reviews on Amazon. It was interesting to learn that Bradley herself was not pleased with this early effort, and that she retold much the same story in later works. For now, I'll continue with the Darkover novels and hope that they get better as they go along.
It took me a couple of weeks to get through this short (164 page) novel. I just wasn't motivated to pick it up! Especially during the first half of the book, there were just too many characters, peoples and concepts introduced all at once. When you create a fictional world, you have to bring the reader into it, not just throw made-up terms around without enough context to give them meaning. That's what happened here -- lots of "stuff" and not enough plot to move all that baggage along. Even some additional exposition would have helped, as I often didn't understand what role certain prominent characters were supposed to be playing when I was clearly supposed to know.
After I read the book, I took a look at the user reviews on Amazon. It was interesting to learn that Bradley herself was not pleased with this early effort, and that she retold much the same story in later works. For now, I'll continue with the Darkover novels and hope that they get better as they go along.
Read
September 6, 2020Thus is the first version of what was redone as Sharra's Exile. I much prefer the rewrite....
December 9, 2021
The Sword of Aldones is a big mess. I'm now aware that the Darkover series encompasses many, many works, so perhaps some of those later novels improved over time. This one, however, was a pretty big slog. Bradley clearly has a world she wants to build, and in that respect reminded a bit of Frank Herbert. The Sword of Aldones can't hold a candle to Dune, though, despite sharing many similarities. Both have passionate characters. Both have distinct political groups vying for control of people and resources. Both have a mix of science fiction and superpowers. Both have an overabundance of weird terminology to decipher. And yet, there is something deeply more significant and coherent about the way Herbert writes. Perhaps Bradley should have included a glossary like Dune did, and if so, maybe I would have been able to actually grasp what in the world was happening in this acid trip of a novel.
The pacing is completely uneven. There are chapters and chapters of characters doing little more than standing around and talking, and then suddenly they are whisked literally across space and time without explanation to fight eternal gods and goddesses. I was so utterly confused by the end that I was tempted to stop reading early (my OCD won the day). There are myriads of concepts and ideas and technologies that are all explained very poorly or not at all. Characters that appear to be very important to the story become not so almost at the drop of a hat. George R. R. Martin ain't got nothing on this lady.
Would not recommend. I read The Planet Savers prior to The Sword of Aldones, and that short novel is VASTLY more enjoyable, coherent, plausible, understandable and grounded.
Note: it was revealed after her death that Bradley was a child molester, and also helped her husband to molest children. I would be lying if this revelation from Wikipedia did not sour my view of the author and her work. I will not be reading anything further from her.
The pacing is completely uneven. There are chapters and chapters of characters doing little more than standing around and talking, and then suddenly they are whisked literally across space and time without explanation to fight eternal gods and goddesses. I was so utterly confused by the end that I was tempted to stop reading early (my OCD won the day). There are myriads of concepts and ideas and technologies that are all explained very poorly or not at all. Characters that appear to be very important to the story become not so almost at the drop of a hat. George R. R. Martin ain't got nothing on this lady.
Would not recommend. I read The Planet Savers prior to The Sword of Aldones, and that short novel is VASTLY more enjoyable, coherent, plausible, understandable and grounded.
Note: it was revealed after her death that Bradley was a child molester, and also helped her husband to molest children. I would be lying if this revelation from Wikipedia did not sour my view of the author and her work. I will not be reading anything further from her.
April 26, 2022
Let's get something out of the way first. Bradley was a monster, involved in child sex abuse and horrible stuff, but she's dead and the copy I read was from a second-hand book shop, it's not like I'm giving her money. (Although I did before the story of her horrors was known as she was still alive, as a young witchy Mists of Avalon kid). So yeah, that. But I'm reading all the Hugo Nominated novels, and wasn't going to skip this because I have problems with the writer, those are a dime a dozen, writers are often horrible people.
This is the second book in the Darkover series, the novels are independent though, so although set in the same universe as the previous one does not presume any knowledge of the universe and the characters are different. Or so they say... I have to acknowledge to being confused about what exactly was going on for much of the short book, possibly had I read the previous novel it would have been easier. So, not really that friendly a read.
However, the weirdness of the setting and novel, which might confuse the reader, is also a great part of its charm. It's clearly an extremely inventive and alien universe and feels pretty fresh for 1961, it's the construction of this strange mix of medieval fantasy with extremely advanced science fiction that makes for an intriguing setting. The novel is no longer available, as MZB rewrote it to better fit the universe later, but it's still an interesting exercise in the strange, alluring and confusing.
This is the second book in the Darkover series, the novels are independent though, so although set in the same universe as the previous one does not presume any knowledge of the universe and the characters are different. Or so they say... I have to acknowledge to being confused about what exactly was going on for much of the short book, possibly had I read the previous novel it would have been easier. So, not really that friendly a read.
However, the weirdness of the setting and novel, which might confuse the reader, is also a great part of its charm. It's clearly an extremely inventive and alien universe and feels pretty fresh for 1961, it's the construction of this strange mix of medieval fantasy with extremely advanced science fiction that makes for an intriguing setting. The novel is no longer available, as MZB rewrote it to better fit the universe later, but it's still an interesting exercise in the strange, alluring and confusing.
December 23, 2024
DNF 38%
Diezgan bēdīgi - pasaules uzbūve vēl OK, bet diezgan virspusēja ("sliktie" terrāņi, ''labie'' darkovaņas (kas ne ar ko nav labāki)).
Biju paskatījies, ka esmu iepriekšējo grāmatu no sērijas lasījis, bet tikai tagad piefiksēju, ka tas bija garstāsts uz 90lpp. un nesaistīts ar grāmatas sižetu. Pati grāmata ir uzrakstīta pēc tam un ir pirmā sērijā, bet vislaik roadas sajūta, ka nav lasīta iepriekšējā un tāpēc grūti just/sekot līdzi, jo iepriekšējās (neesošās) grāmatas notikumi varonim ir ļoti svarīgi, bet tie tiek atstāstīti virspusēji, nedaudz haotiski utt. (''negribu tagad par to vairāk runāt'' stilā).
Ja iepriekš izlasītajai ''Babel-17'' bija zināmas novecojuma/sava laikmeta pazīmes (varēja justs, ka tolaik nebija gamma vai beta lasītāji, kā vairumam tagad, un kārtīgs editors), tad tās nebija kritiskas un izteiktas, un idejas bija kā mājas, tad šeit tas teksts ir saraustīts, ne visai loģisks un grūti sekot līdz (jā jau teicu, bet grāmatā arī 5x atkārto vienu un to pašu). Nerodas ne kādas pieķeršanās/intereses par varoni. Kaut kāda putra. Hugo nominācija šķiet pilnīgs WTF.
Diezgan bēdīgi - pasaules uzbūve vēl OK, bet diezgan virspusēja ("sliktie" terrāņi, ''labie'' darkovaņas (kas ne ar ko nav labāki)).
Biju paskatījies, ka esmu iepriekšējo grāmatu no sērijas lasījis, bet tikai tagad piefiksēju, ka tas bija garstāsts uz 90lpp. un nesaistīts ar grāmatas sižetu. Pati grāmata ir uzrakstīta pēc tam un ir pirmā sērijā, bet vislaik roadas sajūta, ka nav lasīta iepriekšējā un tāpēc grūti just/sekot līdzi, jo iepriekšējās (neesošās) grāmatas notikumi varonim ir ļoti svarīgi, bet tie tiek atstāstīti virspusēji, nedaudz haotiski utt. (''negribu tagad par to vairāk runāt'' stilā).
Ja iepriekš izlasītajai ''Babel-17'' bija zināmas novecojuma/sava laikmeta pazīmes (varēja justs, ka tolaik nebija gamma vai beta lasītāji, kā vairumam tagad, un kārtīgs editors), tad tās nebija kritiskas un izteiktas, un idejas bija kā mājas, tad šeit tas teksts ir saraustīts, ne visai loģisks un grūti sekot līdz (jā jau teicu, bet grāmatā arī 5x atkārto vienu un to pašu). Nerodas ne kādas pieķeršanās/intereses par varoni. Kaut kāda putra. Hugo nominācija šķiet pilnīgs WTF.
June 12, 2025
Two stars because I was motivated enough by the mystery elements in the story to finish the book but also two stars because the overall writing is poor by current standards. For a second book (by publication order) in a long series reading this novel takes effort just to keep the context straight; I kept asking myself how this all fits together and what is going on here. This story is like a box of puzzle pieces that may not all belong to the same picture or a jigsaw that is missing a fair number of the edge pieces.
No character in this novel has adult-level emotional intelligence. How do these people get through the day? The men have no self-control and seem to have resources that magically appear (doesn't anyone work for a living?), the women are weepy and girlie. Hasn't anyone matured past the age of 12? Here again, two stars instead of one because these character flaws seem relatively typical of science fiction/fantasy novels from this time period (late 50s, early 60s), especially the immature female characters. I'm not giving up on the series mainly so I can get some background to read later books.
No character in this novel has adult-level emotional intelligence. How do these people get through the day? The men have no self-control and seem to have resources that magically appear (doesn't anyone work for a living?), the women are weepy and girlie. Hasn't anyone matured past the age of 12? Here again, two stars instead of one because these character flaws seem relatively typical of science fiction/fantasy novels from this time period (late 50s, early 60s), especially the immature female characters. I'm not giving up on the series mainly so I can get some background to read later books.
November 20, 2025
Marion Zimmer Bradley, and her literary work, must be viewed through two, often competing, lenses.
First, she was writing stories with strong, relatable female protagonists battling male oppression at a time when very few other authors were prepared to do so. Many modern readers cannot conceive of a time when women were not allowed to have a credit card in their own name, which was but one of the policies Bradley was dealing with in her time. She was a feminist long before it became fashionable. She was one of a very few voices that spoke powerfully to young women about their own worth. Much of her writing, read today, can be seen as trite, obvious, or overbearing, but it must be remembered that it was none of those things at the time it was written. This was a woman who co-founded, and named, the Society for Creative Anachronism, who championed pagan rights when the mainstream saw them as satanic, and who encouraged and published unknown female authors like Mercedes Lackey. Viewed through this lens, Bradley was a progressive woman to be lauded, as she was, posthumously, when she received the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000.
Second, and hideously, Bradley was a pedophile, who molested her own children. She also procured and groomed children for her husband, Walter Breen, to assault. She admitted to knowing what he was doing to these children, but refused to stop helping him, much less report him or interfere with his desires. Her own daughter was her accuser, so we can be assured this is not a "he said, she said" situation. Viewed through this lens, then, her life and work become irredeemably tainted.
We are, perhaps, used to evaluating art for art's sake, commenting on Ender's Game, or Harry Potter, as though their authors' views, hateful as they are, should not condemn the output of their minds and hands. Perhaps we are right to do so; after all, these views are only beliefs and words, no matter how widespread a bully pulpit their famous speakers are able to command. However, when beliefs and words turn into actions, we must draw the line. Since 2014, when definitive proof finally came to light, I have found myself unable to recommend anything written by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I remain so appalled by her actions that I can never give more than one star to anything she has written, no matter how groundbreaking, how heartfelt, how astounding it may be. I urge everyone reading this to join me in boycotting her work forever.
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* (extremely rare) There is something very wrong with this book &/or this author; never again.
** (seldom) Has flaws, or I just couldn’t get into it; no thanks.
*** (usual) Not great, not bad; no need to return to it.
**** (often) Better than average; I’d read it again.
***** (rare) A superb example of the genre, &/or an incredible piece of art; I re-read it often.
First, she was writing stories with strong, relatable female protagonists battling male oppression at a time when very few other authors were prepared to do so. Many modern readers cannot conceive of a time when women were not allowed to have a credit card in their own name, which was but one of the policies Bradley was dealing with in her time. She was a feminist long before it became fashionable. She was one of a very few voices that spoke powerfully to young women about their own worth. Much of her writing, read today, can be seen as trite, obvious, or overbearing, but it must be remembered that it was none of those things at the time it was written. This was a woman who co-founded, and named, the Society for Creative Anachronism, who championed pagan rights when the mainstream saw them as satanic, and who encouraged and published unknown female authors like Mercedes Lackey. Viewed through this lens, Bradley was a progressive woman to be lauded, as she was, posthumously, when she received the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000.
Second, and hideously, Bradley was a pedophile, who molested her own children. She also procured and groomed children for her husband, Walter Breen, to assault. She admitted to knowing what he was doing to these children, but refused to stop helping him, much less report him or interfere with his desires. Her own daughter was her accuser, so we can be assured this is not a "he said, she said" situation. Viewed through this lens, then, her life and work become irredeemably tainted.
We are, perhaps, used to evaluating art for art's sake, commenting on Ender's Game, or Harry Potter, as though their authors' views, hateful as they are, should not condemn the output of their minds and hands. Perhaps we are right to do so; after all, these views are only beliefs and words, no matter how widespread a bully pulpit their famous speakers are able to command. However, when beliefs and words turn into actions, we must draw the line. Since 2014, when definitive proof finally came to light, I have found myself unable to recommend anything written by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I remain so appalled by her actions that I can never give more than one star to anything she has written, no matter how groundbreaking, how heartfelt, how astounding it may be. I urge everyone reading this to join me in boycotting her work forever.
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* (extremely rare) There is something very wrong with this book &/or this author; never again.
** (seldom) Has flaws, or I just couldn’t get into it; no thanks.
*** (usual) Not great, not bad; no need to return to it.
**** (often) Better than average; I’d read it again.
***** (rare) A superb example of the genre, &/or an incredible piece of art; I re-read it often.
November 3, 2022
Although this story follows on from The Heritage of Hastur, it was actually written quite a long time before, which makes for an interesting comparison. You can see the author has not yet fully worked out all the details of Darkover history, geography, how the society works and the complexities of the psychic gifts some of the people have. This gives the narrative quite a harsh grittiness that's quite refreshing. The characters also have somewhat different personalities than those revealed in later novels.
There's also a bit if a clash between what is science and what is magic, and in spite of Lew Alton insisting that the harnessing of psychic power is science, the plot does at times veer towards the magical. You may have thought the magical dueling in the Harry Potter books was awesome, but I think Marion Zimmer Bradley had nailed it about thirty years earlier!
There's also a bit if a clash between what is science and what is magic, and in spite of Lew Alton insisting that the harnessing of psychic power is science, the plot does at times veer towards the magical. You may have thought the magical dueling in the Harry Potter books was awesome, but I think Marion Zimmer Bradley had nailed it about thirty years earlier!
September 30, 2019
The only thing I got out of this story was learning how Regis got his white hair at a young age (in Planet Savers it was already white). Everything felt overly dramatized, like watching a play, and I just couldn’t seem to like the lead character Lew and his attitude toward the key women. For that matter, I couldn’t relate to the women who were meant to be strong yet still feeble. Meh. Not a re-readable prospect, but gives me some background as I move through the other stories and learn about the gifts and matrices of Darkover.
January 11, 2023
Lento, abbastanza confusionario - lo stile narrativo lascia la sensazione che a volte l'autrice "salti dei pezzi", che si intuiscono dal contesto ma troppe cose sono lasciate volutamente nel vago - e con personaggi non particolarmente memorabili.
Il mondo di Darkover ha però un potenziale immenso e mi ha affascinato, credo che ci tornerò prossimamente.
Il mondo di Darkover ha però un potenziale immenso e mi ha affascinato, credo che ci tornerò prossimamente.
June 27, 2021
Pulls a lot more detail into the world of Darkover, begins fleshing out details of the aristocracy, the interactions with Terrans, and the magic peculiar to Darkover, psi, matrices, Keepers, and familial powers. Throw in an ancient power, a conspiracy, and golly, you've got yourself a story.
August 13, 2021
Honestly I’m not sure I caught all of the pieces of this book. Will be interesting to read Shara’s Exile to see if the rewrite of the plot makes it a bit more comprehensible. That being said, I rather liked not being told every detail.
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October 23, 2025After Lew Alton unwittingly roused the fire demon Sharra, the Sword of Aldones was the only weapon that could lay her to rest again. But only one man could wield the sword, and getting it was an even bigger problem.
April 20, 2018
I have a 1979 edition published by Arrow Books Ltd
September 26, 2020
Giving this one a 4. Good for background of Darkover
June 23, 2021
Meh. I didn't really love the main character. I wanted to be immersed in this other world, but just felt kind of disconnected for the entirety
April 20, 2022
Fast paced
This was a bit confusing. I must have missed a previous book. It was a good story though. Nice ending.
This was a bit confusing. I must have missed a previous book. It was a good story though. Nice ending.
November 20, 2022
Language is dated, but the storyline, albeit truncated at places, is good.
January 31, 2022
scritto o tradotto veramente di merda!!
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