Lamarchos

Diadem #2

by Jo Clayton

The diadem that crowned the head of Aleytys was in contact with her central nervous system - and invisible to outsiders. But even that star-born fugitive herself did not know what the diadem's powers were or what it could do to or for her.

What she did know was that it made her the target of the diadem's unrelenting and non-human owners who had tracked it across space and were still on her trail. She herself had started in search of her own people - but before she could make progress she would have to conquer both the unyielding mind-slave band she wore and the menace it held for all in contact with her.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Jo Clayton, whose parents named her after Jo in Little Women, was born and raised in Modesto, California. She and her three sisters shared a room and took turns telling each other bedtime stories. One of her sisters noted that Jo's stories were the best, and often contained science fiction and fantasy elements.

Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.

In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.

During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.

After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.

Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.

Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I embarked on this somewhat arbitrary quest to read books with early Michael Whelan artwork on them because I have been finding some real gems, one of which is this series. Aleytys is a young woman who has bonded with an alien diadem that endows her with psionic powers she doesn't yet understand. Searching for her mother's home planet, she finds herself thrown in with a band of thieves on Lamarchos, where she becomes a kind of missionary for the world's "spirits." This book ends, as did the first, with a clear continuation into the next volume, and I certainly intend to keep reading.

[Anne Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, this second book in the series is a weird mixture of fantasy and science fiction, leaning more towards the fantasy side. The plot is set on a different planet and we have the space thing at the beginning and the end, but the main part of the story is pure fantasy. I liked this more than the first as there was more action, particularly in the second half. There are small irritations around naming and also the unreal behaviour of Aleytys’ baby! He certainly never seems to cause any issues for his mother, or the plot!. So, an OK book. I may read #03 if I run out of other books as it is available as an ebook from the local library service.

[Rajesh · Rating 1 out of 5]

70s be buggin' is all.

[Lawrence Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of many books in a series (I think it is the second). I was reading the paperback version and left the book on a plane where it was lost to someone else. I had to buy a replacement copy (received the digital version for free) so I was able to finish this book and continue with the series.
The back cover of this book says it can be read as a stand alone story, but the content of this book should be completed to understand the rest of the series.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun change to read a more classic style sci fi like this. Nice short book with interesting world building building and character development all the same. Also an interesting look into some feminism of the time - very practical haha

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Continuation of book 1. Eh.

[Jorgon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clayton continues her quest to create an Andrew-Nortonish universe where sex actually exists, and which is far more brutal than anything Norton had ever dreamed up.

Well, there are differences: in this, second volume, Clayton shows some growth as a writer. A lot of purpleness of the prose has been toned down, and there is credible dialogue and even snippets of witty repartee. On the other hand, the plot is rather pedestrian, and the heroine still sleeps with pretty much any male that she spends more than several hours around, and is raped once again, with apparently not much in the way of psychological effect on her. Her sexuality may appear quite liberating, but there is not a hint of queerness on any planet's horizon--at least, not yet.

A lot of it is still swords-and-sorcery, or perhaps, considering the level of violence at several points, an early precursor to grimdark in space. Aleytys develops a bit more agency than in the first volume of the series, but the ending is a cliffhanger with (from her point of view) disastrous consequences.

Yet here I am, reviewing it and actually having started on the third book in the series already. Brutal mind-candy, yet I would like now to find out how all this ends, not to mention to learn something about the history of this particularly unpleasant collection of planets. And one can only hope that the tone will move away from fantasy and towards more "scientifictional" feel.

[Jeffrey Doten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm very found of Jo Clayton and read a lot of the Diadem novels way back. This is one I never finished and it's happened again. I think it is Jo's second novel. The writing is solid but little happens and goals are fuzzy. I may pick up a later one in the series at some point but I can see why I didn't finish this one years ago.

[SciFiOne · Rating 3 out of 5]

1989 grade C
A Diadem novel

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was depressing. Less a story than a series of horrific things done to women.