Product Description
Three early works by Marion Zimmer Bradley with active table of contents.

Works include:
The Colors of Space
Door Through Space
Year of the Big Thaw ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of stories, including two never-before-published tales, travels through the history of Darkover, the planet of the Bloody Sun, from the Founding to the time of Recontact. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Table of Contents
This book (kindle version) contains:

To Keep the Oath
Bonds of Sisterhood
House Rules
Knives
Firetrap
The Keeper's Price
The Lesson of the Inn
Hilary's Homecoming
Hilary's Wedding
Everything But Freedom
Oathbreaker
Hawkmaster's Son
A Man of Impulse
The Shadow

Some of the Best Short Stories
I was a fan of the different Darkover anthologies when they first came out. They were uneven - some of the stories were great and some were horrible. This collection is made up of the stories that Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote for the collections and shows an inside look at some of her characters.

As a technical note, the Kindle version has a somewhat linked table of contents.From the table of contents, you can jump to any story, but you can't jump back to the table of contents from inside the book. It's not that important as the table of contents is at the very beginning.

Filling in blanks
Marion Zimmer Bradley declares in her preface to one of these stories that she was "not generally infatuated with [herself] as a short story writer," but she still found it worthwhile, over 37 years writing about Darkover, to turn out a few short pieces, and here she collects them for readers who are unable to obtain them in the original form.The stories are arranged according to focus: four about the Free Amazons, five about Hilary Castamir, four about Dyan Ardais (whom Bradley calls "by far the most popular character [she] ever invented"), and a novella focusing on Lady Rohana Ardais.In these stories we learn how Camilla, familiar to readers of The Saga of the Renunciates (The Shattered Chain, Thendara House, City of Sorcery) (Darkover) as Magda Lorne's lover, joined the Amazon order, and visit Guildhouses large and small to see something of how Renunciates live.We follow Hilary of The Forbidden Tower through her difficult and painful attempt at Keeper training, through her disappointed return home and her conflicts with her mother over suitors, to her rejection of the widower Farrill Lindir in favor of Colin Syrtis.We share Rohana's difficulties with a hard-drinking husband and son, an intransigent fostri (Jaelle n'ha Melora of the Renunciates novels), and the management of her family's estate; in many ways, despite Darkover's level (or lack) of technology, Rohana seems more Victorian than Medieval.And in a quartet of stories unfortunately not chronologically arranged (continuity buffs should read "Hawkmaster's Son" first, then "Oathbreaker," "The Shadow," and "Man of Impulse" last of all) we watch the development of Dyan from class-conscious youngster (he ruins the happiness of at least three people when he warns a young girl's noble father of her plans to elope with a commoner) to mature, urbane homosexual--who has a love affair, and a child, with a friend's sister.As in all Darkover books, there are tidbits aplenty about Darkovan society, the planetary environment, and all the other background information that made the planet come to life for a large fandom and keeps most of the novels in print to this day.Since the stories are best appreciated if you're already familiar with the later exploits of the characters, this shouldn't be your introduction to Darkover; start, rather, with one of the books set following the Terran rediscovery, such as those already mentioned or THE SPELL SWORD - A DARKOVER NOVEL, Sharra's Exile, or The World Wreckers (Darkover: Against the Terrans: The Second Age), then use this collection to better understand the people you meet in them.

Both good and bad parts
I bought this book because I wanted to fill in the holes between the Darkover books without having to wade through fan fiction. I've never read any of the other Friends of Darkover collections. In my opinion, the stories ranged from excellent to painful.

"Hilary's Homecoming" was a nightmare continuitywise. I know that MZB has stated that she was never concerned about continuity in her books, but there is a minimum. I mean, Hilary comes home as a very young virgin from Arilinn and meets her grandson as a potential suitor!

The longest story in this book "Everything But Freedom" about Rohana Ardais (from the Renunciate trilogy) ran nearly 100 pages and was only vaguely interesting. Several of the other stories were also about the Free Amazons; they were interesting, but forgettable.

The highlight of this book was definitely the section on Dyan Ardais; specifically, the last two stories, "Man of Impulse" and "The Shadow". "Man of Impulse" deals with Dyan's stay with Merryl and Marilla at Lindirsholme, which was referenced in "Sharra's Exile". "The Shadow" is about the relationship between Regis and Danilo between "Heritage of Hastur" and "Sharra's Exile".

Although most of the collection was pretty mediocre, the book is definitely worth buying if just for Dyan's stories.

An interesting collection.
For those who have been reading the "Friends of Darkover" collections of fan fiction that MZB has edited, most of these stories will be familiar; only a couple of them are new. These are the stories, written by MZB herself, that have appeared in the various collections, collected here in one place for those purists who refuse to read the Darkover fan fiction but want to read everything that herself has had to say. They include "To Keep The Oath", the story of how Camilla came to be a renunciate; "The Keeper's Price", written in collaboration with Lisa Waters about the failed keeper Hillary Castamir, "Everything But Freedom", about the Lady Rohana, and several tales of Dyan Ardais.

The writing is excellent, as any regular reader of Marion Zimmer Bradley could have guessed, and the stories give us interesting glimpses into the interstices between the full-length Darkover novels.

If you've collected all of the Friends of Darkover Collections, you may not feel that it's worth the price of a whole book just for two new stories (although the new ones -- "Hillary's Homecoming" and "Hillary's Wedding" -- are both quite good) but if you have not been willing to buy collections of fan fiction for the one or two actual MZB stories per book, this is the book for you. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains four works by noted Science Fiction/Fantasy author Marion Zimmer Bradley.Bradley (1930-1999) was well known as the creator of the DARKOVER and MISTS OF AVALON series.Her works often have a feminist outlook.

This ebook Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.

The Planet Savers
The Colors of Space
The Door Through Space
Year of the Big Thaw
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Deceptive Advertising
There is a book of MZB's short stories called THE BEST OF MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY (aka JAMIE AND OTHER STORIES). There is even a Kindle version of it The Best of Marion Zimmer Bradley: Jamie and other stories, with added introductions and an additional story. This is NOT it. This is a few of her old public-domain works, which are available for free at Gutenberg.com and similar sites, with a duplicated title. It is erroneously linked to the books with the same title, and the two reviews currently attached to it are for the book and not for this item. Also, these don't even come close to being "the best" of her work; they were written very early in her career and her skill did increase over the next few decades.

a good read
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. MZB says short stories are not her forte but these are terrific. In addition, they include lots of sci fi. I am used to reading her fantasy genre. I thought these were top quality.

Short Stories from Darkover to Lythande...
This book presents us to several short stories written by MZB with her incredible imagination, showing many different worlds, going from Earth to Darkover. You can read one story telling about the renunciantsorganization(Darkover), another one is about Lythande (a blue star magicianwith a secret). In my opinion, the best short story in this book, is theone about the Centauru's Children - where having a baby is the same to adeath sentence to the mother... Well everyone can decide what is the mostinteresting of the 15 short stories of this book and vote in it. ... Read more

Product Description
Traitor's Sun continues the epic saga of Darkover, the award-winning series by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Her most brilliant and popular creation, the Darkover books take readers to a planet torn by rebellion--and struggling for freedom...

"Darkover is the essence, the quitessence, my most personal and best-loved work."-- Marion Zimmer Bradley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Against the Terrans, for the last time
It has been just over a century since the long-lost human colony of Darkover was rediscovered by the Terran Federation, and in that time the Federation has gradually abandoned its original ideals, as Darkover's Senator Hermes Aldaran is all too aware.On most industrialized planets the bulk of the population lives cramped and difficult lives, forcing the government to seek either new worlds to colonize (recently an unsuccessful effort) or try to open to exploitation the many Protected Worlds which have thus far resisted full membership.Marguerida Alton-Hastur, once known as Margaret Alton, has for almost 16 years been the wife of Mikhail Hastur, designated heir to his uncle, Darkover's Regent; still deeply in love, they have two sons and a daughter.When Regis suffers a fatal stroke and Hermes unexpectedly flees home with his Renneyan wife, stepson, and daughter, a crisis is precipitated.The Hasturs soon learn that the Terran legislature has been dissolved and that the Terrans currently assigned to their planet are being ordered to leave it.To many Darkovans this would be reason for relief, but Lyle Belfontaine, the corrupt and ambitious station chief at Thendara Base, isn't going down without a fight.When he learns of Regis's death, he and his second-in-command originate a plan to ambush the funeral procession on its way upcountry, massacre most of the planet's Comyn nobility, invade and occupy Comyn Castle on the pretext of serving a warrant for Hermes's arrest, and, they hope, force a Terran takeover, which may lead to Belfontaine's being named Governor and secure their positions for the foreseeable future.Only the impulsive action of Marguerida and Mikhail's eldest, Domenic, who sneaks out of the castle to see the performance of some visiting Travelers and telepathically overhears two Terrans plotting with one of them, enables the Darkovans to find out about the conspiracy and originate a way to foil it.And only the existence of Marguerida's "shadow matrix" (see Exile's Song (Darkover) and of Mikhail's ring set with the matrix stone of Varzil the Good (The Shadow Matrix (Darkover)) make it possible for them to succeed.

Sharing most of the characters of the two previous volumes in the trilogy, this novel is, like most of the later Darkover tales, complex and rather slow-moving, but peopled by a large array of interesting men and women, including Marguerida's father Lew, who has proven invaluable to his daughter and son-in-law in their efforts to bring some modern technology to Darkover without overturning what is good about it; Gisela Aldaran, Hermes's sister-in-law, and Katherine, his wife, who find themselves unexpected allies; Illona Rider, the redheaded Traveler girl who is much more than she realizes; Javanne, Mikhail's frustrated and interfering mother, and her husband Dom Gabriel; and many more.Climaxing in a wild psi-battle as Marguerida and Mikhail unleash the full power of their matrices, it is in some ways not only the chronological but the literal capstone of the long Darkover series.

GREATGreater,GREATEST
I was so terribly thilled to hear that Marion was starting a new Generation of Darkover charactors..It began with Exiles Song and ends with Traitor's Son... TRULY Great.. all of them and if you like DARKOVER I highly recommend all of the.. this is about the third time I have purchased them... WORE the others out......=0) I hightly recommend these books..

I really freaked when Bradley Passed when Traitors Sun was still In hardcover..Deborah Ross is really good.and I can only pray that after the Clingfire trilogy ( Co-Written with Bradley )she will continue to writeDarkover Books.... Marion Zimmer Bradley was truly great in that she encouraged and helped others to write about her worlds and her characters... She was instremental in helping not only Mercedes Lackey but many others to get a good foothold on the Genre...I truly hope we can look forward to more- MANY moreDARKOVER BOOKS

Darkover Ending
This book is the reason that I began reading any of the Darkover novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Though it is the 3rd in a series, it can be read to stand alone quite comfortably. It was everything I had hoped for in a conclusion.

Marion Zimmer Bradley gives us a world so deep in breath, rich folklore, and mythology, that it sucks you right in - 1st chapter. (I promise).

Though, it should be understood that this is the last book she will write because she has passed away. As you read this book, you will realize that there are a few loose ends and mysteries that will forever remain unexplained.

I hope that someday someone will pick up where she left off.

One of my least favorite Darkover novels
First let me say that I LOVE the Darkover novels, and own almost all of them.I plan on re-reading them many times over the years.
Over the past few months I have re-read all of the books that I own in their chronological order, and I have found that this novel is probably my least favorite of the group.
The plot seems to drag somewhat in this book, and leans a little too much toward the political aspects of the Darkover-Terran relationship for my taste.I prefer books like Sharra's Exile, The Forbidden Tower or Stormqueen which focus a little more on the telepathic aspects of the culture.
If you love the Darkover books and have read Exile's Song and The Shadow Matrix you will definitely want to read this one, but if you are just starting out, try one of the other Darkover books first.
All in all, a good book with some great moments, but not my favorite of the series.

The very best in the series
I love the Darkover books, but this one is the best I've read so far.I think it's the last one, though ... so sad.I really want to find out what happened next.

This book is just so sophisticated in its character development!I love the way MZB looks at interpersonal relationships.What makes a person turn bitter, negative and destructive -- and how can she escape from that?What makes another person become dominant and powerful?How can a woman who is under the domination of a male chauvinist society nevertheless manage to have a meaningful life? How do children evolve in their thinking as they become teenagers and separate from their parents?What happens when a large number of strong personalities are confined together in a huge castle for years?These are the kinds of issues that are dealt with in this book.

I particularly like the way this elaborate character development is combined with the sci fi/fantasy aspects.How does a primitive world of telepaths retain its cultural integrity in the face of a much larger and more powerful galactic technoculture?How does telepathy influence human relationships?What kind of adjustments does a society of telepaths have to make to avoid going crazy?I love how this series and particuarly this book deal with all that.

And, of course, there is the wonderful, continuing romance of Mikhail and Marguerida, which has matured so heartwarmingly along with them.It's so rare to see a novel that takes a romance into adulthood.Most romance novels end with marriage.This novel accepts the challenge of addressing a romance that continues.OK, maybe this is the most fantastical element of the book, but I liked it anyway.

I recommend this book most heartily. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

woman warrior characterizes the ideal oriental woman
I read this book in college and it was a haunting beconing of my ancestors from the past to prod me on and become something more than the traditional wife and mother.Woman warrior in the book symbolizes true women innerstrength and abilities that can be transferred to modern society inAmerica, as little girls grow up to be voters, tax payers and soldiersdefending this country was well as mothers expanding and raising the nextgeneration.

kept my attention
This is one book you won't be able to put down! It kept my full attention all the way through. If you like adventure stories with heroines here's another great one from the author of 'Mists of Avalon'. Zadieyek of Gyre isa warrior woman you will not forget! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (25)

deceptive authorship
It's one thing to have a book co-written by two authors.It's one thing, perhaps,to have a book ghost written for some famous person who has never written a book and is telling their story to a ghost writer -- though even those people are often honest enough to indicate the book is 'told to' in the authorship.

But it is quite another to have an author who has written many books have someone else write a series authored under her name, copyrighted originally under her name and sold with the assumption that they are solely the author's work.I never could understand why I could never read anything but the first couple of pages of any of MZB's 'light' series before putting them down, convinced that age really had destroyed her writer's voice.Turns out I had a reason to think that as they were not written by her.

I remember purchasing the 'light' series in hardback because I had loved the authors other works and wanted to give them a chance.And being so puzzlednot just at how bad they were, for I had read all her early pulp works and knew she could be clumsy at plotting and rushed and sloppy in finalizing manuscripts, but shocked at how they had nothing of her voice or intrinsic themes.After you have read dozens of an author's books, you know the authors voice, style and themes. They were missing here.

Now apparently, the truth is out that these books now have another person's name on the copyright, (though my original copies, bought when they were first published, have MZB)and this is the person who actually wrote them.

I look at the dust jackets, which proclaim "written by the author of the Mists of Avalon" and have MZB's name on them and nothing of this other person, who did more than "prepare the manuscripts for publication" as MZB writes in one forward, and I really think both TOR who published them and MZB are guilty of both fraud and deception.All it would have taken to be honest would have been to put the other author's -- call her co author if you like-- name on the books. I wouldn't have bought them -- I hate collaborative works, they usually are terrible-- but most people probably would have.I wonder at the sheer fraud involved in this practice and how what was done can be legal.I feel like I deserve my money back.


All I can say is if you are looking for books by MZB, don't buy this series. And you might not want to buy any of her books at all. By condoning this fraud, she certainly didn't show any respect or honesty toward her readers in her later years. And this is from a former fan of her work.

Pretty boring
I have to agree with the previous reviewer.This book was quite boring and there was no real action until the end...and even that wasn't great.

If this is the first time you've read anything by Marion Zimmer Bradley, don't let it keep you from reading her other books--Mists of Avalon was one of the best books I ever read.

The More I Read, The Less I Wanted To...
On Beltane Eve 1969, Truth Jourdemayne became an orphan when her mother died and her father disappeared while performing a magickal ritual. It is now 25 years later, and as Samhain Eve approaches, Truth finds herself in her father's Hudson Valley mansion, where a group of initiates are trying to re-create that same failed rite. Stranger and stranger things begin to happen around the house, is it haunted or is it caused by the macigkal dabbling of the inhabitants?

Black magic, haunted mansion, sounds interesting, right?Wrong.

I feel awful saying this because I love Bradley's Darkover novels, but I couldn't even finish this horrible book. It was BORING, ssllooooowwww, and the character development virtually nonexistent.

Heirs to Avalon
Usually when Marion Zimmer Bradley is mentioned most people think of MISTS OF AVALON, fans of her work may also think of other books in that trilogy or perhaps in the prequels set in Atlantis.The 'Light' series, of which GHOSTLIGHT is the first is set in the modern day and concern Truth Jourdemayne, a researcher at an institute investigating the paranormal.It sounds so exotic but Truth is not a field researcher tracking down ghosts or even one of those who interview and evaluate would be psychics.Truth's specialty is statistics, she does the necessary but tedious work of establishing whether or not the findings of her colleagues is anything truly out of the ordinary.An unusual occupation for a young woman, particularly for the daughter of one of the most infamous men in the occult world.He at least he was twenty years ago when he disappeared after her mother's mysterious death.

Truth had spent her life avoiding everything about her father, but when her aunt gave her information that set her digging into her father's life, back at the estate where her mother was killed.While there Truth was drawn back into her heritage, a heritage that might go back much further than Truth had ever imagined.

Fans of MISTS OF AVALON might be a bit disappointed in this series.Bradley does a much better job of bringing characters from the distant past to life than she does with those in the present.Truth is not nearly as strong a character as Morgaine from the 'Avalon' books or even the sisters from the'Atlantis' series.Still, Bradley at less than her best is still better than most.The premise of this series is imaginative, the plot full of twists that will keep the reader guessing until the final pages and eager to pick up the next in the series, WITCHLIGHT.

Not bad. Not great, but not bad.
Something of a mystery here with the authorship. The cover only references Bradley, but the copyright is held by Rosemary Edghill (at least according to my copy of the book). I assumed that they collaborated on the book, but I wasn't sure why that hadn't been more broadly mentioned. Google turned up the following bit from an interview with Edghill:

"Working with Marion was great fun.Because of her serious health issues at the time of the books, it was a different situation than working with Andre and Misty, and much more than in either of those cases, I was not only trying to re-create Marion's own style without intruding anything of my own, but to re-create her style from about 20 years ago, which involved immersing myself in her gothics, so I could not only pick up her style, rhythm, and word choices, but her ideas and her motifs.I was working from some unfinished manuscripts that she passed on to me for source material, and I used a lot of elements from them.Along the way I dug up some pretty obscure Bradleyana, like her "Sixth Sense" media tie-in, "In The Steps Of The Master", and a novel called "Can Ellen Be Saved?" which I think was based on a TV movie.Marion was a journeyman pro in the grand old tradition, who wrote anything that had a paycheck attached.

Of course she oversaw everything I did, and when I finally got to meet her at the Fantasy Worlds Convention out in Berkeley, she told me how delighted she was with Heartlight, saying it was exactly the story she had always wanted to tell."

So apparently the book was not as much of a collaboration as much as a kind of premortem posthumous completion. Just in case you were like me, and curious about how it fit together. If I've got it wrong, and someone knows better, then let me know in the comments.

Anyhow, mysteries aside, I was kind of dreading reading this based on how much I roundly disliked The Inheritor ("Light") which was loosely set in the same world. (I had bought it before I read the other book.) In that sense, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not sure if it's the influence of Edghill or if it is just a better book, but I didn't hate it. It kept me reading and engaged and there were some really nice touches. There were even some nods to her Atlantis novels, if you were paying attention.

It isn't a Darkover novel. It isn't even The Mists of Avalon, but it's a pretty credible book, all the same. ... Read more

Product Description
First in a brand new Darkover trilogy— Now in paperback!

The long-awaited continuation of the popular science fiction saga is the story of Darkover’s telepathic ruling class, the comyn, and their struggles to reclaim their realm from the devastating effects of the Terran Federation... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

ok, but well below the other three.
it seems that the creative spark has left this series. i'm sorry because it really started off great.

Almost as good as MZB herself!
I am very glad that they were able to continue the series posthumously.I hope that there are manymore.

MZB
This book is great,just like all of her other ones. She didn't write this one, but left an outline and her protegee wrote it. It's just as good, I think.

Loved it!
I loved this story! Ms. Ross has taken someone else's AU and kept the 'voices' true. And believe me, I'm picky about that. I could not tell that Ms. Marion didn't write this story herself. If anything, the characters were deeper, more complex, and more real. I highly recommend it.

Disappointing
Like many reviewers, I have been a long term fan of MZB's.Probably 25 years at this point.

This book doesn't feel like it belongs to the Darkover series.It reads like a fan fiction by a person who maybe read the Coles Notes of the series and never really got to know the characters deeply.Lew is reduced to a snivelling wreck, Javanne's maliciousness is due to a brain tumor (?) Marja goes from being a very independant young woman to an overcontrolling, overprotective mother who objects to her son's growing independance but at the same time pretty well instantly capitulates to his desires.

An example of how the book strays from MZB's writing style - she never shied away from depicting sexuality of any sort, but the phrase 'wet crotch' would also never have hit the paper.

I have to admit, I'd rather just read the notes the MZB left as to the future history of Darkover than someone's botched interpretation of said notes. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1965, Star of Danger is a work that stands as a foundation for the bestselling Darkover series, introducing many loyal fans to this wonderful, mysterious world. Two natives of Darkover are forced to combine Darkover matrix magic with Terran technology to stand against a shared enemy. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An enjoyable entry in the Darkover novels
It's been about ten days since I finished Star of Danger. I sat down to review it just now, and I drew a blank: I couldn't remember the story! Finding a synopsis on the web helped to remind me. But it does go to show that Star of Danger wasn't all that memorable.

When I began reading the Darkover books, I was hoping to immerse myself in a fascinating universe. So far, I'm only getting a wading pool. Well, that's not entirely fair: the world of Darkover actually is a fascinating creation. But, Bradley's character work, plotting and writing is a bit of a letdown. There's something slightly generic about the characters, the way they speak and think -- I can't quite make myself suspend disbelief.

If you've read my other reviews, you know that I suspect that Bradley's writing improves over the course of the many Darkover tales she wrote. This is one of the earlier books. Still. If I was hoping for something as impressive as The Firebrand or as memorable as Catch Trap, I can't say that Star of Danger even comes close to her best work.

So -- am I recommending this book or not? I'd say: read it and enjoy, but don't ramp up your expectations. You do not need to have read the previously written Darkover books. Bradley herself said that they were each written to stand alone as self-contained novels.

Star of Danger has a Young Adult novel flavor to it. It's a story of two young men -- in their mid-teens, I think -- who meet and become unlikely friends, as their respective societies distrust each other and forbid such friendships. Intrigue ensues: the friendship carries the power to open up a new understanding between these two peoples, yet it also has the potential to lead to open conflict. I could tell you which ends up happening, but that wouldn't be very nice, would it?

60s SF that stands the test of time very well
Sixteen-year-old Larry Montray is thrilled when his father accepts an assignment in the Terran trade enclave on a far away world called Darkover. Settled by human castaways so long ago that it now has a culture drastically unlike that of Terra, Darkover fascinates Larry. Despite restrictions on contact between the Terran visitors and Darkover's natives, he manages to form a friendship with Kennard Alton, a Darkovan of his own age who's reckoned a grown man instead of a boy. When the noble Alton family invites Larry for an extended visit at their remote estate, his father's superiors are delighted at the opportunity to learn more about these people and their fiercely individualistic society. Larry's father, although far from delighted, allows the visit. He, too, sees its value; and he has another reason that neither we nor Larry will learn until the book's very end.

This old-fashioned science fiction adventure stands the test of time (original publication date: 1965) very well indeed. Its theme - how coming of age requires societies, as well as individuals, to temper freedom with self-control - is one that will have meaning as long as humans remain, well, HUMAN. I didn't think until after I'd finished the book about its almost complete absence of female characters, and then - since I'm familiar with Bradley's ability to write fully realized women, from her later works- I guessed that she chose not to bother depicting them in the stereotyped fashion that was usual in 60s SF. What's really interesting is that I didn't pick up on their absence at all while the story had me in its grip.

another story of culture clash
In "Star of Danger" we get to see one of the earlier works of Marion Zimmer Bradley. First published in 1965, it was the fourth Darkover novel written. The reason this is worth mentioning is that even thought it was only the fourth novel published in the series, it is the twelfth novel in chronological order, and if the "Clingfire Trilogy" is counted (which was mostly written by Deborah J Ross in the years after Bradley died), "Star of Danger" is the fifteenth novel in chronological order. It is in this order that I am experiencing the world of Darkover, from the earliest era of the planet through to the novels that take place deeper in the chronology. Bradley had not yet developed many of the ideas that would encompass the world of Darkover and she had not yet begun to truly tie these novels together. One theme that does remain strong throughout the entire series, including this novel has to do with the clash of cultures.

Larry Montray is a Terran youth who arrives on Darkover for the first time with his father Wade. For years, Larry has dreamt of traveling to distant planets and experiencing alien cultures, but when on Darkover he is not permitted to travel outside the Terran Zone. It is only through disobeying that he is able to maintain a friendship with a young Darkovan native named Kennard Alton. Kennard is a son of the powerful Alton clan on Darkover, a clan which holds much authority on the planet. Even though Larry is forbidden to leave the Terran Zone, he is invited by the Altons to spend several months with the family at their countryside estate. This is a huge opportunity for Terran Intelligence as the ruling class of Darkover is very restrictive regarding who is permitted to roam freely outside the Terran Zone. This is nearly unprecedented access. But to Larry, it is simply the fulfillment of a dream and a chance to spend time with a friend. It is also the beginning of an adventure that risks the lives of both Larry and Kennard, as well as the still tenuous relationship between Darkover and Terra.

Bradley uses this novel, as she does with most of the Darkover series, to explore a culture clash. In this case, it is Larry Montray who is out of his element. Larry is thrust into a situation where everything that he knows is alien to the life he is living on Darkover and he tries to fit in as best that he can. But, the difference of culture also causes conflict in his friendship with Kennard.

"Star of Danger" is a relatively short novel, coming in at just over 200 pages, but it is packed with action and adventure. So much so that one might thing this was geared towards a slightly younger reader, but the storytelling is such that any reader of fantasy can enjoy this book.

My only complaint about "Star of Danger" has to do with continuity, but because this book was written so many years before the rest of the series and Bradley has always been willing to sacrifice continuity if it would help telling a particular story. The continuity issue that I am referring to in this book has to do with Larry's father, Wade Montray. Wade is a minor character, and he did admit to having been on Darkover before, but the text suggests that Wade does not know nearly as much about Darkover as we see in the "Renunciate Trilogy". It is also surprising that Larry does not know about this, because I would have expected that he would have learned about his father and grandfather's role on Darkover. In particular, I would expect Larry to have known about his grandfather, who had a prominent role in the Terran government on Darkover. Again, since this was written years before the bulk of the series, and with Bradley's willingness to sacrifice continuity for the good of the story, this does not trouble me as much as it otherwise would, but since I am reading the series in chronological order it was a small distraction.

Overall, "Star of Danger" was a short, enjoyable reading experience. I have long been a fan of the Darkover series, which doesn't seem to get nearly as much attention as it should merit. This is good, but not great fantasy (and overlaps with science fiction at times). Most of the Darkover novels can stand alone, and this one certainly does, so it may be a good entrance point into the world of Darkover.

-Joe Sherry

A fast-paced, highly enjoyable Darkovan adventure
With Star of Danger (1965), I take my first footsteps into Marion Zimmer Bradley's legendary world of Darkover.While this particular story is far removed from the earliest chronicles of Darkover, taking place during the First Age (the era in which the Terran Empire rediscovered Darkover for the first time), it makes for an easy introduction to this strange and beautiful world.Star of Danger reads much like a juvenile novel of the type Heinlein perfected in the 1940s and 1950s.This does not mean the novel is not a magical read for adults - because it is.At the same time, however, it is filled with the type of youthful adventure and soul-stirring excitement that members of the younger generation can take great delight in.The protagonists are two teenaged boys standing on the cusp of adulthood, natives of two different cultures coming together for the unplanned-for adventure of a lifetime.

Young Terran Larry Montray is thrilled at the prospect of leaving Earth and moving to the exotic planet Darkover with his father, for he has long dreamed of experiencing space flight and embarking on adventures in alien lands.He is so excited that he studies the peculiar Darkovan language and learns how to read and communicate with the insular inhabitants of his planet-to-be.When he arrives on the planet, however, he is met with great disappointment; not allowed to explore the local area, he finds life in the Trade Cities no different from his life back on earth.Gradually, he talks his father into giving him more freedom, and he is surprised and gratified to discover that many of the local inhabitants mistake him for one of their own thanks to his red hair and knowledge of their language.The "backwards" Darkovans do not trust the Terrans, afraid of the type of change Earthmen will bring to their traditional, highly structured society, but Larry soon makes friends with a young Darkovan aristocrat named Kennard Alton.

Larry is given the unprecedented opportunity of spending several months with the Altons in the countryside, but this great adventure soon becomes a life-threatening one.If Larry and Kennard are going to survive the series of ordeals thrown at them in these pages (which include ambushes, deadly forest fires, capture, physical ordeals, and the threat of deadly Banshees), their bond of friendship must hold steady, and they must both learn from and defer to one another's very different strengths.Culture clashes are inevitable, but a spirit of understanding and friendship can not only lead them to safety, it may also serve as the beginning of a bridge between their two different, yet related, peoples.

Star of Danger is not a very long novel, and its action-packed plot is just the type of thing needed to get a youngster excited about the joys of reading; a few lessons on sharing and mutual understanding and respect also might pay dividends.This is not technically a juvenile novel, but it very well could be.Exciting yet meaningful, Star of Danger is a fast-paced science fiction adventure for all ages.

Full of Adventure!!!
I don't think this was MZB's best book but it was definitely a great bookto read!!!

Larry, a Terran ... Kennard, a Darkover native ... They meetwhen Larry gets into a fight and soon become friends. Larry's father doesnot exactly approve of their friendship but when Kennard invites Larry togo with him to his estates Larry's father is forced to agree, not wantingto insult them. But more is in for Kennard and Larry when they are forcedto work together ... to survive. An enemy has been attacking villages onDarkover and the two of them are separated from those they know. While thetension to prove who's best between them builds soon they have to put thatall aside and work together, combining ideas and their own technologytogether so they can get back to their families ... alive.

A great bookfor anyone who loves reading about adventure and defeating the bad guys! ... Read more

Product Description
Set during the lawless Ages of Chaos, when the ruling families of the Seven Domains of Darkover ruthlessly inbred their psychic offspring to gain powerful and fearsome talents, two young women are born with "wild" psychic gifts. These stories, one tragic and one triumphant, combine to give the reader a vivid and poignant picture of a devastating time period in the history of this fantastic world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great writing kept alive!
I was happy to see this and other older stories by MZB in this form since when I first found her books, sadly, most were out of print.Thank you doing this so that others can read and enjoy her superb works!

Amazing!
Both of these Darkover books are set in the Age of Chaos, one thousand years after the original landfall settlement. (Darkover Landfall) Marion Zimmer Bradly did a tremendous job on both of these books. They are both full of suspense, betrayal, magic, love, and some of the strongest and well written characters that I've had the chance to read about. You will never put these books down. Bradley guides you through a fascinating world where you feel anything is possible.

Stormqueen- Dorilys Aldaran, heiress to her father's domain and ender of her mother's life, was possessed with a uncontrollable power. She could unintentionally summon lightning and create terrifying storms across the lands. Her father sent for a trained monitor to help, Renata Leynier, to teach Dorilys control over her power. Even with the additional help of a Hastor lord, Allart Hastor, with a fascinating power of his own, Dorilys may or may not prevail. This storyline was very compelling and I just couldn't put the book down. It was so suspenseful and full of emotion; it definitely was a delight to read! I certainly like the idea of powerful and strong women in this book. Overall this book was a great read and I really would recommend it to anyone who is a Sci-Fi fan.

Hawkmistress-Romilly MacAran was a very independent tomboy. When her father arranged her marriage to a utterly disgusting nobleman, she revolted. She ran away from home disguising herself as a boy. With a telepathic communication with animals, especially hawks and horses, she could easily live off the land. She gets pulled into a civil war and must find her true role in life without scarifying her morals. I'm going to have to say that I liked Hawkmistress better than Stormqueen. I felt more connected to Romilly the hawkmistress than I did Dorilys the stormqueen. Additionally, this book is more feminist than the other book, because we have Romilly, a very strong, determined young lady and we also have the strength, bravery, and heart of the Sisterhood of the Sword, women warriors. Go Girl Power! I was also deeply moved by all the emotion in this book, that I actually felt emotionally exhausted after finishing it. It feels great when you can connect to a book this way. Finally, I would recommend it to all Sci-Fi fans and also to people that love emotionally jam-packed books.

The Darkover series is becoming one of my favorite reads and I'm definitely going to keep on reading theses books! I love them!

Yawn is right!
I agree with one reviewer on the subject line, but agreement ends there.I couldn't finish Stormqueen; it's simply poor story-telling.Some specifics:
* Excessive mental stream from key characters (Allart, Renata, etc.) leaves little to the imagination, and is so frequently repetitive and trite it's painful to read
* Insufficient development of other key characters (Donal, Cassandra, etc.)
* Illogical and sometimes silly use of fantasy (e.g. intense Tower sessions for tasks like charging batteries!)
* Editing is bad
* The fantasy focus is overdone and wearisome.Save yourself money and time by skipping the book and engaging in self debate on this topic: "woe-is-me-I-have-strange-fantasy-powers" / "hurray-for-me-I-have-strange-fantasy-powers".

The stories themselves are fine...
I also have to comment on the absolutely HORRIBLE editing. Did they even edit them at all, I wonder? It really seems like not. You will probably be able to figure out what is meant by the context of the sentences. It gets really annoying though. If you can find them, I suggest finding "Stormqueen!" and "Hawkmistress!" separately and read them that way. I'm hoping this is the only Darkover Omnibus to be so badly edited. The first one, "Darkover: First Contact" was fine.

One of my Favorite Darkover books
I was an avid fan of MZB's Avalon series when I stumbled on the Darkover series. Now, I am trying to collect the whole entire Darkover series which is quite hard considering there are so many and they go back to the 70s! I am lucky to have a used book store that occasionally gets them in because I would die if I had to wait for the re-releases. I like that the re-releases include more than one book. I have also tried the "Light" series (witchlight, gravelight etc) but have found that they are what I describe as "fluff" in comparison to her other works. Enjoyable, but not nearly as much as the Avalon or Darkover series.
This set is definitely one of my favorites, both of the series and of MZB's work in general. "Stormqueen" especially is my top choice. The Sage of the Renunciates are also Incredibly good. I love the fact the MZB's stories have well thought out and richly detailed storylines and incredibly strong developed characters. Her characters have flaws and are people that it is possible to relate to on some level. I wish that more authors portrayed such strong, realistic female characters. It is also great as a reader to be able to pick up any book in the series and be able to read it without having read any of its previous counterparts (especially when so many are out of print!). Each books stands on its own and presents a whole new element of the Darkovan society, while making reference to people or places from other books. I highly recommend this and any other Darkover book! ... Read more

Product Description
This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. Do Unto Others is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Mark Clifton is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Mark Clifton then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

the first Darkover novel
"The Planet Savers" is the very first Darkover novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley.It is a rather slim volume, my copy only had 91 pages, but it tells a fairly complete story.While this novel doesn't seem to fit in with the other Darkover novels, it does help to explain a little bit about who the Trailmen are, which is never explained in any depth in other Darkover novels.Bradley also explains why this novel doesn't quite fit with the other Darkover novels and how this novel came to be in the forward to the book.It is fairly interesting to understand how Bradley conceptualized Darkover.

This short novel tells the story of the 48 year Trailmen Fever.This is a nasty plague like sickness that seems to crop up every 48 years in Darkover's history, and Darkover is about to enter into a plague year.Now that the Terrans are back on Darkover, they are determined to end the plague.But the only way to do that is to get the cooperation of the Trailmen who are immune (and might in some way be a carrier).The Trailmen are fiercely territorial and violent to trespassers.But as a young child the human (the Trailmen aren't considered completely human, I'd imagine more like Neanderthal Man) Dr Jason Allison was raised by the Trailmen and is being recruited to lead the expedition to ask for the help of the Trailment.But Dr Allison seems to suffer from multiple personalities.One is a doctor Jay Allison who is a talented Doctor, but doesn't remember the language of the Trailmen and is something of a wuss.The other is Jason, a rougher man who is fully at ease in physical situations and is still fluent in the language and culture of the Trailment.Somehow a Terran doctor is able to revert Jay to Jason and the adventure begins.

It is a decent enough novel, and it involves other characters familiar to the Darkover reader, in particular Regis Hastur, who is a major player in other novels.As a standalone Darkover novel, "The Planet Savers" isn't anything special and I would not recommend it to anyone who wasn't trying to read all of the Darkover novels (as I am).

-Joe Sherry

An interesting story for you Darkover fans...
Nobody had reviewed this book, so I thought I would.This was one of the first Darkover books I read, and I enjoyed it very much.The Darkover books seem to vary in quality from slightly interesting to absolutely fabulous, but I'd rate this one as very good.It was first written in 1962, so it's a little dated, but the main character was interesing and it gives true Darkover fans some insights into some little-explored areas of Darkovan life. ... Read more

Product Description
Blending archaeological fact and legend, the myths of the gods and the feats of heroes, Marion Zimmer Bradley breathes new life into the classic tale of the Trojan War-reinventing larger-than-life figures as living people engaged in a desperate struggle that dooms both the victors and the vanquished, their fate seen through the eyes of Kassandra-priestess, princess, and passionate woman with the spirit of a warrior. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (90)

Review of Bradley's 'Firebrand'
MZB presents a lively retelling of the Trojan cycle through the eyes of one of its lesser characters--Cassandra. Bradley freely fills the unknown eras of Cassandra's life with episodes of Amazon battles and feminine power. It was fun to see Bradley playing with tradition to recreate Cassandra, although I found it odd that she tries to justify her changes at the end of the book. These were some fast-paced 600 pages, although 400 would certainly have been sufficient.

The Firebrand
This book was amazing. I miss Marion Zimmer Bradley books. She is one of my favs! I thought I read everything she wrote, then I saw this on Amazon and I had to have it. If you like her books you will love this one. Kassandra is such a strong women.

Another great retelling of history by MZB
After reading all of the Avalon books, I was intrigued with the idea of a women's view of the Iliad and the fall of Troy.I was not disappointed.Once again MZB's retelling of history gives new insight into what could have happened.My only disappointment was in the ending.There are just too many questions not answered and I found myself wanting to know what happened to some of the characters.Still a quality piece of historical fiction and a good read.I'll keep the book and read it again.

Purchased as present
My daughter loves Ms. Zimmer. This and a few others are her xmas present. The book came fast and in new condition. Would buy again from this seller.

Brilliant re-imagining of a classic story
Hecuba, Queen of Troy, dreams that she's given birth to a firebrand whose spreading flames will destroy her city. Not long afterward, she gives birth to twins Paris and Kassandra. Because he considers his wife's dream an evil omen, King Priam turns the infant Paris over to a shepherd who rears the boy as his own son. That's the familiar setup for Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel of Kassandra's life - but the Iliad retold on its own terms this book is not, because this story's Hecuba was born and raised an Amazon. When Kassandra's gift of the Sight incurs Priam's wrath, Hecuba sends the young girl - just on the verge of womanhood - to live with her sister, Amazon Queen Pensithelia, for a time. Kassandra loves that wild, free existence, and learns a warrior's skills. She's initiated as a priestess of the Mother Goddess once revered by all humans in that part of the world, but now largely supplanted by the Sky Gods (Zeus, Apollo, etc.). For the rest of Kassandra's life, her early childhood call to serve as Apollo's priestess will war with this later initiation into the Goddess's mysteries; because Apollo, like the other Sky Gods, represents a universe where men reign and women live in "divinely ordained" submission.

Returning to Troy to resume her life as a princess, Kassandra meets her twin brother at last. The royal family reclaims Paris, despite the evil omen that caused his father to banish him soon after his birth, and the visions of Troy's destruction that have plagued Kassandra from early childhood begin their march toward real life fulfillment.

In a way this tale is just as much a Greek tragedy as the Iliad, because it's a story of flawed heroes who bring their own destinies down on themselves. Retelling it through Kassandra's eyes, though - with an understanding of the very real culture clash between the masculine gods of the Greeks, and the Great Mother they supplanted - makes for a fresh, exciting, and downright intriguing book. Although this is fiction, it's fiction written as actual women's history is written: a time and place we think we know quite well takes on a whole new meaning, when the story is retold from a usually silent (as far as the official record is concerned) gender's viewpoint.

A rushed ending is my one criticism of this otherwise fantastic tale.
... Read more

Product Description
The novel that truly begins the bestselling Avalon saga... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (113)

Fabulous
I loved "The Mists of Avalon" and was pleased to find so many books by the same author in the Kindle book selection.Last weekend I began reading "The Forest House" and did not put it down for long.It has amazing insight into Mists and leaves the reader wanting more, which I am finding In "Priestess of Avalon" as well.As a Pagan and a practitioner of the lost arts I am pleased to find subject matter that relates to many of my spiritual beliefs.I can not wait to read everything that I can get my hands on by this author.And Bravo to Amazon.com for making this and all of her other books available for Kindle downloads.

Waste of time.
I was SOOOO angry at how Bradley/Paxton, or WHOEVER took the beauty and magic of Mists, and twisted it into a series of commericial and financial attempts at success.
I didn't even bother finishg it. I don't think I got through the first chapter.
I found myself thinking, "who ARE these people???" who were not related to any of the characters in Mists at all, although I have read here that "Lady of Avalon" is the infamous story of how the mists were brought down, and the story of Vivienne, and her beginnings. I have yet to read any of them. I simply refuse. I will not pay one penny to anyone who is involved in the shredding of the wonderful, magical story of "Mists of Avalon".
Plus, finding out the Ms. Bradley has been long dead, and all these others in her name have been written by some Paxton woman, who if you read the other critical reviews, is very telling of the other prequels.
If you really are a fan of Bradley's, you will keep your money in your wallet. Just as Anne Rice lost me after the 4th Vamire Chronicles, and now "writes only for the Lord" (rolls eyes), I have lost my faith in so many authors that I swore by 20 years ago...

Reading with Tequila
The Mists of Avalon is my favorite book and I had been wanting to read this prequel for years. While nothing could surpass the original, The Forest House is a very good book in its own right. I enjoyed the story of the priestesses but found the focus on both Gaius and Cynric during battles and military maneuvering less interesting. Even though it is a prequel, I could see readers enjoying it without having to have read The Mists of Avalon. A highly entertaining read with less depth than the original.

Bittersweet and spellbinding
In Roman-ruled Britain, Romeo meets Juliet. No, not quite - actually it's Gaius, half-British son of a Roman military officer, who meets Eilan, granddaughter of the Archdruid. Their tragic love drives much of the plot in this story of a time when Rome's male-dominated version of paganism causes the British druids to alter their goddess-worshipping faith to make it more acceptable to their conquerers. For that reason the women of the Goddess's "Forest House" (a religious community headed by the High Priestess) no longer control their own sexuality, as the dominant faction of their male counterparts (the druids) deals with the Romans and strives to keep the priestess' fearful power safely mastered.

Eilan arrives at the Forest House as a young woman, and there she spends her life. When she is chosen to succeed the High Priestess, she quickly learns both the high cost of serving as the Goddess's earthly voice and the ways in which she can circumvent her grandfather's control. As she strives to shape her people's future, Eilan also deals with the consequences of a brief reunion with Gaius - an encounter that she later realizes has sealed both their fates, in a way that plays out many years later.

A bittersweet and spellbinding tale that left me feeling certain I had been present in another time and place.

Not a smooth flow
I enjoy reading books of this time period. I found this book a little uneven. It was not a smooth flow. The book is very heavy and I believe an elderly person like myself would have a hard time holding this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The wild and beautiful planet of Darkover becomes the target of the World Wreckers, an intergalactic company that destroys the ecology and economy of a planet so that Terran investors can make a profit in restoring it. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A story of love, betrayal and redemption
Darkover is in danger; intent on bringing the planet fully into the Empire unnamed interests employ Andrea Closson of World Wreckers Inc to bring the plant to the point of destruction. Unusually Ms Closson decides to lead this mission herself. With Darkover already in a time of turmoil with its age old structure of government gone, Regis Hastur now finds himself the frequent target of would be assassins. Fearing the permanent loss of his peoples' telepathic powers Regis has sent out a universal call for all know telepaths in the hopes of regenerating these powers. But even if Regis becomes aware of the plot against his planet, will it be possible to undo all the damage Darkover has already suffered?

In The World Wreckers, in Darkover history it follows on shortly after Sharra's Exile, we find the young Regis now leading his world with faithful Danilo at his side. This story is relatively short by comparison with its two chronological predecessors, and the real centre of focus is the first small group if telepaths who come to Darkover, a mixed bunch of Terrans and those, initially, of uncertain origins. Of these it is David, a Terran medic, and Keral, a youngster of the fabled ancient and long lived Chieri, the alien natives of Darkover.

Young David and Keral, young by his own standards, form a bond, although the indeterminate gender of Keral initially proves a problem; but their relationship leads to interesting developments. Their relationship, and that enjoyed by others in the group, is touching and heart-warming. I would have liked to have seen much more of Regis and Danilo in the story, and especially their relationship, but they do not feature too greatly in the story.

It is a good tale, the main emphasis is on the characters, the plot to destroy the planet playing a relatively minor role on the whole. It is a story of love, betrayal and ultimate redemption.

Inconsistencies aside, an enjoyable read!
I've been reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels in order of publication, and given my fairly negative reviews of the earlier titles, you may be wondering why I keep reading them. Well, before The World Wreckers, Marion Zimmer Bradley was wondering why she kept writing them. They hadn't sold well. She felt like she was repeating the same stories. She was ready to call it quits -- and then she found inspiration. (So she says in her introduction to this book.)
That inspiration shows here, and I am glad I kept on. This one is much better than its predecessors -- yes, I enjoyed reading it! Sure, I still get annoyed at the oddities that should have been caught in editing. And if you're a Darkover die-hard, well, take heed of those other reviewers who voice bitter complaints about inconsistencies with other stories of the, uh, Darkover-verse. Still, none of that came at the expense of my enjoyment of this book.
The World Wreckers takes place as Andrea Closson, representing a shady interplanetary business interest, plots to destroy the fabric of Darkovan society. See, Darkovans have been resisting outsiders' attempts to exploit its resources for profit. Andrea wants to destroy Darkover's unique civilizations, so that those who seek profit can move in and build it up again as they desire.
Closson is close to succeeding in her destructive scheme. The old ways, the old peoples, are dying out, the sabotaged environment is killing the planet's population, and those who remain are scattered, unorganized and unable to fight back. This book is the story of a few who come together, from far and wide, to fight for Darkover's survival. The crisis is planetary, but the stories are intensely personal for our protagnoists. And even if the culmination of their struggle is -- well, rather sudden and most definitely a reflection of the era of free love in which the book was written -- I was entertained from beginning to end.

An essential Darkover novel.
Although this is not the best Darkover novel written, it contains a conflict we all knew had to happen--Terran interests try underhanded methods to gain control of Darkover.How Darkovans deal with it is interesting.I do think it's a shame that the major villain had to be a lost Cheri.Too predictable.However, I like the reorganization of the Comyn which was forced by the ecological disasters and the weakening of the major bloodlines.

The sad thing is, this had a lot of potential...
There were some very good ideas here, and I suppose that theoretically the other (later and better!) books should have been written to be more consistent with this one, but...

Ditto on what the previous reviewers said about inconsistencies, and another one I noticed - Regis is described as fairly short in World Wreckers, while in Heritage he's 5'10" at 15 (and presumably expected to grow some more).

The romance between David and Keral was written well enough and with enough sensitivity to keep this from being a one-star review, but damn, I wish this had been rewritten as The Bloody Sun was....

Can I give it zero stars?
"The World Wreckers" is awful.Plain and simple.Now, I'm a die-hard Marion Zimmer Bradley fan, so this is not an easy thing to say.Take my word for it -- this is a BAD BOOK.

Why?The plot is inane.Basically, some evil scum developers come to the invented planet of Darkover with the intention of exploiting its people and antural resources.The aristocracy of the planet jumps into action, and the author seems to forget their previous indifference to the well-being of the peons.

Why else?The characters are better described as caricatures -- always seen by the reader as stereotypes and extremes.The writing itself is confusing, unstructured, and full of grammatical errors.The book lacks originality, and reads like every other science fiction pulp ever written.Even if you love the Darkover series, skip this one. ... Read more

Product Description
An anthology of stories set in the world of the Bloody Sun examines the those gifted with laran--the ability to communicate telepathically with birds and beasts. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good Fan Fiction
I know that sounds like an oxymoron. MZB was a rarity in the world of authors: she actually encouraged fan fiction, and loved to read the "slush pile".

This anthology contains some good (and some merely passable) stories about unusual uses of laran powers on the planet of Darkover. However, I found the most interesting parts were the introductions to the stories written by MZB, and the insight into her character revealed there.

I was especially tickled by the introduction to the entire anthology, in which MZB recounts how a nameless author called her a sellout and she retorted that at least her kid wasn't forced to steal food. Priceless.

One of the best of the "Friends Of Darkover" anthologies.
There were no clunkers in this batch, and several top-flight stories. Highly recommended.

Typical Darkover anthology.Some good& some very good.
Have read & re-read all of the Darkover books several times.Just finished this book for at least the fourth time. There are only 4 or 5 stories which are up to Ms. Bradleys level, but since she picked them, allare good.Several extend some of Ms. Bradley's books ie. A Lesser Lifetells of a time after and puts a happier end to STORMQUEEN. ... Read more

Product Description
After spending her youth in the Terran Empire, Margaret Alton returns to Darkover, the planet of her birth. There she discovers she has the Alton Gift--forced rapport and compulsion--one of the strongest and most dangerous of the inherited "Laran" gifts of the telepathic Comyn--the ruling families of Darkover. And even as she struggles to control her newfound powers, Margaret finds herself falling in love with the Regent to the royal Elhalyn Domain, a man she has been forbidden to marry, for their alliance would irrevocably alter the power balance of their planet!. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Not very pleased
After getting introduced to Marion Zimmer Bradley's world through the Mists series, I had dived into the world of Darkover, starting with The Other Side of the Mirror and hopping through the Age of Chaos and the Second Age. After being familiar with the main players, I must say that I am extremely disappointed with this book. The first 300 pages could have been written in less than 100, and I doubt it was necessary to even start the main plot. The dialogues are juvenile and not very well written, and some of the conversation between the two main characters are so embarrassing that it made my face flame. The heroine shows not much character development as her father did in Sharra's Exile, and seems to have almost no flaws, which makes the character aggravating and grating on the nerve. Rather than a respected scholar of a higher educational institution, the heroine simpers like a teenage girl.

The male lead is not much beyond redemption either. There is no defined struggle within him unlike the heroine's father, or the Keeper, or the lead from Stormqueen!. In fact, I read the book twice and I was not entirely sure what his problem was.

All in all, a story not very well thought out. If you are willing to read the book just because it's Darkover, go ahead, but for any entertainment go to something else.

Romeo & Juliet, Darkover-style
On the planet Darkover, some 3900 years hence, a wide variety of psychic gifts, collectively called "laran," exists, and those who have them use "matrix stones," or "starstones," to help them focus their mental energy and turn it to useful ends.Margaret Alton's matrix is unusual, but then so is she--one-quarter Terran through her mother, one-sixteenth through her father, and just returned "home" after spending most of her life offplanet and planning a life as an academic at University, the otherwise-unnamed major higher-learning facility of the Terran Empire.In the process of her return, as chronicled in Exile's Song (Darkover), she experienced an adventure in the "overworld," the Darkovan term for the astral plane, and acquired, embedded into her hand, a matrix that had belonged to a distant ancestor of hers.She also fell in love with Mikhail Lanart-Hastur, whose family has no intention of letting her marry him, though her father, retired Senator Lew Alton, is supportive.Though the training necessary to her survival now that her laran has been awakened is difficult--and often literally painful--for her, she finds that she loves her world deeply.She also knows that she can never leave it, because the embedded "shadow matrix" will make her a lab-rat for the Terrans.

This middle volume of a trilogy follows Margaret and Mikhail, about alternately, as they search for ways to adjust to their positions and tasks, Margaret going first to Arilinn Tower and later to Neskaya to train, while Mikhail, sent by his uncle to test the three sons of the sister of the last (ceremonial) king of the planet for laran, finds himself opposed by a hedge-witch who has somehow gotten possession of a trap-matrix and is using it to tyrannize the entire household of his royal cousins.Even after the witch is neutralized and Margaret finds a compatible training regimen, their troubles aren't over, as in the midst of the Midwinter's Ball they are suddenly psychically summoned to ruined Hali Tower and there drawn into their planet's past, into the perilous Ages of Chaos.Here Mikhail must receive the matrix of Varzil the Good, who unified Darkover under the Compact that outlawed distance weapons (including the mental variety), and the couple must find a way to overcome Padriac El Haliene, a holdout against the Compact, who has assembled a stable of drug-dominated psychics and is using them to mine radioactive materials in hopes of dominating the planet by nuclear blackmail.

Though not fast-moving, this late volume in the beloved Darkover series shows a society beginning to evolve from the medieval model it followed for a thousand years or more, struggling with an often unsympathetic and now destabilizing Terran Empire, and trying to find its own place in that Empire, one newly-powerful faction of which is pressing for an end to its Protected status.Margaret especially is a three-dimensional and interesting character, who often thinks more like a Terran than a Darkovan, yet is trying hard to integrate the two halves of her persona and to forge a new relationship with her father.Mikhail may seem at first somewhat wimpy, but his actions are understandable in light of the power of the clandestine trap-matrix being used against him, and eventually he does succeed in finding the right thing to do and doing it, even though it involves calling on his younger sister, a powerful telepath, for help.I particularly liked the glimpse we get of the Ages of Chaos, in which Bradley heretofore set only two novels (Stormqueen!, A Darkover Novel and Hawkmistress! (Darkover), also available in a unitary edition The Ages of Chaos (Stormqueen! Hawkmistress!)).Though some questions are never fully answered (who or what *was* the Guardian of Halyn Hall, and who fathered Priscilla Elhalyn's five children?), it's not really surprising that in a book this size the author might lose track of a thread or two.Readers will do best to read "Exile's Song" before they tackle this volume (though it's possible to figure out the story without doing so), then go on to Traitor's Sun (Darkover), which picks up Margaret and Mikhail's story some years later.

One of the best of an excellent series.
Marion Zimmer Bradley created the concept of Darkover when she was still in her teens, and began writing stories set in that world while still a raw, unpolished writer. She continued doing so for decades; the earliest were published in the early '60s, I believe, and this one, the second to last written at least mostly by herself, was copyrighted in 1997. (I understand that there were some projects in the works when she died that her protege has completed, in which the concept was at least mostly MZB's, but the actual writing was at least partly filled in by her successor.) Not surprisingly, 30+ years of practice improved her skills as a writer quite a bit, so this is one of the best of a long and very enjoyable series. The plot is quite good, if occasionally a bit slow for those with limited attention spans; the characters are fascinating (that's always been one of MZB's strong suits) and if the proofreading is occasionally a bit sloppy (also a recurring facet of MZB's writing) the writing is otherwise excellent. This is essentially the second of a three-book sub-series, following "Exile's Song" and preceding "Traitor's Sun", and it would probably be ideal to begin with "Exile's Song" before reading this one, but really, this book stands well enough on its own that if you don't read the previous one, it will still be an interesting read, you'll just have to take some of the background on faith.

Highly recommended.

Bradleys greatest work is this TRILOGY
I was so terribly thilled to hear that Marion was starting a new Generation of Darkover charactors..It began with Exiles Song and ends with Traitor's Son... TRULY Great.. all of them and if you like DARKOVER I highly recommend all of the.. this is about the third time I have purchased them... WORE the others out......=0) I hightly recommend these books..

I really freaked when Bradley Passed when Traitors Sun was still In hardcover..Deborah Ross is really good.and I can only pray that after the Clingfire trilogy ( Co-Written with Bradley )she will continue to writeDarkover Books.... Marion Zimmer Bradley was truly great in that she encouraged and helped others to write about her worlds and her characters... She was instremental in helping not only Mercedes Lackey but many others to get a good foothold on the Genre...I truly hope we can look forward to more- MANY moreDARKOVER BOOKS

A fascinating heroine
Margaret Alton is the child of the powerfully psychically gifted Lew Alton, who has been the Senator for Darkover for several years.After a traumatic early childhood, little Margaret lived with her father and stepmother in exile, struggling to overcome her own oppressive Gift without expert Darkovan help, as well as trying to endure what she cannot help sensing of her father, battling his own demons.

This book takes up the story of Margaret, who in Exile's Song returned to the planet of her birth as an ethnomusicologist, accompanied by her beloved professor Ivor Davidson, to collect folk song from the rural places still largely untouched by the Empire.

As this book begins, we find Margaret undergoing the compulsory training in a tower, while Mikhail investigates a suspicious situation in the Elhalyn household, which appears to be haunted, and dominated by a strange woman of unknown origins.Mikhail's handling of the troubled Elhalyn children is touchingly presented, as is his relationship to his sister Liriel.

After much political maneuvering (an annoying but necessary part of these Hastur-era stories) there is the expected midwinter crisis, this one larger than most.

As a bonus, we meet again characters we know well: Jeff Kerwin, Javanne Hastur, Lew Alton, Diotima Ridenow, Mrs Davidson (Ivor's wife), Rafaella the Renunciate, Michael Lanart-Hastur, Danilo Syrtis, and Uncle Rafe, and others.And, as always, the children are delightfully portrayed.Finally, there is travel through time to visit with Varzil the Good, towards the close of the ages of chaos, to learn what happened to the legendary ring in which he preserved the soul of his beloved, Felicia Hastur.

Margaret Alton is a very sympathetic character, especially to those who might relate to music.Her own development is only part of a larger set of events that culminate in the story related in Traitor's Sun.This book is indeed the middle section of a trilogy within the Darkover saga consisting of Exile's Song, Shadow Matrix, and Traitor's Sun, all worth reading.

Archimedes ... Read more

Product Description
A never-before-published fantasy novel set in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover universe.

The world of Darkover, a unique, isolated, and protected world, has long avoided becoming part of the technologically advanced Terran Empire. But things are about to change. Regis Hastur, lord of the most powerful of the seven Domains in Darkover, learns that the Empire is about to become a Federation, and is extending an invitation for all of the worlds to join. While the offer seems tempting to his people, Regis knows that Darkover would become little more than a military base, used for its unique planetary position, and will be sapped of its resources. He must now stop at nothing to save his world.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Disappointing and Too Narrowly Focused
My first Darkover novel was "Exile's Song" which very solidly captured my imagination; Margaret Alton was a delightful character that left me intrigued and charmed. The world of Darkover, as presented in this book, was equally intriguing. I started researching Marion Zimmer Bradley and the world of Darkover and identified the books that were included in this series and systematically started collecting all of them that I could find.

I have completed my collection of the books in the main series and have, more often than not, found them to be entertaining books to read; a number of them, especially the later ones, I have reread many times.

"Hastur Lord" occurs between "World Wreckers" and "Exile's Song" it is grudgingly admitted in the "Notes" section "For those with an obsessive need to know which book comes after which on Darkover, these events occur after "The World Wreckers" and before "Exile's Song" - about ten years."

I discovered the existence of this book while browsing Amazon.com and preordered it hoping to find something equal to "Exile's Song" and later books in the series. Now, having finished the book, I am very disappointed to have to say that it does not measure up in my opinion.

The first half of the book is rather tedious with its focus on the conflicts involved in trying to justify the homosexual relationship between Regis and Danilo and makes very little effort to advance the action. By the time the action starts, the book is over half way completed and the writer has to scramble in the final chapters to try and bring some plausible resolution to the story. That appears to me to be rather clumsy writing and would make it appear that advancing the action was not the main objective of this book. Among Amazon's tag suggestions for this book are gay science fiction, and bisexual fantasy, these suggested tags seems to me to explain the book.

I'll probably need to read "Exile's Song" again to refresh my perspective as "Hastur Lord" left me feeling somewhat depressed about Darkover.

Slept around 4am, finished reading it before eating breakfast!
I got a sample, loved it, and bought the full kindle version.But first, I disclose that I am a gay closeted person. My mother still pressures me to get married. I have a female best friend who knows I am gay and still she propose marriage to me. That said, I was able to relate to Regis Hastur. Darkover is fantasy, and yet it is a world that is filled with honor and obligations that reflects life here on Earth, here on Terra.

That said, it should be disclosed clearly that the novel speaks of Regis' confusion being a lover of men and of his duty (to have a wife and kids). As there are regis, there are cristoforo readers that would not like the subject of homosexuality. Ms Ross was clear that they Regis and Danilo are lovers and wrote about the consumation of their love which was usually left to the imagination of readers by MZB (so one can just think they are lovers but never did physically touch each other, sort of a romantic love among nobles in the arthurian tales...) So, if you do not like to read anything gay or homosexual - do not buy or read this book. Otherwise, go ahead!!! Its been a while since I was up all night reading a book.

not the best
Anythihg Darkover is great but would of liked the last to be more current then in the past.

Disappointing and clumsy
I first read Heritage of Hastur when I was 12 years old and it completely rocked my world.I remember just bawling by the end of that book, and I hold it dear to my heart.
This book continues the story of Regis and Danilo that began in that book, and that is why I have given it three stars - anything that picks up and extends that story has some intrinsic value.Unfortunately, in all other respects, the book is extremely disappointing.The character development is almost completely missing.We don't gain any insight into any of the (numerous) major characters over the many pages of the story.Regis Hastur is the backbone of all of the "modern" Darkover stories, and yet here you get almost no sense of him.Like so many other characters (including Rinaldo, Valdir Ridenow and Danilo), it is impossible to get a fix on him because we have so little interior development.Half the time each of these characters seems completely lame, and then the other half of the time they seem quite strong, but there is no real character development.The fights and rivalries that we see seem largely based on the assumption that these people are basically morons - does Dani really believe that Regis just abandons him to Rinaldo?Really?It seems rather incredible, given the history, but if we are going to believe it, we need some explanation about what would be behind such a belief.Similarly, Regis highly values Danilo's advice as his paxman.Why is he so unwilling to trust Danilo's distrust?Very little of it makes sense in terms of motivations or in terms of character arc.
The writing itself is not very graceful.And there is just too much packed into this one story, much of which is not satisfactorily resolved.The story obviously tries to mine various current-day issues - religious strife, disputes about sexual orientation, the role of women, etc. - but it takes too many ideas and does too little with any of them.
The book also needed a real editor.It uses the same "old sayings" over and over - I think each and every chapter must have reused the saying about not being able to put a banshee chick back into its egg; every chapter talked about how few Comyn are still around; etc.(And the Kindle edition, which is what I read, is horrendous - probably every paragraph had a word that had spacing problems.No one ever proofed it - if they did, they should be fired.)
All in all, a very disappointing book.

Finally!
It had been so many years since I last read the Darkover series, I had lost touch and didn't even realize this new book would be coming out.I am SO glad I found it.First off, I have to admit it's not another "Heritage of Hastur," arguably the best Darkover book ever, but it is a wonderfully written book and fills in some important gaps in the series covering the 2nd contact with the Terrans.Most importantly this book explores the relationships between Regis, Linnea and Danilo, something I've always wanted to learn more about.True, the plot isn't exactly exciting or unexpected, but the plot is not the main thrust of the book itself.

As a young reader of these books in the 80's, it's nice to see how much more of the relationship (physical and otherwise) between Regis and Danilo is explored, with loving care and sensitivity.I can hardly imagine this book, which is in part a love story between two men, might have fared in the 80's.Thank goodness for the 21st century, which allows the book to expand upon the relationship between these two wonderfully strong men in a way which is quite touching and beautiful.I found myself moved by the strength and sacrifice Regis, as well as the serene and intelligent beauty of Linnea, the woman Regis loves (yes, he loves BOTH a woman and a man).If any of you have read Ann Rice's "Cry to Heaven," you'll find this book similarly moving.

Truly a gem for any hardcore Darkover fan.I hope there are many more such books to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

An intense, compelling and intricate epic
Set in an alien and cold world where the relationship between the Terrans and Darkover's original colonists treads a delicate balance of co-existence, Heritage centres on those who seek to bring the planet out of its anachronistic existence and put it on an equal footing with the Terran words. While the people of Darkover reject the advances of Terran science they have developed their own special abilities, namely their mental powers of telepathy and their ability to control the matrix. At the core of the story are Lew Alton, caught between the aggressive young idealists looking to the future and his loyalty to the Comyn; and Regis, the very young potential Regent-heir of Hastur.

The story is a fine interweaving of the complex plot and the personal lives of the many characters. The Comyn people's beliefs rooted in a society where loyalty and honour reign above all else means that even the darker characters have their standards. But among the many individuals both Lew and Regis are particularly appealing characters. Regis especially as he struggles with his own desires; in his early teens and with the longing to travel off world (something denied him) he is a reluctant heir, he is hampered too in having the potential for telepathic powers but seemingly unable to realise them; and he begins to recognises in himself a desire to reach out to other men or youths. Particularly heart-warming is the relationship which develops between Regis his fellow cadet Danilo, a youngster of high moral standards who becomes devoted to Regis.

The Heritage of Hastur is an intense, compelling and intricate epic, but what make it especially appealing is that at its root is the people, the individual and varied characters who populate the story.

My "a-ha moment" for Darkover novels!
Before picking up this book, I had read eight Darkover novels, generally in the order of their publication. What, I wondered, drew so many readers to them? Some of them were truly awful, while others were enjoyable, but not great. Then I got to The Heritage of Hastur, and it has given me an "a-ha moment."
In previous works, Darkover as a world was much more compelling than any of its inhabitants, whose personalities melted into sameness. Dialogue tended to be stiff, the narrative erratic. Yet, this fictional planet, with its Darkovan and Terran populace in constant friction, surrounded by the planet's native inhabitants who are at turns beautiful and deadly -- what rich material to mine!
With The Heritage of Hastur, Bradley has produced a tale with believably motivated -- and believable -- characters. The complex plot involves two young men who question the society from which they come and to which they feel indebted. Each considers casting off his destiny among the highest caste of Darkover, and each must struggle with demons within and without before finding his path.
Lew and Regis have appeared in other Darkover novels, both as older and younger characters, but here we get to the heart of their transition into adulthood and their profound effect on Darkovan society.
This book, and its place in the universe of Darkover novels, is brought to light in an excellent introduction by the late Susan Wood (in the 1977 Gregg Press edition). Her comments about Bradley's earlier Darkover works helped me to understand my own reactions to them, and helped me see that part of the reason I found them so poor is that they were written during a time when science fiction publishers expected quick-reading, quickly-written, happy-ending paperback adventures.
The Heritage of Hastur gives the reader so much more; and yes, it can stand alone without one's having read other Darkover books. I recommend it.

A book that changed my life
Among sci-fi/fantasy books, I think I can honestly say that this is the most amazing book i have ever read. In this story Marion Zimmer Bradley combines adventure, romance, political intregue, friendship, and loyalty, all under the theme of self acceptence. This is not the type of science fiction that holds itself together entirely by lightning fast action and improbable technology, the characters have depth and realistic reactions and emotions towards any circumstance. This is the story of Lew Alton and his fight to remain true to both sides of his heritage and his doomed love for Marjorie Scott, but it is also the story of Regis Hastur and his struggle to accept himself, and his friendship and love for Danilo Syrtis.

This book is an amazing read, and though it has moments that made me laugh out loud, it is, principally, a tragedy. I cried twice, but then, I do cry over a lot of things...

Yes, I deffinitely recomend this book.

One of the best of the Darkover novels.
Certainly exceptional at the time it was written; it is not one of the
earliest written Darkover novels, but it was written much closer to
the beginning than to the end of MZB's career, and it is at least as
good as, and perhaps better than, many of the books that were written
after she'd developed a great deal more experience and seasoning as a
writer. It is one of the best "coming of age" stories I've
ever seen, partly due to the fact that it involves the coming of age
of not one or two, but three main characters, and partly due to the
fact that it is perhaps the single most tasteful, insightful,
believeable, and moving story of the coming of age of a young man
coming to terms with his own homosexuality that I've ever seen. If this
concept truly bothers you, then perhaps this book isn't for you, but
if you're even willing to attempt open-mindedness on the subject, give
it a try.

In the chronology of the Darkover series, this book falls
just before "Sharra's Exile" and "Winds of
Darkover", and just after "The Bloody Sun". It is the
story of the Sharra rebellion (often referred to in the books that
fall later in the series) and is the story of the coming of age of
Regis Hasteur, Lew Alton, and Danilo Syrtis, all characters seen in
other books as older adults.

If you're looking to start reading the
series, this is as good a book to start with as any. If you've read
any other book in the series and liked it, this book is a must.

Quite possibly the best Darkover novel
Everyone goes through an identity crisis as an adolescent or young adult. Compound that with political intrigue, emerging psychic powers, sexual confusion, love, hate, parental power struggles . . . . and even this is afairly limited description of this wonderful book. I have rarely seen theinternal turmoil of a character treated with such compassion - and thatapplies to both Regis Hastur and Lew Alton. I could not help crying atvarious key points in the book. This was a magnificent story, well-told andsensitively written. ... Read more

Product Description
An anthology of new stories set in Darkover spans the whole of Darkover history--from the days after the original landfall, through the Ages of Chaos, to the Pact of the Comyn, and to the coming of the Terrans. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The title story alone deserves five stars!
Take your favorite Darkover novel, compress it into a few pages but leave all the emotional impact in place -- that's "The Keeper's Price."I notice that MZB and Lisa Waters kept coming back to Hilary Castamir's charcter, and I wish there had been a novel about her.:)

Leaving aside the brilliance of the title masterpiece, the rest of the collection is strong and well-organized.Even the stories I didn't like as much at first ("A Simple Dream" comes to mind, as does "Ambassador to Corresanti") have grown on me.I've read and re-read this collection probably twenty times in the past year.I still want to read it over again.These are wonderful stories!

I also appreciated how well-organized this collection and _Sword of Chaos_ were, and wish the anthologies had continued to print stories in approximate chronological order.

Oh well. ... Read more

Product Description
Noted authors--such as Mercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana Paxson, and others--return to Darkover, the planet of the Bloody Sun where a wall of ice separates man from the snowy wasteland. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Keeper for the Library
I started reading the Darkover series when I was in college many moons ago.I have kept every single book from the series and re-read them all every few years.Bradley is the type of writer where the stories become so real that you can step right in and live along with the characters.If you want pure entertainment with a hint of social commentary as part and parcel of the story then read every last one and be educated

Snows of Darkover New Authors
I liked the Darkover shorts in this book and particulary liked a very short one called A Matter of Perception by Lena Gore.. I have never seen this author before but I very much liked her style.. I would like to see more... I think she has a good grasp of the vagaries of Darkover... I like the way she sort of yanked you back and forth until the very end... Good style..I wish Ms. Bradley had prompted her for more.

Mostly good writing.
This anthology contains stories that are mostly good, if not great,writing. But there is one of them that I must point out is decidedly NOT acanonical Darkover story; Ms. Bradley has always said that she doesn'tnecessarily consider stories in these anthologies to be canonical, but"Cradle of Lies", by Deborah Wheeler, is several orders ofmagnitude less canonical than most; in it, Ashara Alton is the chosensuccessor of Varzil the Good, and still a young and unproven keeper when hedies. This is distinctly NOT what we saw in Bradley's own novel,"Shadow Matrix", and although the story was well-written andinteresting, I found the inconsistency distracting.

The rest of thestories are all interesting, of varying quality, but ranging from so-so toexcellent; none of them were bad. Also, in her introduction to "PoeticLicense" by Mercedes Lackey, Bradley indicates that Lackey is herchosen heir to the Darkover series, a relevant and interesting fact nowthat Bradley is dead. I wonder if this also applies to the "Sword andSorceress" series? I suppose we'll find out eventually.

Interesting
The book was good, though, as with most anthologies, a bit uneven in talent. The stories seemed from different periods of Darkover's history, which could make it difficult to understand if you're not familiar with theworld itself. Still it gave multifaceted views on some familiar charactersand introduced well-rounded new ones. I can honestly say that there was nobad or boring story in the book, though this wouldnot be a choice placeto begin the series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Horror
I recently "discovered" this old MZB title and bought a copy from eBay. I'm not sure if this book was intended to be a Gothic Romance or not. It might be thought of as "Rosemary's Baby" Lite, but even that is being too kind to this thin story. There is no mystery to the plot. It becomes obvious 1/4 into the plot who is involved in the "plot", which the author confirms 1/2 through the book. It was all downhill from there. Even in 1972 I don't see how this book could be considered "horror" by any means. If it was supposed to be a "Gothic Romance" it doesn't fit that category either. Hopefully this was written by MZB to fulfill a contract or at the suggestion of her publisher to try something different. Another reviewer paid twenty cents for their copy - that's how much this is worth. Unfortuantely, I "had to have it" and paid far more.

A good, engaging read
This book was quite good.I got it used for 20 cents, so it was definetely worth the price!It's one of Marion Zimmer Bradley's older works, and I seem to find them better than her newer ones.Dark Satanic is a dark-fantasy/occult horror story that follows pretty much the usual formula, however, the author tells the tale extremely well,making the characters very involving and I could feel their descents into maddness.It was quite chilling at times, and an easy read--not in that it was quick and light, but it was fast-paced and I read it straight through without being bored once.I am a big fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley, but I haven't really liked what I've read of her recent occult-type novels (Ghostlight was decent but not captivating, and Witchlight was dumb and boring).However, if this is what her 1970s period horror writing was like, I'll certainly try a few others ... Read more