Product Description
Leonie Hastur, a powerful telepath and daughter of one of the most powerful ruling clans of Darkover, becomes disturbed by a premonition that something is about to happen that will forever change her world. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

finding an unread darkover by mzb
Being a long time Darkover fan, I was delighted to find one that I hadn't read because it was originally published while I was in the processof relocating to the east coast.In as much as MZB died in 1999, it was especially exciting to find the one story that I had always wanted to read.The price was extremely reasonable and the shipping was prompt.The book was in excellent condition.

There is a reason that this is out of print.
This is a terrible book. I do not believe Marion Zimmer Bradley touched the book. This is Mercedes Lackey at her worst, and at her best she's rather mediocre.

This is a misconceived fan-fiction which never should have been published. The plot devices are cheap, the character are flat, the themes are handled terribly, the details aren't consistent with the other Darkover books, and there is also a chummy tone that disgusts me.

It would be hard to find a worse book, and it is a shame that this managed to attach itself to an otherwise strong series.

Rediscovery
Good Series, I have a lot of her books. You can pick any of them up and start any where in the anthology.

Fills a Gap in Darkover History
Darkover Landfall tells the frustratingly short tale of how human colonists from the New Hebrides Commune crash land on Cottman IV - Darkover. REDISCOVERY picks up many millennia later, telling the story of the first contact between the descendants of the lost colonists and space explorers from the Terran Empire. The main characters are the folk musicians and linguists David and Elizabeth Lorne (parents of Margaret Alton - the main character in the novel Exile's Song (Darkover)), and Ysaye, the ship's computer expert. Also making an appearance are Leonie and Regis Hastur, fifteen year-old twin telepaths from Darkover's royal family, shown in later books as grey-haired elders of the Hastur clan. Darkover devotees will also thrill at the glimpse of Rohana and Melora Ardais (The Shattered Chain A Darkover Novel) as young initiates at the tower.

The story tries to go in too many directions, and therefore does not accomplish any of them well. The kidnapping action at the very end of the book seems forced and artificial, even anticlimactic. That being said - I still LOVE IT and have read this at least a dozen times - but then I am a rabid Darkover fan from way back. This novel fills in background information about important Darkover characters, but even I must admit: This story has very little chance of standing on its own with those not familiar with the series.

The Darkover books definitely fluctuate in quality - try Hawkmistress! (Darkover).

Fills a gap, but incomplete
I'm an MZB / Darkover fan from way back. Was quite excited to find this book. It started well, had lots of potential to be a good novel but towards the end it just faded away. After the death of Ysaye and the severing of Leonie Hastur's links to Ysaye, allowing Ysaye to die and Leonie to live, it collapsed completely. It read as if the last half of the book had been deleted and a couple of pages substituted. All in all, it filled some gaps in Darkover history, but left a lot of unanswered questions. As other reviewers have noted, perhaps the weakest book in the series. Worth a read for all that but expect to be disappointed with what it doesn't cover.
... Read more

Product Description
A Literary Guild Featured Alternate
Here is the magical legend of King Arthur, vividly retold through the eyes and lives of the women who wielded power from behind the throne. A spellbinding novel, an extraordinary literary achievement, THE MISTS OF AVALON will stay with you for a long time to come....
Amazon.com Review
Even readers who don't normally enjoy Arthurian legends will love thisversion, a retelling from the point of view of the women behind thethrone. Morgaine (more commonly known as Morgan Le Fay) and Gwenhwyfar (aWelsh spelling of Guinevere) struggle for power, using Arthur as a way toscore points and promote their respective worldviews. The Mists ofAvalon's Camelot politics and intrigue take place at a time whenChristianity is taking over the island-nation of Britain; Christianityvs. Faery, and God vs. Goddess are dominant themes.

Young and old alike will enjoy this magical Arthurian reinvention byscience fiction and fantasy veteran Marion Zimmer Bradley. --Bonnie Bouman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (924)

Loved it
Mists of Avalon is probably one of my all- time favorite books.Focusing on the women in Arthurian legend was such a great idea- it gives the saga much more depth than most other retellings I've read.Bradley does a superb job of explaining the motivations for most of the character's behavior in the traditional version, and I thought her description of the religious practices of Avalon were fascinating.

I am so sick of feminist rambling and anti- Christian crusading that I might smash my head into a wall if I read one more book that devolves into that stuff.Mists of Avalon is different.It certainly takes a more female- oriented perspective on the story of Arthur and Camelot, but it does so without putting women on a pedestal or portraying men as inferior.Although Christianity can be seen as an aggressive presence throughout the book, the ultimate message of the novel is one that promotes religious harmony.

Anyone who enjoys fantasy will probably find something to like in this book.The other books in the "Avalon" family aren't as good as Mists in my opinion, but I loved Mists so much that I read them all anyway because I just wanted more.

Reading with Tequila
The Mists of Avalon is a beautiful, enchanting, dare I say majestic, retelling of the Arthurian legend. Most know the legend of King Arthur, but The Mists of Avalon with it's strong feminine perspective looks at the story in a whole other light.

The Mists of Avalon follows Morgaine, Arthur's half sister - more commonly know in these types of stories as the evil Morgan Le Fey and Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's queen - usually known to be the innocent and easily swayed by true love Guinevere. We see a lot of religious struggle as the old ways of the Druid priestesses clash with the new Christianity.

The Mists of Avalon depicts the women as the power behind he men. While Arthur is the leader, Gwenhwyfar is the one who plants ideas in his head. The Priestesses are powerful in their own right and while that is known, they must still hide away in Avalon.

The book is long, telling an epic story - one that spans Morgaine's entire life. A variety of unseemly, even disturbing, topics are touched upon. There are no sugary happy endings here, just vivid emotions and a deep look at both religion and feminism without preachiness coming into play.

I absolutely love this book. The Mists of Avalon is epic fantasy at it's finest. Truly a modern classic.

Public transportation champion
I have taken a lot of bus/train trips in my life to and from school and work. I don't read on these trips (I get sick) but many people do, and I always like to peek over and see what people are reading. The book I have most often seen being read is Marion Zimmer Bradley's 'The Mists of Avalon'. I think only the Harry Potter series comes close. I swear there was a time in the late 80's- early 90's that at least once a week I would see someone reading this on the train. I love stories about King Arthur so it always looked interesting, now after many years, I have finally read it.
As most will know, it is a retelling of the tale of King Arthur told from the point of view of the female characters: chiefly Morgaine (aka Morgan le Fay). The main theme of the tale is the conflict between Druidic paganism and Chistianity, as well as the love quadrangle between Morgaine, Lancelet (Lancelot), Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) and Arthur. Overall I thought it was pretty good, although the pace is quite leisurely and the book is fairly long. One problem I found with the female centric approach, is that many famous occurrences of the Arthurian legend happen 'off-screen' as it were. For the most part this didn't affect the story much, except for the final confrontation between Arthur and Mordred, which I think should have been described more directly, considering it is the climax of the book.

Never understood the glowing reviews. . .
. . . and still don't.This book was not particularly well written.I did force myself to finish it, waiting for the promised magic. It never happened.

superb story with greater implications
This book was an amazing read. It spans a long length of time without being slow going and was incredibly in depth with the characters and story. Not only was it a wonderful story and superbly written, but the characters often discuss subjects such as religious diversity with insights that provoke thought while reading. I didn't know much about the Arthurian legends before I began reading, so I don't know how closely it follows or doesn't follow any established understandings of the characters. Also, I didn't realize how long it was; I was very glad that it was though, because I was disappointed when it ended. ... Read more

Product Description
Epic in its sweep and peopled by the remarkable women who have always inhabited Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ravens of Avalon expands the legendary saga that has enchanted millions of readers over the years and is sure to please Bradley’s loyal readership and anyone who loves wonderfully told stories of history, myth, and fantasy.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

can'r give less than one unfortunately...
And although it isn't Ms. Paxson's fault, I am very uncomfortable with having MZB's name blazoned on a book just to sell it. Ms Paxson is after all, an author in her own right and frankly, this sales tactic didn't make me want to buy it. I doubt Ms Paxson would sell as well on her own merits. Though 'Mists' was very well done, even groundbreaking for its time, this recent offering is nowhere near as good. And yes, I would say that even if MZB had written like this! The writing is flat, the characters aren't particularly well fleshed out and Boudica is the stereotypical warrior woman as portrayed from a new age perspective. She wouldn't look out of place in a manga comic.History is pretty well ignored, except where early British culture is pillaged to give us names like 'Lhiannon' - frankly if she had done this to any other ethnic group, there'd be an outcry! My advice to Ms. Paxson - drop the MZB connection & do your research.

product Review
Shipping, pricing, etc. were great. There were a few CDs in the packet that skipped.

Great reading!
Lhiannon, the Celtic high priestess of Bradley's The Forest House, is a young priestess when this prequel opens. She teaches the youngsters sent to be educated on the island of Mona, and she dreams of two mutually exclusive futures - one in which she eventually becomes high priestess, the other in which she consummates her love for the druid Arganos. The newest arrival on Mona, a nobly born girl named Boudica, sparks Lhiannon's interest and eventually becomes her friend.

As the Celtic tribes of Britain choose varying ways of dealing with the Romans who are once again moving to take control of their land, the time comes for Boudica to decide whether she will become a priestess on Mona or if she will return to her parents and marry as they determine. She chooses to marry, and becomes the wife of a king. Prasutagos, Boudica's husband, makes his peace with the Romans by swearing loyalty to the emperor. That works until his death cancels the arrangement as far as Roman law is concerned. Boudica and her daughters have no status at all by that law's reckoning. Humiliated and abused when she tries to assert her own rights and those of her children, Boudica leads an uprising against the Romans at just the time when the conquerors are finally ready to assault the druids in the one place where they have always been safe - on Mona.

This is a sweeping and spellbinding tale, with author Paxson's work impossible for me to distinguish from that of her mentor. The history of this time and place that I learned in school definitely was written by the victors, so I find it fascinating to read books like this one that tell the same story from a completely different viewpoint. Knowing the ending from the beginning, as one must when reading a prequel, added poignancy at times; but it by no means spoiled the tale.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "High Places"

This is less of a review than a brief comment
While I have enjoyed many of the transitional books written by Diana Paxson since Marion Zimmer Bradley's death (and before) in the Avalon series I take a small exception to this one.Let me explain why:

Boudica is an actual historical figure who did something incredible and remarkable as a queen on behalf of her daughters, herself and her people against overwhelming odds.She did NOT employ any sort of 'magic' to do it - only courage, rage and her absolute belief in the rightness of what she was doing and why she was doing it.

Normally, I like the incorporation of historical figures into fiction - it lends the feel of authenticity and opens up the possibilities of "what if".This is the reason I am a big fan of the sci-fi and fantasy genres.But there is a danger in this particular depiction.

Today's generation of young women have grown up in a time where feminist goals and ideals have been incorporated - for better or worse - into much of everyday society.They are either unaware or uncaring of how hard fought those battles were every single day in every place by ordinary women to gain ground for the equal treatment of women.To "magicalize" the already great accomplishments of historical women like Boudica is to actually MARGINALIZE and somewhat trivialize depictions of the well documented accomplishments of just how magnificent we as women can be - EVERY woman.

Of course, the motivated reader has a great deal of information at their fingertips to research the well documented facts of people like Boudica.The problem I foresee is that very many people are no longer motivated to do such research - especially (and sadly) the youngest of us who could use such real life role models today.

I'm hopeful that the author keeps this in mind in future books where she might employ other such great female historical figures.

terrible
If I could give no star I would. I loved The Mists of Avalon but this book falls VERY short of that wonderful story.I just didn't care at all about any of the characters.With 100 pages left to go I put the book down, I didn't want to finish it.I can count on one hand how many times I haven't finished a book no matter what I thought of it.I bought this book because it was on sale, and now I wish I could get the time back I wasted on it.Don't waste your time! ... Read more

Product Description
A wounded Atlantean prince washed up on a foreign shore becomes the focal point in the epic conflict between the Priests of the White and Black Robes when the full extent of his powers becomes known. Reprint." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

Lays the foundation for what comes after
Domaris and Deoris have grown up in the Temple, daughters of one of its priests. Domaris, the elder sister, has cared for Deoris since the day the younger girl was born and their mother died - since Domaris was eight years old. As their story opens, an Atlantean prince named Micon comes to the Temple seeking refuge after being kidnapped and tortured by Black-Robes. His arrival changes the lives of Domaris and Deoris forever.

Romantic historical novel? Fantasy? Like the books that followed it, Marion Zimmer Bradley's far more famous "Mists of Avalon" and its sequels, "The Fall of Atlantis" combines those two genres without fully conforming to either. Technicially it is not quite as polished as the later books, but it's far better written than many lesser authors' best work. It lays the foundation for what comes after, and is well worth reading even if (as I did) you've read one or more "Avalon" books first.

The Fall Of Atlantis
As always, Bradly never writes junk, and i will continue to read her book over and over again

Avalon starts here!
This is where the Avalon series books start!I've read the series almost completely backward over the years for lack of a good defined starting place. When I read The Fall of Atlantis all the pieces from MZB's other Avalon books click. Though I would have better titled this book, "Sisters" or a "Dream of Avalon," or some such... there isn't as much "Atlantis" description as I would have hoped. Had MZB written it today it may have taken on more detail. As it stands, it is the essential foundation for the Avalon books in the series.... The fall of Atlantis, Ancestors of Avalon, The Ravens of Avalon, The Forest House, The Priestess of Avalon, The Lady of Avalon, The Mysts of Avalon.... etc. Absolutely wonderful books to awaken the senses!

Quite unexpected...
but not altogether unpleasent!MZB had me somwhat confused by her choice to enter phrases such as 'hell' and 'the devil' into a book that I had assumed was set in a pre-Christian time.Her choice of names for the characters also was a bit of a jumble.In each family parents would name their children some combination of the names of their father and mother.Until I was familiarized with the characters I had a bit of a hard time keeping track.The Fall of Atlantis was a fast read and I found it easy to sit down and read 150 pages without tiring of the book.If you want a story of Atlantis, this is not for you, Atlantis isn't a setting until the last 50 pages or so.However, if you're looking for a quick book with a unique community setting and somewhat unusual characters, give Atlantis a try.

It all starts here
This book is very important in the Mists of Avalon series, in that it starts everything.This book starts the tale of characters that incarnate through all the other books.The story given here immediately picks up again in the sequal "Ancestors of Avalon."

I found this original story to be very interesting, spiritual, and having the feeling of history--even though it's about a supposedly fictional place.It is clear that this is one of MZB's earlier works, but it is still enchanting.

I wish MZB could have kept her original titles for what she saw as a two part book, because the title "The Fall of Atlantis" is ill suited here.Most of the story doesn't even take place in Atlantis, but in a more ancient land.The part of the tale that does take place in Atlantis leaves the reader wanting more images and descriptions of this mysterious land.Also there is no "Falling" of Atlantis in this book, that doesn't happen until the next book "Ancestors of Avalon."The image on the front of the book is also misleading, as no scene even remotely like this occurs.I found it a bit of a distraction to the story to keep wondering when this scene of destruction and chaos would occur, only finding that it doesn't.

If you are at all interested in "The Mists of Avalon" series, this is a necessary start, just don't expect the destruction suggested by the cover. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (27)

a great stand alone (1)
Marion Zimmer Bradley has always been one of my favorite authors but I hadn't encountered the "Light" series before.Each book in the series is a fascinating study of a magick incident.You can read anyone of them and enjoy it. I swallowed the whole series in less than a week ending up with "Heartlight" who I believe finished it off."Heartlight" brought the whole series together in a wonderful way.I recommend the books in the series and the books as a series very highly.

More UF than typical MZB...
I've read a few books by MZB, so I was pretty surprised at the subject of this book. Where I usually associate her with fairy tale kingdoms & Arthurian legends, this book is solidly in the "present" (1990s). The end result is something that both pleased & disappointed me.

Winter is a young woman running from something that she is unable to describe. Previously she was a self-assured young mover & shaker on Wall Street, but took a leave of absence from all of that due to reasons she is somewhat unable to put her finger on. Taking refuge in an old house after being released from a mental clinic, she tries to ignore the signs that something is after her. Each day she finds all of the windows & doors in the house open. It isn't until she once again finds dead, flayed animal corpses on her front door that she attempts to get help from local psychic researcher Truth. As the manifestations become more & more violent, her dreams of a mysterious man from a past she can't seem to remember begs for her help.

Witchlight is volume 2 in MZB's "Light" series, a fact I was unaware of until I came onto amazon to write this review. Don't worry- you should be able to read this book without having to read the previous books, although future books seem to require that you've read everything that has gone on before.

I rather liked the idea of this book. It's just that the book didn't deliver on everything that it promised. The magic in the book is the best part, which isn't surprising for MZB- she has a knack for making magic enticing to read. It's just that the characters weren't all that appealing. Every time that I thought Winter was getting over her whole "is this magic or insanity" thing, she'd jump right back on to that bandwagon. Frankly, it got really old after a while. The ending was also a little rushed in my opinion. It just seemed to be kind of a "huh? that's it?" type of thing. I was rather underwhelmed.

Still, even mediocre MZB is still fun. Fans of her far better written work will be sorely disappointed with this book, although new fans should like it- plus they get the added bonus of moving on to better books by her. This was good enough that I'll be looking for the other books, but not really good enough to really warrant keeping it. This is one that I'll probably be trading with friends or the local used book store for other reading material.

Not too good
As much as I loved Mists of Avalon I can't believe she wrote this. Felt that it was written in a hurry maybe. Someone would go into the kitchen for coffee and bring back tea. I found this true of all the "light" books.

The Past Casts Long Shadows
This is the second in Marion Zimmer Bradley's (MISTS OF AVALON) 'Light' series.The first novel, GHOSTLIGHT introduced Truth Jourdemayne, and the Bidney Psychic Institute both of which play a secondary role in this novel.Winter Musgrave is a 36 year old woman who can remember very little of her past and who isn't very happy with her future.She is hiding from something, she is not sure what, in an isolated cottage in the Hudson Valley, and she is gradually remembering that she had been a highly successful Wall Street stock broker and that she had spent time in a mental institution recovering from a nervous breakdown.She was aware that odd and disturbing things happened around her, electrical and mechanical things did not work around her, doors and windows would not remain closed, and most terrifying of all, small, dead animals were often found near her.When these increasingly disturbing events finally drove her to once again seek help she found herself at the Bidney Institute, talking to Truth Jourdemayne.They discover that Winter had been a student at the college associated with the Institute and began to suspect that Winter's problems began then.

While not on a par with MISTS OF AVALON, or even the rest of that series the Light stories are interesting, as heirs to the mystic traditions that Bradley established in the ATLANTIS and AVALON books.The characters in this series do not seem to be as fully developed as in the earlier works but overall the stories are enjoyable.The focus here seems to be more on the romance aspects of the stories rather than the more elaborate settings of the earlier series.Still the stories are a good way to spend an evening or two.

This story is crazy!
When I read this book I found it to be a little crazy. As a fan of zimmer I had decided to read most of her books.This story begins as a girl who cannot recall most of her life and is quite disterbed.In the beging I was "hooked" because I wondered Why.Well to my surprise the rest of the story was one that was so crazy that it remains in my memory till this day.Although I am writting this review today I in fact read the story about two years ago, and forgot alot about it. Even the author. But again the "story" has been with me ever since.It wasn't until today that I saw it was one of my "recommended" books.I read the brief explanation and the whole story came back! This is a great book if you are looking for somthing "diffrent" The story is one that it will be stick! ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of stories spanning Marion Zimmer Bradley's writing career, with introductions by Elisabeth Waters. ... Read more

Product Description
Reidel had been caring for the animals on the colony ship before its destruction. He hadn't expected to find himself the leader of the survivors. While there were only seven of them, but they were a varied group, both in psi powers and in temperment. He also had to deal with the people on the Closed Planet they had been marooned on... and then there were the enemy aliens to worry about. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mature Darkover
This volume contains The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile--the same two books put together by Daw, years later, under the title Heritage and Exile. Along with the three Renunciate books, written in the same time frame, these books hooked me on the Darkover series. They explore some fundamental social and political dimensions of Darkover and lay the foundation for the stories of Marguerida--my vote for the best of the entire series. ... Read more

Product Description
Rohana Ardais had rank, wealth, a noble husband, sons and a daughter, servants, a large estate and the power to run it as she saw fit. Most women would have thought her life was perfect - after all, what more could she want?

This story was originally published in the Darkover anthology OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR, Feb 1987. ... Read more

Product Description
Although it's Lythande's magic that's for hire, not her blade--at least, not the right-hand blade--you don't live long in the lands between Tschardain and Northwander if you don't have some skill with an edged weapon, and she has plenty. A swordswoman's mission, however, can sideslip without warning into a magician's ordeal. And may the gods help her who's caught in a web spun by somebody else's magic. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains three novels and a short story (THE YEAR OF THE BIG THAW) 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 is DRM free and includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.


Contents:

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

Product Description
There's a Darkovan proverb that says that the word of a Hastur is as good as the oath of any other man. But proverbs have to start somewhere...

This story was originally published in the Darkover anthology SNOWS OF DARKOVER, Apr 1994. ... Read more

Product Description
A Juvenile Science Fiction Novel ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Dated but well-written young adult SF
Humans have reached the stars, but not under their own power. The Lhari hold the monopoly on space travel and have no intention of giving it up. And humans may value the ability to travel faster than the speed of light, may appreciate the economic opportunities the Lhari have brought them, but they resent the Lhari for keeping their monopoly and they'll do anything to learn the secrets.

The Lhari don't just keep the technology secret, they've spread the word that humans can only survive faster-than-light travel in cold-sleep. But what if that's a lie? Bart Steele's father believed that humans could find their own way to the stars but now he's dead and Bart is on the run. He joins up with the conspiracy in an audacious plan to infiltrate a Lhari ship--disguised as a Lhari. If he survives the first jump, he'll know the Lhari were lying. Of course, first he has to survive.

On board the Lhari ship, Bart is surprised to discover that the Lhari are more like humans than he'd guessed possible. They have personalities, desire company and friendship, value loyalty, and seem mostly kind. Yet, they are keeping humans from attaining their full potential. When he learns the full ramifications of the plot to learn the space travel secret, his most fundamental beliefs come into conflict.

Author Marion Zimmer Bradley is best known for her Darkover World series, and THE COLORS OF SPACE is certainly a less mature and complex story than she would later create. Still, Bradley's writing is already clear and her story-telling fast-paced and engaging. Bart Steele makes an intriguing character, faced with the loss of his father, the forced separation from his friends, and especially the loss of his certainty about human entitlement.

Written in the early 1960s, COLORS has some strong messages (perhaps a bit heavy-handed but still important) about the importance of character vs. differences in skin tone or facial characteristics. Fortunately, these add to, rather than detract from, the adventure.

THE COLORS OF SPACE has a young adult feel to it and was written at a time when most science fiction was pitched toward adolescent males. The resolution to Bart's problems, and to the mystery of space travel relied way too much on coincidence, and the Lhari were, perhaps, unbelievably noble and forgiving. Still, if you're looking for an enjoyable quick read, or if your a fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley and want to see how her early work stands up to her more developed fantasy, THE COLORS OF SPACE is worth the look.

A Charming and Uplifting Story
This is an interesting and charming story that holds up by today's standards. It has the same hopefulness that the original Star Trek gave us -- that someday we could learn to be better than we seem to be now and that we could join a community in the stars in peace. And it's all the more special because it's out of copyright. I listened to the mp3 from librivox. I'll definitely watch for more of this author's books here on Amazon.

Color it Bland
This was Bradley's third published book, originally published in slightly abridged format in 1963, later re-issued in 1983 in its complete form. Readers picking up the later release may be surprised by the relative unsophistication of this book compared to other works she was writing in eighties.

Technically, this is a semi-juvenile, with a protagonist, Bart Steele, who has just graduated from the Space Academy, ready to return to his Vegan home, where his father manages a fleet of inter-planetary space ships. Interstellar travel is the sole province of the alien Lhari, and humans can only ride as passengers in cold sleep in their vessels, supposedly due to the inability of the human body to withstand the stresses of hyperspace travel. The Lhari have formed a simple relationship with the Mentorians, humans who have had a slight genetic shift that allows them to withstand very high light illumination levels. The Lhari, who are also color blind, normally prefer these high light levels, matching their home world's level of illumination.Bart, who is half Mentorian, can also see farther into the optical spectrum than normal, allowing him to see an eighth `color'. This provides the basis for the book's title, and plays a role in the final plot resolution. The Mentorians provide translation, color interpretation, and other services for the Lhari, setting them somewhat apart from the rest of humanity, who look upon them with some suspiscion.

The story revolves around Bart being co-opted to find the secret of the Lhari warp-drive fueling material by surgically changing his appearance so he could pass as a Lhari and having him ship out as a crew member on a Lhari ship that is home world bound. During the trip, he naturally finds that many of his Lhari crewmates are neither ogres nor saints, and comes to question the moral rightness of `stealing' this secret. The story is told as a very straight line progression, without any real surprises, and is therefore quite predictable in terms of final outcome, both in external society sense and in terms of Bart's development. Thematically, this book restricts itself to `different is not necessarily bad' and `the end does not justify the means', providing little in the way of fresh insight.

In general, a pretty standard space-opera plot typical of the late fifties and early sixties in science fiction, good for some mild entertainment, but also clearly showing that Bradley had not yet found her unique and powerful voice.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat) ... Read more

Product Description
"It is probably a very considerable compliment to the ability of Dr. Tolkien at weaving a spell; not until weeks after I had completed reading his monumental saga and was lovingly working through the appendices did a very curious fact strike me. In four volumes, comprising substantially over a thousand pages of un-large type, there is almost nothing which could be construed as love interest. The books are, in fact, almost womanless. There are at least thirty major male characters, and at least as many more about whom we know something, who are described briefly and given a line or two to speak. But even including the supernumeraries, there are exactly seven female characters in the entire trilogy." -- Marion Zimmer Bradley
... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Slo-mo sex tease
Though it has its share of New Age/psi-sci-fi components (the usual Darkover kerfuffle about social class, and dreamtime time travel, too), this is basically a romance novel about a pathologically frigid woman (the hoo-ha reasons for the frigidity are explained at great length) and her preternaturally patient, frustrated husband. He eventually turns to group sex with his wife's twin sister and husband, and who can blame him? Happy ending? Well, what do you think? Especially since group sex on this planet, as on so many planets of the 70s, is practically de riguer. (Hint: consummation takes 350 pages.)

At half, no, 1/3 the length, this would have worked. The basic plotline, a simple one, is sturdy enough, and unusual for science fiction, but the interminable repetitions, and unhappy moanings and groanings over unconsummated sex sink the narrative in bleary banality. The sex, when it happens, isn't sexy. The lack of sex becomes intolerably boring. And, aside from a weak subplot about a vindictive teenager, there isn't anything else.

over 25 years, omg
I'm happy to see this novel still available.I read it 25 years ago, it was a symbol of my teenage rebellion.

The culture of the early Darkover novels was absorbing and great in that it made you suspend belief, so much so, the culture came alive.

This novel in the series brings a Human from Earth into the culture, giving you the whole fish out-of-water fish-eye view.The character Andrew suffers culture shock due to the fact the two married couples (the wives are sisters), basically; share some intimate quarters.They are also rebels together, going against the ruling parties of Darkover.

Depending where you are in the Chronology of Darkover, sometimes only women can be matrix tower keepers, other time periods, only the men are permitted.

There is some interesting use of Psychic powers that some of the Darkover people have developed, it makes the resistance to Science more easily understandable, especially by the High-born, who rule this medieval like society.

This novel is my favorite in the Darkover series.If you liked this novel, "Stormqueen' is another great Darkover novel.The novels before the 'Terrans' arrived were more fantastic fantasy.

not the best of the Darkover novels, but it had potential
"The Forbidden Tower" is another of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels.This one is set shortly after the events of "The Spell Sword", where Callista had been rescued and the Cat People defeated.Damon Ridenow is engaged to marry Ellemir, a daughter of the Alton family.Ellemir's twin sister, Callista, intends on marrying the Terran, Andrew Carr.This seems simple enough.Two couples want to get married.But, this is the basis for the entire novel and the way this plays out is rather interesting.The trouble is in who these people are.

The marriage of Damon and Ellemir is not the problem.The problem is Andrew and Callista.You see, Callista is a Keeper of Arilinn Tower.What this means is that for a woman to become a Keeper there are years of training and conditioning of her senses and her psychic powers and they are honed so tightly that physical contact is almost unbearable, let alone emotional attachment.Callista may love Andrew very much, but years of conditioning has made her unable to physically respond to him, and should she respond there is the threat of Callista's powers attacking Andrew without her control (part of the conditioning).They marry, but understand that they cannot consummate the marriage until Callista's conditioning can be undone, and this may take months and years.

Meanwhile they are all living at the Alton estate (as would be customary on Darkover).Andrew is adapting to life on Darkover and is discovering his role in the household and with his new family in friends.But Andrew still has Terran (think Earth) ways of thinking, and this causes more problems, especially since Damon, Ellemir and Callista are all telepaths, as is Andrew.The closeness of Darkovan and telepathic relationships is frightening and different to Andrew and he recoils at times causing conflict and confusion.

At its heart this novel is a romance, in part between Andrew and Callista, but also between all four of the major characters.Exactly how that works out would spoil the story, but it is something that is presented as fairly natural on Darkover (though if we judged it by our own standards it would be unusual at best and perhaps deviant at worst).There is also a major conflict within Darkover's culture because of how the four are viewing their psychic powers and what proper use of them is (there is tradition and laws on Darkover regarding use of "laran", the psi power.).This puts the four into direct opposition with the ruling powers of Darkover.

While the relationship between Andrew and Callista is at the heart of the novel, the strongest point was (in my view) was the conflict between the four and the rulers of Darkover.This was the most interesting part and one that I wish was focused on much more than the attempts for Callista and Andrew to finally consummate their marriage.This was a good Darkover novel, but not one of the best.Perhaps if the focus would have been on the "Forbidden Tower" aspect of the novel it would have been the best of the Darkover novels.

Sheesh
Of the eleven Darkover novels I've read, this is surely the dullest. It's a good deal longer than it needs to be, and the greater part of it is given over to the attempts of four people to help one of them, a former Tower Keeper, perform the `marital act'. Regrettably, there is not much lurid detail involved, so we're denied even something to appeal to our prurient interest. And it goes on for quite a long time. In many places the narrative reads like a first draft, and I kept wishing the author had gone through one more time to tighten up the prose. Later on there's a rather silly time travel sequence, a blast from the past as it were, which doesn't contribute a whole heck of a lot to the proceedings. The action picks up a little at the end, but so what. Unless you're a rabid fan who must read everything this somewhat overrated s.f. writer published, consider this one a waste of time. (BL, Tucker, GA)

Great book, but don't let your kids read it
We like the Darkover books in my family.My husband got into them first, but they're spreading to the rest of us.These books are mostly real page turners, full of action and suspense; but, nevertheless, they have marvelous character development with tremendous complexity in how the characters think, feel, and interact.

There is some wonderful philosophy sprinkled throughout about the nature of marriage and of gender roles in society.The fantasy and telepathic aspects of the books make for intriguing variations on what leads to dominance in relationships and what leads to successful and unsuccessful relationships, whether between husband and wife; parent and child; or between siblings.

This book shares these nice features with many others in the series.

My older son, age 12, is a strong reader and loves reading adult science fiction and fanatasy.He has picked up on these books and started stealing them out of my husband's bookcase and loving them.For the most part, I think that's o.k. for the Darkover series, BUT NOT FOR THIS BOOK!It's too bad that books don't have ratings like software or movies.This one is definitely R or possibly NC-17.For myself, I enjoyed the explorations of how telepathy would affect sex myself -- some of which got pretty darn strange; BUT it's not the sort of thing that my pre-pubescent child, who is already pretty confused about sex roles as it is, should be reading. ... Read more

Product Description
When non-telepaths marry, the two become one flesh. With telepaths, like Rohana Aillard and Gabriel Ardais, the joining may be deeper still. But if husband and wife become one mind, what happens to the survivor when one of them dies?

This story was originally published in the Darkover anthology OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR, 1987. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A rip-off
This just a short story, not the anthology, and for that the $1.29 price is pretty steep. If I'd bought it from Amazon.com, I would have deduced this fact from the 16KB file size. But I bought it on the Kindle, and listings on the Kindle don't include the file size. ... Read more

Product Description
This little-known classic by the late Marion Zimmer Bradley is a wonderful treat for readers feeling the loss of this marvelous author.Part of Bradley's beloved "Light" series, Witch Hill is a sensuous story of witchcraft, demonic possession, and true love.

Sara Latimer's last relative has died.Heartbroken and feeling totally alone, Sara moves to the family home she had just inherited, Witch Hill, only to find that she is shunned by most of her neighbors.

Finally Matthew Hay, one of her only allies, explains that Sara's aunt was a powerful, evil witch and that the townspeople fear that Sara is following in her footsteps.Matthew and his ladylove, Tabitha, are also witches, and they too believe that Sara has her aunt's powers-and that she is ready to be possessed by her aunt's waiting spirit.

Sara crumbles under the steady onslaught of Matthew and Tabitha's evil.For a time, her love for Brian Standish keeps her sane, but at last Sara is lost in a maelstrom of dark power and sex magick.

As a Champion of Light, Colin MacLaren cannot allow Sara to be destroyed by Matthew Hay.Even at the risk of his own soul, he will save Sara.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Deserves less stars-DO NOT READ
This book was just plain horrible.Seriously!It is not worth the paper it was printed on.It is a half-developed story about a young woman who falls into some sort of "witch" cult where there is sacrifice and sex rites and it was all very, very creepy.All I saw it as was a way to perpetuate a myth of pagans being devil worshippers who have orgies and kill people.

Don't waste your time!

Major disappointment
So not every book an author crafts can measure up to her best work, but this falls so far short that it's embarrassing.If her name wasn't on it, I wouldn't think Bradley (or her estate) even wrote this book.I won't rehash what other reviewers have to say, but they hit the nail on the head.Laughable dialogue (and not in a good way), unbelievable actions, and the most awkward wrap-up of an ending I've encountered.Good premise, BAD delivery.And I don't know who should be faulted: the author or her editor.

Genuine disappointment
I have a great deal of respect for Marion Zimmer Bradley as an author, especially for The Mists of Avalon. Therefore, after reading this gobbler I could hardly believe they were written by the same person. The character development is virtually nonexistent, the dialogue-really, the writing style in general- is clanky, and the plot seems to be little more than a frame for sex scenes. The ending also comes across as rather too convenient. It's a shame that Bradley, who has created strong female protagonists in other works, never really allows Sara Latimer to grow much or make a firm demonstration of her personal strength. In short, pass on this book.

A Witch cannot Love
Sara Latimer is the last of her family. After the shocking deaths of her parents and brother Sara is left all alone in the world with no direction or plan. After receiving a letter regarding the estate to her late aunt (also named Sara Latimer) sara decicides to leave New York City and travel into the county and spend the summer in her new house on witch hill.
It is here in this rual small country town that Sara learns the secrets to her family's past.

Upon arriving at the town Sara notices the odd reactions she receives from the fellow towns people, although there is only one person Sara takes particular interest in. While Sara discovers her creepy and some what seductive house she finds herself trapped in a cultic plan to make her the priestess of her late aunt's coven. The only power that can save Sara from her aunt's spirit and her coven's follwers is a man name Brian who can teach Sara how to love, something that a witch cannot do.

I found myself loving this book for it kept my interest while introducing interesting and gothic characters. Witch Hill is known for it's erotic flavor so I wouldn't recommand this to some one who blushes easily. I particularly admired Marion Zimmer Bradley's style of writing. The story was a quick read with a lot of plot and depth. I recommend this book to someone who wants a gothic tale told in the 70's.

decent summer read, not MZBs best
Witch Hill was a decent summer read. I picked it up Monday night and had it finished by Thursday afternoon.The story wasn't bad, it kept my interest. There are just a few things about this book that irked me though.One, if you read any of MZBs books about Avalon, it is very evident that she knows a great deal about the old religion and has great respect for it.In this book, however, she gives the old religion involved a very negative slant..the stereotypical view that pagan religions are satanic religions.The second problem with this book is the number of typos in it. To me, that says that this book wasn't taken seriously enough to even proof read it properly.The third problem with this book is the use of the character Colin.He and Claire also are characters in the book the "Inheritor", but there are many inconsistencies in the characters from one story to the other. Colin and Claire's characters add nothing at all to this story line exceptconfusion.There isa scene where Colin is telling Sara stories about the people in the town, one of which involves a situation with Brian.But a few pages before when Sara and Brian run into Colin at the store, Brian asks who he is and Sara introduced them.Supposedly Colin is just there to give a lecture at the local university, but he speaks of the people in the town as if he knew them all personally and for a long time.Sara only questions this ever so briefly, and it never comes up again.Colin and Claire also end up at The Great Rite.In the "Inheritor",they follow the path of good.In this book, apparently they follow the path of bad.We really just don't know.MZB never really explains why they are there.Colin is just introduced by Matthew to Sara as "an adept from the West Coast". ... Read more

Product Description
All with the right to rule the Alton Domain were dead, save Kennard's unborn son. Lady Bruna swore to serve as Regent, to protect her brother's widow and child, and command the Guards in Thendara until the boy was old enough to take up the duties himself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Hero Is Criminal Scum
The setting is the brutal planet of Darkover, where it snows in high summer.The time is long before the Terrans have rediscovered this lost colony.The land is divided into a hundred tiny kingdoms, each locked with its neighbors in unlimited warfare.Armies accompanied by wizards sweep through the countryside.Life is complete chaos.

Bard di Asturien is the bastard son of a nobleman.His father chose to acknowledge him, educated him in arms and Bard is fostered at the court of the local king where his stunning military prowess and talent for tactics brings first promotion and then the promise of the king's youngest daughter's hand in marriage.Carlina would rather become a priestess of Avarra on the Isle of Silence, but Bard is her trusted playmate from childhood so she obediently submits to the hand-fasting, asking only a year of grace before marriage.

But in that year, things go wrong mainly due to Bard's violent temper, impulsive behavior and lack of respect for women.His crimes are graphic, compelling and the king would be fully justified in executing Bard but he sends the young man away for seven years of exile.Before this sentence is fully over, the king dies and his one remaining son is a child too young to rule.Bard's father revolts and concocts a scheme to find Bard's doppelganger and magically convey him to Darkover.This is the convicted Terran rapist Paul Harrell.Freed from the statis box where his crimes have landed him, Paul takes to the barbaric world of Darkover with relish.

But the twist in this tale of dark twins is one of redemption.When Paul and Bard look at one another, it is like looking in the mirror and neither totally likes what they see.

Bradley has produced a thought-provoking fantasy. Her portrayal of the crimes pulls no punches, but she makes us see value and humanity in her criminal heroes nonetheless.She gives us this story against an awesome backdrop of adventure and battle.Few fantasy novelists dare to take on the subjects that Bradley tackles.In that respect, this novel published in 1980 is a true trailblazer for some of the gritty, hard-boiled fantasies that follow.

I discovered Marion Zimmer Bradley as an undergraduate in college and fell in love with her Darkover series. I'm in the process of re-reading and re-evaluating some of the works of fantasy that have become "classic" while sitting on my shelves. This book is unusual in that I give it a higher rating in maturity than I did when I first read it.Maybe I should say: recommended for mature audiences only.

back jacket summary
from the back cover of the 6th printing Daw June 1980 paperback edition
Cover art by John Pound
What forces would operate if there were two objects that were absolutely identical in form and substance?This problem has occupied both workers in magic and the scientists of physics and psychology.It is the pivot of Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel of Darkover during the final flaming days of the Ages of Chaos.
This is the story of the era when the planet of the Bloody Sun was divided into a hundred warring kingdoms and civilization teetered on the edge of oblivion.
It is the story of Bard di Asturien, ambitious soldier-outlaw, and of his opponent, Varzil the good, who struggled to establish the Compact.And it is also the story of a man from distant Terra named Paul Harrell who was the exact duplicate of Varzil's enemy.
Two to Conquer is a novel of social forces in combat, of the use and misuse of science, of war, of rape, and of witchcraft.

a horrible protagonist, but an interesting novel
This Darkover novel is set near the end of the Ages of Chaos, in the time of the Hundred Kingdoms.Chronologically, this is one of the early novels in Darkover's history.There is less civilization and the Hundred Kingdoms are in a near perpetual state of war (someone is always fighting).Despite the back of the book suggesting that Varzil the Good is a major player in this book, the real story here is that of Bard Di Asturian and Paul Harrell.

The book opens with a fascinating scene.A criminal named Paul Harrell wakes up.The last thing he knew was that he was convicted for rape and because Terra (Earth) no longer has the death penalty, he was locked in a stasis box.He wakes up in a room and as he looks around he realizes that there is no way that he can possibly be on Terra anymore.A man enters the room and he appears to be the identical twin to Paul, so much a twin that "twin" is the wrong word.The man seems to be the same person as Paul.The prologue ends and the novel truly begins.We now start the main story seven years before Paul is somehow freed from the stasis box.

The protagonist of the story is Bard Di Asturian.Bard is the illegitimate nephew of King Ardrin of the Asturias.Rather than being raised in obscurity like most illegitimate children, Bard was raised as part of the family (the wife of Bard's father King Rafael never cared for Bard and forced him to live elsewhere).We learn early on that Bard is to be handfasted (betrothed, more than an engagement less than a marriage) to the King's daughter, Carlina.Carlina does not want to be married to anyone, and convinces her father to put off the actual marriage for a year until she turns 15.This angers Bard, because he feels that he should be able to bed his wife any time he wants and that this is all just a trick to string him along until Carlina is taken away from him.Bard has a misogynist view of women.He feels that he should be able to have his way with any woman because they truly want it and that they are always asking for "it" and that women are only pretending that they didn't want it and lie, claiming that they were forced.This is the same warped view that Paul has of women.

Time passes, and the year until the marriage is half over when Bard finally tries to force Carlina (this is after we have already seen him force another woman).He is caught by Carlina's brother Beltran and their friend Geremy Hastur.The King exiles Bard for seven years, in which he may not return to the realm on pain of death.During this time Bard becomes a leader in several different armies and grows up a bit. He still carries his hatred of women, but also an obsession for Carlina, whom he continues to view as his legal wife.When Bard's time of exile ends, he is called back by his father to help lead an army against the Asturias.Bard's father uses the laran (a magical/esp type power) to summon Bard's double (everyone has a true double somewhere).Bard's double is a man from another world named Paul Harrell.

The main thrust of the story (no pun intended) is Bard's desire to finally bed Carlina and to have his revenge on the Asturias.Paul can help with this, and we see them sort of circling each other, wondering how much they can trust each other.This is a very interesting sub-plot (and it feels more like sub-plot than main story).

It is a different kind of novel that has two such unsympathetic characters as the protagonists.We see the contrast of Paul/Bard in Varzil, a man who will later be known as "The Good".Varzil is trying to institute The Compact, an agreement where those who join will ban all long distance weapons and all laran weapons.Bard can't even comprehend this as he fights to win, not to be encumbered by rules.Then there are the female characters.As viewed by Bard, they are only there to be bedded (because they all want it anyway), and while they show Bard a better, more pure way, it takes a long time (and a powerful event) for the lesson to sink in.

While the novel started out slowly, I became very interested in what was going on.It was hard to actually have sympathy for Bard (he truly cared for his family and fought his best for what he felt was right....but he was still a rapist who didn't believe he was raping), but I wanted to read on to find out what happened next.Marion Zimmer Bradley has a lot of interesting things going on in this book if you can get past how horrible of a person Bard is.

Darkly Beautiful, Yet Deeply Flawed
This is one of two Darkover novels I have read that, in my opinion, have plots superior to their characters.(The other is The Bloody Sun.)

I do love this book, I have been drawn back to re-reading it many times.So why only three stars?

Well, one thing I'll warn you about right now, if you're someone who tried to read the Thomas Covenant series and stopped at the rape scene, don't bother reading either Two to Conquer or the rest of this review.You'll hate every second of it.

That said, on to my personal perspective:

There are *serious* problems with the characters in this book.I've heard people complain that the Renunciates trilogy is full of stereotypes of men and women.If that's the case, it is MILD compared to what you'll find in this one.

Perhaps part of the problem is that the main characters are both very definitely anti-heroes.MZB sometimes writes antangonists with astonishing depth and understandable yet non-cliched motivations for their actions:Dyan Ardais and Robert Kadarin of the Sharra subcycle are two excellent examples.However, she does have a tendency to fall back on the stock overbearing mysogynist as antagonistic male character.In a novel the size of, say, The Shattered Chain or Stormqueen! it doesn't matter if a stereotypical mysogynist like Kyril Ardais or Darren of Scathfell has a small part in the plot.

However, writing an entire novel with two men who think that women are always asking for it and "cry rape" after the fact (even when one of said "women" is a girl who has only just hit puberty) as the major characters is disturbing in the extreme, and they are SO over-the-top with this that it doesn't seem that they can be real.This is a real disappointment for me, since MZB's characters are usually incredibly vivid and real and non-stereotypical, complex human beings.

To compound the problem, the women are too bloody forgiving!Especially Melisendra - there are times I think she could have had as much of a personality as Dio Ridenow (who is also sometimes a bit too tolerant of her man) if MZB wasn't so caught up in making her a political and moral contrast to Bard and Paul.

More irritating still, the characters somehow manage to embody EVERY feminist cliche out there:the overweight, not conventionally beautiful woman who is nonetheless sensual and loving and noble and intelligent, not to mention far more attractive than she seemed at first glance (Melora); the pledged virgin who is thin to the point of anorexia and obsessed with her own purity (Carlina and to a lesser extent Mirella); the working-mom Superwoman who manages to have it all - a career (as court leronis), an adoring lover, and a son (Melisendra); the short, scholarly gentleman who is shown to be more of a "real man" than the more traditionally masculine men around (Varzil); and of course the boorishly macho men who go so far as to literally rape and torture women until a woman teaches them better (Bard and his "dark twin" Paul).This is just too much.

More's the pity, because the central item of the plot (the two Cherilly's duplicates meeting, wondering how far they can trust each other, and learning about themselves through each other) is a very good one.It just could have done without all the preaching.

Wisdom can come out of madness.
Like most of Marion Zimmer Bradleys' books "Two to Conquer" starts of with an interesting prologue.Unfortunetly after the prologue the story gets off to a slow start.But as The book is read, you becomemore interested and it goes much faster.The book is very interestinginroducing new ideas about far away galaxies and duplicates of ourselvesand everything around us.It also shows how different people can overcomeill feelings tward each, come to terms with these feelings and make peace. There are many other interesting concepts but i wont ruin your fun. Overall this was a very interesting book. ... Read more