Product Description
It was a week before the Lhari ship went into warp-drive, and all that time young Bart Steele had stayed in his cabin. He was so bored with his own company that the Mentorian medic was a welcome sight when he came to prepare him for cold-sleep. The Mentorian paused, needle in hand. "Do you wish to be wakened for the time we shall spend in each of the three star systems, sir? You can, of course, be given enough drug to keep you in cold-sleep until we reach your destination." Bart felt tempted-he wanted very much to see the other star systems. But he couldn't risk meeting other passengers. The needle went into his arm. In sudden panic, he realized he was helpless. The ship would touch down on three worlds, and on any of them the Lhari might have his description, or his alias! He could be taken off, unconscious, and might never wake up! He tried to move, to protest, but he couldn't. There was a freezing moment of intense cold and then nothing.... ... Read more

Product Description
In the long-awaited return to Avalon, the author of The Mists of Avalon and her collaborator, bestselling author Diana L. Paxson, fuse myth, magic, and romance in this spectacular tale of one woman’s role in the making of history and spirit. ... Read more

Product Description
Dyan Ardais went to Lindirsholme with his young friend Merryl. He didn't expect to find himself dealing with Merryl's twin sister, Marilla. And he never in his wildest dreams expected what would come from their meeting.

This story was originally published in the Darkover anthology FOUR MOONS OF DARKOVER, Nov 1988. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

agood selection of stories
A very readable anthology.All the stories deal with the "free amazons" but are not in any certain order, each story takes a different view. There were a couple that dealt with the begining of the order that were very well written.Hard to find but worth it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The best so far
Bradley herself migh pooh-pooh the notion, but the number four was sacred in many American Indian cultures, and this fourth volume of the S&S anthology series provides the greatest number (and percentage) of personally (to me, I mean) enjoyable tales of any of those I've read to date.Several heroines from previous volumes appear here, as in Mercedes "Misty" Lackey's "A Tale of Heroes" (a new adventure of her swordsisters Tarma and Kethry); Diana L. Paxson's "Blood Dancer" (warrior-princess Shanna wanders into a city stricken by plague and must save a hospice from a blood-mad mob); and Dorothy J. Heydt's "The Noonday Witch" (former gladiatrix Cynthia finds herself the only person unaffected by a sleep-spell being used to cover an attempted assassination).Then there are the original entries, including Robin W. Bailey's "The Woodland of Zarad-Thra" (soldier and unwilling mother Cymbalin, lost in a blizzard, finds herself facing a thief, a demon, and its sorcerous master); "The Weeping Oak" by Charles deLint (a second-sighted tinker is asked to free a wizard from the tree that binds him); Dave Smeds's "Gullrider" (Serla, a trained guardian of fishermen and mistress of the sorcerously-modified giant gulls, must tame a wild one in order to destroy a ravening kraken); Paul Helm Murray's "Kayli's Fire" (a fire-mage and her sentient pet dragon give refuge to a wounded warrior and must face the sorcerer who tried to kill him); Jennifer Roberson's "Rite of Passage" (a short adventure of her warrior-partners Tiger (male Southron) and Del (female Northerner)); Stephen L. Burns's "Redeemer's Riddle" (a defeated soldier seeks the key to the defeat of the demonic conqueror who threatens her land and people); and several others, for a total of 18.Some of these stories are humorous, some have a fairy-tale or legendary feel, and some are plain classic fantasy, so there's probably something in the collection for everyone.If all anthologies were as good as this one, I wouldn't go so heavily by the editor's name in choosing them--I wouldn't have to. ... Read more

Product Description
Marion Zimmer Bradley's beloved Avalon saga continues with the dramatic story of the ancestors of Avalon, from their life on the doomed island of Atlantis to their escape to the mist-shrouded isle of Britain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Beautiful Book
This is a beautiful book just as all the Avalon books are. It provides more background for all the characters in the Avalon books. A wonderful way to spend reading time!

Excellent Customer Service
Book arrived on time and in excellent condition. New. I am very happy with your service. Thanks so much.

A Grave Disappointment
This book accomplishes the seemingly impossible: it breaks continuity with both The Fall of Atlantis (which it follows) and The Mists of Avalon (which it prequels), and it completes both of these feats while being a complete and utter bore.

The chief failure of this book may lie in how plot-driven it is. It seems as though the writer was so intent on getting through her plot that she forgot to devote any page-space to characterization at all, and was obliged to add bits and pieces of character moments at a later date. The fall of Atlantis is rushed through on the way to the actual plot, and has no emotional resonance. The emotional core of the novel rests instead with the separation of the main characters, Tiriki & Micail, and their desire to reunite. Unfortunately I found their love for one another hard to buy: readers are informed that this is a great love affair, but we aren't shown much evidence of it. Tiriki at least is a somewhat likable character, unlike Micail, who spends much of the novel whingeing.

The continuity problems are major: the book cannot exist in the same universe as Mists of Avalon. Paxton excuses this in the Afterword by pointing out that Marion Zimmer Bradley wasn't a stickler for continuity; She should have thought of her readers, instead.

I loved The Mists of Avalon, The Forest House, and most of The Fall of Atlantis. I stuck with the series through the diminishing quality of Lady of Avalon and Priestess of Avalon. Someone- the publishers, Paxton, Bradley's estate- seems intent on milking the franchise for all it's worth; But I'm done.

neat take on history
Ancestors of Avalon picks up where "The Fall of Atlantis" leaves off.This is the book that gives more insight to the lives of the ancients in Atlantis, and the actual devestation and destruction of their lands.The story then moves to the Atlantic Ocean, upon the ships of the fleeing Atlanteans (and other Sea Kingdom peoples).

Following different groups of refugees, you find yourself immersed in ancient Cornwall, Glastonbury (Avalon), and Stonehenge (before it was built) from 4,000 years ago.The natives that are encountered are very interesting, and as much as possible the anthropological/archeological evidences as we know them are held in check with the story.The raising of Stonehenge is very enchanting, along with the building of the spiral path around the Tor.This book is a fun read into an ancient and magical past.

This is book #2 in "The Mists of Avalon" series, to be followed with "The Forest House." ... Read more

Product Description
Brand-New, All-Original stories of sword-wielding and spellcasting by Diana Paxson, Deborah Wheeler, Dorothy J. Heydt and others DAW's most popular anthology series continues--with an all-new collection of fantasy adventure tales of strong, heroic women warriors and wizards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

An editor's farewell
This is the last Sword & Sorceress anthology personally signed by editor Marion Zimmer Bradley (it was published in May, 2000, some eight months after she died), and it is definitely one of the best.Its 21 original stories include contributions from authors familiar and otherwise to S&S readers, including Lisa Campos's "The Conjurer's Light" (a female conjurer is ordered by her king to find the legendary Warblade, which he hopes will ensure that his incompetent warrior son can triumph in battle), T. Borregaard's "My Sister's Song" (the story, based upon historical fact, of a threatened tribe's attempts to fend off the invading Romans), Bunnie Bessell's "The Summons" (the female bodyguard of a young prince faces a crisis of conscience), Deborah Wheeler's "Nor Iron Bars a Cage," Laura J. Underwood's "Shadow Soul," Dave Smeds's "Memories Traced in Snow," and Diana L. Paxson's "Lady of Flame" (another adventure of her Irish/Scandinavian seer Bera).With pieces ranging from tales of battle to stories of magic and enchantment, this volume is a fitting swan song for a respected editor.

Volume 17 in the Sword & Sorceress Anthology Series
As Bradley mentions in the intro, "justice" is the theme in most of the 21 short stories listed below:

1) "Memories of the Sea" by Dave Coleman-Reese -- A storyteller, who can hear the stories of the dead via pearls, translates what they tell her of people's past lives to a bar full of sailors. Another good first-time S&S story/author.
2) Inspired by Hercules and the Amazons, a princess petitions the Amazons for "Free Passage" (by Mary Catelli) to an island with a curse-breaking herb.
3) "The Conjuror's Light" by Lisa Campos -- A conjuror is commanded by her king to find the mythical Warblade. One of the longest stories here, but a very good S&S debut by Campos.
4) Based on an article T. Borregaard read on historical warfare, "My Sister's Song" tells of a warrior's plan to stop an invading Roman squadron, without using weapons. An interesting story, but not very surprising, since their method is revealed within the first couple pages.
5) "The Summons" by Bunnie Bessell -- A bodyguard is summoned to the Temple for another task: to kill the prince she's been protecting. One of my favorites.
6) "Luz" by Patricia Duffy Novak -- An outcast tries to intercept a child slavery ring, and in doing so, redeems herself in the eyes of the Goddess. It's hard to understand Luz's devotion to a community that treats her so poorly, yet everything is explained by the end.
7) "Caelqua's Spring" by Vera Nazarian -- A ghostlike water entity returns to find her brother. I'm not sure I understood this one at all.
8) "Deep As Rivers" by Cynthia McQuillin -- A female troll stumbles upon a dying elf and seeks the help of a witch, only to suffer from what the elf suffers (a broken heart) when she falls for him.
9) "Weapons at War" by Charles Laing -- A warrior is assisted (though reluctantly) in battle by her temperamental enchanted sword, as well as by her other talking weapons. Brief story, with a good moral.
10) "Hell Hath No Fury...." by Lee Martindale -- A bard is summoned to perform for the demonbred baroness and learns of her parentage.
11) "An Exchange of Favors" by Dorothy Heydt -- A young woman is asked for a favor by a god (Mercury).
12) "Price of the Sword" by Kim Fryer -- A witch is approached by a soldier to remove a curse from her bloodthirsty sword.
13) "Demon Calling" by ElizaBeth Gilligan -- After her mistress abandons her, a young woman seeks shelter from a dangerous stranger and finds the answer to her mistresses question: What are you?
14) "Nor Iron Bars a Cage" by Deborah Wheeler -- A witch is imprisoned for her ability to manipulate metals.
15) "The Haunting of Princess Elizabeth" by Carrie Vaughn -- Three ghosts protect Elizabeth I on her way to the throne as Queen of England. Enjoyable.
16) "Shadow Soul" by Laura J. Underwood -- A mage tracks down a shadow demon in order to save the soul of a bride.
17) "Memories Traced in Snow" by Dave Smeds -- A scholar helps her cousin find the cause of his mysteriously stolen memories.
18) "Valkyrie" by Jenn Reese -- A Norse woman mourns the sudden loss of her son. Good twist at the end.
19) A warrior-turn-slave offers to engage in a "Soul Dance" (by Lisa Silverthorne) to make peace between two warring tribes.
20) "Lady of Flame" by Diana L. Paxson -- During warring times, a Norse wisewoman has visions of a burning goddess in connection with an Irish slavewoman.
21) "The Tears of the Moon" by Cynthia Ward -- A young woman has visions of barbarians invading her village, which turn out to be true. With a bit of unrequited love thrown in, this is a great ending to this anthology.

Sadly, this was the last S&S anthology Bradley had an active hand in before dying in 1999--though she did help prepare a couple others, with the help of Elisabeth Waters, who stepped in as editor for volumes #18-20 and will be replaced by another S&S contributor (and Bradley's sister-in-law): Diana L. Paxson. If you're a fan of this feminist fantasy series, then getting this book--along with the others--is worth it. There're some really good stories in here.

An OK Book
While I don't think S&S 17 will go down in the annals of history as one of the great works of literature in our time, it is worth reading.It's good for reading on lunch breaks or other times when you don't have several uninterrupted hours for a good solid read.

As with all anthologies, there are submissions that appeal to my sense of "good story" more than others.My personal favorite from this one was Carrie Vaughn's "Haunting of Princess Elizabeth."

Best (and possibly last) of a fine series.
The "Sword And Sorceress" series is a series of collections of short stories set in the "Sword And Sorcery" genre, except that in this series, all the protagonists are female. The is because, as MarionZimmer Bradley has always explained in her introductions, historically inthe "Sword And Sorcery" genre, the only female characters were"Bad conduct prizes" for the heros.

The series as a whole isvery good, although some volumes were stronger than others. I would ratethis one as the best of the series, and with MZB's death, it may be thelast. Not a certainty; it is possible, I suppose, that the publishers maychoose to continue the series with a new editor, possibly MZB's assistantof the last few years. But I suppose we'll just have to wait andsee.

There are only three stories in this collection that arecontinuations of the adventures of characters met in previous anthologies:"An Exchange Of Favors", by Dorothy Heydt (the adventures ofCynthia, The Witch of Syracuse); "Shadow Soul", by Laura J.Underwood (Ginny, celtic wisewoman); and "Lady Of Flame", byDiana Paxson (Bera, Norse Voelva). But there are many fine one-shot storieshere, and no bad ones. If this is the end of the line for the series, it isgoing out in fine style. Hopefully, there will be more to come.

A Generally Pleasing Anthology
Since volume IX of Sword and Sorceress, I've anticipated each summer's offering of the latest and greatest S&S short fiction - S&SXVII, while perhaps not the best of this wonderful series, still provides someentertaining reads.

Several of the stories are fairly predictable - in ananthology designed to promote strong female characters in FantasticFiction, you can pretty much bet that it's the lone girl and not the army(be that Plains Tribe or Amazons or your brother who ought to weild thesword) that will step up to bat and save the day.

That given, there aresome delightful gems in S&SXVII that make it worth buying, such as suchnotables as :

"Memories of the Sea" by Dave Coleman-Reese is aninteresting look at the relation of the soul and memories.The charactersand their interrelations are drawn especially well.

In "TheSummons," Bunnie Bessel built upon an interesting moral dilemma that abodyguard must face.I only wish this story had been a novel - theglimpses into the world seemed to display something larger than a shortstory.

"Luz" by Patricia Duffy Novak examines humility,perseverence, and divine favour in a charming and well-wrought story that,given its content, manages to keep away from moralising while instructingat the same time.

Charles Richard Laing's "Weapons at War"draws from the well-worn "gimmick" of sentient swords, and takesit one comical step further, making one swordwoman's whole armament into ahighly opinionated convention!

Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
The great epic of Darkover did not begin with the Terrans' arrival. For in those years, the power of the matrix was first learned--and misused in a power struggle that could have made Darkover a duplicate of Terra. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

excellent service
I received the book I ordered in 10 days and although it was listed as "good condition" it looked more like brand new! I am very pleased with my purchase!!

a deep, rich novel of Darkover's early days
This Darkover novel is set in Darkover's Age of Chaos.It is set several hundred years after Darkover Landfall.The ruling powers in Darkover ruled in what feels like a feudal system.I would compare this period in Darkover's history to the European Dark Ages.At the beginning of the novel we are introduced to Donal, an 8 year old boy.Donal is the son of a woman who was the mistress of Mikhail Aldaran, lord of the Aldaran.Mikhail raises Donal like his own son, despite Donal being the child of another man.Donal's mother dies giving birth to Dorilys, the only living child of Mikhail.

The first section of the novel serves to introduce us to some of the major players of the novel and also works as a perfect setup to describe the world and background of the characters that will act throughout the novel.The ESP type abilities hinted at in Darkover Landfall exist in a wild, but powerful form.These abilities are called Laran, and the ruling classes are participating in a breeding program to both harness and control these laran.This breeding program has a huge flaw and drawback, few children actually live past childhood.When they start to become in full possession of their laran, death is by far the most common result.Another common result is emotional instability because of the laran.This is the world and heritage that Dorilys was born into.After she was born the novel skips ahead 11 years.Donal is now a man and beloved by Mikhail.Dorilys is a spoiled child with a wildly powerful laran.

This novel deals with the personal implications of the laran breeding plan as well as how the feudalistic society plays out in Darkover.Dorilys has been handfasted (or, betrothed) but since she has no control over her laran, when she gets frightened she lashes out with her power and unintentionally kills with it.Donal wants to marry Renata, but the circumstances with Aldaran force him into a different alliance.Renata was sent by the nearby Tower (where those with Laran work with their power) to help train Dorilys to control her laran.We are also introduced to Allart, a former monk but potential heir to the throne at Thendara.He has been hiding away trying to control his laran (he has the ability to see all possible futures resulting from every action and potential action), but is involved in this story, too.

While Darkover Landfall was little more than an introduction to the world of Darkover and how it was founded, Stormqueen! was a much richer novel.In this novel, Bradley gives us a sense of the world and strong, well written characters.It was easy to get wrapped up in the story, and it was intense at times.Reading Stormqueen only confirmed my desire to keep reading the Darkover series.Excellent fantasy novel.

A Cautionary Tale
"Man is the only animal that thinks not to improve his race...Should we not seek to better ourselves as well our world and our surroundings?"

This is a quote from Stormqueen, but it won't be long before someone raises this question in the real world, or before we have the scientific capacity to create such a future. Marian Zimmer Bradley's prescient tale, written in the '70's, explores the very real consequences, the temptations and dangers, of such genetic manipulation.

For those not familiar with Darkover, think of it as the Middle Ages with psychic powers. It is warlike, patriarchal and pre-industrial. The lack of machines is made up for by crystals, or matrixes, which greatly amplify naturally occuring psychic powers, or laran. These have been developed to take the place of mechanical technology, for both peaceful or warlike means. (There is a striking and again, prescient, parallel between the "relay screens" and the internet.)

Like any talent, skills vary from person to person. These psychic gifts being the very foundation of Darkover civilization, people have been bred over generations for specific gifts, much like an animal breeding program. For the resulting children, death is common, as is mental/emotional instability.

All of the characters in Stormqueen have lives maimed by the breeding program. Mikhail of Aldaran has seen all of his children die; Allart has been cursed with a gift that shows him all possible consequences of each act; Renata has worked desperately to have a life beyond a childbearing pawn; Donal is forced into an intolerable situation due to his stepfather's desire for an heir.

And of course there is Dorilys, the young Stormqueen, a child with a gift far beyond her ability to handle it.A lesser writer would have made Dorilys a one-dimensional spoiled brat or "witch girl." The typical male SF writer would probably have turned her into an evil sex nymph. (See lurid cover art, which is the original from the '70's.)

In Bradley's hands, Dorilys is a fully human young girl, sometimes arrogant and spoiled, but also courageous and loving. These two aspects of her character pull her either way; until the end, it's never certain which will prevail.

The story does have its rough spots and slow places. I could have done with a little less about Allart and Cassandra's marriage, for example. You won't miss much if you skim those chapters. Since it was in there, I would have preferred a little more about how Cassandra grows from a highly dependent, girlish character into a tried and true woman.

As another reviewer noted, this is a tragedy in the classic Greek sense. At each turning or crossroads, there seems only one option, yet inevitably it leads to a tragic conclusion. The flaws of more than one character bring about the tragedy, but still it's hard to see how it could have been avoided.

This book is powerful sci-fi/fantasy with underlying serious issues. If you are concerned about some of the questions the world is facing, Stormqueen will speak to you.

I also recommend MZB's other early Darkover novels: Hawkmistress, Heritage of Hastur, Thendara House, even The Forbidden Tower (though it's not a favorite). They all feature intelligent characters dealing with complex ethical or emotional questions, with plenty of action thrown in.

Can't put it down
"Stormqueen!" was the second Darkover book I read.It shows that good writing is when you read a book, and no matter how awful things are going on in the story, no matter how much you want to put it down for sheer exhaustion (emotionally and physically!), you just can't, you have to see it through.The characters are some of the best MZB ever created; compelling, well-drawn, and so familiar to the way people feel and act, be it noble or obscene.No one does anything by halves in this book; you've got all the ingredients for a titillating mix.Love found, and lost; unrelenting hatred; jealousy; incest; coldly manipulating authority figures; exotic locales; action and adventure!It sounds like the usual fare for your daytime soap, but in "Stormqueen!" it works.You'll fall in love with Allart and Donal, and have mixed feelings about the Stormqueen herself.A great enjoyable read!

Way too wild!
This was the first Darkover book I ever read, when I was about eleven. I found it fascinating but confusing. I didn't really appreciate it until after I had read The Forbidden Tower and The Bloody Sun. Even those thesenovels are set hundreds or even thousands of years after the Ages of Chaosin which Stormqueen is set, they give you the background necessary tounderstand what was going on in this novel. The bewildering references toterrifying mental weapons, the complex and hubristic (and eventuallylethal) laran breeding program, the leroni, the bits of casta (e.g.barragana, nedestro etc) that are scattered through this novel are clear asday when you've read a couple of the others. Nevertheless this is one ofthe very best novels of Darkover, and the terrifying laran propertiesmanifested by the characters in this novel make the laran of later daysseem paltry by comparison. Some of the best characters in the series arepresent in this novel; Donal, Renata, Dorilys and Allart really areterrific. It's funny, but if anyone has ever read Jennifer Roberson'sChronicles of the Cheysuli I swear her Donal (Alix's son) was modelled onDonal Delleray. Similarly, Allart actually reminds me of Lew Alton - Ithink it must be the torment in him from his gift, a torment that MZBrepeatedly illustrates convincingly. Although the adult characters in thisnovel have more control over events and show more character development,Dorilys, the Stormqueen of the Hellers, is a character who will linger longin the reader's mind. She is a powerful force, almost as elemental as theenvironment she controls. Her shadow looms over the whole series subsequentto this novel, with frequent references made to her legend, numerous womennamed after her and even her preserved body enterred in perpetuity at holyHali. My sincerest dissapointment in the Darkover series is that the twocharacters who seemed most likely to rival Dorilys for sheer fire (as wellas laran potential), Clendori and Alanna Alar, were never given their ownbook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Web of Light shows the immense talent of Ms. Bradley
The story of Domaris and Deoris, two sisters who are daughters of The Light, the highest caste in The Temple of Light. This story focuses mostly on Domaris and Deoris's relationships with Micon, a Priest from Atlantis. Domaris is a the elder sister, who falls in love and bears the son of Micon. Deoris is her younger sister that she raised from birth, after their mother's death in childbirth. Domaris is a steady, constant young woman, who is aware of her duties to The Temple and is trying to follow her calling as a Priestess of The Light. Deoris is headstrong, intelligent and unfortunately, somewhat spoiled by the total devotion and love of her older sister. Their father Talkannon is not really in the picture, though he is alive. Deoris is jealous of her Domaris's love and devotion for Micon. This book is extremely well written. I was very impressed with the details of the temple rights and rituals. I feel that this is probably one of the best written and finely detailed books of Marion Zimmer Bradley's that I have read. And as I have read all of the Darkover series along with most of the Avalon series, I feel comfortable in saying that. When I finished this book, I was totally in awe of the immense talent of Marion Zimmer Bradley and the work that she must have put into this book. To read further of their story, especially Deoris's side, you should also read Web of Darkness. Web of Darkness

The story of two women divided by feelings and love...
This is the story of Domaris and Deoris, these two women are divided by love, hate and fear and theirs acts would change the world balance. It's also the story of Rajasta, the leader of White Tunics, studiers fromamagical art. They meet Micon, a man from Atlantis who is tortured by darkand evil men. He was almost killed but survive with consequences such asloosing his vision. He falls in love to Domaris and they decide to have ababy to keep Micon's power far from the evil men. By the other side Deorismeets Riveda, a strange man, who leads the Grey Tunics. Behind these peopleare the Black Tunics, the evil men who trapped Micon and tortured him, andlooks forward his power. ... Read more

Product Description
The Planet Savers is a science fiction short novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley in her Darkover book series. The story first appeared in the November 1958 issue of the magazine Amazing Stories.

Although it was published again in a longer form in 1960, it has been discovered that the additional chapters were not actually written by the original author. This special restored edition contains the original manuscript as published by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

The short novel concerns a troubled man with two personalities, who seeks help from an alien race to save the planet of Darkover. Fans of classic science fiction will not want to miss this restored Darkover series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

good way to kill time, nothing more.
The book has a mildly entertaining plot and Darkover has a lot of potential as story material, but Darkover Landfall fails to rise beyond mere entertainment to achieve any real literary value.Characters are barely developed, narrative is stilted and predictable, and the story lacks any philosophical or spiritual depth.

Intriguing look back into Darkover's past
In a refreshing departure from her previous Darkover entries, Marion Zimmer Bradley takes us back to the first human presence on the planet. A ship containing colonists from Earth crash lands on Darkover, and its crew struggles -- first, to repair the ship -- and then, just to survive.
Bradley creates an interesting dynamic here. A schism develops among the survivors. Some would bring their Earth technology, culture and religion to Darkover... to remain in their comfort zone. Others feel that Darkover represents a new beginning, and that what was developed on Earth, was developed for Earth and should be let go.
This was a thought-provoking look at Darkover's distant past, and if you've read Bradley's earlier books (I'm taking them on in order of publication), you'll notice that all sorts of connections to the future of the planet are scattered throughout.
Some of the book feels a bit dated, as one of the ship's "subcultures" feels suspiciously like it's made up of residents of a hippie commune. (They're the only characters in the book who end their sentences like this one, man!) And as with every Darkover book I've read so far, the characters lack a certain depth. They never come alive; I don't miss them when I finish the book.
Still, Darkover Landfall is one of the best Darkover books I've read to date.

Excellent prequel.
Marion Zimmer Bradley's world, "Darkover", came into being as a prism to examine the interactions between a pre-technological culture and a spacefaring "Terran Empire". Her first half dozen to a dozen stories set in the world were set in the period after the two cultures met; during those stories, there were some hints that the world of Darkover was a "Lost Colony" that had initially been settled by Earthmen, probably unintentionally. This is the story of that beginning to human habitation on the world. It does an excellent job of establishing how the settlement happened, and how their technology was lost. Still, it is from early enough in her career that Bradley's writing style isn't as polished as it later became, so I'll only give it four stars rather than five. For fans of Darkover, this is a must-read; for newcomers to the series, it isn't a bad place to start, even if it isn't where Bradley herself started.

The Saga Begins
If you like sci fi you will like this book. Extremly fast short easy read that instantly makes you want to read the rest. I have read this book over and over and I highly recommend the author and this book in particular.

the origins of Darkover
A Darkover novel.

Chronologically, this is the first Darkover novel.Here we are introduced to the founders of Darkover.We see how humans first came to the planet, and how they began to adapt to their new surroundings.Unlike many other fantasy series, humans were not created on Darkover, but rather there was a space ship on a trip to begin a colony on another planet when the ship had troubles and crashed on an uncharted planet.Granted, that is not a terribly original idea either, but the how Bradley treats the topic is very original, and very well done.

The crew is faced with the dilemma of whether to try to rebuild the ship (which will take several years at best) or to try to settle in and adapt on the unnamed planet (the planet does not get the name Darkover for at least a hundred years of its history).The crew and colonists are divided on this.Before anything else can be done there must be preliminary exploration of the planet so that they will be able to survive for as many years as necessary and also because if they are to be trapped on the planet for a while they must know what kind of planet it is.

We are given glimpses of an ESP power that will be refined throughout the series and are introduced to an alien (though native to Darkover) race.We are shown the Ghost Wind, which induces humans to release their inhibitions....

This novel serves as an introduction to Darkover (I believe it was the first novel in the series that I read years ago) as well as an important time in the history of Darkover (obviously, it is the founding).Darkover Landfall may not be the best novel in the series, but it provided enough interest for me to want to read more in the series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Superb coming-of-age story
Five stars with a bullet; considering some of the books that I've given five stars to, I wish I could give this one six. This is one of the best of a very fine writer's works; Bradley created a very in-depth world in which many of her books were set; this is a marvellous coming-of-age story of a young woman finding her place in a world that did not, as a matter of course, recognize the value of her skills when they appeared in a woman. A very powerful feminist statement without being preachy or radical, the characters are all very well-handled, very human, very real. This is one of my 10 or 20 favorite books of all time.

You won't want to put this book down!
The main character is a young girl, forced to step away from her family because she cannot conform to what is expected of a young woman. She has an amazing ability to communicate with hawks and horses, called "laren", and begins a quest to find others like her. She also searching for a brother, who also could not conform to their father's wishes. In the beginning of her journey, she disguises herself as a man, but still trouble finds her along the way. This is a very believable character, and reading it as a young woman, I can't help but relate to the pressures that come as you get older. If you like horses, this is also a book for you. I also highly recommend "The Wolf Experiments" by Carey Borgens. Both of these book depict a strong female character, a journey of discovery. While Hawkmistress is more of a medieval fantasy, The Wolf Experiments is a Science Fiction. These titles are well written and keep you on the edge of your seat.

back jacet summary
from the back cover of the 7th printing September 1982 Daw paperback edition
cover illustration by Hannah M. G. Shapero
She had rejected her noble birthright and embraced the freedom only a man could claim.She was Romilly who lived among the beasts of hill and forest and communicated with them, who tried humanity and turned it down for its evils and jealousies.She had the MacAran Gift, the rare laran that conferred mastery over hawk and horse.
There was war in the lands of Darkover for this was the age of chaos when usurpers took the throne and the true king wandered in disguise with a price on his head.Romilly wanted none of all this, but there were those who shared her talents-the men and women of the Towers.And for them Romilly was the key.
Whether male-garbed or beast-minded, she was also human.And duty to her own true kind pointed her to the ultimate decision.

Very Good Darkover Book
As Romilly MacAran approaches the age of 15, she runs into two problems: her father and her laran.She decides to run away from her father and finds herself in the middle of a war.She grows from girl to young woman in a very interesting joutney and ends up with love, honor and respect. Although there is a very feminist slant to this book, it doesn't interfere with the story.I would definitely recommend it to both fans of the Darkover series and young women who can sympathize with the character's trials.

A Perpetual Favorite
Romilly MacAran is hitting puberty. Not only does that mean the usual mood swings and hormone surges, but also the surges of Romilly's awakening laran. Romilly has the MacAran gift of rapport with animals in full measure. Her overbearing father, Dom Mikhail, loves her as his favorite, but will not bend in his views of what is right in their society; that women should stay at home and embroider while men work with hawks and hounds. Mikhail also does not believe in tower training to control laran, and Romilly's beloved older brother, Ruyven, also strongly gifted with laran, fled home to take a place as laranzu in Tramontana tower against his father's wishes.

Romilly is unhappy under her father's autocratic rule, (as is her other older brother who is ironically berated for not having the family laran) but is hopeful until her father gives away her prized hawk and pledges her hand in marriage to a fat, greasy, older lord who has already lost multiple wives in childbirth. Romilly cuts her hair, puts on boy's clothes, and takes to the forest. She has many adventures and gets embroiled in the battle to restore the rightful Hastur King to the throne of Darkover, a battle in which she unsurprisingly plays a major part.

Romilly is very like Menolly from Anne McCaffrey's DRAGONSONG books. She is very sensitive and talented, subjected to emotional abuse (and a little physical abuse by her family-especially her father) and she suffers from low self-esteem. Her feelings of injustice are keenly felt and heart-rending. She grows and matures as she comes into her talent and is instrumental in helping a respected surrogate father figure. I first read this book as a teen, and found the angst and righteous indignation of Romilly tore at my heart. It still does. Would highly recommend this, especially to teen girls.
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Product Description
Here are twenty all-new, all-original tales of strong, heroic women-female warriors and wizards brought vividly to life by acclaimed writers such as Diana L. Patson, Lawrence Watt-Evans, and many others.

THE BEST IN FANTASY SHORT STORIES. (Rave Reviews) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Passing on the torch
Published 20 months after the death of Marion Zimmer Bradley, this 18th volume in her famous and popular series of anthologies focusing on heroic fantasy with female protagonists is labeled "MZB Presents" and introduced by her longtime secretary, Elisabeth Waters, who tells us that she lived long enough to "read nearly all of the manuscripts submitted" for it.Its bulk is less than that of several of its recent predecessors, with only 20 stories, of which I found 12 enjoyable enough to mark for future reading.Diana L. Paxson checks in with "Passage of Power," another story in her Bera series, in which her young Irish/Scandinavian heroine (like Waters) finds the torch passing to her with the death of her mentor, the seer Groa.Dave Smeds, another returning contributor, gives us "The Land of Graves," in which a young female magic-user and archaeologist must battle not only a murderous ghost but her uncle's sexist chauvinism.Other returnees are Dorothy J. Heydt ("In the Sacred Places of the Earth," another tale of her early-Roman-era sorceress Cynthia), Rosemary Edghill ("Little Rogue Riding Hood," in which an actress portraying a Xena-type heroine finds herself transferred to a world where her supposed abilities are desperately needed), Waters herself ("Bed of Roses," in which a most intriguing order of early-Middle-Ages female fighters is posited, as one of them tries to rescue her younger brother from a sorcerer), Kati Dougherty-Carthum ("Lessons Learned," a sequel to her contribution to S&S X), and Denise Lopes-Heald ("The Needed Stone," in which a thief is persuaded to rescue a young woman before she can be "enthralled" by a sorceress).In Jan Combs's "Kendat's Ax," a juggler and a bard combine talents to defeat an ogre; Lawrence Watt-Evans offers "Arms and the Woman," in which a camp-follower discovers that all heroes need not be male; India Edghill's "Tiger's Eye" depicts a shapechanger's efforts to free herself from her brother's domination in India at the time of Alexander the Great's invasion; Pauline J. Alama's "Raven Wings on Snow" retells a fairy tale known to some of us as "The Twelve Swans"; and in Gerald Perkins's "The Queen in Yellow," a defeated mage-queen finds a way around her captor's precautions to emerge triumphant after all.It's clear that, even in her last illness, MZB remained a consummately professional editor and deeply interested in the anthologies that had brought her almost as much renown as her famous Darkover series.And it's equally clear that her editorship must have been a tough act to follow, even though there are three more S&S anthologies to come.

20 stories; official theme=Impossible Tasks, Invading Armies
Alama, Pauline J.: "Raven-Wings on the Snow" A dark variation on Andersen's "The Wild Swans", providing a vile motive for the king's desire for a daughter.

Combs, Jan: The bardic narrator and her juggler partner borrow "Kendat's Ax", the town relic, to deal with a none-too-bright ogre. (A good archer would have worked just as well.)

Corwin, Richard: "The Glass Sword" continues Corwin's storyline from S&S #4 and _Spells of Wonder_. Kali has asked a boon: a mortal lifetime before she must return to Nirvana to weave the spell that in time will end the new age now dawning.

Dougherty-Carthum, Kati: Queen Dylas' closest friend has tried to teach her to think straight under pressure (so summarized because the specifics of self-defense obviously aren't the title's "Lessons Learned"). Capture by bandits puts Dylas to the test.

Edghill, India: "Tiger's Eye" Ratrichaya has been imprisoned to serve as her brother's Pavilion witch, in this alternate India in the time of Alexander's attempted conquest.

Edghill, Rosemary: "Little Rogue Riding Hood" grew into the novel _The Warslayer_.

Heald, Denise Lopes: The narrator, unable to master her father's power stones to help in his war against the magickers, became a thief to seek "The Needed Stone" from their very fortress.

Heydt, Dorothy J.: Like Linville's "Light", "In the Sacred Places of the Earth" concerns a woman seeking to retrieve a loved one perceived as 'virtue walking' - here her husband - from death, although this story involves the Eleusinian mysteries of Greece rather than ancient Egypt, and a task for Cynthia rather than simple directions. See S&S #19 for more of Cynthia: "I have been an impious woman in my day, and done several goddesses an injury and well they deserved it." :)

Holman, Howard: "The Tower of Song", font of magic, tests candidates for the position of Royal Bard, but none have survived in over a century, and "the Darkness with its Dark Things" is coming. Sketchy world-building, real story is the unnecessarily secret nature of the test.

Johnson, Michael Chesley: King Brald suffers from a curse he can't break alone; none of "The Stone Wives" - his 31 previous brides, now part of an incomplete chess set - conceived even once within her allotted year. But Tiwa of Elaan (#32), despite her resentment of imprisonment, is also a sorceress.

Lee, Mary Soon: "The Fall of the Kingdom" had its genesis with the birth and death of children: the narrator, who nursed the White Lady (not explicitly identified as Guenevere) after her own infant son's death, and her Lady's neglect of duty after the loss of her own child at birth.

Linville, Susan Urbanek: Nekhti's elder sister Ameni was her "Light", but at 15 has been killed by a runaway cart in Abydos; Nekhti is determined to restore her to life, but doesn't know the cost. (Her journey isn't easy, but neither is it realistically difficult.)

Manison, Pete D.: "Magic Threads" Kyreen the Weaver produces magical garments for many occasions, frequently to reinforce various mental states in the wearer, from passion to confidence.

Paxson, Diana L.: "A Passage of Power" features the wisewoman Bera. Shaky start with a muddle of vision/dream and waking, not clearly relevant to the bulk of the story. Plot: Since Bera's old teacher is dying (Bera's coping) and Halvor is dead, Halvor's children by a thrall have no protection from his widow's malice.

Perkins, Gerald: "The Queen in Yellow" - Katane of the Finger Lands - faces a forced marriage to the son of a conquering mage-queen, who cast an enchantment that reflects any of Katane's own magic back at her. (Don't confuse with Robert Chambers' _The King in Yellow_.)

Schmeidler, Lucy Cohen: Gavriella won the "Sword of Peace" as part of her battle spoils: an enchanted sword that resists shedding blood, having a mind of its own.

Silverthorne, Lisa: Sauchony's the only warrior left in the temple while the other sisters are on retreat; having paid more attention to sword-wielding than prophecy, she wouldn't even have known that "Armageddon" was coming this weekend, when she's drawn temple fire duty. (Yelling to four horsemen riding up: "Wait! Apocalypse is the next village over!") :)

Smeds, Dave: "The Land of Graves" The sorceress Tecia's excavation isn't pure archaeology, but intended to restore an ancient water system and reclaim a stretch of swampland - very practical. When she's summoned to come *at once* to deal with a revenant released by a tomb robber, she does *not* charge off like a fool to deal with something that won't come out again until twilight. :) Excellent story.

Waters, Elisabeth: "Bed of Roses" (Waters also performed the final assembly on the entire anthology after MZB's death.) Rosa rejected her suitor Dathan to join the Order of the Holy City - a fighting order whose members always work in trios from the 3 faiths involved. Rosa and her superiors suspect Dathan of engineering the kidnapping of Rosa's little brother that he's offered to "help" her with for a night in her bed.

Watt-Evans, Lawrence: "Arms and the Woman" Siria is actually a camp-follower, who attached herself to the expedition against the Undead Lord since, after all, the prophecy's very clear how simple it is to send him back to the grave for another 400 years, so it shouldn't be too dangerous. But given that the Council nearly didn't send the expedition in time after too much politicking, would they have made *all* the arrangements properly?

good but not the best
i absolutely love the "sword and the sorceress" series for their innovative stories with imaginative plots and innovative stories that are the trade mark of short stories. when i saw this on the book shelf i eargerly snapped it up, thinking i had found another treasure to add to my burgeoning collection but alas that wasn't exactly the case. while mrs. waters did an incredible job of picking up where such a notable author left off i couldn't help feeling this book just didn't rise up to the standards of the rest of the series.

many of the stories were written in unimaginative almost base ways. only a few stories really stuck out in my mind. "little rouge riding hood" which struck me as an inventive rip off of xena with the main character playing a t.v. herione who wears leather and does flips and such. it was clever but more a modern day fantasy which are usually left out.

the other story that held my attention was "the needed stone."
it tells the story of a girl who acquires stones in the hope that she can unlock the magic from one of them to help her ailing father and meets stone. he desperately needs her help to rescue his sister from the sorceress compound where she will be made into a thrall. it's not master literature but it is an entertaining story. also as others have reviews "a passage of power" is wonderful, but readers who haven't read the other stories from "sword and the sorceress 15" of bera may find themselve in the dark since the story in referenced quite a bit.
if you can stand about two pages i suggest you read "armagddeon" it a witty farce that made me laugh.

a few gems stand out in this book but not enough to make it worth buying. many of the stories are lack luster and after i read them i could only go "ok and what exactly was the point." the stories like "lesson learned" which has little to no real plot and "the stone wives" which seemed like the retelling of a fable, made me wonder what mrs. waters was thinking when she added them to the line up. if you run across this book in a library with a few hours to kill i would say go for it but i wouldn't pay that much for it.

Good, but not the best of the series by a long shot.
The "Sword And Sorceress" series is a series of collections of short stories set in the "Sword and Sorcery" genre, except that in this series, all the protagonists are female. This is because, as Marion Zimmer Bradley has always explained in her introductions, historically in the "Sword and Sorcery" genre, the only female characters were "Bad conduct prizes" for the heros. This series as a whole is very good, although some volumes were stronger than others; I'm very fond of volumes 17, 16, and 15, as well as several of the earlier ones. This volume doesn't quite live up to the high standards of its three most recent predecessors, but it is probably as good as any volume in the series earlier than that.

There are only two stories in this volume that are continuations of the adventures of characters met in previous anthologies: "A Passage Of Power", a story of Diana Paxson's Bera, the Norse wisewoman, and "In The Sacred Places Of The Earth", about Dorothy Heydt's Cynthia, the Witch Of Syracuse. I will say that there were fewer typos and general copyediting mistakes in this book than there have been in some of the earlier ones; whether this was due to Elisabeth Waters paying more attention to such minutinae than Ms. Bradley did or not I can only guess. (Note to Rosemary Edghill, author of "Little Rogue Riding Hood", however: the singular of "staves" is not "stave", it is "staff".) My primary complaint about this book is that it seems to be awefully heavy on the "Sorcery", and awefully light on the "Sword"; I think that the aforementioned "Little Rogue Riding Hood" is the only true "swordswoman" story, with perhaps "Arms and the Woman" coming close. Almost all the rest center around mages of one stripe or another.

My second (minor) quibble is that "Raven Wings On The Snow", by Pauline Alama, while a well-written story, is really just a retelling of a fairy tale, something that Ms. Bradley had always maintained was not allowed, and while I know that she always said that any of her rules could be broken if the story was good enough, I didn't think that this one was; it was good, but not THAT exceptional.

I am told, (by someone who should know, one of the authors) that there are plans for two more "Sword and Sorceress" collections. Hopefully, that information is correct; I'll be looking foreward to them.

Not my Favorite S&S anthology
While I was overjoyed to see another S&S on the shelves (I wasn't sure I'd see another after XVII), I have to say that I found this anthology a little disappointing on several counts. The short story mix just wasn't up to par with the kind of variety MZB usually had, and I honestly felt dissatisfied with more than one story.Unfortunately, I don't have the volume with me, so I can't elaborate by title. There were a few gems among the stories "Raven Wings on the Snow" was by far and away my favorite.It's a wonderful retelling of the Seven Swans that does the fairy tale justice.

Maybe I'm mourning the loss of MZB and therefore haven't gotten past that point yet, but I don't think this is the best of S&S by a long shot.For those of you who are curious about these anthologies, try to find one of the earlier volumes before trying this one.I won't discourage you from buying this one, anthologies are great because there is such a range of stories, but for a better taste of the classic S&S, the older ones are best. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains the sci-fi thriller THE DOOR THROUGH SPACE 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.

Across half a Galaxy, the Terran Empire maintains its sovereignty with the consent of the governed. It is a peaceful reign, held by compact and not by conquest. Again and again, when rebellion threatens the Terran Peace, the natives of the rebellious world have turned against their own people and sided with the men of Terra; not from fear, but from a sense of dedication.

There has never been open war. The battle for these worlds is fought in the minds of a few men who stand between worlds; bound to one world by interest, loyalties and allegiance; bound to the other by love.

Such a world is Wolf. Such a man was Race Cargill of the Terran Secret Service.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Darkover
I started the first Darkover novels in the 1970's.When this came out, it was it was during the Women Liberation movement, so it was not surprising, the series from the beginning has been feudal family relationships with psi powers.Most of the strong female characters have either been heads of Towers or renunciates. Zimmer has covered a lot of topical subjects during this series and this was really the first social topic.The stories are well written and interesting, just occasionally heavy handed on how "evil" men are. ... Read more

Product Description
The sixteenth volume of Sword & Sorceress includes 25 all-original stories of strong, heroic women characters, female warriors and wizards who face down perils and come to the aid of those in need. Includes the fantasy fiction of Diana Paxson, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Deborah Wheeler, and Dorothy J. Heydt, as well as an introduction by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Praise for the Sword & Sorceress series:

"Solid writing and an engaging range of themes...a series that is gaining in popularity." --Booklist ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

disappointed in the quality this time
Our of 26 stories in this, the 16th of the Sword & Sorceress series, I can only say that 6 of them really impressed me.Impressing me means that the characters were interesting and I wanted to keep reading.It also means that these six were stories that I could understand the first time through and which I could enjoy and relax with.Yes, sometimes it is good to have something to think over and chew on but sometimes I just want a good story.There are several stories in this collection that if the characters had been more appealing I could chew over and enjoy but frankly I was disappointed this time around by the types of stories and the writing.

Volume 16 in the Sword & Sorceress Anthology Series
There are 26 short stories in this 16th addition to the female-oriented fantasy anthology, Sword & Sorceress, as summarized below:

A Japanese woman encounters a turtle-like creature whose fate is in her hands when she accidentally injures it in Fujiko's "The Kappa's Gift". >> A mythical room known as "The Changeless Room" (by Charlotte Carlson) materializes in a young girl's family cellar one day. Marion considers this one horror, but I don't. It's not very scary, just confusing. >> "Isabelle and the Siren" by Mary Catelli -- A woman with acute depression avoids the fatal song of a siren, though the townsfolk aren't as lucky. People with depression can probably relate to this one. >> "Dragon's Tear" by Sonya Fedotowsky -- An elf and her three companions travel to a dragon's cave in search of a jewel that will save her island. A good one. >> "A Sister's Blood" by Patricia B. Cirone -- Confined in a dungeon, two sisters--one a swordswoman, the other a sorceress--try to find a way out of their prison cell. >> "Changed" by Lisa Deason -- A woman visits a magician, known as the Collector, who shapeshifts her--as well as others--into half-human/half-animal creatures, then keeps them as caged circus freaks. Vaguely reminded me of Peter S. Beagle's "The Last Unicorn". >> A ruthless king demands a sorceress to help him attain "The Power to Change the Shape of the Land" in Dayle A. Dermatis' story. The ending was a bit unfinished. Not bad though. >> "The Frog Prince" by Linda J. Dunn -- A princess is forced to kiss frog after frog in a king's attempt to find his shapeshifting son. A unique twist on the same-named fable. >> "Honey From the Rock" by Dorothy J. Heydt -- A sorceress tries to heal a dying Greek goddess, Artemis.

"The Will of the Wind" by Christina Krueger -- A teacher ignores the regulations and traditions of her school in order to initiate one of her talented students into the Priesthood. Bittersweet ending. >> A martial arts student is asked to judge a kata contest in Carol E. Leever's "Moonlight on Water". Cat & martial arts lovers should like this one. >> "Nine Springs" by Kathleen M. Massie-Ferch -- A warrior searches for a sacred spring that will heal her dying friend. Another good one. >> This poetic story deals with the reincarnation of a "Mistweaver" (by Terry McGarry). >> "Waking the Stone Maiden" by Cynthia McQuillin -- A young woman searches for the Stone Maiden. Another good one. >> "City of No-Sleep" by Vera Nazarian -- A city is transformed every night when the king falls asleep. Imaginative setting. >> "Daughter of the Bear" by Diana Paxson -- When a woman is blamed for killing a man, she calls on a Viking bear god to prove her innocence. >> "The Wishing Stones" by Lisa S. Silverthorne -- A captured sorceress plots her freedom through three little wishing stones. Nice & short. >> "A Fool's Game" by Selina Rosen -- A woman seeks the teachings of a legendary swordswoman. Good lesson on life in general.

"The Anvil of Her Pride" by Lawrence Schimel -- A swordsmith's profession proves to be the demise of the man she loves. >> "The Dancing Men of Ballyben" by Laura J. Underwood -- A mageborn woman attempts to rescue a young man who's been transformed into stone during the day. >> "Salt & Sorcery" by Elisabeth Waters & Michael Spence differs from the others, in that it's more of a present-day story set on a college campus. Some spellwork/magic. >> "Weaving Spells" by Lawrence Watt-Evans -- A woman searches for her missing fiancee in a wizard's castle. >> "Enaree: An Azkhantian Tale" by Deborah Wheeler -- A woman tires to break her traditional role in this desert setting. >> "The Day They Ran Out of Princesses" by Gail Sosinsky Wickman -- A servant is ennobled as a princess in order to sacrifice her to a tyrannical winged slug. (laughing) Yes, a flying slug. :) Glad we don't have those in the Northwest. >> "Taking Flight" by Susan Wolven -- A woman's sister's hawk returns with a message for her. >> Katherine L. Rogers' "The Vision That Appeared" I had to read twice, even though it was, like, 2 pages. It's about a woman who attempts an old family spell. Not a terrific ending to this book, but it'll do.

As with most short story anthologies, this collection has a mixture of excellent stories, mediocre ones, and ones that are easily forgotten by the next page. But what probably bugged me the most in this book was how Marion had to give her two cents in every author bio. Still, fans of fantasy should like this series, not just feminists/women readers, though it tends to attract a female audience.

Pretty darn good.
Okay, this book is set up just like all the others in the Sword & Sorceress series. However, this one seems to be one of the better ones of the series. Marion Zimmer Bradley seems to know what her readers/fans like to read. Excellent stories!

Great good fun
As usual MZB came out with another enjoyable collection of Sword & Sorceress.# 16 isn't quite as good as 8 or 9, my favorites, but it's still great fun.My favorite story in this volume is Choices by LisaDeason, a really original take on shapeshifting that entertained me andmade me think. Also worthy of special mention are Moonlight on Water byCarol Leever and Enaree by Deborah Wheeler--it's refreshing to read greatfantasy stories based on ethnicities other than Western European.The onlyreason I'm not giving this anthology five stars is because of thesprinkling of mediocre, highly forgettable stories in among the gems--soforgettable I've already forgotten what they were called.There's nothingtruly bad here, however, and this is a very solid entry in the series.

Par for the course;
The "Sword And Sorceress" series is a series of collections of short stories set in the "sword and sorcery" genre, but with all female protagonists. Marion Zimmer Bradley always explains, in herintroductions, that she began the series because in traditional "swordand sorcery", female characters wer relegated to the role of "badconduct prizes" for the (male) protagonists.

It's a fine series, andthis is one of the better books in the series. Number 15 is still myfavorite, but this one is in the top three, possibly second-best. There's anice mix of continuing adventures of characters we've seen in earliervolumes and totally new stories. I didn't care at all for "A Sister'sBlood", by Patricia B. Cirone, but that was essentially because Ididn't care for the conclusion it reached. I will, however, concede that itwas well-written, and could be the catalyst for an interesting discussionor two with someone who disagreed with me. "Moonlight On TheWater", by Carol E. Leever, was excellent, as were "The WishingStones", by Lisa S. Silverthorne, and "A Fool's Game", bySelina Rosen. "The Anvil Of Her Pride", by Lawrence Schimel, wasa bit predictable, but good nonetheless, and "The Day They Ran Out OfPrincesses", by Gail Sosinsky Wickman, was just plain fun.
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