Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists of Avalon is an award-winning, best-selling, now-considered-classic retelling of the Athurian legends - from the point of view of the women - chiefly Morgaine, Arthur's half-sister and a Priestess of Avalon, the surviving Pagan community of Arthurian England.  The novel follows Morgaine from childhood to her rise as a priestess on the mystical Isle of Avalon, the home of the druids of the Old Religion of the Goddess. Morgaine's life, down to its very core, is shaped both by her desire to serve the Goddess and by her despair at seeing the Old Religion being tossed aside in favor of Christianity, by royalty and the common people alike.

The book won the 1984 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and spent four months on the New York Times best seller list in hardcover. The trade paperback edition of Mists of Avalon ranked among the top five trade paperbacks on the monthly Locus bestseller lists for almost four years

The Forest House (1993) (with Diana L. Paxson) is a prequel to  "The Mists of Avalon" based on the leglend of The Lady of the Lake.  Set in 1st century Roman ruled Britain, and centering on Druidic priestesses who keep the ancient rites of learning, healing, and magic lore. Eilan, the daughter of a Druidic warrior and granddaughter of Ardanos, Arch-Druid of Britannia, is gifted with the "sight" and has longed to serve the Goddess as a healer-priestess in the Forest House. She meets and falls in love with Gauis, a half Roman-half British youth, and son of the Roman Prefect Macellius Severus, second-in-command in Britainnia. Forbidden to marry,  Eilan fulfills her original wish and dedicates herself to the Lady. Considered inferior to Mists, but still a worthwhile historical fantasy.

Lady of Avalon continues with the story of three different generations of Avalon high priestesses.  It is generally considered inferior to both the previous books, but still worth reading.


Darkover

The Darkover books are a series of novels and short stories set primarily on the lost colony planet Cottman IV, aka Darkover.  Darkover is a planet with a reddish sun and a fairly cold climate, on which humans were stranded early in the history of interstellar travel. The Darkovans quickly discover that many of their number have "laran", a multivariate power, channeled through blue crystals, that manifests as telepathy, telecontrol, empathy, and several other supernormal powers.

Darkover blends science fiction (space ships and interstellar travel), but its medieval society of horse-drawn telepaths, warring kingdoms restricted by powerful custom against major (or laran-based) weaponry, has the feel of fantasy as much as sci-fi. The novels were written out of sequence and often deal subjects that were quasi-taboo at the time, including homosexuality and polyamory, and was influential on the role of feminism in science fiction fandom. Women are subjugated, and several of the novels describe how individual female protagonists find their ways in the world: through an all-female guild called the Renunciates, through polyamory, through study and development of laran, and once contact is re-established with other worlds, through space travel.

1. Darkover Landfall (1972) tells the story of the first humans on Darkover, and the disaster and tragedy of this first, accidental colonization.  In line with this, Landfall is mainly concerned with the exploration of various themes, and the conflict between the ship's crew, who seek to repair their damaged ship and leave this mineral-lacking, harsh climate, and already-inhabited planet, and the colonists, originally en route to elsewhere, who prefer to accept their fate. . As an additional complication, the planet itself seems to gradually set free psychic abilities in its new inhabitants and a strange "Ghostwind" causes barriers between the individuals to temporarily break down, with at times grave consequences.

2. Stormqueen! (1978) Set in Darkover's Age of Chaos, several hundred years after Darkover Landfall. The ruling powers in Darkover ruled in  a feudal system. Donal, the 8 year old son of the mistress of Mikhail Aldaran, lord of the Aldaran is raised by Aldaran as 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 ESP type abilities hinted at in Darkover Landfall exist in a wild, but powerful form, 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 reach adulthood. Another common result is emotional instability because of the laran. This is the world and heritage that Dorilys was born into.  While Darkover Landfall is little more than an introduction to the world of Darkover and how it was founded, Stormqueen! is a much richer novel, with a greater  sense of the world and strong, well written characters.  It is one of the most popular Darkover novels.

3. Hawkmistress! (1982) takes place during the time of the Hundred Kingdoms, more than three hundred years before the other title (below). This is before the recontact between Darkover and Earth —there’s no culture clash, no contrasting Terrans, just Darkover and plenty of it. It’s the story of Romilly MacAran, who has the gift of rapport with animals.
A young girl of just marriageable age, and her father wants her to marry someone she doesn’t like. She puts up with it until it becomes clear it’ll be intolerable, then she runs away and disguises herself as a man. She fights off attackers. She rescues herself, and other people. She learns skills and she learns about herself. She is kind to strangers and benefits from that. She finds friends where she least expects them. She is revealed as a woman. She goes mad in a forest. She comes back to sanity in time to save the day, and ends the possibility of real love.  This is a highly thought of Darkover novel.

4. Two To Conquer (1980) is set near the end of the Ages of Chaos, in the time of the Hundred Kingdoms.  There is less civilization and the Hundred Kingdoms are in a near perpetual state of war.
The protagonist of the story is Bard Di Asturian, 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.  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). 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.

5. The Heirs of Hammerfell (1989) was Marion Zimmer Bradley’s return to Darkover’s Hundred Kingdom era when the Domains on the planet of the red sun lay splintered into many feudal kingdoms. Bradley had a certain fascination for characters who exchanged lives, identities or were mistaken for others.  Many of her most beloved characters led dual lives, were mistaken for others, exchanged places with someone from another culture or felt torn between two worlds.  The Heirs of Hammerfell is no exception to this plot formula.   It chronicles the saga of two twins born to an aging lord in the midst of a violent feud between two northern kingdoms.  Only one can inherit the title of Lord of Hammerfell, but when a vicious attack destroys the keep, the twins are separated and each grows up presuming the other dead.  Alastair, the eldest son and true heir to Hammerfell grows up in Thendara with his mother in relative comfort while the younger twin, Conn, grows up in hiding with the trusted Hammerfell servant who saved him that fateful night. As the rest of the novel unfolds, Bradley masterfully guides readers through amazing plot twists and differing points of view as each twin wrestles with the discovery that the other is alive.  Add in the complexity of a love triangle and star-crossed lovers for an adventure from start to finish.  The Heirs of Hammerfell certainly adds insight into a time period in the planet’s history long before rediscovery by the Terran Empire, but like most of Bradley’s Darkover tales, the story stands on its own as a wonderful read. (The Book Hoarding Dragon)

6. Rediscovery (1993) (with Mercedes Lackey)  After centuries of isolation, a second wave of exploration from Earth arrives. The two cultures could hardly be more different -  Darkover: a low-tech feudal society, male- dominated, in which telepathic powers have developed to extraordinary degrees. The Terran ship: a crew of scientists, equipped with the latest computer technology, representatives of a rationalistic and egalitarian interstellar empire. As a result, the first contacts between the two are filled with mistaken assumptions and false steps. Much of the story, meanwhile, is told from the points of view of two women: Leonie Hastur, an extraordinarily gifted young telepath, descended from perhaps the most powerful clan on Darkover; and Ysaye Barnett, the expedition's computer specialist, who has  unusual telepathic powers of her own. The plot moves very slowly at first, full of small conflicts and misunderstandings; most of the real action is concentrated in the last hundred pages, where the foundations are laid for the acrimonious relationship between Earth and Darkover that will prevail in the double handful of novels Bradley has already set on this world. Given that the events here are among the most crucial in the entire history of the planet--the equivalent, in our own history, of Columbus's landing in America--it is curiously tame and tentative. Dedicated Darkover fans will probably find deep meaning in some of the apparently slight episodes, but for a newcomer to the series, almost any of Bradley's solo novels would be a better introduction. (Kirkus Review)

7. The Spell Sword (1974) This novel begins in a way that we have seen several times before: with a crash of a Terran vehicle on Darkover. This time it is from a team based at the Terran outpost at Thendara. Andrew Carr is a member of the Mapping and Explorations team that is slowly gathering information about Darkover.  Led by visions of a mysterious woman called Callista, Carr seeks shelter.  Meanwhile, on the road to Armida, Damon Ridenow discusses recent violent conflicts with a native species called the cat-men with his guardsmen. Ridenow is a matrix technician who was recently dismissed by Leonie Hastur, Keeper of Arilinn, on the grounds that he is "too sensitive."  Before Damon arrives at Callista's home he has to travel through someplace called "the darkened land" where the land is in shadows, uninhabitable and attacks can come from invisible assailants. This series gives us some more information on another native Darkover race, the cat people.  This is a short novel, coming in less than 200 pages, but I found it to be fairly entertaining and I suspect that it sets the stage for the much longer The Forbidden Tower which features many of the same characters. The Spell Sword serves as introduction to Andrew Carr, Damon Ridenow, and Callista. It is fairly good for a fantasy novel, though it does not feature the depth of some. This is a straight forward story with some action. (Joe Sherry - Amazon)

8. The Forbidden Tower (1977) Continues the story of Damon Ridenow , and his new wife and her sister.  The sole Terran, Andrew Carr, husband to Callista Lanart-Alton (the former Keeper), must work his way not only through a complicated relationship with the other three, but also his own feelings about marriage.

Part of the attraction in this book is seeing Andrew adjust to and gradually accept this very different notion of marriage, not to mention his relationships with his wife's sister and her husband.I think of The Forbidden Tower both as a romance and as a creative work of SFF. Even after reading through other works, this book remains the most accessible as well as the most memorable.

9. The Shattered Chain (1976)  2,000 years after the events described in Darkover Landfall,   Darkover society remains restrictive towards women and, women have few, and in some cases no, rights to speak of. The Free Amazons reject that attitude and by law, any member of the Free Amazons does not have to submit to the rule of men. Rather, they are held accountable by the Charter of the Free Amazons for their actions and to the Guild to which they belong. They represent another option for women who feel the oppression of Darkovan society. The novel is broken out into three sections, each focusing on a different character, though the same cast of characters moves in and out of the stories being told in each section. The first section focuses on the lady Rohana Ardais. Section two focuses on a Terran named Magda Lorne, while Section three features Jaelle, a leader of a small band of Free Amazons. She is still young, and has not yet known love and does have the experience to know if she will regret her decision to become a Free Amazon. This becomes the central conflict of the third section, after the action of section two. Each of the three women (Rohana, Magda, and Jaelle) are characters that I want to know more about, they are well written and interesting, and this is an excellent chapter in the world of Darkover. (Joe Sherry - Amazon)

10. Thendara House (1983)  The events of "Thendara House" continue the story introduced in The Shattered Chain, of the Renunciates, an order of women who have rejected society's role for them and exist as a societal alternative for women.This novel switches between the viewpoints of two characters: Magda Lorne, a Terran raised on Darkover,  and Jaelle n'ha Melora, the Renunciate who took Magda's oath.. Magda is also now married to Peter Haldane, who, like Magda, is a Terran citizen who was raised on Darkover and works for the Empire. Neither woman truly belongs where she is. Jaelle feels alienation because she is a Darkovan working at the Spaceport and everything she is experiencing is new and different and strange to her. Her relationship with her husband is also becoming strained as she is still struggling against those gender roles she had thought she left behind when she joined the Renunciates. "Thendara House" is a more complex novel than it at first seems to be. Bradley works through the ideas of belonging to a culture and what happens to those cultural transplants which are put into a new and different environment. She works with the friendships between women and the complex relationships that women can have, both casual and intimate. "Thendara House" is the best of the seven Darkover novels that I have read so far and this came as a pleasant surprise to me. (Joe Sherry - Amazon)

11. City of Sorcery (1984) carries on with Jaelle, Magda, Camilla, and the Terran Cholayna, undertaking a fraught and perilous journey across mountains, facing dangers both natural and supernatural, in search of a mythic city mentioned in obscure legends--the city of sorcery. This novel takes place seven years after 'Thendara House', and Jaelle and Magda are full-members now of the Forbidden Tower. They've both been fully trained in the use of their Laran, and their abilities have grown considerably. It is definitely the best of the three, and it truly delivers on the potential of the other two. If you've missed the first two, you'll still enjoy this one on its own--Bradley provides recaps of relevant past events and relationships, allowing a new reader to dive straight into this story. But, there's no question, if you already know and love these characters from their previous adventures, you'll be even more deeply engaged in this great story.

12. Star of Danger (1965) was chronologically the fourth Darkover novel published, but takes place much later in the overall story. Bradley had not yet developed many of the ideas that would encompass the world of Darkover and she had not yet begun to truly tie these novels together.

Larry Montray is a Terran youth who arrives on Darkover for the first time with his father Wade. For years, Larry has dreamt of traveling to distant planets and experiencing alien cultures, but when on Darkover he is not permitted to travel outside the Terran Zone. It is only through disobeying that he is able to maintain a friendship with a young Darkovan native named Kennard Alton. Kennard is a son of the powerful Alton clan on Darkover, a clan which holds much authority on the planet. He is invited by the Altons to spend several months with the family at their countryside estate. This is a huge opportunity for Terran Intelligence as the ruling class of Darkover is very restrictive regarding who is permitted to roam freely outside the Terran Zone. This is nearly unprecedented access. But to Larry, it is simply the fulfillment of a dream and a chance to spend time with a friend. It is also the beginning of an adventure that risks the lives of both Larry and Kennard, as well as the still tenuous relationship between Darkover and Terra. Bradley uses this novel, as she does with most of the Darkover series, to explore a culture clash.  A relatively short novel, coming in at just over 200 pages, but packed with action and adventure.  Most of the Darkover novels can stand alone, and this one certainly does, so it may be a good entrance point into the world of Darkover. (Joe Sherry - Amazon)

13. The Winds of Darkover (1970) A Terran stationed on this primitive planet finds himself in service to one of the great lords of the Comyn, Valdir Alton. The contact between this Terran and another, Larry Montray (the foster-son of Valdir, due to events related in Star of Danger) is used typically by MZB as a platform from which to demonstrate Darkovan culture and explore the effects of culture shock - this technique of immersing a Terran in Darkovan nobility..  It is a must read for devotees of the series but definitely not one to start on if unfamiliar with the series.  Those more aware of the series will enjoy the brief contact with Larry Montray, destined to become uncle to Lew Alton, one of the most poignant and troubled characters of the whole series.  Perhaps the most interesting part of the novel for devotees though is the taboo broken by the Storn scion in order to obtain help from the Terran: he telepathically 'overshadows' him and takes control of his mind and body. This makes for interesting ramifications for all characters in the novel, and interesting explorations of conscience. The other bonus for those familiar with the series is the only excursion to the Dry Towns.

14. The Bloody Sun (1964) is the first of the Darkover novels set in "The Second Age" of the Terran/Darkovan contact. The Terran Empire has rediscovered its lost colony and has set up a spaceport on Darkover. But contact between Terra and Darkover is still tenuous at best. The "Comyn" rulers of Darkover are keeping Darkover out of the Empire and are keeping the Terrans restricted to "Terran Zones". In the decades since making contact, nothing has changed. With individuals, there has been communication and interaction between natives of Darkover and Terrans, but this has always been on a person by person basis and not any sort of policy. Some on Darkover, however, are pressing their lords to allow more interaction from the Terrans and to join the Empire so Darkover can move out of the "Dark Ages".

Jeff Kerwin was raised on Darkover in the Spaceport Orphanage. All that he knew was that his father was Jeff Kerwin, Sr, a Terran citizen.  Because of his actions outside of the Terran Zone, the Terran authorities intend on deporting Jeff offworld. Instead Jeff follows a voice inside his head and joins up with the Tower of Arilinn, where the major telepathic work on Darkover is done. He finds a sense of home at Arilinn and also learns that he will play a major role in shaping the future of Darkover. This is the first time that the reader has had the opportunity to see the inner workings of a Tower on Darkover. Finally we get to see what it is that the Tower Technicians do and what matrix work is. One of the better Darkover novels and one which is as good a starting place as any for the series. It is a standalone novel, but ties into the novels earlier in the chronology and is the starting point for the "Second Age" of the Darkover/Terran era. (Joe Sherry - Amazon)

15. The Heritage of Hastur (1975) In previous works, Darkover as a world was much more compelling than any of its inhabitants, whose personalities melted into sameness. Dialogue tended to be stiff, the narrative erratic. Yet, this fictional planet, with its Darkovan and Terran populace in constant friction, surrounded by the planet's native inhabitants who are at turns beautiful and deadly -- what rich material to mine! With The Heritage of Hastur, Bradley has produced a tale with believably motivated -- and believable -- characters. The complex plot involves two young men who question the society from which they come and to which they feel indebted. Each considers casting off his destiny among the highest caste of Darkover, and each must struggle with demons within and without before finding his path. Lew and Regis have appeared in other Darkover novels, both as older and younger characters, but here we get to the heart of their transition into adulthood and their profound effect on Darkovan society.

16. The Planet Savers (1958)  is a short and very early (in order of writing) novel which takes place in the young manhood of Regis (Danilo, alas, is nowhere to be found). Central character is Jay-Jason Allison, a Terran doctor whose repressed "other" personality is released so that he can go among the Trailmen, who brought him up, and find a cure for the disease afflicting Darkover. He eventually manages to integrate the two sides of his personality, and acknowledge his love for Kyla, the Free Amazon guide. A brief and chilling short story about a sadistic young maiden in olden times ("The Waterfall") interposes between the novels.

17. Sharra's Exile (1981) This Darkover novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley begins a couple of years after the events of The Heritage of Hastur. Lew Alton, now somewhat disfigured because of his use of the Sharra Matrix (a focus for incredible and ancient power and has been used as a nearly uncontrollable weapon in the past), is recovering offworld with his father and is a bitter young man. Everything that he cared about was taken from him, including his wife and unborn child, and he is partially responsible for the destruction of a city by the Sharra Matrix.  Sharra's Exile covers several years that Lew spent off world and then covers the events that follows his return to Darkover carrying the forbidden Matrix.

Sharra's Exile is a complete rewrite of one of Bradley's earliest novels The Sword of Aldones. (Joe Sherry - Amazon)

18. The World Wreckers (1971) Although this is not the best Darkover novel written, it contains a conflict we all knew had to happen.  Planetary Investments Unlimited - unofficially known as Worldwreckers, Inc.. for a fee, will infiltrate any world unwilling to give up its independence, and do enough damage so the natives would be forced to allow investors to step in and salvage their planet. And now, once again, its agents were at work.

In the 78 years since Cottman IV, called Darkover by its natives, was rediscovered by the Terran Empire, all efforts to colonize and industrialize this exotic world had failed.  And the person in charge of "Worldwreckers, Inc.", a centuries-old being who appears to be a woman, has decided to take on this particular assignment herself. After all, she has special insight into this world, for long ago--lifetimes ago--she had called Darkover home...

19. Exile's Song (1996) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes) After the Sharra Rebellion cost him a hand and the trust of many of the ruling people of Darkover, Lew Alton left his home planet behind.  His return to Darkover, and the other events that take place in Sharra’s Exile, eventually lead Lew to being appointed to the Terran Imperial Senate as his planet’s representative, leaving Darkover behind yet again… this time with his wife Dio and the young daughter he’s only just begun to know.

Exile’s Song begins with Margaret Alton’s return to Darkover.  After the sudden death of her mentor, Margaret Alton find herself embroiled in a web of intrigue and local politic, inheritance and latent psychic abilities that could not only change her entire future, it might also cost her her life!

Exile’s Song is a fascinating look at the culture of Darkover from someone belongs to the world but is able to see it from an outsider’s point of view. Exile’s Song was written a full 15 years after Sharra’s Exile and marks Bradley’s epic return to the beloved world that she created.  It sets in motion characters and events that will spread over several other books (one of which was finished posthumously by Deborah J. Ross) that form the closing chapters in the official Darkover timeline. (The Book Hoarding Dragon)

20. The Shadow Matrix (1997) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes) continues the adventures of Lew Alton’s headstrong daughter and her efforts to find her place in Darkovan society.  Her Federation education and independence had already caused some conservative members of the Comyn council to regard her with distrust, but the fact that she and the Heir to Regis Hastur have fallen in love makes them a very powerful and politically dangerous combination to boot.  Margaret is sent off to learn how to control her powers and Mikhail Lanart-Hastur is sent to examine the unstable, unpredictable offspring of the traditional ruling family.  Both of them end up embroiled in an adventure that will not only change their lives, but potentially change the balance of Power on Darkover forever. Will this put Darkover on an even footing with the Terran Empire?  Will they ever be able to be together or will the other powerful families of Darkover keep them apart?

The Shadow Matrix was published a year after Exile’s Song  and a year before Traitor’s Sun.  I suspect that Bradley wrote these in sequence in the gap of time between Sharra’s Exile and Exile’s Song (along with her other novels and the huge amount of editing that she did for anthologies etc.) but that these books became a priority for her as her health began to decline.  There is a sense of determination in the books that seep through the main characters as they try to find the best destiny for their planet.

Regardless of how or why these last novels about Darkover came about, they are perhaps the best examples of her maturity as a writer, her talent as a storyteller and her unique ability to weave in detail  and depth without weighing a book down.  I had forgotten just how wonderful these last great books were until I devoured them again in sequence, savouring over 2,000 pages in less than 5 days during a very hectic week. (The Book Hoarding Dragon)

21. Traitor's Sun (1999) (with Adrienne Martine-Barnes)  picks up the story of Marguerida Alton and her husband, Mikhail some fifteen years after the adventures chronicled in  Exile’s Song.  Their life appears to be more settled now that they have children and a life as seconds-in-command to the aging Regis Hastur, but things in the Terran Federation are crumbling from within. Darkover may soon have to protect itself from desperate and ambitious Federation employees loyal to the powers off world rather than the planet they are stationed on.  When the legendary Regent, Regis, dies amid this chaos, it provides the perfect opportunity for some to ignore the rules that they have always followed.  Will Margeurida and Mikhail be able to save their planet with only their telepathic Laran powers? These last Darkover novels remain some of the best examples of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s writing talents.  Traitor’s Sun not only showcases the fullness of her storytelling abilities, it allows the saga of a much beloved world finally come into its own. (The Book Hoarding Dragon)

In 1990, DAW books published Domains of Darkover, an anthology  set in Bradley's world of Darkover. Bradley stated that the only short stories that she considered part of the official Darkover canon, were those by herself, Diana L. Paxson and Elizabeth Waters, and a single story by Patricia Floss, "The Other Side of the Mirror". All of the other short stories published either in the anthologies or in fanzines she considered unofficial.

Other Novels

Web of Light (1983) 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 froma magical art. They meet Micon, a man from Atlantis who is tortured by dark and evil men. He was almost killed but survive with consequences such as loosing his vision. He falls in love to Domaris and they decide to have a baby to keep Micon's power far from the evil men. By the other side Deoris meets Riveda, a strange man, who leads the Grey Tunics. Behind these people are the Black Tunics, the evil men who trapped Micon and tortured him, and looks forward his power.

Web of Darkness (1983) This novel picks up where Web of Light ended, following the lives of the two sisters Domaris and Deoris as they are initiated into the Temple of Light in "The Ancient Land". Both become involved in dysfunctional relationships with fellow Adepts, with disastrous results. Domaris, the older and supposedly wiser sister, fulfills her duty to the temple and marries Arvath, the husband chosen for her when they were children. He cannot replace her dead Atlantean lover, Micon, in her heart, so she engages in a series of passive-aggressive behaviors which eventually ruin the marriage. Deoris, the younger and more emotionally stunted sister, becomes involved with her mentor, the gray-robe priest Riveda, and he uses her adoration to coerce her into a series of ever more degrading and evil practices. Eventually, Riveda uses Deoris to perform a rite so profane that it has far-reaching and deadly consequences. (Because of this rite, a vibration is set off within the Earth which cannot be stopped and will lead to the destruction of Atlantis ten years in the future.) Although this book is better than its predecessor, I doubt if it would be of interest to anyone who is not already a fan of THE MISTS OF AVALON series. The author never fully explains all the caste and religious restrictions of the Temple society, so much of the plot is confusing. I also found it very odd that the pace and tone of the book changed so abruptly on page 243 - for the remaining 60 pages, every chapter read like an epilogue. It could have almost been done by a different author. (Melissa MaCauley- Amazon)

Falcons of Narabedla (1957) Mike Kenscott is an electrical engineer in real life on earth, but a series of inexplicable electrical occurrences cause him to lose his job and end up in a different body on another world, complete with Rainbow Cities, twin suns, man-eating flowers, human-like falcons and naturally some dark deeds done regularly. Our hero's main trouble is the memory loss connected with the body switch. After dealing with being in Narabedla against his will, he recognizes his responsibility to help the good guys, assumes the role of Adric, Lord of the Crimson Tower and gets down to sorting out the place. The story is quite hard to follow, the battles are standard fantasy fare, but as usual with MZB, it is the characters who got hold of me and kept me reeling through the tale feeling about as amnesiac as Mike/Adric. (Goodreads)

The Door Through Space (1961)  is a fun, quick read that likens back to the days of scifi/adventure pulp stories but with a little more thought and oomph put into the characters and details. This novella is set on the planet Wolf, in which a variety of species of life coexist without full on civil war having broken out... yet. It's interesting how they all view each other: you have the Terrans (Earthman), then there are the half-human natives, chaks (dwarves) and then the non-humans which were like snake/insect/other. What was interesting to note was that 'human' didn't denote people from earth. I believe it merely meant 'humanoid' in outward appearance as the majority of the native species (other than the non-humans) were called half-humans but from the gist of the background information cross species mating and reproduction wasn't happening a lot there as the majority of the natives hated the Terrans.  It's a planetary adventure with a terran/earthman on a foreign planet out in the galaxy who must traverse the alien landscape on a mission. There are beautiful, exotic alien women; there are dangers around every corner; there is civil unrest; and there is a hero that must use this mission as a means to solving his own inner conflict/demons to come to a happy ending at the end.

The House Between the Worlds (1980) An imaginitive story, this tale questions reality as we know it. As Fenton uses an experimental drug for a psychology study, he finds himself leaving his body to enter another world. But is it real, or is this drug causing him to lose his mind? Detailed arguments about the nature of reality are expressed in this book. The author has certainly done her research in the field of parapsychology, and combines this modern study with her extensive knowledge of celtic mythology. The plot is captivating and the details are rich, but characters can sometimes be shallow and predictable. Overall, a worthy read for any fantasy lover

Night's Daughter (1985) based on Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. The novel begins with an excessively long backstory explaining the world Bradley created to retell the story of The Magic Flute, a fantasy/sci-fi world populated by human/animal hybrids.

This idea actually makes sense, considering the stage directions' description of Papageno as a bird-man. However, the backstory that Bradley offers is awkward, clunky, and separated into an introduction rather than integrated into the story. Furthermore, Bradley latches onto the insipid idea that Sarastro is Pamina's father - an interpretation which makes little sense in the original opera, especially when one reads the Queen of the Night's frequently cut dialogue, but even less sense in Bradley's world, where the divide between good and evil is far clearer. There are further internal inconsistencies. Tamino's test, he believes, is to learn to treat the human/animal hybrids with respect, but this ideal is left unfulfilled by both the characters and the author. Papageno's story, and his love for Papagena, are all but ignored to focus on Tamino's tests, and the standard for treating the hybrids with "respect" is nothing like treating them as equals, merely a progression from regarding them as animals to regarding them as slightly retarded children.  The treatment of the story's women was especially disappointing considering Bradley's other works such as The Mists of Avalon, which considered the points of view of female characters who had been suppressed by men. In Night's Daughter there is no sympathy for the Queen of the Night. In the opera she can easily be read as a victim of male dominance and Sarastro's manipulation, as she tells Pamina that her late husband stole a sacred object from her and gave it to Sarastro, telling her that women were too weak to understand it. In Night's Daughter, however, she sacrifices hybrids (the true mark of evil in a world where the hero must learn "respect" for them) and corrupts Sarastro's temple. Pamina, who could be an interesting and independent character in her own right, constantly plays second fiddle to Tamino. Even the three ladies, to whom Bradley gives names, are hardly developed as individual characters. Bradley's take on Monostatos was unique and interesting, a definite bright spot in the novel; but it was really too little, too late. In fact, Bradley's interpretation altogether was interesting and unique, but too much of it was inconsistent with itself or the opera for me to enjoy the novel. Bradley fans may find Night's Daughter worth reading, but fans of The Magic Flute should do themselves a favor and listen to the opera instead. (Amelia Hill, Yahoo)

Warrior Woman (1987) This is not a typical Marion Zimmer Bradley novel. This book is the result of a bet between Marion and Don Wollheim, her editor for the Darkover novels at DAW Books. In addition, it's her response to the Gor novels - where men were men and women were slaves - that were also being published by DAW Books. Yes, this book does start out with a heroine who has been captured and is being sold as a slave, who has amnesia and remembers nothing of her life before the trip across the desert with the slavers - and, due to a head injury, remembers mercifully little of that. But she does know that she would rather fight in the arena than be a harlot for the men who do, and that choice changes the rest of the book. In a Gor-style novel the woman would become less her own person, eventually learning to be a contented and obedient slave. In this book, even while the heroine, called Zadieyek of Gyre, remains a slave, she is something quite different from the typical 'slave girl' - she grows and develops, always searching for her memory and her past, convinced that this is not how her life is supposed to be. And, of course, she's right.

The Firebrand (1987) Marion Zimmer Bradley takes on the Iliad of Homer. The story is told mostly from the point of view of Kassandra, prophetess of Troy and sister to Paris, son of Priam who spirited Helen away from Sparta and became the catalyst for the 10-year-long Trojan War. Many wonderful details make the characters, like the Amazons or the Kentaurs, amazingly human and real. Ms. Bradley has an enviable gift that makes her readers care about each and every one of her characters. At the center of the story lies a conflict, embodied in Kassandra herself, between the Earth Goddess and the newer Greek gods, like Apollo and Athena. As in the Iliad, the gods seem to meddle in everything, fathering children or bringing down plagues. Kassandra is a strong, consistent character, struggling with her vows of chastity to the free-worker Apollo and the Sight given to her by the Earth Goddess. For angering Apollo, Kassandra is cursed with seeing terrible things and having no one believe her. Helen, the wife Paris stole from the Spartan king Menaleus(sp?), is also well-developed as a character. She does, however, remind me strikingly of Gwenhyfar from The Mists of Avalon. Besides having the face that launched a thousand ships, Helen has the sort of strength that inspires admiration even in the unwilling. She, too, like Kassandra, is a pawn of the gods. Other strong women, like the Amazon Queen and Andromache, prove that the war was not fought by the soldiers alone. Surprisingly scary, Akhilles(spelled scarily, too!) along with Agamemnon are Troy's, and Kassandra's, greatest enemies. Aeneas, the future founder of Rome,is a rather unlikely, but extremely likable, romantic hero. Pretty much the only nice man in the book...where Kassandra is concerned, anyway! I will say that the plot really seemed to fragment toward the end. I liked the writing, but I felt that the storyline lacked the strength of the previous parts of the book. There are, however, a few delectable and - for readers familiar with the Iliad and the Odyssey - unexpected surprises in store. As a sort of halting scholar of the Ancient Greek language wrestling with my first attempts at translating Homer, The Firebrand provided me with inspiration and gave me a more personal attachment to the characters, for which I am extremely grateful. It's obvious to me that Ms. Bradley is an extremely well-researched writer, who has a wonderful creative vision that makes the Iliad her own, while at the same time it remains the same wonderful story. Anyone who likes these sort of legend retellings should read this book! And then recommend it to a friend!

Black Trillium (1990) (with Julian May and Andre Norton) The trio if authors Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, and Andre Norton have created a world so enchanting that I had to read non-stop from beginning to end. Action began from the first page as the triplet sisters are forced to split up and embark on their own journeys, and conquer themselves. The story is fun and full of mystery surrounding the ancient citizens of the planet, the vanished ones. Black Trillium has all the elements that make an excellent story. The only problem that I had with it is that the ending seemed to be a little slapped together because it was so short.This is when all three sisters confront The bad guy, Orogastus, together for the first time. About two short chapters later, the story ends. This doesn't create any loose ends, but it does take some of the momentum that the story had built up.

Lady of the Trillium (1995) (with Elisabeth Waters (initially uncredited)) Haramis is now faced with the rebellious Mikayla and her unwillingness to separate from a friend. Haramis means for Mikayla to be the next Archimage, but the princess has a mind of her own. Against the wishes of Haramis, she continues to have contact with her childhood friend. With the help of her friend she learns her lessons from the Archimage, but some of the results of that contact are very unexpected and at times amusing.

Tiger Burning Bright (1995) (with Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton) Three fantasy giants--the "others" are Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey--join forces to produce this tale of three women who rule a city. A priestess grandmother, a reigning queen mother, and a warrior princess daughter must use all their skill and strength in both open and secret battle to defeat an evil emperor and his truly odious, not to mention potent, sorcerous henchman. None of the troika has ever told a bad story on her own, and they do not when collaborating. The only possible caveats are that the three writers blend so well that this is not the book to start an acquaintance with any one of them individually and that the plot is so stock that some may find it lacking in interest. Interest will not, however, be lacking in any book with these three mighty fantasists' names on the cover.

The Gratitude of Kings (1997) (with Elisabeth Waters) This charming little volume offers up a story of magic and salamanders. It is a fairy tale without the strong moral meaning but with all the other necessary elements -- a royal wedding, a beautiful princess, magicians, an old woman with ill intentions, magical creatures and secrets. Lythande, a lute-playing magician, is invited to the long-overdue wedding of an old friend, Prince Tashgan. But Lythande discovers more than just a few things amiss at the happy affair -- including the scent of hidden magics about the mysterious Queen-to-be, Princess Velvet, and traces of a powerful shape-shifter in the royal court. As the wedding day rapidly approaches, the magician begins a delicate and dangerous investigation -- one made all the more difficult by Lythande's own precious secret: to protect the source of her magical abilities, she has spent centuries masquerading as a man.

The tale is deftly told, though somewhat stilted in a few places. It reads as if it is but one story out of the life and adventures of the magician Lythande, the main character. Tidbits of details without complete explanations give the characters a bit more depth and indicate a past history which makes this short work feel like a chapter out of a much longer work. Yet the story also somehow feels complete. The main characters are engaging (though I had to keep from rolling my eyes at the Princess Velvet's name). The plot, though by nature somewhat predictable, maintains the reader's interest by its sense of humour and through the use of clever details, like the salamanders madly rushing about scaring people. Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable journey. I wouldn't be at all surprised or disappointed to see these characters reappear soon as part of a full-length work. (Margo MacDonald, SF Site)