Some Thoughts on Jewels of Darkover, edited by Deborah Ross
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Jewels of Darkover by Deborah J. Ross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The title of the latest Darkover anthology, Jewels of Darkover, is aptly fitting. One opens up this collection of short stories, all inspired by the Darkover series, one does find a box of jewels. Inside of course, are the blue matrices, or starstones that helps those gifted with laran to use their powers. Readers will find other gems inside: some golden and dark, others small and rare, some set in necklaces, others, the colors of flames. Readers will find treasures.
The range of the stories here is remarkable. For example,"Golden Eyes" is set about a hundred years after the first humans come to the planet. The protagonist of "Little Mouse" is a young blind woman who borrows the eyes of mice. Other protagonists include woman of the Sisterhood of the Sword, a man and a woman, strangers to each other, marrying to preserve their families. One story is told by a woman of a certain age. And not all protagonists are human.
Somewhat at random, I wanted to go into more detail about two stories in this rich jewel box. I hav easily selected two different ones. "Pebbles," by Rhondi Salsitz, introduces Paulin, a twelve-year-old poor boy, an orphan, and a double minority on Darkover: brown-skinned, and the grandson of a Terran. His one friend, Tyrmera, is a Traveler, another outsider on Darkover. But Paulin, is Comyn, and gifted with laran. His gift is the ability to hear voices from the future, a rare gift, if not a unique on, and thus the Comyn want him as one of theirs. But what does Paulin want? And others--do they want him, or what he represents? Can this boy and his friend, both outsiders, find a place on Darkover? "Berry-Thorn," Berry-Thorn, by Leslie Fish, has a nonhuman protagonist, Toshmi, a Kyrri, and like Paulin and Tyrmera, another outsider. Something is happening. Toshmi leads other Kyrri to find out what's going on, and, if necessary to stop this "great work." But what is at stake, for Toshmi, for the kyrri, for Darkover itself?
Darkover fans, take note. Jewels await you.
And other note: sadly, this is the 20th, and apparently the last, Darkover anthology. There will be other Darkover novels, Arilinn, by Debrah Ross is forthcoming. But such tales, from the many writers who find inspiration under the red sun, alas, no.
View all my reviews
Jewels of Darkover by Deborah J. RossMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The title of the latest Darkover anthology, Jewels of Darkover, is aptly fitting. One opens up this collection of short stories, all inspired by the Darkover series, one does find a box of jewels. Inside of course, are the blue matrices, or starstones that helps those gifted with laran to use their powers. Readers will find other gems inside: some golden and dark, others small and rare, some set in necklaces, others, the colors of flames. Readers will find treasures.
The range of the stories here is remarkable. For example,"Golden Eyes" is set about a hundred years after the first humans come to the planet. The protagonist of "Little Mouse" is a young blind woman who borrows the eyes of mice. Other protagonists include woman of the Sisterhood of the Sword, a man and a woman, strangers to each other, marrying to preserve their families. One story is told by a woman of a certain age. And not all protagonists are human.
Somewhat at random, I wanted to go into more detail about two stories in this rich jewel box. I hav easily selected two different ones. "Pebbles," by Rhondi Salsitz, introduces Paulin, a twelve-year-old poor boy, an orphan, and a double minority on Darkover: brown-skinned, and the grandson of a Terran. His one friend, Tyrmera, is a Traveler, another outsider on Darkover. But Paulin, is Comyn, and gifted with laran. His gift is the ability to hear voices from the future, a rare gift, if not a unique on, and thus the Comyn want him as one of theirs. But what does Paulin want? And others--do they want him, or what he represents? Can this boy and his friend, both outsiders, find a place on Darkover? "Berry-Thorn," Berry-Thorn, by Leslie Fish, has a nonhuman protagonist, Toshmi, a Kyrri, and like Paulin and Tyrmera, another outsider. Something is happening. Toshmi leads other Kyrri to find out what's going on, and, if necessary to stop this "great work." But what is at stake, for Toshmi, for the kyrri, for Darkover itself?
Darkover fans, take note. Jewels await you.
And other note: sadly, this is the 20th, and apparently the last, Darkover anthology. There will be other Darkover novels, Arilinn, by Debrah Ross is forthcoming. But such tales, from the many writers who find inspiration under the red sun, alas, no.
View all my reviews
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