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Lord Prestimion #1
König der Erinnerungen
The fifth novel in the Majipoor Cycle. The aged Pontifex Prankipin is near death and the Coronal Lord Confalume will now succeed as Pontifex. It is no secret that the next Coronal should be Prince Prestimion of Muldemar. But Korsibar has a new quarry - the Starburst Crown.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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About the author
Robert Silverberg
2,328 books1,624 followersThere are many authors in the database with this name.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 24, 2019
וידוי, אני שפוטה של סילברברג. אני חושבת שהוא כותב גאוני ומצליח ללכוד את הקורא "המסכן" בקורי העכביש של הסיפור בלי יכולת לעזוב. הספר הזה לא שונה בטיבו והוא יצירת מופת (לטעמי). הוא למעשה החלק החמישי מתוך סדרה, אבל ניתן לקרוא אותו בפני עצמו (חלק מהגדולה של סילברברג) מבלי להרגיש בפערים במידע. יסלחו לי אלה מבינכם אשר לא סובלים ספויילרים, ויפסיקו לקרוא כאן. הסאגה מתחילה בתיאור ההכנות להלוויתו ולהעברת השלטון מידו של השליט העליון בעולם מאגיפור. מאגיפור הוא עולם בן עשרות אלפי שנים, בו לא התחוללה מלחמה מזה אלפי שנים. העולם הזה מאכלס צורות חיים שונות ומגוונות זו ליד זו. במאות השנים האחרונות תפסו המאגים והקוסמים מקום נכבד בהנהלות העולם ואומנותם מגיעה לשיאה בתקופה של הספר. עם מותו של השליט, פורצת מלחמת ירושה על השילטון בגלל הפרת סדרי בראשית הנוגעים לחוקי הירושה הנהוגים בעולם ועם חמיסת הכתר ע"י קורסיבר, אחד מנסיכי המצודה. דבר זה , שלא קרה אף פעם בהיסטוריה של מאגיפור , מערער לא רק את היציבות השילטונית אלא גם את סידרי החיים המבוססים על האמונה בכוחה העליון של המסורת. הספר הוא למעשה חמישה ספרים כשכל ספר מוקדש לשלב במלחמה הקודרת. החלק הראשון הוא הקשה ביותר מבחינת הקורא מאחר ששם סילברברג טווה את הרשת החברתית ומתאר את חייהן ואת תכונותיהן של הדמויות המרכזיות במשחק. למעשה הספר הראשון כל כך מהותי, שבלעדי העבודה המדוקדקת שעושה שם סילברברג, אני מאמינה שההנאה תהיה רק חלקית. אני מזהירה, החלק הראשון לעיתים נראה עמוס פרטים שניתן לדלג עליהם, אבל לא, אל תתפתו כי לכל פיסת מידע יש מקום בתצריף הנהדר הזה. בהמשך כל דמות מקבלת עומק שמאפשר התבוננות לנבכי נשמתה ומחשבותיה. כל מערכת יחסים מתפתחת וממוצבת בתוך הרשת, בה לכל פרט יש משקל. הספר מרתק, הוא מתאר בריתות, בגידות, אהבות, שנאות בעולם עצום וכביר בעל תכונות מופלאות. קראתי בשקיקה ואין לי סבלנות להתחיל את הספרים הבאים בתור, "פרסטמיון השליט" ו"שליט החלומות".
September 11, 2010
I did not enjoy this one as much as the others I have read in this series. For me this was a pretty basic storyline that was drawn out for way to long. Lot's and lots of weird character and place names, that were minor to the plot and became pretty confusing in places. An index of names would have helped a lot I think. There were some very nice maps in the front of the book, however, most of these were not relevant to the story. Only a few places mentioned in the book were actually on the maps.
Things did not really get going until the later third or quarter of the book, and even then it was a bit predictable. A couple of little surprises at the very end though.
Things did not really get going until the later third or quarter of the book, and even then it was a bit predictable. A couple of little surprises at the very end though.
April 28, 2014
Gave up on this book at page 168. I've never read any of the Majipoor books, but I'm with a lot of the others here: boring. Here I am, nearly half-way through the book and the most exciting thing so far happened chapters ago, in a rather jarring way. At this point, it's just droning on about two men's very long journeys (Majipoor is a huge planet compared to Earth) on the way to a particular castle. My only hope is that, someday, I'll try the later (chronologically, in terms of story) books and find out why they've been counted among some of the greats in SF literature. This one is not it.
September 25, 2020
Ths book in the Majipoor series of Robert Silverberg doesn't hold a candle to the original tale (Lord Valentine's castle). The descriptions, characterisations and so forth make this novel feel more like a fantasy versus the (soft) science fiction of Lord Valentine's Castle. It simply doesn't work, the characters are generally unlikable or non-entities the plot is turgid and dull. I assume Robert wrote it to make money. Simply not worth reading.
May 20, 2009
Sorcerers of Majipoor takes place one thousand years before the start of Lord Valentine's Castle. The traditional passage from Coronal to Pontifax and the choosing of a new Coronal will be challenged when the blood heir of the soon to be Pontifax desires the throne. Though there is no written law against a blood succession it just isn't done. Until now.
What Works:
Majipoor is still an interesting, diverse and complex world. Silverberg has thought about how the country works from the ground up. For my inner political junkie I love to see the scheming and backstabbing. The world is well realized from architecture, geography, entertainment, different cultures, arts and so forth.
What Doesn't:
The plot progression in Sorcerers of Majipoor goes on a geologic scale. I can't complain that the book is "too long" because it's not much longer than any of Silverberg's other books (which I have enjoyed). The problem here is the minutiae. Before anything can happen the current Pontifax has to die except he doesn't, not for first two hundred pages. That's amazing for a man apparently at death's door. It doesn't get any better once he does die because there is the long journey back to Castlemount.
In other words, the very thing I normally adore about Silverberg's writing gets in the way: his world building. The novel is so hung up on the details that there's very little room for the characters to maneuver. Even they seem restless and bored! There are two more novels in the Lord Prestimion (who I keep wanting to call Lord Persimmon) series that I am deciding to skip.
What Works:
Majipoor is still an interesting, diverse and complex world. Silverberg has thought about how the country works from the ground up. For my inner political junkie I love to see the scheming and backstabbing. The world is well realized from architecture, geography, entertainment, different cultures, arts and so forth.
What Doesn't:
The plot progression in Sorcerers of Majipoor goes on a geologic scale. I can't complain that the book is "too long" because it's not much longer than any of Silverberg's other books (which I have enjoyed). The problem here is the minutiae. Before anything can happen the current Pontifax has to die except he doesn't, not for first two hundred pages. That's amazing for a man apparently at death's door. It doesn't get any better once he does die because there is the long journey back to Castlemount.
In other words, the very thing I normally adore about Silverberg's writing gets in the way: his world building. The novel is so hung up on the details that there's very little room for the characters to maneuver. Even they seem restless and bored! There are two more novels in the Lord Prestimion (who I keep wanting to call Lord Persimmon) series that I am deciding to skip.
April 6, 2018
Not bad, if you can get by the fact that nothing important happens in the first 388 pages. On page 389 I said out loud "Finally we are doing something."
I think I might have been spoiled by the fact that I read the Lord Valentine series first which in my opinion is the much better trilogy (so far), but when Silverberg gets going, he (kinda) gets a good story rolling.
The whole book struck me as kinda 'meh', it's predictable, Prestimion is way too nice, Korsibar is way too stupid, and most of the secondary characters are forgettable. It also doesn't help that Silverberg crowds his pages with weird people, with weird names, from places with weird names, and then never mentions them EVER AGAIN. If a person isn't important, I don't think we need their geneology back seven generations. Case in point, early on in the book he spends 16 PAGES, mentioning different cities and rituals, these don't have anything to do with the story, and 1, only 1 of the cities is mentioned at another part of the book.
Despite these gripes, there is a certain warmth that comes from returning to an old, favourite author. I did enjoy the book, (after the first 388 pages), and was happy to read it to it's conclusion. I don't know if I have it in me to read the other 2 books in the series. I'll need a couple books to wash the taste out of my mouth first.
I think I might have been spoiled by the fact that I read the Lord Valentine series first which in my opinion is the much better trilogy (so far), but when Silverberg gets going, he (kinda) gets a good story rolling.
The whole book struck me as kinda 'meh', it's predictable, Prestimion is way too nice, Korsibar is way too stupid, and most of the secondary characters are forgettable. It also doesn't help that Silverberg crowds his pages with weird people, with weird names, from places with weird names, and then never mentions them EVER AGAIN. If a person isn't important, I don't think we need their geneology back seven generations. Case in point, early on in the book he spends 16 PAGES, mentioning different cities and rituals, these don't have anything to do with the story, and 1, only 1 of the cities is mentioned at another part of the book.
Despite these gripes, there is a certain warmth that comes from returning to an old, favourite author. I did enjoy the book, (after the first 388 pages), and was happy to read it to it's conclusion. I don't know if I have it in me to read the other 2 books in the series. I'll need a couple books to wash the taste out of my mouth first.
April 2, 2019
Science Fiction series - a prequel series for the original Valentine books. The supposed natural ascension of the Coronal is messed with and Prestimion tries to retake the title. Lots of characters and lots of plot faults. Like how does a society with no experience in war discover it so quickly? How can they equip and train such huge armies with no history? Why is it only humans who can become rulers of Majipoor? All these misses make this series a little bit less enjoyable.
No Canadian or pharmacy references.
No Canadian or pharmacy references.
December 26, 2007
A largely-indifferent book capped off by one of the worst cop-out endings I've ever read.
August 19, 2007
I found this a disappointing addition to the Majipoor series. The ending was particularly unsatisfying.
March 14, 2024
I am so so disappointed in this; easily the worst Majipoor book I’ve read, which makes me sad because the first trilogy was so incredible.
Possibly this could have been more interesting if I’d read it before game of thrones. Or not. I mean there was a wrestling match that went on for six pages. That’s the type of book we have here. Boring stuff drags on way too long while the interesting bits are rushed through.
Possibly this could have been more interesting if I’d read it before game of thrones. Or not. I mean there was a wrestling match that went on for six pages. That’s the type of book we have here. Boring stuff drags on way too long while the interesting bits are rushed through.
May 19, 2019
I wish there were new Majipoor books, it's been so long...
July 11, 2025
A little slow to start. Lots of odd names and many odd names of non-human creatures, some intelligent. Yet, an interesting story with an ultimate twist.
August 31, 2016
Is it true, as is often said, that there are no new plots in literature? That every story we hear or read or imagine has appeared countless times before? Whether there is just one basic plot or seven or whatever number one can conjure up -- and the numbers do vary, despite one theory that there are only seven -- it can be argued that pretty much every narrative conforms to an ur-pattern. One might think that there is no need to create new tales when they already exist in one form or another.
Well, of course there are infinite reasons why we continue to invest in narratives, many of them explicable in psychological terms. It's maybe worth looking in detail at our need for novelty: if there are indeed no 'new' plots it's how we dress them up that creates originality, as when mannequins are arrayed in different clothes and accessories. In any given narrative it's the combination of elements, often reminiscent of other narratives, that gives it distinction, and this is certainly true for Robert Silverberg's Sorcerers of Majipoor.
So, at times we are reminded of The Three Musketeers with D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis and Porthos prefiguring the characters of Prestimion and his coterie of friends involved in court intrigue. Then there are echoes of Robin Hood's story -- his proficiency with a bow, his band of merry men, wrongs to be righted, a monarch to be reinstated. While Robin Hood is fictional, the real life Battle of Hastings furnishes another set of influences for a decisive victory, from the disastrous breaking of ranks in the English shield wall to the arrows that hail down from above. Nor must we forget the darkness at noon that Haggard made a pivotal point in King Solomon's Mines, the Delphic oracle that Croesus of Lydia relied on before attacking Persia (only to find that the 'great empire' to be destroyed was his own), the echoes of Lady Macbeth in the machinations of one character and hints of France's various éminences grises in another.
I am certain that Silverberg was being quite deliberate in his choice of these parallels from literature and history rather than any unconscious borrowing. Neither instance though detracts from the scope of his epic offering: Prestimion's attempt to regain the throne of Majipoor after Korsibar -- despite Prestimion's position as heir apparent -- blatantly usurps the title of Lord Coronal. Does Prestimion succeed despite his many setbacks? Do the outcomes pan out as the reader is led to expect they will? Will there be a happy ending, albeit at great human cost, or will this this turn out to be the tragedy we're led to expect from Greek and Renaissance drama?
What makes this title different from historical novels centred on court intrigue, conspiracies and counterplots is that it's also science fantasy. Set on the giant planet of Majipoor many millennia hence, Sorcerers of Majipoor is, as its title suggests, predicated on magic -- its existence in the face of scepticism and its dark twin superstition, its efficacy where its believers and adherents are concerned, how it differs from applied science as the latter may exist in the future. That Prestimion is sceptical where some of his companions are not is one of the drivers of the story, and here Silverberg cunningly has his cake and eats it -- as all his Majipoor novels ultimately do. Unlike many pulp novelists though his plotting is not simply about goodies versus baddies: he is interested in human psychology, how individuals might react when faced with dilemmas, how they interact with others, how decisive outcomes can rest on whims as much as on careful pre-planning.
Be advised though: this is no great literature. For all its Machiavellian and Shakespearean aspects this remains clever escapist storytelling. Its often slow plotting suits its epic pretensions but occasionally strain credulity; dramatic situations, despite their surprises, too often seem to plod under the enormity of their serious intent; and a clumsy deus ex machina is introduced at the end so as to maintain continuity with later events described in earlier novels. But, as with the best pulp novels, the final judgment must lie with how well the reader's attention is engaged. That was certainly the case with this particular reader.
http://wp.me/p2oNj1-1Sb
Well, of course there are infinite reasons why we continue to invest in narratives, many of them explicable in psychological terms. It's maybe worth looking in detail at our need for novelty: if there are indeed no 'new' plots it's how we dress them up that creates originality, as when mannequins are arrayed in different clothes and accessories. In any given narrative it's the combination of elements, often reminiscent of other narratives, that gives it distinction, and this is certainly true for Robert Silverberg's Sorcerers of Majipoor.
So, at times we are reminded of The Three Musketeers with D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis and Porthos prefiguring the characters of Prestimion and his coterie of friends involved in court intrigue. Then there are echoes of Robin Hood's story -- his proficiency with a bow, his band of merry men, wrongs to be righted, a monarch to be reinstated. While Robin Hood is fictional, the real life Battle of Hastings furnishes another set of influences for a decisive victory, from the disastrous breaking of ranks in the English shield wall to the arrows that hail down from above. Nor must we forget the darkness at noon that Haggard made a pivotal point in King Solomon's Mines, the Delphic oracle that Croesus of Lydia relied on before attacking Persia (only to find that the 'great empire' to be destroyed was his own), the echoes of Lady Macbeth in the machinations of one character and hints of France's various éminences grises in another.
I am certain that Silverberg was being quite deliberate in his choice of these parallels from literature and history rather than any unconscious borrowing. Neither instance though detracts from the scope of his epic offering: Prestimion's attempt to regain the throne of Majipoor after Korsibar -- despite Prestimion's position as heir apparent -- blatantly usurps the title of Lord Coronal. Does Prestimion succeed despite his many setbacks? Do the outcomes pan out as the reader is led to expect they will? Will there be a happy ending, albeit at great human cost, or will this this turn out to be the tragedy we're led to expect from Greek and Renaissance drama?
What makes this title different from historical novels centred on court intrigue, conspiracies and counterplots is that it's also science fantasy. Set on the giant planet of Majipoor many millennia hence, Sorcerers of Majipoor is, as its title suggests, predicated on magic -- its existence in the face of scepticism and its dark twin superstition, its efficacy where its believers and adherents are concerned, how it differs from applied science as the latter may exist in the future. That Prestimion is sceptical where some of his companions are not is one of the drivers of the story, and here Silverberg cunningly has his cake and eats it -- as all his Majipoor novels ultimately do. Unlike many pulp novelists though his plotting is not simply about goodies versus baddies: he is interested in human psychology, how individuals might react when faced with dilemmas, how they interact with others, how decisive outcomes can rest on whims as much as on careful pre-planning.
Be advised though: this is no great literature. For all its Machiavellian and Shakespearean aspects this remains clever escapist storytelling. Its often slow plotting suits its epic pretensions but occasionally strain credulity; dramatic situations, despite their surprises, too often seem to plod under the enormity of their serious intent; and a clumsy deus ex machina is introduced at the end so as to maintain continuity with later events described in earlier novels. But, as with the best pulp novels, the final judgment must lie with how well the reader's attention is engaged. That was certainly the case with this particular reader.
http://wp.me/p2oNj1-1Sb
September 28, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up as I do like Silverberg's Majipoor world.
Another epic fantasy, etc.
Another epic fantasy, etc.
December 31, 2016
This is the Tale of the coming to power of the Coronal Lord Prestimion. Its really got the flavor of an epic saga, the way the book progresses through time and events. It's got friends, enemies, lust, idealism, betrayal, sorcery, defeat, triumph, and war. There is really very little that this book lacked. The characters are bad-ass (good and bad) and the plot is interesting. Very few parts of the book dragged out too long and the story progressed very quickly, keeping the reader interested, throughout the entire book (and its a long book). I strongly reccomend this book to anyone and can't wait to read Lord Prestimion, the next in the series.
December 27, 2023
I have been a Silverberg fan for many years from the original "Lord Valentine's Castle", and have read all the books up to this point ... more than once. This one is a disappointment. The story is somewhat mundane, but gets better towards the end. The thing that really, really bothered me was the lack periods at the end of sentences ... throughout the book! The 'proofreading', if there was one, was obviously left up to the computer's auto-correct system. It was impossible to read without constantly stopping to figure out WTF was going on.
December 14, 2025
This is sort of a classic fantasy series, but set on an alien world filled with lots of different and original species. It reads almost like a space opera, and there are certainly a lot of sci-fi elements in it, as well as magic. It is a lot of fun, with lots of quirky and well written characters, and the plot is very suspenseful. The whole series is very unique, and very well worth a read.
Read
January 9, 2010ereader ebook
Read
March 12, 2010Badly needs an editor. I'm beginning to wonder if the first books in this series were as good as I remember?
Read
November 29, 2012False
August 30, 2013
This book is sooo boring, I started it over a year ago and have not been able to finish it. maybe someday!
July 23, 2016
Never underestimate the damage that can be done by a furious woman.
Want to read
January 31, 2016IL: UG - BL: 7.8 - AR Pts: 34.0
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews