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Darkover (Publication Order) #24
Les héritiers d'Hammerfell
Un nouvel épisode, situé à l'âge légendaire des cent royaumes, d'une saga familiale géante qui s'étend sur des milliers d'années, à l'échelle d'une planète entière.
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
39 people are currently reading
842 people want to read
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
803 books4,905 followersMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook.
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.
Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.
Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.
Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.
For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.
Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.
Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.
Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 16, 2024
Lorsque les Storn assassinent le duc d'Hammerfell et brûlent son château au nom d'une vendetta ancestrale, les deux jumeaux héritiers, encore enfants, se retrouvent séparés et chacun pense son frère décédé : Conn est élevé dans la région d'Hammerfell par un serviteur dévoué pour lutter contre la famille Storn tandis qu'Alastair, héritier légitime, est sauvé par sa mère et prépare la vengeance familiale.
Retour dans l'univers de Ténébreuse pour un récit qui ne fut pas désagréable à suivre mais que je qualifierais cependant de relativement oubliable. Nous y suivons donc deux jumeaux séparés préparant chacun leur vengeance contre la famille rivale jusqu'à ce que le destin leur fasse prendre conscience de la survie de l'autre. Marion Zimmer Bradley nous sert alors un roman assaisonné de trop nombreux poncifs que l'on voit venir de très loin : rivalité amoureuse, rivalité pour le pouvoir... Si l'histoire se laisse agréablement suivre, elle n'arrive jamais vraiment à captiver. Bien que j'aie critiqué le tome précédent pour son intrigue qui se terminait abruptement sans réelle fin satisfaisante, force est de constater que la fin de celui-ci, bien que complète, s'avère tout aussi frustrante. L'autrice parvient en effet à résoudre un conflit familial ancestral bâti sur la mort de nombreux aïeux par la magie de l'amour et du méchant-qui-n'est-pas-si-méchant. Et tant pis si ce méchant-qui-n'est-pas-si-méchant a assassiné le père de nos héros. C'est pas si grave...
En somme, un livre très dispensable qui n'apporte aucun réel élément à l'histoire de Ténébreuse puisque se voulant plus intime. A prioriser uniquement si vous êtes fan des happy end faciles.
Retour dans l'univers de Ténébreuse pour un récit qui ne fut pas désagréable à suivre mais que je qualifierais cependant de relativement oubliable. Nous y suivons donc deux jumeaux séparés préparant chacun leur vengeance contre la famille rivale jusqu'à ce que le destin leur fasse prendre conscience de la survie de l'autre. Marion Zimmer Bradley nous sert alors un roman assaisonné de trop nombreux poncifs que l'on voit venir de très loin : rivalité amoureuse, rivalité pour le pouvoir... Si l'histoire se laisse agréablement suivre, elle n'arrive jamais vraiment à captiver. Bien que j'aie critiqué le tome précédent pour son intrigue qui se terminait abruptement sans réelle fin satisfaisante, force est de constater que la fin de celui-ci, bien que complète, s'avère tout aussi frustrante. L'autrice parvient en effet à résoudre un conflit familial ancestral bâti sur la mort de nombreux aïeux par la magie de l'amour et du méchant-qui-n'est-pas-si-méchant. Et tant pis si ce méchant-qui-n'est-pas-si-méchant a assassiné le père de nos héros. C'est pas si grave...
En somme, un livre très dispensable qui n'apporte aucun réel élément à l'histoire de Ténébreuse puisque se voulant plus intime. A prioriser uniquement si vous êtes fan des happy end faciles.
May 9, 2010
[These notes were made in 1991:]. Now perhaps it's just that I'm long past my infatuation with Darkover, but it seems to me that in this rather late offspring of the clan, Zimmer Bradley is just going through the motions. The story this time is of twins separated at birth, the elder and less worthy being the heir. Of course they grow up with different ideologies, fall in love with the same woman, and generally do the sibling rivalry thing. Alastair, the elder, finds another woman to love - namely Lenisa, heiress to the man who burned Alastair's father's castle down, etc. Their marriage settles a centuries-old feud. Conn, the younger, gets the Best Girl, Floria, who shares his telepathic gifts. And even Mom gets remarried. The whole story is taken from crucial battle to happy ending with indecent haste in about ten pages. One senses that Zimmer Bradley has distanced herself from this story, and she provides us with Gavin, half court fool, half friend of the family, and a ballad-maker, to comment on the action as suitable or not for a ballad. This kind of self-reference, casual and rather unfocused, looks to me a little like boredom with the story's concept. In any case, one never gets to know the characters terribly well. Yet Zimmer Bradley still writes a good yarn; her prose is clear and powerful, and hurried-up ending notwithstanding, she has good control over her plot. This was a nice pass-time; what I missed was the involvement in her characters, and the eroticism that came with that involvement.
May 14, 2019
It was a decent book but nothing mindblowing. For telling its story in a meaningful and compelling way, it was just too short.
The romance, the sibling rivalry and the conflict between Hammerfell and Storn (so, all the major plot drivers) just fell flat because they weren’t developed enough for me to care. And if I hadn’t read books from the series before I don’t think I would have understood the magic.
However, some smaller parts, like basically everything about Ermine and how life were Conn grew up was like, were really interesting to me. The writing was nice, too.
All in all, I did like it, however everything was built up too much for being resolved that easily. I still had some fun with it.
The romance, the sibling rivalry and the conflict between Hammerfell and Storn (so, all the major plot drivers) just fell flat because they weren’t developed enough for me to care. And if I hadn’t read books from the series before I don’t think I would have understood the magic.
However, some smaller parts, like basically everything about Ermine and how life were Conn grew up was like, were really interesting to me. The writing was nice, too.
All in all, I did like it, however everything was built up too much for being resolved that easily. I still had some fun with it.
November 27, 2016
well, at first I didn't like Alastair so much. But he grew and learned to lead. His brother Conn was more dependable but both of them were lacking. Only together they were perfect.
The ending was a bit too perfect, maybe but I'm always ready for a happy ending!
The ending was a bit too perfect, maybe but I'm always ready for a happy ending!
May 31, 2021
E' imbarazzante come a volte MZB riesca a dipingere con pochi tratti personagggi affascianti e seduttivi, a tutto tondo, con pregi e difetti ed in altri momenti riesca a raccantore storie con personaggi così scialbi e senza spessore, tagliati con l'accetta con bontà e cattiveria stereotipate ed anche un po' stupide. Una storia poco profonda e già letta che manca totalmente di tutto il mondo attorno per essere quantomeno leggibile. Bruttino.
Read
May 20, 2014Sort of a 'Corsican Brothers meets fencing off the commons' piece. The Darkovan setting is frankly superfluous. This could easily be set in any European principality during the late Middle Ages. Oh, there are specifically Darkovan details (like raising buildings using laran). But mostly it's the descriptions of Darkovan society in the years that are equivalent to Earth's medieval period that are interesting--especially when changes lead to freeholders being turned out without resources, sowing dissent. The characters involved are almost irrelevant--often I, at least, found myself looking over their shoulders at the social changes.
Garrison Kiellor once suggested establishing a network of cameras showing live shots from places like Red Square or the Potala Palace. We've established something a little like this by default. That's the sort of thing this book reminds me of.
One of the primary problems I have is the terrestrial fauna. I'll buy horses, sheep, hawks, and even dogs. It's likely that transplanted Earth-humans would feel a need for terrestrial domesticates, and would breed some during their genetic engineering periods. Some might even be escaped pets and zoo animals collected by chieri during their farfaring days. I'd even accept something serpentine--snakelike creatures are common on Earth, and may have developed on other worlds. Even amphibians. But BATS? Bats are very common placental mammals on Earth, and serve important ecological functions. But even if the original ship had been carrying frozen embryos, what would they have been carrying bats for? Insect control? Pollination? Seed dispersal? All legitimate, but the evidence is that the biologists on board were not that sophisticated. And how would they have revived and gestated the frozen embryos? Even ovulating creatures need some form of reproductive tract to form the egg into layable form.
Rereading, 2014: The melange of time-periods on Earth represented in Darkovan costume in this story is a bit disorienting. But I'd forgotten that I'd wished I had more understanding of how people in the lowlands lived during the time of the amalgamation of the Domains under the Hasturs. In this book, the Towers are not semi-monastic retreats, and telepaths and other matrix workers are fully integrated into the society. A chance to examine the lives of ordinary people and the nobles in this period is appreciated--but FAR too short.
Garrison Kiellor once suggested establishing a network of cameras showing live shots from places like Red Square or the Potala Palace. We've established something a little like this by default. That's the sort of thing this book reminds me of.
One of the primary problems I have is the terrestrial fauna. I'll buy horses, sheep, hawks, and even dogs. It's likely that transplanted Earth-humans would feel a need for terrestrial domesticates, and would breed some during their genetic engineering periods. Some might even be escaped pets and zoo animals collected by chieri during their farfaring days. I'd even accept something serpentine--snakelike creatures are common on Earth, and may have developed on other worlds. Even amphibians. But BATS? Bats are very common placental mammals on Earth, and serve important ecological functions. But even if the original ship had been carrying frozen embryos, what would they have been carrying bats for? Insect control? Pollination? Seed dispersal? All legitimate, but the evidence is that the biologists on board were not that sophisticated. And how would they have revived and gestated the frozen embryos? Even ovulating creatures need some form of reproductive tract to form the egg into layable form.
Rereading, 2014: The melange of time-periods on Earth represented in Darkovan costume in this story is a bit disorienting. But I'd forgotten that I'd wished I had more understanding of how people in the lowlands lived during the time of the amalgamation of the Domains under the Hasturs. In this book, the Towers are not semi-monastic retreats, and telepaths and other matrix workers are fully integrated into the society. A chance to examine the lives of ordinary people and the nobles in this period is appreciated--but FAR too short.
November 19, 2024
I really enjoyed this story, mainly because there was a lot less battles even though it takes place during the wars in the hundred kingdoms. Alastair and Conn are twins born to Rascard, the Duke of Hammerfell and his wife, Erminie Leynier-Tyall. But Ardrin of Storn destroys the castle of Hammerfell because of an age-old feud between the 2 houses. Erminie escapes with the twins, Conn being carried by Markos, the Paxman of Rascard, and she carrying Alastair. They get separated during the escape and each thought the other was killed in the fire.
Eriminie and Alastair end up in Thendara, she worked in the Tower. Alastair had very little laran so he just hung out with his friends. While Markos and Conn stayed in the hills, fighting against the soldiers of Storn who were throwing people out of their homes. Carrying on the feud between the 2 families. But it comes a time where Conn goes to Thendara to ask King Aiden Hastur for aid in defeating Storn. He thought he was the Duke of Hammerfell because his older twin was dead. Once everyone is united a plan is set in motion to end this feud by fighting.
Alastair goes to the Hellers to fight against Storn and ends up working the fire lines as there is a forest fire in which all help to put it out. At the end of the fire, a tree is coming down on Lenisa, the grandniece of Ardrin of Storn and Alastair saves her. He is badly burnt and taken to Storn castle to be treated. Conn is not happy about Alastair going because he is the one that lived among the Hammerfell people and thought he was the Duke.
In the end all goes well and cannot say more without spoilers.
Eriminie and Alastair end up in Thendara, she worked in the Tower. Alastair had very little laran so he just hung out with his friends. While Markos and Conn stayed in the hills, fighting against the soldiers of Storn who were throwing people out of their homes. Carrying on the feud between the 2 families. But it comes a time where Conn goes to Thendara to ask King Aiden Hastur for aid in defeating Storn. He thought he was the Duke of Hammerfell because his older twin was dead. Once everyone is united a plan is set in motion to end this feud by fighting.
Alastair goes to the Hellers to fight against Storn and ends up working the fire lines as there is a forest fire in which all help to put it out. At the end of the fire, a tree is coming down on Lenisa, the grandniece of Ardrin of Storn and Alastair saves her. He is badly burnt and taken to Storn castle to be treated. Conn is not happy about Alastair going because he is the one that lived among the Hammerfell people and thought he was the Duke.
In the end all goes well and cannot say more without spoilers.
February 7, 2018
Gli eredi di Hammerfell è uno dei capitoli della saga di Darkover. L'ordine cronologico dei volumi non corrisponde all'ordine di pubblicazione e questo è l'ultimo libro della serie scritto da Marion Zimmer Bradley in solitaria. Inizialmente il testo presenta le stesse atmosfere dei suoi predecessori, ma la trama è decisamente più semplice. Coinvolti in una faida centenaria gli eredi di Hammerfell si trovano divisi in tenera età ma da adulti cercheranno di riconquistare ciò che era stato loro tolto. Tutto si svolge in modo abbastanza lineare senza grandi colpi di scena. La lettura è scorrevole e può essere piacevole per gli appassionati della saga ma sicuramente non risulta travolgente. Degno di nota è l'incontro con un rappresentante dei popoli nativi del pianeta (le cui specie non avevano trovato molto spazio nella serie) che regala al racconto una parentesi, fuori contesto, ma curiosa e simpatica. Nel complesso il libro presenta poco di quello che ha reso la serie così speciale: manca la scoperta di nuovi luoghi, il Potere dei nobili di Darkover appare solo alla fine (e in un modo poco coinvolgente), i personaggi sono più monocromatici e non c'è grande analisi psicologica... A me è sembrato un libro scritto senza inspirazione.
September 22, 2022
Ugh, riponevo grandi speranze nella Zimmer Bradley, ma questo è finora il romanzo meno ispirato che abbia letto nel ciclo di Darkover.
Non ha nulla di quello che ho apprezzato negli altri libri: nessuna descrizione esaustiva del mondo narrativo (ed essendo in un periodo lontano dagli altri capitoli della saga che ho letto, non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto avere un po' di contesto in più), nessun personaggio interessante, nessun intreccio accattivante. Ogni questione, perfino la faida al centro della storia, si propone e si risolve senza problemi. Nessun desiderio di vendetta? Nessuna gelosia per il potere? Nessun conflitto tra fratelli? E perché Alester deve incontrare nella foresta un folletto che gli chiede un indovinello e poi tanti saluti? A cosa è servito?
Il romanzo è abbastanza breve e godibile, per carità, ma avrei apprezzato un po' di respiro in più. Qualche colpo di scena in più, anche se so che non è nello stile dell'autrice. Un po' più di coerenza nel personaggio di Conn, che prima vuole battersi allo sfinimento e arrivato il momento della battaglia finale non vuole scontri di sangue? E perché la battaglia finale dev'essere il frutto di uno stupido equivoco e non poteva essere davvero una conquista da parte degli Hastur? Tante occasioni mancate. I personaggi femminili, a parte Lenisia, ma appare per pochissimo tempo, sono superficiali come pochi. Dalla Zimmer Bradley mi aspettavo più incisività.
Non ha nulla di quello che ho apprezzato negli altri libri: nessuna descrizione esaustiva del mondo narrativo (ed essendo in un periodo lontano dagli altri capitoli della saga che ho letto, non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto avere un po' di contesto in più), nessun personaggio interessante, nessun intreccio accattivante. Ogni questione, perfino la faida al centro della storia, si propone e si risolve senza problemi. Nessun desiderio di vendetta? Nessuna gelosia per il potere? Nessun conflitto tra fratelli? E perché Alester deve incontrare nella foresta un folletto che gli chiede un indovinello e poi tanti saluti? A cosa è servito?
Il romanzo è abbastanza breve e godibile, per carità, ma avrei apprezzato un po' di respiro in più. Qualche colpo di scena in più, anche se so che non è nello stile dell'autrice. Un po' più di coerenza nel personaggio di Conn, che prima vuole battersi allo sfinimento e arrivato il momento della battaglia finale non vuole scontri di sangue? E perché la battaglia finale dev'essere il frutto di uno stupido equivoco e non poteva essere davvero una conquista da parte degli Hastur? Tante occasioni mancate. I personaggi femminili, a parte Lenisia, ma appare per pochissimo tempo, sono superficiali come pochi. Dalla Zimmer Bradley mi aspettavo più incisività.
June 9, 2020
Having recently returned to the world of Darkover, with it's sexist society and psy rulers, I find a fascination all over again with this colony founded by Terrans during a long past starship crash. Darkover has indigenous groups of intelligent beings, and an inheritable talent for special abilities such as clairvoyance.
In this tale of a tumultuous period in the society's history, there was a small duchy called Hammerfell. This duchy warred with a neighbor due a feud who's very reason was lost in time, but the two groups attacked each other anyway. This brings about the effects which result in the birth of twin heirs to Hammerfell. And thus the entry to the story.
The fighting continues in the first part of the story. It brings about unforeseen consequences, except perhaps in the eye of a person with clairvoyance.
You wind up with a classic story of twins with each raised to believe his twin was dead. An astute reader can guess this does not bode well.
The story continues, deaths are inevitable, and the rightful heir tries to make his place as ruler. Jealousy, love triangles and villains abound.
The only problem was, it felt both contrived and incomplete at the same time.
I enjoyed the rereading, but felt it needed more sizzle in the story, instead of the soft words and vague notes of upset. A good read. But not a favorite.
In this tale of a tumultuous period in the society's history, there was a small duchy called Hammerfell. This duchy warred with a neighbor due a feud who's very reason was lost in time, but the two groups attacked each other anyway. This brings about the effects which result in the birth of twin heirs to Hammerfell. And thus the entry to the story.
The fighting continues in the first part of the story. It brings about unforeseen consequences, except perhaps in the eye of a person with clairvoyance.
You wind up with a classic story of twins with each raised to believe his twin was dead. An astute reader can guess this does not bode well.
The story continues, deaths are inevitable, and the rightful heir tries to make his place as ruler. Jealousy, love triangles and villains abound.
The only problem was, it felt both contrived and incomplete at the same time.
I enjoyed the rereading, but felt it needed more sizzle in the story, instead of the soft words and vague notes of upset. A good read. But not a favorite.
November 20, 2025
Marion Zimmer Bradley, and her literary work, must be viewed through two, often competing, lenses.
First, she was writing stories with strong, relatable female protagonists battling male oppression at a time when very few other authors were prepared to do so. Many modern readers cannot conceive of a time when women were not allowed to have a credit card in their own name, which was but one of the policies Bradley was dealing with in her time. She was a feminist long before it became fashionable. She was one of a very few voices that spoke powerfully to young women about their own worth. Much of her writing, read today, can be seen as trite, obvious, or overbearing, but it must be remembered that it was none of those things at the time it was written. This was a woman who co-founded, and named, the Society for Creative Anachronism, who championed pagan rights when the mainstream saw them as satanic, and who encouraged and published unknown female authors like Mercedes Lackey. Viewed through this lens, Bradley was a progressive woman to be lauded, as she was, posthumously, when she received the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000.
Second, and hideously, Bradley was a pedophile, who molested her own children. She also procured and groomed children for her husband, Walter Breen, to assault. She admitted to knowing what he was doing to these children, but refused to stop helping him, much less report him or interfere with his desires. Her own daughter was her accuser, so we can be assured this is not a "he said, she said" situation. Viewed through this lens, then, her life and work become irredeemably tainted.
We are, perhaps, used to evaluating art for art's sake, commenting on Ender's Game, or Harry Potter, as though their authors' views, hateful as they are, should not condemn the output of their minds and hands. Perhaps we are right to do so; after all, these views are only beliefs and words, no matter how widespread a bully pulpit their famous speakers are able to command. However, when beliefs and words turn into actions, we must draw the line. Since 2014, when definitive proof finally came to light, I have found myself unable to recommend anything written by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I remain so appalled by her actions that I can never give more than one star to anything she has written, no matter how groundbreaking, how heartfelt, how astounding it may be. I urge everyone reading this to join me in boycotting her work forever.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* (extremely rare) There is something very wrong with this book &/or this author; never again.
** (seldom) Has flaws, or I just couldn’t get into it; no thanks.
*** (usual) Not great, not bad; no need to return to it.
**** (often) Better than average; I’d read it again.
***** (rare) A superb example of the genre, &/or an incredible piece of art; I re-read it often.
First, she was writing stories with strong, relatable female protagonists battling male oppression at a time when very few other authors were prepared to do so. Many modern readers cannot conceive of a time when women were not allowed to have a credit card in their own name, which was but one of the policies Bradley was dealing with in her time. She was a feminist long before it became fashionable. She was one of a very few voices that spoke powerfully to young women about their own worth. Much of her writing, read today, can be seen as trite, obvious, or overbearing, but it must be remembered that it was none of those things at the time it was written. This was a woman who co-founded, and named, the Society for Creative Anachronism, who championed pagan rights when the mainstream saw them as satanic, and who encouraged and published unknown female authors like Mercedes Lackey. Viewed through this lens, Bradley was a progressive woman to be lauded, as she was, posthumously, when she received the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement in 2000.
Second, and hideously, Bradley was a pedophile, who molested her own children. She also procured and groomed children for her husband, Walter Breen, to assault. She admitted to knowing what he was doing to these children, but refused to stop helping him, much less report him or interfere with his desires. Her own daughter was her accuser, so we can be assured this is not a "he said, she said" situation. Viewed through this lens, then, her life and work become irredeemably tainted.
We are, perhaps, used to evaluating art for art's sake, commenting on Ender's Game, or Harry Potter, as though their authors' views, hateful as they are, should not condemn the output of their minds and hands. Perhaps we are right to do so; after all, these views are only beliefs and words, no matter how widespread a bully pulpit their famous speakers are able to command. However, when beliefs and words turn into actions, we must draw the line. Since 2014, when definitive proof finally came to light, I have found myself unable to recommend anything written by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I remain so appalled by her actions that I can never give more than one star to anything she has written, no matter how groundbreaking, how heartfelt, how astounding it may be. I urge everyone reading this to join me in boycotting her work forever.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* (extremely rare) There is something very wrong with this book &/or this author; never again.
** (seldom) Has flaws, or I just couldn’t get into it; no thanks.
*** (usual) Not great, not bad; no need to return to it.
**** (often) Better than average; I’d read it again.
***** (rare) A superb example of the genre, &/or an incredible piece of art; I re-read it often.
December 13, 2022
This book takes place in the Age of the Hundred Kingdoms. Hammerfell and Storn have been feuding for generations. When Hammerfell is burned to the ground and their lord killed, his twin sons are separated and believed lost by the other. One is taken to Thendara, while the other is raised in the mountains.
This felt more like an Irish ballad rather than a Darkover book. It's a fairly predictable story, short and wrapped up with a romance HEA. The character arcs are jumbled, especially Alastair and the lord of Storn, who both seem to be all over the place as rulers and with the feud. Definitely one of the weakest books of the series.
This felt more like an Irish ballad rather than a Darkover book. It's a fairly predictable story, short and wrapped up with a romance HEA. The character arcs are jumbled, especially Alastair and the lord of Storn, who both seem to be all over the place as rulers and with the feud. Definitely one of the weakest books of the series.
November 21, 2020
One of Marion Zimmer Bradley's weaker works. The story is predictable but that is not my main complaint (predictable stories can be great fun). The characters are very one-dimensional and switch without apparent difficulty from one emotion to another, everyone accepts changes and revelations easily without any hesitation, and the use of laran is just - let's say it is not as refined. It seems that laran has no bounds in this story and whenever there might be tension or difficulties, laran sorts it out in an instant.
March 28, 2021
Double dilemma
This was a walk down memory lane, these were the first fantasy books I have read mini mini long year ago. I did enjoy them as I bought back many fond memories of my fictional journey through dark over it is habitants. Will continue to read on this series has continued since Marion‘s passing, nostalgia for sure and interest and how it develops a curiosity I cannot avoid. These are great books for anyone who has not read fantasy and would like to explore this genre. I note to a great authoress.
This was a walk down memory lane, these were the first fantasy books I have read mini mini long year ago. I did enjoy them as I bought back many fond memories of my fictional journey through dark over it is habitants. Will continue to read on this series has continued since Marion‘s passing, nostalgia for sure and interest and how it develops a curiosity I cannot avoid. These are great books for anyone who has not read fantasy and would like to explore this genre. I note to a great authoress.
February 26, 2019
8/10. Media de los 18 libros leídos de la autora : 8/10
En su día estaba colgadito de su saga de Darkover (Fantasía). Hace no mucho re-leí parte de uno de estos libros y me resultó simplón, pero como estoy manteniendo la nota que les puse en su día, pues queda la autora con una media fantástica de "8".
La saga artúrica Las nieblas de Avalon tb está muy bien, es una novelación distinta pero bien escrita. Lo de siempre pero con otro toque, vamos. Y sus incursiones en CF tampoco defraudan.
En su día estaba colgadito de su saga de Darkover (Fantasía). Hace no mucho re-leí parte de uno de estos libros y me resultó simplón, pero como estoy manteniendo la nota que les puse en su día, pues queda la autora con una media fantástica de "8".
La saga artúrica Las nieblas de Avalon tb está muy bien, es una novelación distinta pero bien escrita. Lo de siempre pero con otro toque, vamos. Y sus incursiones en CF tampoco defraudan.
March 19, 2021
One of the best things about the books of Marion Zimmer Bradley is that her stories are so full of vivid details that if you pick up one years after reading the last it is very easy to get back into the world view and characterizations. And they all are well crafted. Excellent book in in the Darkover series - nothing new, but fills in more of the history of Darkover adn relationships..
February 22, 2018
No, this is not The Corsican Brothers meet Darkover. It is the Corsican Brothers meet the Highland clearances on Darkover.
May 15, 2022
It reads like a fairy tale or a ballad.
Raiding parties leaving families homeless or dead are traditional. Pride keeps men from finding peace. Truly all actions come from fear or love. Peace isn't easy but nothing worthwhile is.
Raiding parties leaving families homeless or dead are traditional. Pride keeps men from finding peace. Truly all actions come from fear or love. Peace isn't easy but nothing worthwhile is.
May 21, 2019
Decent start, but kind of petered out with an anticlimactic ending.
July 28, 2020
It was ok. Felt rather predictable. Almost like a Harlequin Romance from the 1970s!!
did-not-finish-or-start
July 17, 2021DNS 7/16/2021
February 26, 2022
gemelli e vecchie faide negli Hellers
November 10, 2023
This was a great book written like a fairy tale. It had sibling rivalry, magic and war. I enjoyed this a lot.
April 6, 2025
Die Geschichten um Darkover sind zwar alle ganz nett, aber irgendwann passiert nichts Neues mehr. Das Frauenbild hat mich auch immer mehr gestört.
September 7, 2021
Quando lo avevo letto, anni fa, questo libro mi era piaciuto parecchio... i personaggi erano ben caratterizzati e la trama interessante... in seguito ho poi letto altri libri della saga Darkovana, ma questo lo ricordo sempre con affetto.
October 17, 2016
Not my favorite Darkover novel as it's simply far too short for me to truly love it. It's an interesting insight into the more medieval time period of Darkover and I enjoyed the overall plot of the family feud involving twin brothers. I was just yearning for a little more depth and a little less predictable, easy solution ...
January 23, 2022
This was the last _new_ Darkover book I read, right after its publication in 1989. My impression then was that it was a minor volume in the series, and after rereading I concur with my earlier opinion. The basis of the novel (in terms of the series) is a small sentence or two in _Two to Conquer_ about the fall of the keep of Hammerfell during the Age of the Hundred Kingdoms. Bradley (or rather, her ghostwriter) expanded on this to provide a kind of _Comedy of Errors_ (I literally think the author used the Shakespeare play as the basis for the plot: particularly the awkwardly pert and cutesy ending reads like something right out of the Shakespearean comedic tradition.
That reliance on a hackneyed plot about twins and inheritance means that there is truly nothing surprising or enlightening about the plot or resolution of this novel. Every move is apparent from the very opening chapters. The writing offers little as far as style (although the ghostwriter admiarbly captures the foibles of Bradley's own writing style).
However, there _are_ small items of interest. One if the _very_ strange chapter that follows the city-raised Alastair up into the Hellers on his way to claim his kingdom. This is, literally, a fary tale: his horse jumps over the city walls to get out of Thendara, he encounters a small "man" (likely one of the "monkey people" out of Bradley's first Darkover novel, _The Planet Savers_) and exchanges riddles with him in exchange for helping him reach his destination. It is a very strange scene that has little in it of science fiction, but is all fantasy (despite the trappings of laran and matrix technology overlying it). There are also very interesting explorations of the end of feudal economies and the rise of forms of capitalism in the tension between the played-out farmers in the ills and the oceans of lumpenproletarian workers in the city.
Those small things, however, really don't justify the time it takes to read this novel. It is utterly unimportant even in terms of the series it is a part of.
One note on the text: I have the first printing of the novel and read it alongside the "corrected" text approved by MZB's Literary Works Trust. _Mostly_, these emendations are unsurprising (mostly the elimination of conjunctions at the beginning of sentences, one of Bradley's bad writing habits from early in her career). However, sometimes the changes are more obscure and, imo, unjustified. The worst of these is in the scene that introduces the Keeper of Thendara Tower. Bradley's ghostwriter's text takes great pains to _not_ assign a gendered pronoun to the Keeper. Once the Keeper is named (Renata), the narrator reveals that they are an emasca (formerly a woman, but now of no gender). The "corrected", text, though, assigns this character a masculine pronoun ("he"), which is dropped after the naming of the Keeper (NOT a "he" at all). This change is rather baffling: have the members of MZB's Literary Works Trust not read Bradley's earlier works in the series? Or if they did, could they have missed Bradley's revolutionary treatment of gender as a nonbinary human characteristic? The choice of masculine pronouns not only makes little sense combined with the feminine name and the emasca gender identity: it entirely erases Bradley's revolutionary treatment of the topic. Poorly thought out, MZBLT.
That reliance on a hackneyed plot about twins and inheritance means that there is truly nothing surprising or enlightening about the plot or resolution of this novel. Every move is apparent from the very opening chapters. The writing offers little as far as style (although the ghostwriter admiarbly captures the foibles of Bradley's own writing style).
However, there _are_ small items of interest. One if the _very_ strange chapter that follows the city-raised Alastair up into the Hellers on his way to claim his kingdom. This is, literally, a fary tale: his horse jumps over the city walls to get out of Thendara, he encounters a small "man" (likely one of the "monkey people" out of Bradley's first Darkover novel, _The Planet Savers_) and exchanges riddles with him in exchange for helping him reach his destination. It is a very strange scene that has little in it of science fiction, but is all fantasy (despite the trappings of laran and matrix technology overlying it). There are also very interesting explorations of the end of feudal economies and the rise of forms of capitalism in the tension between the played-out farmers in the ills and the oceans of lumpenproletarian workers in the city.
Those small things, however, really don't justify the time it takes to read this novel. It is utterly unimportant even in terms of the series it is a part of.
One note on the text: I have the first printing of the novel and read it alongside the "corrected" text approved by MZB's Literary Works Trust. _Mostly_, these emendations are unsurprising (mostly the elimination of conjunctions at the beginning of sentences, one of Bradley's bad writing habits from early in her career). However, sometimes the changes are more obscure and, imo, unjustified. The worst of these is in the scene that introduces the Keeper of Thendara Tower. Bradley's ghostwriter's text takes great pains to _not_ assign a gendered pronoun to the Keeper. Once the Keeper is named (Renata), the narrator reveals that they are an emasca (formerly a woman, but now of no gender). The "corrected", text, though, assigns this character a masculine pronoun ("he"), which is dropped after the naming of the Keeper (NOT a "he" at all). This change is rather baffling: have the members of MZB's Literary Works Trust not read Bradley's earlier works in the series? Or if they did, could they have missed Bradley's revolutionary treatment of gender as a nonbinary human characteristic? The choice of masculine pronouns not only makes little sense combined with the feminine name and the emasca gender identity: it entirely erases Bradley's revolutionary treatment of the topic. Poorly thought out, MZBLT.
November 19, 2015
Dans les montagnes des Heller, loin de la capitale, deux clans se battent depuis des générations, nul ne sachant exactement ce qui a déclenché la guerre à l'origine.
D'un second mariage le Duc d'Hammerfell conçoit des jumeaux. Alastair, l'ainé, est le plus débrouillard mais il n'est pas doué en Laran, tandis que son frère Conn, plus frêle, est lui très doué. Alors qu'ils ont deux ans, et que tous croient en la paix vu que ça fait deux ans qu'aucun événement ne c'est déclenché entre les deux voisins, les Storm attaquent en traître le château, massacrant tout sur leurs passages, y compris le Duc.
Fuyant le feu, la femme du duc confie un de ses enfants a un serviteur et s'enfuie avec le second, mais les circonstances ne leurs permettent pas de se retrouver. Elle se dirige donc vers la capitale, persuadé d'avoir perdu toute sa famille sauf son fils aîné. Ainsi Alastair est élevé en Duc sans le sou, en exil, la noblesse le raille d'être sans terres et de ne rien faire d'utile car il n'a pas le Laran, il végète et ne rêve que de cette vengeance lointaine pour des terres qu'ils n'a jamais vu.
Mais ce qu'ils ne savent pas c'est que le serviteur a réussi à sauver l'autre enfant ! Élevé en soldat sur ses terres, au milieu de son peuple sous la tyrannie des Storm, Conn se croit aussi le dernier survivant de sa lignée et se fait aussi appeler Duc. Le peuple le connait et le soutient, d'autant qu'il est très doué dans le Laran.
Lorsque la vengeance va les rapprocher et les faire se retrouver, la situation sera explosive ...
Cette histoire partait dans de super prémisses, avec une situation très intéressante et une belle opposition entre les deux frères. C'est un roman très court et on a malheureusement pas trop le temps de vraiment la développer.
J'ai trouvé la fin un peu trop gentillette, et c'est un peu dommage, même si elle reste assez logique. Disons que c'est un peu trop rapidement "tout est bien qui fini bien". J'aurais préféré un peu plus de drame et autre chose.
Ceci dit je ne me suis pas ennuyé un seul instant, le livre est court et il se passe pas mal d'événements, je l'ai lu d'une traite sans m'arrêter !
En gros c'est un livre qui avait un potentiel énorme mais qui est un peu gâché par son format court et par une fin un peu trop consensuelle.
D'un second mariage le Duc d'Hammerfell conçoit des jumeaux. Alastair, l'ainé, est le plus débrouillard mais il n'est pas doué en Laran, tandis que son frère Conn, plus frêle, est lui très doué. Alors qu'ils ont deux ans, et que tous croient en la paix vu que ça fait deux ans qu'aucun événement ne c'est déclenché entre les deux voisins, les Storm attaquent en traître le château, massacrant tout sur leurs passages, y compris le Duc.
Fuyant le feu, la femme du duc confie un de ses enfants a un serviteur et s'enfuie avec le second, mais les circonstances ne leurs permettent pas de se retrouver. Elle se dirige donc vers la capitale, persuadé d'avoir perdu toute sa famille sauf son fils aîné. Ainsi Alastair est élevé en Duc sans le sou, en exil, la noblesse le raille d'être sans terres et de ne rien faire d'utile car il n'a pas le Laran, il végète et ne rêve que de cette vengeance lointaine pour des terres qu'ils n'a jamais vu.
Mais ce qu'ils ne savent pas c'est que le serviteur a réussi à sauver l'autre enfant ! Élevé en soldat sur ses terres, au milieu de son peuple sous la tyrannie des Storm, Conn se croit aussi le dernier survivant de sa lignée et se fait aussi appeler Duc. Le peuple le connait et le soutient, d'autant qu'il est très doué dans le Laran.
Lorsque la vengeance va les rapprocher et les faire se retrouver, la situation sera explosive ...
Cette histoire partait dans de super prémisses, avec une situation très intéressante et une belle opposition entre les deux frères. C'est un roman très court et on a malheureusement pas trop le temps de vraiment la développer.
J'ai trouvé la fin un peu trop gentillette, et c'est un peu dommage, même si elle reste assez logique. Disons que c'est un peu trop rapidement "tout est bien qui fini bien". J'aurais préféré un peu plus de drame et autre chose.
Ceci dit je ne me suis pas ennuyé un seul instant, le livre est court et il se passe pas mal d'événements, je l'ai lu d'une traite sans m'arrêter !
En gros c'est un livre qui avait un potentiel énorme mais qui est un peu gâché par son format court et par une fin un peu trop consensuelle.
February 8, 2018
Imbarazzante da leggere. Anche per una (ormai ex) fanatica della saga di Darkover.
Probabilmente il libro più brutto e tirato via di MZB.
Probabilmente il libro più brutto e tirato via di MZB.
September 5, 2024
Marion Zimmer Bradley is a wonderful writer. She has a great way with words and she knows how to spin an engaging story. Darkover is one of those places where I long to go sometimes, to revisit places and characters that have taken root in my heart.
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