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Diadem #2
Lamarchos
The diadem that crowned the head of Aleytys was in contact with her central nervous system - and invisible to outsiders. But even that star-born fugitive herself did not know what the diadem's powers were or what it could do to or for her.
What she did know was that it made her the target of the diadem's unrelenting and non-human owners who had tracked it across space and were still on her trail. She herself had started in search of her own people - but before she could make progress she would have to conquer both the unyielding mind-slave band she wore and the menace it held for all in contact with her.
What she did know was that it made her the target of the diadem's unrelenting and non-human owners who had tracked it across space and were still on her trail. She herself had started in search of her own people - but before she could make progress she would have to conquer both the unyielding mind-slave band she wore and the menace it held for all in contact with her.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
16 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Jo Clayton
71 books67 followersJo Clayton, whose parents named her after Jo in Little Women, was born and raised in Modesto, California. She and her three sisters shared a room and took turns telling each other bedtime stories. One of her sisters noted that Jo's stories were the best, and often contained science fiction and fantasy elements.
Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.
In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.
During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.
After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.
Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.
Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.
Clayton graduated from the University of California in 1963, Summa Cum Laude, and started teaching near Los Angeles.
In 1969, after a religious experience, she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, joining the teaching order Sisters of Mount Carmel as a novice. She left three years later, before taking final orders.
During her time in New Orleans, Clayton sold sketches and paintings in Pioneer Square to supplement her income.
After being robbed several times, Clayton moved to Portland, Oregon in 1983. She remained there for the rest of her life.
Clayton was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996. Jo continued to write during her year and a half in the hospital. She finished Drum Calls, the second book of the Drums of Chaos series, and was halfway through the third and final book when she lost her struggle with multiple myeloma in February, 1998.
Literary executor Katherine Kerr made arrangements with established author Kevin Andrew Murphy to finish the third book of the Drums of Chaos series. It is now completed.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 9, 2016
I'm glad I embarked on this somewhat arbitrary quest to read books with early Michael Whelan artwork on them because I have been finding some real gems, one of which is this series. Aleytys is a young woman who has bonded with an alien diadem that endows her with psionic powers she doesn't yet understand. Searching for her mother's home planet, she finds herself thrown in with a band of thieves on Lamarchos, where she becomes a kind of missionary for the world's "spirits." This book ends, as did the first, with a clear continuation into the next volume, and I certainly intend to keep reading.
January 30, 2026
*Diadem from the Stars* didn't just feel like a chore to get through; it felt like a punishment. I was reading it because my uncle had bought it for me at a used bookshop after citing the whole series are one of his favorite literary excursions from his youth, and now - some eyebleed-inducing purple prose and weird rape fantasies later - I can't look at him the same way. But he bought me books two and three as well, so... the show had to go on. And I was pleasantly surprised by *Lamarchos*; it still wasn't good, but it was a noticeable improvement upon book one in pretty much every way. I'm a little scared that my review is going to end up sounding like a lot of praise, but... we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's summarize the book...
At the end of the first book, Aleytys, a hot, blonde young woman who just gave birth to her first child, Sharl (after a magic crown from space grafted itself to her), made it to the stars with Stavver, the guy who originally stole the Diadem, on a ship piloted by Maissa, a heartless woman. Now she's brought Stavver and Aleytys to Lamarchos, where she plans to use them (and Kale, a native she hired) to pull off a big heist. We start off while the crew is still far removed from what passes for civilization on Lamarchos, and Stavver and Aleytys are talking (apparently Aleytys decided it was worth risking getting knocked up by him and started sleeping with him now?) when the latter decides to see if her special powers will work on Lamarchos. She communes with the spirits of the dirt and gets sent a talking little ball of fluff called the Speaker, who will serve as her conduit to the special powers of the planet or... whatever. It names her a gikena, some sort of powerful and respected sorceress. It ends up giving her certain tasks, such as when they stumble across a young exile, Loahn, who - after Aleytys heals him - reveals that his stepmother lied about him raping her and he got labelled as a pariah. At the Speaker's decree Aleytys has them go through his old village and, using her status as gikena, holds a trial to secure his innocence - and then, for some reason, he follows them to Karkys, a spaceport of sorts where a bunch of offworlders live. Here, they meet a little camping family and ...
They're quickly pulled in by ...
This is one of those reviews where I'm going to spend too much time dwelling on how a preceding book was and drawing comparisons. Thankfully, today, most will be positive. The first fact is that this book is significantly better written than the first book; it's still not amazingly penned - this is pulp prose that doesn't paint beautiful pictures or assemble pictures into fantastically built worlds - but Clayton's prose is a lot less obnoxiously purple than *Diadem From the Stars*. which was hopelessly overwritten to the point where physical action was incomprehensible. She also had some really weird conventions; for instance, she spent a crapton of time in the first park describing various suns and moons as if they were people - here, she only has two tangents where she talks about moons, and in moderation her little sidequests are more colorful and respectable. There's also a lot less jargon; now, I *can* appreciate made-up words in science fiction because the language of the future (or just of other worlds) is very important and can be used as a great literary device. But previously, it seemed like Clayton was just making up a word or two every page without any real conception of what they meant; here, the made-up words are far and few between, and while they're not brilliantly woven into the text or anything like that, they're comprehensible; "gikena" is some localized version of a shamanic witch woman, etc. I still got hung up on some dialogue or weird passages, but overall, it was a lot more readable.
The plot also held itself together better. It was still pretty episodic as pulpier narratives tend to be, but there's a real driving thrust to it; motivations are pretty clear. Maissa wants money and can achieve that through stealing, Aleytys and Stavver are in her debt, there are some mystical forces which get into everyone's business. There's a twist at the end which is a bit stereotypical but doesn't seem hopelessly stupid. These are all good things to note. The worldbuilding isn't great, still - Lamarchos seems like a pretty white-bread planet, and while the planet being owned by an Interstellar trading company is interesting (and perhaps a growing theme of this series, like it was in Brian Stableford's slick space opera series Star-Pilot Grainger), Clayton didn't really do anything interesting with it besides tying it into the spirits who guide the planet or... some crap like that. The spiritual aspect of the book was one of the weakest, as they were supposed to be really powerful and able to control Aleytys' powers on the planet, but when she didn't obey their instructions... nothing happened? That whole fork of the plot seemed pretty contrived, and with the exception of them rescuing Loahn, everything that happened in the book because of the spirits was explained away at the very same time for other reasons. So I really don't think that Clayton had to go out of her way to add these fantastical elements to a pulpy planet story - it's a bit structurally unsound.
I'm also not convinced by the characters. Most are pretty bland, even Maissa and Loahn; the prose doesn't prop them up, and their dialogue wasn't convincing. But then again, whose was? I don't think Aleytys' or Stavver's were either, seeing as how Clayton is setting them on the path to romance - seriously, they're having conflicted feelings about what it means to love someone and only one person and all that crap. I mean, good on them for having that conversation, but it seems pretty shoehorned and against their characters - which have changed a bit since the first book. But the thing that bothered me most about the first book (well, besides piss-poor writing making everything ten times worse than it needed to be) was the rapey-ness of it all. There was mind-controlling of women for obscene pleasure and nasty stuff like that, but for two-thirds of today's book, I thought that *Lamarchos* was going to avoid going down the same paths. But, alas... I was wrong. This book definitely went down that path, and while it was more willing (if you haven't read the book, no, the context doesn't make it much better), it still put me off, especially since it was more graphic than the last time. It just... feels weird, and maybe I shouldn't say it feels like wish-fulfillment, but it kind of does, and I don't like it.
Anywhos... that's Jo Clayton for you. She does genuinely seem to be growing as a writer, but the prose still isn't really "good," the world still sucks, the plot gets contrived, I don't believe in the characters, it gets uncomfortable yet again - it still only gets a 4.5/10 from me. I've got one more of these books to read - *Isrud* - before I'm out of my collection and I may tap out, but I am a glutton for punishment so I could always turn completionist... we shall see. Thanks for reading another review and here's hoping that you can find something better to do with your time than, apparently, I can. Good luck, and I'll see you for the next one...
At the end of the first book, Aleytys, a hot, blonde young woman who just gave birth to her first child, Sharl (after a magic crown from space grafted itself to her), made it to the stars with Stavver, the guy who originally stole the Diadem, on a ship piloted by Maissa, a heartless woman. Now she's brought Stavver and Aleytys to Lamarchos, where she plans to use them (and Kale, a native she hired) to pull off a big heist. We start off while the crew is still far removed from what passes for civilization on Lamarchos, and Stavver and Aleytys are talking (apparently Aleytys decided it was worth risking getting knocked up by him and started sleeping with him now?) when the latter decides to see if her special powers will work on Lamarchos. She communes with the spirits of the dirt and gets sent a talking little ball of fluff called the Speaker, who will serve as her conduit to the special powers of the planet or... whatever. It names her a gikena, some sort of powerful and respected sorceress. It ends up giving her certain tasks, such as when they stumble across a young exile, Loahn, who - after Aleytys heals him - reveals that his stepmother lied about him raping her and he got labelled as a pariah. At the Speaker's decree Aleytys has them go through his old village and, using her status as gikena, holds a trial to secure his innocence - and then, for some reason, he follows them to Karkys, a spaceport of sorts where a bunch of offworlders live. Here, they meet a little camping family and ...
They're quickly pulled in by ...
This is one of those reviews where I'm going to spend too much time dwelling on how a preceding book was and drawing comparisons. Thankfully, today, most will be positive. The first fact is that this book is significantly better written than the first book; it's still not amazingly penned - this is pulp prose that doesn't paint beautiful pictures or assemble pictures into fantastically built worlds - but Clayton's prose is a lot less obnoxiously purple than *Diadem From the Stars*. which was hopelessly overwritten to the point where physical action was incomprehensible. She also had some really weird conventions; for instance, she spent a crapton of time in the first park describing various suns and moons as if they were people - here, she only has two tangents where she talks about moons, and in moderation her little sidequests are more colorful and respectable. There's also a lot less jargon; now, I *can* appreciate made-up words in science fiction because the language of the future (or just of other worlds) is very important and can be used as a great literary device. But previously, it seemed like Clayton was just making up a word or two every page without any real conception of what they meant; here, the made-up words are far and few between, and while they're not brilliantly woven into the text or anything like that, they're comprehensible; "gikena" is some localized version of a shamanic witch woman, etc. I still got hung up on some dialogue or weird passages, but overall, it was a lot more readable.
The plot also held itself together better. It was still pretty episodic as pulpier narratives tend to be, but there's a real driving thrust to it; motivations are pretty clear. Maissa wants money and can achieve that through stealing, Aleytys and Stavver are in her debt, there are some mystical forces which get into everyone's business. There's a twist at the end which is a bit stereotypical but doesn't seem hopelessly stupid. These are all good things to note. The worldbuilding isn't great, still - Lamarchos seems like a pretty white-bread planet, and while the planet being owned by an Interstellar trading company is interesting (and perhaps a growing theme of this series, like it was in Brian Stableford's slick space opera series Star-Pilot Grainger), Clayton didn't really do anything interesting with it besides tying it into the spirits who guide the planet or... some crap like that. The spiritual aspect of the book was one of the weakest, as they were supposed to be really powerful and able to control Aleytys' powers on the planet, but when she didn't obey their instructions... nothing happened? That whole fork of the plot seemed pretty contrived, and with the exception of them rescuing Loahn, everything that happened in the book because of the spirits was explained away at the very same time for other reasons. So I really don't think that Clayton had to go out of her way to add these fantastical elements to a pulpy planet story - it's a bit structurally unsound.
I'm also not convinced by the characters. Most are pretty bland, even Maissa and Loahn; the prose doesn't prop them up, and their dialogue wasn't convincing. But then again, whose was? I don't think Aleytys' or Stavver's were either, seeing as how Clayton is setting them on the path to romance - seriously, they're having conflicted feelings about what it means to love someone and only one person and all that crap. I mean, good on them for having that conversation, but it seems pretty shoehorned and against their characters - which have changed a bit since the first book. But the thing that bothered me most about the first book (well, besides piss-poor writing making everything ten times worse than it needed to be) was the rapey-ness of it all. There was mind-controlling of women for obscene pleasure and nasty stuff like that, but for two-thirds of today's book, I thought that *Lamarchos* was going to avoid going down the same paths. But, alas... I was wrong. This book definitely went down that path, and while it was more willing (if you haven't read the book, no, the context doesn't make it much better), it still put me off, especially since it was more graphic than the last time. It just... feels weird, and maybe I shouldn't say it feels like wish-fulfillment, but it kind of does, and I don't like it.
Anywhos... that's Jo Clayton for you. She does genuinely seem to be growing as a writer, but the prose still isn't really "good," the world still sucks, the plot gets contrived, I don't believe in the characters, it gets uncomfortable yet again - it still only gets a 4.5/10 from me. I've got one more of these books to read - *Isrud* - before I'm out of my collection and I may tap out, but I am a glutton for punishment so I could always turn completionist... we shall see. Thanks for reading another review and here's hoping that you can find something better to do with your time than, apparently, I can. Good luck, and I'll see you for the next one...
February 25, 2018
Again, this second book in the series is a weird mixture of fantasy and science fiction, leaning more towards the fantasy side. The plot is set on a different planet and we have the space thing at the beginning and the end, but the main part of the story is pure fantasy. I liked this more than the first as there was more action, particularly in the second half. There are small irritations around naming and also the unreal behaviour of Aleytys’ baby! He certainly never seems to cause any issues for his mother, or the plot!. So, an OK book. I may read #03 if I run out of other books as it is available as an ebook from the local library service.
April 14, 2020
70s be buggin' is all.
September 29, 2020
One of many books in a series (I think it is the second). I was reading the paperback version and left the book on a plane where it was lost to someone else. I had to buy a replacement copy (received the digital version for free) so I was able to finish this book and continue with the series.
The back cover of this book says it can be read as a stand alone story, but the content of this book should be completed to understand the rest of the series.
The back cover of this book says it can be read as a stand alone story, but the content of this book should be completed to understand the rest of the series.
April 27, 2025
It was a fun change to read a more classic style sci fi like this. Nice short book with interesting world building building and character development all the same. Also an interesting look into some feminism of the time - very practical haha
August 31, 2021
Continuation of book 1. Eh.
January 22, 2026
S-tier cover art holds a worthy sequel to the very good but not great Diadem From the Stars. Lots of interesting details, and I’ll keep going with the series as long as it keeps this momentum.
March 27, 2020
Clayton continues her quest to create an Andrew-Nortonish universe where sex actually exists, and which is far more brutal than anything Norton had ever dreamed up.
Well, there are differences: in this, second volume, Clayton shows some growth as a writer. A lot of purpleness of the prose has been toned down, and there is credible dialogue and even snippets of witty repartee. On the other hand, the plot is rather pedestrian, and the heroine still sleeps with pretty much any male that she spends more than several hours around, and is raped once again, with apparently not much in the way of psychological effect on her. Her sexuality may appear quite liberating, but there is not a hint of queerness on any planet's horizon--at least, not yet.
A lot of it is still swords-and-sorcery, or perhaps, considering the level of violence at several points, an early precursor to grimdark in space. Aleytys develops a bit more agency than in the first volume of the series, but the ending is a cliffhanger with (from her point of view) disastrous consequences.
Yet here I am, reviewing it and actually having started on the third book in the series already. Brutal mind-candy, yet I would like now to find out how all this ends, not to mention to learn something about the history of this particularly unpleasant collection of planets. And one can only hope that the tone will move away from fantasy and towards more "scientifictional" feel.
Well, there are differences: in this, second volume, Clayton shows some growth as a writer. A lot of purpleness of the prose has been toned down, and there is credible dialogue and even snippets of witty repartee. On the other hand, the plot is rather pedestrian, and the heroine still sleeps with pretty much any male that she spends more than several hours around, and is raped once again, with apparently not much in the way of psychological effect on her. Her sexuality may appear quite liberating, but there is not a hint of queerness on any planet's horizon--at least, not yet.
A lot of it is still swords-and-sorcery, or perhaps, considering the level of violence at several points, an early precursor to grimdark in space. Aleytys develops a bit more agency than in the first volume of the series, but the ending is a cliffhanger with (from her point of view) disastrous consequences.
Yet here I am, reviewing it and actually having started on the third book in the series already. Brutal mind-candy, yet I would like now to find out how all this ends, not to mention to learn something about the history of this particularly unpleasant collection of planets. And one can only hope that the tone will move away from fantasy and towards more "scientifictional" feel.
July 11, 2015
I'm very found of Jo Clayton and read a lot of the Diadem novels way back. This is one I never finished and it's happened again. I think it is Jo's second novel. The writing is solid but little happens and goals are fuzzy. I may pick up a later one in the series at some point but I can see why I didn't finish this one years ago.
November 6, 2014
1989 grade C
A Diadem novel
A Diadem novel
April 29, 2017
Well that was depressing. Less a story than a series of horrific things done to women.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews