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Clingfire #3
A Flame in Hali
In the era of The Hundred Kingdoms, a time of war and unrest, King Carolin of Hastur and his friend Keeper Varzil Ridenow work selflessly to put an end to the destruction caused by the long range weapons of the magical matrix Towers. But Eduin Deslucido-who once called Carolin brother-has been consumed with a vengeful rage, and will stop at nothing to destroy the king and his plan for peace.
543 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
30 people are currently reading
744 people want to read
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
806 books4,908 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 46 reviews
October 6, 2022
This book kept bouncing around in the ratings for me. There were times when I would have gladly given it five stars and times when I would have given it two, sometimes from chapter to chapter, and even though I was a bit disappointed in the ending I settled on three because while I found the book somewhat disappointing overall, it resolves one of the most burning questions I've had about Darkover ever since I read that first book picked from the library in the town my grandparents lived in--how did the Compact get adopted in the first place?
Admittedly, I didn't like the answer, but I have an answer.
That comes later, though. Before that is a lot of intrigue as Eduin goes from place to place with the aid of a half-mad, out-of-work laranzu he finds with the gift of extremely strong projective empathy and the delusion that he is a personal servant of Naotalba, wife of Zandru. I wrote in my review of Zandru's Forge that:
My favorite part, though, was Varzil's sister Dyannis and her decision over whether to be trained as a Keeper or to acquiesce to her family's wishes, leave the Tower, and marry. One of my favorite parts of Darkover that's ready-made for tragedy is that laran is an innate talent determined at birth and there are no substitutes. There's no mechanical way to produce it or enhance it, so the only way to use laran is through trained laranzu. But if a laranzu spends all their time using their gifts in the Towers, then they won't have children, and then the next generation has less laran available to it. This is pretty much what happens over time, until in the "modern" Darkover there's probably a few dozen workers in the Towers, when in the Ages of Chaos a powerful Tower might have several dozen trained laranzu. It's thus a legitimate problem and not just a marriage for the sake of drama. If talented people with strong laran don't have children, then laran dies out. But if they do have children, they can't work in the Towers and their laran doesn't get used. What to do?
Of course, the actual conflict in the book gets quickly resolved in the space of a few pages and none of this is dwelt on further, but I love this kind of human technology and the questions it raises.
Varzil is barely in the book, spending most of it off on secret missions trying to get various of the Hundred Kingdoms to sign his Compact, while Dyannis worries about whether she's a bad person or not and Eduin schemes. The middle thus drags pretty badly in places after a strong beginning, and the ending doesn't entirely make up for it.
The big problem is that it's too abrupt and, well, deus ex machina. I had always wondered how the Compact was ever signed in the first place. The other books never went into it, taking place either before or safely after its adoption, and the books before made it seem like madness that everyone would agree to it. The Compact runs into the same problems that business cartels do, which is that once nearly everyone agrees to it the benefits for the person who breaks it first are enormous. When everyone else is disarmed, the ruler willing to use laran as a weapon conquers the world. So instead, there's deus ex machina and all laranzu agree that war is terrible and they all sign the Compact, boom, Varzil's deed is done. It's especially disappointing because the beginning of the book made it seem like the process was going to be long and drawn out, with a few hold-outs that would need to be brought over with sanctions or some kind of threat, and even that wouldn't stop rogue circles like the one that Lew eventually assembles in The Heritage of Hastur. And it does start out that way, and then gets resolved in a few pages. When I thought about the Compact's adoption that it would take a miracle, I didn't actually expect one.
There's also a promising early plot thread, about the resentment of the average person against the Comyn, that gets dropped and never picked up again. During a famine, the Comyn are eating well, and this is back during the time when matrix technology was advanced enough that Towers and some Comyn dwellings had matrix-charged lighting, matrix-based heating, the Comyn could travel in aircars, and so on. I think some resentment is warranted--it's like if the American 1% lived the way they do now and everyone else had to make do with medieval-level technology. But it's only brought up in relation to the way that Eduin inflames the mob's sentiments and no time is spent on the grievances or whether they actually get resolved.
A Flame in Hali isn't a bad book, but it has a lot of missed opportunities and doesn't pay off the hopes I had going into it from reading the other two books in the trilogy.
Previous review: Zandru's Forge.
Admittedly, I didn't like the answer, but I have an answer.
That comes later, though. Before that is a lot of intrigue as Eduin goes from place to place with the aid of a half-mad, out-of-work laranzu he finds with the gift of extremely strong projective empathy and the delusion that he is a personal servant of Naotalba, wife of Zandru. I wrote in my review of Zandru's Forge that:
If it had focused more closely on Eduin, on his internal conflict between wanting to kill Carolin for being a Hastur but admiring Carolin for being a kind and good man...and that's a lot of what A Flame in Hali focuses on. After a long time in hiding, sleeping under bridges and eating moldy bread, Eduin's commitment to his father's psychic command is somewhat lessened. He wants to kill Varzil, but mostly as a way to escape the voices in his head, and seems to have come around to killing Varzil instead of Carolin as a way to reconcile his competing desires. It all comes to tragedy in the end, of course, but it's a more personal focus, to the point where I felt like most of the book was about Eduin.
My favorite part, though, was Varzil's sister Dyannis and her decision over whether to be trained as a Keeper or to acquiesce to her family's wishes, leave the Tower, and marry. One of my favorite parts of Darkover that's ready-made for tragedy is that laran is an innate talent determined at birth and there are no substitutes. There's no mechanical way to produce it or enhance it, so the only way to use laran is through trained laranzu. But if a laranzu spends all their time using their gifts in the Towers, then they won't have children, and then the next generation has less laran available to it. This is pretty much what happens over time, until in the "modern" Darkover there's probably a few dozen workers in the Towers, when in the Ages of Chaos a powerful Tower might have several dozen trained laranzu. It's thus a legitimate problem and not just a marriage for the sake of drama. If talented people with strong laran don't have children, then laran dies out. But if they do have children, they can't work in the Towers and their laran doesn't get used. What to do?
Of course, the actual conflict in the book gets quickly resolved in the space of a few pages and none of this is dwelt on further, but I love this kind of human technology and the questions it raises.
Varzil is barely in the book, spending most of it off on secret missions trying to get various of the Hundred Kingdoms to sign his Compact, while Dyannis worries about whether she's a bad person or not and Eduin schemes. The middle thus drags pretty badly in places after a strong beginning, and the ending doesn't entirely make up for it.
The big problem is that it's too abrupt and, well, deus ex machina. I had always wondered how the Compact was ever signed in the first place. The other books never went into it, taking place either before or safely after its adoption, and the books before made it seem like madness that everyone would agree to it. The Compact runs into the same problems that business cartels do, which is that once nearly everyone agrees to it the benefits for the person who breaks it first are enormous. When everyone else is disarmed, the ruler willing to use laran as a weapon conquers the world. So instead, there's deus ex machina and all laranzu agree that war is terrible and they all sign the Compact, boom, Varzil's deed is done. It's especially disappointing because the beginning of the book made it seem like the process was going to be long and drawn out, with a few hold-outs that would need to be brought over with sanctions or some kind of threat, and even that wouldn't stop rogue circles like the one that Lew eventually assembles in The Heritage of Hastur. And it does start out that way, and then gets resolved in a few pages. When I thought about the Compact's adoption that it would take a miracle, I didn't actually expect one.
There's also a promising early plot thread, about the resentment of the average person against the Comyn, that gets dropped and never picked up again. During a famine, the Comyn are eating well, and this is back during the time when matrix technology was advanced enough that Towers and some Comyn dwellings had matrix-charged lighting, matrix-based heating, the Comyn could travel in aircars, and so on. I think some resentment is warranted--it's like if the American 1% lived the way they do now and everyone else had to make do with medieval-level technology. But it's only brought up in relation to the way that Eduin inflames the mob's sentiments and no time is spent on the grievances or whether they actually get resolved.
A Flame in Hali isn't a bad book, but it has a lot of missed opportunities and doesn't pay off the hopes I had going into it from reading the other two books in the trilogy.
Previous review: Zandru's Forge.
November 17, 2016
well, I read this story for the first time, because this book has not been translated yes (I wonder whether it will be in the future - sigh). I found it really good and I liked it a lot. The villain found a way to redeem himself and the final is just tear-jerking. I cried a lot.
Wonderful, thank to Deborah Ross for having the courage to take MZB's heritage! I'm glad she did it!
Wonderful, thank to Deborah Ross for having the courage to take MZB's heritage! I'm glad she did it!
May 18, 2018
What gifts might you be squandering due to ...
A very nice story of how guilt can be useless and overwhelming, as well as a very very good story of redemption.
A very nice story of how guilt can be useless and overwhelming, as well as a very very good story of redemption.
Let's #EndPoverty & #EndMoneyBail by improving these four parts of our good #PublicDomainInfrastructure 4: (1. #libraries, 2. #ProBono legal aid and Education, 3. #UniversalHealthCare , and 4. good #publictransport )Read, Write, Dream, Walk !
#PublicDomainInfrastructure
Shira
18 May, 12018 HE
April 12, 2020
This book is mostly just about how guilty Deslucido feels, and how everything drives him to continue. It was tiresome, as I didn't really care about his character to begin with. Book 2 was interesting and kept me engaged in the story, and I really wanted to see how this continued, but... man, this book was dull.
I could see others finding the torment of this character interesting.
I could see others finding the torment of this character interesting.
October 6, 2009
Another of the books that Bradley "roughed out" the plot of with Deborah Ross before Bradley died. Set in the Ages of Chaos a few years after the events of 'Hawkmistress,' this completes the tale of how King Carolin and Varzill Ridenow (who comes to be known as Varzill the Good) are finally able to convince the rest of the kingdoms in 'The Hundred Kingdoms' era to sign the compact, the solemn pledge not to use weapons that can kill beyond arm's length, so that the attacker's life is in equal danger as the target.
I won't recap the entire plot because I don't want to be a spoiler--I do recommend the book. I will say that Eduin continues to struggle with his father's curse, making him vow to kill the king and Varzil, doing a great deal of evil and, ultimately, some good. And Dyannis, Varzil's younger sister, is present in all her power and humanity; one of the subplots is the movement to allow women to serve as keepers in Towers, the enclosures that house Darkover's powerful telepath's.
There are some interesting new characters, some good storytelling, and a very powerful ending--not what I'd call a happy ending but a thoughtful one. I have the same reservations I've had about the other Ross/Bradley collaborations--they lack the interesting explorations of gender and sexuality, and Bradely's action sequences are so good that Ross' don't quite compare.
It's not Bradley at her best, of course, because it's not Bradley, but it's the work of a damned fine novelist keeping the world of Darkover alive for those of us who don't want to let it go despite its creator's death. A very good read, but unapologetically a sequel; you'll want to read the first two of the 'Clingfire' trilogy first.
I won't recap the entire plot because I don't want to be a spoiler--I do recommend the book. I will say that Eduin continues to struggle with his father's curse, making him vow to kill the king and Varzil, doing a great deal of evil and, ultimately, some good. And Dyannis, Varzil's younger sister, is present in all her power and humanity; one of the subplots is the movement to allow women to serve as keepers in Towers, the enclosures that house Darkover's powerful telepath's.
There are some interesting new characters, some good storytelling, and a very powerful ending--not what I'd call a happy ending but a thoughtful one. I have the same reservations I've had about the other Ross/Bradley collaborations--they lack the interesting explorations of gender and sexuality, and Bradely's action sequences are so good that Ross' don't quite compare.
It's not Bradley at her best, of course, because it's not Bradley, but it's the work of a damned fine novelist keeping the world of Darkover alive for those of us who don't want to let it go despite its creator's death. A very good read, but unapologetically a sequel; you'll want to read the first two of the 'Clingfire' trilogy first.
August 14, 2013
Unbearable. If I could give zero stars I would. Deborah J. Ross tries so desperately to inject herself plus the story itself is so un-Darkover in comparison to everything else, it hurts. Nearly all of the short stories by other writers have been more darkover than this.
So besides this being a "look at me!!!!" writing, the story line is bad and the details are out of whack. I read it through because I made the mistake to order all of the clingfires as "hei, new material" because the first one at least still kinda read like the Darkover I have known and loved for the last 23 years.
If I could I would put up a big warning sign: Don't buy.
Too bad - I have been a 'give me everything darkover fan' for over twenty years and was excited that a new story line meant new books to read. But not like this - I will avoid like the plague everything which has that woman's name on it. If other people enjoy it - great. But if you want to read real darkover, go read the originals.
So besides this being a "look at me!!!!" writing, the story line is bad and the details are out of whack. I read it through because I made the mistake to order all of the clingfires as "hei, new material" because the first one at least still kinda read like the Darkover I have known and loved for the last 23 years.
If I could I would put up a big warning sign: Don't buy.
Too bad - I have been a 'give me everything darkover fan' for over twenty years and was excited that a new story line meant new books to read. But not like this - I will avoid like the plague everything which has that woman's name on it. If other people enjoy it - great. But if you want to read real darkover, go read the originals.
December 4, 2021
Of the three books in the clingfire trilogy, this one was a big disappointment. It had a strong beginning and ending. The middle of the story was too full of self pity on Dyannis part, and the slow, ever so slow workings of Eduin and his companion. I was eager for Dyannis to turn villian. She would had been great! With all the powers the leronys have they simply could not make the connection of what Eduin was trying to accomplish. This bored me because so much time was spent on it. I highly enjoyed the exploration of the lake at Hali Tower!
October 5, 2015
I'm not sure why this was so hard to get through, but I suspect that I'd just had a belly full of Eduin and the Dedlucidos. The villain thing just wore me out after three books of it and I didn't even care if he redeemed himself at the end.
Thank the goddess I can move on to something that doesn't involve Naotalba, Eduin, or the weirdly annoying Sandoval. I'm sure this was all wonderful backstory for stuff to come, but three books to tell it was too much.
Thank the goddess I can move on to something that doesn't involve Naotalba, Eduin, or the weirdly annoying Sandoval. I'm sure this was all wonderful backstory for stuff to come, but three books to tell it was too much.
June 29, 2016
I struggled to finish this. Eduin is not a compelling character in any way and 3 books focused on him and his dumb compulsion for revenge were too many. It's a shame because the first book of this trilogy was kind of enjoyable. I feel like a short story could have explored this backstory in a better way. It DRAGS. It's a shame because I was reading the Darkover books in world chronological order and these 3 prequels are early in the series. They were so bad I don't want to read any more.
March 1, 2009
Too negative throughout the whole book and even ended on a down note.
October 24, 2024
I was looking forward to this book because I thought it would tie up the lose ends from “Zandru’s Forge” and I was not wrong about that. But I was disappointed with enough of the story as it seemed to drag but it still held a lot of good parts.
I really went between disliking and feeling sorry for Eduin. Rumail, his father, was truly an evil person. The fact that he did not care one bit for his son and made Eduin’s life miserable. I thought it was very sad that Eduin had to live his life with his father’s curse. I am sure that he would have been a better person and a happier person if he was free to live his life and not held by his father’s revenge plans. He was extremely talented and could have been a great Keeper. He truly loved Dyannis and she was his saving grace. (Can’t say more or it will spoil the story).
What I really liked about this story was that it showed how the compact was able to convert the entire planet (kingdoms and towers) into signing and abiding to it. Reading the later books, I always wondered how it was that an entire planet could be bound to not use weapons of mass destruction. It always seemed that there would have been some rebel tower that would defy it. This story explains it in a way that makes sense that no one will ever again make those weapons.
I really went between disliking and feeling sorry for Eduin. Rumail, his father, was truly an evil person. The fact that he did not care one bit for his son and made Eduin’s life miserable. I thought it was very sad that Eduin had to live his life with his father’s curse. I am sure that he would have been a better person and a happier person if he was free to live his life and not held by his father’s revenge plans. He was extremely talented and could have been a great Keeper. He truly loved Dyannis and she was his saving grace. (Can’t say more or it will spoil the story).
What I really liked about this story was that it showed how the compact was able to convert the entire planet (kingdoms and towers) into signing and abiding to it. Reading the later books, I always wondered how it was that an entire planet could be bound to not use weapons of mass destruction. It always seemed that there would have been some rebel tower that would defy it. This story explains it in a way that makes sense that no one will ever again make those weapons.
February 7, 2019
I read this because, despite revelations about MZB, I'm a completist. There are so many bits and pieces of Darkover history that were never filled in, so the desire to find out more is there. This despite the MZB technique of steamrollering over her own continuity in the series and making up different endings.
So, I did work my way through this one. There's a lot of ideas pushed into here, especially about how laran could be used to manipulate and abuse people's minds. Eduin is a typical early MZB Darkover male protagonist, driven by something within him and forced to do something we find repugnant. In this case, the theme of psi-psychological child abuse is pretty clear. Dyannis, the heroine, is rather early Darkover MZB female character: wishy washy, easily influenced by culture and the men around her, unsure of herself. Donna did capture MZB's technique well, including the multiple conflicting perceptions of the same event and time. A few bit parts were clearly fleshed out-- that must have been Ms. Ross.
All in all, there were good bits of worldbuilding sandwiched between long swaths of waiting for this terribly emotionally crippled guy to do terrible things.
So, I did work my way through this one. There's a lot of ideas pushed into here, especially about how laran could be used to manipulate and abuse people's minds. Eduin is a typical early MZB Darkover male protagonist, driven by something within him and forced to do something we find repugnant. In this case, the theme of psi-psychological child abuse is pretty clear. Dyannis, the heroine, is rather early Darkover MZB female character: wishy washy, easily influenced by culture and the men around her, unsure of herself. Donna did capture MZB's technique well, including the multiple conflicting perceptions of the same event and time. A few bit parts were clearly fleshed out-- that must have been Ms. Ross.
All in all, there were good bits of worldbuilding sandwiched between long swaths of waiting for this terribly emotionally crippled guy to do terrible things.
July 30, 2017
Darkover ist eine der Serien, die seit Jahren in meinem Regal stehen. Die chronologisch ersten Bücher habe ich sicher schon unzählige Male gelesen, aber so richtig durchgekommen, bin ich nie.
Da spielt sicher mit rein, dass die Autorin verstorben ist und die Welt um Darkover trotzdem weiter wächst. Grundsätzlich finde ich das nicht schlimm, allerdings merkt man schon einen deutlichen Unterschied in der Qualität der Bücher.
"Die Flamme von Hali" ist der letzte Band in einer Trilogie. Es ist schon ewig her, dass ich Band 1 und 2 gelesen habe und ich musste mich sicherlich erst reinfinden, allerdings begannen dann schon meinen Probleme.
Der Anfang des Buchs war gelungen, die letzten 70 Seiten fand ich auch klasse. Der Teil dazwischen war leider nicht so meins. Viel zu langsam und irgendwie auch wiederholend.
Eigentlich schade, da mir die Charaktere sehr ans Herz gewachsen sind und das Ende schon klasse war (wenn es auch viel zu plötzlich kam). Ich hoffe der nächste Teil der Serie begeistert mich wieder mehr.
Da spielt sicher mit rein, dass die Autorin verstorben ist und die Welt um Darkover trotzdem weiter wächst. Grundsätzlich finde ich das nicht schlimm, allerdings merkt man schon einen deutlichen Unterschied in der Qualität der Bücher.
"Die Flamme von Hali" ist der letzte Band in einer Trilogie. Es ist schon ewig her, dass ich Band 1 und 2 gelesen habe und ich musste mich sicherlich erst reinfinden, allerdings begannen dann schon meinen Probleme.
Der Anfang des Buchs war gelungen, die letzten 70 Seiten fand ich auch klasse. Der Teil dazwischen war leider nicht so meins. Viel zu langsam und irgendwie auch wiederholend.
Eigentlich schade, da mir die Charaktere sehr ans Herz gewachsen sind und das Ende schon klasse war (wenn es auch viel zu plötzlich kam). Ich hoffe der nächste Teil der Serie begeistert mich wieder mehr.
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.
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* (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.
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* (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.
February 16, 2022
This conclusion to the Clingfire trilogy is indeed epic. Varzil the Good and King Carolan are working to spread the Compact throughout the kingdoms of Darkover, hoping to once and for all cease the manufacture of clingfire and other weapons of destruction. Dyannis is struggling in her path to become a woman Keeper while Eduin is still under the compulsion to kill Varzil and Carolan.
While parts of the story were a little slow, I found that overall A Flame in Hali is excellent, especially the ending. The characters struggle with choice vs compulsion, war vs peace, and love vs duty, all weighty concerns that are given due consideration here.
I'm greatly enjoying my journey through the Darkover series, whether I'm rereading or finding some books I've missed. This trilogy was not one I read before but it is an essential read in the history of the planet.
While parts of the story were a little slow, I found that overall A Flame in Hali is excellent, especially the ending. The characters struggle with choice vs compulsion, war vs peace, and love vs duty, all weighty concerns that are given due consideration here.
I'm greatly enjoying my journey through the Darkover series, whether I'm rereading or finding some books I've missed. This trilogy was not one I read before but it is an essential read in the history of the planet.
November 21, 2025
Finishing this book was sad for me, I really enjoyed the journey through generation that this trilogy takes you on. Varzil the Good is definitely my favorite character from these books. But what I truly loved was the switching of perspectives back and forth throughout the series from both sides of the situation and being able to see how even good intentions can cause a crippling need for revenge.
Although Eduin was hard to like for me at times, I felt his sorrow when having to take on the weight of his family name and all that came attached. Still not a great dude overall in my opinion.
It was also extremely cool to have Carlo back in this series and getting to see his perspective of things that happened in Hawkmistress. If you haven’t read any other Darkover books, this trilogy would be a good start.
Although Eduin was hard to like for me at times, I felt his sorrow when having to take on the weight of his family name and all that came attached. Still not a great dude overall in my opinion.
It was also extremely cool to have Carlo back in this series and getting to see his perspective of things that happened in Hawkmistress. If you haven’t read any other Darkover books, this trilogy would be a good start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2017
Semi-essential in the chronology, but felt far too long. The main part just dragged. I really feel 100+ pages could have been cut with little lost. But it was almost worth it for the last section.
February 22, 2018
Fantastic!
The Clingfire Trilogy is an absolutely fantastic read! I look forward to finding other Darkover books and reading them. The story was so gripping that I couldn’t stop reading.
The Clingfire Trilogy is an absolutely fantastic read! I look forward to finding other Darkover books and reading them. The story was so gripping that I couldn’t stop reading.
June 14, 2019
The trilogy has wrapped up nicely and Eduin has finally gotten what he deserves. I have been wanting to kill him for two books now. The book covered an interesting time in the series and it was high time someone wrote about the Compact's first halting steps.
May 24, 2021
Lungo, troppo lungo, come gli altri due tomi di questa trilogia. Condividono gli stessi limiti, la stessa confusione e la stessa ripetitività con dei personaggi tagliatti con l'accetta e i buoni da una parte e i cattivi dall'altra (ma non la potenza salvifica dell'amore).
Arriviamo all'epilogo e sconfitta prevista del cattivo di turno e della stirpe dei Deslucido (tranne poi scoprire in futuro qualche altro figlio illegittimo per continuare la saga). Peccato, ci si aspettava qualcosa di più dal racconto deell'epoca di Varzil il buono.
Arriviamo all'epilogo e sconfitta prevista del cattivo di turno e della stirpe dei Deslucido (tranne poi scoprire in futuro qualche altro figlio illegittimo per continuare la saga). Peccato, ci si aspettava qualcosa di più dal racconto deell'epoca di Varzil il buono.
May 13, 2022
A life long journey of revenge.
What makes a person good or evil? To what extent is an enslaved person responsible for their actions? The Gods are what we make of them. All we can do is make our deaths meaningful.
What makes a person good or evil? To what extent is an enslaved person responsible for their actions? The Gods are what we make of them. All we can do is make our deaths meaningful.
July 22, 2020
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
July 26, 2020
Well, this one wraps up the story of The Compact's beginning, so that is good. But I have to say it is very obvious that this is not written by MZB.
September 4, 2020
Just couldn't get into another retelling of the same time period, from the third person in the group of three young men.
October 26, 2020
Have loved this series
June 12, 2025
Not as good as the MZB stand-alone stories, but entertaining.
December 19, 2014
"A Flame in Hali" is the last book of the Clingfire Trilogy and, like the first two stories "The Fall of Neskaya" and "Zandru's Forge", is a story conceived by Marion Zimmer Bradley and written by Deborah J. Ross. All three books are set in the final generations prior to the signing of the Compact on Darkover that lead to the "modern" era of the Bloody Sun prior to recontact with their Terran ancestors. Like all stories set in the pre-recontact and pre-Compact era it focuses on the science of matrix technology and its benefits and dangers to Darkovans and its societal distortions. In general, these stories play more to the fantasy side of her work while retaining a well-defined basis for a laran-based civilization.
What it, of course, lacks is the clash of cultures that so dominants and enlivens the work of Bradley. It is unclear if the creator of the Darkovan universe simply did not trust anyone to handle that dynamic or if she felt that Ms. Ross should be limited to more well-bounded subject matter. Bradley had nurtured Ross' career so clearly she had a feel for both Ross' limits and her capabilities. Overall the works are a fun read and a good continuation for fans looking for entertainment and a good tale, however, there is nothing groundbreaking here for non-fans.
Ms Ross initially was one of Bradley's strongest defenders against revelations of Bradley's sexual abuse of her daughter and other children. However, after a series of responses she had the following to say:
"I was wrong about the story, and I was wrong to say what I did. I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused," wrote Ross. "I was shocked and appalled by the story as related by Marion's daughter. I had no prior knowledge of any misdeeds by Marion, and it was completely inappropriate for me to comment. Nothing I have said should be taken as a justification or defence of child abuse. As for Walter Breen, like many others, I was misled into believing that he had not acted on his proclivities. When I found out the truth, I was horrified, and I assisted the police in the investigation of the second set of charges that resulted in his incarceration. I ask for your understanding and patience with me for the time it has taken me to respond. I offer the victims my wholehearted support and prayers for healing."
What it, of course, lacks is the clash of cultures that so dominants and enlivens the work of Bradley. It is unclear if the creator of the Darkovan universe simply did not trust anyone to handle that dynamic or if she felt that Ms. Ross should be limited to more well-bounded subject matter. Bradley had nurtured Ross' career so clearly she had a feel for both Ross' limits and her capabilities. Overall the works are a fun read and a good continuation for fans looking for entertainment and a good tale, however, there is nothing groundbreaking here for non-fans.
Ms Ross initially was one of Bradley's strongest defenders against revelations of Bradley's sexual abuse of her daughter and other children. However, after a series of responses she had the following to say:
"I was wrong about the story, and I was wrong to say what I did. I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused," wrote Ross. "I was shocked and appalled by the story as related by Marion's daughter. I had no prior knowledge of any misdeeds by Marion, and it was completely inappropriate for me to comment. Nothing I have said should be taken as a justification or defence of child abuse. As for Walter Breen, like many others, I was misled into believing that he had not acted on his proclivities. When I found out the truth, I was horrified, and I assisted the police in the investigation of the second set of charges that resulted in his incarceration. I ask for your understanding and patience with me for the time it has taken me to respond. I offer the victims my wholehearted support and prayers for healing."
February 12, 2017
Normally, I'm a big fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley. However, I could not get into this book. It took me over 2 months to get just a little over halfway through it, and reading it felt tedious... more like a chore than a pleasure. After thinking things through, I ended up just giving up on this one rather than trying to force myself to finish it.
September 17, 2011
I enjoyed this tale more so than most of the Darkover series. I couldn't help but feel connected to the world's plight, and Varzill's righteous quest to stop the world's eventual destruction. I enjoyed the parts of Carolin for his futile quest for peace, and how he fought, against all odds, to attain it, and sacrificed so much for its sake. The details of the battlefield and this Matrix magic were as captivating as usual, but there was one detail that I felt set it above the rest. The villain, Eduin, was likeable. Corrupted by his father, who was truly evil, Eduin only fought for his father's sake, he was not truly evil himself. He loved his father, he knew that Carolin's family had put his father into such a terrible state, and he knew that the kingdom was rightfully his and snatched away, (it really wasn't, but that's all he knew.) He had his lover taken away, Varzill took his glory and pushed Eduin into the shadows, and he was trumped and beaten everywhere he went, even though he did truly try to do what was good and right in his eyes. Watching this character fall deeper and deeper into the darkness because of the "just and good" people reminded me of the Nordic tales of Loki, and i became attached to this character. A truly good and depressing read, I enjoyed it.
December 30, 2011
Some may like this book even more than "Zandru's Forge", if they didn't care for the fact that much of the plot of that book was a rehash of the story told in "Hawkmistress"; there is nothing in the plot of this book that has previously been told, and it's a story that has been hinted at and which many may be curious to see: the story of how "The Compact" (in which no psychic weapons, or any sort of weapons other than melee weapons,are used or created on Darkover) came to be. Personally, I love the story told in "Hawkmistress" enough that I was happy to see a retelling of it from a different perspective, and found this story, which was told alternately from the perspectives of Dyannis Ridenow (Varzil's sister) and Eduin Deslucido to be slightly less interesting, and I felt that Eduin's character (which had been established in the previous book as significantly less than admirable, but which the author/s worked very hard at redefining as "troubled" in this book) to have been insufficiently rehabilitated to make his attempted heroism at the end plausible. Still, the book was extremely well-written in spite of those quibbles, and an enjoyable read. It is a worthy addition to the Darkover "canon".
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