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Darkover Omnibus #3
The Saga of the Renunciates
Return to the genre-bending world of Darkover, to a trilogy that follows the thrilling story of two Free Amazon women
In the three novels which comprise THE SAGA OF THE RENUNCIATES, Marion Zimmer Bradley tells the masterful tale of two valiant women who face and try to break the invisible chains of custom, convention, habit and expectation with which society binds women, and women bind themselves.
Magdalen Lorne is a Terran woman born and reared on Darkover. She thinks herself the perfect Terran undercover Intelligence agent, and disguises herself as a Free Amazon to enable her to fulfill a mission to free a Terran man from kidnappers. But when she herself is captured by a band of real Renunciates, she discovers they have a harsh punishment for any she must swear the Oath of the Free Amazons, relinquish her former life, and become a Renunciate in reality.
Jaelle has been raised in the harsh patriarchal environment of the Dry Towns. Her mother Mellora is a Comyn woman who has been kidnapped in order to breed laran- gifted offspring for her barbarian "husband." But when a desperate, pregnant Mellora dies in childbirth following a daring escape aided by a band of Renunciates, the still young Jaelle is adopted into the Guild, and becomes the Free Amazon Jaelle n'ha Mellora, a woman who has never known kindness from a man.
Together Magda, now known as Margali n'ha Tsabet, and her Guild-sister Jaelle will follow a twisting course neither could have predicted. A course which will lead them to question every aspect of themselves and of their two so-different societies. And one which will eventually set them on a life-threatening journey not only to the frozen ends of the physical world, but to the perilous limits of the spiritual overworld as well.
In the three novels which comprise THE SAGA OF THE RENUNCIATES, Marion Zimmer Bradley tells the masterful tale of two valiant women who face and try to break the invisible chains of custom, convention, habit and expectation with which society binds women, and women bind themselves.
Magdalen Lorne is a Terran woman born and reared on Darkover. She thinks herself the perfect Terran undercover Intelligence agent, and disguises herself as a Free Amazon to enable her to fulfill a mission to free a Terran man from kidnappers. But when she herself is captured by a band of real Renunciates, she discovers they have a harsh punishment for any she must swear the Oath of the Free Amazons, relinquish her former life, and become a Renunciate in reality.
Jaelle has been raised in the harsh patriarchal environment of the Dry Towns. Her mother Mellora is a Comyn woman who has been kidnapped in order to breed laran- gifted offspring for her barbarian "husband." But when a desperate, pregnant Mellora dies in childbirth following a daring escape aided by a band of Renunciates, the still young Jaelle is adopted into the Guild, and becomes the Free Amazon Jaelle n'ha Mellora, a woman who has never known kindness from a man.
Together Magda, now known as Margali n'ha Tsabet, and her Guild-sister Jaelle will follow a twisting course neither could have predicted. A course which will lead them to question every aspect of themselves and of their two so-different societies. And one which will eventually set them on a life-threatening journey not only to the frozen ends of the physical world, but to the perilous limits of the spiritual overworld as well.
1116 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
65 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Marion Zimmer Bradley
800 books4,875 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 30 reviews
April 11, 2009
Another re-read for me. I've always liked these 3 books in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series. The Renunciates are women living in the feudal, patriarchal Darkovan society who renounce the traditional dependency on men & work to live in new ways doing all kinds of different things. These have been out of print for quite a while, so it was nice to see them in the world again. I read them when they first came out - late '70's/early '80's after my father turned me on to the whole series with The Forbidden Tower (Darkover).
I had wondered if these would be too dated given the changes in feminist thought & theory since they were written, but I found them for the most part surprisingly fresh. I really like Thendara House (Darkover) best as it's the most in-depth examination of the two main characters, Jaelle & Margali, & their own journeys to self-empowerment (yes, Virginia, woman can be Joseph Campbell class heroes, too!).
Good stories & an interesting exploration of gender roles, sexuality (& its many possibilities), friendship, & living in defiance of societal norms. It's a fun read & with 3 books in one will keep you occupied!
I had wondered if these would be too dated given the changes in feminist thought & theory since they were written, but I found them for the most part surprisingly fresh. I really like Thendara House (Darkover) best as it's the most in-depth examination of the two main characters, Jaelle & Margali, & their own journeys to self-empowerment (yes, Virginia, woman can be Joseph Campbell class heroes, too!).
Good stories & an interesting exploration of gender roles, sexuality (& its many possibilities), friendship, & living in defiance of societal norms. It's a fun read & with 3 books in one will keep you occupied!
August 13, 2007
If someone threatens to kill you, and the only way that this assassin would agree to spare your life is if you agree to read this book, die. I usually read sci-fi/fantasy to immerse myself in another world and to enjoy a brainless read, but this book was a waste of 1300 pages. There's no sort-of-ashamed about this one; I'm really ashamed. But I figure sharing my shame is okay as long as it spares you embarking on such a futile read. Sorry, MZB. I set out to read about amazons, and you gave me the authorial finger. I hear many people love The Mists of Avalon, though.
November 3, 2008
A part of the Darkover series.
I thought I would like this more than I actually did. Bradley has her usual strong female lead characters but it didn't touch me, I didn't feel it the way I have with some of her other creations.
It was OK, but that's paltrey for Bradley. Usually I have high praise for her work.
I thought I would like this more than I actually did. Bradley has her usual strong female lead characters but it didn't touch me, I didn't feel it the way I have with some of her other creations.
It was OK, but that's paltrey for Bradley. Usually I have high praise for her work.
November 2, 2010
75 out of 100 for 2010
The second book in this omnibus book is a reread for class, but, since I just read a 500 page book for class, I'm going to count it against my goal of 100 for '10. If you are interested in my reactions to Thendara House, which is, I think, Bradley's best novel, see my review of it.
The second book in this omnibus book is a reread for class, but, since I just read a 500 page book for class, I'm going to count it against my goal of 100 for '10. If you are interested in my reactions to Thendara House, which is, I think, Bradley's best novel, see my review of it.
June 16, 2018
Four stars each for The Shattered Chain and Thendara House, two stars for City of Sorcery because even 17 years later, that ending still pisses me off. Maybe a reread will change my mind, but I will be mad about it forever.
May 15, 2009
I always love the books in the Darkover series. This one delves deeper into the ladies who rebel against Darkovers male-dominated society. Very good read.
January 4, 2024
Three novels in one omnibus. I had read the first 2 years ago, and enjoyed getting the rest of the story. Magdalen Lorne was a Terran who had grown up on Darkover and could pass as a native. She was unmasked by a group of Renunciates when she was pretending to be one of them and forced to take their oath. She chose to honor the oath and became a bridge between the two world's cultures. These tales fill in details from other novels set on Darkover. Anyone who likes these stories needs to add this one to their collection.
October 29, 2018
Wondrous, enlightening, and beautifully told ...
As a YA, the Darkover novels were, among the thousands of books I devoured, some of the small dozen or so that shaped my path, my philosophy of life. I never tire of rereading them to discover more. With a mere hand full of others (le Guin, Heinlein, etc.) MZB is one of ' the Greats'. She never fails to make me delve inward when I'm reading and look outward with renewed understanding when I'm through. Blessed be!
As a YA, the Darkover novels were, among the thousands of books I devoured, some of the small dozen or so that shaped my path, my philosophy of life. I never tire of rereading them to discover more. With a mere hand full of others (le Guin, Heinlein, etc.) MZB is one of ' the Greats'. She never fails to make me delve inward when I'm reading and look outward with renewed understanding when I'm through. Blessed be!
January 8, 2019
A saga about women, discovery and love.
Oh, my. I turned the last page, found it was the end and all I could say was I want more, I want more.
Oh, my. I turned the last page, found it was the end and all I could say was I want more, I want more.
May 21, 2022
Wisdom is found in the journey.
Jaelle and Magda are oath sworn friends and Free Mates. They have many adventures separately and together. Death is just one of them
Jaelle and Magda are oath sworn friends and Free Mates. They have many adventures separately and together. Death is just one of them
October 12, 2024
The Saga brings us new points of view to consider about gender roles and society, in an imaginative way, which helps us to think about how we act as women and men.
March 15, 2022
THE SHATTERED CHAIN:
This was a really good story. Magda finds herself in an impossible situation. She is a Terra agent on Darkover to learn and study. Her ex is held for ransom, and is forced to rescue him herself by imposing as an Amazon. Naturally, she comes face to face with the true Amazons. She must take the Amazon oath in order to save her ex, without betraying her Terra roots and responsibilities. Later, she comes to find that her latent laran abilities are awakened. Marion Z. Bradley really examines what it means to be a woman on Darkover from so many points of view. I'm really looking for to reading the next book in the saga.
THENDARA HOUSE:
Of all the Darkover novels I've read so far, I absolutely did not like this one. Marion Zimmer Bradley goes on and on about the same issues with the two characters Jaelle and Magdalen Lorne. Even the repetition of the routine at the Terran HQ was too much for me. I believe half of this novel can be edited out. She really had trouble with moving on with the story telling. I was interested in it when they actually left the guild house in search of Aleki, and the leronis from the Forbidden Tower. At one point, I considered to not finish the novel and just move on to the next book in the saga.
CITY OF SORCERY:
After a long over-due hiatus from Marion Zimmer Bradley’s (MZB) Darkover, I return with the City of Sorcery. For me, it was a definite improvement from its grueling predecessor Thendara House. I actually liked it a lot, and I’m looking forward to the next omnibus series, The Forbidden Circle.
In the third installment in the Saga of the Renunciates trilogy, Jaelle and Magda are at odds, again. Magda continues to be torn from her Terran and Darkovan cultures. She also struggles with her ability of laran. To clarify, the Terrans think its bunk. That there is no laran.
When a competitor in Terran Intelligence returns to HQ with an exploratory sighting of a settlement way beyond the known Darkovan world, the intimate group of Free Amazons and a few responsible HQ personnel join in their quest.
Their journey over and through the frozen and deadly Wall of the World is kinda expected, but still entertaining to see how each one deals with it or does not deal with it, individually. (This is were I learned who I do and do not like in the two groups.) The book has more adventure and action, which kept my interest. The characters had surprising secrets to tell by the end of the book.
They will have to overcome not only the unforgiving elements, but also an inhospitable village, and a threatening sorceress Acquilara in order to save Lexie and Rafaella from the clutches of the Dark Sisterhood!
This was a really good story. Magda finds herself in an impossible situation. She is a Terra agent on Darkover to learn and study. Her ex is held for ransom, and is forced to rescue him herself by imposing as an Amazon. Naturally, she comes face to face with the true Amazons. She must take the Amazon oath in order to save her ex, without betraying her Terra roots and responsibilities. Later, she comes to find that her latent laran abilities are awakened. Marion Z. Bradley really examines what it means to be a woman on Darkover from so many points of view. I'm really looking for to reading the next book in the saga.
THENDARA HOUSE:
Of all the Darkover novels I've read so far, I absolutely did not like this one. Marion Zimmer Bradley goes on and on about the same issues with the two characters Jaelle and Magdalen Lorne. Even the repetition of the routine at the Terran HQ was too much for me. I believe half of this novel can be edited out. She really had trouble with moving on with the story telling. I was interested in it when they actually left the guild house in search of Aleki, and the leronis from the Forbidden Tower. At one point, I considered to not finish the novel and just move on to the next book in the saga.
CITY OF SORCERY:
After a long over-due hiatus from Marion Zimmer Bradley’s (MZB) Darkover, I return with the City of Sorcery. For me, it was a definite improvement from its grueling predecessor Thendara House. I actually liked it a lot, and I’m looking forward to the next omnibus series, The Forbidden Circle.
In the third installment in the Saga of the Renunciates trilogy, Jaelle and Magda are at odds, again. Magda continues to be torn from her Terran and Darkovan cultures. She also struggles with her ability of laran. To clarify, the Terrans think its bunk. That there is no laran.
When a competitor in Terran Intelligence returns to HQ with an exploratory sighting of a settlement way beyond the known Darkovan world, the intimate group of Free Amazons and a few responsible HQ personnel join in their quest.
Their journey over and through the frozen and deadly Wall of the World is kinda expected, but still entertaining to see how each one deals with it or does not deal with it, individually. (This is were I learned who I do and do not like in the two groups.) The book has more adventure and action, which kept my interest. The characters had surprising secrets to tell by the end of the book.
They will have to overcome not only the unforgiving elements, but also an inhospitable village, and a threatening sorceress Acquilara in order to save Lexie and Rafaella from the clutches of the Dark Sisterhood!
June 13, 2008
I think I actually had an earlier edition which had The Shattered Chain and Thendara House together, and read City of Sorcery as a separate book. I think I read it later, even though I remember it least. The other two I remember pretty clearly.
In Bradley's world of Darkover (an alien planet with a long-lost human colony) women have few legal rights and are the property of fathers and husbands. "Renunciates" are women who reject the social system and band together in groups for mutual protection. In The Shattered Chain a Comyn woman (the Comyn are the nobility because they have psychic powers) recruits some Renunciates to help rescue her sister, who was kidnapped many years earlier by the even-more-sexist-and-abusive vaguely Middle Eastern-ish desert society where she was added to some lord's harem and never saw the light of day again. Her family refused to help her, but now that her daughter is twelve and about to be married off she begs her sister to save the child.
Thendara House takes place a decade later, when Jaelle meets up with Magda, a woman from the Terran Empire (I don't remember if it's called exactly that, but a space-faring multiplanet organization that recently "discovered" the Darkovans) who is disguised as a Renunciate for safety while trying to rescue a missing Terran colleague who is being held for ransom. I found Magda's side of the story, with her trying to adapt to the Renunciate ways, a lot more interesting than Jaelle's lame romance with Peter.
In Bradley's world of Darkover (an alien planet with a long-lost human colony) women have few legal rights and are the property of fathers and husbands. "Renunciates" are women who reject the social system and band together in groups for mutual protection. In The Shattered Chain a Comyn woman (the Comyn are the nobility because they have psychic powers) recruits some Renunciates to help rescue her sister, who was kidnapped many years earlier by the even-more-sexist-and-abusive vaguely Middle Eastern-ish desert society where she was added to some lord's harem and never saw the light of day again. Her family refused to help her, but now that her daughter is twelve and about to be married off she begs her sister to save the child.
Thendara House takes place a decade later, when Jaelle meets up with Magda, a woman from the Terran Empire (I don't remember if it's called exactly that, but a space-faring multiplanet organization that recently "discovered" the Darkovans) who is disguised as a Renunciate for safety while trying to rescue a missing Terran colleague who is being held for ransom. I found Magda's side of the story, with her trying to adapt to the Renunciate ways, a lot more interesting than Jaelle's lame romance with Peter.
April 21, 2014
The first time I read these books I absolutely adored them. Maybe I could relate better 10 odd years ago. Reading it the second time around was a little painful because I wanted to kick Jaelle and Magda's asses and really hurt Peter something fierce.
Jaelle and Magda seem to like each other but not as much as they like men, which was disappointing. They also didn't seem to know their own minds when it came to men and how they should be treated. The reality of being with men as companions instead of just sexual partners was fascinating. Peter lacked the ability to see Jaelle or Magda outside of how they represented him. I found this extremely fascinating because there does seem to be an unintentional self centeredness with men (yep I just generalized all men. As in all things there is always someone to prove a generalization wrong).
I really appreciate the self inquiry that the characters engage in. I like that it was like a Socratic consciousness raising group and I enjoyed the process. All in all, I like the books but I'm not reading them again. Twice is probably enough.
Jaelle and Magda seem to like each other but not as much as they like men, which was disappointing. They also didn't seem to know their own minds when it came to men and how they should be treated. The reality of being with men as companions instead of just sexual partners was fascinating. Peter lacked the ability to see Jaelle or Magda outside of how they represented him. I found this extremely fascinating because there does seem to be an unintentional self centeredness with men (yep I just generalized all men. As in all things there is always someone to prove a generalization wrong).
I really appreciate the self inquiry that the characters engage in. I like that it was like a Socratic consciousness raising group and I enjoyed the process. All in all, I like the books but I'm not reading them again. Twice is probably enough.
September 30, 2014
Loved this book! I wish I had read it when it first came out, when I was a younger woman finding my place in a patriarchal society. I realize how far women have come since the 60s and how far we still have to go to be truly equal and this book explores all those issues. It also explores what was one of the themes of feminism in the 70s, that in order to truly be who we are, women will need to give up the company of men entirely. That path was not for me, but it was interesting to see it explored in fiction as a way to empowerment.
October 21, 2019
Well, as always, I find MZB's book thought-provoking and enjoyable. I read two of the three books in this omnibus way back in the 80s, and some of the things that bugged me then bug me even more now. So much SF written at this time by women focuses on how men suck. So I find a lot of the attitudes silly, such as when a guy who married a native freaks out at her for not buying his beard suppressing stuff. The clothing they make this woman wear is also very Star Trek - mini-skirts and tights that get runs.
However, if you can get past this junk, it's an interesting and enjoyable read.
However, if you can get past this junk, it's an interesting and enjoyable read.
April 29, 2015
An epic adventure with compelling main characters and a richly developed world. Some of the characters were frustratingly dense and/or whiny at times, but overall I thought that there was interesting character development, and many of the players had a good mix of heroic and incriminating actions. I enjoyed the concept of the guild house, and the discussions on women vs. society. I haven't read any other Darkover novels though, so I did feel like I was missing some of the greater context.
May 14, 2015
This edition seemed to have some typos. However, it didn't detract from my enjoyment. I've read these before, several years ago, and enjoyed them again. There are some interesting themes here ... things to think about. The way homosexuality is treated, though, feels dated (the books were written in the late 80s, early 90s? Something like that.)
I am sorry that there was not another book to follow up with Camilla and Magda.
I am sorry that there was not another book to follow up with Camilla and Magda.
June 28, 2013
Camilla is my favorite character. Jael or Jaelle seems to be a popular name in feminist literature. The Female Man, Stir Fry, & This that I know of. Inspiring! Not a utopia, frusterating at times, like real life. A vision of how it could be. Lots of debate about differing viewpoints without being preachy.
September 2, 2013
This is probably the WORST of all of Bradley's books... it's terribly slow and full of women who are terribly unhappy about being women and wanting to be men... it's very disgusting...
I would NOT recommend this book to anyone...
However, I'm religious... so, I despised all of the inferences to homosexuality, that is faggotry...
I would NOT recommend this book to anyone...
However, I'm religious... so, I despised all of the inferences to homosexuality, that is faggotry...
August 18, 2014
Thendara House is really the best book of the lot. It might be the best Darkover novel, period. I notice, though, reading it now, how incredibly dated much of the Terran technology and attitudes seem. Really? Thousands of years from now, we're going to be using ordinary photographic ID badges, escalators, and still be going into a tizzy over homosexuality?
September 21, 2007
Of the Darkover series. I tend to read all those books really far apart, so I can’t compare them, but I really must say that I like her world-building. I don’t tend to like her beginnings, but there’s something comfortably familiar about them once you get settled in.
March 5, 2008
This is the book that got me started on the darkover series, which I really enjoy. This book is my favorite of the series because it focuses on the renunciates, a band of women who have their own code of life and society - I dug it.
May 16, 2020
The saga of the Free Amazon Jaelle and her "sister" Magda Lorne of Terra, omnibus of
The Shattered Chain re-read 1/22/1999
Thendard House re-read 1/23/1999
and
City of Sorcery re-read 12/13/1998 &
The Shattered Chain re-read 1/22/1999
Thendard House re-read 1/23/1999
and
City of Sorcery re-read 12/13/1998 &
July 26, 2011
For about four days, I could not put this down, I was so absorbed in these characters and the feudal society. A very good read!
April 28, 2014
This is part of my Darkover re-read, so I will review the series when I finish.
April 10, 2016
Another series from the world of Darkover. If you only read one set, this would be it. Great characters making a non-traditional choice in a well conceived culture. A must read.
April 28, 2012
I am a huge fan of all of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover. But these are my favorites.
April 5, 2017
Three books in one
The Shattered Chain, Thendara House and City of Sorcery. Tales of Magda the Terran born on Darkover and Jaelle, who both become Renunciates and their times together. In the first book, it's mostly about Magda who lives as a Terran Intelligence on Darkover. The second book is a crossing of lives: Madga lives in the Renunciates Guild house and Jaelle lives with the Terrans. The last book is a very long travel took Nevarsin, city of snows and beyond. It is very philosophical.
The Shattered Chain, Thendara House and City of Sorcery. Tales of Magda the Terran born on Darkover and Jaelle, who both become Renunciates and their times together. In the first book, it's mostly about Magda who lives as a Terran Intelligence on Darkover. The second book is a crossing of lives: Madga lives in the Renunciates Guild house and Jaelle lives with the Terrans. The last book is a very long travel took Nevarsin, city of snows and beyond. It is very philosophical.
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April 18, 2018This trilogy in one volume is essentially for backup. I have copies of all the original volumes...but you never know. One might go walkabout, or get damaged, or something.
I've reviewed the individual volumes elsewhere (qv).
I've reviewed the individual volumes elsewhere (qv).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews