Bradley, Marion Zimmer Books

The Forest House (Avalon, Book 2)

Marion Zimmer Bradley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 105 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Could have been good... 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

It really could have been good. The story was very interesting. Unfortunately:

1. It was poorly written. SO many sentences did not make sense. I would have to go back and read and reread. It seems like she was trying to make it more wordy than it needed to be.

2. The characters were not developed. Except for Caillean. So I ended up with basically no attachment to the main characters. Was it really necessary to spend a few chapters on Gaius' career when we don't know jack about most other things in the book?

3. It seems like chapters are missing. This book should have been longer or had a bunch of half-finished plots left out. Like the ending. It seems like the ending was on fast forward. You might as well read Cliff Notes. I felt the same way about the end of Mists, too, but this was worse.

4. Can't somone just write a book that is "pagan friendly" yet not all about rape and torture and sacrifice? All these books are doing is making me hate the Romans and Christians of the time and leaving me with a sense of despair. I just want one book where they weren't all shown as heathen sacrificers and the Christians show them how to be civilized, "good people".

Editorial Review:

The novel that truly begins the bestselling Avalon saga...

Priestess Of Avalon

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana L. Paxson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 64 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Not since The Mists of Avalon has there been such a powerful and mesmerizing portrait of goddess-powered womanhood and women's spirituality. In Priestess of Avalon, the legendary Marion Zimmer Bradley once again reaches back in time to create a magnificent prequel to her undying classic of Camelot.

Priestess of Avalon tells the timeless story of Eilan-known to the Romans as Helena-a British princess raised on the holy isle of Avalon as she grows from maiden to mother to wise woman. It is Helena's destiny-at a crucial turning point in Western history-to bridge the pagan world of the goddess and the new Christian empire founded by her own son, Constantine. When Helena embarks on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land she will find the intrinsic truth that transcends both the old religion and the new.

The legions of fans who cherish The Mists of Avalon will find its promise brought to rich fulfillment in Priestess of Avalon. For those new to the series, undreamed-of enchantment awaits.

Abridged. Four Cassettes, six hours

The Alton Gift (Darkover)

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Deborah J. Ross

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Mediocre at best... 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Let me just preface this review by acknowledging the fact that I have been a die hard Darkover fan since I borrowed the first book from the public library when I was 12. I particularly love the earlier books in this set: Exile's Song, The Sharra Matrix and Traitor's Sun. I've read them so many times I know them almost by heart and feel like these people are part of my family. Well... this book does NOT live up to the others. The characters were always MZB's greatest achievement and what made the books so fascinating. This book does not get the primary characters right.

I was particularly upset by how Marguerida and Lew were characterized. Marja loses the essence of her character in this novel. She is no longer the strong willed, blindingly intelligent woman who is able to set aside personal concerns and think objectively about the problems facing her family and world. Instead she frequently gives in to hysterics and seems to be a burden at best once her husband and father fall ill. I also found it inconsistent that she would be so adamant about her defending role in the North Road Battle after the horrible gut reaction and depression she and Mikhail shared afterword. I understand her defending herself, but in this novel she takes a long time to admit that although she chose the lesser of two evils, it was still evil. The Marja from Traitor's Sun would have had no problem recognizing that fact.

Also Lew has used his own gift more than any character in the novel and carries that burden, but to think he comes undone over the North Road Battle? After suffering Sharra? I think not. I can understand all of it building up in him and his need to find solace even at St. Valentine's, but I don't see him losing it because of the battle.

There are also other historical and place inconsistencies that were mentioned in other reviews. These also served to undermine the quality of the novel.

I did enjoy finding out what happened next to some of the younger characters like the development of Nico's character and his own adventures. I was also glad to read about the development of Alanna's character and unique powers. (Although in one of the much earlier books I believe the ability to see multiple futures was referred to as the Elhalyn Gift and most likely came to her through her grandmother Javanne.) In all the novel was mediocre at best with most of the well written sections being compromised by the completely out of character actions of the most prominent figures.

Editorial Review:

First in a brand new Darkover trilogy— Now in paperback!

The long-awaited continuation of the popular science fiction saga is the story of Darkover’s telepathic ruling class, the comyn, and their struggles to reclaim their realm from the devastating effects of the Terran Federation...

The Firebrand

Marion Zimmer Bradley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 87 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"She Speaks of Nothing but Ruin and Death for Troy..." 2 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I'm not a huge fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley, but the Trojan War is one of my favourite subjects, and I was curious to see how it could be told from a singular, feminine point of view - in this case, Princess Kassandra of Troy, tragically famous for her accurate predictions of doom that no one believed. "The Firebrand" is told with Bradley's trademark style; a strong feminist streak (that can become a little too heavy-handed at times), and her fresh spin on an ancient legend, a technique that brought Bradley into the public eye with her best known novel The Mists of Avalon.

"The Firebrand" follows the life of Kassandra of Troy from childhood to the fall of her city at the hands of the Akhaians, and the details of her life in-between, significantly her relationships with her family members and her struggles with her gift/curse of prophesy. Oddly enough, Bradley does not instigate the Trojan War into the story until nearly halfway through the book, filling the pages instead with Kassandra's growth into a young woman, her tutelage under the Amazon Penthesilea, various love affairs (of the wanted and unwanted variety) and the rituals of a priestess's life. Amongst all this, the war seems almost arbitrary, and several of the most important aspects (such as the deaths in the royal family) are glossed over with little to no emotional resonance. This may be disappointing to some, so be warned: "The Firebrand" is mainly interested in the life and times of Kassandra - even though the title directly refers to Paris, here portrayed as Kassandra's twin brother.

Kassandra is a well-drawn character, willful yet sensible, passionate yet contained, and in a clever twist Bradley makes it clear that it is not just her prophecies that make her somewhat of a pariah amongst her family, but her modernist streak as well. She certainly comes across as a woman living outside of her own time, and yet she never feels anything but entirely natural in her attitudes and relationships - even though some of these relationships are established early on in the text, only to be ignored later on. Other characters are less convincing than Kassandra, (such as Andromache, whose personality seems to change with each appearance), or ultimately inconsequential, such as Bradley's original characters Khryse and Chryseis, who are introduced only to serve no real purpose in the overarching plot.

Other times, the storytelling is often just plain sloppy: Kassandra periodically has visions of her brother Paris, but we are told at the end of chapter six that: "Paris was gone, this time beyond any recall at her command. She did not see him again for a long time." The following chapter picks up a few weeks later, in which Kassandra is once again engaged in watching her brother from afar.

As usual, Bradley's greatest weakness is her feminist streak, which can get so overwrought at times that it becomes an irritating strain on the credibility of the story's integrity. The key to any strong female protagonist is *not* to surround her with thuggish, block-headed caricatures of men, but to have her hold her own against men that are just as worthy of respect in their own right. Bradley clearly does not grasp this theory, as practically every male in the book is foolish, lecherous, arrogant or all three. Strengthening female characters by vilifying all the male ones, is in itself a weak way to portray convincing characters - not to mention robbing any sense of poignancy or emotion from the fates of Paris, Hector, Priam and Akhilles. The way Bradley writes it, we should be glad they all meet with tragedy.

Likewise, Kassandra (and though her Bradley) holds a hefty amount of distain to any woman who displays devotion to her spouse. From insisting that children belong to their mothers instead of their fathers (it seems to have escaped her notice that children could belong to *both* parents), mocking any woman who is content with being a wife and mother, and insinuating that the Trojan War would have never started had they all lived in a matriarchal society, Bradley pushes her feminist agenda so far that even this liberal female gender-studies student got tired of it.

This is unfortunately not my only grievance. What begins as an interesting insight in the gods and how they interact with mankind (beginning with the conception of Helen between Zeus and Leda) eventually becomes a muddled portrayal of gods and their influence over mankind. With Bradley attempting to rationalize some aspects of Greek legend, such as the Kentaurs and the snake-hair of Medusa, it seems odd that the gods would appear at all. However, at various points in the text, Kassandra communicates and witnesses various gods at work. Although Bradley opens up an interesting commentary on how the gods *might* work, their arbitrary appearances and her awkward insertion of a "goddess-mother" (who bears no resemblance to any god in the Greek pantheon) renders the portrayal confusing. Whatever her point was, it is lost in the contradictions and omissions in the text.

Although I enjoyed the character of Kassandra, and the unique twists that Bradley inserts into the original legend of Troy (such as an interesting portrayal of Odysseus and a different figure responsible for the death of Akhilles), there is something missing from this retelling: a clear sense of the context in which Kassandra's personal journey takes place. Although she remains consistent, the lack of interest in the war itself and the inconsistency in both the portrayal of the gods and those closest to Kassandra mean that the story feels...incomplete. It's almost like we've only seen a tiny portion of the experiences that shape who this woman really is. Despite several positive aspects, I'd recommend giving this Trojan retelling a miss and trying Goddess of Yesterday, another look at how a young woman is shaped by her experience both as a woman and a participant of the Trojan War.

Editorial Review:

Blending archaeological fact and legend, the myths of the gods and the feats of heroes, Marion Zimmer Bradley breathes new life into the classic tale of the Trojan War-reinventing larger-than-life figures as living people engaged in a desperate struggle that dooms both the victors and the vanquished, their fate seen through the eyes of Kassandra-priestess, princess, and passionate woman with the spirit of a warrior.

A Flame in Hali (The Clingfire Trilogy, Book 3)

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Deborah J. Ross

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

somewhat disjointed, but good 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

It definitely suffers from mzb being gone, but the characters are good, and the ending is wonderful, and very unexpected. Not in the first rank of darkover books, but will get you interested enough to read the rest

Solid Darkover Novel 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am glad that Deborah Ross is continuing to write in the world of Darkover, and I think that overall she is doing a fine job. I am excited to see that she is going to release a new trilogy continuing the story of "modern" Darkover, which should tie up the many loose ends from "Traitor's Sun" (the last Darkover novel Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote before her death). If you are a fan of Darkover/MZB, "A Flame in Hali" is a must-read, and a solid effort from Ross. However, it is certainly not the place to begin the series, and does not rank among the best Darkover tales.
This novel mostly suffers from an unlikeable protagonist, Eduin Deslucido. Yes, we pity him because of the compulsion to kill that his father placed upon him. However, he is a self-serving character who goes through life manipulating others as he chooses, completely violating the moral code of Darkover. It is impossible to like him or want him to succeed in his goal of killing King Carolin and Varzil Ridenow, who we grew to love in the second volume of this trilogy. Unfortunately, they only have cameo roles in this book.
More interesting than Eduin is the heroine of the book, Dyannis, Varzil's sister. While she has a tendency to blame herself for everything, she at least has a strong personality and strong values, and we are rooting for her the whole time. Varzil is a wonderful character whenever we see him.
The story progressed slowly, but it never quite dragged. Not as good as the first two books of the trilogy, or Marion Zimmer Bradley's last Darkovers novels, but "A Flame in Hali" was an entertaining read, and the ending was heartbreaking.

Editorial Review:

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.

The Fall of Neskaya (The Clingfire Trilogy, Book 1)

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Deborah J. Ross

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

MZB, like Generalissimo Francisco Franco, is still dead 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Ms. Bradley's estate continues to churn out "new" works - even though she's been deceased for at least four (4) years. While the works she published while still among the living had incongruities and even contradictions at times, they still remained quite good, especially those after 1970. These new books are formulaic and just plain sad. The continued use of her name as an "author" is vile. While she welcomed others to play in the worlds she created I doubt she, like most people, would endure others putting words in her mouth.

Please let her rest in peace. If you must continue to earn money off her creation don't lie about the source.

Editorial Review:

The Fall of Neskaya, Book One of the Clingfire Trilogy, marks the legendary author's final return to Darkover before her death. Set in the tumultuous era of The Hundred Kingdoms, a terrible time of strife and war, this unique fantasy world is divided into a mutlitude of small belligerent domains vying for power and land. One ambitious and corrupt tyrant will stop at nothing to control Darkover-even wield the terrifying weapons of the matrix.

"Darkover is the essence, the quintessence, my most personal and best-loved work." (Marion Zimmer Bradley)

The Shadow Matrix (Darkover)

Marion Zimmer Bradley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A jumble and a disappointment 2 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley will be disappointed on this one.
It has all the feel of having been written hastily and carelessly. The narrative wanders aimlessly and spends excruciatingly long pages on dialogue that is either banal, does
nothing to advance the story, or both. After spending the first
third of the book on a disconnected plot about Mikhail in the hands of a "hedge-witch" in the House of Elyhain, the author
largely drops it, and in effect takes until page 320 or so to
really get started. The time travel into the past by Mikhail and Margaret orchestrated by Varzil the Good, -and their subsequent marriage officiated by same- is the only worthwhile part, but
it lasts only a short while. After marrying them, the author
suddenly veers again blindly, this time to have Mikhail and
Margaret destroy evil plans to use atomic power in the
distant past (I am not kidding!) This plot has nothing discernible to do with the reasons Varzil brought them into the past for in the first place; but none of this seems to bother
the author one bit.

In short, it sounds as if the author puts this book together
from disjointed notes in her drawer. Very unsatisfying fare coming from a writer that has brought us such great works in the
past.

Editorial Review:

After spending her youth in the Terran Empire, Margaret Alton returns to Darkover, the planet of her birth. There she discovers she has the Alton Gift--forced rapport and compulsion--one of the strongest and most dangerous of the inherited "Laran" gifts of the telepathic Comyn--the ruling families of Darkover. And even as she struggles to control her newfound powers, Margaret finds herself falling in love with the Regent to the royal Elhalyn Domain, a man she has been forbidden to marry, for their alliance would irrevocably alter the power balance of their planet!.

Zandru's Forge (Clingfire Trilogy, Book 2)

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Deborah J. Ross

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Marion's vision continues . . . 5 out of 5 stars.
40 of 40 people found this review helpful.

Hi, Steve Y. Normally, I don't respond to reviews personally, but I want you to know that Marion and I worked together on the concept of this 3-book project before she passed away. Many of the ideas, as well as characters and settings, are hers. You probably noticed that a number of scenes appeared in HAWKMISTRESS!

She left several partial manuscripts, which I will be finishing over the next few years, and they will appear with both our names. After that, we'll see where the saga of Darkover leads us...

I hope you enjoy how I have developed and completed these stories. Thank you for your input!

Best,
Deborah

Also, I'm not tooting my own horn with the stars. They wouldn't let me post a reply without them. Consider it a comment on your comment!

MZB died 3 years ago 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 33 people found this review helpful.

Please - let her rest in peace. This greed by her estate is outrageous. Put the title under the real author's name - Ross.

Editorial Review:

In the era of The Hundred Kingdoms, a time of war and unrest, a legendary friendship is forged between king and keeper which will lead to a new destiny for Darkover.