Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
DAW (1981), Edition: First Printing, 365 pages
Description
After the Age of Chaos had almost destroyed civilization on the planet of the Bloody Sun, even the Sharra had been exiled, but now the Sharra had returned, embodied in the image of a chained woman wreathed in flames, an image which could change the history of Darkover forever. From the author of CASTLE TERROR
Media reviews
Le souffle épique et tragique ne se tarit pas, loin de là, et se termine en apothéose. L'oeuvre incontournable de la saga !
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
Marion Zimmer Bradley is best known for The Mists of Avalon, which spawned a number of sequels, mostly (if not entirely) by other hands. I don't care for them. Then comes The Fall of Atlantis, two enjoyable if fairly forgettable books posthumously marked as backdrop for the Avalon books.
Although some books are loosely connected, having characters in common, they were written to be read independently. This particular book is a direct sequel to Heritage of Hastur, which should be read first; it makes a fine entry point into the series, and many consider it MZB's finest novel. The Darkover books were written out of sequence too, and I don't actually recommend you read them chronologically. The first chronologically, for instance, Darkover Landfall, is more fun if you read others in the series first, then this origins novel to see oh, so that's where that came from! Also, some books early chronologically were early in Bradley's career, when she was still learning her craft, and it shows. In fact, this book is a rewrite of a very early book published in 1962, The Sword of Aldones. She conceived that book in her teens, and as a mature writer felt the theme deserved a better treatment than what she was capable of back then. I've read both versions, and this is definitely the better book, even if I don't think it quite hits the high mark of Heritage of Hastur.
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Inexplicably, if I go by Goodreads, her next most popular book is The Firebrand, about the Trojan War, which I found absolutely unreadable. Yet I do consider myself a fan of MZB's but that rests almost entirely on her Darkover books, of which she wrote 18 in her lifetime, although there were some further (some posthumous) collaborations. Darkover is a "lost colony" of Earth that devolved into a medieval society ruled by a psychically talented aristocracy and centuries later rediscovered by a star-spanning high tech federation, giving the series a feel of both science fiction and fantasy. The series as a whole features strong female characters, but it has enough swashbuckling adventure to draw the male of the species, and indeed this series was recommended to me by a guy (when we were in high school!)Although some books are loosely connected, having characters in common, they were written to be read independently. This particular book is a direct sequel to Heritage of Hastur, which should be read first; it makes a fine entry point into the series, and many consider it MZB's finest novel. The Darkover books were written out of sequence too, and I don't actually recommend you read them chronologically. The first chronologically, for instance, Darkover Landfall, is more fun if you read others in the series first, then this origins novel to see oh, so that's where that came from! Also, some books early chronologically were early in Bradley's career, when she was still learning her craft, and it shows. In fact, this book is a rewrite of a very early book published in 1962, The Sword of Aldones. She conceived that book in her teens, and as a mature writer felt the theme deserved a better treatment than what she was capable of back then. I've read both versions, and this is definitely the better book, even if I don't think it quite hits the high mark of Heritage of Hastur.
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LibraryThing member satyridae
Re-read. I tend to forget how awful this one is in the years between readings. Poorly plotted, repetitive, internally inconsistent and yet here I am. It's the resolution of the set up in the much better Heritage of Hastur and thus must be read. Regis and Lew do seem to rise above the horrible
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writing, but only just. I don't recommend this for anyone but Darkover completists doing a re-read. Show Less
LibraryThing member dragonasbreath
Young Lew goes to the Hellers to meet his mother's people, and to get him out of the Domains' hair.
There, he finds the love of his life, an illegal circle operating without any real training, and a horrific destiny.
The Terrans, who abide by the Compact but refuse to enforce it beyond ensuring their
There, he finds the love of his life, an illegal circle operating without any real training, and a horrific destiny.
The Terrans, who abide by the Compact but refuse to enforce it beyond ensuring their
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people do not carry weapons into the city learn WHY the Compact exists and becomes one of the best at enforcing it. Show Less
Awards
Locus Award (Nominee — Science Fiction Novel — 1982)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1981
Physical description
365 p.; 7 inches
ISBN
0879978368 / 9780879978365