Review: The Planet Savers and The Waterfall by Marion Zimmer Bradley

[bardsong]

So, given the numbers in my recent poll, I should start reading the third Kushiel story. However, I wanted something shorter, and--some of you should probably prepare to get offended--I find Carey's books to be easily put-downable in the beginning.

Anyway, both shantih and atalantapendrag said I should read the Darkover books, and, because they are wise women, I

Comments

[dolorous_ett]

The only Darkover book I've had any real fun with was "Thendara House". I just couldn't get into any of the rest - but the dynamics of a group of free women in a very patriarchal society were very interesting.

[cheshire23]

"The Waterfall" makes MUCH MUCH more sense if you've read other Darkover books. In particular, it seems to be an outtake from something briefly mentioned in The Forbidden Tower. And I agree, The Planet Savers isn't really all that and a bag of chips. The books written before 1974 or after 1989 are IMHO not as good as the ones written during those years.

The best way to think of Darkover is as several related series (and some stand-alone books) that take place in a similar culture, rather than as one continuous narrative. Reading chronologically by timeline will leave you very confused, since the first book chronologically is about the crashlanded spaceship and makes much more sense if you understand the mythology that has sprung up around some of those people, and then the second book chronologically, Stormqueen!, while one of the best, makes NO sense if you don't understand the culture fairly well.

My own suggestion for where to start with Darkover is one of these three:

- The Bloody Sun, 1979 edition (NOT the 1964 edition).

[shantih]

The Bloody Sun was my recommendation for a place to start as well. *feels validated* ;)

[cheshire23]

Yes, yes. It really helps a new-to-Darkover reader to have a narrator who is just as confused as everyone else about what everything means.

There was also the irritation that, since I couldn't find a copy of The Bloody Sun, I had ended up reading Sharra's Exile first, which contains a HUGE spoiler for The Bloody Sun, though I'll grant that it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. Unfortunately, I didn't blink. I still love the story, though. :)

MZB's Darkover

[anonymous]

Planet Savers is one of my least favorite Darkover books. I love the series and have read every one, except for possibly some of the anthologies. I've even reread most of them (although I lost them to flood last year).

What I do find, much akin to Heinlein, is that a number of the books are almost "juveniles," written for different audiences than some of the others. I'd heartily recommend checking out the Bloody Sun as well as most of her newer volumes, but I think my actual favorite is Storm Queen.

Kelly