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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I found an old list of books I read and decided to include them on goodreads. I honestly can't remember what I thought.
Having read this straight after Heir and Exile, I felt the hand of co-writer Adrienne Martine-Barnes quite strongly (and much more favourably that I did in the past): all the issue I had with the other two books (the constant and endless repetitions, the very fast and unexplicable rise of passions, the compressed timelines) almost disappeared, accompanied by an attention to the common folk and to how things actually work on Darkover that is not present in other books.
Margaret Alton is an interesting and quite likeable protagonist, with depth and contradictions, and her story is fascinating enough though I feel like more work could have gone in the planning/editing phase to make the story less erratic. This feels like two books in one, and I think that if they moved the big Tower of Shadows battle to the end, maybe splitting it between two confrontations - one were it is now and one after Lew's return - the narrative would have felt more cohesive.
One of the things that I liked most in my teenage years, the relationship between Margaret and Lew, this time felt distinctly "Bradleyan" and I wish the authors would have crafted it with a little more subtlety.
Margaret Alton is an interesting and quite likeable protagonist, with depth and contradictions, and her story is fascinating enough though I feel like more work could have gone in the planning/editing phase to make the story less erratic. This feels like two books in one, and I think that if they moved the big Tower of Shadows battle to the end, maybe splitting it between two confrontations - one were it is now and one after Lew's return - the narrative would have felt more cohesive.
One of the things that I liked most in my teenage years, the relationship between Margaret and Lew, this time felt distinctly "Bradleyan" and I wish the authors would have crafted it with a little more subtlety.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
We first meet Margaret Alton when she is a very little girl, in Sharra's Exile. Here, she is all grown up and a Scholar, having come of age in the Federation and remembering nothing of the planet of her birth.
And of course, since a large portion of Darkover novels adore this theme, she returns to Darkover knowing nothing, but feeling inexorably drawn to it. The best part is that she is a woman and cannot imagine herself taking the part of most Darkovan women. My favorite scenes are the ones where she calmly dresses down the paternalistic and chauvinist men who tell her what to do. She doesn't know what her future in Darkover is, but she knows she is her own person.
Yes, Margaret Alton is up there with Romilly MacAran as one of my favorite characters.
And of course, since a large portion of Darkover novels adore this theme, she returns to Darkover knowing nothing, but feeling inexorably drawn to it. The best part is that she is a woman and cannot imagine herself taking the part of most Darkovan women. My favorite scenes are the ones where she calmly dresses down the paternalistic and chauvinist men who tell her what to do. She doesn't know what her future in Darkover is, but she knows she is her own person.
Yes, Margaret Alton is up there with Romilly MacAran as one of my favorite characters.
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
I love follow up stories on interesting and engaging characters. This one had a really neat twist and the problem was not allowed to linger too long. So many others whose lives I wanted to follow.
Nicht nur ich liebe die Story "Terraner kommt nach Darkover (zurück) und verliebt sich in die Welt", Marion Zimmer Bradley tat es wohl auch und hier kommt Margaret Alton, Tochter von Lew Alton, zurück auf ihre Heimatwelt, obwohl sie eigentlich nicht viel über den Planeten weiß. Eigentlich ist es nur ein Zufall, dass sie als Musikwissenschaftlerin hier landet, um die Volksmusik zu studieren, aber der Kontakt mit den Comyn setzt ihre eigenen Laran-Kräfte frei und offenbart Stück für Stück Geheimnisse der Vergangenheit, bis sie sich ihrem Leben und ihrem Vermächtnis auf Darkover nicht mehr entziehen kann ...
Der Roman hat alle Aspekte, die mir an Darkover so gefallen. Es gibt eine Entsagende als Begleiterin, es gibt eine ziemlich willensstarke, eigenwillige Frau als Protagonistin, die dank ihrer terranischen Erziehung hier auch ziemlich aneckt in der Gesellschaft, es gibt die Comyn und ihre Intrigen, sympathische Nebenfiguren (hallo, Liriel), weniger sympathische (hallo, Ariel, Javanne und beide Gabriels), viele, viele Verweise auf die Geschichte und Auftritte von Figuren, die man aus vorherigen Bänden kennt (oder wie ich schon wieder vergessen hat, wenn sie nicht Regis Hastur heißen).
Was die Sharra-Rebellion angeht, die hier eine wichtige Rolle spielt, habe ich das Gefühl, entweder einen Band vergessen oder übersprungen zu haben, so dass ich da noch mal nachlesen werde. Gleichzeitig ist es beim Lesen aber nie das riesige Problem, sich reinzufinden, wenn man nicht mehr alle Daten parat hat. Es war wieder sehr unterhaltsam, spannend und mit dem typischen Flair, so wie einer Liebesgeschichte, die jedoch nicht zu viel Raum einnimmt. Deswegen finde ich das Cover von Weltbild auch ziemlich unpassend, es ist schon sehr seltsam. Sieht man einmal davon ab, dass Margarets Haarfarbe passt und die Hand, erkenne ich Mikhail nicht in dem Mann? Und wann sind sie mal am Meer in dem Buch? Nun ja ... im Englischen gibt es da einige sehr viel passendere Cover mit einem Turm in der Oberwelt und Margaret in terranischer Uniform.
Ansonsten gibt es aber nicht viel auszusetzen und ich lese schon gespannt weiter die Marguerida Alton-Romane im Darkover-Zyklus, um zu erfahren, wie es weitergeht.
Der Roman hat alle Aspekte, die mir an Darkover so gefallen. Es gibt eine Entsagende als Begleiterin, es gibt eine ziemlich willensstarke, eigenwillige Frau als Protagonistin, die dank ihrer terranischen Erziehung hier auch ziemlich aneckt in der Gesellschaft, es gibt die Comyn und ihre Intrigen, sympathische Nebenfiguren (hallo, Liriel), weniger sympathische (hallo, Ariel, Javanne und beide Gabriels), viele, viele Verweise auf die Geschichte und Auftritte von Figuren, die man aus vorherigen Bänden kennt (oder wie ich schon wieder vergessen hat, wenn sie nicht Regis Hastur heißen).
Was die Sharra-Rebellion angeht, die hier eine wichtige Rolle spielt, habe ich das Gefühl, entweder einen Band vergessen oder übersprungen zu haben, so dass ich da noch mal nachlesen werde. Gleichzeitig ist es beim Lesen aber nie das riesige Problem, sich reinzufinden, wenn man nicht mehr alle Daten parat hat. Es war wieder sehr unterhaltsam, spannend und mit dem typischen Flair, so wie einer Liebesgeschichte, die jedoch nicht zu viel Raum einnimmt. Deswegen finde ich das Cover von Weltbild auch ziemlich unpassend, es ist schon sehr seltsam. Sieht man einmal davon ab, dass Margarets Haarfarbe passt und die Hand, erkenne ich Mikhail nicht in dem Mann? Und wann sind sie mal am Meer in dem Buch? Nun ja ... im Englischen gibt es da einige sehr viel passendere Cover mit einem Turm in der Oberwelt und Margaret in terranischer Uniform.
Ansonsten gibt es aber nicht viel auszusetzen und ich lese schon gespannt weiter die Marguerida Alton-Romane im Darkover-Zyklus, um zu erfahren, wie es weitergeht.
post reread 6/20/19:
Well, honestly that was exactly what I expected. Writing isn't *bad*, but it certainly isn't stellar. The plot and world feel like the perfect sandbox to write fanfiction in, so it's a shame that I don't really care enough about any of the characters to do that.
In my head, I somehow constructed a decent portion of a book (2 or 3 chapters??) where Margaret and Mikhail (is that his name? I've already forgotten. love interest guy) go into the ghost tower and end up transported into Darkover's past? Like literally I have no idea where that came from but I was *convinced* that was how the book ended.
Anyway. Note to self: you've put a lot of emotional weight on this book, but the actual story is subpar. Try AO3.
pre reread:
I haven't finished my reread of Exile's Song. I think I probably will, though having recently discovered certain facts about MZB's personal life I'm feeling particularly conflicted.
ES is the only Darkover book I've ever read, and the only book by MZB. I found it by accident in a school library and even on my first read it captured some sort of bizarre nostalgia. It was... well primarily it was a book that I would have read when I was twelve, and that could have become foundational to my identity. I didn't, and it didn't, but it fundamentally could have been.
And, well, knowing what I know now about MZB I don't even know what to think, because Margaret is such a close match to the person I wanted to be when I was a kid.
I don't think I'll be reading Exile's Song again, but I also don't think I'm going to forget it. It's one of those books that strikes a chord with me not because it's good in an objective sense, but because it says something that I don't know how to say another way.
Also MZB is dead so like at least there's no way she's gonna benefit from me reading lmao.
Well, honestly that was exactly what I expected. Writing isn't *bad*, but it certainly isn't stellar. The plot and world feel like the perfect sandbox to write fanfiction in, so it's a shame that I don't really care enough about any of the characters to do that.
In my head, I somehow constructed a decent portion of a book (2 or 3 chapters??) where Margaret and Mikhail (is that his name? I've already forgotten. love interest guy) go into the ghost tower and end up transported into Darkover's past? Like literally I have no idea where that came from but I was *convinced* that was how the book ended.
Anyway. Note to self: you've put a lot of emotional weight on this book, but the actual story is subpar. Try AO3.
pre reread:
I haven't finished my reread of Exile's Song. I think I probably will, though having recently discovered certain facts about MZB's personal life I'm feeling particularly conflicted.
ES is the only Darkover book I've ever read, and the only book by MZB. I found it by accident in a school library and even on my first read it captured some sort of bizarre nostalgia. It was... well primarily it was a book that I would have read when I was twelve, and that could have become foundational to my identity. I didn't, and it didn't, but it fundamentally could have been.
And, well, knowing what I know now about MZB I don't even know what to think, because Margaret is such a close match to the person I wanted to be when I was a kid.
I don't think I'll be reading Exile's Song again, but I also don't think I'm going to forget it. It's one of those books that strikes a chord with me not because it's good in an objective sense, but because it says something that I don't know how to say another way.
Also MZB is dead so like at least there's no way she's gonna benefit from me reading lmao.