Having read almost all of the Darkover series, and being a firm fan of it, I'd like to be just a little more critical.

First let's get one thing out of the way: this is an important book, and for anyone interested in Darkover, this two-novel volume is a must-have.

The two stories are two of the best. But having read most of MZB's love stories, I'm beginning to wonder whether her heroines are not a mite too precious. Yet, one wonders whether it is possible to make Callista and her sister more real, without risking losing the reader's positive disposition towards them. Perhaps the risk would be worth it.

One tries to see what must be going through the author's mind; what is she thinking when she writes these stories? There is a sense that she is trying too hard to create a heroine, and creates a goddess instead.

Andrew Carr, the poor earthman who plays second-fiddle to Callista Lanart finds himself teleported psycho-kinetically to where Callista is held prisoner at one time. This occurence is sort of glossed-over; IMO the pseudo-reality of the genre demands a little more attention to that sort of detail. Andrew Carr is also an example of how hard it was for MZB to get inside the mind of her male characters. She has partially succeeded, but if only she had done it fully!

Arch

Putting together -The Spell Sword- and -The Forbidden Tower- was a great idea, & this edition fills the bill. This classic entry in the saga of Darkover -- a lost [in time as well as space] colony of Humans who interbred with the alien cheryi, evolved into a feudal society with the addition of "magic" as laran psi-powers, then were rediscovered by humans from Earth [Terrans] -- is an especially good 'textbook' for people learning to use their own inner strengths.

Watching the almost-typical fairytale romance of Keeper Callista Lanart and Terran spacer Andrew Carr bloom into something else is magical in the best sense of the word. Damon Ridenow -- outcast from his beloved Arilinn Tower because he's actually more than just a Matrix technician -- and his love Ellemir [sister to Callista] are not just pretty people filling a need for extra faces in -The Spell Sword-. The four craft a friendship that becomes more than just friendship ... and will have a crucial effect on Darkovan history.

The action really kicks in as the tale progresses in -The Forbidden Tower-. Callista discovers -- painfully -- that the heritage she thought she had left behind as virginal Keeper of Arilinn Tower is almost more than she can bear to shatter [the fact that it nearly kills Andrew isn't just peripheral, either]. Ellimir discovers that she actually is gifted with the power of laran, and Damon takes centre stage as he discovers that he is a Keeper himself ... Keeper of what leronis Leonie Hastur scornfully calls "the Forbidden Tower". As the four individuals become more than just two married couples, they uncover vital knowledge lost in the millenia known as the Ages of Chaos.

The tragic denoument is kept away, which perhaps is just as well. If you truly want to be depressed, pick up -The Bloody Sun- to learn the fates of the four and their children. Although not quite as tragic as the hinted ending of another group of similar people, hinted at in -Sharra's Exile-, it can be a true 'downer' after the triumphant ending of -The Forbidden Tower-.

At least the knowledge is kept, however. It seems that no one can truly vanquish Varzil the Good! Although even *that* might be up for re-examination with -The Fall of Neskaya-...

Star of Danger is a Darkover novel wich present us to Larry Montray, a terran, who comes to " The Blood Sun Planet" with his father and meet Kennard Alton, a darkovan, sun of Valdir Alton - member of th Comyn. The story will tell the adventure of these two boys, in the midle of a blood war, trying to scape to Larrys capture in the snow mountains of Darkover and fighting for survival. They need to join force and learn from each other, looking for their weakness and discovering new habilities to survive all the way back to Thendara. Their action would change all the future in the relationship between these two culture. An special note to readers, the darkovers novel are independent books, but you will enjoy discovering their sequence by paying atention to the caracthers, many of then, appear in different ages, so we can imagine time going by Darkover.

I don't think this was MZB's best book but it was definitely a great book to read!!!

Larry, a Terran ... Kennard, a Darkover native ... They meet when Larry gets into a fight and soon become friends. Larry's father does not exactly approve of their friendship but when Kennard invites Larry to go with him to his estates Larry's father is forced to agree, not wanting to insult them. But more is in for Kennard and Larry when they are forced to work together ... to survive. An enemy has been attacking villages on Darkover and the two of them are separated from those they know. While the tension to prove who's best between them builds soon they have to put that all aside and work together, combining ideas and their own technology together so they can get back to their families ... alive.

A great book for anyone who loves reading about adventure and defeating the bad guys!

This book is full of suspence, and it has some interesting information. There is also a love story that only makes it better. I would reccomend this book to any fan of MZB.

Darkover history has a lot of magic weapons, for an example the legendary Aldones sword. This story is about another sword, one with a matrix in it that aloud Don Steban, one great warrior that has been hurted in battle and can not walk, to fight trough the person who is holding it. This book, also, present us to Andrew Carr, a terran who has been haunted by the spirit of a Keeper wich is trapped by non-humans appart from her friends and family. He found himself atracted by the strange planet and when his plane has crashed in the Hellers he needs to believe in the strange woman, which appears only to him, to survive. Another important caracther that appears in this book is Damon Ridenow, a man who has lost his faith in himself when the Keeper of Arilin Tower send him away. This man starts here his journey, to get back his own confidence and leadership; the following steps in his path will be shown in the book named Forbiden Tower.

The story line is so exciting, and the characters so lovable. A person can't help but get into it, and have a hard time not thinking about the story or wondering what's next. It took no time at all to read the book, partly because of the suspense and partly because it's only 156 pages. It's an excellent appetizer, some of her other books are longer, but from the three that I've read they all seem to have the same effect.

i love marion zimmer bradly and really enjoy her writing style and glenraven was no exception. while this book may not be for hard core fantasy fanatics this is really a very entertainable book with witty, charming characters that often had me laughing and thinking "that's just what i'd say."

jayjay is a woman watching her third marriage fall apart when she finds a fodor's guide to glenraven, supposedly a small country in europe, and decides that's just the place for her much needed get away. her friend sophie who is still reeling from her daughter's death asks to come along. but glenraven is no small, obscure country in europe, it's another world that's dying because its thousand year old watchmistress is sucking the land dry. these unlikely heroes are like your best friend from high school and you find yourself smiling often throughout this work.

it's not a fantasy epic but instead a light hearted read that's just pretty damn good and begs to be read. there is a sequel which i am currently on which follows the same pattern of witty characters. i would definetly advise anyone to give this book a try for something alittle light and fun.

When JayJay Benning picked up a book in a bookstore, she thought the book was a travel guide to a small principality in Italy called Glenraven. Glenraven had supposedly been sealed off from the world and was for the first time opening it's borders to a few select individuals. Since she needed some time away from her husband, JayJay thought that Glenraven sounded perfect. After getting her friend Sophie to agree to come with her, they started on their trip. When the book starts rewriting itself before their eyes, seemingly talking to them, they realize that they're not where they thought they were. The people of Glenraven needed was a couple of heros to save them from a thousand year old ruler that feeds on the souls of Glenraveners to keep herself alive. JayJay and Sophie are not quiet what they had in mind. The pain of the Glenraveners can clearly be felt, and Sophie and JayJay's misery with their husbands is palpable. This book was touching, interesting, and well written.

...What they got were Sophie, a woman who stopped living when her daughter died, and Jayjay, a woman who just left her third husband. The Machnan had poured all of their magic into creating an artifact that would call to someone who would be able to free them from Aidris Akalan, the evil Watchmistress who ate the magic of other people to stay eternally youthful and immortal. The artifact took the unlikely guise of a guidebook in a bookstore. When Jayjay picked it up, she thought it would be the perfect place to get away/hide until she could face the fact that she would be getting divorced for the third time by the time she was thirty-five years old. Sophie unexpectedly found herself wanting to go along too. But when they arrive at Glenraven, nothing is at it seems. Can they trust their tour guide or is he setting a trap so he can rob them? In trying to evade their "pursuers" they walk right into their enemies and stumble across a hidden revolution among the Alfkindir, the long-lived race that Aidris Akalan comes from. Matthiall is the leader of the revolution, but he is betrayed by one of the warrags, a wolf/dog hybrid that is unlike anything Jayjay and Sophie have seen before. As they flee Aidris' palace with Matthiall, they run into the other monsters, including the Watchers, the demons that Aidris Akalan has called forth out of the Rift to keep her immortal. When the ancient race of the Aregen get involved, things become even more complicated...

This is not really deep fantasy, but it is a very good light fantasy. The characters are well-drawn and the reader can empathize with them as they struggle to accomplish something that they didn't even know that they were supposed to accomplish. None of the creatures/people in the book are what they seem and this makes for some interesting plot twists as unexpected events are always happening. The idea of a Glenraven was quite fun as it is portrayed as another small European country that has gone overlooked for hundreds of years. Everything is still in a medieval setting and they are very insulated. This is just a fun, quick read that has a nice, happy ending. A great break from some of the heavier fantasy that is out there right now.

This is the first Darkover book I read (about 5 years ago), and it got me hooked. I read about a dozen of them, then moved on the some of MZBs newer books. This one is definately not the best of the series, but it is a very intriging introduction to what comes later on the planet Darkover. Start with this one to get some backgound, then move into some of the other early ones, which are great!

This book, chronologically the first in the Darkover series, is more science fiction oriented than the others. It tells a fascinating story of the survivors of a shipwreck on the planet Darkover. The crew faces the problems of dealing with new lifeforms and their effects on humans and meet with the mysterious Ghost Wind, a strange force which affects their emotional states. Very short ( an evening's read) as novels go, it is a good introduction to Bradley, her Darkover series and would serve as a good intro to science fiction in general.

I have read many of the Darkover novels, and this one answers the questions of where the Darkovans came from and how the "Christoforos" came to be. It is also an interesting tale of how people survive crisis situations and get on with life when there is nothing else to do. The added bit with the chieri and the Ghost Wind bringing together some of the main characters and explaining their actions and motivations made it a book that I didn't want to put down until it was finished

It's too late for me to read HEARTLIGHT first because I didn't find out that it existed until after I'd read GHOSTLIGHT, WITCHLIGHT, and GRAVELIGHT. I've never gotten around to reading my copy of MISTS OF AVALON, so I won't be making comparisons. My previous acquaintance with Ms. Bradley's writing was with her earlier Darkover novels. Yes, Truth is almost as annoying as The X-Files' Scully when it comes to denying the existence of magic. Yes, Truth often acts about as dim-witted as many gothic romance heroines were back when heroines were expected to be innocent and helpless. Yes, there were times when I wanted to reach into the book and shake her and scream out the obvious truths she was missing, but... This was still a gripping novel. I didn't suspect the whole truth about Thorne Blackburn's fate. I loved the house and its grounds. The occult trappings were very interesting. The characters came alive for me and I found myself impatiently waiting for each new twist to be revealed. One final note: My compliments to Carol Russo and Mark Hess. I LOVE a cover that accurately portrays the characters and surroundings in the book. Don't let its beautiful serenity fool you. This book is far from serene.

I really loved this book! The characters felt like real people to me that I wanted more, more, more of them after the last page. I admit, at first I didn't like lead character Truth Jourdemayne because of how coldly rational she seems at times, but the circumstances surrounding her were interesting from the start. Those same circumstances kept me reading until the revelations popped up one by one. And it was worth it to stick with the novel 'til the very end!

As for the 4 stars instead of five in my rating of this story, I only gave it that much because it's quite unlike THE MISTS OF AVALON (which I REALLY, REALLY loved!) by the same author. Now that book in its epic grandiosity is a five-star read. This is something like 4 and 3/4.

Marion Zimmer Bradley sure knew how to give readers their money's worth. Too bad she's no longer with us...

What can I say- I loved this book! It was one of those books I just couldn't put down. Marion Zimmer Bradley's detailed descriptions make you feel that you're really there. The characterizations are so deep and realistic, and the plot is a definite page turner. This was the first Bradley novel I had read and it has inspired me to read many more. Though the events of the story are definitly not the kind of thing that tends to happen every day the book portrays them so realisticly that you almost belive that they could. I would make a definite recommendation of this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels or books that are intensly descriptive.

Long, long ago, in 1982, I read for the first time _The Mists of Avalon_, the sequel to _Lady of Avalon_. It was a book that inspired and moved me from start to finish. These 20 years later, I found the audio edition of _Lady_ and looked eagerly forward to it. It was perhaps abridged a bit too much, but the bulk of the story seems to have stayed intact.

The story is every bit as much about the important men in the times preceding Camelot as it is about the women; spirits or souls are passed down through time into different bodies, but with similar purposes. The tale revolves around the isle of Avalon, and the conflicts in Britain surrounding it. Often touching and powerful, the story sweeps the reader away into times of mystery and magic, when all was possible if one only believed in it. Magical powers, totems, and animals roamed freely in Zimmer's world, as well as Elven folk and genuine heroes. Zimmer does a wonderful job of taking the reader into these ancient times, fully immersing us in the sights, scents and sounds of these nearly pre-historic times.

Truly a wonderful story, it may appeal more to women than to men in some senses, as it is a very introspective story that does spend more time upon the central female characters. However, this isn't to say that men will absolutely not enjoy the tale. I whole-heartedly recommend it, although it is not as powerful and moving a tale as _The Mists of Avalon_; then again, few things could be, in my view. Still, a very strong story, very entertaining.

Having recently read this amazing book, I wish to share my thoughts with those who have not yet been lucky enough to read it. There are few authours in the same class as MZB, and this book was well worth its pricetag. The book begins by contuning the story of Callean, priestess of the "Forest House". Bradley does well to weave this book in to her cloth of Avalon tales, and it fits snugly into place between the "Forest House" and "The Mists of Avalon". This book comes highly recommended to any fan of her work, and is a fantastic means of escapism. The characters are deeply rooted in Celtic and Roman beliefs and come to life before your eyes on the pages of magically worded text. This trilogy of books is sure to be regarded as some of the best writing of this gendre.

A wonderful book.A great tie between The Forest House and The Mists of Avalon.I loved the characters(especially Vivane and Ana) and the plot was spectacular! A 5 star book. Marion Zimmer Bradley is a wonderful author. It seems like she had experience with the religion(the way an autobiography is better than a biography). My second favorite book in the series!A spectacular mix of history and religion. An interesting battle of the old and the new. It is definetly on my list of favorites. I've already read it 3 times! I wish constantly that there were more to the series. (If your reading this Ms. Bradley, please considder more prequels!) A must on your summer reading list.

I read this book on the recommendation of a neighbor, and while it did not enchant me like The Mists of Avalon, I still loved it. It is in no way light or joy-filled, but its very darkness is what makes The Fall of Atlantis so compelling. Bradley's characters suffer deeply, and the reader suffers along beside them. Even their final triumph is so tinged with sorrow, that it is impossible to say whether this book ends happily or not. The Fall of Atlantis is a novel of depth, of humanity's weaknesses. In reading it, we are shown that light is forever twined with darkness; the one is just a shade of the other.

I am loath to give any of MZB's books less than five stars. Yet something in Fall of Atlantis disturbs me...there were quite a few times when I was very tempted to throw up. It is a dark and stormy book, a maelstrom of death and evil magic and concealed betrayals, oh, and it does NOT have a happy ending. It doesn't even have a MZB-esque cryptic-semi-happy ending. As for the characters...Domaris (Isarma) and Micon to me were rather simple, existing only for the making of their son, who had a minor role as well. Rajasta and the other priests are just too...GOOD and one-sided to be interesting. However, Deoris (Adsartha) was who really made the book worthwhile for me. She was in many ways a hypocrite, and was often unjustified, but above all was decidedly human. Unlike the "good" and law-abiding Domaris, Deoris risked everything she had to support those she loved (namely Riveda) yet was not just a "giver" - she herself possessed real, dangerous power that she was not afraid to use. About Riveda...the book doesn't really cast him in a complementary light. It doesn't cast him in any sort of light, really. He's mysterious, even his origins are unknown, and he commits heresies so great that the Fall of Atlantis is brought about from his meddling. Nonetheless, he has real emotions, and to his credit, he does love Deoris, insofar as he can love anybody. I can't condemn him or pardon him, and I think it would be hard for anybody to...
In short, The Fall of Atlantis is a book filled with corrupted people trying to cling to their long-lost innocence, and failing. Read it and take it as you will; I recommend it for those with strong stomachs.

I think "The Fall of Atlantis" was a very dramatic, emotional book. The first pages seem very good yet not superb, while at the end, you cannot put this book down. Marion Zimmer Bradley's imagination in this book is captivating. The world she created impressed me because it was so much like fantasy (with all the Magicians, Adepts, and Laws), yet so realistic. Domaris and Deoris are two excellent characters; they captured my attention from the start. The other main characters in the book also impressed me, especially Rajasta, Riveda, and Micon. When I put this book down, I thought: "Another one of Zimmer Bradley's excellent works!"

Has anyone noticed that this novel --- and its predecessor, "Exile's Song" are copyrighted by MZB and Adrienne Martine-Barnes? These last Darkover books were apparently not written by Bradley, but by an author trained by her to write in her style. The voice sounds like Bradley, the prose is readable enough, but this work certainly lacks the concision and taut plotting that made "Heritage of Hastur" and "Sharra's Exile" (to name two) so entertaining.

Even if the rumors are untrue, and MZB did actually write parts of this book, it's seriously flawed, and bears all the marks of having been written by a "fan". The opening chapters are effective enough; but there follows a sequence of some 300 pages in which nothing happens. Not until the last few chapters does the plot actually resume, and not all of the action is consistent with what we know about Darkover.

In spite of all these criticisms, the writing had enough flavor to keep me reading until the end. My guess is that Bradley simply lost interest in the series --- Thendara House was the last really worthwhile Darkover book --- and this late entry provides only a small sample of what made this series so popular.

If you haven't read Darkover before, skip this one and proceed directly to "The Heritage of Hastur" or "The Shattered Chain."

The Rebirth of Darkover, which started in EXILE`S SONG (1996), continues in this exciting and wonderful sequel. Margaret Alton and her lover Mikhail Lanart-Hastur not only have to fight for their love, but they also have to defeat a dangerous enemy from the past: Ashara Alton, Margaret's nemesis. Be sure to expect a wonderful story with lots of swashbuckling and romance. This book is really hard to put down. I recommend it to everybody, who has read (and liked) one of the previous Darkover novels), but be sure to read EXILE`S SONG first.

Marion Zimmer Bradley has done it again!! In this novel she has continued the story of Margaret Alton and Mikhail Lanart-Hastur in such a way that one does not wish to put the book down once they start it. Margaret is a strong, mindful character along the lines of Rohana Ardias (The Shattered Chain). And Mikhail is the perfect replacement of the elder Regis Hastur. Their fight for their love and life is the corner stone of this entry in the Darkover series. I do suggest that you read the previous entry in order to get a better understanding of the story line. But each novel stands on it's own merit. Marion Zimmer Bradley's ability to bring old favorites and new ones into the story is surpassed by no one. In this one you get reaquanted with such characters as Varzil the Good and Ashara Alton, as well as the always infuriating and funny Lady Javanne. Regis Hastur and Lewis Alton lend their strong characters to this novel as well. Though the focus is on the younger generation, as in life, the old is replaced by the new. Well done Ms. Bradley!!! I look forward to the next installment of this series.

I'm not exactly sure why I read this book. While I enjoyed "The Mists of Avalon", I wasn't wild about it. Niether was I wild about this prequel. But I did enjoy it. While "Mists" is more of a fantasy, "The Forest House" delves into early A.D. history and European religions. It starts out as a cute, boy-meets-girl-and-falls-in-love-though-they-can't-be-together story, but evolves into a detailed story of religion and politics. I think Bradley put a bit too much religion in there, and even though she was showing how people back then felt towards Christianity, I kind of felt like she was pushing in her own opinions. Unfortunatly, there is too much material, and it gets extremely twisted up together in an unattractive knot. it set off at a good pace, slowed down, almost got miserable, but the last few chapters are almost worth it all. In fact, I was quite pleased with the ending. If you're pagan and/or interested in early european history, I'm not going to stop you from reading this. But I'm not going to insist you read it, either.

I can't give this book 5 stars or even 4 and a half cause its NOWHERE NEAR Mists. But I LOVEd it anyway. I was in agony when I had to be anywhere other than on my bed reading about Eilan and the Forest House. However, my favorite character is Caillean. She just appealed to me. Even though she was not destined to be High Preistess, she still was essential to the Forest House.

I love Bradley's writing because she has such a good feminie style without getting too mushy. It's interesting to read about the female characters from a female point of view written by a female in Mists. Now in The Forest House, it's great to read a prequel

Wow! This is a tale of epic proportions that I never, ever wanted to put down ... and it has become one of my favourite books of all time.

Although I love the other books in the 'Avalon' series, I have to admit that this story outshines them all. The reader cannot help but empathise with the main characters of Eilan and Gaius, and their doomed love for each other, and their son, Gawen. As I read it, I felt as if I was there with them, feeling their passion, and their anguish at the way that the people around them conspired to keep them apart from their soul-mate. I was in tears for days after I had finished reading the ending!

On a more personal note - as a young English girl, myself - the story also gave me a greater appreciation of my surroundings, and culture. Reading this book has made me more interested in the Roman occupation of Britain, and I am now looking forward to visiting some of the sights highlighted by MZB.

Even though I wish that the book had had a happier ending, I would heartily recommend 'The Forest House' (aka 'The Forests of Avalon') to anybody who is interested in legends, romances, and historical novels. This truly is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching books that has EVER been written.