<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: enchanting as always
Review: Having just started on my Darkovan journey I must say I loved these books. Have not read Sci/Fi Fantasty literature for quite awhile since Pamela Sargent's The Shore of Women and since I love MZB thought this would be a perfect place to begin again.
I was right!
I thoroughly enjoyed both books. However I liked Stormqueeen best. I found the plot twists and the perspective of different characters intriguing. I was riveted from start to finish. And I liked the descriptions quite a bit as well.
Although I enjoyed Hawkmistress, I found the plot less fresh and not as compelling. The "girl dresesed up as boy in a male dominated society and coming into her own power and making good" is a little too predictable.
Two things:
The editing is absolutely atrocious. It was either left entrely to the computer or someone edited it who does not speak English fluently. I too found this distracting. A disservice to both author and reader.
In addition it would be nice to have a chronology and or Darkovan historical timelene at the beginning of these books. Maybe a map too! I always like it when that is done and not just in scifi fantasy books. but in general. hmmm but that does sound kind neurotic doesn't it? But oh well just my opinion
Truly enjoyable! Read and and enjoy and be charmed!
Rating: 
Summary: <yawn>
Review: I stayed up until 5 a.m. reading this last night, need I say more? Loved the book, love the series...
Rating:
Summary: <yawn>
Review: I stayed up until 5 a.m. reading this last night, need I say more? Loved the book, love the series...
Rating:
Summary: One of my Favorite Darkover books
Review: I was an avid fan of MZB's Avalon series when I stumbled on the Darkover series. Now, I am trying to collect the whole entire Darkover series which is quite hard considering there are so many and they go back to the 70s! I am lucky to have a used book store that occasionally gets them in because I would die if I had to wait for the re-releases. I like that the re-releases include more than one book. I have also tried the "Light" series (witchlight, gravelight etc) but have found that they are what I describe as "fluff" in comparison to her other works. Enjoyable, but not nearly as much as the Avalon or Darkover series.
This set is definitely one of my favorites, both of the series and of MZB's work in general. "Stormqueen" especially is my top choice. The Sage of the Renunciates are also Incredibly good. I love the fact the MZB's stories have well thought out and richly detailed storylines and incredibly strong developed characters. Her characters have flaws and are people that it is possible to relate to on some level. I wish that more authors portrayed such strong, realistic female characters. It is also great as a reader to be able to pick up any book in the series and be able to read it without having read any of its previous counterparts (especially when so many are out of print!). Each books stands on its own and presents a whole new element of the Darkovan society, while making reference to people or places from other books. I highly recommend this and any other Darkover book!
Rating:
Summary: Good books, awful editing
Review: The Ages of Chaos is an omnibus edition, containing the two of MZB's Darkover novels that she wrote about early Darkovan history. It is set about 1000 years after colonisation, during the period that the ruling families warring against one another and were breeding for Laran (psi-powers).Unfortunately, this edition is really, really awful to read because of poor editing - every now and again there is a sentence that makes no sense until the reader suddenly realises that a word is missing a letter, or a word is missing entirely from the sentence. eg. "He could see it in her yes..." - yes=Eyes Apart from the cryptic editing, it is still a good read for Darkover fans (not the best to start reading the series with), and a cheap way to buy a couple of classic SF/FAN novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Well...
Review: This book is an omnibus edition of two books-Stormqueen and Hawkmistress. I know why she put them in omnibus and I usually like omnibus books. However, the title-The Ages of Chaos- may be confusing as the two books are not very close to each other in time and during the second book the events are described as taking place in the next era-The Hundred Kingdoms. That aside the books in themselves weren't anything more than mediocre. The characterization was decent but not great. I never felt truly connected to any of the characters. Many times I predicted what would happen in the book, however, I have read a lot of fantasy and you become more adept at spotting foreshadowing and plotlines the more you read. The editing was horrendous. Either they didn't BOTHER to edit them or the editor was drunk. He instead of she, completely misspelled words, odd phasing, these errors do intrude considerably into the enjoyment of reading these books. Usually I don't even spot typos as I just change them for myself. However, these typos were so blatantly obvious that they made me want to take a pen to the book to correct them! It's not a bad book. In fact it's fairly decent as books go. However for a more interesting read I would recommend Mercedes Lackey, Tanya Huff, Anne MacCaffrey, Kate Elliot, Jennifer Roberson, and even though they're 'young adult' books-Tamora Pierce. I would say that Marion Zimmer Bradley has mediocre characterization in all of the books I've read by her-only a few as I've just begin the Darkover series-Darkover Landfall and The Mists of Avalon, have decent but not great characterization. Although this review may seem alarmingly negative I have still not finished the Darkover series (I just finished this book today) but I plan to. I encourage you to at least read Darkover Landfall if you are intrigued by these books to get an idea if you like her writing style.
Rating:
Summary: Well...
Review: This book is an omnibus edition of two books-Stormqueen and Hawkmistress. I know why she put them in omnibus and I usually like omnibus books. However, the title-The Ages of Chaos- may be confusing as the two books are not very close to each other in time and during the second book the events are described as taking place in the next era-The Hundred Kingdoms. That aside the books in themselves weren't anything more than mediocre. The characterization was decent but not great. I never felt truly connected to any of the characters. Many times I predicted what would happen in the book, however, I have read a lot of fantasy and you become more adept at spotting foreshadowing and plotlines the more you read. The editing was horrendous. Either they didn't BOTHER to edit them or the editor was drunk. He instead of she, completely misspelled words, odd phasing, these errors do intrude considerably into the enjoyment of reading these books. Usually I don't even spot typos as I just change them for myself. However, these typos were so blatantly obvious that they made me want to take a pen to the book to correct them! It's not a bad book. In fact it's fairly decent as books go. However for a more interesting read I would recommend Mercedes Lackey, Tanya Huff, Anne MacCaffrey, Kate Elliot, Jennifer Roberson, and even though they're 'young adult' books-Tamora Pierce. I would say that Marion Zimmer Bradley has mediocre characterization in all of the books I've read by her-only a few as I've just begin the Darkover series-Darkover Landfall and The Mists of Avalon, have decent but not great characterization. Although this review may seem alarmingly negative I have still not finished the Darkover series (I just finished this book today) but I plan to. I encourage you to at least read Darkover Landfall if you are intrigued by these books to get an idea if you like her writing style.
Rating:
Summary: Limitless Laran
Review: What a tale! The storyline is very involved, but with characters as clearly drawn as Ms. Bradley has presented them, it is easy to keep them all straight. Even with two different stories, it is hard to put the book down. My only negative comment is there are more typographical errors in this book than I have encountered before. There were enough, however, that this did distract me.
Rating:
Summary: Limitless Laran
Review: What a tale! The storyline is very involved, but with characters as clearly drawn as Ms. Bradley has presented them, it is easy to keep them all straight. Even with two different stories, it is hard to put the book down. My only negative comment is there are more typographical errors in this book than I have encountered before. There were enough, however, that this did distract me.
<< 1 >>
|
