Rating: 
Summary: If you like MZB, and Darkover, buy it.
Review: I have been reading and enjoying Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series for several years now. I purchased this book on the strength of knowing that I have never been disappointed by a MZB novel. Although this book did not disappoint me I felt that it was slightly rough around the edges. It is a novel in a series that has "Series Novel Syndrome". SNS being the problem wherein if one has not read the previous volumes then one will miss miss major points of "historical" fact that are key to some of the major points of the story. Although I have read all of the previous novels I found myself having to recall several previous Darkover story lines in order to follow this somewhat convoluted plot. I loved the book and recommend it to any Darkover fans but newbies to Darkover beware, you should read at least "Sharra's Exile" first to get the most out of this novel. "Sharra's Exile" by the way is a wonderful novel and is MZB at her very best
Rating: 
Summary: GOOD
Review: I have read MANY,MANY books of MZB, but none of the Darkover Novels except for Exile's song. Being that I haven't read any other, there were no flaws I spotted like the different character "Jeff", or something, that everyone here has been saying there was a mistake made on? The book itself was interesting, though at points it went a little too slow, like during the threshold sickness thing. I gave this book a 6 because it was interesting and very good to read - but it could have been improved.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is nowhere near the quality other darkover books.
Review: I practically grew up with Sharra's Exile as my favorite book, and I couldn't wait to read this, but its not worth the time. There is not a single original plot or thought in this book. It seems to be a mishmash of events in other darkover books, and even characters seem to be the same people over and over. I am done with the darkover books for good now- they are nothing but a disappointment. I can't comprehend how MZB could take something with such amazing possibilities and trash it! I wanted to tell the heroine of this book to shut up and stop complaining only a few chapters in. The only good parts contain Lew Alton, whom it seems the author can still write about in a quality manner. In general- yuk.
Rating:
Summary: unfortunately only half a book
Review: I quite like the book, it's very well written. What I don't like is a book, that breaks off in the middle of the story. All the other Darkover novels had some kind of ending, even if they had a kind of sequel, only this one just drops out.
There were also some inconsistencies. The Lew Alton of Exile's song seems to me too different from the one in the other two books, and the change is not explained sufficiently. And why is Jeff Kerwin now Damon Ridenow? Why should he have been the heir to Alton?
Well, in spite of these things I liked the book, I just hope the next part is as good as this one.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected
Review: I resisted buying Exile's Song expecting to be disappointed by a sequel in a series that already had to many books, but was pleasantly surprised.
I did think that the story really ended about half way through the book with the defeat of Ashra Alton... and that the second story and the first kind of jarred against each other uncomfortable... almost like the author found herself done with the story before she had the requisit number of pages and so tacked on a second story.
Overall, I was pleased with $6-7 I spent on it.
Rating: 
Summary: The Alton tradition continues!
Review: I was first introduced to the world of darkover in "Sharra's Exile" and have been addicted ever since. When "Exiles Song" first came out I was intrigued. And I discovered it was about Lew Altons daughter! Through her discovery of her home world to her discovery of her uncle Rafe Scott and finally her discovery of her awakening telpathic gift. The battle with Ashsarra Alton to the discovery of her shadow matrix. This is a wonderful book to start the darkover series. Form start to finish I could hardly put it down. Margaret Alton's journey begins in Thendara when her mentor and friend Ivor Davidson dies. In her despair she meets her uncle Rafe Scott. This is the begining of her true journey. Deciding to finish the work she was sent to darkover to do(study music) Margaret sets off for the Kilgard Hills with Rafella a free amazon. She ends up at Armida and meets her cousin Mihkail Hastur-Lanart. Within the hold of threshold sickness Margaret is confronted with many obsticals from Asharra Alton, the arrival of her shadow matrix, her estranged father Lew, her uncle Gabrielle trying to marry her off to his chauvanistic son, her hiership to the Alton Domain, her strange and extremely powerful Alton LARAN, and her growing love for Mihkail. However, "Exile's Song's" real conclucion is in the "Shadow Matrix". I would recomend "Exile's Song" to any long or first time readers of darkover. If you would like yo contact me about more darkover or any novels drop me an email.
Rating:
Summary: Sharra rides again!
Review: I've only read one other book by Bradley, "Mists of Avalon." Lucky for me because the list of other books she has written about this dark, red-mooned planet is long and I'm sure the plots and characters suffer from over exposure. As it stands "Exiles Song" reads well and its theme, when fresh, is always interesting, but it also reads (and this gives it the three stars) like it was written by a stable of MZ Bradley look alikes.
Rating:
Summary: Hasn't this been done before
Review: I've read a lot of the Darkover novels and this will probably be the last one. I actually love Margret Alton's character, which is why I give it 3 stars, but it just seems like I've already read about terrans coping with darkovan culture shock. And thank god MZB didn't go to far into that rununciet character, I'm so sick of the free amazons after reading Thendara House and City of Sorcery. It just seems like MZB is trying to keep the money machine rolling instead of bringing terra and darkover to some sort of "head" in their dealings. She should have some sort of war of PSI powers or at least get to the point after these dozens of novels which are costing me a fortune to read the same story over and over. If you love darkover definetly read this book, if your a casual fan quite reading them.
Rating:
Summary: nice to revisit darkover but was somewhat unsatisfying
Review: just read exile's song in one sitting. it was nice to revisit darkover but was left unsatisfied. reminded me a bit too much of hawkmistress. why do most her strong female characters [which is a lot of the charm of mzb] always end up having to go to a tower and then we hear no more of them? though maybe we will hear more of marguerida alton
Rating:
Summary: The worst Darkover novel I've ever read
Review: Marion gives credit to a "co-author," one of the Friends of Darkover writers, whose "voice" seems to me to be very strong in this book, as well as amateurish. I had great difficulty in forcing myself to read the first 100 pages, hoping that it would improve -- as it did, but not enough to make me think well of the book. The plot is contrived and the action forced; the character does not evolve but is squeezed into shape by the author. What was for me a great mark against the book -- and I don't want to be sued for libel -- but the book to me did not seem to ring true to Marion's writings in all her other Darkover books. I cannot recommend this book, even to die-hard fans (like me)
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