Rediscovery : A Novel of Darkover (Daw Book Collectors, No. 909)

Rating:
Summary: I would have enjoyed this book more ...
Review: ... if I hadn't read the Renunciates trilogy.

While trying to avoid several spoilers to said trilogy, there is a completely unresolvable conflict between Rediscovery and the trilogy. Minor distortions of time and space, little contradictions, don't bother me so much -- but this one can't be resolved in any way that makes any sense.

(Not to mention, given Lorill Hastur's supposed experiences in this book, as well as his twin Leonie's, their subsequent denial in both The Shattered Chain and The Forbidden Tower that ANY Terran could have laran ability just flat-out makes no sense. *sigh*)

Read it, and try to enjoy it, because seeing the great Keeper Leonie of Arllinn as a mischevious teenager is fun. But try to keep it separate in your mind from the rest of the Darkover series.

Rating:
Summary: I Loved it, even while I cried
Review: I truly enjoyed this book. Being the first of Marion Zimmer Bradley's that I read, it is the one that hooked me on Darkover. I would say that, not only do we get a glimpse into a differnt family (the Aldarans) and meet Margaret's mother, but we get to learn in detail about one of the most signifigant events in Darkoverian history. The characters are well portrayed, and your heart alternately breaks and leaps with joy as the characters cross hurdles. My favorite character was Ysaye. This book makes a powerful statement about abortion and the differnce between love and lust. I would recommend it to anyone...

Rating:
Summary: an important moment in Darkover's history
Review: This Darkover novel is similar to "Darkover Landfall" in that it deals with the discovery (in this case, rediscovery) of the planet Darkover by Terrans landing on the planet. There are rather significant differences, of course. "Rediscovery" takes place a couple of thousand years after "Darkover Landfall" and the ship that colonized Darkover is known only as one of the "Lost Ships" that was unaccounted for. The Terran spacecraft has been traveling for several years, looking for a habitable planet on which to land and conduct experiments to determine whether or not the planet is able to be colonized. The novel's viewpoint switches back and forth between the ship and the telepath's who learn the ship is coming.

Part of the novel (that which is suggested by the title) is focused on the ship, its crew, and the discovery that the people of Darkover are comprised of the descendants of former Terran colonists. The other viewpoint is that of the native Darkovans. We see Leonie Hastur, a woman going to train her extremely powerful laran in one of the Towers. Even though I know the novel's focus was truly on the rediscovery of Darkover, it was the Leonie chapters that interested me the most.

The events of this novel were a turning point in the history of Darkover as there will now be a Terran presence on Darkover and a greater technological impact on what was once a low-tech world. This was not one of the best Darkover novels, but I enjoyed it and it was a story that needed to be told as it allows for all of the novels that are set after "Rediscovery". I would not start the series with "Rediscovery", but if you like the series then there is no reason you shouldn't read this one, too.