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5.0 out of 5 stars
A marvelous novel of self-discovery and cultural evolution, May 22 2004
Not only is The Bloody Sun a fantastic read on its own merits, it is also a pivotal book in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, marking the transition of the planet Darkover from its zealous self-isolation from the Terran presence toward the growing spirit of cooperation that marks the Second Age. For generations, Darkover has consisted of seven domains loosely ruled by the Comyn, the aristocratic families of those domains. By this time, however, the influence of the Terran presence in the land has led some Darkovans to express a desire to abandon the old ways and form a close and mutually beneficial relationship with the Terrans. The true power of the Comyn has long been found inside the mysterious Towers of the land, but now only the mighty Tower in Arillin can boast of a full-fledged Keeper, and even this primary Tower's circle is incomplete at the time this novel opens. Some of the people believe that the old ways are out-dated and needlessly burdensome, but few in authority have the desire, let alone the courage, to pursue progress of any sort. Thirty years earlier, Cleindori, former Keeper at Arillin, had courageously sought to change the laws (as was her right as Keeper) and free herself and her successors from a life lived under the most severe, isolated of conditions; her ultimate reward had been death and denial as a declared traitor and renegade. Raised in the Spacemen's Orphanage on Darkover until he was twelve, Jeff Kerwin spent his next several years on Earth with his Terran father's parents; an outcaste on a world not truly his own, he pined for the time he could return to Darkover and learn the truth of his heritage. All he has is the name his Terran father gave him and a matrix jewel of unknown origin. He also has bright red hair, and on his first night back on Darkover he gets into several altercations with Darkovans who mistake him for someone else - a Comyn. When he begins to search for the history of his earliest years, he is surprised and increasingly frustrated to learn that no such records seem to exist anywhere of him or his Terran father. Even the Spacemen's Orphanage has no record of him. Kerwin knows he is being lied to and manipulated, but he has no idea why. Seeking information on the nature of his matrix jewel among Darkovan matrix technicians, Kerwin finds himself pulled in a new direction while the Terran authorities seemingly push him out. On the brink of deportation from the planet of his birth, a voice beckons him through the jewel he wears, and by following this voice Kerwin finds a new home on Darkover - a home within the very Tower of Arillin. Thus we get an inside look at the work of the Comyn and their sheltered Keepers inside their mysterious Towers. It is a brand new life for Kerwin, accepted into a telepathic circle of power and authority. He finds new friendships, experiences beautiful yet tragically painful romantic relationships, and tries to work alongside a personal enemy determined to prove that he, as a hated Terranan, is a spy who does not belong in Arillin. Ultimately, he carries the burden of knowing that the very future of Darkover depends on him, as the Tower of Arillin is put to a test that will determine whether Comyn "magic" or Terran technology will best serve the Darkovan people in the future. Of course, things get much more complicated than this, and the ultimate revelation is not to come until Kerwin discovers the truth about his parentage and childhood on Darkover. That revelation is rather involved, requiring several moments of "wait a minute, let me get this straight" reflection on my part (which is not to say it does not make sense); it is as meaningful and powerful as it is complex. The Bloody Sun is a thoroughly engaging novel boasting impressive elements of both science fiction and fantasy. In the context of its place within Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels, it is among the most important and significant works, showing as it does the inner workings of the last of the most powerful of mysterious Towers, revealing long-buried secrets linking this story and Darkovan history back to the crucial era of The Forbidden Tower, vindicating completely a renegade Keeper of the past, and basically explaining the impetus for one of the most significant cultural evolutions in Darkovan history.
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