The Forbidden Tower (Hardcover)

The marriage of Damon and Ellemir is not the problem. The problem is Andrew and Callista. You see, Callista is a Keeper of Arilinn Tower. What this means is that for a woman to become a Keeper there are years of training and conditioning of her senses and her psychic powers and they are honed so tightly that physical contact is almost unbearable, let alone emotional attachment. Callista may love Andrew very much, but years of conditioning has made her unable to physically respond to him, and should she respond there is the threat of Callista's powers attacking Andrew without her control (part of the conditioning). They marry, but understand that they cannot consummate the marriage until Callista's conditioning can be undone, and this may take months and years.

Meanwhile they are all living at the Alton estate (as would be customary on Darkover). Andrew is adapting to life on Darkover and is discovering his role in the household and with his new family in friends. But Andrew still has Terran (think Earth) ways of thinking, and this causes more problems, especially since Damon, Ellemir and Callista are all telepaths, as is Andrew. The closeness of Darkovan and telepathic relationships is frightening and different to Andrew and he recoils at times causing conflict and confusion.

At its heart this novel is a romance, in part between Andrew and Callista, but also between all four of the major characters. Exactly how that works out would spoil the story, but it is something that is presented as fairly natural on Darkover (though if we judged it by our own standards it would be unusual at best and perhaps deviant at worst). There is also a major conflict within Darkover's culture because of how the four are viewing their psychic powers and what proper use of them is (there is tradition and laws on Darkover regarding use of "laran", the psi power.). This puts the four into direct opposition with the ruling powers of Darkover.

While the relationship between Andrew and Callista is at the heart of the novel, the strongest point was (in my view) was the conflict between the four and the rulers of Darkover. This was the most interesting part and one that I wish was focused on much more than the attempts for Callista and Andrew to finally consummate their marriage. This was a good Darkover novel, but not one of the best. Perhaps if the focus would have been on the "Forbidden Tower" aspect of the novel it would have been the best of the Darkover novels.

A confession - this was the very first Darkover novel that I read, and it took me a while to realize that it was part of a series. I think the attractions of the book have been described well by others, as well as the plot. I will not say much more for fear of spoilers. The only thing I will add regarding the plot is that the resolution of the two couples's problems is achieved via something that can be used successfully just once (as far as Darkover fans are concerned). Unfortunately, MZB tried to use the same solution for another and much weaker novel THE WORLD WRECKERS (which many fans also consider to be non-canonic in the sense that its events violate the history told in other books, earlier and later).

I will instead explain why this book is so outstanding among many good books (including those dedicated to the Free Amazons, and the story of Lewis Lanart-Alton in THE HERITAGE OF HASTUR). THE FORBIDDEN TOWER takes place relatively late in Darkovan history (which spans several centuries). The events in this book occur some years after the planet has been discovered, or rather rediscovered, by Terrans. [For that story, read the co-authored REDISCOVERY]. There is a prequel to this book, THE SPELL SWORD, but it is not really necessary to read it. There is a sequel to this book, called THE BLOODY SUN which some would view as essential reading and others not. I believe that this title can stand alone, one of the few Darkovan titles that can do so.

The protagonists of this book are Damon Ridenow (whose ancestors were dry-town bandits), and his new wife and her sister. Both women hail from the powerful Lanart-Alton (or rather Alton) clan. Each clan - the Ridenow, the Altons, and others - have specific powers, although not all members of the clan exhibit those powers. [Forgive me for errors in terminology, because it has been a while since I read the whole series]. The difference in inheritance of powers becomes a minor issue between the sisters, in that one became a Keeper (a position of great honor and power, but enforced celibacy) and the other - married. There is no resentment between the sisters, but the fact that siblings do not inherit the same level of power becomes an issue in other books.

There is both internal conflict (generated by the beliefs and expectations, as well as life experiences of the protagonists) as well as external conflicts (the decisions and actions of others). Part of the appeal of this book is the internal conflict. No body is perfect here, and each person has a reasonable point of view. The sole Terran, Andrew Carr, husband to Callista Lanart-Alton (the former Keeper), must work his way not only through a complicated relationship with the other three, but also his own feelings about marriage. [Marriage in Darkover is not quite like marriage between Terrans]. Part of the attraction in this book is seeing Andrew adjust to and gradually accept this very different notion of marriage, not to mention his relationships with his wife's sister and her husband.

I should mention here that if you have a very conventional mind about marriage, you will be shocked by some of the goings-on. But I assume that as a reader of this review (who is interested in science fiction), you are prepared to accept that other worlds have different rules.

I loved the ending of course. It was not just that the good guys won, but how they won. Somehow their particular solution to the problem made sense brilliantly. And very few people got hurt, compared to THE HERITAGE OF HASTUR.

I won't say what happens to these couples (and to others) down the road, because that is a story fully told in later books, particularly THE BLOODY SUN. However, since I know the ending to this particular story, that does not make me love or hate it more. It just adds a special poignancy to this particular book.

I think of THE FORBIDDEN TOWER both as a romance and as a creative work of SFF. Even after reading through other works, this book remains the most accessible as well as the most memorable.

Grade - A+, 4.9
[No breakdown in grade given]

Recommended - Very Highly for lovers of SFF (or soft SF). Might appeal to readers of Catherine Asaro or Mercedes Lackey.

The deepening relationships between members of the foursome, contrasted with the growing conflicts between them and those who oppose the 'Forbidden Tower' they've built in the overworld, lead to a rich and gripping story.

The subplot of Callista's struggle to break the rigid taboos imposed upon her as a 'Keeper' so that she can be a true wife to Andrew and follow her own desires, is dramatic and fascinating.

This is a novel with many complex themes interwoven into a rich, fascinating story. I enjoyed each element of the many plots, and thoroughly enjoyed it.