Book Description
Heavy Snow....Icy Desires....Cold-Blooded MurderClare Fergusson, St. Alban's new priest, fits like a square peg in the conservative Episcopal parish at Miller's Kill, New York. She is not just a "lady," she's a tough ex Army chopper pilot, and nobody's fool. Then a newborn infant left at the church door brings her together with the town's police chief, Russ Van Alstyne, who's also ex-Army and a cynical good shepherd for the stray sheep of his hometown. Their search for the baby's mother quickly leads them into the secrets that shadow Miller's Kill like the ever-present Adirondacks. What they discover is a world of trouble, an attraction to each other-and murder....
Customer Reviews:
great series.......2007-08-29
One of the best first books I have read in a long time.The two main characters are very good.
A great introduction to Clare and Russ!.......2007-06-04
I just finished In the Bleak Midwinter as an audiobook. I was quite impressed with Julia Spencer-Fleming's skill as an author. She truly breathes life into the main characters - Clare Fergusson as an intelligent, compassionate, dedicated spiritual adviser who also has uncommon courage (and some foolhardiness, as it turns out) and Russ van Alstyne as the tough-talking cop with a heart of gold. They make a great pair, and frankly, I'm hating to wait until Book #3 to see them in bed together. The chemistry was definitely there in Book #1. Ms. Spencer-Fleming also has excellent attention to detail and the story flows along at an admirable pace. The perpetrator's motive was credible though I did figure out who the bad guy was well before the author revealed it.
What kept me from giving this book 5 stars is what I call the "stupid factor". That's things that don't quite ring true or turn a first-rate mystery into a soap opera. It's things like the fact that the dead girl was possibly sexually molested by her father, as her sister definitely was. We saw that plot element used well in Elizabeth George's A Great Deliverance, and I bet it's been used lots of times. But its easy melodrama. Too easy. And Clare going off in her little MG all by herself, to a rendez-vous on a remote mountain road in a bad snowstorm, when she knew her car wasn't up for it, her boots weren't up for it, and there might be a killer out there. Surely, she would have provided for back-up or gone with someone else. The setup was that she'd had a tiff with Russ a short while before, but it's still not credible. It's just a stupid thing for a smart person to do. And again she confronts the killer at the end, all by herself and unarmed. That's not too smart, either. It's also not entirely credible that she would have spared his life the first time since she knew he was trying to kill her.
I also thought that even though the killer was intent of making things "as they were" for his family, his motive for disposing of the baby was weak, although necessary as a dramatic plot element. The baby was going to be adopted, and the author tells us that in dialogue. I can see why the killer killed his other victims, but not a month-old infant. Again, the soap-opera touch. The author also used the annoying ploy that nobody, not even her close friends and roommates had any idea that the victim was pregnant, even in her last trimester. That just doesn't jibe with reality. And a point of medical correction. Twenty-five year olds don't get colon cancer. Clare's sister should have been portrayed to have had leukemia or lymphoma perhaps - cancers that are common among young people.
Having said my piece, I still vote Ms. Fleming a very good author, and I'm planning to listen to at least a couple of her other books in this series.
Annoying.......2007-06-01
I picked up this book recently, primarily because of its setting in upstate New York, where I've lived my entire life of several decades, and the list of awards on the cover. Overall, it's a fairly well-written book, but there were so many little things that annoyed me about it that I doubt I'll follow the series.
Not the least of these annoyances is the author's failure to get right many details of life in New York and especially upstate New York. For example, there is no death penalty in New York for the crimes described in the book. Yet, both Chief Van Alystyne and Reverand Clare refer to "the chair" and "death row" in connection with the case. This is such a blatant error I wondered if the author were at all familiar with the state and if editors have fact checkers anymnore. There's also no board of governors of a local department of social services and no state Department of Human Services.
Nor have I ever heard anyone refer to any part of New York State as "Eastern New York." And, while a small corner of Washington County is within the Blue Line of the Adirondack Park, no native upstater thinks of Washington County as being in the Adirondacks. The geography, generally, doesn't make sense. There's also nothing of the locale in the characters. The rare attempt to capture their voice makes them sound more Appalachian or Southern. Other than the upstate place and route names, there's little to distinguish the locale from generic rural America, as usually imagined by fiction writers.
Other annoyances: Having the Chief or Reverand do dumb things to advance the plot, usually to set up some improbable dramatic confrontation, not the least of which is the totally unbelievable ending. Having the Reverand stumble upon critical information; once might be believable, more than once had me wondering if any police investigation was going on. The thin mystery: I knew the solution half way through the book. The tired "will they or won't they" relationship set up between the Chief and Reverand. I would find it more interesting for once to see a man and woman develop a deep friendship without the forbidden love aspect.
Great start to a great series.......2007-02-21
I recently bought several "first of the series" books based on an email from Amazon. This is the first of that lot that I've had a chance to read and before going on about the plot and characters, let me just say that I've ordered the rest of the books in this series and can't wait for them to arrive.
The thing I like most about series books is character development. I read and recommend Crombie, Robinson, George, Stabenow (both of her series), Jance (both of hers, too) and others who do police procedurals. I love Griffin's works (4 or 5 different series on both police and war) for the same reason. That's not to say that plot isn't important. But, when I'm in a bookstore or library wondering "did I read this book" I'm far more likely to remember the characters than the story line.
This is a long-winded way to say that Ms. Spencer-Fleming's initial work developed some great characters while it told a good story. Obvious suspects were unsurprisingly innocent and the guilty party was well hidden until the end. Meanwhile a strong friendship is established between the named characters (a female Episcopal priest and a police chief).
This book was done well, and is highly recommended.
Holy Cow...this is great!.......2006-09-13
This is the kind of book that makes you sit up and take notice of a writer's talent. Julia Spencer-Fleming has not only written an awesome book, she has introduced us to people that we can care about and admire.
Clare Fergusson is a classic heroine for our time. She is caring and responsible and yet so human in her flaws. The relationships she builds with the other characters in this book are so real.
Julia Spencer-Fleming has a talent for bringing the reader into the surroundings--her description is vivid and mesmerizing. You can see and feel and smell everything around the characters...it's like being there. This book was an emotional high with the potential for sensory overload.
Excellently crafted and perfectly implemented.
Book Description
It's a cold, snowy December in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, and newly ordained Clare Fergusson is on thin ice as the first female priest of its small Episcopal church.The ancient regime running the parish covertly demands that she prove herself as a leader. However, her blunt manner, honed by years as an army pilot, is meeting with a chilly reception from some members of her congregation and Chief of Police Russ Van Alystyne, in particular, doesn't know what to make of her, or how to address "a lady priest" for that matter.The last thing she needs is trouble, but that is exactly what she finds.When a newborn baby is abandoned on the church stairs and a young mother is brutally murdered, Clare has to pick her way through the secrets and silence that shadow that town like the ever-present Adirondack mountains.As the days dwindle down and the attraction between the avowed priest and the married police chief grows, Clare will need all her faith, tenacity, and courage to stand fast against a killer's icy heart.In the Bleak Midwinter is one of the most outstanding Malice Domestic winners the contest has seen. The compelling atmosphere-the kind of very cold and snowy winter that is typical of upstate New York-will make you reach for another sweater.The characters are fully and believably drawn and you will feel like they are your old friends and find yourself rooting for them every step of the way. AUTHORBIO: Julia Spencer-Fleming was born in Plattsburgh Air Force Base and spent most of her childhood on the move as an Army brat.She studied acting and history at Ithaca College, and received her JD at the University of Maine School of Law.She lives in a 180-year-old farmhouse outside of Portland, Maine, with her husband, three children, and beloved big dog.
Customer Reviews:
I love this book!.......2007-03-20
I think this is a wonderful first novel. As a mystery lover who also loves books with a clerical element, I was sold from the first page. The sexual tension between the two main characters draws us along in the story.
A Good First Novel.......2005-07-29
Although I'm not a fan of the mystery genre, I enjoyed this first novel, and the relationship it portrayed between a single female Episcopal Priest and the older Chief of Police. The story also gave good background for Rev. Fergusson and her profession, her church, and church relationships.
A good idea for a theme, beginning with the baby Clare finds, and moving one to a well-integrated web of complexity.
Fine first novel -- but some not-so-smart characters.......2004-05-31
Overall, I liked this book. I liked the characters, and I'm counting on seeing a series featuring this priest and this cop.
That said, I hope that, in the future, both the priest and the cop make smarter decisions. I could accept some mistakes in judgment from Rev. Clare, who is a novice sleuth. However, she made several mistakes in a row that I found rather improbable, considering that she is presented to us as a character who is smart and who is more accustomed to challenging situations than the average person.
It seemed to me that the chief of police failed to take some logical "next steps" in pursuing the investigation -- places that needed to be visited, people who needed to be interviewed, sooner rather than later.
It appeared to me that the author wanted to spread out the arrival of the clues through the device of not having the cop do certain interviews or searches in a timely manner. Unfortunately, that also made him look not too much on the ball.
I was also surprised at the suggestion that the authorities in New York state could not produce DNA results in a shorter time than four months -- given that the case involved the murder of a victim for whom there would be enormous sympathy. If an author says it in a mystery, it must be true -- but what does this say about the priorities of forensic labs in New York?
I enjoyed the book, although I guessed the identity of the villain early on in the book. I do recommend it to other readers. I bet the next books in the series will be better and better each time, so readers should start with this one.
You can feel the cold in this book........2003-04-07
The author does such a great job at describing the weather in this stormy tale of a new baby, left in the snow, but covered on the steps of St. Alban's Episcopal Church. The new Reverend is a woman, and it is she who stumbles upon the writhing bundle while getting ready to brave the weather and go for a jog. Reverend Clare Ferguson finds a note next to the baby, saying "Please give Cody to Mr. and Mrs. Burns here at St Albans." Mr. and Mrs. Burnes are anxious for a child, and everyone in the little town of Millers Kill, Washington knows this. Snow is falling all of the time, the Reverend just hates to get rid of her tiny car, but an SUV will be so much more practical. The police and an ambulance arrive at St. Albans, whisking baby Coty to an unknown fate. 6 days later, a young woman is found dead, bashed in the head with a blunt object, left lying out in the snow. She is 6 days post partum and her name is Katie. She is Cody's mother. Throughout all the interviews, one man stands out because Katie once dated his son. He is of a most despicable character, already having molested the oldest girl he had until she left for college and possibly molesting Katie as well. He believes he is the child's grandfather and wants the child. The FBI and local police know this would be a horrible place for the child, the man smells of booze, the 300 pound wife has no say, but the Department of Human Services has plenty to say once all the blood and DNA testing is in. Days later, Mr. McWhorter, the would be grandfather is also dead, shot in the back of the head, left in the snow. It's a great who done it story. I personally did not figure it out until the end, but when you find out who killed Katie and her father, you will be shocked. There are undertones of romance. Reverend Clare must keep herself in check with the Chief of Police, who is married and also must keep himself in check. This added a bit of spice and reality, which wasn't needed but was appreciated nonetheless.
Spirit and Flesh and Snowflakes.......2002-12-02
I wasn't as dazzled as others seem to be at the author's prose, style, or suspense. I guessed the murderer about halfway through the book. That said, I have to admit I enjoyed the story, mostly because I enjoyed the unique protagonist. I liked that the sincerity of her vocation came through without diminishing her humanity. She's a well written character, and I'd probably read another of Spencer-Fleming's books for that reason alone.
Average customer rating:
- Much Underrated -A Backstage Classic
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In the Bleak Midwinter
Kenneth Branagh
Manufacturer: Nick Hern Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Screenplays
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ASIN: 1854592696 |
Customer Reviews:
Much Underrated -A Backstage Classic.......2003-12-08
The book is basically the shooting script for Kenneth Branagh's film (called A Midwinter's Tale in the US), with photos and an informative introduction by Branagh. The film is sadly underrated -It got very little attention here in the US. The writing is clever and funny, and the exploration (exposé?) of the world of the out-of-work actor is frighteningly accurate. Both the book and the film are increasingly hard to find. Snap them up -You'll be glad you did.
Product Description
4 Great stories
Average customer rating:
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Bleak Midwinter
Peter Millar
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 0747557519 |
Book Description
In an Oxford hospital, intern Rajiv Mahendra encounters a patient with rare symptoms that are disturbingly familiar. In India, the disease is known as bubonic plague. The last time it occurred on a large scale in Europe, it was known as the Black Death, killing nearly a third of the population. Driven by morbid curiosity, history student Daniel Warren slips into the hospital to see the patient, where he is discovered by a reporter from a local newspaper. In a misguided attempt to keep her quiet, Warren reveals that the patient had been working on a building site that was once an old plague pit. Could this long-dormant scourge have been reawakened? It seems impossible, but is it?
Book Description
Clare Fergusson, St. Alban's new priest, fits like a square peg in the conservative Episcopal parish at Miller's Kill, New York. She is not just a "lady," she's a tough ex Army chopper pilot, and nobody's fool. Then a newborn infant left at the church door brings her together with the town's police chief, Russ Van Alstyne, who's also ex-Army and a cynical good shepherd for the stray sheep of his hometown. Their search for the baby's mother quickly leads them into the secrets that shadow Miller's Kill like the ever-present Adirondacks. What they discover is a world of trouble, an attraction to each other-and murder...
Customer Reviews:
WHAT A SURPRISE.......2006-07-13
I never anticipated that this book would be so engaging. Claire is unique (priest/Army helicopter pilot) and the character works perfectly with Police Chief Van Alstyne. You can feel the romantic tension but the mystery is the heart of the story. Great summer read. I will read the others in this series, slowly...I like to have some reliably wonderful books tucked away as a reserve.
Average customer rating:
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The Bleak Midwinter 1947
Alex J. Robertson
Manufacturer: Manchester Univ Pr
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ASIN: 0719019028 |
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Charles Way Three Plays: Dead Man's Hat, Paradise Drive, in the Bleak Midwinter (Seren Drama)
Manufacturer: Seren Books
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ASIN: 1854111140 |
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In The Bleak Midwinter
Julia Spencer-Fleming
Manufacturer: Sound Library
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ASIN: 0792731794 |
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- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
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They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Customer Reviews:
over 25 years, omg.......2005-10-19
I'm happy to see this novel still available. I read it 25 years ago, it was a symbol of my teenage rebellion.
The culture of the early Darkover novels was absorbing and great in that it made you suspend belief, so much so, the culture came alive.
This novel in the series brings a Human from Earth into the culture, giving you the whole fish out-of-water fish-eye view. The character Andrew suffers culture shock due to the fact the two married couples (the wives are sisters), basically; share some intimate quarters. They are also rebels together, going against the ruling parties of Darkover.
Depending where you are in the Chronology of Darkover, sometimes only women can be matrix tower keepers, other time periods, only the men are permitted.
There is some interesting use of Psychic powers that some of the Darkover people have developed, it makes the resistance to Science more easily understandable, especially by the High-born, who rule this medieval like society.
This novel is my favorite in the Darkover series. If you liked this novel, "Stormqueen' is another great Darkover novel. The novels before the 'Terrans' arrived were more fantastic fantasy.
not the best of the Darkover novels, but it had potential.......2004-04-09
"The Forbidden Tower" is another of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels. This one is set shortly after the events of "The Spell Sword", where Callista had been rescued and the Cat People defeated. Damon Ridenow is engaged to marry Ellemir, a daughter of the Alton family. Ellemir's twin sister, Callista, intends on marrying the Terran, Andrew Carr. This seems simple enough. Two couples want to get married. But, this is the basis for the entire novel and the way this plays out is rather interesting. The trouble is in who these people are.
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.
Sheesh.......2003-05-23
Of the eleven Darkover novels I've read, this is surely the dullest. It's a good deal longer than it needs to be, and the greater part of it is given over to the attempts of four people to help one of them, a former Tower Keeper, perform the `marital act'. Regrettably, there is not much lurid detail involved, so we're denied even something to appeal to our prurient interest. And it goes on for quite a long time. In many places the narrative reads like a first draft, and I kept wishing the author had gone through one more time to tighten up the prose. Later on there's a rather silly time travel sequence, a blast from the past as it were, which doesn't contribute a whole heck of a lot to the proceedings. The action picks up a little at the end, but so what. Unless you're a rabid fan who must read everything this somewhat overrated s.f. writer published, consider this one a waste of time. (BL, Tucker, GA)
Great book, but don't let your kids read it.......2002-12-27
We like the Darkover books in my family. My husband got into them first, but they're spreading to the rest of us. These books are mostly real page turners, full of action and suspense; but, nevertheless, they have marvelous character development with tremendous complexity in how the characters think, feel, and interact.
There is some wonderful philosophy sprinkled throughout about the nature of marriage and of gender roles in society. The fantasy and telepathic aspects of the books make for intriguing variations on what leads to dominance in relationships and what leads to successful and unsuccessful relationships, whether between husband and wife; parent and child; or between siblings.
This book shares these nice features with many others in the series.
My older son, age 12, is a strong reader and loves reading adult science fiction and fanatasy. He has picked up on these books and started stealing them out of my husband's bookcase and loving them. For the most part, I think that's o.k. for the Darkover series, BUT NOT FOR THIS BOOK! It's too bad that books don't have ratings like software or movies. This one is definitely R or possibly NC-17. For myself, I enjoyed the explorations of how telepathy would affect sex myself -- some of which got pretty darn strange; BUT it's not the sort of thing that my pre-pubescent child, who is already pretty confused about sex roles as it is, should be reading.
A keeper, and among the best of Marion Zimmer Bradley.......2002-08-15
I am not a fan of science fiction works where male-dominated societies are replaced by female-dominated ones. I do like much of the Darkover saga, notably those that show conflicts between cultures native to Darkover (as well as conflicts between Darkovan and Terran culture). As I cut down my library, I consider which of the Darkover novels I should keep with me. I have never swayed from my opinion that THE FORBIDDEN TOWER is probably the one to keep, above all others.
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.
Book Description
In this interactive fantasy series, readers must make choices that determine how the story ends. In The Forbidden Towers, Book 1, the reader must find a cure for a plague. Unfortunately, the cure is hidden in the Forbidden Towers. Which of the five towers will you enter first - The Tower of Spiders, Hands, Bones, Eaters, or Beasts? Make the wrong decisions, and you may lose your life. Make the right decisions, and you could be a hero. Whatever fate you meet, you can always go back and start again. In the Forgotten Forest, only one thing is certain: The choice is yours.
Customer Reviews:
Brings me back to my childhood.......2007-05-21
When I was little we had these books in our classrooms. They were so much fun because you could spend hours choosing different options and changing the story. Recently I was at my friend's house and I noticed she had this book under all of the other stuff in her closet. I haven't had a chance to go through all of the scenarios yet, but for anyone who wants to give a kid an interesting book that they'll have fun with for hours, I recommend this book and other types like it. It makes an interesting read because you choose the story. All in all great book!
Product Description
Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.
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THE FORBIDDEN TOWER
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000F9K99S |
Product Description
She was haunted by a love that would not die but now could kill
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The Forbidden Tower
Manufacturer: Cupples & Leon Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000B64AIG |
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The Forbidden Tower
Manufacturer: Dell Gothic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000EJLSYO |
Product Description
Romance novel, takes place in a secluded hotel.
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