I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Children of Kings
in Hardcover edition on March 5, 2013 and has 375 pages.
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A novel set in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series. The focus is on Regis Hastur’s grandchildren — what they’re doing, how they’re coping — and Regis’ missing daughter. As usual, outside forces are creating problems and the ruling Comyn are struggling to be true to themselves and to their world.
This series is easy to read as standalone novels, HOWEVER, if you’re as OCD as I am, I do recommend starting at the beginning of the Darkover series with Darkover Landfall, 1 — partly to see how laran developed, partly to see how the culture changes from this first landfall, and mostly because the geneaology can be so confusing! It’s a fascinating start to this series.
My Take
This story about Darkover is written using Marion Zimmer Bradley’s stories and notes. And it’s reasonably well done, although a tad juvenile in its character depiction and actions with a slight fumble in that Ross misses the depth of Bradley’s warmth and the full richness of her writing. Otherwise, Ross has pulled enough of the feel and flavor of Bradley’s Darkover that I want to start the series all over again. Of course, it will be so much easier with the Internet, LOL. Yup, I’m old enough to remember life before easy access to information, and I absolutely adore the world wide web! It so satisfies my need for data and order.
As Gareth considers: “Freedom is a matter of how we choose our chains.”
Which sums up the main theme: acknowledging our chains, whether they are worn openly or those of the mind.
It’s too cute that Gareth is still imagining himself as a super secret agent, an influence of childhood novels — Race Cargill, Terran Secret Agent. It helps make him both normal and rather pathetic, reinforcing the frustration with which Ross has infused his character. This journey will make him. He will come to learn the true meaning of the blood in his veins. Not what he had thought it meant. I have to confess that I am surprised he was as clueless as he was when he first arrived in Carthon, the immaturity reflected in his thoughts and actions.
As desperate as Linnea is to find her daughter after all these years, this was just too easy and too improbable. Somewhere in all those years, I’m sure that Comyn and Nevarsin towers must have communicated.
It’s the most amazing world that Bradley created. Centuries of tradition, of family, wars and alliances, culture, economics, betrayals, evolution. I am so pleased that Ross carried on with this story. Part of me hopes she will continue. Part of me hopes she will be very, very careful not to get careless with Bradley’s legacy.
Ooh, I like that bit about the embroidery and its purpose on clothing. I do recall having heard this reasoning before, and I’m pleased for the reminder.
I still don’t understand why the chieri‘s actions regarding Regis and his daughter, especially when they claim to honor him.
The Story
Gareth is fed up with his uselessness, with how everyone looks at him and sees only a crazy Elhalyn. Raised on the stories of his grandfather’s exploits, Gareth is determined to have his own adventures and heads off to the Dry Towns.
The Compact is everything, every thing, on Darkover. Learning of the possibility of a Federation ship whose captain is handing out blasters to Dry Towners, Gareth intends to discover the truth of it and prevent such a violation of the Compact.
An adventure on which Gareth will learn so much about himself.
The Characters
Gareth Marius-Danvan Elhalyn y Hastur is the uncrowned prince fed up with his uselessness and how the rest of the Comyn perceive him — and encouraged by the stories of his grandfather’s adventures. His father is Danilo Hastur; his mother Miralys is a royal Elhalyn. He also has a brother and a sister: Derek and Regina-Javanne. Narsin serves the Hastur family and tries very hard to protect Gareth. It seems that Gareth did something very stupid and treasonous in his youth. Well, younger youth!
Dom Mikhail Lanart-Hastur is the current Regent of Darkover; Lady Marguerida is his wife and Lew Alton’s daughter. Domenic Alton-Hastur is their son and a regent-in-waiting. Domenic’s Gift is to sense geological conditions. He’s with, but not married to, Illona Rider, a non-Comyn with a Psychic Gift working as an under-Keeper at Comyn Tower under Linnea. And she’s pregnant.
Regis Hastur is/was Gareth’s grandfather. Javanne was Regis’ sister, and Regis adopted her son, Mikhail, to be his heir. A promise he kept even when Regis’ son, Gareth’s father, Danilo Hastur, was born (he refused the regency and the lordship of Hastur to marry Miralys, taking him out of the line of succession). Danilo Syrtis-Ardais had been Regis’ bredu and is still Linnea’s close friend; he is family. Linnea Storn-Lanart was Regis’ wife; now she is a Keeper who is giving her grandson, Gareth, private lessons in the use of his laran. Kierestelli is the daughter born to Regis and Linnea during the time of the World Wreckers. Protecting her was paramount; losing her was devastating.
Dry Towners
Cyrillon is a merchant who has dealings with Danilo and Domenic, but he’s a very atypical Dry Towner. His trading party includes Korllen, cook; Tomas; Alric; and, Rakhal, who is one of the camp boys who handles the horses and the oudrakhi. Rahelle is Cryillon’s daughter, who educates Gareth in the freedom of the chains the Dry Town women wear.
Lord Dayan is a Dry Towner and lord of Shainsa. Lord Merach of Shainsa is the sword arm of Dayan. Hayat is the spoiled son of Dayan.
Adahab is the oldest son of Rivoth, the headman of the village Korllen is from; he will guide Gareth and Rahelle further into the desert. Cuinn is the village headman whose interactions with Captain Poulos of the Lamonica will have such a strong effect. Offenbach is the ship’s mate. Robard, Taz, Viss, Jory, and Lakrin are the men with whom Gareth works. Deester is the captain’s bodyguard.
The Grissom is a rebel ship in need of repair; Harris is the captain. The supposed Federation ship, Dauntless, is tracking them.
Jeram, Jeremiah Reed, is a Terranan renegade, who stayed on Darkover when the Federation left. Now he monitors for radio activity about the Federation and teaches other Darkovans how to use it, including Cassandra Haldin, Hermes Aldaran, and Ethan. Vistarin of Temora, Octavien MacEwarin, Rufus DiAsturien,and Lorrill Vallonde are all trying to befriend Gareth for their own purposes.
Silvana is the Keeper of the Nevarsin Tower. Lew Alton appears more as a reference; he’s an old man now who has suffered two heart attacks and has retreated to Nevarsin.
David Hamilton is living with the chieri; he mated with Keral and they had a child, Lianantheren. Diravanariel is the chieri who threw Stelli out.
I suspect I’ve missed some stories as the Federation has left Darkover to battle rebellion amongst their worlds. The Compact is an ancient code of honor that requires men to fight with weapons that bring them within reach of each other. It is intended to prevent Darkovan use of the weapons of the mind.
Laran is the psychic ability possessed by the Comyn and some of the Darkovans. Over the centuries, the survivors of that initial shipwreck learned to use their laran, they bred for it, and as the rulers of Darkover established their domains, certain Gifts became exclusive to certain domains: “the Ridenow were celebrated for their empathy” and the Altons could kill with their anger and force a rapport with anyone.
Today, many of the Gifts have been lost: the Aillards are almost extinct and no one alive remembers what the Elhalyns could do.
The Cover
The cover is a soft blend of lavenders to almost-pinks as the suns rise over a spaceport while Gareth and Rahelle, holding back their oudrakhi, looking over it.
The title sums it up as this is a story about The Children of Kings.
