Stormqueen!
by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Darkover: The Ages of Chaos (1), Darkover (Chronological Order) (2), Darkover EDL (02), Darkover (Publication Order) (12)
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Description
During the lawless Ages of Chaos, when the ruling families of Darkover ruthlessly inbred their laran-gifted offspring to gain powerful talents, a baby was born to the lord of Aldaran. This child, born on a dark and thunder-filled night----, was possessed of a terrifying and uncontrolled talent: Dorilys, heiress to her father's domain, could unwittingly call forth lightning, even while still a fretful child. Fearful for his daughter's life and the safety of his domain, Lord Aldaran sent to a show more tower for help. But even the powers of a trained monitor and a Hastur lord might not be enough to save this painfully afflicted and deadly young woman. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Dorilys, a young noblewoman with uncontrollable psychic, lethal laran abilities to command lightning, struggles to manage this power amidst dangerous, inbred bloodline rivalries.
Born during a storm that kills her mother, Dorilys is feared for her destructive power, the Stormqueen. She is caught in the power struggles of the Seven Domains and the consequences of inbreeding designed to enhance psychic gifts.
Born during a storm that kills her mother, Dorilys is feared for her destructive power, the Stormqueen. She is caught in the power struggles of the Seven Domains and the consequences of inbreeding designed to enhance psychic gifts.
I'm a fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley, but my affection for her rests not on the Avalon books, which I didn't care for, but her Darkover series. Darkover is a "lost colony" of Earth that falls back into a medieval society. Ruled by a psychically gifted aristocracy, after centuries it's rediscovered by a star-spanning high-tech human federation, giving the series a feel of both science fiction and fantasy. Most books focus on the clash between the two cultures. This is one of the exceptions, set before the time of rediscovery, in the "Age of Chaos." The Darkover series as a whole features strong female characters, but it has enough swashbuckling adventure to draw the male of the species, and indeed this series was recommended to me by a guy show more (when we were in high school!)
This book is centered on one of the more memorable female characters in the series, Dorilys Aldaran, the "stormqueen" who has power over the weather. Although some of the Darkover books are loosely connected, having characters in common, they were written to be read independently and were written out of sequence. This makes it difficult without a guide to know what story to start with. Stormqueen was published in 1978, when MZB was at the height of her powers, and of the 18 Darkover novels written solely by MZB, is one of my favorites--easily top five. Early chronologically in the timeline of the series, and with no recurring characters, it makes a fine introduction to a beguiling world. show less
This book is centered on one of the more memorable female characters in the series, Dorilys Aldaran, the "stormqueen" who has power over the weather. Although some of the Darkover books are loosely connected, having characters in common, they were written to be read independently and were written out of sequence. This makes it difficult without a guide to know what story to start with. Stormqueen was published in 1978, when MZB was at the height of her powers, and of the 18 Darkover novels written solely by MZB, is one of my favorites--easily top five. Early chronologically in the timeline of the series, and with no recurring characters, it makes a fine introduction to a beguiling world. show less
Lots of plot elements, two sets of brothers one of whom is full of bad will, several tangled loves. A 1978 book which handles an arms race from horrified viewers, to involved technicians, to greedy users. And looks at women’s issues with a strange sappy do anything for love sensibility that is off from the more feminist notes.
Quite liked this, never having read a Darkover book before. She doesnt fall into the trap of making up words and then spending paragraphs explaining them, or naming characters with multiple apostropies.[return][return]Story is about families who are bred for their psychic ability, and the resultant woman with control over storms
This one is excellent, truly. I think it was probably the first Darkover book I read, and a gripping introduction to the world.
It nicely showed a lot of the culture, breeding programmes, extreme laran powers and the like, and the warfare using laran weapons too in a wild and extravagent style, wrapped around a love story or two.
It nicely showed a lot of the culture, breeding programmes, extreme laran powers and the like, and the warfare using laran weapons too in a wild and extravagent style, wrapped around a love story or two.
This was one of the better of the Darkover books...though I admit to being a particular fan of those set in the Ages of Chaos.
A good read about Darkover in the Ages of Chaos. Unlike the other Darkover novels, which deal with the conflict between Darkoverans and Terrans, the conflict is between the characters and the duties imposed on them by their families, laran, and the breeding programs.
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eine des orages offre un tableau intéressant du fonctionnement de la haute société de Ténébreuse où la politique est omniprésente. C'est aussi là que les pouvoirs psy sont les plus présents et les plus déterminants dans le déroulement de l'intrigue. L'atmosphère y est très « fantasy », le laran servant un peu à tout et n'importe quoi, du guidage des planeurs à la création show more d'armes de guerres en passant par la construction de châteaux. Par contre, l'intrigue et la psychologie des personnages ne se distinguent pas par une grande originalité. Reine des orages est parfois bavard, avec quelques lenteurs autour des états d'âme prévisibles de héros très stéréotypés et assez manichéens.
On peut également regretter, pour la cohérence globale du cycle, l'absence d'un tome intermédiaire, qui fasse la liaison entre la Planète aux vents de folie et Reine des orages. On se trouve brusquement plongé dans l'adolescence de Ténébreuse sans avoir rien vu de son enfance. Les origines sont déjà des mythes, avec des personnages légendaires comme Hastur et Cassilda. Ce hiatus brutal peut désarçonner un lecteur qui lit ces deux romans d'affilée. show less
On peut également regretter, pour la cohérence globale du cycle, l'absence d'un tome intermédiaire, qui fasse la liaison entre la Planète aux vents de folie et Reine des orages. On se trouve brusquement plongé dans l'adolescence de Ténébreuse sans avoir rien vu de son enfance. Les origines sont déjà des mythes, avec des personnages légendaires comme Hastur et Cassilda. Ce hiatus brutal peut désarçonner un lecteur qui lit ces deux romans d'affilée. show less
added by Ariane65
Que dire d'autre, sinon que vous n'en sortirez pas indemnes ?
added by Ariane65
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Female Protagonist
1,056 works; 56 members
Author Information
407+ Works 98,661 Members
Marion Zimmer Bradley is a science-fiction and fantasy writer, novelist, and editor. She was born in Albany, New York on June 3, 1930. Bradley attended the New York State College for Teachers from 1946 to 1948. She earned a B.A. from Hardin Simmons University in 1964. Bradley did graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley from 1965 show more to 1967. Bradley sold her first story to Fantastic Amazing Stories as part of an amateur fiction contest. She sold her first professional story to Vortex Science Fiction in 1952. Her novels include The Sword of Aldones and The Planet Savers. Both novels were set on Darkover, the setting for more than 20 subsequent Bradley novels. Bradley also wrote The Mists of Avalon, a reworking of the King Arthur legend with more emphasis on the female characters. She used the same approach with The Firebrand, which was based on The Iliad. In addition to writing more than 85 books, Bradley was the editor of an annual anthology for DAW Books, as well as the editor of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine. Bradley died in 1999. (Bowker Author Biography) Marion Zimmer Bradley was the bestselling author of "The Mists of Avalon", "Lady of Avalon", "The Forest House", & "The Firebrand", as well as the popular Darkover series of science fiction novels. She died in 1999. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Series
Darkover: The Ages of Chaos
2 works (1)
Darkover (Chronological Order)
42 works (2)
Darkover EDL
11 works (02)
Darkover (Publication Order)
43 works (12)
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Stormqueen!
- Original title
- Stormqueen
- Original publication date
- 1978-06
- People/Characters
- Donal Delleray; Cassandra Aillard-Hastur; Dorilys Aldaran; Mikhail Aldaran (Lord Aldaran); Rakhal Aldaran (Lord Scathfell); Deonara Ardais-Aldaran (Lady Aldaran) (show all 21); Arielle Di Asturien; Allart Hastur of Elhalyn; Coryn Hastur (Keeper of Hali); Damon-Rafael Hastur; Felix Hastur; Stephen Hastur (Lord Elhalyn); Karinn; Renata Leynier; Margali (leronis); Mayra (robing-woman); Aliciane of Rockraven; Lord Rockraven; Rosaura; Ian-Mikhail of Storn (Keeper of Tramontana); Marius of Syrtis (Lord Syrtis)
- Important places
- Aldaran Domain, Darkover; Saint-Valentine-of-the-Snows, Nevarsin, Darkover; Hali, Darkover; Tramontana Tower, Darkover
- Dedication
- To Catherine L. Moore First Lady of Science Fiction.
I have ceased, I hope, the imitation which is said to be the sincerest form of flattery. I shall never outgrow, I hope, the desire to emulate; nor the admiration, the af... (show all)fection, and the inspiration which she has created in every woman who writes science fiction and fantasy - and in most of the men, too!
MZB - First words
- The storm was wrong somehow.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Overhead the sky was gray and still, and it seemed that no thunder had ever troubled those quiet spaces.
- Publisher's editor*
- Jacques Goimard; Alpers, Hans Joachim
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 1,448
- Popularity
- 16,119
- Reviews
- 18
- Rating
- (3.74)
- Languages
- 10 — Czech, Dutch, English, Estonian, French, German, Italian, Russian, Swedish, Portuguese (Brazil)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 36
- ASINs
- 17