Ah... Darkover. After having read eleven Darkover books, reading the next two (Stormqueen! and Hawkmistress! in the omnibus The Ages of Chaos) feels like returning home, albeit to a fantasy home. This was surprising since The Ages of Chaos takes place in early Darkovan chronology, before Darkovans meet with the Terrans. The previous Darkover books I read, with the exception of Darkover Landfall have the underlying theme of the clash of Darkover culture with Terran culture. In The Ages of Chaos, this underlying theme is missing. However, there are still aspects of Darkover culture that are familiar from previous novels (although the setting is an earlier time period). What makes the two novels in The Ages of Chaos stand out is the sacrifices that are being made in order to bred and keep laran (Darkovan psi powers) within the ruling families.In the first novel of the omnibus, Stormqueen!, the story centers around a young woman (a pre-teen more accurately), Dorilys, with a special type of laran to call forth lightning and storms. Stubborn, willful, and terribly spoiled as the heir to her father's domain, Dorilys has killed twice already before her father decides he needs more help training and controlling his daughter and her powers. From one of the Towers, a trained monitor is sent to help along with another who has his own laran to fear and to conquer as well as his own personal worries - worries that affect not just him, but the whole of Darkover. The story is told primarily through the viewpoints of the two who are sent to help Dorilys.In the second novel, Hawkmistress!, the story is told through the main character, Romilly, who eventually runs away from home after being told she must marry a man she finds absolutely repulsive. Fed up with being told what she could and couldn't do (as a 'Lady'), she disguises herself as a boy as it is safer than to travel as a young woman alone (she is 14 in the beginning of the story) only to find that she rather enjoys the freedom she has disguised a boy - more freedom than she ever had as a girl. The story is set against the background of a civil war, and Romilly finds herself in the company of exiled men and others who are loyal to the exiled King Carolin. Romilly's laran is the ability to share minds with hawks and horses (and other animals). As her father's daughter, she learned to train hawks and horses, but at the age of 14 was being told it was "unseemly" to be doing such things (things she loved to do). Such is the impetus for her leaving her home (even her prospective husband would not let her continue training hawks and horses). Romilly's only real desire is to be herself and to train hawks and horses. Her laran seems harmless enough, but there are consequences and side effects she hadn't thought of. As time passes and as she сontinues to use her laran (without Tower training), she finds her powers aren't really all that simple to deal with and that they could put her own life at risk.Although I initially thought I wouldn't enjoy these two stories as much as the previous Darkover stories, I was surprised to find I enjoyed them just as much. Part of this, I think, is how Bradley writes. I find her style engaging. As for the stories, you are hardly bored as something is always happening and the characters are always doing something (unlike other books I could name, but won't since they are probably mentioned on this blog somewhere already). This makes for good pacing in a story. Need I say that there were a few twists here and there? How could there not be, these two stories are set in the 'Ages of Chaos' after all. ;)Overall, a good read. The omnibus gets 5 out of 5. :D(Originally posted on my blog - http://www.brigidsflame.com/feymorgai...
Hawkmistress!, along with most of the late Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, continues to hold pride of place on my bookshelves. Even after all these years, the tale of the intrepid and independent Romilly MacArran feels fresh. In fact, the story reminds me exactly WHY fantasy with strong heroines continues to appeal to me. It also reminds me of what a lot of today's YA books (and for that matter, most of New Adult AND romance) could use--which mainly consists of female characters whose raison d'etre isn't the mysterious hawt boy du jour.Of course, the girl disguised as a boy trope isn't new, even when this book was written. Nor is the girl who wants more from her life than to be a wife and mother, even in a patriarchal society. Romilly has a psychic talent (called laran) which allows her to understand and be in rapport with any animal, from horses to hawks. Unfortunately, she's also a girl and completely unlike her more demure sister, or her brothers--one of whom runs away to develop his laran (and become persona non grata to the family) and the other son who lacks the innate talent of his sister, much to his father's dismay and anger. Romilly manages to train a powerful hawk, against her strict father's wishes, and earns his wrath when she refuses to marry a man for dynastic reasons.Again, none of this is new. Romilly preferring to disguise herself as a boy and make her way to her older brother (the one who ran away) is an odyssey filled with adventure, danger, friends and foes alike. There's war, sacrifice and loyalties tested. Romilly isn't perfect, but like any journey, she grows into a young woman of resourcefulness and strength as she seeks a place to belong where she doesn't have to compromise who she is and the gift she's been given. And it's always nice to revisit the Free Amazons/Sisterhood of the Sword. Romilly, much like Menolly of Dragonsong, was that heroine whom I admired and had things in common with. They were girls who DID things, girls who didn't fit into the mold. They were loners, misunderstood by those who should've known better. They also proved themselves adept at taking control of their own destinies (something I learned from them when growing up). Fantasy novels have always given me strong and resourceful heroines, and because of that, I demand such from EVERY genre I read. One of the best things about the Darkover series is that no matter where you start, there's always a complete story. Unlike today where readers are being nickel and dimed by twenty-page "serial" books being sold for three dollars each. I'm actually glad that these books aren't e-books. There's something so comforting about the feel of the paperback in my hands, and the smell of a well-loved, well-read book in which I can still get lost. Darkover, like Pern, is a realm that's still as real to me as this one. It's been wonderful to revisit it after so many years.
What do You think about Hawkmistress! (1982)?
I really appreciated Romilly's strong female character, after the last few Darkover novels I read where I just couldn't connect with the female leads.This book had many things I love in a book: strong female lead, a journey, resisting what is expected, a connection to animals, a bit of fantasy, and a bit of romance. It reminded me a bit of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong, which I love, but the setting was very Darkover.I enjoyed Romilly's adventures and loved the ending - it was very true to the young woman she had become.On the other hand, at times it felt over long and over wrought, and there was a bit of repetition. I also wonder at the division line between animals and people as represented by Romilly's laran - it rang a bit false for she who more than once experienced the joy of oneness with all.
—Laura
La donna del falco è un romanzo breve e tuttavia ricco di tanti temi: un eroina dotata di grandi talenti in grado di utilizzare quello che ha a portata di mano per risolvere le situazioni più complesse; l’unione della mente umana con quella degli animali; il tema dell’uso delle armi contro innocenti, considerato immorale; il tentativo di rimanere neutrale in una guerra anche se alla fine si è costretti a scegliere da che parte stare. Tutto questo condito con avventure, battaglie, tiranni usurpatori e impavidi cavalieri in lotta per ripristinare la giustizia nel regno.
—Klytia
The second of two books Bradley wrote at the suggestion of fans who wanted to read about "The Age of Chaos"--the time between when Darkover was first settled and when it made (re)contact with the Terran Empire. And, I have to say, these two novels (the other being Stormqueeen) are about as good as it gets in the Bradley canon. Romily is a woman born with all the gifts necessary to be a proud leader of the MacArran clan--strenght, courage, bravery, and a strong ability to bond with animals, including the ability to move into rapport with hawks and other raptors so that she can see what the animals see (a familiar motif in many world literatures, including the native American). Romily has everything--except the right gender. Although her father recognizes her gifts, he is a man of his culture and can only see one way for Romily--marriage to a nobleman, which he arranges for her, thinking he has done the best he could.Romily cannnot accept her fate--not for philosophical reasons, but, because she is forced to "act the lady," she can no longer be with the animals she loves--horses and hawks--and so resolves to set forth on her own. Disguising herself as a man, she falls in with a group of men who serve the exhiled king, caring for their animals, particularly their sentry birds. Once she is revealed to be a man, Romily falls into the company of the Renunciates, the society of Darkovan women who refuse to follow conventional rules concerning women.It's really the best of Bradley--strong women, political intrigue, and a final climactic battle scene that's as good as any in fantasy literature. I still think 'Thendara House' is Bradley's best novel, although I'm hard pressed to think of reasons why 'Hawkmistress' isn't just as good. Splendid novel for any who love fantasy, and doubly of interest for those who like their women characters strong, capable, and able.A note added later--I have been reading many of these Bradley books in 'Omnibus' form, books that contain two or three related titles by the author. Stomqueen and Hawkmistress are in a collection called 'Age of Chaos,' 'Thendara House' and 'City of Sorcery' in a collection called 'Saga of the Renunciates,' and so forth. These collections are put out by Daw books, and are handy because they don't cost more than a regular paperback, they give you two or three books for the price of one, and they keep good fantasy novels that are forty years old and older in print. This last is is very important, because even many successful speculative fiction books are only in print for 90-180 days. Daw should be congratulated for compiling these series and making them available. They should, however, hire a copy editor before they go to press. In two of these omnibuses (omnibi? omnibusi?), 'Age of Chaos' in particular, have misspellings, mis typings, punctuation in the wrong place. Kind of embarrassing, really, for a publisher. This in now way denigrates the quality of the books, and, as I said, Daw should be commended for keeping this pioneering feminist F/SF author in print, but C'mon, guys--my freshman could proof better than whoever put together some of these books. a very good deal, because
—Chuck
