Lythande

Lythande is a series of stories written by Bradley both for and under the inspiration of the Thieves World series. The mysterious magician Lythande was created as one of the sorcerers in the original Thieves World cast of characters. She is a mysterious entity, committed to the cause of order and doomed to never reveal her identity as a woman. Essentially, Bradley only contributed to the first volume of Thieves World, but the Lythande character lived on after that introduction. This volume contains not only the story from Volume 1 but also contains stories pubished elsewhere as stand alone fantasy stories. The last short story in the collection, "Satan", is actually written by Vonda N. Mcintyre for Thieves World and uses the Lythande character. For established MZB fans, the forewords she wrote for each story are almost as good to read as the stories themselves. These are almost little essays that explain the evolution of Lythande and summarize Bradley's thinking on issues as diverse as feminism, mediocrity and humor. If you are a fan of Thieves World, but are not familiar with Bradley, these stories should serve as a good introduction to her work. If you have read neither Thieves World nor any other Bradley, then I would begin elsewhere-- either with Volume 1 or with the Darkover series, respectively. These are enjoyable stories, but they do not really compare to the major body of work associated with either source.

This volume contains all the Lythande stories written up to its publication; two more can be found in SPELL SINGERS, an anthology attributed to "Alan Bard Newcomer", but not here. Lythande also appeared as a supporting character in stories written by other authors in Thieves' World; those collected in this volume feature the Adept as protagonist. Lythande is a mercenary magician; specifically, a Pilgrim Adept of the Order of the Blue Star. The Pilgrim Adepts are sworn to fight in the last battle, on the side of Law against Chaos, at the end of the world. Until that day, they wander, gathering knowledge and power as they will (hence 'Pilgrim' Adepts). The power of a Pilgrim Adept depends on keeping certain vows (e.g. never to eat or drink in front of men), but most of all, upon keeping a secret, specific to each adept. If that secret is ever spoken aloud by any man save the Master of the Star, it (and the magic bound into it) become void, so that the powerless adept becomes worthless to the order - and may be killed by anyone who pleases. Lythande has chosen to uphold Law against Chaos always, but others have chosen to wait until the last day. The Adept was developed for the Thieves' World series, and is a special crony of Myrtis (the madam of the Aphrodisia House in Sanctuary). The vows of an Adept are extremely literal, so that Adepts can have *female* confidantes if they wish - and if they can find women to trust with their lives. Check out the Magic in Ithkar series as well; Lythande has visited the fair occasionally. "The Secret of the Blue Star" - Lythande comes to the rescue of an amazingly beautiful prostitute being roughed up in the street - only to find that Bercy's tormentor is Rabben the Half-Handed, the Adept's worst enemy in the order. But is the girl really a victim, or a spy set to ferret out the Secret - or both? "The Incompetent Magician" - First appeared in the _Greyhaven_ anthology. Rastafyre the - ahem - Incomparable has lost his wand, to a master thief and magician he cuckolded. Lythande agrees to retrieve it, in exchange for an enchanted lute - to which is bound the soul of Koira, a woman Lythande once loved. "Sea Wrack" - The seaside village has to rely on half-grown girls to work the fishing boats, because a mermaid has taken up residence nearby, and lures not only men, but grown women to their deaths (only those too young to have felt the tides of the heart are safe). Lythande, feeling secure in having cast off all such emotions, takes up the village's plea to deal with the mermaid... "Somebody Else's Magic" - Lythande comes to the aid of a priestess of Larith, set upon by thugs in the street. Dying, the Laritha passes on her sword to Lythande in thanks. Unfortunately, the sword has a mind of its own: to avenge its bearer, then force Lythande to carry it back to the Temple - which only women may seek and return alive. "The Wandering Lute" - As a younger son, the minstrel had gladly accepted the enchanted lute from

I suppose this means that my copy is a Collector's Item, now. Sigh....why are all of my favorites out of print? I wanted to do a review for the Thieves' World (Sanctuary) series, only to find them "out of print." I thought, "well, Marion Zimmer Bradley is a LEGEND....I'll review 'Lythande,' instead." I'm glad I take such excellent care of my books and refuse to loan them out to anyone I do not have a meaningful connection with.... I'll be saving my copy of Lythande for my future daughter, Melita Renae Lincoln. This makes me realize how important my little library is! Well...if you can acquire this compilation of stories about Lythande (Lee-THOND), you will be captivated by this character, who was born in a world that has been nearly forgotten, and was created by a woman who will not ever be forgotten. This one is not your typical hack 'n slash, Mazes 'n Monsters fare....in fact, the stories are intellectually stimulating and carry underlying layers of the writer's sentiments. Marion Zimmer Bradley also editorializes a bit, expressing her personal views about Feminism, Male Weirdness and such. As I said, I'm saving this one for my future daughter.

i will always cherish this book, which i discovered in canberra. mzbradley had created an unforgettable sorcerer. i wish she could have written more books on the sorcerer's journeys before she passed away. mz's death is a great loss to both the science fiction and fantasy worlds. i strongly recommend this book. read it, feel the magic and remember marion zimmer bradley...forever..

5 Tales of a Pligrim Adept of the Blue Star whose magic power is bound to a Secret. Traveler, minstrel, mage.