Rediscovery

Darkover Landfall tells the frustratingly short tale of how human colonists from the New Hebrides Commune crash land on Cottman IV - Darkover. REDISCOVERY picks up many millennia later, telling the story of the first contact between the descendants of the lost colonists and space explorers from the Terran Empire. The main characters are the folk musicians and linguists David and Elizabeth Lorne (parents of Margaret Alton - the main character in the novel Exile's Song (Darkover)), and Ysaye, the ship's computer expert. Also making an appearance are Leonie and Regis Hastur, fifteen year-old twin telepaths from Darkover's royal family, shown in later books as grey-haired elders of the Hastur clan. Darkover devotees will also thrill at the glimpse of Rohana and Melora Ardais (The Shattered Chain A Darkover Novel) as young initiates at the tower. The story tries to go in too many directions, and therefore does not accomplish any of them well. The kidnapping action at the very end of the book seems forced and artificial, even anticlimactic. That being said - I still LOVE IT and have read this at least a dozen times - but then I am a rabid Darkover fan from way back. This novel fills in background information about important Darkover characters, but even I must admit: This story has very little chance of standing on its own with those not familiar with the series. The Darkover books definitely fluctuate in quality - try Hawkmistress! (Darkover).

This Darkover novel is similar to "Darkover Landfall" in that it deals with the discovery (in this case, rediscovery) of the planet Darkover by Terrans landing on the planet. There are rather significant differences, of course. "Rediscovery" takes place a couple of thousand years after "Darkover Landfall" and the ship that colonized Darkover is known only as one of the "Lost Ships" that was unaccounted for. The Terran spacecraft has been traveling for several years, looking for a habitable planet on which to land and conduct experiments to determine whether or not the planet is able to be colonized. The novel's viewpoint switches back and forth between the ship and the telepath's who learn the ship is coming. Part of the novel (that which is suggested by the title) is focused on the ship, its crew, and the discovery that the people of Darkover are comprised of the descendants of former Terran colonists. The other viewpoint is that of the native Darkovans. We see Leonie Hastur, a woman going to train her extremely powerful laran in one of the Towers. Even though I know the novel's focus was truly on the rediscovery of Darkover, it was the Leonie chapters that interested me the most. The events of this novel were a turning point in the history of Darkover as there will now be a Terran presence on Darkover and a greater technological impact on what was once a low-tech world. This was not one of the best Darkover novels, but I enjoyed it and it was a story that needed to be told as it allows for all of the novels that are set after "Rediscovery". I would not start the series with "Rediscovery", but if you like the series then there is no reason you shouldn't read this one, too.

it starts out with a ship from earth sending a team down to darkover for exploration. this shuttle crashes and ends up standed in the middle of a blizzard. an interesting subplot alsotells the story of a young leonie hastur and her first trip toa tower for training of her laran. this i find slightlty moreinteresting becasue most darkover novels potray her in later lifeas a very unapproacable keeper and this book shows a more softerhuman side. anyway one of the people on the shuttle is also telepathic and her and leonie develop a friendship that is forbidden. the outcome of all of this is just superb and well worth reading.

Bad? Not at all. I thought it was fascinating. It is particularly interesting to read about how the people of Darkover came to become such powerful telepaths, why the Comyn mostly have red hair and other really interesting insights.My only complaint is was too short and I wanted more. Of the dozen or so Darkover books I've read, I really did enjoy this one too.

I truly enjoyed this book. Being the first of Marion Zimmer Bradley's that I read, it is the one that hooked me on Darkover. I would say that, not only do we get a glimpse into a differnt family (the Aldarans) and meet Margaret's mother, but we get to learn in detail about one of the most signifigant events in Darkoverian history. The characters are well portrayed, and your heart alternately breaks and leaps with joy as the characters cross hurdles. My favorite character was Ysaye. This book makes a powerful statement about abortion and the differnce between love and lust. I would recommend it to anyone...