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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compulsion and Free Will, September 2, 2004
Truly conflicted characters are somewhat rare in the world of science fiction and fantasy. Eduin Deslucido is such a character, the centerpiece of this trilogy. Saddled with an impossible compulsion by his father to revenge his family by killing all the Hasturs, Eduin, whose basic nature is actually that of a responsible, caring, and loving man, finds himself allied with a wild laran talent in the body of Saravio, both for the surcease from the agony his compulsion causes and as a tool to further his plans for eliminating Carolin Hastur and Varzil Ridenow, whom Eduin sees as the man responsible for keeping Carolin in power.
Eduin concocts a couple of schemes to bring Varzil into an undefended position, but when it comes to actually accomplishing his goal, Eduin is shown to be a man of extreme determination and, somewhat as a surprise even to himself, a man of ideals that are diametrically opposed to the mindless revenge desired by his father. His one and only former love, Dyannis, Varzil's sister, in training as a Keeper (at a time when female Keepers were thought impossible - a nice irony to modern Darkover when the exact reverse is thought to be true), becomes an intriguing character in her own right as she struggles to discipline her own talents and, after seeing the consequences of unrestricted laran warfare, a strong supporter of Varzil's Compact to ban the use of such weapons.
The characterization of Eduin and Dyannis is excellent and is the major driver of this book. These characters have more depth than is typical for most fantasy, and their inner turmoil is believable and leads directly to much of the action. However, the plot is, compared to other Darkover books, perhaps a little weak and certain elements of the end situation feel like they were pulled out of the hat, not fully melded with the rest of the story. Although this detracts from the overall power of the book, this failing is not major.
Thematically, this book continues those themes that have shown up in many of the Darkover stories: the right to self-determination, especially for women; personal integrity; the madness of war; sacrifice of the individual to further a larger goal for all. The final scene of this book does much to make the reader understand just how the Compact came to be accepted and adhered to throughout the centuries between this book's time and modern Darkover, and closes the Clingfire trilogy nicely. The nations of today could do far worse than subscribe to a similar Compact; perhaps if they did everyone could have a sounder sleep.
---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome addition to strong series, October 25, 2004
King Carolin Hastur is revolutionizing Darkover through his compact--the agreement that every weapon be banned if it does not put its user at equal risk. The magical weapons that have dominated Darkover for generations, since the times of chaos at least, would be banned and magic would become limited to healing, to communications. Together with his friend and ally, Varzil Ridenow, he has spread the message and gotten agreement, but much of Darkover sees only what they lose by signing the compact.
A generation before, the Hastur king had destroyed the Deslucido family leaving only one man--and his sons alive. Now, Eduin Deslucido, who has already done so much to destroy Carolin's dreams, has an ally--a man trained in magic but now blessed or burdened with a goddess. Using this tool, Eduin hopes to destroy Varzil and then the last of the Hasturs, finally freeing himself of the curse that his father laid upon him.
Author Deborah J. Ross continues the Darkover world of Marion Zimmer Bradley in a story that feels very true to the original. In this tale of powerful magic, ancient hatreds, strong egos, and great emotion, Bradley and Ross trace out Eduin's evolving plan as well as the life-journey of the one woman Eduin has ever loved--Dyannis Ridenow, sister of Varzil.
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series is a powerful set of tales (I found THE FORBIDDEN TOWER to be among the best fantasy books ever). Although A FLAME IN HALI isn't up there with the very best of Darkover, it's a welcome addition to the hundred kingdom era of that troubled planet's history.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Darkover Novel, March 19, 2006
I am glad that Deborah Ross is continuing to write in the world of Darkover, and I think that overall she is doing a fine job. I am excited to see that she is going to release a new trilogy continuing the story of "modern" Darkover, which should tie up the many loose ends from "Traitor's Sun" (the last Darkover novel Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote before her death). If you are a fan of Darkover/MZB, "A Flame in Hali" is a must-read, and a solid effort from Ross. However, it is certainly not the place to begin the series, and does not rank among the best Darkover tales.
This novel mostly suffers from an unlikeable protagonist, Eduin Deslucido. Yes, we pity him because of the compulsion to kill that his father placed upon him. However, he is a self-serving character who goes through life manipulating others as he chooses, completely violating the moral code of Darkover. It is impossible to like him or want him to succeed in his goal of killing King Carolin and Varzil Ridenow, who we grew to love in the second volume of this trilogy. Unfortunately, they only have cameo roles in this book.
More interesting than Eduin is the heroine of the book, Dyannis, Varzil's sister. While she has a tendency to blame herself for everything, she at least has a strong personality and strong values, and we are rooting for her the whole time. Varzil is a wonderful character whenever we see him.
The story progressed slowly, but it never quite dragged. Not as good as the first two books of the trilogy, or Marion Zimmer Bradley's last Darkovers novels, but "A Flame in Hali" was an entertaining read, and the ending was heartbreaking.
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