Customer Reviews

The Heritage of Hastur (Darkover)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Certainly exceptional at the time it was written; it is not one of the
earliest written Darkover novels, but it was written much closer to
the beginning than to the end of MZB's career, and it is at least as
good as, and perhaps better than, many of the books that were written
after she'd developed a great deal more experience and seasoning as a
writer. It is one of the best "coming of age" stories I've
ever seen, partly due to the fact that it involves the coming of age
of not one or two, but three main characters, and partly due to the
fact that it is perhaps the single most tasteful, insightful,
believeable, and moving story of the coming of age of a young man
coming to terms with his own homosexuality that I've ever seen. If this
concept truly bothers you, then perhaps this book isn't for you, but
if you're even willing to attempt open-mindedness on the subject, give
it a try.

In the chronology of the Darkover series, this book falls
just before "Sharra's Exile" and "Winds of
Darkover", and just after "The Bloody Sun". It is the
story of the Sharra rebellion (often referred to in the books that
fall later in the series) and is the story of the coming of age of
Regis Hasteur, Lew Alton, and Danilo Syrtis, all characters seen in
other books as older adults.

If you're looking to start reading the
series, this is as good a book to start with as any. If you've read
any other book in the series and liked it, this book is a must.

Set in an alien and cold world where the relationship between the Terrans and Darkover's original colonists treads a delicate balance of co-existence, Heritage centres on those who seek to bring the planet out of its anachronistic existence and put it on an equal footing with the Terran words. While the people of Darkover reject the advances of Terran science they have developed their own special abilities, namely their mental powers of telepathy and their ability to control the matrix. At the core of the story are Lew Alton, caught between the aggressive young idealists looking to the future and his loyalty to the Comyn; and Regis, the very young potential Regent-heir of Hastur.

The story is a fine interweaving of the complex plot and the personal lives of the many characters. The Comyn people's beliefs rooted in a society where loyalty and honour reign above all else means that even the darker characters have their standards. But among the many individuals both Lew and Regis are particularly appealing characters. Regis especially as he struggles with his own desires; in his early teens and with the longing to travel off world (something denied him) he is a reluctant heir, he is hampered too in having the potential for telepathic powers but seemingly unable to realise them; and he begins to recognises in himself a desire to reach out to other men or youths. Particularly heart-warming is the relationship which develops between Regis his fellow cadet Danilo, a youngster of high moral standards who becomes devoted to Regis.

The Heritage of Hastur is an intense, compelling and intricate epic, but what make it especially appealing is that at its root is the people, the individual and varied characters who populate the story.

Everyone goes through an identity crisis as an adolescent or young adult. Compound that with political intrigue, emerging psychic powers, sexual confusion, love, hate, parental power struggles . . . . and even this is a fairly limited description of this wonderful book. I have rarely seen the internal turmoil of a character treated with such compassion - and that applies to both Regis Hastur and Lew Alton. I could not help crying at various key points in the book. This was a magnificent story, well-told and sensitively written.

Among sci-fi/fantasy books, I think I can honestly say that this is the most amazing book i have ever read. In this story Marion Zimmer Bradley combines adventure, romance, political intregue, friendship, and loyalty, all under the theme of self acceptence. This is not the type of science fiction that holds itself together entirely by lightning fast action and improbable technology, the characters have depth and realistic reactions and emotions towards any circumstance. This is the story of Lew Alton and his fight to remain true to both sides of his heritage and his doomed love for Marjorie Scott, but it is also the story of Regis Hastur and his struggle to accept himself, and his friendship and love for Danilo Syrtis.

This book is an amazing read, and though it has moments that made me laugh out loud, it is, principally, a tragedy. I cried twice, but then, I do cry over a lot of things...

Yes, I deffinitely recomend this book.

Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The heritage of Hastur" is not only one of the longest if not the longest Darkover novels, but is also one of the most complicated and thus rewarding to the reader. Many of the Darkover novels, most notably earlier novels such as "The Spell Sword" or "Winds of Darkover", are simple adventure stories that deal with a common theme of culture shock between a society based on technology (the Terran empire) and one based on keeping people safe from their very different technology, the science of telepathy (Darkover). "Heritage", while it does retain some of the adventure- novel elements, delves more extensively into the psychology of the two main characters, Lewis Alton and Regis Hastur, and the motivations that bring about the rebellion in which they become entangled. Lewis Alton's narrative, told in the first person, is straightforward enough, relating the young man's disillusionment with his culture that leads him to use his telepathic skill ("laran") to aid an illegal group. The group is intending to show the encroaching and hugely powerful Terran empire that Darkover, too, has power. Lew's character is passionate in the extreme, almost melodramatically so, and his tempers and romance with a member of the group are a bit overly dramaticized by Ms. Bradley. The characterization here is rather weak-- a fact that may be attributed to Lew's character having been created when the author was very young. The real interest of the story is in the alternating chapters, told in the third- person perspective of Regis Hastur, who is the grandson of the head of the Darkovan government. Regis' character is investigated in greater detail, showing a boy coming of age into more than one heritage, full of internal conflict: the dream of travelling vs. the need to become a responsible adult, hope of and fear for emerging telepathy, among them. The biggest issue is Regis' dilemma over his emerging homosexuality, and his suppression of love for one of his close friends. Through the instrument of his telepathy, Ms. Bradley brings this conflict out onto the physical as well as internal scale, as Regis' life hangs in the balance between his respect for his friend, and his physical needs. The book ends true to the traditional epic- fantasy format: planets hanging in the balance, et cetera, drama and lights flashing everywhere. It is, after all, a science fiction/ fantasy novel. For those interested in a quick read, the book's romance and drama are enough to satisfy. Although Ms. Bradley's writing is not terribly refined, and the events are a bit overblown, the characters a little too rigid, still the basic ideas covered are quite interesting, and the book is very exciting. I found "The Heritage of Hastur" enjoyable and actually liked some of the overblown events, which are suited to Ms. Bradley's style. I would recommend it to those who like fantasy as an exceptional fantasy novel-- but not to anyone who is looking for enlightenment

Before picking up this book, I had read eight Darkover novels, generally in the order of their publication. What, I wondered, drew so many readers to them? Some of them were truly awful, while others were enjoyable, but not great. Then I got to The Heritage of Hastur, and it has given me an "a-ha moment."
In previous works, Darkover as a world was much more compelling than any of its inhabitants, whose personalities melted into sameness. Dialogue tended to be stiff, the narrative erratic. Yet, this fictional planet, with its Darkovan and Terran populace in constant friction, surrounded by the planet's native inhabitants who are at turns beautiful and deadly -- what rich material to mine!
With The Heritage of Hastur, Bradley has produced a tale with believably motivated -- and believable -- characters. The complex plot involves two young men who question the society from which they come and to which they feel indebted. Each considers casting off his destiny among the highest caste of Darkover, and each must struggle with demons within and without before finding his path.
Lew and Regis have appeared in other Darkover novels, both as older and younger characters, but here we get to the heart of their transition into adulthood and their profound effect on Darkovan society.
This book, and its place in the universe of Darkover novels, is brought to light in an excellent introduction by the late Susan Wood (in the 1977 Gregg Press edition). Her comments about Bradley's earlier Darkover works helped me to understand my own reactions to them, and helped me see that part of the reason I found them so poor is that they were written during a time when science fiction publishers expected quick-reading, quickly-written, happy-ending paperback adventures.
The Heritage of Hastur gives the reader so much more; and yes, it can stand alone without one's having read other Darkover books. I recommend it.

I have read this book consistently the last ten years since I first read Heritage of Hastur. I've never seen such complex characterization, nor ever felt such complete identification and sympathy with Lew Alton's and Regis Hastur's plights and their struggle for identity. Not only is the plot extremely well woven together but the way each character's relationships and feelings excellently described. Reading this and Sharra's Exile has made me an unending fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley and I hope very much that she will continue writing such excellent novels.

This is certainly the best book by Ms. Bradley, in my opinion. The characters were suited to my style, and I liked how ones from other books came back, such as Kadarin, who has lived long enough for three lifetimes! Also, the love between Marjorie and Lew Alton was so sincere; she even risked her life at the end to get him out of the situation at the burning of Caer Donn. It shows how too much power can corrupt you. For example, near the end, Lew is the only one who can think straight, and he must decide how to escape with Regis, Danilo, and Marjorie, without getting caught by Kadarin or Beltran. Overall, a very exciting book!

This was my first taste of Bradley's "Darkover" series, and you can bet I'll be back for more! This book tells the tale of rebellious young Regis Hastur, young heir to a legacy he doesn't feel prepared to deal with; also troubled by having to deal with his wakening "laran" (telepathy) power. It also concerns the older boy Lew Alton, who soon discovers the power and destructive force of "laran" if not controlled. The use of telepathy is no mere gimmick. Through "laran", Bradley shows the danger pent-up emotions can cause with regard to real people. I found it impossible to put this book down. Highly recommended!

From: Marjorie Scott The Heritage of Hastur is on of my all time favorites! It's about betrayal to the Comyn, hate,war, power, and love. The Terran Empire is trying to take over Darkover and make it a Terran Colony. But the seven Domains and the Comyn don't want that. So they send Lew Alton to Aldaran to find out what the sneaky Aldarans are up to. He finds out more than he ever wanted to know. Danilo Syrtis gets captured by some people from Aldaran because of his telepathic abilities. Danilo was captured so he could run a very powerful matrix, rarely used since the Age of Chaos. Danilo is Regis Hastur's sworn paxman and when he hears of Danilo;s mysterious disapearence he goes to seek the truth. When he finds that Lew is involved he is greatly disturbed. Now the rest is for you to read and find out if they can survive the strain of the matrix and also of the evil Aldarans!