Customer Reviews

Star Of Danger

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In "Star of Danger" we get to see one of the earlier works of Marion Zimmer Bradley. First published in 1965, it was the fourth Darkover novel written. The reason this is worth mentioning is that even thought it was only the fourth novel published in the series, it is the twelfth novel in chronological order, and if the "Clingfire Trilogy" is counted (which was mostly written by Deborah J Ross in the years after Bradley died), "Star of Danger" is the fifteenth novel in chronological order. It is in this order that I am experiencing the world of Darkover, from the earliest era of the planet through to the novels that take place deeper in the chronology. Bradley had not yet developed many of the ideas that would encompass the world of Darkover and she had not yet begun to truly tie these novels together. One theme that does remain strong throughout the entire series, including this novel has to do with the clash of cultures.

Larry Montray is a Terran youth who arrives on Darkover for the first time with his father Wade. For years, Larry has dreamt of traveling to distant planets and experiencing alien cultures, but when on Darkover he is not permitted to travel outside the Terran Zone. It is only through disobeying that he is able to maintain a friendship with a young Darkovan native named Kennard Alton. Kennard is a son of the powerful Alton clan on Darkover, a clan which holds much authority on the planet. Even though Larry is forbidden to leave the Terran Zone, he is invited by the Altons to spend several months with the family at their countryside estate. This is a huge opportunity for Terran Intelligence as the ruling class of Darkover is very restrictive regarding who is permitted to roam freely outside the Terran Zone. This is nearly unprecedented access. But to Larry, it is simply the fulfillment of a dream and a chance to spend time with a friend. It is also the beginning of an adventure that risks the lives of both Larry and Kennard, as well as the still tenuous relationship between Darkover and Terra.

Bradley uses this novel, as she does with most of the Darkover series, to explore a culture clash. In this case, it is Larry Montray who is out of his element. Larry is thrust into a situation where everything that he knows is alien to the life he is living on Darkover and he tries to fit in as best that he can. But, the difference of culture also causes conflict in his friendship with Kennard.

"Star of Danger" is a relatively short novel, coming in at just over 200 pages, but it is packed with action and adventure. So much so that one might thing this was geared towards a slightly younger reader, but the storytelling is such that any reader of fantasy can enjoy this book.

My only complaint about "Star of Danger" has to do with continuity, but because this book was written so many years before the rest of the series and Bradley has always been willing to sacrifice continuity if it would help telling a particular story. The continuity issue that I am referring to in this book has to do with Larry's father, Wade Montray. Wade is a minor character, and he did admit to having been on Darkover before, but the text suggests that Wade does not know nearly as much about Darkover as we see in the "Renunciate Trilogy". It is also surprising that Larry does not know about this, because I would have expected that he would have learned about his father and grandfather's role on Darkover. In particular, I would expect Larry to have known about his grandfather, who had a prominent role in the Terran government on Darkover. Again, since this was written years before the bulk of the series, and with Bradley's willingness to sacrifice continuity for the good of the story, this does not trouble me as much as it otherwise would, but since I am reading the series in chronological order it was a small distraction.

Overall, "Star of Danger" was a short, enjoyable reading experience. I have long been a fan of the Darkover series, which doesn't seem to get nearly as much attention as it should merit. This is good, but not great fantasy (and overlaps with science fiction at times). Most of the Darkover novels can stand alone, and this one certainly does, so it may be a good entrance point into the world of Darkover.

-Joe Sherry

With Star of Danger (1965), I take my first footsteps into Marion Zimmer Bradley's legendary world of Darkover. While this particular story is far removed from the earliest chronicles of Darkover, taking place during the First Age (the era in which the Terran Empire rediscovered Darkover for the first time), it makes for an easy introduction to this strange and beautiful world. Star of Danger reads much like a juvenile novel of the type Heinlein perfected in the 1940s and 1950s. This does not mean the novel is not a magical read for adults - because it is. At the same time, however, it is filled with the type of youthful adventure and soul-stirring excitement that members of the younger generation can take great delight in. The protagonists are two teenaged boys standing on the cusp of adulthood, natives of two different cultures coming together for the unplanned-for adventure of a lifetime.

Young Terran Larry Montray is thrilled at the prospect of leaving Earth and moving to the exotic planet Darkover with his father, for he has long dreamed of experiencing space flight and embarking on adventures in alien lands. He is so excited that he studies the peculiar Darkovan language and learns how to read and communicate with the insular inhabitants of his planet-to-be. When he arrives on the planet, however, he is met with great disappointment; not allowed to explore the local area, he finds life in the Trade Cities no different from his life back on earth. Gradually, he talks his father into giving him more freedom, and he is surprised and gratified to discover that many of the local inhabitants mistake him for one of their own thanks to his red hair and knowledge of their language. The "backwards" Darkovans do not trust the Terrans, afraid of the type of change Earthmen will bring to their traditional, highly structured society, but Larry soon makes friends with a young Darkovan aristocrat named Kennard Alton.

Larry is given the unprecedented opportunity of spending several months with the Altons in the countryside, but this great adventure soon becomes a life-threatening one. If Larry and Kennard are going to survive the series of ordeals thrown at them in these pages (which include ambushes, deadly forest fires, capture, physical ordeals, and the threat of deadly Banshees), their bond of friendship must hold steady, and they must both learn from and defer to one another's very different strengths. Culture clashes are inevitable, but a spirit of understanding and friendship can not only lead them to safety, it may also serve as the beginning of a bridge between their two different, yet related, peoples.

Star of Danger is not a very long novel, and its action-packed plot is just the type of thing needed to get a youngster excited about the joys of reading; a few lessons on sharing and mutual understanding and respect also might pay dividends. This is not technically a juvenile novel, but it very well could be. Exciting yet meaningful, Star of Danger is a fast-paced science fiction adventure for all ages.

I don't think this was MZB's best book but it was definitely a great book to read!!!

Larry, a Terran ... Kennard, a Darkover native ... They meet when Larry gets into a fight and soon become friends. Larry's father does not exactly approve of their friendship but when Kennard invites Larry to go with him to his estates Larry's father is forced to agree, not wanting to insult them. But more is in for Kennard and Larry when they are forced to work together ... to survive. An enemy has been attacking villages on Darkover and the two of them are separated from those they know. While the tension to prove who's best between them builds soon they have to put that all aside and work together, combining ideas and their own technology together so they can get back to their families ... alive.

A great book for anyone who loves reading about adventure and defeating the bad guys!

Star of Danger is a Darkover novel wich present us to Larry Montray, a terran, who comes to " The Blood Sun Planet" with his father and meet Kennard Alton, a darkovan, sun of Valdir Alton - member of th Comyn. The story will tell the adventure of these two boys, in the midle of a blood war, trying to scape to Larrys capture in the snow mountains of Darkover and fighting for survival. They need to join force and learn from each other, looking for their weakness and discovering new habilities to survive all the way back to Thendara. Their action would change all the future in the relationship between these two culture. An special note to readers, the darkovers novel are independent books, but you will enjoy discovering their sequence by paying atention to the caracthers, many of then, appear in different ages, so we can imagine time going by Darkover.

It's been about ten days since I finished Star of Danger. I sat down to review it just now, and I drew a blank: I couldn't remember the story! Finding a synopsis on the web helped to remind me. But it does go to show that Star of Danger wasn't all that memorable.

When I began reading the Darkover books, I was hoping to immerse myself in a fascinating universe. So far, I'm only getting a wading pool. Well, that's not entirely fair: the world of Darkover actually is a fascinating creation. But, Bradley's character work, plotting and writing is a bit of a letdown. There's something slightly generic about the characters, the way they speak and think -- I can't quite make myself suspend disbelief.

If you've read my other reviews, you know that I suspect that Bradley's writing improves over the course of the many Darkover tales she wrote. This is one of the earlier books. Still. If I was hoping for something as impressive as The Firebrand or as memorable as Catch Trap, I can't say that Star of Danger even comes close to her best work.

So -- am I recommending this book or not? I'd say: read it and enjoy, but don't ramp up your expectations. You do not need to have read the previously written Darkover books. Bradley herself said that they were each written to stand alone as self-contained novels.

Star of Danger has a Young Adult novel flavor to it. It's a story of two young men -- in their mid-teens, I think -- who meet and become unlikely friends, as their respective societies distrust each other and forbid such friendships. Intrigue ensues: the friendship carries the power to open up a new understanding between these two peoples, yet it also has the potential to lead to open conflict. I could tell you which ends up happening, but that wouldn't be very nice, would it?

Sixteen-year-old Larry Montray is thrilled when his father accepts an assignment in the Terran trade enclave on a far away world called Darkover. Settled by human castaways so long ago that it now has a culture drastically unlike that of Terra, Darkover fascinates Larry. Despite restrictions on contact between the Terran visitors and Darkover's natives, he manages to form a friendship with Kennard Alton, a Darkovan of his own age who's reckoned a grown man instead of a boy. When the noble Alton family invites Larry for an extended visit at their remote estate, his father's superiors are delighted at the opportunity to learn more about these people and their fiercely individualistic society. Larry's father, although far from delighted, allows the visit. He, too, sees its value; and he has another reason that neither we nor Larry will learn until the book's very end.

This old-fashioned science fiction adventure stands the test of time (original publication date: 1965) very well indeed. Its theme - how coming of age requires societies, as well as individuals, to temper freedom with self-control - is one that will have meaning as long as humans remain, well, HUMAN. I didn't think until after I'd finished the book about its almost complete absence of female characters, and then - since I'm familiar with Bradley's ability to write fully realized women, from her later works- I guessed that she chose not to bother depicting them in the stereotyped fashion that was usual in 60s SF. What's really interesting is that I didn't pick up on their absence at all while the story had me in its grip.