20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best of a great series., April 2, 2002
Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote stories set in her world of Darkover for something like 30 or 40 years; not surprisingly, the earliest novels were very different from the later ones. For one thing, they were written by someone with a great deal less experience as a writer (and as a person), and for another thing, they were written in a time that what was expected of Science Fiction was very different from what is expected now.
In the '60s, most science fiction was still envisioned as juvenile fiction, pulps written for young readers. So "The Planet Savers", "World Wreckers", "Star Of Danger", and "Winds of Darkover" were interesting, but mostly unrefined novels with a very strong flavor of the pulp sci-fi novel.
As time went on, Ms. Bradley evolved as a writer, and what was considered publishable in the science fiction genre also evolved, so the next few novels were somewhat different. "Heritage of Hasteur", Sharra's Exile", and "The Bloody Sun" were much better than her earliest novels, and at least "Heritage" and "Sharra" are still two of her best. But she continued to evolve, and the stories that interested her changed, so people who love her stories from one period don't always enjoy the stories from another period. That's one of the beauties of Darkover, however; it's big enough, and complex enough, that all kinds of stories can be written about it.
There are some constants, however: on the down side, Ms. Bradley always has been a trifle sloppy in her copyediting. In this book, that shows up not only in the usual periodic typos that slip through, but in the scene toward the end of the book, in which a character who'd been sent home with a serious injury before the funeral train reached its destination (Hermes) gives a eulogy at the funeral.
On the positive side, her characters have always been her strong suit, and this book is no exception. What's more, they actually change and grow, not just within a book, but from book to book as the same characters are seen at different stages of their lives.
Interestingly, for most of her career, it was obvious that a big part of what fascinated Ms. Bradley about Darkover was the opportunity it provided for comparing and contrasting a highly technological Federation with an archaic, almost medieval culture. Generally, she found an interesting balance between the two, with Darkovan culture being found lacking in its treatment of women and education, and Federation culture being found wanting in terms of respect for individuality and honor. By this book, it seemed that she'd solved the question of which she found preferable in her own mind; there was no longer anything to recommend the Federation at all, so that Darkover, for all that it still had its failings, won by default.
The only real flaw to this book, other than the nit-picking copyediting problems mentioned previously, is that it was left openended enough that she'd obviously intended to tell us more later.But having died, it seems unlikely that she'll ever show us the end to the storyline begun here. Unfortunate, but unavoidable. When you spend almost 40 years writing 21 Darkover novels, sooner or later, you won't get to write the next one.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW!! IT BLEW MY MIND!!!, April 15, 1999
By A Customer
I was a bit skeptical when I first purchased this book. In order for me to read science fiction, the storyline has to grab me. Well, this book definitely grabbed my attention. In the TRAITOR'S SUN, Regis Hastur has passed away, leaving Mikhail Hastur, his heir, as the new regent of Darkover. Mikhail must once again face opposition from some of the members of the domains and go against a new threat from the Terran Federation. We learn about other characters aswell, especially about Marguerida and Mikhail's oldest son, Domenic. Because I wanted to learn more about the Darkover series, I also purchased the two books before this one, EXILE'S SONG which took place fifteen years earlier and introduced us to an adult Marguerida Alton and Mikhail Hastur and THE SHADOW MATRIX in which Marguerida and Mikhail go back in time and Mikhail inherits a great power. These are also fantastic books. I cannot wait for the next addition to this amazing saga.
TRAITOR'S SUN is filled with sci-fi action and with enough of a romantic twist to keep you enthralled. I recommend this book and it's predecessors. You'll love it. Trust me!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I weep for MZB --- she is dead!, March 4, 2001
This, a part of the author's long Darkover series, is one of her last since she died in 1999. To this reviewer's mind, it, like it's other recent predecessors, suffers from the author's return to her science fiction roots and her departure from the high fantasy at which she was near peerless (only Anne McCaffrey comes close). The fantasy elements dealing with the Darkovans and their large aristocratic families and the rich culture Bradley had so carefully wrought over the years are still superb and well worth the reading; the science fiction is competently written, if at times derivative. This novel also deals with the death of one of Bradley's most memorable characters, first met years ago in on e of the earliest novels. Indeed this work seems to dwell much on death; perhaps Mrs. Bradley was aware of her own imminent demise. An essential read for fans; not a good introduction to the author and her series --- try Heritage of Hastur or The Forbidden Tower instead.
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