Rediscovery: A Novel of Darkover (Paperback)

~ Romas Kukalis (Illustrator), (Collaborator), Mercedes Lackey (Collaborator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As established in Bradley's previous stories and novels about Darkover, the planet is the home of the descendants of the survivors of a crashed colony ship, who formed a medievally structured society that has endured for centuries. This tepid collaboration with Lackey ( Bardic Voices ) fills one important gap in the history of that world, to wit, the discovery of Darkover by the Terran Empire. The novel cuts back and forth between the Terran ship that discovers the Darkovans and the young telepath who first senses their arrival, and later contacts one of the Terran team. The authors seem more interested in constructing set pieces than building a coherent narrative. In so doing, they accomplish the dubious feat of creating interesting characters without employing them effectively: a kidnapping in the later chapters seems an extraneous event added to create conflict; that one of the major characters is killed is not made clear when it happens and is mentioned only casually several pages later. Fans of the series may want this missing link, but those unfamiliar with the world will still be in the dark.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When an exploratory spaceship from the Terran Empire encounters remnants of one of their own lost colonies on the fourth planet of the Cottman system, what begins as a promising dialog between disparate cultures quickly falls prey to human greed. Coauthors Bradley and Lackey combine their considerable talents to illuminate a seminal event in Darkover's long histroy from both the Terran and Darkovan perspectives. Series fans will welcome this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: DAW (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886775299
• ISBN-13: 978-0886775292
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #613,313 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an important moment in Darkover's history, December 18, 2003

By	Joe Sherry (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I would have enjoyed this book more ..., July 31, 2000

By	A.J. Chodan (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

... if I hadn't read the Renunciates trilogy.

While trying to avoid several spoilers to said trilogy, there is a completely unresolvable conflict between Rediscovery and the trilogy. Minor distortions of time and space, little contradictions, don't bother me so much -- but this one can't be resolved in any way that makes any sense.

(Not to mention, given Lorill Hastur's supposed experiences in this book, as well as his twin Leonie's, their subsequent denial in both The Shattered Chain and The Forbidden Tower that ANY Terran could have laran ability just flat-out makes no sense. *sigh*)

Read it, and try to enjoy it, because seeing the great Keeper Leonie of Arllinn as a mischevious teenager is fun. But try to keep it separate in your mind from the rest of the Darkover series.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved it, even while I cried, April 11, 1999

By A Customer

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...