THE BLOODY SUN

The Bloody Sun, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ace Books, 1964, 372 pp

 

 

This is the third book in Marion Zimmer Bradley's very long Darkover series. It follows The Planet Savers and The Sword of Aldones which I read last year. According to the author's introduction in the edition I read, she rewrote the novel is 1979, but she still recommended reading the series in order of original publication. All a bit confounding though I am following her advice to consider The Bloody Sun as #3 in the series, reading the book as part of my 1964 list though it is the updated edition. If you are a fan of this series you know what I am saying here.

 

Darkover is a planet with two cultures: one is indigenous and ancient, run on myth and magic. The other culture is a colonizing conglomerate of a space federation bent on mining and accumulating riches through science and interstellar conquest.

With its huge red sun, its four differently colored moons, and its ruling class of empaths, Darkover's indigenous culture is steeped in tradition but beginning to question some of those old practices as the empaths are dying out while the Terrans are gaining power.

There has been intermarriage between Darkoverans and Terrans. Jeff Kerwin, an orphan, son of a Darkover mother and a Terran father, has returned to Darkover after growing up on Earth and serving in the Terran space force. He is conflicted about who he is. He wants desperately to learn about his parents. He has some strange abilities he doesn't understand and carries only dreamlike memories of the planet along with a Darkovan matrix jewel.

Before long Jeff finds the sacred council of Comyns, their mysterious Tower and enigmatic Keeper. He is tested and accepted into the council where he mostly feels at home for the first time in his life. As he learns the techniques of their secret powers he also finds conflict and unsettled issues within the council.

Jeff falls in love with the woman most forbidden to him, breaking several taboos. When he is subsequently accused of betraying the Darkovans to his Terran masters, his life becomes more desperate than ever. Choices must be made.

The Bloody Sun was not only a thrilling tale. The whole subject of empathic and telepathic communication, laid out so well by the author, intrigued me. My top two favorite tropes in science fiction and fantasy are time travel and telepathy. Even in the 21st century, there is a branch of psychotherapy that recognizes empaths with their special sensitivity and deals with the phenomenon that can be both a gift and a curse.

Basically I am more excited than ever to continue reading the Darkover books.