Oh je, das war richtig schlecht. Die Heldin ist supernervig, ihr Verhalten (und ihre Gefühle) kaum nachvollziehbar, die Handlung vorhersehbar, klischeehaft und oft unsinnig... von dieser Autorin hätte ich definitv mehr erwartet. Viellecht nur ein Ausrutscher? ( )

I have zero respect for the author who uses the sales power of another's name for material gain. Marion Zimmer Bradley is DEAD, yet is is well-known and accepted that her research assistant continues to write using her famous name. Sure, she writes on topics dear to the author, but she is NOT MZB! It's as repulsive as the Tom Clancy empire. Clancy is worse, as he is living and allowing subordinates to write under his name. As IF we couldn't hear the change in voice! Such flagrant disrespect for the reader should be boycotted. I found this book in the library, skimmed it, and sent it packing. Abhorrent. I rave. I rant. I do not buy. ( )

I read this years ago, and put it back in the TBR pile after Dagny read it last summer and left it here. It's always interesting to read a book you loved in the past to see if your perceptions or tastes have changed. In this case, I still enjoyed it immensely.

Truth Jourdemayne is the daughter of notorious psychic con-artist Thorne Blackburn, who started an occult movement in the 60s and who killed her mother during one of his rituals, then disappeared.

So she's dedicated her life to showing the truth about such things, scientifically, and put the past, and her father, behind her.

But now she's been asked to write her father's biography, and her aunt Caroline gives her Thorne's grimoire, and Truth decides it's time to go back to Shadow's Gate and write the true story.

When she gets there, she discovers a cult trying to recreate her father's work, and everything becomes much more confusing.

I think I liked this so much because I'm a huge sucker for gothics. The creepy old house, the intrepid heroine, the two men--one good, one evil, but you don't find out until the end which is which, and the whole air of mystery.

The twists and turns in this one were both surprising and logical, and I was sucked right in. I really enjoyed Truth--sure she knows what's real, desperate to distance herself from her father, but deep down even more desperate to know her father and for him to be someone she can love and admire.
( )

Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Light" books never really did it for me: I hate the whole "occult" magic thing. Either give us big fantasy magic or pagan magic- don't give us some mixed-up quasi pagan borderline satanist garbage. These books are meant to be a connector between Avalon and Darkover (every so often in each of these series, people realize that they've reincarnated from Atlantis), and they are the weakest link. ( )