The Fall of Neskaya
The Clingfire Trilogy: The Fall of Neskaya
by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross
Marion Zimmer Bradley was one of my all time favorite fantasy authors. She created a nearly living world, Darkover. I have most of her books published from the 70′s through the 90′s. Although this book and the other two books, “Zandru’s Forge” and “A Flame in Hali” in the Trilogy were written by Deborah J. Ross they are based on her notes and discussions with Ms. Bradley. When Ms. Bradley’s health was failing she agreed to work with Deborah J. Ross and the Clingfire Trilogy was the result.
The setting of this story is in the Age of Chaos on the planet Darkover, and is principally about the armed conflict and the usage of dreaded weapons of mass destruction created by the use of Laran by the Tower workers. Clingfire, bonedust and the biological agent lungrot were all created and used with deadly efficiency. However, when the Deslucido aggressors used bonedust, the wind changed blowing the deadly radioactivity back on their own forces.
The Deslucido aggressors capture Coryn’s Leynier family’s mountain stronghold by using lungrot to sicken his people then move on to attack neighboring holders by either using laran or weapons made with it. Coryn learns of this from the tower where he is in training. The attack and capture the Acosta holdings leaves Queen Taniquil Hastur-Acosta a widow. After she escapes she is rescued and tended back to health by Coryn A romance develops from this chance meeting along the road.
I don’t know how I missed reading this Clingfire Trilogy when it was first published but it I have enjoyed it and I’m sure any Marion Zimmer Bradley fan will too.