sign in| help
Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

The Fall of Neskaya
  • Rated 0 stars
Read The Fall of Neskaya
Clingfire: Book 1

The Fall of Neskaya (2001) (edit title/settings)

by Marion Zimmer Bradley (Author), Deborah J. Ross (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

In the tumultuous era of The Hundred Kingdoms, a terrible time of strife and war, Darkover is divided into a multitude of small belligerent domains vying for power and land. One ambitious and corrupt tyrant will stop at nothing to control Darkover - even wield the terrifying weapons of the... read more

Summary edit see section history

Coryn Leynier wakens from a prophetic dream about forest fires, to find he must help fight one in reality. His family receives aid from Tramontana Tower, summoned telepathically by Rumail, a powerful laranzu. Rumail tests the Leyniers for laran, and arranges a marriage contract between his... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Coryn Leynier wakens from a prophetic dream about forest fires, to find he must help fight one in reality. His family receives aid from Tramontana Tower, summoned telepathically by Rumail, a powerful laranzu. Rumail tests the Leyniers for laran, and arranges a marriage contract between his nephew Belisar and young Kristlin Leynier. He discovers Coryn has great laran potential, and sends him to Tramontana to be trained. He also implants a buried suggestion in Coryn’s mind. Coryn fears and distrusts Rumail, but is unable to speak about his worries.
Several years later, now working at Tramontana, Coryn hears that Rumail has been dismissed from Neskaya Tower. Shortly thereafter, a plague of lungrot strikes Coryn’s home in Verdanta, killing his father and Kristlin, among many others. Damian Deslucido of Ambervale, Rumail’s brother, launches an invasion of Verdanta, as a stepping-stone to conquering all of Darkover.
Taniquel Hastur-Acosta finds herself hostage as Deslucido’s forces invade Acosta. She flees a forced betrothal to Belisar, and almost dies trying to reach Thendara. She encounters Coryn at a travel shelter, and he nurses her back to health. The two part ways, and Taniquel reaches Thendara, where she appeals to her uncle, King Rafael Hastur. He is reluctant to pursue a potentially devastating war.
Rumail attempts to form a circle of telepaths in Ambervale, but fails disastrously. Deslucido resorts to diplomacy to try and recover Taniquel. He appeals to the Comyn Council for relief. During testimony, Taniquel realizes that Deslucido has told a lie which was not detected by Truthspell. Rafael declines to reveal this to the Comyn, as it would place the entire system of diplomacy and treaties in jeopardy, but he agrees to make war on Ambervale.
Coryn, now living at Neskaya Tower, is sent to Thendara to plead for an end to laran weaponry such as clingfire. He is reunited with Taniquel. Ambervale makes several incursions into Hastur lands, and Belisar is finally lured into a trap. Rumail unleashes bonewater dust to cover the army’s retreat, but a change in the winds wreaks havoc on Ambervale’s forces as well. The land is contaminated for generations.
Coryn joins a small force which frees Verdanta from Deslucido’s rule, then returns to Neskaya. He persuades the Tower to design a shield which will reflect laran attacks back on the sender. Rumail usurps authority at Tramontana Tower. When King Rafael’s army approaches Acosta, Rumail launches a laran attack which turns the soldiers against each other. Taniquel finds Coryn in the Overworld, and warns him of the attack. Neskaya Tower intervenes, and the Hastur army is saved. When Coryn attempts to disarm the laran shield, Rumail triggers the trap in Coryn’s mind, and alters the shield to attack Neskaya Tower instead. When Coryn realizes what has happened, he evacuates Neskaya and tries to mitigate the damage.
The Hastur army wins the battle for Acosta. Damien and Belisar are captured, and King Rafael hangs them, to ensure that the gift for lying under truthspell cannot be passed on.
Taniquel travels to Neskaya, fearing the worst. The tower is destroyed, as is Tramontana Tower, and Coryn lies in a coma, glowing with destructive energy. Taniquel enters the Overworld and helps Coryn return to his body. He recovers, but his laran may be destroyed forever. Coryn marries Taniquel, and they live at Acosta. Unfortunately, Rumail has survived the fall of Tramontana, and swears revenge against Taniquel’s descendants.

Characters/People edit see section history

Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Darkover – a planet circling Cottman’s star. Lost colony of Earth, returned to a medieval level of civilization. Setting of all the Darkover novels
Show all 19 settings

Organizations edit see section history

  • Comyn Council: organization of telepaths, accepted as the ruling authority in all matters related to laran.

First Sentence edit see section history

Coryn Leynier woke from a dream of fire sweeping down from the heights.

Glossary edit see section history

  • Laran: psychic potential, power, and energy
  • Comyn: hereditary ruling class of Darkover. Those of Comyn birth usually possess laran to some extent.
  • Comynara: courtesy title given to all women of Comyn birth
  • Laranzu: trained user of Laran. (masc.)
  • Tower: a place for the study and practice of laran
  • Keeper: the head of a circle of laran-users
  • Truthspell: a spell cast during legal proceedings. If a person under Truthspell tells a falsehood, his face ceases to glow
  • Clingfire: A laran-produced incendiary weapon
  • Bonewater dust: A laran-produced radiological weapon
  • Lungrot: a laran-produced biological weapon
  • Overworld: the Astral Plane
Show all 11 glossary entries

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 3 in Clingfire. (standard series)

Followed by Zandru's Forge.

This is book 5 of 88 in Darkover. (standard series)

Preceded by Two to Conquer, and followed by Zandru's Forge.

This is book 3 of 6 in The Hundred Kingdoms. (standard series)

Preceded by Two to Conquer, and followed by Zandru's Forge.

This is book 1189 of 483 in DAW Books. (publisher series)

Preceded by Legacy of the Wolf.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Author)
  2. Deborah J. Ross (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Daw Books
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2001
ISBN: 0756400341
Page Count: 448

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3552.R228 F35 2001
  • Dewey: 813.54

We’re hiding the table of contents, errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

© 2006-2012 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close