It has been fifteen years since Marguerida Alton returned to Darkover. Fifteen years since she discovered the terrifying powers of her special laran, met and fell in love with Mikhail Lanart-Hastur, heir designate to the throne of Darkover, and journeyed back in time to the Ages of Chaos to answer the call of a long-dead Keeper. Now Marguerida's life is more settled. As the seconds-in-command to the aging Regent, Regis Hastur, and his consort Linnea, life in Comyn Castle for Marguerida and Mikhail is far from serene. But the real root of the current tensions on Darkover has more to do with the Terran Federation than anything internal to Darkover. The once pleasant relationship between Darkover's ruling families and the Terran envoys to Darkover has been shattered, primarily due to the machinations of Lyle Belfontaine, the corrupt and ambitious Station Chief at Federation Headquaters. When the sudden death of Regis Hastur leaves Comyn Council in turmoil, Belfontaine sees an opportunity to wrest by force what he could not gain through diplomacy, and plans a violent takeover on Darkover. Can Mikhail and Marguerida, new Regent and consort on Darkover, face the might of Terran weapons with only their combined telepathic laran powers? This sequel to Shadow Matrix (LJ 9/15/97) continues Bradley's epic saga of the world of the bloody sun. The death of Regis Hastur, Regent of Darkover, signals the beginning of an uneasy time for the planet. As his heir, Mikhail, prepares to assume the reins of power, the relationship between Darkover and the Terran Federation reaches a boiling point, drawing the major families of the planet into a crucible of intrigue and treachery. Bradley's consummate skill at presenting complex political intrigue side-by-side with acute personal drama makes her Darkover series both involving and intricate. Highly recommended for most sf collections. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. A new novel of Darkover, the actions occurring 15 years after those described in Exile's Song (1996). Here are the further adventures of former musicologist Marguerida Alton, after she returned to Darkover, came into her full psychic Gift, married the heir to the throne, and brought some sort of order to life at Comyn Castle. The increasingly totalitarian Terran Federation, however, has been pressing Darkover to become a full member of the Federation, mostly so it can get its greedy paws on Darkover's untapped resources. And when a Federation civil war severs communication with the central government, the corrupt, ambitious regional HQ Station Chief, Lyle Belfontaine, plots to grab Darkover by force. Fans will know what to make of Bradley's odd amalgam of technology and psi/magic powers, family saga, and power politics. One unexpected detail: Adrienne Martine-Barnes (Master of Earth and Water, with Diana L. Paxson) appears in the copyright notice but is mentioned neither on the cover nor on the title page. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.