The Hastur Lord
| Author | Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Darkover |
| Genre | Science fantasy |
| Publisher | DAW Books |
|
Publication date
|
2010 |
|
Published in English
|
January 2010 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 421pp |
| Preceded by | The World Wreckers |
| Followed by | Exile's Song |
Hastur Lord is a science fantasy novel by American writers Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross in the Darkover series. It was first published by in hardcover by DAW Books in 1996. The book falls in the part of the Darkover timeline that the author called "Against the Terrans: The Second Age (after the Comyn)".
Hastur Lord is an allegory, illustrating the consequences to a religiously pluralistic planet, when a small group of monotheistic fundamentalists tries to impose their will on a larger society that doesn't share their views.
In terms of Darkover's timeline, the book takes place ten years after The World Wreckers.
Dan Lawton, the Terran Legate, sends word to Regis Hastur of a medical emergency in the Terran zone. Regis discovers that Dan's son, Felix, is experiencing symptoms of Threshold Sickness. Dan's wife, Tiphani, is hysterical, regarding Threshold Sickness as a symptom of moral degeneracy, rather than simply an illness experienced by telepaths. Regis learns that Tiphani has taken a keyed starstone away from her son, fearing that it is a pagan object. Regis returns the stone to Felix.
Regis asks Linnea Storn, the mother of his only child, to come to Thendara and attend to Felix. Regis also asks her to be his wife, saying she is the only woman he could possibly marry. Linnea, knowing that Regis is romantically committed to Danilo, refuses.
Danvan Hastur, the elderly Regent of Darkover, dies. On his deathbed, he tells Regis that he has a brother, whose rights in the Comyn must be ensured.
Regis learns that his brother, Rinaldo, has for many years been a cristoforo brother in the monastery of St. Valentine of the Snows at Nevarsin. Rinaldo tells Regis he is emmasca, and this is why their grandfather never had him legitimated. On the journey to Thendara, Rinaldo displays a tendency to lecture and scold, that both Regis and Danilo find disturbing.
Rinaldo meets Tiphani Lawton, and finds a kindred spirit in the overwrought Terran woman. They determine to build the Chapel of All Worlds to teach a syncretistic version of their similar theological views.
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