For fantasy genre readers the name Marion Zimmer Bradley is usually a familiar one. It may be known among the science fiction readers due to her popular Darkover series. Marion also helped introduce new authors to the world with the Sword and Sorceress anthology. It was a tragic loss to the world of writing when she passed on, but she left her readers with many good books and good memories.
Of all of them, however, The Firebrand is a novel that escaped notice for many. It’s a personal favorite of mine, more so than the very well known Mists of Avalon.
Firebrand tells the story of Kassandra, the prophetess who was never to believed, and her part in the Fall of Troy. All the usual suspects are involved, Paris, Helen, Achilles, Hector, and more. The story that she wove took the classic Aegean Mythos and improved upon it.
Out of all the books she wrote, and the many I read, I do think this is one of her most well written and I hope you’ll find time to enjoy it yourself. If you have enjoyed the book, please share why or name your favorite character/scene in the comments. I love knowing how others feel about the things I enjoy.
In the meantime, happy reading!
