Diadem from the Stars

By: Jo Clayton

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

A magnificent combination of space opera and epic fantasy quest in the beloved science fantasy tradition of Andre Norton and C. J. Cherryh, author Jo Clayton’s masterful Diadem Saga begins with an unforgettable tale of destiny, self-discovery, survival, and an extraordinary young woman’s coming of age in a world that is not her own.

Raised, but never loved, by the barbarian valley people of Jaydugar, a planet of two suns, young Aleytys has always known she did not belong. Abandoned by her space-traveling mother and barely tolerated by a superstitious primitive tribe fearful of divine reprisals, Aleytys is forced to flee for her life following the catastrophic appearance of a fireball in the sky. Guided by her absent mother’s journals, the young outcast must now journey alone across an unfamiliar world of perils in search of an escape from this planet that holds no hope for her future.

But her pursuit of a spacecraft and the parent who inexplicably left her behind leads young Aleytys instead to the miraculous device that will determine her destiny. An object of unimaginable power - a magical technology stolen from a vengeful alien arachnid race determined to recover it at any cost - the Diadem instantly becomes an integral part of who and what Aleytys is and will be. Once its great energy is transferred to her she will never be free of it, and mastering the Diadem’s wonders is Aleytys’s only hope for survival now that she has become the most wanted woman in a dangerous universe.

In an astonishing feat of science fiction world-building and quest fantasy storytelling that rivals the classic works of Mercedes Lackey, Anne McCaffrey, and Marion Zimmer Bradley, Clayton opens wide the portals into a magnificent galaxy of marvels and terrors with Diadem from the Stars, ushering speculative fiction fans into an unforgettable universe and series.

©1977 Jo Clayton (P)2020 Audible, Inc.

Great story

I love these books. The story is so well put together.

My only struggle is with the narrator stumbling over the odd words/names. She doesn't do too bad but there is an obvious pause before every unusual word which implies a different meaning to the overall sentence and makes the audio a bit awkward. Otherwise it's all great!

Not Your Usual Plot & Twist

This story was subtly different from any I've read. Most of it takes place on an unusual planet whose occupants are eerily different from each other. After running away at the threat of being burned at the stake, Aleytis begins discovering the buried talents left by her star-faring Veer mother. A mysterious artifact is placed upon her head by clairvoyant mountain witches that send her on her quest to discover the secret homeword of the fabulously wealthy, legendary Veer. A space-wrecked thief, planning to obtain the co-ordinates of the Veer's secret homeworld, throws in with her, promising a way offworld. The book is wonderfully well written. The narrator has a good talent for character voices but is flat and sing-songy while narrating. I purchased the second audio book Lamarchos and will be getting Irsud in book form until the audio book is released.