Dying of the Light
A Novel
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3.8 • 70 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
In this unforgettable space opera, #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin presents a chilling vision of eternal night—a volatile world where cultures clash, codes of honor do not exist, and the hunter and the hunted are often interchangeable.
A whisperjewel has summoned Dirk t’Larien to Worlorn, and a love he thinks he lost. But Worlorn isn’t the world Dirk imagined, and Gwen Delvano is no longer the woman he once knew. She is bound to another man, and to a dying planet that is trapped in twilight. Gwen needs Dirk’s protection, and he will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means challenging the barbaric man who has claimed her. But an impenetrable veil of secrecy surrounds them all, and it’s becoming impossible for Dirk to distinguish between his allies and his enemies. In this dangerous triangle, one is hurtling toward escape, another toward revenge, and the last toward a brutal, untimely demise.
Praise for Dying of the Light
“Dying of the Light blew the doors off of my idea of what fiction could be and could do, what a work of unbridled imagination could make a reader feel and believe.”—Michael Chabon
“Slick science fiction . . . the Wild West in outer space.”—Los Angeles Times
“Something special which will keep Worlorn and its people in the reader’s mind long after the final page is read.”—Galileo magazine
“The galactic background is excellent. . . . Martin knows how to hold the reader.”—Asimov’s
“George R. R. Martin has the voice of a poet and a mind like a steel trap.”—Algis Budrys
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Virtuoso mastery of atmosphere justifies this deluxe, illustrated 35th anniversary reprint of Martin's debut, which long predates his star turn with Game of Thrones and its sequels. Dirk t'Larien, responding to what he imagines to be a call for help from his former lover Guinevere, voyages to the distant planet Worlorn, which is drifting rapidly out of the galaxy. Life is evolving strangely on the chilly, darkening world, and the humans still living there are an eccentric lot. Dirk isn't certain whether Jaan, the scholar/warrior from bleak High Kavalaan, is Gwen's lover or captor, nor does he understand the harsh code that labels non-Kavalars "mockmen," shape-shifters who are fair game for hunting. Violent, repeated misunderstandings and reappraisals naturally follow. This is a young writer's book, full of romantic foreboding and foolishness. Nonetheless, Warlorn's grand, gloomy landscape is an evocative backdrop for characters obsessed with love, duty, and death, and their drama may well linger in the reader's memory for another 35 years.
Customer Reviews
A Must-read for Ice and Fire fans
Most people don't understand the importance of this book and skip it because it was Martin's first novel. That would be a mistake. Just read it. What you learn will be glorious. ;-)
Memorable read
I remember reading a version of this story under the same title when it was published in, I believe, "Analog" many years ago. I remembered much of that reading and just read this version. The basic story remained with Meg unlike most stories. It remains a haunting story. Recommended.
Honest opinion
S07E01 was underwhelming