In The Rift: Glenraven II
Marion Zimmer Bradley and Holly Lisle
Baen Books, New York, April 1998
368 pp., hardcover, US $22.00
ISBN 0-671-87870-0

This is the second novel set in the world of Glenraven, created by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Holly Lisle. In the first - Glenraven - we are introduced to this realm by two North Carolina women who are drawn there by the magic of Glenraven to be its saviors. The two women initially think they're going to a very small country tucked in between Italy and France, but they soon discover a place inhabited by very different sentient species, dominated by the human-like Machnan and the vampire-like Alfkinder or Kin. The two women end up destroying the evil ruler or Watchmistress, but in the process her "Watchers" - non-corporeal beings that utterly destroy their victims - escape to unknown parts, along with Callion, a badger-like being from the elder race on Glenraven. One of the women stays behind to become the new Watchmistress, and thus the stage is set for this second book, In The Rift.

In this second novel, the situation is reversed. Four beings from Glenraven find themselves in North Carolina. One Machnan, one Kin and two other species - the dog-like Warrag, and the bear-like Dagreth. The magic draws them to Kate Beacham - a lonely woman who is being harassed by the town locals because of her Wiccan beliefs. But it is those beliefs that quickly allows her to accept these four strangers and agree to help Glenraven. Callion and the Watchers have come to this world, and they must be tracked down, returned to Glenraven and neutralized before they destroy both realms. The group of five must set aside their differences, physical and cultural, and work together to accomplish this.

One of the recurring themes in both novels is the "stranger in a strange land" scenario, where beings from one realm have to adjust to life in a place totally foreign. Many times in fantasy novels, humans "cross" to another realm and quickly fit right in with few complaints. In Glenraven, the two women have to address things like no running water, no indoor plumbing, people who don't bathe regularly, different dietary habits... In In The Rift, the Glenraven beings have a more difficult time fitting in as three of them don't look human. This is overcome by pretending the Warrag is a dog and the other two are in costume for a sf convention. I appreciated how the authors addressed all of these little details continually throughout the books. It made the situations much more "realistic."

Another theme is overcoming barriers and prejudices to find love. In Glenraven, the main protagonist is drawn to one of the Kin, but she must overcome her own fears and their differences (while the species all look different, they and humans all come from the same "stock" and are compatible). In The Rift has the Machnan woman and Kin man setting aside deep culturally ingrained prejudices to admit their love for each other. In both situations, the issue is handled realistically.

On the whole, I thought both novels started out slowly, but they did end up getting my attention. I think I've become so used to fantasy trilogies that allow an author to give a detailed picture of the world in which the story is set. These novels are stand-alone, and I found that detail lacking. I never got a complete "picture" of the realm and its inhabitants. Still, the characters were compelling enough to keep me interested in the story, even when I was a bit unclear as to the background of some events. And, I enjoyed the realistic handling of the themes mentioned above. On the whole, I thought the novels were entertaining, though perhaps a bit predictable in the plot line. I'd be interested in reading another book set in this world.

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Barbara Voelkel is one of those rarities -- a southern California native who still lives there. She is a proud drop-out of Bookaholics Anonymous, and her job as a financial analyst enables her to continually buy books to feed her all-consuming habit. She started her journey into the worlds of Science Fiction and Fantasy 20-odd years ago by opening to the first page of The Hobbit. She hasn't stopped since.