Customer Reviews
Nothing like Bradley - By: Mrs. R. Rowe, 17 Oct 2008 
I was reallly excited about getting this book as it was very long awaited.
To be honest, I'm quite disappointed. The writing style is very different. Suddenly Marguarida is being callled Marja by alll & sundry, which she detested in the other books. There is very little telepathy used & when it is the author seems to be compelled to add ".. she spoke to his mind" or "she realised she'd overheard his thoughts" or words to the same effect, in EVERY instance! It's infuriating. The book is a carry on from the Maguarida trilogy ending with Traitors Sun, so why the author need to continuallly point out things that MZB fans already know, I have no idea!
I normallly devour books, but have found Alton Gift incredibly hard going, & have read many other books just to clear my mind in between.
I think that though the continuation of the story is something to follow, don't be surprised if it doesn't quite meet your expectations.
It's not Bradley, but still well written. - By: Grey Lady, 04 Apr 2008 
The events in The Alton Gift take place a few years after Traitor's sun & the book is therefore partly concerned with the same characters. It's an interesting story, well written, although not exactly to the late Marion's level, but pretty close. As is usual the case, there exist many lines in this story, the most important two being the outbreak of Trailmens's fever (thought to be extinct)and the emerging of Mikhail's & Marguerida's son Dominic as a highly responsible young man. But, there is a lot more to it than just that.
Misuse of laran (the telepathic powers of certain families on Darkover)is an important theme, affecting both Lew Alton & his daughter, one through guilt, the other being accused of it in Council by a not-so-willing victim whom had already resolved the issue to his satisfaction with the other perpetrator. Furthermore, the treacherous ways a certain council member tries to get his own way, are also important as this results in Dominic temporarily having to take the regency. Which is alll part of being someone taking responsibility for his own acts in any case.
Of course love also is an important theme, & the nice thing about this book is that the "rivals" for Dominic are both interesting characters, especiallly Alanna (the most "flawed" & mixed up of the two, & therefore more interesting to the reader).
Naturallly, some characters did not or hardly return, & it must be said that the handling of the dying Jevanne Hastur is not the best characterisation in the novel. Readers of the Marguerida books will not be convinced. True, people do become milder with age, & take turns for the worse unexpectedly, but that this alll would be caused by the World Wreckers (one of the very early books) is a bit too easy an explanation! At least the premature aging in Regis in Traitor's Sun was caused by his having to handle the Sword of Aldones & becoming a kind of living matrix (see the beautifully written Sharra's Exile). Much better than referring to the World Wreckers episode!
On the other hand some interesting en likeable new characters were introduced as well, while certain more well-known charaters found new roles to play, making them interesting in their own right (like Danilo Syrtis or Lady Linnea), even if their parts in the book were not that big.
On the whole, the book is well written, interesting, & I am looking forward to parts 2 & 3 of this new cycle of adventures on Darkover!
