Two anthropologists, Cendri and her husband Dal, come to study ruins on the planet Isis. Dal is actually the senior scholar, but since Isis is a matriarchy, he poses as Cendri's assistant. I'm a fan of Marion Zimmer Bradley, not of her well-known Mists of Avalon, which I didn't care for, but her science fiction Darkover series. I have 36 of her books on my bookshelves, and though I can't remember reading one I didn't enjoy--she's a strong storyteller--this standalone isn't one of her best. The reviews bear out my memory of the feminist theme being rather overbearing in a way that feels rather dated. (This was published in 1978.) Not the book I'd pick as an introduction to Marion Zimmer Bradley, or even top twenty on my list of her best.
1
