Kerr, Katharine

The Spirit Stone: The Silver Wyrm, Book Two (The Silver Wyrm)

Average customer rating:

superb epic high fantasy
This won't disappoint

The Spirit Stone: The Silver Wyrm, Book Two (The Silver Wyrm)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: DAW Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0756404339

Book Description

Prince Dar of the Westlands calls the new fortress of Zakh Gral "a dagger laid against our throat." It was built by the Horsekin, ancient enemies of his people. To destroy the threat, the elven prince has called upon his dwarven and human allies. Their leaders know that if the Westlands fall, their own throats will feel the dagger next. Joining them are two powerful dragons, who have their own bitter reasons to hate the Horsekin.

But the fanatical Horsekin have a powerful ally as well, a new goddess. Alshandra's priestesses have announced that She has given Prince Dar's lands to the Horsekin-and that his people must be utterly destroyed.

Customer Reviews:

superb epic high fantasy .......2007-06-02

Some of the Horsekin have civilized themselves and settled in cities but that hasn't abated their thirst for war. They need more lands for their heavy horses to have more pastures and they believe their goddess wants them to have it. The dwarves, the elves and the humans of Deverry are planning to attack Zakh Grel, the fortress they built to stage their battles from. As the men make ready to go to battle, people from 983, over one hundred years ago who have been reincarnated in the present all have a role to play.

Nevyn the herbmaster was a powerful wielder of Dweomer (magic) found the woman he and then her lost to a magic wielder's poor judgment. In the present he is known as Neb a scribe married to the Lady Bronna once known as Morwen. Both possess Dweomer and are ready to defend the borders. Friends and enemies from 983 are all alive in the present and have a role to play in the upcoming war. In the past Gwairyc was a lord who looked down on commoners but in the present he had to earn his lordship and is a great leader of men. Lez Maj, an outlaw in the present was a pedophile in another past incarnation while Mella, now Sidro, an ex-priestess who is Laz's lover. Maj's lover is fascinated by the black and obsidian pyramid made with magic in 983. As the forces of good and evil begin to march, nobody knows what the outcome will be, not even the seers.

The latest Deverry novel contains an epic high fantasy plot that is absolutely spellbinding. The tale is divided into two parts, 983 and the present and the various players who have reincarnated in the present are believable characters taking their personalities from one era and transforming them into something else in this incarnation. Filled with wondrous creatures like talking dragons who are allied against the Horsekin speaking animals and heroes who will fight and die for a cause they believe is just, THE SPIRIT STONES is a wonderful and exciting tale.

Harriet Klausner

This won't disappoint.......2007-06-01

Although I enjoyed Gold Falcon, I was disappointed at its lack of a past life section. Spirit Stone suffers no such lack, and indeed fills in a missing section most satisfactorily. Without wishing to give anything away, this book also expands the action to include the perspective of two unanticipated characters, and arrives at its planned destination with many engrossing detours. Some may gripe at the relative lack of Neb and Branna in this book, but I found it heartening that they don't simply suddenly turn into super magicians over night and solve all the problems, and their story is charmingly told. Can't wait for the final volume in this saga.

The Gold Falcon (The Silver Wyrm, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Book was good, but publisher is trying to cheat . . .
After a long silence....
Great start to the end of a great series!
truly ineffable...
A transition novel

The Gold Falcon (The Silver Wyrm, Book 1)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: DAW Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Spirit Stone: The Silver Wyrm, Book Two (The Silver Wyrm)
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ASIN: 0756403863

Book Description

The cholera epidemic that ravaged the city of TrevHael has left many orphans in its wake, including Neb, the scribe's son, and his brother. Sent to the desolate farm of their last living relative, they soon learn that a worse plague lurks beyond the western border of Deverry. The savage Horsekin tribes, spurred on by their new goddess, Alshandra, are raiding the villages and taking slaves as the first step in their plans to destroy the nomadic Westfolk and the Deverrian farmers both. Drawn into a war for the survival of the kingdom, Neb and his soulmate Branna will face enemies they have fought before in past lives they no longer remember.

Customer Reviews:

Book was good, but publisher is trying to cheat . . ........2007-02-17

I thought this book was great. In fact, all of Kerr's books are just phenomenal. So, has anyone else noticed that DAW along with other publishers have switched to low quality materials for their hardcover books? Take a look at the paper for instance. Just compare this book and older DAW hardcovers from a few years ago. You won't be thrilled in about 5 years, when the books in this series have begun to yellow with age.
I hate this new trend with book publishers just to save a buck. None of us get a deal on the price, but they can sell inferior goods to us because they know we want to read the books anyway. Please watch out and if possible, complain to the company. If enough of us do, they will return to the quality we have come to expect. Just take a look at the Otherland books, to see what I mean, or the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Look at the differences between those and this book. There is no comparison.

After a long silence...........2006-11-10

Ms. Kerr finally drops this in our lap. I must say it was an enjoyable read, if a bit callow at times. Think of how Tolkien started "The Hobbit" as a child's book. "The Fellowship of the Ring" was light and airy, and each subsequent book gets more and more "dark" and "adult". Katharine Kerr writes backwards. Her books started out "dark" and "adult" and now seem airy and breezy.

One big annoyance is she has a terrible habit of turning a phrase and sticking with it continuously. All her characters "tossed his head like an angry horse" SO often that I wonder just what kind of world she's from where people actually do this. It happens - literally - on almost every page. The characters that have depth and strengths in other books in this one seem shallow and weak.

I did enjoy reading, but I felt she was just throwing us a bone.

Great start to the end of a great series!.......2006-11-10

I absolutely adore this series and am sad to see it coming to an end. It was horrible to wait this entire time for this book (if you followed it and saw all the pushbacks like I did), but it was well worth it. It doesn't really answer questions but it definitely sets up the next two books to tie everything together. This book, unlike the others, only stays in one timeline choosing to tell the past by using small character flashbacks that are actually told to other characters instead of that character being in that time. A definite must for any follower of the series.

truly ineffable..........2006-08-28

Let's hope we don't have to wait a very long time for the continuation of this series! As with every time I pick up a Katharine Kerr book, I can't put it down. I stay up late at night fighting the sleep dweomer and end up late for work! It's well worth it!

If I had dweomer powers I would hurry up Katharine to finish the next book!

In the meantime, maybe I will re-read the whole saga since it's been years since I read the first book.

A transition novel.......2006-08-26

As noted in the other review, this is the least complex and challenging of the Deverry series to date. The ongoing story of Nevyn and Jill is resolved, almost too easily, given the tangled paths these characters have had in past books.

The setup, however, gives promise for the next volumes in the series, and we still have Rhodry as a dragon and Dallandra to provide the connecting threads. Not the best Deverry to start on, as it would be very difficult to follow without knowing the backstory.

Keep 'em coming Kit!

Average customer rating:

Kerr is one of the Best
Another Wonderful Book
What finally happened with the curse tablet
Splendid language, uneven characters
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OUT THERE!

The Fire Dragon (Dragon Mage, Book 3)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 055358247X
Release Date: 2001-01-02

Book Description

Katharine Kerr has enchanted readers with her magical Deverry and Westlands cycle, and now she brings to a breathtaking conclusion the epic saga begun with The Red Wyvern and The Black Raven.

The final chapter begins in the holy city as it rises from the ashes of Deverry's long wars. Prince Maryn prepares to claim the high kingship, but still the rebel Boar clan stands fast against him. And at court, his illicit passion for the young dweomer apprentice, Lilli, threatens to revive a curse that only she -- at her own peril -- can lift.

It is a drama that will be played out centuries later in the city of Cerr Cawnen. Among the many who take refuge in the lakeside citadel, nestled in a volcano's shadow, are a Westfolk band guided by the elven enchantress Dallandra and protected by Rhodry Maelwaedd and his fiery guardian dragon.

Meanwhile, from the north come the savage Horsekin slavers, ancient foe of the Westfolk, now bent on the domination of Cerr Cawnen. They are awaited by the sorceress Raena, their self-sworn high priestess and the votary of an evil goddess. Now, as Rhodry and Raena renew their timeless enmity, the fate of the city and every soul within it hangs in the balance -- and on an act of self-sacrifice dangerous beyond imagining.

Customer Reviews:

Kerr is one of the Best.......2006-04-26

After reading the other customer's reviews I decided to put my thoughts in about the Deverry series. The plot in all her books is this, whatever a person does in life good or bad will come back to them in this life or the next (what comes around ,goes around).

Payback is a, shall I say harsh, if you mistreat someone in life as Maryn did to Bellyra, (Bellyra was totally in love with Maryn but he could not love her back the same way she loved him) you come back as Yraen, who was madly in love with Carramaena, Bellyra reborn, but Carra couldn't love Yraen (Maryn reborn) the same way he loved her. Do you see the cycle!? Carra got what she couldn't have as Bellyra, Maryn's (Yraen) love.

The reason the books jump around in time is because, as shown above, the complete story would be very confusing to tell in order. Each time line shows the struggle that each soul must go through in order to redeem themselves from their past wrongs and in the case that a soul was wronged in the past, whoever wronged them needs to and usually does make it up. Every soul gets what they want in one life time or another, sometimes things are just not meant to be.

The main story or theme is the tragedy and soon (once the cycle runs it course) the happiness or completeness of the souls of Brangwen and Galrion. The rest of the people are those souls that became entangled into Brangwen's life and rebirths and Galrion or Nevyn's life, most of the souls were deeply involved in the original tragedy of Brangwen and Galrion. In addition, to keep the story interesting and to keep you guessing, Kerr throws in things like Rhodry becoming Rori and thats just one example. But a fantasy book wouldn't be a fantasy book without battles, sieges, mystery and magic.

Kerr's Deverry series is better then great and I can not wait until the cycle is finally complete. *The series is a must read for fantasy book fans.* If you don't get the whole story after reading the books, the only advices I can give you is read all the books again and keep a chart of the soul's rebirths next to you.

Another Wonderful Book.......2003-12-21

I have read all of The Dragon Mage part of the Deverry series so far. You get really into the characters. At first I liked Prince Maryn, but in this book you see a different side of him. I nearly cried with all the tragedy at the end of that part. I can't wait to find out what will happen to Salamander, as well as Dallandra and her apprentice, Niffa. All in all, it was another great book!

What finally happened with the curse tablet.......2002-04-22

Finally, in Kerr's usual braided, nonlinear storytelling style, we have not only some decisive events in the 'present', where Ebany's madness and Evandar's resolution of the Guardians' fate are coming to a head, but the conclusion of the Time of Troubles thread, providing the connection between the events of THE BLACK RAVEN and Maddyn the bard's final fate as shown in A TIME OF EXILE.

In the Time of Troubles (first third of the book), Maryn has finally taken the Holy City of Dun Deverry, and is putting the finishing touches on the defeat of the Boar clan to end the generations of civil wars that have raged among the various claimants for the high kingship. But despite Nevyn's best efforts, this man who's been shaped to be high king has a serious flaw: he's a womanizer who hasn't got sense enough to stay away from the wives, daughters, and sisters of some of his most loyal supporters; his current mistress, Nevyn's apprentice, sister of an influential tieryn, and betrothed to one of the silver daggers of Maryn's personal guard, is all three. Worse; Maryn's wife Bellyra truly loves him, and is too perceptive not to notice his affairs, but regardless of her feelings, she must stay with him for the kingdom's sake, being his claim on the Cerrmor side of the great conflict.

The curse tablet's spell on Maryn is still in effect, despite Nevyn's best efforts, but he's getting the nasty impression that he can see its subtle effects all around him, as Bellyra's distress is increased not only by her usual severe postpartum depression, but by another pregnancy only a few weeks after her last son's birth.

In the present, Evandar may have finally resolved not only the fate of his own people, the mysterious Guardians, but may provide the answers to some ancient riddles about the fall of the elven kingdoms of the West, as well as a chance for those great cities (the first love of his life) to be reborn. As part of one of his long-laid schemes, he's working on getting Ebany out of Bardek and back home to the Westlands, where his 'madness' can be cured. Rhodry, meanwhile, is working on keeping his oath to take Jahdo home to the northlands and catching the dark dweomermaster who kept taking the form of a raven and stirring up trouble among the Horsekin.

The ending of this book isn't the end of the series - there's one more volume to come - but Rhodry's final confrontation uses a very neat twist: something that a reader should have known for ages, but won't be expecting to see come into play. Very cool.

Splendid language, uneven characters.......2001-09-24

As a longtime fan of the Deverry series, I usually rush right out to buy each new volume the day it's released. This latest installment is in no way a disappointment; it still contains Kerr's wonderful use of dialogue and the intriguing mysticism of the dweomer.

One aspect of this book, however, is less than satisfying. The section set during the Civil Wars contains infinetely more developed characters than the section set in "the present;" Kerr seems far more engaged and in tune with Nevyn, Lilli, Bellyra and Maryn than she does with Dallandra, Niffa, Raena and Rhodry. This has been a problem throughout the Dragon Mage series. As a result, the second half of this book feels flat compared to the first, and its characters seem strangely unrealistic when placed against the tortured, complex, wonderfully human characters described during the Civil Wars. Despite the imagination that has gone into the Horsekin, the Guardians and the dragon, these elements of blatant unreality detract a lot from one of the series' main strengths.

However, one shouldn't complain too loudly about a novel that's just "very good" instead of "brilliant." Anything by Kerr is usually vastly superior to the majority of fantasy novels out there (many of which seem to have been written on autopilot by authors trying to make condo payments). Deverry fans will find no reason here to stop loving the series!

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OUT THERE!.......2001-07-19

O.k. I will admitt I am a book worm I mean I read the whole series in 2 weeks but I loved it so much. This book was awsome it had so many twist and turns and it did have a great story even if some don't agree. Katherine makes you know the person her characterization is so good. Every person I can feel what they are feeling even if it takes a while to get to know some of them. In this book I found that She kept on doing it. I was not shure of the dragon in the beginning but it ended that I do like her but then that surprise came that was hinted in the begginning. You will have to read and see how many surprises show up. I say read this book NOW!!

Average customer rating:

Seventh in the Ten Book (currently) Series
A complex, addictive plot full of everything but the sink.
good for re-reading
Wonderful book -- I absolutly LOVED it!
Katharine Kerr is the spiritual heir to J.R.R. Tolkien

Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553572628
Release Date: 1995-08-01

Book Description

Acclaimed author of the dazzling cycle of fantasy novels set in Deverry and the Westlands, Katharine Kerr continues her epic saga of humanity as a shift of power on the astral plane brings change to the world of men...

The city of Cengarn is under siege. Armies both astral and physical are massing for and against the goddess Alshandra, who seeks to prevent the birth of one fate-bound child. It falls to the dweomermaster Jill and her allies to protect the child's human mother, Princess Carra--and Deverry's already foretold future--by magic and by might. But as the warrior Rhodry wings toward the battle on dragonback, he cannot know that soon he will face his ancient enemy, Alshandra's high priestess Raena, who will use any means to destroy him. Their confrontation could turn the tide of the siege--and change the fate of Deverry forever.

Customer Reviews:

Seventh in the Ten Book (currently) Series.......2006-08-01

The city of Cengarn is under siege, with armies both astral and physical massing on opposite sides of the cause of the goddess Alshandra, who seeks to prevent the birth of one fate-bound child. It falls to the dweomermaster Jill and her allies to protect Princess Carra, the child's human mother, and more important, the future foreseen for Deverry by past masters of magic. But history is built on many a foundation: as the berserker Rhodry wings his way to the battle on dragonback, he is unaware that he will soon be meeting this fight on a more personal front. Lying in wait for him is Alshandra's high priestess Raena, a dangerous sorceress and Rhodry's ancient enemy, ready to use any means to destroy him. Their confrontation could turn the tide of the siege--and change the fate of Deverry forever....

Rhodry and his new dragon ally, Arzosah, have joined forces with the dwarven axemen and are rushing to the aid of the besieged town of Cengarn. Meanwhile, within the town walls, the Princess Carra--and her precious unborn child--is under the protection of the sorcerers Jill and Dallandra who eagerly await the arrival of their allies. But Cengarn's food supplies are beginning to wand and their chances for survival look bleak. They can only survive for so long...

And as time grows ever shorter the surrounding Horsekin army, under th einstruction of the goddess Alshandra, are preparing to end the siege once and for all.Only by destroying Alshandra can there ever be peace between Horsekin and humankind. But it seems an impossible task...

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

A complex, addictive plot full of everything but the sink........2001-04-10

Katherine Kerr's superb descriptions and well-thought out story will always leave you hungering for more. You join all of Kerr's exquisite characters through their lives, whether it be in a far past life or their life 20 years ago. They make you wonder... what's going to happen to the characters next? The plot will make you gasp, shudder, and stay up until four thirty in the morning just... reading. I promise you -- buy this, and you won't regret it. I certainly didn't. This will make a GREAT addition to ANY book collection... even if you don't HAVE a book collection, get this one, I tell you! It's a MUST have!

good for re-reading.......2000-09-29

I got hooked on Kerr's novels years ago. I always find that the time between volumes is too long. Often I go back and re-read at least two or three previous volumes so I know where the new book fits in. But that's not all bad; they're great to read again and again! My one criticism is the lack of a list of complete character IDs and a timeline. Because Kerr uses lots of flashback, it's difficult sometimes to remember how the characters fit into the overall story. I read the latest (?) release: "The Red Wyvren" and was somewhat disappointed that she didn't make more progress in the most recent timeframe, but chose to emphasize a much earlier time. Does this mean that another volume will be released soon? I hope so.

Wonderful book -- I absolutly LOVED it!.......2000-06-22

This was my first book written by Katharine Kerr that I've *currently* read. Right now.. I'm clicking on almost every Kerr book on Amazon.com and putting them in my shopping cart -- does that tell you anything?

Katharine Kerr is the spiritual heir to J.R.R. Tolkien.......1999-10-29

Katharine Kerr's novels of Deverry and the Westlands form a Gordian Knot of love & hate, sorrow & joy, and death & rebirth. Set in a beautifully conceived fantasy world, complete with Dragons and Dweomer, these novels drew me in the same way Tolkien's Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Silmarillion still draw me back every couple of years. Unfortuanately, there are also a few slow points , (just as with Tolkien), but they don't last for long.

Average customer rating:

Sixth in the Ten Book (currently) Series
Good, even without the background
Quite entertaining
Book Seven of an Outstanding Series
This book is worth every cent.

Days of Blood and Fire (Deverry)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry)
A Time of Omens (Novel of the Westlands)
A Time of Exile
The Dragon Revenant (The Deverry Series)
The Bristling Wood (Deverry)

ASIN: 0553290126
Release Date: 1994-06-01

Book Description

In the peaceful land of the Rhiddaer, Jahdo the ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a secret meeting between a city council man and a dangerous, mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of intrigue and black magic that drags him far from home. In the company of a blind bard, Jahdo must travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds him. But there the boy is caught up in dangers far greater than he has ever known. Two powerful sorcerers--one human, the other elven--are battling to save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and magic . . . and to the dragon upon whom all their live may depend. Days Of Blood And Fire begins an exciting new chapter in the chronicles of Deverry and the Westlands, with a story suited to new readers and loyal fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

Sixth in the Ten Book (currently) Series.......2006-08-01

In the peaceful land of the Riddaer, Jahdo the ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a meeting between a city councilman and a dangerous, mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of intrigue and black magic that drags him far from his beloved home. In the company of Meer, a blind bard of the Horsekin, Jahdo must travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds him. Gut there the boy is caught up in dangers far greater than any he has ever known. Two powerful sorcerers--the human Jill and the elven Dallandra--are battling to save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and magic...and to the dragon upon whom all their lives may depend. For fantasy lovers who have never read the novels of Deverry before, Days of Blood and Fire is the place to begin.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Good, even without the background.......2005-05-17

I found this book to be quite enjoyable, though I think that I would have liked it more if I had read the other books in the series. It stood on it's own rather well, but there were a few things that I didn't understand as well as I think I could have if I'd read the other books.

The only thing that really bothered me about this book was the name of the Sorceress. Jill just didn't fit in with the other names in the book, and the excuse that was given wasn't a very good one, or at least it wasn't to someone who had only read that book. It was alluded that there might have been a better explanation in another book, something to do with who her father was, but it was not satisfactory to me.

I did, however, find the characters to be vibrant and the plot to be engaging, so that little complaint really isn't much of a complaint at all. This was, I thought, a rather decent fantasy novel and if I stumble across more of her work, I will likely pick it up.

Quite entertaining.......1999-06-28

Whether or not you started with Daggerspell or if you have just recently started reading the works of Katharine Kerr, you should definately read this. I found the book entertaining with all the old characters mixed with the new and their wonderful skill at getting wound up in problems that seem to large to remedy. You get to see parts of her world that you do not see in the other books which is always exciting with this author. She transends into the world "high fantasy" well and the ending is rather different from most of her others because it is sudden and leads into the next book.

Book Seven of an Outstanding Series.......1999-06-25

Similar to "The Dragon Revenant" Kerr again returns to a linear plot previously set up in "Time of Omens," again abandoning her usual interaction of stories set within differing time periods. Obviously by now I am an enthusiast of the tale and world begun in "Daggerspell" and would recommend fans of better fantasy fiction take a look. Despite the positive response of the previous reviewer, however, Kerr's books are not written as stand-alones, and without the information provided by the earlier works, one's enjoyment of this book will be greatly limited. Despite the fact that it was the weakest book in the series, start with "Daggerspell": By the time you reach "Days of Blood and Fire" I'm sure you'll conclude that the considerable time invested was enjoyably well spent.

I do however have one reservation regarding this book: The introduction of a dragon. It may be a personal quirk on my part, but rarely have I found the active appearance of dragons in a tale either satisfying or credible. Often anthropomorphised in manner either typecast or silly - McCaffrey's romanticized and laughable wyrms are but the most notable examples - their inclusion as characters almost invariably fails to be convincing (At the risk of sacrilege I would include Tolkein's Smaug). Though the dragon here is present for only a few pages, it is apparant that it will play a large role in the next book, and it talks, which may not bode well for the conclusion of the series. Those of you who delight in clever wyrms, carry on. I will reserve final comment for completion of the next book.

This book is worth every cent........1998-08-24

This is the best fantasy book that I have ever read, and possibly one of the best books overall. Anyone who is a fantasy reader should definately pick this one up. It kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the end, where I immediately ran out to pick up "Days of Air and Darkness" to find out how this chapter in the Deverry saga ended. Full of action, intrige, and emotion, this book is sure to give anyone a good read. I am about to order the rest of the series to see what else has gone on.

A Time of Omens (Novel of the Westlands)

Average customer rating:

Mainly the Time of Troubles, but also entertainers in Bardek
I can't get enough of Deverry!
An Excellent Book In An Outstanding Series.

A Time of Omens (Novel of the Westlands)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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A Time of Exile
Days of Blood and Fire (Deverry)
Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry)
The Dragon Revenant (The Deverry Series)
The Bristling Wood (Deverry)

ASIN: 0553290118
Release Date: 1993-07-01

Customer Reviews:

Mainly the Time of Troubles, but also entertainers in Bardek.......2002-04-13

For those unfamiliar with the series, it is told in a nonlinear, braided style, alternating between the 'present day' with Jill and Rhodry, and various narrative threads in the past. Characters who fail to learn lessons in a current life are reborn to work through their problems until the souls involved finally get it *right* - so characters can die, and tragically, and only the magicians of the dweomer know that it ends nothing and solves nothing.

This volume picks up the thread of the Time of Troubles where _The Bristling Wood_ left off, and is continued in _The Red Wyvern_. In the present day, picking up a thread from _The Dragon Revenant_, Salamander has turned his talent for dweomer into a living as a stage magician in the Bardek archipelago; as a half-elf, he has a life long enough to search for the soul of his beloved wife, dead untimely of fever, until he finds her reincarnation. Alas, the dweomer can't just be turned on and off like a lightswitch, and he'll pay for his abandonment of his true calling someday if he doesn't look out.

In the time of troubles, Maryn, the young Marked Prince of Pyrdon, is being groomed by Nevyn as the high king who can bring the wars to a halt, since he has close blood ties to all the contending claims for the throne, except Cerrmor - and since Cerrmor's heir is Princess Bellyra, an unmarried girl of Maryn's own age, that's not a problem. Cerrmor is in dire straits, and will welcome Maryn as a suitor for Bellyra with open arms - if he can get there alive. (Bellyra, for her part, is intelligent enough to realize that he'll never love her; she's just what he needs for the kingdom's sovereignty, and maybe a friend and ally, but no more.)

Some followers of the dark dweomer attempted to work magic against Maryn by creating a curse tablet. Nevyn has managed to get hold of it, but daren't destroy it, discard it, or be caught with it while trying to unravel the spells on it without harming Maryn. (This thread eventually doubles back on itself, in Kerr's nonlinear, braided storytelling style, giving him the idea for creating the Great Stone of the West (the opposite of the curse tablet) which we saw back in volume 2, _Darkspell_.)

Be warned, the dark dweomer workers did something VILE to enchant the tablet - Nevyn finds the evidence with the tablet. Grisly. Also, while Maryn has been groomed to be a warrior's ideal of a king, he's not a saint (the silver daggers when in transit introduce him to a brothel, which actually turns into a hilarious if bawdy scene through no fault of Maryn's).

Bellyra, for her part, is not only intelligent, but unusually well-educated and intellectual, and will grow into a formidable political force if she survives the siege of Cerrmor. Like Maryn, she is one of the recurring characters being reincarnated at different stages in the history of the series. One of her incarnations appears in _A Time of Exile_, while both she and Maryn have been reborn late in the 'present' day.

I can't get enough of Deverry!.......1999-07-17

This was the first Deverry book I read, and I spent the summer of 1994 reading it. Then I spent the rest of 1994 reading all the previous volumes! Then it was time to read the next volume in the series, and then the next...hopefully Katherine Kerr will never stop writing about Devrry!

An Excellent Book In An Outstanding Series........1999-06-21

I am surprised there are no other reviews of this book, as it is part of one of the truly outstanding series in fantasy fiction, and certainly deserving of some of the attention currently being heaped upon the contemporaneous "World of Time" series by Jordan, or the recent "A Song of Ice and Fire" begun by Martin. While lacking in some of the richness of detail and characterization present in those works, nonetheless this series is deserving of serious attention by fans of the genre.

Set within a celtic realm, Kerr's tale actually follows the interwoven stories of several different characters spread across a time span of several hundred years in the history of the Westlands. Some readers used to the more conventional use of a linear plot may find this disconcerting, but Kerr has used it effectively and originally in evolving her story over the past six books. The realms of Westlands are varied and richly landscaped, and the mythology behind the world intriguing. The only flaw that prevented me from assigning 5 stars to this book was Kerr's sketchy handling of Jill's time spent in Anmurdio, a problem similar to those that plagued Kerr's first book, "Daggerspell." Nonetheless, a worthy successor to previous books in the series, and definately well worth the read.

One final note of complaint, directed at the publisher: It would be helpful, for those of us with a geographical bent, to provide maps of the Westlands with all of the books in the series. Since the second, book maps have been absent, except for a partial map available in "The Dragon Revenant." Even more irritating is the lack of provision in certain books of a full and complete character list covering at least the major characters in all six books. With all the shifts in plot line in time that take place, as well as the reappearance of certain characters in later books, it would be helpful to have this aid for one's memory.

The Black Raven (Dragon Mage, Book 2)
Average customer rating:

Another good installment

Duality, dweomer, detail...

Raven Review

could be better

Beautifully written....

The Black Raven (Dragon Mage, Book 2)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Fire Dragon (Dragon Mage, Book 3)

The Red Wyvern (Dragon Mage, Book 1)

Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry)

Days of Blood and Fire (Deverry)

A Time of Omens (Novel of the Westlands)

ASIN: 0553579193
Release Date: 2000-10-31

Amazon.com

The Black Raven is Book Two of The Dragon Mage and the 10th volume of the Deverry series, a fantasy epic consisting of three interrelated quartets. As Katherine Kerr says, the past and the present are woven together in these novels, and the final volume will link with the first to reveal an overall design akin to a Celtic knot threading back and forth upon itself. This is a strange, pseudo-Celtic world in which reincarnation is a reality and past lives forever affect the present in surprising and unexpected ways. So, while The Black Raven can stand alone, it is advisable that readers begin with the first book, Daggerspell.

In this complex novel of civil war, sacrifice, and power, what impresses most is that Kerr uses an epic canvas to tell a strongly characterized and very human tale of hatred and destructive evil, and of the consequences of past malevolence on both the heroine Lilli and the Prince Maryn. By keeping the narrative tightly focused around a small number of characters, and by maintaining strict limits on the rather elaborately conceived elements of magic and the supernatural, Katherine Kerr ensures that her fantastical history does not overwhelm the more personal and affecting dimensions of the tale. The result is a polished, emotionally involving, and powerful novel in which even the dreams of a dragon may come evocatively to life. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

For the devoted followers of the dazzling Deverry and Westlands cycle, Katharine Kerr continues the magical epic saga she began in The Red Wyvern.

The Black Raven

Her latest tale shifts effortlessly between the shattered lands of the Rhiddaer and Dun Deverry itself. At the historic end of the Civil Wars, Lilli, newly apprenticed to the dweomer, fights with her untried powers to save her beloved Prince Maryn from evil. Centuries later, in the city of Cerr Cawnen, the old evil awakens yet again when the sorceress Raena schemes to destroy Rhodry Maelwaedd, her bitter enemy during life after life. But her malice will draw the intervention of astral powers--and unleash the ravaging rage of Rhodry's guardian dragon. Only another untried dweomer can buy safety for the city and the berserker himself--and only at a most fearsome price....

Customer Reviews:

Another good installment.......2005-09-14

If you liked all the others, you'll like this one too. The story is finally moving a little again and it's a nice change.

Duality, dweomer, detail..........2001-09-11

This is the second book in the Dragon Mage series, which chronicles the fortunes of the inhabitants of Deverry and those of the Northlands and Westlands in various centuries.
I found this sequel to The Red Wyvern slightly unsatisfying, but still an absolute charm of a novel, with the kind of detail a fantasy trainspotter like me thrives upon. Kerr does feudal villages and castles and fantasy/history exceedingly well; her characters are multidimensional and challenging - particularly the women, which I believe is deliberate: the men tend to be more distant - romantic figures or even caricatures - which I suppose might annoy you if you are a man. But this is quite unashamedly a book from a woman's point of view: for instance, when the men go to war the action of the novel tends to stay with the women left behind. This works very well indeed: it's not a feminist treatise, just an honest authorial perspective.
In The Black Raven, we meet my favourite Lillorigga again, this time on the horns of a different dreadful dilemma, torn between her good, honest, loving, considerate, brave, strong, boring husband-to-be and the not altogether natural charisma and charms of the importunate Prince Maryn; working with dangerous magic to unravel a deadly curse on the Prince at the expense of her health and not entirely free of the spectre of her evil dead mother.
But it's Niffa who takes my fancy in this one. Just coming into the awareness of her psychic abilities and hounded by Raena, the misguided sorceress with little conscience and too much power for her own - or anybody else's - good, Niffa mourns her murdered husband and is comforted by the family ferrets, unaware that her pain and persecution is a repetition of that of Lillorigga and her mother, doomed to continue, cycle upon cycle, in different incarnations, until, presumably, the battle between the supernatural forces which blights the lives of the inhabitants of Deverry and, centuries later, Cerr Cawnen, is resolved.

Raven Review.......2001-03-04

As a fan of this Katharine Kerr series in its entirety I found this book to be a must read, and one that I could not put down. Her style of writing has remained as easy to read and all engrossing as when she first began the series. This last series though has tended to focus on fewer time-line scenarios than her previous books. While in after-thought I find this a little tedious (the book mainly revolving around the Llilorigga-Maryn, and Rhodry-Raena story-lines) you can tell that the story is coming to some grand conclusion which makes it worth the read!If you have read the series from the beginning it is a little disappointing compared to the excitement of the initial Daggerspell series, but we are still comparing greatness to not-so-exciting greatness! Its not a book to be read out of sequence, start with Daggerspell and from there you can't go wrong!

could be better.......2000-07-08

This book was ok...but definitely not what she could really do. Compared ot Daggerspell, this one didn't really outshine the rest. As I read each one, it got better and better, therefore I expected this one to be the best so far. But the Red Wyvern was like the climax...I hope the rest of the books don't turn out to be like this one.

Beautifully written...........2000-04-16

As a reader of fantasy novels for many years I rate Ketherine Kerr's series very highly. The Dragon mage series is her best yet. As many of series decline with quality (most notably Jordan - sorry if this offends anybody!) Kerr's books just get better. I was totally captivated by the book and am looking forward to the remaing couple of books in the series. Katherine if your reading this can you speed them up? :-)

Average customer rating:

Book Eight in the Series, and Still Going Strong
This book rules
It's part of a series? LAME!
a little complicated at first, but very good
The Red Wyvern

The Red Wyvern (Dragon Mage, Book 1)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Black Raven (Dragon Mage, Book 2)
The Fire Dragon (Dragon Mage, Book 3)
Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry)
Days of Blood and Fire (Deverry)
A Time of Omens (Novel of the Westlands)

ASIN: 0553572644
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Amazon.com

Long, long ago in Deverry, Lillorigga, daughter of the Boar clan and cousin to the child-king, becomes enmeshed in the increasingly sinister politics at the palace of Dun Deverry. Not least among the plotters is Lilli's own mother, the enchantress Merodda. Lilli has inherited Merodda's powers, but not her taste for power. When Merodda orders the death of Lilli's foster mother, Bevyan, Lilli leaves Deverry swearing revenge. Her actions will have consequences not only in her time, but also in generations to come, as those who die are reincarnated.

Book Description

Katharine Kerr's richly imagined cycle of novels set in Deverry and the Westlands has earned a devoted following--and a reputation as the finest Celtic fantasy being written today. Now she returns to Deverry's war-ravaged past....

In a kingdom torn by civil war, young Lillorigga seeks to shield her dawning powers from her cruel mother Merodda's manipulation. Mistress of a magic that, untamed, could kill her, Lilli brings her terrifying visions under the kindlier tutelage of the mysterious dweomermaster, Nevyn. But soon she must choose between her own clan and the true king who fights to claim his rightful throne, between sanctuary and blood feud, loyalty and love. Little does she dream that the slaughter she invites, and the malevolence she defies, could stalk her across the ages...twisting and twining the strands of timeless destinies.

Customer Reviews:

Book Eight in the Series, and Still Going Strong.......2006-08-01

In Cengarn, Rhodry of the silver daggers - half-elven, half-human - is beset by strange dreams. A dark-haired enchantress, the Raven Woman, is haunting his sleep, and he can find no release, even in the arms of Dallandra, his lover.
Little does he know that his feud with the Raven Woman goes back over three hundred years, to a time when the throne of Deverry stood under threat of civil war. In those days, the young king's counsin, Lilli, was forced by her scheming mother to scry for omens, and she saw terrible visions: great red wyverns sweeping down from the mountains to plunge like hawks upon a herd opf feeding swine....

The fancies of an idle mind? Or omens foretelling bloodshed and disaster for the clan of the Boar?

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

This book rules.......2004-01-16

Katherine Kerr is a master. I have never been so enchanted by a story. I have delved deeper than I ever thought possible. I have read the whole series 9 times and it keeps getting better. Pure genius. My brother feels the same.

It's part of a series? LAME!.......2002-08-20

This book apparently is part of a many book long series, which you MUST read in order to understand it. Unfortunately, NO indication is given of this on the book itself. The story skips around through a series of non-related characters and sub-storylines that maybe make sense if you have read the rest, but as a standalone book it is worthless. The writing style is decent, but nothing is ever really explained well enough for you to piece things together. Usually when I pick up a book that is part of a series, the author explains things well enough that I can get an idea of 'what has happened before'. Not in this book. There are NO clues at all. It was very confusing.

a little complicated at first, but very good.......2002-02-01

The dragon mage series are a part of a much larger project - the epic or the kingdom of Deverry.
We follow charachters in their several different lives all at once. We meet a charachter in his "present" life and in his past and future one. It is hard at first and you can get a little lost, but when you get it it is a delightfull story to read. It enchants you and then you spend almost a year cursing the author for not writing the last book of the series yet.
The storry is complex and the charachters develop nicely, although sometimes they lack some depth.
It is overall a good book to read for a more demanding mind.

The Red Wyvern.......2000-04-01

I have found all of Katharine Kerr's books to be exceptional. She has created a whole world and filled its history with detailed characters and facinating plots. This book is the first is a new series for her, though it is also a continuation of her on-going story. I can highly recommend all her books.

Average customer rating:

One of my favorite fantasy series
Third of the Ten (currently) in the Series
a time to avert war, and a time to fight a war to the finish
My favorite high-fantasy writer! (well, except Tolkien)
Breathtaking Fantasy

The Bristling Wood (Deverry)
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Dragon Revenant (The Deverry Series)
Darkspell
A Time of Exile
A Time of Omens (Novel of the Westlands)
Days of Blood and Fire (Deverry)

ASIN: 0553285815
Release Date: 1990-04-01

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite fantasy series.......2006-12-18

I have been a fan of Kerr since I was a teenager. I adore her books and her writing. I love the way she does interweave the lifetimes together. Very refreshing.

The main reason I wanted to review this book was in response to a comment stating that they did not understand why Nevyn was punished so harshly for such a paltry sin. I think they misunderstood. He is not being punished, he made a vow. He vowed to bring Brangwen to the dweomar, no matter how long it took. The gods of Wyrd accepted his vow and granted him an unusually long life to see it through.

I think if people took the time to actually read and not skim, they might actually understand what is going on and be able to enjoy it.

Third of the Ten (currently) in the Series.......2006-08-01

Against the passionate sweep of Deverrian history, the powerful wizard Nevyn has lived for centuries, atoning for the sins he committed in his youth. Now, with so much of his work at stake, Nevyn discovers that the Dark Council has been quietly interfering with the already tangled politics of war-torn Eldidd. Their evil webs are nearly spun before Nevyn, with all the power at his command, even realizes there's a war of magic destroying his world.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

a time to avert war, and a time to fight a war to the finish.......2002-04-07

For the profit of kings, well did he attack the hosts
of the country, the bristling wood of spears,
the grievous flood of the enemy.
- The Gododdin of Aneirin, Stanza A 84

This volume interleaves two skeins of history: the 'present' (Jill and Rhodry's time) and the last years of the Time of Troubles (the civil wars between Cantrae, Cerrmor, and Eldidd, all of whom had claims to the high kingship of all Deverry). The Time of Troubles thread began in _Darkspell_, but picks up here a generation or so later in the course of the wars of that terrible era.

In the present, Salamander has determined that the mysterious ring of dwarven silver is destined for Rhodry. But Rhodry's fate is that of Aberwyn - his brother's "barren" ex-wife, now married to another man, has just given birth to her first son, so Rhodry's recall from exile is the only way to avert civil war over the rhan. The ring is his from his blood-father, but he's heir to the rhan through his legal father. This story is continued in _The Dragon Revenant_ - Salamander's puzzle of how to get the ring into Rhodry's hands without destroying his claim to the rhan.

In the past, Maddyn (later Rhodry) has been wounded unto death in his lord's last charge, and as an outlawed man, has no choice but to turn mercenary. Here we have the founding of the silver daggers, and the beginning of the thread that will later lead to the forging of the ring. Maddyn's story continues in _A Time of Omens_, _The Red Wyvern_, and _The Fire Dragon_, and is concluded in _A Time of Exile_.

My favorite high-fantasy writer! (well, except Tolkien).......2001-07-09

Katharine Kerr is one of the all time best high fantasy writers ever known. She is exceptionally gifted in the use of fine detail and creative twists to keep her readers guessing. When I first started reading her books all these years ago, I was hooked almost from the beginning. Now, I own every Deverry and Westland novel to date, the pages worn and yellowed, but still I re-read the entire series cover-to-cover, beginning to end again and again. I use it as my "escape" from modern life.

Katherine Kerr's publisher is giving her some trouble about publishing in the US, from what I understand. Please, everyone, stand behind her and make her publishers understand that we want MORE.

Breathtaking Fantasy.......2001-06-06

*Shakes her head* I'm in utter shock that anyone could ever slightly diss this book. Filled with an intricate plot and devestating scenes, this goes on my favorite list. This book series does not go from 'beginning to end', like the traditional, but as Kerr explains, she borrows a Celt tradition. The story will get told, just not in a straight and narrow path. The story focuses on a saddening love story, kidnapping (on two counts), the past lives of our favorite characters, and a century old dweomer, or magic, worker living for the sole reason to atone for past sins. Read this book. It's worth your time and your money, a hundredfold at least.

Average customer rating:

Not as good as the first one.
Second of the Ten (currently) available
Still coherent, and some nice moments
Almost, but not quite
An Excellent Beginning

Darkspell
Katharine Kerr
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Bristling Wood (Deverry)
Daggerspell
The Dragon Revenant (The Deverry Series)
A Time of Exile
A Time of Omens (Novel of the Westlands)

ASIN: 0553568884
Release Date: 1994-11-10

Book Description

On the long roads of Deverry ride two mercenaries whose fates like hidden deep in that of their own land. But Lord Rhodry, exiled from the dragon court of Aberwyn, has yet to discover his true parentage, and his swordmaster-lover, Jill, has barely glimpsed her awesome powers. Meanwhile, the ancient sorcerer Nevyn, held back by his vows from boldly intervening in their lives, can only watch and wait as Rhodry and Jill move ever closer to danger. For as the two struggle to recover the Great Stone, the mystic jewel that guides the conscience of the kingship of Deverry, malevolent dark masters are weaving terrifying spells against them--and displacing messengers of death.

Katharine Kerr has extensively rewritten Darkspell, incorporating major changes in the text, making this her definitive edition. Here the epic saga that began with the Daggerspell continues--a tale of might and magic, lust and glory, dark danger and poignant desires that echo from Deverry's sapphire waters to its secret mountain caverns. It's a spellbinding story destined to please fantasy lovers everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as the first one........2006-12-04

Something I really liked about the first book ("Daggerspell") was how the characters weren't divided into "heroes" and "villains". There were only humans, imperfect, flawed, but trying to do the right thing, some with more success than others.

Thus I was rather disappointed when I bought this book and WHAM, Nevyn was a saint and the enemy was consorting with the Lords of Darkness themselves. Where did that come from?

Second of the Ten (currently) available.......2006-08-01

On the long roads of Deverry ride two mercenaries whose fates lie hidden deep in that of their land. But Lord Rhodry, exiled from the dragon court of Aberwyn, has yet to discover his true parentage, and his swordmaster-lover, Jill, has barely glimpsed her awesome powers. Meanwhile, the ancient sorcerer Nevyn, held back by his vows from boldly intervening in their lives, can only watch and wait as Rhodry and Jill move ever closer to danger. For as the two struggle to recover the Great Stone, the mystic jewel that guides the conscience of the kingship of Deverry, malevolent dark masters are weaving terrifying spells against them--and dispatching messengers of death. Inextricably bound to the fate of the land, Nevyn, Rhodry, and Jill struggle to unite the humans of Deverry with the powerful, mysterious, and once-hostile race of Elves. But theirs is a bold and dangerous venture that soon is undearthed by the sinister sorcerers of Annwn. These malevolent magicians know all too well that the joining of the two races--together with their mystical powers--will ultimately destroy their evil empire. In an uneasy alliance of dark forces, the sorcerers strike out to stop the union. And now, it is up to Nevy, the ancient and cunning wizard, to find a way to save his comrades and the destiny of Deverry...if only he himself can survive the wrath of Annwn's deadly magic.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Still coherent, and some nice moments.......2005-04-15

Still some nice things running in this series. Kerr's reincarnation structure gives her the freedom to run off into `new' self-contained stories within the one larger story: they still relate to (particularly with the continuity of Nevyn) and shape `current' events, but give the satisfaction of some internal resolution. Half this volume is devoted to a virtual novella set three-hundred years prior, and Kerr has the fun of yet again playing out her basic characters with a few intriguing alternatives - very much the parallel universe feel. I found the Gweniver-Dannyn-Ricyn incarnation more potent than the attached `main' storyline, which was OK, sort of a drug-dealer whodunit, but not as enjoyable. Besides, I always hate it when charismatic heroes go broody, and hopefully Rhodry will be able to make his peace with his lowered status and make better company in the next book.

I didn't enjoy it as much as Daggerspell, but she's hardly dropped the ball here, and the form she's running with is still coherent and satisfying. Some things are potentially worrying - getting the balance right so Nevyn doesn't find everything too easy (cf. Belgareth), but can still bring justice and some impressive majesty (cf. Gandalf): it is nice that she doesn't have him being too coy about his powers if need be. I think she overuses the flashes of `dweomer-cold' that so many characters inexplicably have: sure you can have magic, but it's not as satisfying if it can just be inserted randomly - it should cost something and work within its own suspension of disbelief parameters/logic - in other ways it does in this series.

Almost, but not quite.......2003-07-28

This is the first Katherine Kerr novel I've read and I generally enjoyed it. She is a solid storyteller with no real weaknesses apparent in this book. She has a knack for creating memorable characters with credible motivations. The world she has invented is very well imagined and thoroughly integrated. The way in which magic functions in this world is very interesting. I also liked the ideas behind the Deverry religion. Kerr has obviously spent some time researching Welsh culture and history, and it has served her well here. The idea of a race or society from our world being transported part-and-parcel to another is a popular one in fantasy fiction, but it does provide for a believable background to the story. On the whole, I found the book to be quite engaging.

The only thing preventing me from giving this book four (or more) stars is a strange underlying current of homophobia. The only gay characters are a pair of evil sorcerers who use rape to generate power and their sniveling victim. On at least two occasions, one of the main characters even reacts to the very idea of homosexuality with horror and disgust, leaving the reader to wonder where the author stands on the issue. I'm not saying that a book can't have a gay villain, of course, but with these characters, Kerr almost seems to make their sexuality part and parcel of their evil. As it is, however, it's as if someone had written a cop drama in which the only black or Hispanic character in the whole story was the violent murderer.

If you can get past this small detail, or if such things don't bother you as much as they do me, you should enjoy this novel.

An Excellent Beginning.......2002-01-31

This book is just the beginning. It is one of the best books I have read as far as style and content go. But it seems that the people who are not satisfied only look at this book. In my opinion the first three books, Daggerspell, Darkspell, and The Bristling Wood, are just setting the stage for what is to come. She did an excellent job of keeping the plot moving while keeping you interested. Also the way the characters souls are all intertwined and locked with each other puts an interesting spin to things. It is almost like watching a child growing and never knowing what to expect next. Overall I feel that the world she has created starting with Daggerspell will be a part of me forever.

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