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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2022/02/2022-book-30.html
This was a really satisfying conclusion to the first chunk of books in the Deverry series (there are four different series set in this world, plus one just starting up). Great characters, interesting action, no flashbacks to past lives (I have enjoyed those in earlier books but it was becoming a lot to keep track of) so things flowed a little better. And I really liked the way Jill's story wrapped up. I didn’t know if I’d keep going but I definitely plan to start the next book. A-.
This was a really satisfying conclusion to the first chunk of books in the Deverry series (there are four different series set in this world, plus one just starting up). Great characters, interesting action, no flashbacks to past lives (I have enjoyed those in earlier books but it was becoming a lot to keep track of) so things flowed a little better. And I really liked the way Jill's story wrapped up. I didn’t know if I’d keep going but I definitely plan to start the next book. A-.
Katherine Kerr is one of the greatest fantasy writers of all time. This series is one of my favorites.
I would give this more of a 3.5 than a 3 stars. I really enjoyed the first two books but was very disappointed in the third, so there was a year or so gap between finishing that and picking this up. Whilst I did enjoy this one much more than the third, I feel like the series got a bit weaker as it went on. For example, the concluding portion of this book felt rather anti-climactic, I was expecting more of a 'show down' to happen after a four book build up, but found it a little rushed instead. There are definitely aspects that I liked, one of which being Jill. I enjoyed where she ends up as a character but find my enjoyment of her spoiled slightly by some of the events of book 3 (which pissed me off no end). Whilst I am not entirely satisfied with the micro-story, I have other Kerr books to read so am looking forward to continuing on with the macro-story and seeing how it unfolds in other cycles!
Another amazing chapter in this series. Again, I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering aloud.
4 Stars
The Dragon Revenant (Deverry #4) by Katharine Kerr
Epic Fantasy!
RTC
The Dragon Revenant (Deverry #4) by Katharine Kerr
Epic Fantasy!
RTC
adventurous
medium-paced
Perfect. This story went exactly the way I wanted it to. As much as I liked the other books, the past lives confused me too much, and I always felt that Jill was overshadowed (probably on purpose). In this story, she finally gets the chance to begin exploring the dweamor, and to really be herself. We get a good cast of characters in this story- Rhodda and Salamander in particular shined bright. I hope to see more from them in the coming books.
My only complaint is Perryn- yes, his crimes toward Jill may have been only semi-conscious, but it just seems so, so wrong that he gets a happy ending. He didn't suffer enough.
My only complaint is Perryn- yes, his crimes toward Jill may have been only semi-conscious, but it just seems so, so wrong that he gets a happy ending. He didn't suffer enough.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I still enjoy reading about the characters and the politics between all the Deverry factions, I’ll admit that the discussions about the dweomer and all the fate of the nation stuff has really started to bore me and I’m glad the series has ended.
Partly it’s because the book straight up grinds to a halt. The plot points established in the previous book can’t continue again until all the characters get to the right place - and when they do, the dramatic climax falls short because Kerr is just too practical a writer. Everyone acts as they should, and it all gets resolved properly, so the drama is all sucked out of it.
That said, while practical the ending was very satisfying. All the plot points and wyrds were so neatly tied up that everything just felt right. Was it happy? Not for everyone. But it was right.
For that reason more than anything (though I did enjoy the last quarter a lot more than the rest, which is making me biased) I’m bumping my rating up to a 4 star. It’s just too well crafted to give anything less.
If you enjoy classic fantasy, this is a series that will not disappoint with how its character arcs end, but I think if you’re looking for an uplifting or happy ending for these characters this is not the series for you.
Partly it’s because the book straight up grinds to a halt. The plot points established in the previous book can’t continue again until all the characters get to the right place - and when they do, the dramatic climax falls short because Kerr is just too practical a writer. Everyone acts as they should, and it all gets resolved properly, so the drama is all sucked out of it.
That said, while practical the ending was very satisfying. All the plot points and wyrds were so neatly tied up that everything just felt right. Was it happy? Not for everyone. But it was right.
For that reason more than anything (though I did enjoy the last quarter a lot more than the rest, which is making me biased) I’m bumping my rating up to a 4 star. It’s just too well crafted to give anything less.
If you enjoy classic fantasy, this is a series that will not disappoint with how its character arcs end, but I think if you’re looking for an uplifting or happy ending for these characters this is not the series for you.
These books don’t wow me very much, especially as the series goes on, but I still get in the mood to read them from time to time - I like the setting and the classic fantasy feel a lot, and the Welsh-inspired names and reincarnation plot have always intrigued me.
The beginning of this book was a lot more interesting than the second half; I enjoyed learning about Bardek, which was surprisingly free of stereotypes of a non-dominant culture to this world (I guess the Deverrians are considered barbarians to most places, so the Bardekians may be the dominant culture?). It was a lot of fun to see Jill and Salamander trouping around with their magic show while Rhodry struggled to regain his memories.
The Brotherhood/evil gang plot seems like an overused fantasy trope to me at this point and wasn’t all that riveting; Perryn, under the influence of dark magic, raped Jill repeatedly and ensorcelled her in a previous book and he gets a little too much screen time (and a happy ending) for me; nevertheless, I like that Jill had to choose between her love for Rhodry and studying the dweomer.
I do appreciate that the plot eventually goes back to Nevyn’s need to mentor Jill in the dweomer, but much of this book feels like sidetracking plot points that barely move the characters forward. This series has never had “chapters” but been divided by time and place, and as the reincarnation plot is hardly touched in this book, there are only three or so divisions and much of it felt longer than it had to be because of paragraph breaks indicating new scenes the whole time. I miss the switching back and forth between time periods and incarnations of the characters in the first few books.
The beginning of this book was a lot more interesting than the second half; I enjoyed learning about Bardek, which was surprisingly free of stereotypes of a non-dominant culture to this world (I guess the Deverrians are considered barbarians to most places, so the Bardekians may be the dominant culture?). It was a lot of fun to see Jill and Salamander trouping around with their magic show while Rhodry struggled to regain his memories.
The Brotherhood/evil gang plot seems like an overused fantasy trope to me at this point and wasn’t all that riveting; Perryn, under the influence of dark magic, raped Jill repeatedly and ensorcelled her in a previous book and he gets a little too much screen time (and a happy ending) for me; nevertheless, I like that Jill had to choose between her love for Rhodry and studying the dweomer.
I do appreciate that the plot eventually goes back to Nevyn’s need to mentor Jill in the dweomer, but much of this book feels like sidetracking plot points that barely move the characters forward. This series has never had “chapters” but been divided by time and place, and as the reincarnation plot is hardly touched in this book, there are only three or so divisions and much of it felt longer than it had to be because of paragraph breaks indicating new scenes the whole time. I miss the switching back and forth between time periods and incarnations of the characters in the first few books.