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books_n_critters's review
4.0
Fantastic! Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I'm excited to continue the series.
neglet's review
This was my favorite fantasy series as a teen, but I hadn’t re-read it in several years. I loved it for its mix of political intrigue and magic, one reason it’s been so influential as historical fantasy. Upon reread, it holds up fairly well. The plot is engaging, the magic intriguing, and the ending satisfying and light. It’s not terribly deep or beautifully written, but the characters are appealing and it’s a good introduction to the world.
jdhacker's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is the first of Kurtz's NUMEROUS books set in the Deryni world. High fantasy of an earlier era, this focuses on the death of the current king and the difficulties surrounding the inheriting of the throne. Interesting and somewhat unique (especially at the time) in fantasy, we have the Catholic Church itself as a major player in this fantasy world, separate and distinct from magic which is generally inherited by blood or rite from a race called the Deryni. Religious fanaticism and racism both play ongoing roles in this world.
I think one of the most interesting things about this first book is that the entire thing (minus the prologue) essentially takes place over the course of 24 hours. It was a good way to keep the pacing moving along, and not fall victim to a lot of detailed world-building in the first book by keeping the story so small and tight (less than a dozen truly important characters) despite the scale of its impact on the world. There are some strong female characters here, including the primary antagonist.
I'm glad this was the next in the stack of inherited old fantasy and science fiction. I've been working through them, mostly from the 60s-80. At least as far as the fantasy was concerned I was growing worried that I had grown too old, too sophisticated as a reader, and/or just gotten to accustomed to newer (and often more grimdark) ways of telling these stories that I wasn't able to really enjoy work from the era during which I first fell in love with fantasy.
While this definitely hearkens back to a style of story-telling in fantasy that is definitively different than today, I still really enjoyed it. Whether it truly is or not, it *feels* slower paced, less grim. The magic was a little all over the place, but I know later on Kurtz pins down the system in a much more detailed way (there's a book just about how the magic works), but that feels normal for time period of fantasy during which this was written. I think this is readily accessible to adults, teens, and advanced young readers, just the kind of cross-demographic appeal fantasy was supposed to have.
I think one of the most interesting things about this first book is that the entire thing (minus the prologue) essentially takes place over the course of 24 hours. It was a good way to keep the pacing moving along, and not fall victim to a lot of detailed world-building in the first book by keeping the story so small and tight (less than a dozen truly important characters) despite the scale of its impact on the world. There are some strong female characters here, including the primary antagonist.
I'm glad this was the next in the stack of inherited old fantasy and science fiction. I've been working through them, mostly from the 60s-80. At least as far as the fantasy was concerned I was growing worried that I had grown too old, too sophisticated as a reader, and/or just gotten to accustomed to newer (and often more grimdark) ways of telling these stories that I wasn't able to really enjoy work from the era during which I first fell in love with fantasy.
While this definitely hearkens back to a style of story-telling in fantasy that is definitively different than today, I still really enjoyed it. Whether it truly is or not, it *feels* slower paced, less grim. The magic was a little all over the place, but I know later on Kurtz pins down the system in a much more detailed way (there's a book just about how the magic works), but that feels normal for time period of fantasy during which this was written. I think this is readily accessible to adults, teens, and advanced young readers, just the kind of cross-demographic appeal fantasy was supposed to have.
waclements7's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this when I was in my teens in he 80s. It still stands up after all these years!
jmronbeck's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
pine_wulf's review against another edition
I'm just not into this book. The only justification I have is that I have a little over 100 pages left. Not that much longer. But why should I? I'm getting bored and I can't imagine the ending doing anything that will compel me to continue the series. This is a first novel, so I believe the series does get better, but I have so much else to read on my kindle already, that I won't bother.
What I liked: I liked the dynamic of the church. The queen is a fanatic, and while I find her distasteful, I also find it realistic. Duncan, a priest, is a much more mellow representative of the church, showing they're not all crazy. I also can't fault people for being afraid of the Deryni. We see them mind-wipe people a bunch. Even the "good guys" do it without apparent hesitation. Because it's in pursuit of good, I'm sure.
What I disliked: The pacing and loose motivations. It seems things happen just for the tension. Or so the chapter can end with a cliffhanger. With a ! in a few cases. *eye roll* I'm told that they need to hurry to get the ritual done, so Kelson can have Deryni powers, but then they just hang out in a hedge-maze to talk for awhile. Where a strange creature suddenly shows up to attack the prince! But don't worry, it's promptly killed. There is also a scene in the crypt later where there is a problem, but that is solved almost immediately in the next chapter.
The big bad evil sorceress is out to kill the prince, but she just walks around without being bothered. She seems to need to hide, but then just shows up randomly and the only thing I can think is she must be busy with the mind-wiping. But while she's doing this, the prince also just goes around nearly completely unguarded. Uh-huh.
There is one scene I thought had decent tension. Morgan is on trial for the murder of the king. (I don't quite understand why everyone is so convinced it's him when he wasn't there. Just because he's Deryni? They should know Charissa (evil sorceress) is too, because her dad was, but no one thinks it's her even after it's suggested. -.-) But despite it being obvious that he'll get off, I thought the how was well done.
What I hated: The women. They aren't bad characterizations by themselves, but together, it's really bad representation. There are only two of any note. One is evil sorceress, and the other is religious fanatic mother. They're both frustrating obstacles for the fantastic male heroes. I know this was written in the 70's but still I hoped that with a female author, there'd at least be one decent female character.
What I'm indifferent towards: The male characters are fine. I think they solve things too quickly. And their plans seem to always succeed with little hindrance. But I could see that if things went just slightly differently, with more difficulty, I'd be really into them. Considering that they're working to get Kelson to be king, I wish he'd played a more active role. (And I really did like his most active scene. Morgan's trial.) He is just led around by Morgan for most of it. Morgan and Duncan try to figure out the ritual and just tell him what to do. I suppose that it's realistic considering it's two adults versus a 14-year-old, but I found it unenjoyable how easily Morgan solves things.
I don't think this book ages well. If all you're looking for is a fun, uncomplicated story, this might be your thing. In the foreword, the author admits that it isn't up to par with her current works. (And that she's retconned a bit of the lore since.) So if you're interested in this piece of classic fantasy, maybe starting with a different trilogy would be better to get you invested and then coming back here to fill in the gaps.
What I liked: I liked the dynamic of the church. The queen is a fanatic, and while I find her distasteful, I also find it realistic. Duncan, a priest, is a much more mellow representative of the church, showing they're not all crazy. I also can't fault people for being afraid of the Deryni. We see them mind-wipe people a bunch. Even the "good guys" do it without apparent hesitation. Because it's in pursuit of good, I'm sure.
What I disliked: The pacing and loose motivations. It seems things happen just for the tension. Or so the chapter can end with a cliffhanger. With a ! in a few cases. *eye roll* I'm told that they need to hurry to get the ritual done, so Kelson can have Deryni powers, but then they just hang out in a hedge-maze to talk for awhile. Where a strange creature suddenly shows up to attack the prince! But don't worry, it's promptly killed. There is also a scene in the crypt later where there is a problem, but that is solved almost immediately in the next chapter.
The big bad evil sorceress is out to kill the prince, but she just walks around without being bothered. She seems to need to hide, but then just shows up randomly and the only thing I can think is she must be busy with the mind-wiping. But while she's doing this, the prince also just goes around nearly completely unguarded. Uh-huh.
There is one scene I thought had decent tension. Morgan is on trial for the murder of the king. (I don't quite understand why everyone is so convinced it's him when he wasn't there. Just because he's Deryni? They should know Charissa (evil sorceress) is too, because her dad was, but no one thinks it's her even after it's suggested. -.-) But despite it being obvious that he'll get off, I thought the how was well done.
What I hated: The women. They aren't bad characterizations by themselves, but together, it's really bad representation. There are only two of any note. One is evil sorceress, and the other is religious fanatic mother. They're both frustrating obstacles for the fantastic male heroes. I know this was written in the 70's but still I hoped that with a female author, there'd at least be one decent female character.
What I'm indifferent towards: The male characters are fine. I think they solve things too quickly. And their plans seem to always succeed with little hindrance. But I could see that if things went just slightly differently, with more difficulty, I'd be really into them. Considering that they're working to get Kelson to be king, I wish he'd played a more active role. (And I really did like his most active scene. Morgan's trial.) He is just led around by Morgan for most of it. Morgan and Duncan try to figure out the ritual and just tell him what to do. I suppose that it's realistic considering it's two adults versus a 14-year-old, but I found it unenjoyable how easily Morgan solves things.
I don't think this book ages well. If all you're looking for is a fun, uncomplicated story, this might be your thing. In the foreword, the author admits that it isn't up to par with her current works. (And that she's retconned a bit of the lore since.) So if you're interested in this piece of classic fantasy, maybe starting with a different trilogy would be better to get you invested and then coming back here to fill in the gaps.
taisie22's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I've been going back to classic fantasy books. I missed this one when it came out, but it's the first of the Deryni series, first published in 1970.
It occurs in Gwynedd, where King Brion rules as leader of one of the Eleven Kingdoms. Brion is human but has powers bequeathed to him by the Deryni, a race of people with magic and psychic powers now persecuted by the Church. His general is Alaric Morgan, a half-Deryni who has been training the heir, Prince Kelson. A Deryni sorceress named Charissa assassinates Brion, but rumors paint Morgan as the killer.
This is epic high fantasy roughly based on Welsh legends and history. This book has spawned fifteen books that take place in this world, though this one can be read as a complete story. The world-building is fascinating and involved, with political machinations in both the court and church taking place among murders and magic. It's more YA fantasy than Game of Thrones, but a very satisfying introduction to a spellbinding world and characters that I will be reading more about.
It occurs in Gwynedd, where King Brion rules as leader of one of the Eleven Kingdoms. Brion is human but has powers bequeathed to him by the Deryni, a race of people with magic and psychic powers now persecuted by the Church. His general is Alaric Morgan, a half-Deryni who has been training the heir, Prince Kelson. A Deryni sorceress named Charissa assassinates Brion, but rumors paint Morgan as the killer.
This is epic high fantasy roughly based on Welsh legends and history. This book has spawned fifteen books that take place in this world, though this one can be read as a complete story. The world-building is fascinating and involved, with political machinations in both the court and church taking place among murders and magic. It's more YA fantasy than Game of Thrones, but a very satisfying introduction to a spellbinding world and characters that I will be reading more about.
nobodywisdom's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75