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zozoisgolden's review
4.0
3.5 stars
A very serious fantasy book yes, but it felt like a giant prologue. I don't mind that much but if I've gone 300 pages without knowing enough about most of the characters, I get a little antsy.
But all in all, I did enjoy this very much with a few annoyances on the parts that waffled about *cough* looking at you, scene in the tombs.
A little convinced that it should have been titled "Duncan and Morgan goof around while trying to avert a coup and keep their little prince alive." Mostly because I love those two.
A very serious fantasy book yes, but it felt like a giant prologue. I don't mind that much but if I've gone 300 pages without knowing enough about most of the characters, I get a little antsy.
But all in all, I did enjoy this very much with a few annoyances on the parts that waffled about *cough* looking at you, scene in the tombs.
A little convinced that it should have been titled "Duncan and Morgan goof around while trying to avert a coup and keep their little prince alive." Mostly because I love those two.
paintedgiraffe's review against another edition
2.0
Eh, well, I don't regret reading this, but the end was way too lame and cheesy for my taste. A bare 12 hours after getting his magical powers — most of those, might I add, sleeping — he can suddenly defeat a full-blooded and experienced Deryni? Fans say the series gets a lot better, so maybe I'll look into the later books.
tmm914's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sonofthe's review against another edition
4.0
I first heard mention of this series in the late 90s when I discovered the Fudge tabletop RPG. Deryni was one of the few settings published by any of the small presses putting out Fudge materials, and the only officially licensed one that I knew of. The combination of fantasy, magic, politics, and religion intrigued me. In the years since, I kept reading good things about the series.
I finally found the first book online after years of failing to find it at used bookstores. Anticipation was high, but I tried not to let it get my hopes up. Deryni Rising is short, and I blazed through it faster than usual, but when I started thinking about my review, I stalled out.
Parts of the book were fascinating, giving a less common take on fantasy than I'm used to. Others were let-downs. I kept reminding myself that this was originally published in 1970, but I don't know as much about fantasy as I do about science fiction, so I had nothing familiar to compare it to.
Rather than the familiar fantasy journey, this story takes place almost completely in one city. It starts out with the king being assassinated and all the tension comes from wondering if the prince and his adviser will make it to coronation day. The prince is a competent young man who's been groomed for the throne. The adviser is a mysterious, likeable outsider who's been the victim of a recent smear campaign. There's political intrigue and power struggles involving the religious leaders. There are racial tensions and plenty of characters blindly following their biases. The story seems to be set in an alternate medieval/renaissance? earth. No Tolkien-derived fantasy races exist, just normal humans and a separate human race that developed magic ability.
But, in spite of all the interesting characters, there were a few poorly developed ones that pulled the story down for me. And they were all women. The villain and the antagonistic mother were both two dimensional, and together with a one-dimensional single-scene servant, they make up the three women in the book. What the hell? Still, I try to remind myself that the story was published in 1970. Maybe having a female villain and an influential mother was progressive for the time. I don't know.
I already have books two and three in the series, so I'm hoping for some improvement. Kurtz is also still writing in this universe, with the next book slated to come out December of this year. So, if the books I already own seem good enough, I might try one of her more modern entries.
We'll see.
I finally found the first book online after years of failing to find it at used bookstores. Anticipation was high, but I tried not to let it get my hopes up. Deryni Rising is short, and I blazed through it faster than usual, but when I started thinking about my review, I stalled out.
Parts of the book were fascinating, giving a less common take on fantasy than I'm used to. Others were let-downs. I kept reminding myself that this was originally published in 1970, but I don't know as much about fantasy as I do about science fiction, so I had nothing familiar to compare it to.
Rather than the familiar fantasy journey, this story takes place almost completely in one city. It starts out with the king being assassinated and all the tension comes from wondering if the prince and his adviser will make it to coronation day. The prince is a competent young man who's been groomed for the throne. The adviser is a mysterious, likeable outsider who's been the victim of a recent smear campaign. There's political intrigue and power struggles involving the religious leaders. There are racial tensions and plenty of characters blindly following their biases. The story seems to be set in an alternate medieval/renaissance? earth. No Tolkien-derived fantasy races exist, just normal humans and a separate human race that developed magic ability.
But, in spite of all the interesting characters, there were a few poorly developed ones that pulled the story down for me. And they were all women. The villain and the antagonistic mother were both two dimensional, and together with a one-dimensional single-scene servant, they make up the three women in the book. What the hell? Still, I try to remind myself that the story was published in 1970. Maybe having a female villain and an influential mother was progressive for the time. I don't know.
I already have books two and three in the series, so I'm hoping for some improvement. Kurtz is also still writing in this universe, with the next book slated to come out December of this year. So, if the books I already own seem good enough, I might try one of her more modern entries.
We'll see.
davidlz1's review against another edition
3.0
So, I was surprised to find out about this book from someone who is over 15 years my junior. I had never heard of this author before, much less the series. I was lent the trilogy. After reading the first installment, I must say that is not bad at all. Very fast in the timeline aspect as the main points of the book span days only. The overall timeline is probably no more than a month. Plenty fast paced at the expense of character building and history building. Though, I think the author takes care of that with the number of volumes she has written in this world. It was even more surprising that this is from a female author in the 1970s...fantasy at that. It will not take up too much of your time, so it is definitely worth giving it a whirl.
wildflowerz76's review
3.0
I wasn't much into fantasy when I was a kid or even a teenager, so I missed out on a lot of those book that are considered to be classics in the genre. I try to pick them up when I can. That's how I ended up looking for this one. I found it a few weeks ago at the used book store and was excited to try it out.
This is one of those books that I would probably have liked had I read it maybe as a preteen, but now? Not so much. It's okay. The story is fine, if a bit facile. There's not a lot to the plot and the writing is adequate in some instances and extremely juvenile in others. There are quite a few scenes were the characters end up grinning at each other over something they thought to be clever, while I'm sitting here rolling my eyes. The back of the book promised romance and I can only think that whoever wrote that didn't actually read the book. There are only two female characters in the entire book. One is evil and the other is annoying misguided. Neither one is a romantic interest. And there's no alternative romantic relationships.
So, yeah. This was alright, but I don't know how it's considered a classic.
This is one of those books that I would probably have liked had I read it maybe as a preteen, but now? Not so much. It's okay. The story is fine, if a bit facile. There's not a lot to the plot and the writing is adequate in some instances and extremely juvenile in others. There are quite a few scenes were the characters end up grinning at each other over something they thought to be clever, while I'm sitting here rolling my eyes. The back of the book promised romance and I can only think that whoever wrote that didn't actually read the book. There are only two female characters in the entire book. One is evil and the other is annoying misguided. Neither one is a romantic interest. And there's no alternative romantic relationships.
So, yeah. This was alright, but I don't know how it's considered a classic.
majkia's review
3.0
I know I read Kurtz back in the day when I was in high school and college, but this particular book didn't ring any bells.
It is sort of Elves meet Man and interbreed for good and ill. Or maybe the Deryni are supposed to be aliens. I couldn't decide. I suppose it doesn't really matter.
At any rate, the Deryni are reviled for their heretical magical ways, but at the same time they come in handy to support the ruling class.
I found the whole emphasis on the church a bit off-putting.
It is sort of Elves meet Man and interbreed for good and ill. Or maybe the Deryni are supposed to be aliens. I couldn't decide. I suppose it doesn't really matter.
At any rate, the Deryni are reviled for their heretical magical ways, but at the same time they come in handy to support the ruling class.
I found the whole emphasis on the church a bit off-putting.
wynwicket's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book primarily during nighttime feedings of a 4- to 6-week-old, so my reading experience is slightly colored by sleepiness and baby drool. That said, I liked it a lot. Although it feels like a first book in a series, and the author is still getting to know her characters, it was a good beginning. I'd like to learn more about the magic system and a map would be of great help with the geography, but wanting to know more is the sign of a good book.
lleullawgyffes's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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