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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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.
adventurous
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
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.
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
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.
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.
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
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.