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jmronbeck's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
neglet's review against another edition
The middle volume of the trilogy I loved as a teen. Haven’t reread it in several years, though. The plot is full of conflict, with lots of heartbreak and drama (as is Kurtz’s wont), and doesn’t suffer from tired middle volume syndrome. I do notice that everything is black and white, with the heroes terribly heroic and the villains horribly villainous. That’s to be expected when the conflict centers on prejudice and oppression, but I found myself wanting a little more nuance. Still, I understand why I loved these so much when I was younger. Lots of history, a little magic, and plenty of conflict waged by sympathetic characters. Well worth reading if you like historical fantasy.
zozoisgolden's review against another edition
4.0
The only grip have is that the current climate has soured my appreciation of all this monarchy because fuck the divine right of kings.
But other than that, it's a great lifting of the stakes. The first book felt like a giant prologue but this gets down to the meat.
Duncan and Morgan are my favorites because their relationship is the best platonic male friendship I've read in a while. Makes sense that this was written in the seventies when people forgot things about seeming gay. At least in books.
Beasties and cousins for life.
Anyway, the escalating tensions paired with the public perception of the Deryni comes makes for good pacing and the climax works. Everyone's got a taste for the stakes and what a war might mean, even with the losses suffered already.
It's really good.
But other than that, it's a great lifting of the stakes. The first book felt like a giant prologue but this gets down to the meat.
Duncan and Morgan are my favorites because their relationship is the best platonic male friendship I've read in a while. Makes sense that this was written in the seventies when people forgot things about seeming gay. At least in books.
Beasties and cousins for life.
Anyway, the escalating tensions paired with the public perception of the Deryni comes makes for good pacing and the climax works. Everyone's got a taste for the stakes and what a war might mean, even with the losses suffered already.
It's really good.
davidlz1's review against another edition
3.0
This was the second installment of The Chronicles of the Deryni. There were plenty of people who did not care for this book as much as the first one and I can only imagine it was due to a lack of real action, magic casting, etc. However, as I suspected, Ms. Kurtz uses her books to build her world so this installment was great in explaining more of the world we find ourselves in. I thought it was a good read. There was one segment within the novel that I felt was just fluff; almost a tangential storyline that really did not do a good job of entwining itself back into the overall story (Rimmell). I kind of see what she was trying to accomplish with it, but it simply fell flat. Regardless, I am looking forward to the third and final installment of the Chronicles. I also look forward to reading more books she has set in this world (though it will probably be a while as I have a sizable backlog!).
vaderbird's review against another edition
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
dianadomino's review against another edition
3.0
This series was a lot better when I read it as a teen.
divadiane's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite 4 stars but almost. I enjoyed it, but had a bit of difficulty keeping track of the cast of characters. It's an interesting thought experiment concerning what a conservative fearful church would do with a powerful race possessing magic in a land on the verge of war from outside and threatening civil war.
verumsolum's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, I think. I don't know that I can put my finger on why I am liking them, and that bothers me a bit. But the world of this series is interesting and… it is good for me, at this point, seeing religious people who aren't afraid to stand up against religious authorities with unsupportable opinions, decisions, and dictates.
I really wish that there were more women in powerful roles, but… the book was written decades ago and its setting is centuries older. I wonder whether, even in the year since I first read the previous book in this series, I have changed in ways that let this book speak to me more than it would have before. (And I am glad that I decided to re-read the first book, before starting this one. It was good to remind myself of the setting and some of the characters before I moved on to this book.
I really wish that there were more women in powerful roles, but… the book was written decades ago and its setting is centuries older. I wonder whether, even in the year since I first read the previous book in this series, I have changed in ways that let this book speak to me more than it would have before. (And I am glad that I decided to re-read the first book, before starting this one. It was good to remind myself of the setting and some of the characters before I moved on to this book.
winters's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Stalking, and Violence