A review by neglet
Deryni Checkmate by Katherine Kurtz

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.