Book Description
Prince Dar of the Westlands calls the new fortress of Zakh Gral "a dagger laid against our throat." It was built by the Horsekin, ancient enemies of his people. To destroy the threat, the elven prince has called upon his dwarven and human allies. Their leaders know that if the Westlands fall, their own throats will feel the dagger next. Joining them are two powerful dragons, who have their own bitter reasons to hate the Horsekin.

But the fanatical Horsekin have a powerful ally as well, a new goddess. Alshandra's priestesses have announced that She has given Prince Dar's lands to the Horsekin-and that his people must be utterly destroyed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

One of the Best Authors around
I waited breathlessly for Katherine Kerr to write this book.I read it doing everything, cooking, laying in bed, waiting in the car...it was well worth it.

I am now waiting breathlessly for the conclusion to find out what happened to the other characters who were NOT mentioned in this book.There are a few things she needs to put to bed to finish the series.Then I will read it over and over again and again.

The Silver Wyrm
This is an excellent continuation of the series. Ms. Kerr has created a truly unique world with believeable problems and solutions, an excellent story-line and engaging characters.

Her attention to detail and character development make these books a joy to read.

superb epic high fantasy
Some of the Horsekin have civilized themselves and settled in cities but that hasn't abated their thirst for war.They need more lands for their heavy horses to have more pastures and they believe their goddess wants them to have it.The dwarves, the elves and the humans ofDeverry are planning to attack Zakh Grel, the fortress they built to stage their battles from.As the men make ready to go to battle, people from 983, over one hundred years ago who have been reincarnated in the present all have a role to play.

Nevyn the herbmaster was a powerful wielder of Dweomer(magic) found the woman he and then her lost to a magic wielder's poor judgment.In the present he is known as Neb a scribe married to the Lady Bronna once known as Morwen.Both possess Dweomer and are ready to defend the borders.Friends and enemies from 983 are all alive in the present and have a role to play in the upcoming war.In the past Gwairyc was a lord who looked down on commoners but in the present he had to earn his lordship and is a great leader of men.Lez Maj, an outlaw in the present was a pedophile in another past incarnation while Mella, now Sidro, an ex-priestess who is Laz's lover.Maj's lover is fascinated by the black and obsidian pyramid made with magic in 983.As the forces of good and evil begin to march, nobody knows what the outcome will be, not even the seers.

The latest Deverry novel contains an epic high fantasy plot that is absolutely spellbinding.The tale is divided into two parts, 983 and the present and the various players who have reincarnated in the present are believable characters taking their personalities from one era and transforming them into something else in this incarnation.Filled with wondrous creatures like talking dragons who are allied against the Horsekin speakinganimals and heroes who will fight and die for a cause they believe is just, THE SPIRIT STONES is a wonderful and exciting tale.

Harriet Klausner

This won't disappoint
Although I enjoyed Gold Falcon, I was disappointed at its lack of a past life section.Spirit Stone suffers no such lack, and indeed fills in a missing section most satisfactorily.Without wishing to give anything away, this book also expands the action to include the perspective of two unanticipated characters, and arrives at its planned destination with many engrossing detours.Some may gripe at the relative lack of Neb and Branna in this book, but I found it heartening that they don't simply suddenly turn into super magicians over night and solve all the problems, and their story is charmingly told.Can't wait for the final volume in this saga. ... Read more

Book Description
In the peaceful land of the Rhiddaer, Jahdo the  ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a secret meeting  between a city council man and a dangerous,  mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of  intrigue and black magic that drags him far from  home. In the company of a blind bard, Jahdo must  travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds  him. But there the boy is caught up in dangers far  greater than he has ever known. Two powerful  sorcerers--one human, the other elven--are battling to  save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their  strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry  Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and  magic . . . and to the dragon upon whom all their  live may depend. Days Of Blood And  Fire begins an exciting new chapter in the  chronicles of Deverry and the Westlands, with a story  suited to new readers and loyal fans  alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Sixth in the Ten Book (currently) Series
In the peaceful land of the Riddaer, Jahdo the ratcatcher's son stumbles upon a meeting between a city councilman and a dangerous, mysterious woman. Suddenly the boy is tangled in a web of intrigue and black magic that drags him far from his beloved home. In the company of Meer, a blind bard of the Horsekin, Jahdo must travel to Deverry to unravel the evil that binds him. Gut there the boy is caught up in dangers far greater than any he has ever known. Two powerful sorcerers--the human Jill and the elven Dallandra--are battling to save the country from a goddess gone mad. Their strongest ally is the mercenary soldier Rhodry Maelwaedd, a berserker bound to both women by fate and magic...and to the dragon upon whom all their lives may depend. For fantasy lovers who have never read the novels of Deverry before, Days of Blood and Fire is the place to begin.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Good, even without the background
I found this book to be quite enjoyable, though I think that I would have liked it more if I had read the other books in the series. It stood on it's own rather well, but there were a few things that I didn't understand as well as I think I could have if I'd read the other books.

The only thing that really bothered me about this book was the name of the Sorceress. Jill just didn't fit in with the other names in the book, and the excuse that was given wasn't a very good one, or at least it wasn't to someone who had only read that book. It was alluded that there might have been a better explanation in another book, something to do with who her father was, but it was not satisfactory to me.

I did, however, find the characters to be vibrant and the plot to be engaging, so that little complaint really isn't much of a complaint at all. This was, I thought, a rather decent fantasy novel and if I stumble across more of her work, I will likely pick it up.

Quite entertaining
Whether or not you started with Daggerspell or if you have just recently started reading the works of Katharine Kerr, you should definately read this.I found the book entertaining with all the old characters mixed with the new and their wonderful skill at getting wound up in problems that seemto large to remedy.You get to see parts of her world that you do not seein the other books which is always exciting with this author.Shetransends into the world "high fantasy" well and the ending israther different from most of her others because it is sudden and leadsinto the next book.

Book Seven of an Outstanding Series
Similar to "The Dragon Revenant" Kerr again returns to a linear plot previously set up in "Time of Omens," again abandoning her usual interaction of stories set within differing time periods.Obviously by now I am an enthusiast of the tale and world begun in"Daggerspell" and would recommend fans of better fantasy fictiontake a look.Despite the positive response of the previous reviewer,however, Kerr's books are not written as stand-alones, and without theinformation provided by the earlier works, one's enjoyment of this bookwill be greatly limited.Despite the fact that it was the weakest book inthe series, start with "Daggerspell":By the time you reach"Days of Blood and Fire" I'm sure you'll conclude that theconsiderable time invested was enjoyably well spent.

I do however haveone reservation regarding this book:The introduction of a dragon.It maybe a personal quirk on my part, but rarely have I found the activeappearance of dragons in a tale either satisfying or credible.Oftenanthropomorphised in manner either typecast or silly - McCaffrey'sromanticized and laughable wyrms are but the most notable examples - theirinclusion as characters almost invariably fails to be convincing (At therisk of sacrilege I would include Tolkein's Smaug).Though the dragon hereis present for only a few pages, it is apparant that it will play a largerole in the next book, and it talks, which may not bode well for theconclusion of the series.Those of you who delight in clever wyrms, carryon.I will reserve final comment for completion of the next book.

This book is worth every cent.
This is the best fantasy book that I have ever read, and possibly one ofthe best books overall.Anyone who is a fantasy reader should definatelypick this one up.It kept me on the edge of my seat right up until theend, where I immediately ran out to pick up "Days of Air andDarkness" to find out how this chapter in the Deverry saga ended. Full of action, intrige, and emotion, this book is sure to give anyone agood read.I am about to order the rest of the series to see what else hasgone on. ... Read more

Book Description
Orphaned by a cholera epidemic, Neb and his young brother are sent to the desolate farm of their last living relative. But when the savage Horsekin tribes begin raiding the villages along Deverry's western border, the brothers must flee for their lives. A chance encounter with Salamander-a bard and master of dweomer magic-proves their salvation, as he brings them to the shelter of Tieryn Cadryc's dun. Here Neb finds love with his soulmate Branna only to be dragged into a war for the very survival of the kingdom. And though both Neb and Branna are gifted with dweomer magic, they are also facing powerful enemies they have fought before in past lives they no longer remember. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Really? No other reviews yet?!
Well, I guess I'll be the first to say that this is a wonderful book--though I'm not sure how well-received it might be by someone who hasn't read the rest of the eleven books leading up to The Gold Falcon. Truth be told, I made the same mistake myself when I first discovered this series; I randomly selected The Red Wyvern (book nine), and found myself completely and thoroughly confused by the time I'd reached the second chapter.
It's well-worth the confusion, though--and really, if you start with the first book, Daggerspell, you'll get the hang of Kerr's writing style quickly enough.

These books aren't written in a linear progression (which, as afore mentioned, can create some confusion) she describes her method as being like a celtic knot in novel form: parts of the tale weave in and out of each other, with story-arcs that feature different incarnations of a core set of characters. The reader is left with a very eloquent and intriguing impression of the kinds of decisions and drama that affect us all, and the ramifications that echo through multiple lifetimes.
I understand that Kerr is an avid Dungeons&Dragons player, and it's pretty obvious in her use of Elves, Dwarves, Dragons, etc. I occasionally wish she'd get away from some of the more "cartoonish" aspects of these different magical races and stick with the riveting and more historically based medieval storylines in her books.
She's created a fascinating and well-fleshed out world in which people interact in a deeply compelling way. Over the course of eleven books, the reader has had the chance to walk a mile in the footsteps of every echelon of her society, from bondsman to Gwerbret or even King. I usually find it hard to put these books down, and I think I gobbled The Gold Falcon up in one gluttonous sitting.
Basically, if you've loved the series so far, you'll be buying this book no matter what, and I doubt you'll be disappointed. (I wasn't.) And if you haven't read any of Kerr's other books, I think I'd recommend that you start at the beginning. One gets the impression that Kerr has a very distinct destination in mind, and you don't want to miss one step of the journey. ... Read more

Book Description
Katharine Kerr has enchanted readers with her magical Deverry and Westlands cycle, and now she brings to a breathtaking conclusion the epic saga begun with The Red Wyvern and The Black Raven.

The final chapter begins in the holy city as it rises from the ashes of Deverry's long wars. Prince Maryn prepares to claim the high kingship, but still the rebel Boar clan stands fast against him. And at court, his illicit passion for the young dweomer apprentice, Lilli, threatens to revive a curse that only she -- at her own peril -- can lift.

It is a drama that will be played out centuries later in the city of Cerr Cawnen. Among the many who take refuge in the lakeside citadel, nestled in a volcano's shadow, are a Westfolk band guided by the elven enchantress Dallandra and protected by Rhodry Maelwaedd and his fiery guardian dragon.

Meanwhile, from the north come the savage Horsekin slavers, ancient foe of the Westfolk, now bent on the domination of Cerr Cawnen. They are awaited by the sorceress Raena, their self-sworn high priestess and the votary of an evil goddess. Now, as Rhodry and Raena renew their timeless enmity, the fate of the city and every soul within it hangs in the balance -- and on an act of self-sacrifice dangerous beyond imagining.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Kerr is one of the Best
After reading the other customer's reviews I decided to put my thoughts in about the Deverry series. The plot in all her books is this, whatever a person does in life good or bad will come back to them in this life or the next (what comes around ,goes around).

Payback is a, shall I say harsh, if you mistreat someone in life as Maryn did to Bellyra, (Bellyra was totally in love with Maryn but he could not love her back the same way she loved him) you come back as Yraen, who was madly in love with Carramaena, Bellyra reborn, but Carra couldn't love Yraen (Maryn reborn) the same way he loved her. Do you see the cycle!? Carra got what she couldn't have as Bellyra, Maryn's (Yraen) love.

The reason the books jump around in time is because, as shown above, the complete story would be very confusing to tell in order. Each time line shows the struggle that each soul must go through in order to redeem themselves from their past wrongs and in the case that a soul was wronged in the past, whoever wronged them needs to and usually does make it up. Every soul gets what they want in one life time or another, sometimes things are just not meant to be.

The main story or theme is the tragedy and soon (once the cycle runs it course) the happiness or completeness of the souls of Brangwen and Galrion. The rest of the people are those souls that became entangled into Brangwen's life and rebirths and Galrion or Nevyn's life, most of the souls were deeply involved in the original tragedy of Brangwen and Galrion. In addition, to keep the story interesting and to keep you guessing, Kerr throws in things like Rhodry becoming Rori and thats just one example. But a fantasy book wouldn't be a fantasy book without battles, sieges, mystery and magic.

Kerr's Deverry series is better then great and I can not wait until the cycle is finally complete. *The series is a must read for fantasy book fans.* If you don't get the whole story after reading the books, the only advices I can give you is read all the books again and keep a chart of the soul's rebirths next to you.

Another Wonderful Book
I have read all of The Dragon Mage part of the Deverry series so far. You get really into the characters. At first I liked Prince Maryn, but in this book you see a different side of him. I nearly cried with all the tragedy at the end of that part. I can't wait to find out what will happen to Salamander, as well as Dallandra and her apprentice, Niffa. All in all, it was another great book!

What finally happened with the curse tablet
Finally, in Kerr's usual braided, nonlinear storytelling style, we have not only some decisive events in the 'present', where Ebany's madness and Evandar's resolution of the Guardians' fate are coming to a head, but the conclusion of the Time of Troubles thread, providing the connection between the events of THE BLACK RAVEN and Maddyn the bard's final fate as shown in A TIME OF EXILE.

In the Time of Troubles (first third of the book), Maryn has finally taken the Holy City of Dun Deverry, and is putting the finishing touches on the defeat of the Boar clan to end the generations of civil wars that have raged among the various claimants for the high kingship. But despite Nevyn's best efforts, this man who's been shaped to be high king has a serious flaw: he's a womanizer who hasn't got sense enough to stay away from the wives, daughters, and sisters of some of his most loyal supporters; his current mistress, Nevyn's apprentice, sister of an influential tieryn, and betrothed to one of the silver daggers of Maryn's personal guard, is all three. Worse; Maryn's wife Bellyra truly loves him, and is too perceptive not to notice his affairs, but regardless of her feelings, she must stay with him for the kingdom's sake, being his claim on the Cerrmor side of the great conflict.

The curse tablet's spell on Maryn is still in effect, despite Nevyn's best efforts, but he's getting the nasty impression that he can see its subtle effects all around him, as Bellyra's distress is increased not only by her usual severe postpartum depression, but by another pregnancy only a few weeks after her last son's birth.

In the present, Evandar may have finally resolved not only the fate of his own people, the mysterious Guardians, but may provide the answers to some ancient riddles about the fall of the elven kingdoms of the West, as well as a chance for those great cities (the first love of his life) to be reborn. As part of one of his long-laid schemes, he's working on getting Ebany out of Bardek and back home to the Westlands, where his 'madness' can be cured. Rhodry, meanwhile, is working on keeping his oath to take Jahdo home to the northlands and catching the dark dweomermaster who kept taking the form of a raven and stirring up trouble among the Horsekin.

The ending of this book isn't the end of the series - there's one more volume to come - but Rhodry's final confrontation uses a very neat twist: something that a reader should have known for ages, but won't be expecting to see come into play. Very cool.

Splendid language, uneven characters
As a longtime fan of the Deverry series, I usually rush right out to buy each new volume the day it's released. This latest installment is in no way a disappointment; it still contains Kerr's wonderful use of dialogue and the intriguing mysticism of the dweomer.

One aspect of this book, however, is less than satisfying. The section set during the Civil Wars contains infinetely more developed characters than the section set in "the present;" Kerr seems far more engaged and in tune with Nevyn, Lilli, Bellyra and Maryn than she does with Dallandra, Niffa, Raena and Rhodry. This has been a problem throughout the Dragon Mage series. As a result, the second half of this book feels flat compared to the first, and its characters seem strangely unrealistic when placed against the tortured, complex, wonderfully human characters described during the Civil Wars. Despite the imagination that has gone into the Horsekin, the Guardians and the dragon, these elements of blatant unreality detract a lot from one of the series' main strengths.

However, one shouldn't complain too loudly about a novel that's just "very good" instead of "brilliant." Anything by Kerr is usually vastly superior to the majority of fantasy novels out there (many of which seem to have been written on autopilot by authors trying to make condo payments). Deverry fans will find no reason here to stop loving the series!

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OUT THERE!
O.k. I will admitt I am a book worm I mean I read the whole series in 2 weeks but I loved it so much.This book was awsome it had so many twist and turns and it did have a great story even if some don't agree.Katherine makes you know the person her characterization is so good.Every person I can feel what they are feeling even if it takes a while to get to know some of them.In this book I found that She kept on doing it.I was not shure of the dragon in the beginning but it ended that I do like her but then that surprise came that was hinted in the begginning.You will have to read and see how many surprises show up. I say read this book NOW!! ... Read more

Book Description
Even as a young girl,  Jill was a favorite of the magical, mysterious  Wildfolk, who appeared to her from their invisible  realm. Little did she know her extraordinary  friends represented but a glimpse of a forgotten past  and a fateful future. Four hundred years-and many  lifetimes-ago, one selfish young lord caused the  death of two innocent lovers. Then and there he  vowed never to rest until he'd rightened that  wrong-and laid the foundation for the lives of Jill  and all those whom she would hold dear: her  father, the mercenary soldier Cullyn; the exiled  berserker Rhodry Maelwaedd; and the ancient and  powerful herbman Nevyn, all bound in a struggle against  darkness. . . and a quest to fulfill the  destinies determined centuries ago. Here in this newly  revised edition comes the incredible novel that  began one of the best-loved fantasy seers in recent  years--a tale of bold adventure and timeless  love, perilous battle and pure magic. For  long-standing fans of Deverry and those who have yet to  experience this exciting series,  Daggerspell is a rare and special treat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (55)

epic of epics
The epic story of love lost and wrongs righted.Nevyn ,as a young man loses his true love by an act of jealosy and pledges to the gods never to rest until he rights the wrong he has done. The gods hear his vow and hold to it. He spends centuries of life waiting for all the players to reborn in the same time for him to accomplish this.Over the centuries he becomes a great dweomer master and uses his powers to save the kingdom again and again.
Before I read this series I felt the genre was becoming stale. This author has renewed my love of fantasy adventure.

way too many cliches
I got this book out of the library after hearing the series highly recommended by a friend of mine.I was severly disappointed!While the plot is sort of interesting (if you take away the excessively cheesy romance parts), this book is so full of fantasy cliches and poor writing that it was difficult to make myself finish it.Even with a good plot, it's hard to focus on it when characters are saying "Ye Gods!" every five sentences.The glossary and language references are completely unnecessary and make it look like the author was trying too hard.Why bother making up words (like "Wyrd") when perfectly reasonable ones exist for the concept?Why use a word like "dweomer" which is completely unpronounceable, in addition to looking ridiculous?

Honestly the writing reminded me of fantasy stories I wrote myself when I was 14 or so.I can imagine if you are around that age, this would probably be a pretty enjoyable and interesting book.But if your literary tastes are more refined, it's hard to get past the writing style.

If you don't read this series in this life, it will haunt you in the next!
Once upon a time there was a selfish prince. He thought he was in love with a beautiful lady, but then he discovered the dweomer - that's magic, kiddies - and he decided to run away from home and become a penniless, scruffy magician instead. But when he abandons the pretty lady, her brother swoops in and gets all Flowers in the Attic with her. Her brother's best friend, who's also in love with her, gets mad at him. Brother kills friend, friend's little brother kills brother, and pretty lady kills herself. Then the selfish prince finds out that what he was supposed to do was marry the pretty lady so they could both learn dweomer together. By leaving her, he failed all three of them - the lady Brangwen, her brother Gerraent, and his friend Blaen. The prince, now named Nevyn, or "no one," vows to right his wrong. And so he lives, not very happily, ever after. And ever, and ever....

Four hundred years later, poor Nevyn is still kicking around. And now, all the players in the old drama have been reborn into the land of Deverry. Reincarnation is pretty much the backbone of this entire series. Kerr has created an incredibly complex web of past lives, with dozens of characters meeting in varying combinations over the course of centuries to work out their fate, or Wyrd. Moreover, her tale is not sequential. Timelines weave in and around each other - Kerr has used the metaphor of a Celtic knot to describe the pattern - so that the reader can immediately see the causes and effects of various actions taken over the years. While this could get complicated, Kerr provides two aids to the reader. One is the table of incarnations found in (almost) every book, which grows with new columns and rows each time a new character or event is added. Second, Kerr is masterful at making (most) of her characters completely recognizable from one incarnation to the next. This is especially true of secondary characters, who could, admittedly, clog the gears a bit. But Kerr makes it clear that they always serve a purpose - they are, indeed, part of the larger pattern.

In Daggerspell, the first book in a series that looks like it's going to stretch to 15, things remain relatively simple, with only three timelines and a handful of characters to worry about. These include Nevyn, of course, who's a delightful mainstay of pretty much the entire series. Yes, he's a powerful, seemingly immortal wizard. He's also avuncular without being condescending, smart, has a sense of humor, and is refreshingly practical. He's still trying to bring Brangwen to the dweomer, so of course he's thrilled to meet the tomboyish Jill and her father Cullyn, a notorious mercenary. Then the dashing young lord Rhodry Maelwaedd gets involved, and Nevyn realizes that once again, these three will have to work out their Major Issues before Jill can fulfill her Wyrd.

Along the way, Jill, Rhodry, and Cullyn get involved in a battle that seems straightforward but soon reveals itself as a part of a larger dweomer war. They also meet the Westfolk, as refreshing a take on elves as Nevyn is on wizards. The Westfolk will play a huge role in the story to follow, so pay attention.

Then again, in the long run, nearly everything that happens will have significance later - or earlier, given the twisted timeline. That's one of the great things about this series, that no matter how many times you reread it (and for me, that's a lot) there will always be a new connection to draw. Something in Book 2 will suddenly make sense given what we learn in book 10, and vice versa. I realize for many people, the vast and nonlinear storyline will simply be too byzantine to be enjoyable, or even understandable. (Kerr admits she gets a lot of complaints from confused readers.) Still, if you love well-written, well-researched, intelligent, and complex fantasy, you can't do much better, in my opinion, than the Deverry series.

Great
Having taken a look at the mediocre reviews for this book, I feel glad that I did not listen to them.

A wonderful story, about fate and destiny, the intertwining forces of life that can pull you into any direction. As a stream of water that may go which ever way it pleases, this is a tale about characters journeying in it's twist and turns. A tale consisting of great battles fought both in war and personal trials. A story that pulls the boundaries of good and evil, involved the presence of both love and loneliness, but most of all a story of providence and the will in exerts upon us.

Do not expect clear-cut, triumphant victories over the "bad guys", or focusing on just one particular character or hero. Do expect a nice mixture of both magic and swords, different threads of story expertly pulled together, dips into both the past and present of the characters lives, the battling of our own inner-demons, political intrigue, much suspense, wars battled in the field and out, a use of terms such as "lass, wench, ye gods, pig-faced bastard (and other assorted name calling involving pigs and swine), and an intricate love story weaving itself in and out of the spine of this fantastic tale.

Only four stars not five because of Robin Hobb and George Martin, those two authors spoiled me. Very recommended.

First of the Ten (currently) available
Even as a young girl, Jill was a favorite of the magical, mysterious Wildfolk, who appeared to her from their invisible realm. Little did she know her extraordinary friends represented but a glimpse of a forgotten past and a fateful future. Four hundred years--and many lifetimes--ago, one selfish young lord caused the death of two innocent lovers. Then and there he vowed never to rest until he'd righted that wrong--and laid the foundation for the lives of Jill and all those whom she would hold dear: her father, the mercenary soldier Cullyn; the exiled berserker Rhodry Maelwaedd; and the ancient and powerful herbman Nevyn, all bound in a struggle against darkness...and a quest to fulfill the destinies determined centuries ago.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first half of this book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second half was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.
... Read more

Book Description
For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil; now the conflict escalates with the kidnapping of Rhodry Maelwaedd, heir to the throne of Aberwyn.  Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardex, where Rhodry is held captive.  Tied to Deverry by obligation and circumstance, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all the kingdom's problems can be traced to a single source: a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea.  Now Nevyn understands that he too is being lured away to Bardek--and into a subtle, deadly trap designed especially for him.

Katharine Kerr's novels of the Kingdom of Deverry unfold in a world of stunning richness and depth.  Her vivid portrayal of characters caught in a complex web of fate and magic captures the imagination with a realism that few can match.  Now she retums to this enchanted kingdom, where the wheels of destiny are tuming anew. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Act I draws to a close
This book is odd enough in the Deverry series in that in contains no "flashbacks". The entire story is told in linear fashion, following Jill and Salamander as they try to find and rescue Rhodry in the southern Bardekian archipelago. I admit this is somewhat of a disappointment for me, particularly since "Bristling Wood" introduced one of my favorite flashback storylines, and then left me hanging until Book 5 to pick it up again. Ah, well.

The story in the present picks up with a poor, confused, kidnapped Rhodry being sold into slavery in Bardek. (Kerr has indicated that the Bardekians are Hellenized Moors, but I don't quite buy it.) His kidnapper, a peon of the dark dweomermaster known as the Old One, has destroyed his memory, so he can't even get all Paris Hilton and yell "Do you know who I am?!?" because he doesn't know, either. Meanwhile, his lover Jill and his half-brother Salamander march resolutely down to Bardek to rescue him single-handedly. But even once they do (come on, you knew they would) there's still the Old One to worry about. Will Nevyn arrive in time to save them? Will Rhodry get his memory, and his inheritance, back? Will Jill kill Salamander before he starts to teach her dweomer? Stay tuned!

Again, this book is not my favorite in the series. Part of it is that the last third, when the forces of good track down the Old One, is disappointingly reminiscent of the showdown with Alastyr in Book 2. Part of it is the lack of storylines set in the past, as I mentioned above. And part of it is the way this section of the series wraps up. See, although the whole series stretches to (so far) 15 planned books, Kerr has divided it into several "acts," and "Dragon Revenant" is the final book in Act I. So by the end, she resolves quite a few characters' destinies and wraps up some storylines. And believe me, I completely understand and agree with the way she does it - but that doesn't mean I don't still want a happy ending! So intellectually, I appreciate the way this book ends, but emotionally, I'm sulking in the corner.

But you can't have everything. And never fear, (almost) all of our beloved characters will return again in "A Time of Exile," although perhaps not in the way we imagined. This book, while not the best in the series, is still a fantastic piece of work and one I highly recommend to serious fantasy fans everywhere.

Fourth of the Ten (currently) in the Series
For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil; now the conflict escalates with the kidnapping of Rhodry Maelwaedd, heir to the throne of Aberwyn. Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardek, where Rhodry is held captive. Tied to Deverry by obligation and circumstance, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all the kingdom's problems can be traced to a single source: a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea. Now Nevyn understands that he too is being lured to Bardek--and into a subtle, deadly trap designed especially for him.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Not terrible, but Kerr can do way better...
Fans of Deverry might want to give me a beating here, but in my opinion- Kerr is definitely capable of better stuff. Until I got to this book, everything she put out amazed me. I even gave Bristling Wood 5 stars.Through out Dragon Revenant there were some traces of the Katherine Kerr Iknow and love- especially in the beginning and the end, but the middle (theentire portion that involved Rhodry as a slave) bored me and dragged outfor way too long. I kept waiting for Kerr to erupt into one of hertrademark flashback sequences- but was left hanging. I respect thepossibility that maybe she was bored of doing this, but I still want toknow how the Silver Dagger group's origin story turns out- a tale leftunfinished from the middle of the last book.

I have a confession tomake... Halfway through, I quite frankly gave up on this book and went on toread twelve other books. But for the first time in my life I resumedreading a book I had given up on- This was solely because of how much Ienjoyed her first three books, and my hope that the next few would be up toher usual par.

A few things did impress me here though. Salamander- avery interesting character is fleshed out for the first time. Kerr'sdialogue and Deverry's culture give her works a wonderful feel. I wouldhave enjoyed a grander resolution between Rhodry and his brother/enemyRhys, but the ending made the book worth while with several surprises and avery neat closure to the whole series. Or was this just a bridge? On toOmens and Exile for the answers I go. And I can't wait to get to DragonMage since I previewed the first chapter- looks exciting!

as good as the previous volumes`
Kerr has a good series going here. While I always seem to compare stories to my two personal favorite authors, Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan, this series has definitely landed a close third on my list behind Goodkind. Ienjoy Celtic storylines and her characters do come to life well. It canslow down at times, but I am half way through and enjoy it. A book that Ilook forward to reading when I get home is a rare thing for me to find nowdays, and this series has supplied me with several.

A good all around fantasy
I read this book over the summer and enjoyed it very much.The three maincharacters; Jill, Rhodry, and the wizard, are very well developed.I wasmoved to the point of being disgusted with Rhodry's self centeredness andself absorbed behavior typical of a spoiled monarch's son.He is the onlysurvivor of his older siblings and becomes only heir to the throne, butthere is a plot afoot to get rid of him and start a war that will devistatethe people of Deverry.Then there is the wizard who is responsible for thedeaths of Rhodry and Jill in their previous lives and wants to correct it. Reincarnation and other beliefs are expressed in this book and make it moreinteresting.Half of the book describes Rhodry's exile and captivityarranged by his captors until Jill and the wizard come to rescue him andthe book then goes into describing their escape.It is slow moving attimes, but has a very good ending.I would recommend this book to anyoneinterested in fantasy. ... Read more

Book Description
Acclaimed author of the dazzling cycle of fantasy novels set in Deverry and the Westlands, Katharine Kerr continues her epic saga of humanity as a shift of power on the astral plane brings change to the world of men...

The city of Cengarn is under siege. Armies both astral and physical are massing for and against the goddess Alshandra, who seeks to prevent the birth of one fate-bound child. It falls to the dweomermaster Jill and her allies to protect the child's human mother, Princess Carra--and Deverry's already foretold future--by magic and by might. But as the warrior Rhodry wings toward the battle on dragonback, he cannot know that soon he will face his ancient enemy, Alshandra's high priestess Raena, who will use any means to destroy him. Their confrontation could turn the tide of the siege--and change the fate of Deverry forever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Seventh in the Ten Book (currently) Series
The city of Cengarn is under siege, with armies both astral and physical massing on opposite sides of the cause of the goddess Alshandra, who seeks to prevent the birth of one fate-bound child. It falls to the dweomermaster Jill and her allies to protect Princess Carra, the child's human mother, and more important, the future foreseen for Deverry by past masters of magic. But history is built on many a foundation: as the berserker Rhodry wings his way to the battle on dragonback, he is unaware that he will soon be meeting this fight on a more personal front. Lying in wait for him is Alshandra's high priestess Raena, a dangerous sorceress and Rhodry's ancient enemy, ready to use any means to destroy him. Their confrontation could turn the tide of the siege--and change the fate of Deverry forever....

Rhodry and his new dragon ally, Arzosah, have joined forces with the dwarven axemen and are rushing to the aid of the besieged town of Cengarn. Meanwhile, within the town walls, the Princess Carra--and her precious unborn child--is under the protection of the sorcerers Jill and Dallandra who eagerly await the arrival of their allies. But Cengarn's food supplies are beginning to wand and their chances for survival look bleak. They can only survive for so long...

And as time grows ever shorter the surrounding Horsekin army, under th einstruction of the goddess Alshandra, are preparing to end the siege once and for all.Only by destroying Alshandra can there ever be peace between Horsekin and humankind. But it seems an impossible task...

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

A complex, addictive plot full of everything but the sink.
Katherine Kerr's superb descriptions and well-thought out story will always leave you hungering for more.You join all of Kerr's exquisite characters through their lives, whether it be in a far past life or their life 20 years ago.They make you wonder... what's going to happen to the characters next?The plot will make you gasp, shudder, and stay up until four thirty in the morning just... reading.I promise you -- buy this, and you won't regret it.I certainly didn't.This will make a GREAT addition to ANY book collection... even if you don't HAVE a book collection, get this one, I tell you!It's a MUST have!

good for re-reading
I got hooked on Kerr's novels years ago. I always find that the time between volumes is too long. Often I go back and re-read at least two or three previous volumes so I know where the new book fits in. But that's not all bad; they're great to read again and again! My one criticism is the lack of a list of complete character IDs and a timeline. Because Kerr uses lots of flashback, it's difficult sometimes to remember how the characters fit into the overall story. I read the latest (?) release: "The Red Wyvren" and was somewhat disappointed that she didn't make more progress in the most recent timeframe, but chose to emphasize a much earlier time. Does this mean that another volume will be released soon? I hope so.

Wonderful book -- I absolutly LOVED it!
This was my first book written by Katharine Kerr that I've *currently* read.Right now.. I'm clicking on almost every Kerr book on Amazon.com and putting them in my shopping cart -- does that tell you anything?

Katharine Kerr is the spiritual heir to J.R.R. Tolkien
Katharine Kerr's novels of Deverry and the Westlands form a Gordian Knot of love & hate, sorrow & joy, and death & rebirth. Set in abeautifully conceived fantasy world, complete with Dragons and Dweomer,these novels drew me in the same way Tolkien's Hobbit, Lord of the Rings,and Silmarillion still draw me back every couple of years. Unfortuanately,there are also a few slow points , (just as with Tolkien), but they don'tlast for long. ... Read more

Book Description
The world of Deverry: an intricate tapestry of fate, past lives, and unfathomable magic. With A Time Of Exile, Katharine Kerr opens new territory in The Deverry Saga, exploring the history of the Elcyion Lacar, the elves who inhabit the country west of Deverry. It is years since the half-elven Lord Rhodry took the throne of Aberwyn. When Rhodry's lost lover, Jill-now a powerful wizard-comes to Aberyn and tells him it's time he accepted his elven heritage, Rhodry faces the most difficult choice of his life. But with Jill's help and that of a human wizard named Aderyn who has lived for years in the westlands, Rhodry begins to understand how his life is connected not just to his own people, but to the Elcyion Lacar as well. At last, destiny begins to unravel its secrets, revealing Aderyn's true purpose among the elves-and the god' deeper design behind Rhodry's dual heritage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Go West, young Rhodry!
In contrast to the previous book, "The Dragon Revenant," which took place entirely in the 'present,' "A Time of Exile" takes places almost entirely in the past. Moreover, it skips pretty far back in time, to events we've already seen from Nevyn's perspective, and tells us what was happening in the Westlands at that time. This is the real start of the weaving of timelines; up until now, the flashbacks have been fairly linear. Now we're jumping all over the place, and all over the map, too. I happen to love this; I can understand, however, if some people give up in hopeless confusion.

We open about forty years after the close of "Revenant," which had Rhodry inheriting the powerful title of Gwerbret of Aberwyn and Jill leaving to study dweomer with Nevyn - the culmination of her destiny, and the fulfillment of Nevyn's 400-year-old vow. Now, however, Rhodry's secret half-elven blood threatens to betray him. An aged Jill returns and tells him point blank that he must leave Aberwyn before his semi-eternal youth gives him away. Reluctantly, Rhodry takes up the silver dagger again and follows Jill west to the lands of his father.

There they meet Aderyn, the human dweomermaster who has lived most of his life with the elves. And from there, we jump back to Aderyn's early apprenticeship with Nevyn, his destiny with the elves, his love affair with the powerful elven dweomermaster Dallandra (who will return later), and the birth of his son, Loddlaen, who if you remember started all the trouble that brought Jill and Rhodry together way back in "Daggerspell." See how it all starts to fit together? We also get several more of Rhodry's past lives, in which we see the pattern emerge of an ordinary man whose life seems destined to always become entangled with, and often ruined by, the dweomer.

After the somewhat pale "Revenant," I found this installment in the series to be a bracing, complex breath of fresh air. I love seeing known events from a new perspective; I love the insight we get into the elves and their way of life. (Anyone else notice that they seem to be based heavily on Native American culture? Just curious.) As the start to the second act of the Deverry series, "A Time of Exile" is a wonderful portent of what's to come.

Fifth of the Ten (currently available) Book Series
The world of Deverry: an intricate tapestry of fate, past lives, and unfathomable magic. With A Time of Exile, Katharine Kerr opens hew territory in the Deverry saga, exploring the history of the Elcyion Lacar, the elves who inhabit the country west of Deverry. It is years since the half-elven Lord Rhodry took the throne of Aberwyn. When Rhodry's lost lover, Jill--now a powerful wizard-- comes to Aberwyn and tells him it's time e accepted his elven heritage, Rhodry faces the most difficult choice of this life.

But with Jill's help and that of a human wizard named Aderyn who has lived for years in the Westlands, Rhodry begins to understand how his life is connected not just to his own people, but to the Elcyion Lacar as well. At last, destiny begins to unravel its secrets, revealing Aderyn's true purpose among the elves--and the gods' deeper design behind Rhodry's dual heritage.

In Deverry the volatile history of humanity continues as a dashing young king journeys to his throne in disguise, fulfilling ancient prophecy. In the Westlands the exiled lord Rhodry travels anonymously as a silver dagger--a mercenary--as he did in his youth, following a destiny that will take him from the grassy plains of the elven peoples to the hills and towns of Deverry, where dark forces are gathering. And from the shadowy land of the Guardians come omens, ill-defined and mysterious, that seem to point the way toward cataclysmic war...

It charts the progress of the Deverry civil wars during the ninth century, and especially focuses on the return of the true king--Maryn--to dun Cerrmor and his marriage to teh young Bellyra; of Rhodry's adventurings as a silver dagger during the wars; and of the strange talisman entrusted to his keeping. And we meet once more the seductive and infuriating Salamander as he searches for and finds a lost love; and witness the beginning of Jill's search for the lost elves of the Southern Isles.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

Rhodry Maelwaedd's first death & the silver dagger's return
This volume is the first of the Westlands group, but Kerr's nonlinear braided storytelling style loops back and forth in time to resolve mysteries left open from volumes 1 (DAGGERSPELL) and 3 (THE BRISTLING WOOD).

Rhodry, being not only half-elven but lucky enough to have lived through his battles, has reached an age where his long-lived elven heritage is beginning to show: he's still in his prime, and people are beginning to talk. Jill, now a dweomermaster in her own right, confronts him with the need to fake his own death and leave Deverry, rather than have the truth about his right to Aberwyn (or rather, lack thereof) come out. (Nevyn, having fulfilled his ancient vow, finally passed on to his next life.) The best place for Rhodry to go is to his father's people out on the grasslands, leading to Kerr's first detailed treatment of the Elcyon Lacar, known as 'elves', and fulfilling the prophecy that he would die twice.

Apart from the 'present', with Rhodry, the main thread follows Aderyn. Naturally enough, when the elven kingdoms of the far west and south were destroyed by the Hordes, driving the elves out into the grasslands, they lost nearly everything, including much of their knowledge of dweomer. Aderyn, as a human apprentice passing his final dweomer test, was given a destiny to travel west and 'make restitution'. (This picks up a thread from THE BRISTLING WOOD).

We finally see the beginnings of things: how Aderyn's son, Loddlaen, began to go wrong, leading much later to the events in DAGGERSPELL (and even how the ruined fortress out on the edge of the grasslands came to be there). We meet the Guardians for the first time, one of whom first got the dwarven silver ring from Rhodry's then-current incarnation, only to give it back a few generations later when it was needed.

Nevyn really wasn't lying about 'a trace of elven blood in the Maelwaedds'; upon his first return to Deverry from Bardek after Maryn's death, he travels to Cannobaen, the Maelwaedds' home, to begin creating what will later be the Great Stone of the West. (For the stone's fate, see DARKSPELL; for where Nevyn got the idea, follow the thread of the Time of Troubles, which begins in THE BRISTLING WOOD).

We also see how matters were finally resolved between Maddyn and Bellyra: not in those incarnations during the Time of Troubles, but after their rebirths and next meeting in Cannobaen. As for Rhodry's current incarnation, now that he's out on the grasslands, some incidents from past lives are beginning to crop up, and Aderyn fears he may think to ask the question nobody should ask about death unless they're ready to face the dweomer...

Not All Smoke and Mirrors
Although I've read all of the Deverry series books that were published, this was the first in the series I ever read.

I was raised on C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and later discovered for myself Tolkien's TheHobbit and The Lord of the Rings.I still remember the evening seven yearsago when I opened A Time of Exile and read the prologue about the dwarvensmith.I knew from the style and the tone that this was a work of somescope and that I had to decide then and there to follow the series or givethis book away and forget the whole thing.

I've followed the seriesthrough and have not been disappointed.No other modern author of fantasyhas had the ability to hold my attention for so long.There is a feelingof authenticity in every concept that is brought to our attention.Wefeel, truly, the joy and anguish of the main characters.We chortle madlywith Rhodry when the berserk rage takes hold of him, and feel Lilli'sdespair and guilt about Maryn.And yes, we share the tedium of long seavoyages.Other authors have been flayed for less.

I am, admittedly, avery slow reader.I linger over passages and often have to put a book downto let what has transpired in the past few pages sink in.An averagepaperback novel will take me a few months to finish; it took me about threeweeks to finish The Black Wyvern.

One can recognize that certain passagesin the Deverry series are borrowed from pop culture; a scene from the movieLawnmower Man and the Battle of Agincourt to name two.But where othersmight be accused of plagiarism, Ms. Kerr manages to pull it off and weavesthem elegantly into her tapestry and keep us waiting hungrily for more.

Another Great Celtic Fantasy Story
I've loved every book I've read of Katherine Kerr in her Deverry series, and this one is no exception.It focuses on new characters and new story lines rather than dragging out the stories from earlier books (which shekindly resolved in a few books).If you like celtic-based fantasy, thenyou should be reading Kerr! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Mainly the Time of Troubles, but also entertainers in Bardek
For those unfamiliar with the series, it is told in a nonlinear, braided style, alternating between the 'present day' with Jill and Rhodry, and various narrative threads in the past. Characters who fail to learn lessons in a current life are reborn to work through their problems until the souls involved finally get it *right* - so characters can die, and tragically, and only the magicians of the dweomer know that it ends nothing and solves nothing.

This volume picks up the thread of the Time of Troubles where _The Bristling Wood_ left off, and is continued in _The Red Wyvern_. In the present day, picking up a thread from _The Dragon Revenant_, Salamander has turned his talent for dweomer into a living as a stage magician in the Bardek archipelago; as a half-elf, he has a life long enough to search for the soul of his beloved wife, dead untimely of fever, until he finds her reincarnation. Alas, the dweomer can't just be turned on and off like a lightswitch, and he'll pay for his abandonment of his true calling someday if he doesn't look out.

In the time of troubles, Maryn, the young Marked Prince of Pyrdon, is being groomed by Nevyn as the high king who can bring the wars to a halt, since he has close blood ties to all the contending claims for the throne, except Cerrmor - and since Cerrmor's heir is Princess Bellyra, an unmarried girl of Maryn's own age, that's not a problem. Cerrmor is in dire straits, and will welcome Maryn as a suitor for Bellyra with open arms - if he can get there alive. (Bellyra, for her part, is intelligent enough to realize that he'll never love her; she's just what he needs for the kingdom's sovereignty, and maybe a friend and ally, but no more.)

Some followers of the dark dweomer attempted to work magic against Maryn by creating a curse tablet. Nevyn has managed to get hold of it, but daren't destroy it, discard it, or be caught with it while trying to unravel the spells on it without harming Maryn. (This thread eventually doubles back on itself, in Kerr's nonlinear, braided storytelling style, giving him the idea for creating the Great Stone of the West (the opposite of the curse tablet) which we saw back in volume 2, _Darkspell_.)

Be warned, the dark dweomer workers did something VILE to enchant the tablet - Nevyn finds the evidence with the tablet. Grisly. Also, while Maryn has been groomed to be a warrior's ideal of a king, he's not a saint (the silver daggers when in transit introduce him to a brothel, which actually turns into a hilarious if bawdy scene through no fault of Maryn's).

Bellyra, for her part, is not only intelligent, but unusually well-educated and intellectual, and will grow into a formidable political force if she survives the siege of Cerrmor. Like Maryn, she is one of the recurring characters being reincarnated at different stages in the history of the series. One of her incarnations appears in _A Time of Exile_, while both she and Maryn have been reborn late in the 'present' day.

I can't get enough of Deverry!
This was the first Deverry book I read, and I spent the summer of 1994 reading it. Then I spent the rest of 1994 reading all the previous volumes! Then it was time to read the next volume in the series, and then thenext...hopefully Katherine Kerr will never stop writing about Devrry!

An Excellent Book In An Outstanding Series.
I am surprised there are no other reviews of this book, as it is part of one of the truly outstanding series in fantasy fiction, and certainly deserving of some of the attention currently being heaped upon thecontemporaneous "World of Time" series by Jordan, or the recent"A Song of Ice and Fire" begun by Martin.While lacking in someof the richness of detail and characterization present in those works,nonetheless this series is deserving of serious attention by fans of thegenre.

Set within a celtic realm, Kerr's tale actually follows theinterwoven stories of several different characters spread across a timespan of several hundred years in the history of the Westlands.Somereaders used to the more conventional use of a linear plot may find thisdisconcerting, but Kerr has used it effectively and originally in evolvingher story over the past six books.The realms of Westlands are varied andrichly landscaped, and the mythology behind the world intriguing.The onlyflaw that prevented me from assigning 5 stars to this book was Kerr'ssketchy handling of Jill's time spent in Anmurdio, a problem similar tothose that plagued Kerr's first book, "Daggerspell." Nonetheless, a worthy successor to previous books in the series, anddefinately well worth the read.

One final note of complaint, directed atthe publisher:It would be helpful, for those of us with a geographicalbent, to provide maps of the Westlands with all of the books in the series. Since the second, book maps have been absent, except for a partial mapavailable in "The Dragon Revenant."Even more irritating is thelack of provision in certain books of a full and complete character listcovering at least the major characters in all six books.With all theshifts in plot line in time that take place, as well as the reappearance ofcertain characters in later books, it would be helpful to have this aid forone's memory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Mainly the Time of Troubles, but also entertainers in Bardek
For those unfamiliar with the series, it is told in a nonlinear, braided style, alternating between the 'present day' with Jill and Rhodry, and various narrative threads in the past. Characters who fail to learn lessons in a current life are reborn to work through their problems until the souls involved finally get it *right* - so characters can die, and tragically, and only the magicians of the dweomer know that it ends nothing and solves nothing.

This volume picks up the thread of the Time of Troubles where _The Bristling Wood_ left off, and is continued in _The Red Wyvern_. In the present day, picking up a thread from _The Dragon Revenant_, Salamander has turned his talent for dweomer into a living as a stage magician in the Bardek archipelago; as a half-elf, he has a life long enough to search for the soul of his beloved wife, dead untimely of fever, until he finds her reincarnation. Alas, the dweomer can't just be turned on and off like a lightswitch, and he'll pay for his abandonment of his true calling someday if he doesn't look out.

In the time of troubles, Maryn, the young Marked Prince of Pyrdon, is being groomed by Nevyn as the high king who can bring the wars to a halt, since he has close blood ties to all the contending claims for the throne, except Cerrmor - and since Cerrmor's heir is Princess Bellyra, an unmarried girl of Maryn's own age, that's not a problem. Cerrmor is in dire straits, and will welcome Maryn as a suitor for Bellyra with open arms - if he can get there alive. (Bellyra, for her part, is intelligent enough to realize that he'll never love her; she's just what he needs for the kingdom's sovereignty, and maybe a friend and ally, but no more.)

Some followers of the dark dweomer attempted to work magic against Maryn by creating a curse tablet. Nevyn has managed to get hold of it, but daren't destroy it, discard it, or be caught with it while trying to unravel the spells on it without harming Maryn. (This thread eventually doubles back on itself, in Kerr's nonlinear, braided storytelling style, giving him the idea for creating the Great Stone of the West (the opposite of the curse tablet) which we saw back in volume 2, _Darkspell_.)

Be warned, the dark dweomer workers did something VILE to enchant the tablet - Nevyn finds the evidence with the tablet. Grisly. Also, while Maryn has been groomed to be a warrior's ideal of a king, he's not a saint (the silver daggers when in transit introduce him to a brothel, which actually turns into a hilarious if bawdy scene through no fault of Maryn's).

Bellyra, for her part, is not only intelligent, but unusually well-educated and intellectual, and will grow into a formidable political force if she survives the siege of Cerrmor. Like Maryn, she is one of the recurring characters being reincarnated at different stages in the history of the series. One of her incarnations appears in _A Time of Exile_, while both she and Maryn have been reborn late in the 'present' day.

I can't get enough of Deverry!
This was the first Deverry book I read, and I spent the summer of 1994 reading it. Then I spent the rest of 1994 reading all the previous volumes! Then it was time to read the next volume in the series, and then thenext...hopefully Katherine Kerr will never stop writing about Devrry!

An Excellent Book In An Outstanding Series.
I am surprised there are no other reviews of this book, as it is part of one of the truly outstanding series in fantasy fiction, and certainly deserving of some of the attention currently being heaped upon thecontemporaneous "World of Time" series by Jordan, or the recent"A Song of Ice and Fire" begun by Martin.While lacking in someof the richness of detail and characterization present in those works,nonetheless this series is deserving of serious attention by fans of thegenre.

Set within a celtic realm, Kerr's tale actually follows theinterwoven stories of several different characters spread across a timespan of several hundred years in the history of the Westlands.Somereaders used to the more conventional use of a linear plot may find thisdisconcerting, but Kerr has used it effectively and originally in evolvingher story over the past six books.The realms of Westlands are varied andrichly landscaped, and the mythology behind the world intriguing.The onlyflaw that prevented me from assigning 5 stars to this book was Kerr'ssketchy handling of Jill's time spent in Anmurdio, a problem similar tothose that plagued Kerr's first book, "Daggerspell." Nonetheless, a worthy successor to previous books in the series, anddefinately well worth the read.

One final note of complaint, directed atthe publisher:It would be helpful, for those of us with a geographicalbent, to provide maps of the Westlands with all of the books in the series. Since the second, book maps have been absent, except for a partial mapavailable in "The Dragon Revenant."Even more irritating is thelack of provision in certain books of a full and complete character listcovering at least the major characters in all six books.With all theshifts in plot line in time that take place, as well as the reappearance ofcertain characters in later books, it would be helpful to have this aid forone's memory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Exciting adventures in any century!
In the third book of the Deverry series, Kerr once again continues the pattern of introducing characters in the present by exploring their lives in the past. "The Bristling Wood," in fact, brings us to the second major arc in the series, a timeline set about two hundred years before the events occurring in the "present" - that is, the time when Jill and Rhodry are riding the long road in and out of danger.

In the past, the civil wars over the kingship of Deverry are dragging on, with disastrous consequences for the kingdom. A frustrated Nevyn finally decides, after some inspiration from a disgraced bard named Maddyn (Rhodry), to take a hand in things and just pick a king and place him on the throne, already. Using dweomer, he'll find a candidate - any candidate - and build him up with omens and glamours until everyone accepts him as the obvious true king of all Deverry. Maddyn, meanwhile, falls in with a band of mercenaries who will one day form the basis for the silver daggers, and whose ranks include the reincarnated forms of Gerraent/Cullyn and Brangwen/Jill - although in some cases, those forms are completely unexpected ones.

In the present, a bizarre set of circumstances manage to separate Rhodry and Jill, just as the dark dweomer and political necessity both decide they need to get their hands on Rhodry, toot sweet. Jill is ensorcelled by a strange being named Perryn, and his story is one that, disappointingly, offers so much promise that Kerr never quite fulfills. (The same is true with Rhodda, about whom more in a later review.) Nevyn can't help, because he's stuck back in Aberwyn helping Rhodry's mother get him recalled from exile, so it's up to Rhodry's half-elven, dilettante-dweomer brother, Salamander, to rescue Jill. But then there's Rhodry, wandering around Deverry all alone - who's going to find him first?

While the present part of the story here isn't quite my favorite, I love the section set in the past. Maddyn, Maryn, Owaen, Caradoc, and Branoic are truly enjoyable characters, and their story is one of the strongest in the whole series. Moreover, it's one of those places where you can really see how events in the past are shaping relationships in the present. Overall, the writing is fantastic, although Kerr does have a few tics that can get annoying. I love this series, and this