What do you think?
Rate this book
The Childe Morgan #3
The King's Deryni
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Kurtz’s novels of the Deryni have been hailed by Anne McCaffrey as “an incredible historical tapestry of a world that never was and of immensely vital people who ought to be.” Now Kurtz weaves a thrilling conclusion to the epic Childe Morgan trilogy, in which bonds of both magic and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test…
Alaric Morgan always knew his purpose in life—to stand alongside the king of Gwynedd. The old king knew that whichever of his sons succeeded to the throne would benefit from having a Deryni at his side. Alaric and the young Prince Brion Haldane were bound together by magic—a magic to be called upon when Brion was most in need.
Now eighteen, Brion has ascended to the throne and seven-year-old Alaric has come to court. Through the coming years, both will grow to manhood and come to realize their destinies. Brion will strive to solidify his power and position, seek out a bride to secure his legacy, and ultimately, when faced with an unbeatable foe, call upon Alaric to fulfill his oath.
Meanwhile, Alaric slowly learns the extent of his powers and how to use them, and will face the prejudice that many have against Deryni in its ugliest form. He will experience bittersweet first love, great personal loss, and the hard lessons one gains from both. And he will be there to unleash the full power of his Deryni magic at Brion’s command.
For Alaric is—and always will be—the King’s Deryni.
Alaric Morgan always knew his purpose in life—to stand alongside the king of Gwynedd. The old king knew that whichever of his sons succeeded to the throne would benefit from having a Deryni at his side. Alaric and the young Prince Brion Haldane were bound together by magic—a magic to be called upon when Brion was most in need.
Now eighteen, Brion has ascended to the throne and seven-year-old Alaric has come to court. Through the coming years, both will grow to manhood and come to realize their destinies. Brion will strive to solidify his power and position, seek out a bride to secure his legacy, and ultimately, when faced with an unbeatable foe, call upon Alaric to fulfill his oath.
Meanwhile, Alaric slowly learns the extent of his powers and how to use them, and will face the prejudice that many have against Deryni in its ugliest form. He will experience bittersweet first love, great personal loss, and the hard lessons one gains from both. And he will be there to unleash the full power of his Deryni magic at Brion’s command.
For Alaric is—and always will be—the King’s Deryni.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published December 2, 2014
61 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Kurtz
92 books742 followersKatherine Kurtz is an American fantasy novel writer. She is best known for her Deryni series. She currently lives in Virginia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
January 4, 2015
I have fond memories of the Deryni books - I first picked these up in the late 80's and I remember being deeply moved by Kurtz's tales of religious intolerance and racial persecution. I joined the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) when I was reading this series - unaware at that time Katherine Kurtz was a mover and shaker in that sprawling medievalists' cos-play club. So it was with some nostalgia I opened her latest book - looking forward to being immersed in a fond and familiar fantasy world. Alas too many decades had elapsed for me to remember any of the characters. I felt like I'd crashed a strangers' Christmas Party and now the mad Aunt was showing me baby pictures for my penance. This was obviously not a stand alone book for the sake of old times I decided to try to appreciate it for its own merits. Several hundred pages in, it was woefully obvious that this book didn't have any, in fact it was so bad it could only be written by someone suffering from a chronic mental disorder. My Time spent in the SCA allowed me to spot the terrible symptoms of an insidious variant of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
The dreaded Heralditis!
Readers of George Martin may be familiar with the College Of Arms variety of the disease - a Tourettes-like syndrome that forces the sufferer to call out the devices (or 'sigils' in GRRM's case) of each and every character they encounter (...On a Chief Or a Swan Naissant Gules!). Katherine suffers from a terminal case of Court Heralditis which forces her to recite long passages of fake medieval protocol detailing a dizzying array of boring ceremonial events - births, deaths, marriages, Twelfth nights, Twelfth nights, more twelfth nights, Earlings, Dukings, Knightings, Squirings and Pagings....if I can paraphrase a Time Travelling Mark Twain at Arthur's court.. "A Page? Son you don't amount to a paragraph!" Certainly not a novel. At least in the SCA they allow you to drink during court - hmmm - on reflection that might be why it took them 10 years to make me a Peer, but I digress...
This disease is fatal. I have seen a squire slit a Heralditis sufferer's throat in order to escape the conversation! Still we should love the sick and loathe the sickness - and poor Katherine should have been better served by a good editor with a scalpel - Cut out the tumor. This would leave us with a couple of chapters near the back where a heretic gets burned and the king gets to toast a rival with magic. Yay! More of that please.
Katherine's condition is exacerbated by Laurelitis - Another SCA disease I suffered from for many years. My symptoms included the bizarre ritual called a "Laurel Handshake" - Where instead of taking an offered palm, one would grasp at the cuff and check the (hopefully hand sewn) seams for neatness and for any offending non-period fastenings such as Zips or Velcro. Authors with Laurelitis are compelled to write about doublet and dress fabric and colour for all principals at an event (Blue silk, Red Velvet), and comment on the cuff and collar embroidery. This disease is a slow burner - and Katherine still has a way to go - We don't have to read about embroidered hemlines - yet. The Heralditis will probably get her long before she gets to that stage.
On a serious note - this fake medieval protocol and dialogue - which the SCA calls "Forsooth", gets in the way of real character interaction and completely misses the point of how etiquette and manners worked in the real world. These are tools of class - used to exclude the "wrong" people from power. Most American writers don't understand this and romanticize the manners, reducing this sort of dialogue to the equivalent of a cos-play fashion accessory.
To be fair, there is plenty of material in this book that could have worked - if treated in a different way. There is one short passage of dialogue where an 11 year old Alaric reveals he has experienced unprotected sex, oral sex, and at least one hand job. A couple of lines of twee talk map out enough adolescent emotional drama to fill an entire series of books. But we don't even get to learn the girl's name. And this is in the section where a Princess is packed off in shame for having sex before marriage, who then gets her just desserts by conveniently dying in childbirth. It seems Kurtz's Heralditis makes her incapable of seeing any useful plot Device - sorry to end on a Heraldic pun - this disease could be contagious.
The dreaded Heralditis!
Readers of George Martin may be familiar with the College Of Arms variety of the disease - a Tourettes-like syndrome that forces the sufferer to call out the devices (or 'sigils' in GRRM's case) of each and every character they encounter (...On a Chief Or a Swan Naissant Gules!). Katherine suffers from a terminal case of Court Heralditis which forces her to recite long passages of fake medieval protocol detailing a dizzying array of boring ceremonial events - births, deaths, marriages, Twelfth nights, Twelfth nights, more twelfth nights, Earlings, Dukings, Knightings, Squirings and Pagings....if I can paraphrase a Time Travelling Mark Twain at Arthur's court.. "A Page? Son you don't amount to a paragraph!" Certainly not a novel. At least in the SCA they allow you to drink during court - hmmm - on reflection that might be why it took them 10 years to make me a Peer, but I digress...
This disease is fatal. I have seen a squire slit a Heralditis sufferer's throat in order to escape the conversation! Still we should love the sick and loathe the sickness - and poor Katherine should have been better served by a good editor with a scalpel - Cut out the tumor. This would leave us with a couple of chapters near the back where a heretic gets burned and the king gets to toast a rival with magic. Yay! More of that please.
Katherine's condition is exacerbated by Laurelitis - Another SCA disease I suffered from for many years. My symptoms included the bizarre ritual called a "Laurel Handshake" - Where instead of taking an offered palm, one would grasp at the cuff and check the (hopefully hand sewn) seams for neatness and for any offending non-period fastenings such as Zips or Velcro. Authors with Laurelitis are compelled to write about doublet and dress fabric and colour for all principals at an event (Blue silk, Red Velvet), and comment on the cuff and collar embroidery. This disease is a slow burner - and Katherine still has a way to go - We don't have to read about embroidered hemlines - yet. The Heralditis will probably get her long before she gets to that stage.
On a serious note - this fake medieval protocol and dialogue - which the SCA calls "Forsooth", gets in the way of real character interaction and completely misses the point of how etiquette and manners worked in the real world. These are tools of class - used to exclude the "wrong" people from power. Most American writers don't understand this and romanticize the manners, reducing this sort of dialogue to the equivalent of a cos-play fashion accessory.
To be fair, there is plenty of material in this book that could have worked - if treated in a different way. There is one short passage of dialogue where an 11 year old Alaric reveals he has experienced unprotected sex, oral sex, and at least one hand job. A couple of lines of twee talk map out enough adolescent emotional drama to fill an entire series of books. But we don't even get to learn the girl's name. And this is in the section where a Princess is packed off in shame for having sex before marriage, who then gets her just desserts by conveniently dying in childbirth. It seems Kurtz's Heralditis makes her incapable of seeing any useful plot Device - sorry to end on a Heraldic pun - this disease could be contagious.
December 26, 2014
Katherine Kurtz and her Deryni books are my favorite author and favorite books. I have never rated them less than a 5 star score. However, this book didn't seem to match the quality of her previous work. King Brion referred to his father Donal on some pages and his father Cinhil on another. Alaric's sister Bronwyn remained four years old for several years. These seem like things an editor should have noticed. I did enjoy going back to Gwynedd again and spending time with some of my favorite characters but any action or plot development seemed rushed and major events were glossed over. There was too much emphasis on clothing, oaths, genealogy, and knightly training. I'm not sorry I read it - just disappointed in the quality or lack thereof.
December 22, 2014
If you haven't read any Deryni novels before, then this isn't for you. There is probably too much background information which isn't included - having been gone into depth in previous novels, which, with all due respect, you need to have read.
This is a book about Alaric Morgan, a high-powered Deryni, whose loyalty lies with the Crown of Gwynedd: currently, in this book, with Brion; and in previous books, with Kelson, Brion's son.
It is a narrative of Alaric's life from age 7, to his 'majority' at 14, and details his training in courtly and knightly matters.
No, this is not a middle-grade read, for a number of reasons:
It is slow reading, and only needs perseverance.
It is full of page/squire/knightly oaths, and repetition can become boring.
There are a number of Moral questions posed, which with 'Deryni magic' could mislead.
There are also a number of gory descriptions of fighting and deaths.
It is interesting, for fans, to read about the early lives of various personages who have major roles in previous novels: for example: Oliver de Nore, Archbishop of Valoret and his immediate family; Denis Arilan, mentioned in passing by his brother Jamyl; and Duncan MacLean, who plays a major part with Alaric in the Kelson novels.
So, yes, brilliant for fans of Ms Kurtz; no, if you've never read any Deryni stories before.
And beware, Ms Kurtz does have a particular style of writing which may not appeal to all.
This is a book about Alaric Morgan, a high-powered Deryni, whose loyalty lies with the Crown of Gwynedd: currently, in this book, with Brion; and in previous books, with Kelson, Brion's son.
It is a narrative of Alaric's life from age 7, to his 'majority' at 14, and details his training in courtly and knightly matters.
No, this is not a middle-grade read, for a number of reasons:
It is slow reading, and only needs perseverance.
It is full of page/squire/knightly oaths, and repetition can become boring.
There are a number of Moral questions posed, which with 'Deryni magic' could mislead.
There are also a number of gory descriptions of fighting and deaths.
It is interesting, for fans, to read about the early lives of various personages who have major roles in previous novels: for example: Oliver de Nore, Archbishop of Valoret and his immediate family; Denis Arilan, mentioned in passing by his brother Jamyl; and Duncan MacLean, who plays a major part with Alaric in the Kelson novels.
So, yes, brilliant for fans of Ms Kurtz; no, if you've never read any Deryni stories before.
And beware, Ms Kurtz does have a particular style of writing which may not appeal to all.
July 18, 2018
Finally tracked down volume three in this addition to the history of Gwynedd, but it turns out to really be for completists only.
Filling in history in a fantasy series is frequently a little dicey; when you already know the general shape of events its a challenge to get any real stakes in the story, and this story which traces the childhood and entry into the kings service of Kurtz's famed character Alaric Morgan suffers from this problem. It's no secret that Morgan is a main character in later novels, so any attempts to put him in jeopardy fall a little flat for the long time reader in particular.
But the bigger problem is young Alaric (introduced at age 7) just doesn't feel very real here. At that early age he tracks much as he does at age 14 and for the entire book reads much more like Kelson does in the original trilogy (also 14), far too mature for 7. Its hard to track any real growth for the character when hes already preternaturally formed. Very disappointing.
Going back to the problem with back-filling history, its also a little hard to reconcile some of what Kurtz wrote in her original trilogy with what's written here, especially the presence of so many additional members of both the Morgan and Haldane families that never show their faces in either of the Kelson trilogies (and one major Haldane one that doesn't get a mention until the 7th Kelson book). It bends the way Alaric in particular is seen; previously he had a rather tragic orphan story and while it's still in place to some degree the presence of a gaggle of half-sisters and nieces & nephews that we never see in later books conflicts with that pose rather badly.
I'd also hoped for much more of Duncan McLain, Alaric's cousin who is much more like a brother (and in other books seems to be one of Alaric's very few confidants) but Duncan is again a much more minor character than I would have expected and it feels like a wasted opportunity. Beyond that, you've got other teachers and friends that are simply never really seen again in the Kelson books whose only explanation for their absence would have to be a sudden and unexpected death.
The writing's fairly good and its nice to see King Brion as a real character, and several of the Camberian Council members get a little additional shading in here in a good way, but there's also some bad typos and errors in the text that are a disappointing level of sloppiness/bad editing.
Not terrible, but not up to Kurtz's standard, IMHO.
(I wonder how you read this series now, btw. could a first-time reader enjoy reading this in chronological order rather than published?)
Filling in history in a fantasy series is frequently a little dicey; when you already know the general shape of events its a challenge to get any real stakes in the story, and this story which traces the childhood and entry into the kings service of Kurtz's famed character Alaric Morgan suffers from this problem. It's no secret that Morgan is a main character in later novels, so any attempts to put him in jeopardy fall a little flat for the long time reader in particular.
But the bigger problem is young Alaric (introduced at age 7) just doesn't feel very real here. At that early age he tracks much as he does at age 14 and for the entire book reads much more like Kelson does in the original trilogy (also 14), far too mature for 7. Its hard to track any real growth for the character when hes already preternaturally formed. Very disappointing.
Going back to the problem with back-filling history, its also a little hard to reconcile some of what Kurtz wrote in her original trilogy with what's written here, especially the presence of so many additional members of both the Morgan and Haldane families that never show their faces in either of the Kelson trilogies (and one major Haldane one that doesn't get a mention until the 7th Kelson book). It bends the way Alaric in particular is seen; previously he had a rather tragic orphan story and while it's still in place to some degree the presence of a gaggle of half-sisters and nieces & nephews that we never see in later books conflicts with that pose rather badly.
I'd also hoped for much more of Duncan McLain, Alaric's cousin who is much more like a brother (and in other books seems to be one of Alaric's very few confidants) but Duncan is again a much more minor character than I would have expected and it feels like a wasted opportunity. Beyond that, you've got other teachers and friends that are simply never really seen again in the Kelson books whose only explanation for their absence would have to be a sudden and unexpected death.
The writing's fairly good and its nice to see King Brion as a real character, and several of the Camberian Council members get a little additional shading in here in a good way, but there's also some bad typos and errors in the text that are a disappointing level of sloppiness/bad editing.
Not terrible, but not up to Kurtz's standard, IMHO.
(I wonder how you read this series now, btw. could a first-time reader enjoy reading this in chronological order rather than published?)
October 25, 2021
First off, I am a long time fan of the Deryni Series. These stories instill the prime example of what fantasy is about. The overcoming of prejudice and hate with honesty and morality, with believable heroes that fight for the rights of the people and for freedom. Book three of the Childe Morgan series is a fun romp through the young years of Alaric Morgan, our hero of earlier written tales. I loved the book very much. I loved the people that help shape Alaric into the man that he would become; Leon, Se, Jared, Brion and most of all Kenneth his father. So many people to see and so many places to visit. This story brings to life the world of the Eleven Kingdoms and the land of Gwynedd in particular. From the glory of ceremony to the love the people share, this is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it to anyone who as ever read any of the stories concerning the Deryni.
December 29, 2014
I'm a great fan of Ms. Kurtz's Deryni books, going all the way back to my middle school days, and own all of them (some several times over). I was thrilled to get this final chapter to the Childe Morgan series, bringing the saga of the Deryni full circle to the events of Deryni Rising. While I enjoyed the book very much, it was odd that some of the fairly legendary elements of Brion and Alaric's relationship and deeds were downplayed -- no spoilers, but what I thought would be a substantial part of the book makes up only the very last couple of chapters of what is one of the largest Deryni books in quite a while. Still, a fun read and recommended for Deryni fans or anyone who enjoys medieval fantasy stories.
March 27, 2015
I was looking forward to the return to the Eleven Kingdoms and the world of the Deryni and the Haldanes. I love Katherine Kurtz and her world building. While I enjoyed the book, there wasn't much in the way of action in this book. It is the back story to Alaric Morgan and how he becomes the lynchpin to the Haldanes and the return to grace of the Deryni. A precocious young boy and a young adult wise beyond his years this is really a growing up story of character development. there is some magical learning and a few small skirmish battles but its a lot of pages of not much. However, now I want to go back and read the stories of Kelson Haldane that started the entire Deryni histories.
February 4, 2015
This volume starts out very slow and is boring for about 90% of the book. Was very disappointed in that this tale is lots of 'we trained this way. then we trained this way, then we rode around a bit. then we fell off a horse or sleep in a barn etc etc etc'. If I wanted a training manual for pages and squires I would get an Osprey book on chivalry and castle life. I will have to re-read some of the older books for better stories.
March 20, 2016
It's a mark of a good book that upon completion you want continue the story. As the end of The King's Deryni dovetails into Kurtz's first book Deryni Rising, I may well do just that.
I have explored the Kingdom of Gwynedd over the decades and it has become one of my most favourite fantasy series. Kurtz has found a unique blend between historical fiction and magical fantasy.
I have explored the Kingdom of Gwynedd over the decades and it has become one of my most favourite fantasy series. Kurtz has found a unique blend between historical fiction and magical fantasy.
July 26, 2017
What a disappointment this trilogy is! It's so boring!!!! Even the one battle the king has is boring. There's a short battle at the end culminating in the king's magical battle, but it seems it was just thrown in to add some bit of excitement. Only it isn't exciting.
Skip this trilogy. You won't miss a thing. It doesn't add a thing to Alaric Morgan's role in the Deryni series.
Skip this trilogy. You won't miss a thing. It doesn't add a thing to Alaric Morgan's role in the Deryni series.
January 19, 2019
I have generally enjoyed all of the Deryni novels but found this one repetitious and lacking enough plot. (How many times do you have to have an oath swearing ceremony in one book?) Having said that it does help fill in the overall history and story of the series. For fans of the series, I would not recommend as a first read for someone new to the author.
April 30, 2015
I've been a big fan of this series for well over two decades and it's always with great pleasure that I return to the Deryni universe. Now 40+ years in the making, Katherine Kurtz's landmark series seldom fails to satisfy longtime fans. Unfortunately, although she is arguably the mother of historical fantasy, over the years the NYT bestselling Deryni saga has become out of print and thus always harder and harder to find. It's a sad state of affairs, for that means that an entire generation of SFF readers have yet to get acquainted with this classic tale.
Even worst, other than the very first trilogy (which, truth to tell, is by far the weakest in the saga) having been reissued in recent years, what Deryni novels still in print (King Kelson's Bride, In the King's Service, and Childe Morgan) are more or less meant to bridge various gaps in the saga's timeline instead of focusing on new storylines that could perhaps entice new readers to plunge into the Deryni universe and fall in love with it and the great characters that populate its history. Indeed, this latest trilogy doesn't really provide a good jump-in point for newcomers. As a result, because there are no digital editions of the installments which made this a bestselling book sequence, fantasy fans wanting to give the series a shot have no choice but to track down used copies. There are hundreds of them on Amazon and other online retailers, true, but in 2014 this seems to represent a whole lot of legwork to get your hands on quality reads. . .
Here's the blurb:
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Kurtz’s novels of the Deryni have been hailed by Anne McCaffrey as “an incredible historical tapestry of a world that never was and of immensely vital people who ought to be.” Now Kurtz weaves a thrilling conclusion to the epic Childe Morgan trilogy, in which bonds of both magic and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test…
Alaric Morgan always knew his purpose in life—to stand alongside the king of Gwynedd. The old king knew that whichever of his sons succeeded to the throne would benefit from having a Deryni at his side. Alaric and the young Prince Brion Haldane were bound together by magic—a magic to be called upon when Brion was most in need.
Now eighteen, Brion has ascended to the throne and seven-year-old Alaric has come to court. Through the coming years, both will grow to manhood and come to realize their destinies. Brion will strive to solidify his power and position, seek out a bride to secure his legacy, and ultimately, when faced with an unbeatable foe, call upon Alaric to fulfill his oath.
Meanwhile, Alaric slowly learns the extent of his powers and how to use them, and will face the prejudice that many have against Deryni in its ugliest form. He will experience bittersweet first love, great personal loss, and the hard lessons one gains from both. And he will be there to unleash the full power of his Deryni magic at Brion’s command.
For Alaric is—and always will be—the King’s Deryni.
As yet another prequel to The Deryni Chronicles trilogy, like its two predecessors The King's Deryni covers a number of years, paving the way for all that's to come. Once again, familiar themes such as Mearan rebels, the Camberian Council's machinations, Torenthi incursions into Gwynedd, the Church's hatred toward Deryni, the separation between Church and State, and a monarch desperately trying to secure his throne and his legacy all feature quite prominently in this new novel. This last volume in the Childe Morgan trilogy focuses on Alaric's formative years and is spread across his childhood and teenage years, as we follow his rise from a young and innocent boy to a page, then a squire, then a knight, all the way to his becoming Duke of Corwyn.
As a matter of course, the author's historian eye for details makes for incredible and vivid worldbuilding. The richness of details and her depiction of medieval life have always been something that characterize Katherine Kurtz's writing. This particular aspect creates a wonderful imagery which brings the world and its protagonists to life in a manner that very few SFF writers can emulate, let alone surpass. Having said that, I'm afraid that at times Kurtz sort of got lost chronicling the minutiae of Alaric and Brion's lives, which had a tendency of breaking the rhythm of the book. This latest installment likely ended up being longer than it should have been and hence it is not paced as adroitly as the first two volumes.
As I mentioned in the past, although Katherine Kurtz's worldbuilding skills are on par with those of gifted fantasy authors such as Steven Erikson, George R. R. Martin, and R. Scott Bakker, it's the characterization which elevates her books over that of the competition and makes the Deryni Saga one of my favorite series of all time. Not unlike Robin Hobb and Guy Gavriel Kay, Kurtz's subtle human touch can pull on those heartstrings when you least expect it. Few of her peers, past and present, have the ability to create such genuine protagonists that you come to love/hate the way Katherine Kurtz can. King Brion and Alaric Morgan take center stage, of course, and yet the tale unfolds through the eyes of a number of other characters, chief among them Sir Kenneth Morgan and Sir Llion Farquahar, Alaric's governor and companion. Given their importance in what is to come, it was a lot of fun to see the interaction between Alaric and Duncan McLain as they grow up.
Most of the extraneous stuff I alluded to was meant to tie up all those loose ends and pave the way for what will take place in Deryni Rising and the rest of the first trilogy. It was also meant to bridge some of the gaps between the King Brion and Kelson's timeline and that focusing on Saint Camber and its aftermath. Amid all the politicking, there are a number of poignant moments in The King's Deryni. Sadly, one needs to sift through a lot of filler material to get to them. As was the case in Childe Morgan, Sir Sé Trelawney, childhood friend of Lady Alyce, Alaric's dead mother, and a fully avowed Knight of the Anvil, somehow manages to steal the show in every scene featuring him.
In the end, The King's Deryni does a good job tying up most of the loose ends to bridge the gaps between the Camber and the Kelson timelines. However, all that filler material, though it serves a purpose, takes a little something away from the overall reading experience. Hence, longtime fans of the series will be happy to revisit the Eleven Kingdoms again. But I doubt that this latest Deryni series can/will reel in lots of newbies.
For more reviews: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
Even worst, other than the very first trilogy (which, truth to tell, is by far the weakest in the saga) having been reissued in recent years, what Deryni novels still in print (King Kelson's Bride, In the King's Service, and Childe Morgan) are more or less meant to bridge various gaps in the saga's timeline instead of focusing on new storylines that could perhaps entice new readers to plunge into the Deryni universe and fall in love with it and the great characters that populate its history. Indeed, this latest trilogy doesn't really provide a good jump-in point for newcomers. As a result, because there are no digital editions of the installments which made this a bestselling book sequence, fantasy fans wanting to give the series a shot have no choice but to track down used copies. There are hundreds of them on Amazon and other online retailers, true, but in 2014 this seems to represent a whole lot of legwork to get your hands on quality reads. . .
Here's the blurb:
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Kurtz’s novels of the Deryni have been hailed by Anne McCaffrey as “an incredible historical tapestry of a world that never was and of immensely vital people who ought to be.” Now Kurtz weaves a thrilling conclusion to the epic Childe Morgan trilogy, in which bonds of both magic and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test…
Alaric Morgan always knew his purpose in life—to stand alongside the king of Gwynedd. The old king knew that whichever of his sons succeeded to the throne would benefit from having a Deryni at his side. Alaric and the young Prince Brion Haldane were bound together by magic—a magic to be called upon when Brion was most in need.
Now eighteen, Brion has ascended to the throne and seven-year-old Alaric has come to court. Through the coming years, both will grow to manhood and come to realize their destinies. Brion will strive to solidify his power and position, seek out a bride to secure his legacy, and ultimately, when faced with an unbeatable foe, call upon Alaric to fulfill his oath.
Meanwhile, Alaric slowly learns the extent of his powers and how to use them, and will face the prejudice that many have against Deryni in its ugliest form. He will experience bittersweet first love, great personal loss, and the hard lessons one gains from both. And he will be there to unleash the full power of his Deryni magic at Brion’s command.
For Alaric is—and always will be—the King’s Deryni.
As yet another prequel to The Deryni Chronicles trilogy, like its two predecessors The King's Deryni covers a number of years, paving the way for all that's to come. Once again, familiar themes such as Mearan rebels, the Camberian Council's machinations, Torenthi incursions into Gwynedd, the Church's hatred toward Deryni, the separation between Church and State, and a monarch desperately trying to secure his throne and his legacy all feature quite prominently in this new novel. This last volume in the Childe Morgan trilogy focuses on Alaric's formative years and is spread across his childhood and teenage years, as we follow his rise from a young and innocent boy to a page, then a squire, then a knight, all the way to his becoming Duke of Corwyn.
As a matter of course, the author's historian eye for details makes for incredible and vivid worldbuilding. The richness of details and her depiction of medieval life have always been something that characterize Katherine Kurtz's writing. This particular aspect creates a wonderful imagery which brings the world and its protagonists to life in a manner that very few SFF writers can emulate, let alone surpass. Having said that, I'm afraid that at times Kurtz sort of got lost chronicling the minutiae of Alaric and Brion's lives, which had a tendency of breaking the rhythm of the book. This latest installment likely ended up being longer than it should have been and hence it is not paced as adroitly as the first two volumes.
As I mentioned in the past, although Katherine Kurtz's worldbuilding skills are on par with those of gifted fantasy authors such as Steven Erikson, George R. R. Martin, and R. Scott Bakker, it's the characterization which elevates her books over that of the competition and makes the Deryni Saga one of my favorite series of all time. Not unlike Robin Hobb and Guy Gavriel Kay, Kurtz's subtle human touch can pull on those heartstrings when you least expect it. Few of her peers, past and present, have the ability to create such genuine protagonists that you come to love/hate the way Katherine Kurtz can. King Brion and Alaric Morgan take center stage, of course, and yet the tale unfolds through the eyes of a number of other characters, chief among them Sir Kenneth Morgan and Sir Llion Farquahar, Alaric's governor and companion. Given their importance in what is to come, it was a lot of fun to see the interaction between Alaric and Duncan McLain as they grow up.
Most of the extraneous stuff I alluded to was meant to tie up all those loose ends and pave the way for what will take place in Deryni Rising and the rest of the first trilogy. It was also meant to bridge some of the gaps between the King Brion and Kelson's timeline and that focusing on Saint Camber and its aftermath. Amid all the politicking, there are a number of poignant moments in The King's Deryni. Sadly, one needs to sift through a lot of filler material to get to them. As was the case in Childe Morgan, Sir Sé Trelawney, childhood friend of Lady Alyce, Alaric's dead mother, and a fully avowed Knight of the Anvil, somehow manages to steal the show in every scene featuring him.
In the end, The King's Deryni does a good job tying up most of the loose ends to bridge the gaps between the Camber and the Kelson timelines. However, all that filler material, though it serves a purpose, takes a little something away from the overall reading experience. Hence, longtime fans of the series will be happy to revisit the Eleven Kingdoms again. But I doubt that this latest Deryni series can/will reel in lots of newbies.
For more reviews: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
April 4, 2020
I started reading the Deryni novels in 1974. Now 46 years later I have finished the 16th novel in the series, five trilogies and one stand alone novel. I’ve also read all the short stories too, with the possible exception of Venture in Vain.
The novels are fantasy novels set in and around the Kingdom of Gwynedd. The series is effectively the 10th to 12th centuries in North Western Europe, with no sea barriers between Ireland and Britain, nor between Britain and continental Europe. The Deryni are a small subset of the human race who can perform magic. This ability sets up the tension between The Deryni and non-Deryni that runs through all of the books.
Katherine Kurtz uses religious imagery throughout the series and so she does in this book too. There is a quotation from the bible with every chapter and there is a lot of the Catholic liturgy quoted throughout. A drawback of the book and the series is that there aren’t really many shades of grey, the good characters are very good and the bad guys are evil, power-seeking zealots. If you can accept that maybe the book, and the series is for you
The novels are fantasy novels set in and around the Kingdom of Gwynedd. The series is effectively the 10th to 12th centuries in North Western Europe, with no sea barriers between Ireland and Britain, nor between Britain and continental Europe. The Deryni are a small subset of the human race who can perform magic. This ability sets up the tension between The Deryni and non-Deryni that runs through all of the books.
Katherine Kurtz uses religious imagery throughout the series and so she does in this book too. There is a quotation from the bible with every chapter and there is a lot of the Catholic liturgy quoted throughout. A drawback of the book and the series is that there aren’t really many shades of grey, the good characters are very good and the bad guys are evil, power-seeking zealots. If you can accept that maybe the book, and the series is for you
January 8, 2018
The king is crowned, people are knighted, people are born, people die, people get hurt. In short, life goes on. People with magic conspire, get educated, get in trouble, try to learn from their mistakes, make new mistakes.
This is very much a continuation of the saga. Disclaimer, I didn't read the previous books, and I'm pretty sure that I missed some of the emotional intensity long-time readers will have. However, I didn't at any point feel that I needed information from previous books to make a scene understandable.
This is a Big Fat Book. It spans four or five years. France, Germany, Arabia (?), Scotland, and Wales are all recognizable by some of the word choices, names and place-names, although the map shows they are in unexpected locations. Everyone is very Xian, with bishops and burning in the name of purity. There are no Jews or Muslims. No Asia, no Buddhists, no Silk Road - but yes silk. Don't ask me how that works.
There is one very beautiful act of magic... and the magician immediately has to convince his Xian friends not to kill him.
April 3, 2019
I was musing on what to read next and Katherine Kurtz came to mind as I missed her characters and the stories appeared incomplete. They were because I had missed two books in the Childe Morgan series! I have been reading these books since the late 1970s and, in this book, the final in the trilogy, we see Morgan, still so young, come into his own as one who could unleash the Haldane magic in the new King Brion. Although these are deemed fantasy novels, they are less battles and dragons (there are no dragons) and more about the evil within people and the battles between ideologies - sacred and secular. When the Deryni are considered evil because they have magic, and the full weight of the Church is against them in a medieval burning at the stake sort of way, then finding a path to righteousness based on the rightness of deeds can be tricky. Fortunately, Morgan and his Deryni folk are good Deryni...but there are bad Deryni as well. Nothing to do with magic - but about the good and evil within people. A fitting end to the trilogy.
November 11, 2018
I enjoyed this conclusion, though I don't think it ranks among the best of Kurtz's work. I have to wonder if the author knows a lot of children, based on a few of the things she writes in this trilogy. That aside, it was fun to read the back story of my favorite character, and I think you can really begin to see the man he will become, particularly in this book.
She also continues to set up the conflict with the Church and with the Queen very well, without being heavy handed about it. The bit between the Queen and Alaric was a bit rushed I think, and she didn't give us a very good sense of the Queen at all. She was almost thrown in as a last bit of conflict, and to allow for the birth of Kelson.
I am, however, drawn to re-read those first three books, which is where my love of Kurtz, her Deryni and Alaric Anthony Morgan began.
She also continues to set up the conflict with the Church and with the Queen very well, without being heavy handed about it. The bit between the Queen and Alaric was a bit rushed I think, and she didn't give us a very good sense of the Queen at all. She was almost thrown in as a last bit of conflict, and to allow for the birth of Kelson.
I am, however, drawn to re-read those first three books, which is where my love of Kurtz, her Deryni and Alaric Anthony Morgan began.
Read
March 3, 2025I enjoyed this last novel in the overarching Deryni storyline, although it was probably the slowest moving of them all. It finishes a trilogy of prequel novels that lead directly into the very first Deryni novel published several decades ago. Alaric Morgan serves as the focus of the story, which shows not only his developing character as he grows into a duke and a Deryni, but also how much the crown relied on him for its own survival. I think a lot of the drama was perhaps blunted by the fact that we, the reader, know what's going to happen based on the history given in the first novels in the Deryni series, so we know certainly people aren't going to die, for example.
As far as I know this is the last Deryni novel, written in 2014, and it's been more than a decade without another one.
As far as I know this is the last Deryni novel, written in 2014, and it's been more than a decade without another one.
February 6, 2024
Thus ends my tour through Gwynedd. It began decades ago, while I was a young man in college. I first discovered Camber of Culdi and I devoured everything Deryni until I caught up to where the series was. I remember long nights staying up far too late to finish a scene, chapter or book. When I got to this book, I figured it was her last (and has proven so at least these past 10 years) and because of this, I only read a single chapter on New years day from 2014 through 2024... but this year I decided to finish this book and begin the cycle again. I don't think readers unfamiliar with the world will find this book terribly exciting, but I found it a wonderful last link to bring us full circle back to Deryni Rising. Tip of the cap to you Ms Kurtz. Thank you very much!
July 11, 2021
A re-read. This is one of the best books in the series; very well written, entirely consistent with the books before and after it in the timeline (something that doesn't always happen), even though the book after it was written (I think) well before the whole concept of Deryni-ness was fleshed out.
The only issue I have with the book is that I know some 10-12 year olds and, even accounting for the fact that in medieval times youth had to mature faster, Alaric Morgan is entirely too precocious for me. Not that I don't like Alaric; I do - but he's acting about three years older than his chronological age.
The only issue I have with the book is that I know some 10-12 year olds and, even accounting for the fact that in medieval times youth had to mature faster, Alaric Morgan is entirely too precocious for me. Not that I don't like Alaric; I do - but he's acting about three years older than his chronological age.
May 19, 2024
I love the *idea* of this book, watching Alaric Morgan grow up in the court of Gwynedd after reading about all his adult adventures and the rest of the earlier timeline trilogies. However, this story was just… okay. Pretty darn slow with bits in between that were moderately exciting. It makes me want to reread the old books again, but idk if I’d take the time for this one in a reread.
Also, if you haven’t read the other 15? Or something like that? Previous books in the world idk if you would get most of the nuances that this book holds. It was a nice return to a world from my teenage years, but I’d have enjoyed it more if it was about half as long tbh.
Also, if you haven’t read the other 15? Or something like that? Previous books in the world idk if you would get most of the nuances that this book holds. It was a nice return to a world from my teenage years, but I’d have enjoyed it more if it was about half as long tbh.
June 17, 2019
Morgan's childhood through Kelson's birth. References some of the stories in Deryni Archives, like his fall out of the tree and "The Priesting of Arilan."
Morgan serves as page and squire to the king--running into trouble along the way because of his magic. Oliver de Nore becomes an early enemy. We see Brion and Jehanna fall in love--though she hates Morgan pretty much from the start. Morgan loses his father but also activates Brion's Haldane powers, He makes friends along the way and grows into a good ruler.
Nice way to fill in the gaps.
Morgan serves as page and squire to the king--running into trouble along the way because of his magic. Oliver de Nore becomes an early enemy. We see Brion and Jehanna fall in love--though she hates Morgan pretty much from the start. Morgan loses his father but also activates Brion's Haldane powers, He makes friends along the way and grows into a good ruler.
Nice way to fill in the gaps.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2018
3.5
It's been awhile since I've read the first two in this trilogy, or any of the Deryni books. But I did discover that I had remembered enough to keep up. Although Kurtz DOES include a lot of names and genealogies, so I may not have recognized some that I should that tie in with others.
The Deryni books read easily and quickly. For people that like historical novels with a slight fantasy "alternate world" flavor, these will satisfy.
It's been awhile since I've read the first two in this trilogy, or any of the Deryni books. But I did discover that I had remembered enough to keep up. Although Kurtz DOES include a lot of names and genealogies, so I may not have recognized some that I should that tie in with others.
The Deryni books read easily and quickly. For people that like historical novels with a slight fantasy "alternate world" flavor, these will satisfy.
September 16, 2018
The most recently-published book in the Deryni saga fills a critical gap in the series - the youth of Alaric. I found his story engaging, although he did seem wise beyond his years. As is usually the case in a Kurtz book, the tension ramps up considerably at the end, but it also served to set the stage for the events of the first Deryni trilogy.
December 19, 2020
The book brings Alaric to his majority. We get good looks at the characters of both Brian and Alaric making it quite enjoyable. We also get to see the complete scenes that are referenced in the later, but original High Dennis series.
October 16, 2017
Pleasant but not much of a plot.
March 15, 2018
I realize this the last King Brion book of the Childe Morgan trilogy, but I wish there were more.
April 11, 2018
I love this series and enjoyed this book. However, four stars because I felt she rushed the ending.
January 17, 2020
Great to live in the Deryni world again! Solid story that fleshes out history from the original books.
December 10, 2022
As usual, an enjoyable read with a good balance between character development and conflict.
March 16, 2017
I've been a fan of the Deryni series for decades and have always liked this author. This may be her last book due to her advanced age and I really wanted to like it more. It has some interesting details in it, but nothing really happens in this book. It's not a bad book, it's just not got much going on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews