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Adept #5
Death of an Adept
Mystic and historian, Sir Adam Sinclair is Master of the Hunt, leader of a secret brotherhood at war with the dark and unholy Powers that menace our world. He has had many names, lived many lives, but his mission remains the to protect the Light from those who would tread the Dark Roads. In his time, he has challenged the forces of evil and been victorious. Now evil is rising once again - an extraordinary evil born of ancient elemental magic and twentieth century ambition. And Adam Sinclair will face the most unthinkable crime against his the murder of an Adept.
454 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
53 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Kurtz
87 books749 followersKatherine Kurtz is an American fantasy novel writer. She is best known for her Deryni series. She currently lives in Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 7, 2023
And 4 stars for the last book in the series, not because it's so bad, but because of the ending😢
February 9, 2014
AmAzing and endearing cast of characters, compelling plot, historic, masonic, and occult elements, erudite writing style and vocab - there is room in the Book Universe for at least 5 more Adept books, and why there has not yet been an Adept movie or TV series, I don't know. Love this series!
December 9, 2019
Finished the re-read in rapid fashion.
The last book in this series doesn't break much new ground; if you liked the earlier books you'll like this one. If you didn't like the earlier books there's not a lot here that would change your mind.
There are some nice new notes: a new member of the Hunt is introduced with some fun powers of psychometry that blend in nicely with the team, and Noel takes the lead in bringing him in much the way that Peregrine was brought on board by Adam in the first book. Their approaches are similar but different, accounting for both differences in their personalities as well as for the circumstances of the newbie and it's reasonably done. I like a broader cast for these books, and a wider group gets to act here than often in earlier books.
The resolution to Adam's romantic difficulties with Ximenia is a little tedious and takes up a great deal of time and energy that the situation hasn't really earned, and it only serves to highlight one of the series continual flaws: the impossible saintliness and perfection of Adam Sinclair. When Adam is the perfect everything, the book isn't particularly interesting.
The final conflict is fairly tense, but wrapped up a little too quickly and the lead characters don't have enough agency in the resolution for it to be entirely satisfactory. Still, the exploration of various esoteric traditions (which has always been one of the series strong points) is in good form here, digging ito some Druidic traditions, with a fine callback to Pictish traditions that have been long present through our old enemies the Lynx. That's where this series has always shined brightest and it's still a highlight in the final book.
A less idealized lead character (and more of a group/team approach) would have served the series as a whole better, but these are still fun reads, especially for people with an interest in various magical traditions and things like Scottish history.
The last book in this series doesn't break much new ground; if you liked the earlier books you'll like this one. If you didn't like the earlier books there's not a lot here that would change your mind.
There are some nice new notes: a new member of the Hunt is introduced with some fun powers of psychometry that blend in nicely with the team, and Noel takes the lead in bringing him in much the way that Peregrine was brought on board by Adam in the first book. Their approaches are similar but different, accounting for both differences in their personalities as well as for the circumstances of the newbie and it's reasonably done. I like a broader cast for these books, and a wider group gets to act here than often in earlier books.
The resolution to Adam's romantic difficulties with Ximenia is a little tedious and takes up a great deal of time and energy that the situation hasn't really earned, and it only serves to highlight one of the series continual flaws: the impossible saintliness and perfection of Adam Sinclair. When Adam is the perfect everything, the book isn't particularly interesting.
The final conflict is fairly tense, but wrapped up a little too quickly and the lead characters don't have enough agency in the resolution for it to be entirely satisfactory. Still, the exploration of various esoteric traditions (which has always been one of the series strong points) is in good form here, digging ito some Druidic traditions, with a fine callback to Pictish traditions that have been long present through our old enemies the Lynx. That's where this series has always shined brightest and it's still a highlight in the final book.
A less idealized lead character (and more of a group/team approach) would have served the series as a whole better, but these are still fun reads, especially for people with an interest in various magical traditions and things like Scottish history.
October 9, 2014
A good conclusion to the series but there is room for more books should the authors desire.
Enjoyable characters both good and bad.
Enjoyable characters both good and bad.
June 14, 2020
It was a satisfying end to the series, though I don't think I enjoyed any of the four sequels as much as the first book. I did enjoy the parts with Ximena's family and Adam and Ximena's developing relationship. But the parts involving Raeburn and his associates and the dark powers they invoke - I'm not sure if it was because some of it seemed so over-the-top, or because the bad guys seemed more like caricatures than real people (perhaps it was to indicate that they had turned so far to evil as to lose their humanity?), but those parts didn't draw me in, other than to see how things worked out at the end (though I had a good idea which Adept was going to die). If it were just this book by itself, I'd only give it 3 stars, but one of the positive aspects of reading a series is that you develop confidence in the author's ability to tell a good story, which in itself makes the reading more enjoyable. And these authors had me hooked from the beginning of the first book.
August 27, 2018
Finally got around to reading the last book in the Adept series. Sadly found it to be the least liked of the group. Guess what bothered me the most is that Adam Sinclair in the earlier books is portrayed as a pretty powerful person working for good and also relatively intelligent. Yet in this story even though forewarned by an earlier attempted kidnapping of one of his group, he himself is rather easily nabbed and kept incommunicable & hidden from his friends. Only to regain himself and help defeat the bad guys at the end--very unreal and unbelievable. Am not sorry to have re-read the series but it helps me know I do not need to keep the books in my collection!
July 2, 2019
Not Worth The Time
I'll not do a lot of spoiling of the story but honestly it was very weak writing. So predictable and poorly done. The characters' personalities were altered which made them weaker. The spelling is horrible. This edition need an editor badly. Very disappointing.
I'll not do a lot of spoiling of the story but honestly it was very weak writing. So predictable and poorly done. The characters' personalities were altered which made them weaker. The spelling is horrible. This edition need an editor badly. Very disappointing.
May 31, 2017
Conclusione del ciclo delle avventure di Pendergast
Serie molto carina
Serie molto carina
March 25, 2018
See series review on Book 1
(This was my favorite of the series)
(This was my favorite of the series)
February 12, 2020
Pretty bad. Not sure why I read it. Very "Christian," good versus evil magic set in modern times. Part of a series.
March 10, 2020
This thriller sometimes slides into horror, but the suspense is real.
August 17, 2020
Great Series
Love the way the characters develop. I have read all 5 books. Not one disappointed. You will be on the edge of your seat.
Love the way the characters develop. I have read all 5 books. Not one disappointed. You will be on the edge of your seat.
February 22, 2021
Reread still a good mystery good plot and characters.
January 17, 2024
a chi piace l'esoterismo consiglio tutta la collana
December 9, 2016
Kept in suspense until the very end.
May 13, 2013
Apparently Katherine Kurtz had said from time to time that she would like to write more books in the Adept series, but I really think that Death of an Adept was a great spot to end the series.
Raeburne is back with plans for power that come out of the events of the first book, tieing a nice bow on the series. After christians, druids, and buddhists, we throw in Satanists. And we finally get the resolution of the Adam-Ximena romance (although it took me a while to get past her father's death in hospital, coming after being there for my own mother's death in hospital a little over a month ago. I was very prone to tears at that point).
Raebourne is trying to reestablish ties with the pictish thunder god. As a result, he brings in Taliere, a druid with ties to the events of Lammas Night (and allowing the authors to bring in one of the characters from the third book of the series, which otherwise was completely disconnected from the overall arc of the series). This leads to a grand confrontation with supernatural creatures, ghosts (both good and evil) and a life or death struggle during a satanic mass.
It's hard to evaluate this book on its own, since it is the conclusion of a series (while leaving the door cracked open for future books if they ever *do* write any). As a standalone book, I don't think it would work. But as the conclusion of the series, it ties everything up neatly and in a satisfying manner. I give it extra stars for that.
Raeburne is back with plans for power that come out of the events of the first book, tieing a nice bow on the series. After christians, druids, and buddhists, we throw in Satanists. And we finally get the resolution of the Adam-Ximena romance (although it took me a while to get past her father's death in hospital, coming after being there for my own mother's death in hospital a little over a month ago. I was very prone to tears at that point).
Raebourne is trying to reestablish ties with the pictish thunder god. As a result, he brings in Taliere, a druid with ties to the events of Lammas Night (and allowing the authors to bring in one of the characters from the third book of the series, which otherwise was completely disconnected from the overall arc of the series). This leads to a grand confrontation with supernatural creatures, ghosts (both good and evil) and a life or death struggle during a satanic mass.
It's hard to evaluate this book on its own, since it is the conclusion of a series (while leaving the door cracked open for future books if they ever *do* write any). As a standalone book, I don't think it would work. But as the conclusion of the series, it ties everything up neatly and in a satisfying manner. I give it extra stars for that.
June 11, 2024
Oh I love this series... It needs to continue... If the authors (alive?) do not feel like they want to they should appoint some other writer(s). How are Adam and Zimena coping with married life at Strathmourne? The 6th book could start with their wedding. "I will" - "I do" is always a good first line of a book. Children at some point ? The inheritance of the child's magical skills ? Where is Dorje - a good baddy (supposedly in Switzerland but surely annoyed with Adam's team ? More of Julia, Zimena, Harry Nimmo, Donald Cochrane, Noel, Peregrine and Adam himself (using the Templemor Tower) ? The 5th book finishes with Angela FitzGerald and (presumably) Barclay watching the Sinclairs - What mischief and occult nastiness will they dream up next ?
The series might need updating to a more technological age but surely somebody will want to do it - like the estates of Robert B. Parker. Robert Ludlum, Douglas Adams have found. I love the spirituality and philosophy of the books. The confidence of the Hunt Team in the perpetual battle of good against evil, of the light against the dark. These books makes me feel that YES there might be a God and he knows what he is doing. PLEASE SOMEBODY WRITE THESE BOOKS!!!!!!!!
The series might need updating to a more technological age but surely somebody will want to do it - like the estates of Robert B. Parker. Robert Ludlum, Douglas Adams have found. I love the spirituality and philosophy of the books. The confidence of the Hunt Team in the perpetual battle of good against evil, of the light against the dark. These books makes me feel that YES there might be a God and he knows what he is doing. PLEASE SOMEBODY WRITE THESE BOOKS!!!!!!!!
October 15, 2021
I couldn’t stop reading this one. Tense situation after tense situation, and all under the threat of the book’s title.
Read
January 17, 2016This was a fun read. The whole time I was wondering who was going to die, I knew it was the last in the series so anyone could have been the target. I also liked the bits that were based in S.F., a weakness of mine!
May 24, 2012
competent and dull, with a hint of stuffy.
December 29, 2022
Rivals the first book in the series!! Very scary towards the end with its description of a Black Mass as a way to kill Sir Adam Sinclair. I wish they would write more of these!!
May 21, 2021
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
July 11, 2025
Good plot but numerous typos in Kindle text: b for h and 1 for l, for example.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews