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Deverry Cycle #11
The Fire Dragon
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.
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.
447 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
Katharine Kerr
69 books1,641 followersBorn in Ohio, 1944. Moved to San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and has lived there ever since. Katharine Kerr has read extensively in the fields of classical archeology, and medieval and dark ages history and literature, and these influences are clear in her work. Her epic Deverry series has won widespread praise and millions of fans around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 24, 2021
Well, I am now done with this series, having finished the last volume that I purchased. I'm amazed that I have persevered through eleven volumes of a series that I like okay, but don't love. But I am grateful that I didn't find more volumes when I was buying up second hand books for my reading project.
The best part of this book was the dragon, Arzosah. Her grumbling and rumbling was very entertaining. In order to get her, I was willing to put up with Rhodry and Dallandra. I think there were only two references to pig's farts, an improvement! And there was another good feature: many fewer pages devoted to Evander and the otherworld. That whole plot line seems to have been put to bed in the last pages here (and none too soon). I never did see the sense of that aspect. Kerr also does a Shakespearean story arc with King-to-be Maryn back in Deverry. [Spoiler alert, there is a lot of dying, largely because the prince is a selfish, selfish man.]
Nevyn is still hanging in there, but he is disgusted with the king that he has helped to establish. I assume he will carry out his plans to vamoose in the next book. However, I am thrilled to say that this is none of my concern. I am free of Deverry, the Westfolk, the Guardians, Cerr Cawnen, the Horsekin, the whole lumpy lot of them!
I think there's a glass of wine in my future to celebrate!
Book number 420 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
The best part of this book was the dragon, Arzosah. Her grumbling and rumbling was very entertaining. In order to get her, I was willing to put up with Rhodry and Dallandra. I think there were only two references to pig's farts, an improvement! And there was another good feature: many fewer pages devoted to Evander and the otherworld. That whole plot line seems to have been put to bed in the last pages here (and none too soon). I never did see the sense of that aspect. Kerr also does a Shakespearean story arc with King-to-be Maryn back in Deverry. [Spoiler alert, there is a lot of dying, largely because the prince is a selfish, selfish man.]
Nevyn is still hanging in there, but he is disgusted with the king that he has helped to establish. I assume he will carry out his plans to vamoose in the next book. However, I am thrilled to say that this is none of my concern. I am free of Deverry, the Westfolk, the Guardians, Cerr Cawnen, the Horsekin, the whole lumpy lot of them!
I think there's a glass of wine in my future to celebrate!
Book number 420 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
December 29, 2015
This 11th book in the Deverry Cycle concludes “The Dragon Mage” trilogy (Act III of the four acts that make up the entire cycle). As such, it serves well to wrap up some major plot lines as well as certain primary characters’ personal stories. We spend about half of our time in the past, finishing up the story line concerning young Lillorigga, princess Bellyra, the bard Maddyn, Prince Maryn and Nevin, the dweomer master that lives through many lifetimes. The second half of the book shifts the plot forward in time and deals with Rhodry, Dallandra, Niffa, Raena and the fire dragon Arzosah.
Potentially, building a fantasy world that revolves around reincarnation of characters, risks readers becoming numb to major character’s deaths. After all, they will simply come back in a later time, good as new, right? But the author does a fine job of avoiding that trap, building each reincarnation as a separate life and, trust me, when a character does die, it is a very emotional experience. It’s also really interesting to see how a very minor character in one time frame turns out to be a major player in another, and vice versa.
This is what I call character-driven epic fantasy. The world building, the plot and subplots, the writing itself is all very good but it is the characters that move this series into the top tier of fantasy fiction.
Another fine entry in the overall series and a good setup for the final Act, consisting of the final four books in the entire series.
Potentially, building a fantasy world that revolves around reincarnation of characters, risks readers becoming numb to major character’s deaths. After all, they will simply come back in a later time, good as new, right? But the author does a fine job of avoiding that trap, building each reincarnation as a separate life and, trust me, when a character does die, it is a very emotional experience. It’s also really interesting to see how a very minor character in one time frame turns out to be a major player in another, and vice versa.
This is what I call character-driven epic fantasy. The world building, the plot and subplots, the writing itself is all very good but it is the characters that move this series into the top tier of fantasy fiction.
Another fine entry in the overall series and a good setup for the final Act, consisting of the final four books in the entire series.
June 29, 2015
This book just became my favorite (so far) of the series. I'm serious folks. For a long time I've had an idolized vision of Prince Maryn, completely forgetting all the crappy things he did. I realized that while he was the right king at the right time, he was a pretty crappy human being, at least to his women. I've loved Bellyra and Lillorigga fiercly, but never as much as this time through, and with more clarity on their situations than I had before. And while I mourned over the losses of Jill and Nevyn in earlier books, the last few pages before the book moves to Bardek at the very end really had my heart feeling like it was going to fall out of my chest. Other readers have said they felt tired and dragging through the last few books, and while there may have been some slow bits I've never found that to be a fault. But this one, it felt like new life had been breathed into the series for me. While I was dreading (only slightly, and only for emotional reasons) getting to the "end" of the series in a few more books, I feel more motivated now as well.
July 16, 2010
The third book in the Dragon Mage sequence. In this book we spend about half of our time in the past, concluding the storyline concerning Lillorigga, princess Bellyra, Maddyn the bard and the prince Maryn. The second half of the book shifts the plot forwards concerning Rhodry, Dallandra, Niffa, Raena and the dragon Arzosah.
In my opinion this is by far the best book written by Katharine Kerr in the whole Deverry series. I was gripped throughout. Of necessity considering the curse of the dweomer tablet, the first half of the story was bleak and heartbreaking. A number of my very favourite characters from this particular timeline came to fairly dire ends, which left me close to tears. Each of the various characters was treated with respect, except for Maryn and Oggyn - by the end of this section, it became very easy to hate both of them.
I was mightily relieved that Rhodry's story pushed forwards - but the ending to the book also left me near weeping with how sad, and yet how appropriate it was. Rhodry truly stepped forward to save the people he both cared for and had grown apart from. He and Arzosah became true soul mates in terms of how they viewed each other.
The other character that came into her own in this novel was Dallandra. I made no secret in my reviews of the previous Deverry books that I held a great dislike for this Elven dweomer master. Her treatment of Aderyn and the way she pandered to Evandar's every whim annoyed me intensely, and every part of her journey seemed particularly boring in comparison to the other threads of the story that were occurring. However, here she became a compassionate and wise teacher, someone who put others before herself and sought only to do what is right - including trying at the very end to redeem Raena.
This novel left a very powerful impact, and I sense that Kerr is starting to unwind the real crux of the Deverry tale. I look forward eagerly to more.
In my opinion this is by far the best book written by Katharine Kerr in the whole Deverry series. I was gripped throughout. Of necessity considering the curse of the dweomer tablet, the first half of the story was bleak and heartbreaking. A number of my very favourite characters from this particular timeline came to fairly dire ends, which left me close to tears. Each of the various characters was treated with respect, except for Maryn and Oggyn - by the end of this section, it became very easy to hate both of them.
I was mightily relieved that Rhodry's story pushed forwards - but the ending to the book also left me near weeping with how sad, and yet how appropriate it was. Rhodry truly stepped forward to save the people he both cared for and had grown apart from. He and Arzosah became true soul mates in terms of how they viewed each other.
The other character that came into her own in this novel was Dallandra. I made no secret in my reviews of the previous Deverry books that I held a great dislike for this Elven dweomer master. Her treatment of Aderyn and the way she pandered to Evandar's every whim annoyed me intensely, and every part of her journey seemed particularly boring in comparison to the other threads of the story that were occurring. However, here she became a compassionate and wise teacher, someone who put others before herself and sought only to do what is right - including trying at the very end to redeem Raena.
This novel left a very powerful impact, and I sense that Kerr is starting to unwind the real crux of the Deverry tale. I look forward eagerly to more.
April 15, 2010
It has been 16 years since I first picked up the first Deverry novel, DaggerSpell, and here in am, 16 years later, about to finish the fifteenth and final one.
Has the journey been worth it? Yes. Was the wait too long? Yes.
I would not recommend anyone starts reading the Deverry cycle unless they intend to read them all, as the macroscopic story is at least as important as the microscopic ones, and as such I am reviewing the books as a set.
I almost give them 4 stars (excellent) but in the end I am not enjoying them quite as much as I did in my early 20's and so I settled on 3 stars (good). As fantasy novels go the concepts and the writing are really excellent but for me the last couple of books haven't been as enjoyable as the early ones and it's a lot to expect people to read fifteen novels. That said I don't regret a single minute of the time I spent in Deverry. I even used to own a 'deverry' domain and use the handle of 'Rhodry' when t'internet was young.
Highly recommended IF you have the stomach for a lot of reading.
Has the journey been worth it? Yes. Was the wait too long? Yes.
I would not recommend anyone starts reading the Deverry cycle unless they intend to read them all, as the macroscopic story is at least as important as the microscopic ones, and as such I am reviewing the books as a set.
I almost give them 4 stars (excellent) but in the end I am not enjoying them quite as much as I did in my early 20's and so I settled on 3 stars (good). As fantasy novels go the concepts and the writing are really excellent but for me the last couple of books haven't been as enjoyable as the early ones and it's a lot to expect people to read fifteen novels. That said I don't regret a single minute of the time I spent in Deverry. I even used to own a 'deverry' domain and use the handle of 'Rhodry' when t'internet was young.
Highly recommended IF you have the stomach for a lot of reading.
April 7, 2020
This is a real highlight of the series for me! We get a lot of strands tied up, but new ones beginning to develop to. Thoroughly enjoying this third arc of the series.
June 14, 2020
Det märks att det här var slutet på flera böcker som hängde ihop. Fler finns det men det blev ett avslut på några trådar. Kan inte riktigt minnas att jag läst hela boken. En till finns det översatt, sen får man fortsätta på engelska. Så då fortsätter jag väl med nästa bok...
January 14, 2017
The author spends about a third of this book in what we have came to think of as the "past"--the end of the Civil Wars--and the other two thirds in the "present" with Dallandra, Rhodry, Jahdo, Niffa, Evandar, Raena, and Arzosah. Several long-running plot threads come together, a fitting end to this arc in the Deverry Cycle. One 4 book arc remains to follow Rhodry to his Wyrd and discover how the Westfolk fare after momentous discoveries rock their world.
Kerr is not afraid to write bittersweet episodes, and they typically involve love--shared, fulfilled, offered, unrequited, spurned, doomed. The world building and race building are imaginative, but the strength of the story-telling is in the individual characters and the intricacies of the various strands of this centuries-spanning tapestry.
Kerr is not afraid to write bittersweet episodes, and they typically involve love--shared, fulfilled, offered, unrequited, spurned, doomed. The world building and race building are imaginative, but the strength of the story-telling is in the individual characters and the intricacies of the various strands of this centuries-spanning tapestry.
April 12, 2022
Another comfort re-read and the end of the series. (there are a few books that come after but this is the climax imo).
April 10, 2023
Yes! This was really good. First off, I think it must have been at The Black Raven that I lost track of this sprawling series and could not figure out where I was to pick it back up again. Reading it across decades is bad enough, but spinning back and forth in time and with multiple characters with similar names, or single characters with multiple incarnations, certainly did not help me keep the details straight in my head. Going back and starting again at the beginning has been a generally pleasurable experience, while on the other hand reading so many of Kerr's books back to back has shown some of the flaws in her writing.
However, this is really why I started re-reading them. To get to the point where I would be reading something I did not have a half hazy memory of and be able to enjoy the story in thoroughly fresh fashion. By now the fact that so many of the characters have similar mannerisms in speech and action, and Kerr's pet choices of phrase bother me less than they did probably a couple of books back because there is also excitement and action and tension and resolution. While there is clearly more to be told in this whole mega-series, The Fire Dragon wraps up all sorts of story lines and leaves us feeling largely fulfilled. Both main story lines are wrapped up well, and there is a a definite feeling of tragedy from one of them, while the other has another note and plenty of promise.
And finally, right when I thought it was all over... there was an epilogue which got me right in the feels. I very nearly gave this five stars just for that raw visceral feeling, but in the end while any book which makes me feel things - and this did, all the way through, several different things at different times - it took a whole long time time getting here and I cannot ignore the winding journey. In many ways that it the strength of this series, and it is the beauty of it as well... but at times, I felt like the path wandered... and wandered severely. I don't know if that is totally fair, but I feel that if Kerr were to take another look at this series one day and given a magic editing wand, she would rearrange a lot of these parts into somewhat different orders and maybe cut out a few parts and add in a few others. I guess I may feel differently when I finally get to the end of the series over the last four books... and I am excited to be jumping into virgin territory.
I am still not entirely sure why this series is called The Dragon Mage though... Yes, there is a dragon. Yes, there is a mage. They are not the same though... and to be honest, they don't really have the biggest link.
However, this is really why I started re-reading them. To get to the point where I would be reading something I did not have a half hazy memory of and be able to enjoy the story in thoroughly fresh fashion. By now the fact that so many of the characters have similar mannerisms in speech and action, and Kerr's pet choices of phrase bother me less than they did probably a couple of books back because there is also excitement and action and tension and resolution. While there is clearly more to be told in this whole mega-series, The Fire Dragon wraps up all sorts of story lines and leaves us feeling largely fulfilled. Both main story lines are wrapped up well, and there is a a definite feeling of tragedy from one of them, while the other has another note and plenty of promise.
And finally, right when I thought it was all over... there was an epilogue which got me right in the feels. I very nearly gave this five stars just for that raw visceral feeling, but in the end while any book which makes me feel things - and this did, all the way through, several different things at different times - it took a whole long time time getting here and I cannot ignore the winding journey. In many ways that it the strength of this series, and it is the beauty of it as well... but at times, I felt like the path wandered... and wandered severely. I don't know if that is totally fair, but I feel that if Kerr were to take another look at this series one day and given a magic editing wand, she would rearrange a lot of these parts into somewhat different orders and maybe cut out a few parts and add in a few others. I guess I may feel differently when I finally get to the end of the series over the last four books... and I am excited to be jumping into virgin territory.
I am still not entirely sure why this series is called The Dragon Mage though... Yes, there is a dragon. Yes, there is a mage. They are not the same though... and to be honest, they don't really have the biggest link.
June 10, 2017
(This review may contain spoilers).
It's been quite a while since I returned to the world of Deverry, but when I started reading this book, it was really nice to return to a world I had spent a lot of time in when I was much younger.
I really liked being able to see the contrast between the past and the present. I couldn't help but feel a lot of sympathy for some of the characters, especially at the beginning. The cycle of rebirth was really interesting to read about and I especially felt that this book did a good job of showing the differences in the characters from one life to another.
I really didn't like Maryn in the first part of the book. I felt a lot of empathy for Bellyra, but I really thought that she was trapped in a loveless marriage. I very much preferred her relationship with Maddyn, even though they didn't really have much hope. And even though I knew no good could come from their feelings for each other, I did want them to have a happy ending.
I really didn't like Lilli, even though I did like seeing her relationship with Branoic and it was quite a strange thing to see Jill's soul as a male, considering every other appearance she's been female. I did think it was quite nice to see such a difference in that life.
I was somewhat unsure of what to make of Rhodry in the second half of the book. In the previous volumes, I really liked him, but I felt he was flirting with madness in this book. At the same time, it came across quite strongly that he'd lived too long and was at the point where death would be a welcome comfort. I did enjoy seeing him interact with the dragon, who I developed a particular fondness for.
I did feel sympathy for Varrac, even though I didn't really like him when he was interacting with Raena. I was disappointed that the blurb wasn't entirely accurate, as I didn't feel there was a huge amount of hostility between Rhodry and Raena. Certainly not enough to stretch over at least two lifetimes.
There was a lot of action and fantasy in this book and it made me want to re-read the other books in this series at some point in the future.
It's been quite a while since I returned to the world of Deverry, but when I started reading this book, it was really nice to return to a world I had spent a lot of time in when I was much younger.
I really liked being able to see the contrast between the past and the present. I couldn't help but feel a lot of sympathy for some of the characters, especially at the beginning. The cycle of rebirth was really interesting to read about and I especially felt that this book did a good job of showing the differences in the characters from one life to another.
I really didn't like Maryn in the first part of the book. I felt a lot of empathy for Bellyra, but I really thought that she was trapped in a loveless marriage. I very much preferred her relationship with Maddyn, even though they didn't really have much hope. And even though I knew no good could come from their feelings for each other, I did want them to have a happy ending.
I really didn't like Lilli, even though I did like seeing her relationship with Branoic and it was quite a strange thing to see Jill's soul as a male, considering every other appearance she's been female. I did think it was quite nice to see such a difference in that life.
I was somewhat unsure of what to make of Rhodry in the second half of the book. In the previous volumes, I really liked him, but I felt he was flirting with madness in this book. At the same time, it came across quite strongly that he'd lived too long and was at the point where death would be a welcome comfort. I did enjoy seeing him interact with the dragon, who I developed a particular fondness for.
I did feel sympathy for Varrac, even though I didn't really like him when he was interacting with Raena. I was disappointed that the blurb wasn't entirely accurate, as I didn't feel there was a huge amount of hostility between Rhodry and Raena. Certainly not enough to stretch over at least two lifetimes.
There was a lot of action and fantasy in this book and it made me want to re-read the other books in this series at some point in the future.
November 6, 2017
We see how Raena/Merodda and Niffa/Lilli's histories intersect.
Lilli's, Maryn's, and Bellyra's deaths were awful. The ending of that narrative was a tragedy. I'm not yet sure how their timelines work out - Lilli doesn't meet Maryn again in present-day, and the present-day Bellyra/Maryn worked out well enough - they did their duty. It's nice to see that present-day Bellyra/Carra retains so much of her personality/love for history.
I realise that there are so many synonyms for laughing in battle - which almost every character does. Is it deliberate on the part of the author? Like - is laughing in battle the only socially acceptable manner of showing emotion? Or a socially-praised one (i.e. to feel that lust for battle), meaning that only people who laugh in battle get recorded? But it does get a little boring to read about.
I did not see Rhodry becoming a dragon. Is that the end of his narrative? That resolution was satisfying though - we see Evander tying up lose ends in the Bright Court, and I liked that the mysterious old man turned out to be Aderyn (I thought it would be Nevyn). Dallendra appears to tie herself to the material world again - to look after Eliss.
I liked the Cerr Cawnen "resolution". At least there's another city - although there's going to be a long way to travel for it.
I liked the resolution of the Salamander arc - with him heading back to Deverry. It was awful that he forgot to bid farewell to his children though. :(
It's a good ending-place for the series, but the knowledge that there's more is going to drive me to finish this series.
Lilli's, Maryn's, and Bellyra's deaths were awful. The ending of that narrative was a tragedy. I'm not yet sure how their timelines work out - Lilli doesn't meet Maryn again in present-day, and the present-day Bellyra/Maryn worked out well enough - they did their duty. It's nice to see that present-day Bellyra/Carra retains so much of her personality/love for history.
I realise that there are so many synonyms for laughing in battle - which almost every character does. Is it deliberate on the part of the author? Like - is laughing in battle the only socially acceptable manner of showing emotion? Or a socially-praised one (i.e. to feel that lust for battle), meaning that only people who laugh in battle get recorded? But it does get a little boring to read about.
I did not see Rhodry becoming a dragon. Is that the end of his narrative? That resolution was satisfying though - we see Evander tying up lose ends in the Bright Court, and I liked that the mysterious old man turned out to be Aderyn (I thought it would be Nevyn). Dallendra appears to tie herself to the material world again - to look after Eliss.
I liked the Cerr Cawnen "resolution". At least there's another city - although there's going to be a long way to travel for it.
I liked the resolution of the Salamander arc - with him heading back to Deverry. It was awful that he forgot to bid farewell to his children though. :(
It's a good ending-place for the series, but the knowledge that there's more is going to drive me to finish this series.
July 11, 2022
Het eerste deel van Elfenkracht leest als een soap, maar dan in een fantasy setting. Het even onvermijdelijke als tragische einde van Prins Maryn en zijn geliefden is een bittere pil voor de magiër Nevyn, die in deze tijd nog leefde. Dit deel leest wel als trein.
Het tweede deel gaat een stuk trager, maar heeft een bevredigend einde als de gehate Raena ter verantwoording wordt geroepen voor de wandaden die ze in naam van een valse Godin die niet eens meer leeft heeft begaan.
Katharine Kerr sluit op een ferme manier dit bedrijf van de Deverrycyclus af, maar gooit meteen weer genoeg lijntjes op voor de volgende en beslissende reeks van de laatste 4 boeken waarin alles samen zal komen. Ik ben benieuwd!
Het tweede deel gaat een stuk trager, maar heeft een bevredigend einde als de gehate Raena ter verantwoording wordt geroepen voor de wandaden die ze in naam van een valse Godin die niet eens meer leeft heeft begaan.
Katharine Kerr sluit op een ferme manier dit bedrijf van de Deverrycyclus af, maar gooit meteen weer genoeg lijntjes op voor de volgende en beslissende reeks van de laatste 4 boeken waarin alles samen zal komen. Ik ben benieuwd!
March 4, 2022
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2022/0...
Well, this wraps up several storylines in a satisfying way and hints at some interesting ones coming up in the next series, but also does something toward the end that I did NOT see coming and I applaud Kerr and her ridiculous Evander wholeheartedly. Still really enjoy her characters (she has a fascinating array of women; I of course am partial to the one that keeps recurring who is interested in HISTORY and of course to all the ones learning magic) and I liked that the plots in this one centered more on politics than on sieges. A-.
Well, this wraps up several storylines in a satisfying way and hints at some interesting ones coming up in the next series, but also does something toward the end that I did NOT see coming and I applaud Kerr and her ridiculous Evander wholeheartedly. Still really enjoy her characters (she has a fascinating array of women; I of course am partial to the one that keeps recurring who is interested in HISTORY and of course to all the ones learning magic) and I liked that the plots in this one centered more on politics than on sieges. A-.
June 7, 2023
I enjoyed this last installment of their cycle. It was very rewarding. I'm mean Lilli's story so tragic. Lilla and Bellyra, both made me cry and made Maryn seem so ... pathetic.
I love Jadho.
Rhodry? Who doesn't love Rhodry and to see this end to his story is so strange.
There are so many loose ends tied up here and they are all tied up so well. Evander has always been a favorite of mine, and to see his world dying ... it was so sad, but also so hopeful.
I have definitely liked this cycle brings.
I love Jadho.
Rhodry? Who doesn't love Rhodry and to see this end to his story is so strange.
There are so many loose ends tied up here and they are all tied up so well. Evander has always been a favorite of mine, and to see his world dying ... it was so sad, but also so hopeful.
I have definitely liked this cycle brings.
March 31, 2024
This finishes the older story of Maryn who is fighting to be king and the people around him- his wife, mistress, seer and bard. It then goes back to the later tale in the same kingdom when we have the dragon Arzosh who is not happy that she is back helping Rhodry. This book takes the tales of many characters to their conclusion which made it more satisfying that the tale is moving on in a more obvious way than the last
May 4, 2019
This book closes out the story arc of Rhoddry, though I am sure he will be in future books. What a close to that story it was with sacrifice and magic both playing a part classic fantasy at it's best.
Lets face it if you've made it this far you love the characters and world and want to know where it goes next so onto the next one but I will miss Rori the Dragon Rider.
Lets face it if you've made it this far you love the characters and world and want to know where it goes next so onto the next one but I will miss Rori the Dragon Rider.
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March 17, 2024Of course you have to read the previous 10 books of this series to really get the full impact of this one. I loved The Fire Dragon. It really tied up a lot of the loose ends that had been hanging and continued the story in a satisfying (if at time surprising) manner. This series deals greatly with reincarnation and the weaving of patterns within each life.
August 13, 2017
Just fantastic! This book kept me hungry all the way to the end...and what an ending!!
Now, just the four books of the last act - The Silver Wyrm. While I can't wait to read them, I hate that I'm so close to the end of the series.
Now, just the four books of the last act - The Silver Wyrm. While I can't wait to read them, I hate that I'm so close to the end of the series.
January 4, 2024
And with that, we conclude the saga of Maryn, Lilli, Bellyra, Madden, Branoic and all the other players caught up in this sad as fuck tale. The way Katherine Kerr killed off all the characters mentioned except for Maryn in the span of a couple chapters….🥴I had to take a break because it was just too depressing. The problem is she makes you care so much for some characters (except Maryn, fuck that guy) and most times things do work out after a few trials and tribulations so I just kept thinking, hey Nevyn is going to figure this out. He’s going to fix this somehow. And then Branoic dies, which was a blow but when Bellyra died….I was so angry that she made me care so much for her only to end her life like that. It was really unexpected in my eyes that Nevyn was unable to help and that in the end, he became disgusted and had to leave the man he molded and raised to be king.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2025
In my opinion this is by far the best book written by Katharine Kerr in the whole Deverry series. I was gripped throughout.
This novel left a very powerful impact, and I sense that Kerr is starting to unwind the real crux of the Deverry tale. I look forward eagerly to more.
This novel left a very powerful impact, and I sense that Kerr is starting to unwind the real crux of the Deverry tale. I look forward eagerly to more.
April 18, 2020
We have travelled to Cerr Cawnan.
Horsekin,the locals, westfolk and a dragon. What a mix.
Things are coming to ahead.
Horsekin,the locals, westfolk and a dragon. What a mix.
Things are coming to ahead.
October 13, 2022
In a word, brilliant.
January 31, 2024
Oh Rhodry...I still miss you and Jill...why did you have to court Lady Death so hard???
Glad to still be on this path. It has been a wonderful one spanning over half my life!
Glad to still be on this path. It has been a wonderful one spanning over half my life!
March 16, 2017
2017 reread
November 18, 2013
Honestly, I couldn't really be bothered with what happened to whom anymore.
As the cycle goes on and on, I barely got attached to any character in particular (also because they tend to die quite easily and even so they are not really gone anyway... not really a spoiler at this point anymore). I also didn't get why the "evil" characters where allowed to live on for so long. When you're a notorious poisoning manipulating witch in a medieval setting, that's usually a straight ticket to death by beheading, by burning,by hanging or by any other evenly savoury means.
I read the last cycle of the Deverry saga many years after reading the other Deverry volumes, so I'm not above saying that my heart was completely into it.
I did enjoy the character/timetable in the appendixes of the last volume. It felt somewhat like the seeing the credits of Cloud Atlas where you discover who Tom Hanks was in this and that era. Nevertheless, that didn't make up for the time spent on reading it (or seeing that sad excuse for special effects and pretentious ruining of an otherwise intriguing storyline, maybe I should check out the book.)
Sorry for the Kerr aficionados out there. She is obviously a very skilled writer and I enjoyed the beginning of the Deverry saga, but I just struggled getting to the end of this one.
As the cycle goes on and on, I barely got attached to any character in particular (also because they tend to die quite easily and even so they are not really gone anyway... not really a spoiler at this point anymore). I also didn't get why the "evil" characters where allowed to live on for so long. When you're a notorious poisoning manipulating witch in a medieval setting, that's usually a straight ticket to death by beheading, by burning,by hanging or by any other evenly savoury means.
I read the last cycle of the Deverry saga many years after reading the other Deverry volumes, so I'm not above saying that my heart was completely into it.
I did enjoy the character/timetable in the appendixes of the last volume. It felt somewhat like the seeing the credits of Cloud Atlas where you discover who Tom Hanks was in this and that era. Nevertheless, that didn't make up for the time spent on reading it (or seeing that sad excuse for special effects and pretentious ruining of an otherwise intriguing storyline, maybe I should check out the book.)
Sorry for the Kerr aficionados out there. She is obviously a very skilled writer and I enjoyed the beginning of the Deverry saga, but I just struggled getting to the end of this one.
November 21, 2025
This series has followed me since I was about 12 years old, and I decided to read all of the books again now that I'm over 40. The books are still just as good as when I first picked them up. This is a really epic fantasy series, where both the world and the magic are completely unique. The way we get to follow the same souls through hundreds of years is mindboggling, and the characters are so very good and well written.
In this book we finally get to know what happens with Rhodry and his dragon, and it's such a beautiful and tragic ending to this book.
In this book we finally get to know what happens with Rhodry and his dragon, and it's such a beautiful and tragic ending to this book.
January 7, 2012
A decent conclusion to "scene 3", leaving several plot threads unresolved and paving the way for "scene 4". While I do like the whole long-term story thing, it was a little irritating when I first read the series, since I had to stop at this point and wait for 9 years until the final "scene" was completed. Anyway, now I can finally move on to the stuff I haven't read yet.
Something that has struck me so far about this series is Kerr's thoughtful and restrained use of extremely powerful magic. Having world-changing magics running loose in a book typically destabilizes the story; either the author handles everything with magic and there's no conflict, or the author avoids the earth-shattering magic the s/he thoughtlessly introduced and the whole story losses any sense of believability. Kerr manages to make amazing powers an integral part of her story while simultaneously constraining both their use and those who use them in very believable ways, providing a fun romp that both fantastical and (comparatively) realistic. In addition to the gritty realism of her world, it's Kerr's reserved approach to fantasy elements that really makes this a fun series.
Something that has struck me so far about this series is Kerr's thoughtful and restrained use of extremely powerful magic. Having world-changing magics running loose in a book typically destabilizes the story; either the author handles everything with magic and there's no conflict, or the author avoids the earth-shattering magic the s/he thoughtlessly introduced and the whole story losses any sense of believability. Kerr manages to make amazing powers an integral part of her story while simultaneously constraining both their use and those who use them in very believable ways, providing a fun romp that both fantastical and (comparatively) realistic. In addition to the gritty realism of her world, it's Kerr's reserved approach to fantasy elements that really makes this a fun series.
September 10, 2014
I have read the first 3 books of the series called Dragon Mage: The red Wyvern, the Black Raven and the Fire Dragon. Although I was not familiar with the Deverry world and the style is pretty convoluted, I ended up liking the story: souls are reincarnated until they fulfill their fate (called wyrd). There are several races in the world, and some chosen people posses magic (called dweomer)which some use for good, some use for bad. These wizards are usually long-lived and they live among ordinary people, hiding they powers. The action is split between different times, but we soon realize we follow certain souls in their various incarnations. Although is seems we need the whole series (which has about 12 novels)to come to a conclusion, the story was interesting enough and it kept me guessing: neither character is entirely good or bad, they make decisions based on the hard life they lead and each decision has consequences that span more than the duration of their current lifetime.
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