Elven prince Dar has called upon his allies, the dwarven folk of the Northern mountains and the human men of Deverry in the East, to take arms against their mutual enemy, the fanatical Horsekin, whose imminent invasion of the Westlands will place the entire realm in danger...
Born 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.
Another meaty full-course dinner in the massive Deverry Cycle. This is the second novel in the fourth set of books, (The Silver Wyrm). Overall, it’s the 13th book in the larger series.
Two main time frames are featured in this volume. The “present day” that is the main story of “The Silver Wyrm” setting sees the major plot lines pushed forward significantly, focusing on a group of outcast Horsekin and half-breeds who are persecuted by Alshandra worshipers because of their dweomer talents. A mysterious black stone also plays a major role in events. Most of the first half of the book takes place in a previous time frame, in fact, just prior to the present-time events of book one, Daggerspell.
As always, I enjoy the micro-view of the various stories told in the different time periods. But knowing how the major characters are reincarnated into other characters makes the macro-view of the entire series truly awe inspiring. I always leave one of these books with the feeling that I’ve filled in another aspect of the giant Celtic knot structure that is the Deverry Cycle.
9/10 Solidly entertaining, this installment in the Deverry Cycle moves the plot forward and ties in another set of earlier incarnations and younger years of some of the main characters.
It's getting more and more difficult to leave reviews for these, probably because so much happens and then there's still more that's going to happen and so much HAS happened that it's impossible to talk about one without talking about all.
Without checking the incarnations table, I was glad to see I was right about who Pir used to be (if you think about it, it's pretty obvious). It made me feel a little less forgetful ;) And Clae's reveal towards the end was touching because I loved who he used to be, even if he was an ass at times.
Rhodry's story line was probably one of my favorite parts of this book, even though it was very much in the background. I think the end where he's addressing Gerran and then Branna really hit home for me how much I really love Rhodry as a person (and dragon), even though he's stubborn, and mad, and in love with death. He's a fully fleshed-out person to me, I could see him being real (even though this is all fantasy), and despite his faults he is a good man (dragon).
Can't believe there are only two books left... I'm going to go off in a corner and be a sad panda now.
Not my favourite of the series, but still a fun read! A chunk of this ties back into the third and fourth books, so although that tested my memory slightly it was super interesting to get more context behind some major events there. There are a couple of plot beats that I feel might be reoccurring a little too frequently for me (e.g. couples where one is scheming and evil and holds power over the other who is devoted to them, Alshandra in general), but I feel that is probably vaguely inevitable with a narrative that is built around the same souls being reborn (although that first niggle happens across different souls). I am still enjoying this series and am excited to see how the final two books will go, but am probably going to take a small pause from continuing on as I'm starting to feel how long the story is!
Nu fick man reda på lite hur det var när Salamander var liten. kul. och sen fortsättningen på motsättningarna med hästfolket. Ska ju inte riktigt än, nä. Men det är lockande att fortsätta med nästa del direkt...Jag vet var den finns.
The very things which made The Golden Falcon stand out a bit from the rest of the Deverry cycle are missing from this one. Once again we leap back in time to go over some period of history which sheds light on current events... But I really wonder how important they really were. Yes, there were things filled, yes there were additional points of interest... But I found myself somewhat resenting the time away from more current events, and I had to say I wondered how much of this history was later shoe-horned into things Kerr had written years earlier and was now dissatisfied with and seeking to improve, and how much was part of her original vision. I certainly felt that some things did not fit quite as smoothly... though on the most, they did - so it is probably just my memory.
It’s been a few years since I read the previous book in the series, so it took awhile to remember where the plot lines were up to, but once that was done it was like welcoming an old friend. The story moves along at a nice pace and is always engaging if not page turning. It’s more of a comfortable read than a can not put down read. All the characters are well defined, especially those who have been in previous books. The events and settings are all well described, except for the battle scenes will are only generally described with little actual detail, but this does not detract from the story in the least.
This book is the first in the series that offers any suggestion of change in the way society is run especially for the West folk. Its one of the issues with this series it spans hundreds of years and yet society in Deverry fails to advance there is not one iota of evolution in society until this book and then it's minor. Still this is a charge that could be true of a lot of fantasy but given the span of these books its a big oversight for the series.
I'm into the last few books now so the story is starting to feel like it's approaching an ending with a big focus on the horsekin I'm intrigued where these books go next.
Gelukkig maakten we weer een trip naar het verleden en kregen we een interessante interactie tussen eerdere incarnaties van Jill/Branna en Cullyn/Gerrant en Nevyn. Nevyn blijft mijn favoriete karakter uit de hele serie en ik had niet verwacht hem nog weer te zien, dus was ik blij verrast! Daarnaast kwam ook de jeugd van Salamander voorbij en de zaadjes die in het eerste deel werden geplant vonden hun opvolging in het tweede deel, waarin Neb en Branna helaas nauwelijks in beeld waren. De dreiging van het Paardenvolk boeit me weinig, maar de vele andere figuren die 'Steengeest' rijk is maakten ook dit deel van de Deverryreeks wederom een boek waar ik doorheen ben gevlogen.
Everything in this world is kind of becoming an enjoyable blur at this point (there is a whole flashback timeline section in this one, and damned if I can remember a single thing about it, even though I read it earlier today! There are just so many timelines now!), but I'm not saying that to complain. Rather, it’s complete escapism and I am going to be BEREFT when I am done (there are two more books left in the Deverry Cycle, and then it looks like the author published the start of a related series in 2020?).
I feel like I just sped through this installment. I loved getting Salamander's origin story!!! It tied so well to the "present day" plot. I loved Sidro too. So relatable.
Most of the first half of the book takes place in a previous time frame, in fact, just prior to the present-time events of book one, Daggerspell.
The story is entertaining, this installment in the Deverry Cycle moves the plot forward and ties in another set of earlier incarnations and younger years of some of the main characters.
If you read the other books in this series, the Silver Wyrm will not disappoint!
Kind of disjointed or unfocused compared to the previous volume, and the battle we have been leading up to for two books somehow still felt out of place. But lovely continuation of important character arcs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Throughout all of her books I am stunned at her eloquence. Her words paint wonderful images as she develops but her tales and the many faceted characters.
Book five of the Dragon Mage sequence by Katharine Kerr. The events in this book follow on directly from those in the Gold Falcon - the joint armies of Westfolk, Deverry men and Mountain Folk are mustering in order to put Zakh Gral (the Horsekin fortress) to the sword. This time round we leave the stories of Branna and Neb, who remain behind at the dun. Instead Salamander and Dallandra come to the fore - dealing with a group of Gel da Thae who have been banished for using dweomer by those who follow Alshandra; finding and trying to discover the secrets of the black pyramid and the white; and trying to cure Rori's wounds.
I enjoyed this tale, finding a number of new story strands to enjoy and seeing where Kerr is filling some of the gaps from previous stories. For instance, we went back in time here to when Salamander was merely Evan (in his mother's language) and Ebany (in his father's) - a child of only a few years. It was a time where Dallandra had already gone to the Guardians and her son Loddlaen was growing up - where Nevyn realises that Loddlaen has suffered through being in Dalla's womb when she first travelled with Evandar and went to different worlds. It was interesting seeing how Loddlaen turned from an odd young man who struggled with dweomer to someone who was prepared to commit murder (eventually becoming the deranged mage we met at the time that Jill and Rhodry first came together).
Speaking of that, Branna and Rori also experience a heart breaking scene, where Branna only remembers that JIll was once friends with Rhodry before he turned dragon, and nothing more than that while Rori knows what truly passed between them.
Another fantastic scene was where Dalla tries to explain to Gerran the nature of war and the fact that no side will truly win since both commits atrocities in the name of what they believe in. Very strong and powerful.
In fact, there were only few bits to this novel that I found wearisome. One was actually the "war" against the Horsekin in Zakh Gral. It has been built up over the last book and a half to be something huge and menacing, yet was over extremely quickly and with very little loss of life or danger to the Westfolk/Deverry men. I understand the war is not yet over, but I did feel as though there would be more tension.
So, onto the next book in Kerr's neverending cycle - although I do see the finishing line now! In the next book I anticipate more of Rori and the rediscovery of Haen Marn!
P.S. I've no doubt that to anyone who has not read the previous books in the Deverry sequence this review is so much garbled mess, of characters and storylines that don't make much sense. For this reason I would urge people strongly to start with Daggerspell and move forwards in written order.
If anyone is trying to decide whether to read the Deverry books based on my review, I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are rich with details - realistic characters, political viewpoints, magic, adventure, romance, the Seelie, Elves, Dwarves, Dragons. Truly, there are few fantasy series that truly deserve the description "epic", but this is one of them. I believe that Kerr is enormously under-rated and has quietly put out one of the most accomplished long-running series in the field. Please don't miss out!
This is the longest book in the series so far, and it feels like the most enjoyable. I rather enjoyed the Gerraent incarnation. We see a past-life where he's known as Gwairyc, and a rather cold-hearted one. Nevyn takes him on an adventure and Gwairyc learns compassion.
That past-life also dovetails with Loddlaen's origin story, which is a rather unfortunate one. Briefly, Loddlaen is spoiled by Aderyn and eventually kills both Brangwen/Jill's present incarnation (where she is an aunt to Ebany). In a later incident, Loddlaen kills Val's husband.
That tied a lot of threads together - we see what Jill got up to after her death as Braneic. We see Loddlaen's origin story, as well as Ebany. We see the first of the black pyramid, which plays a role in present-day (i.e. by occasioning the disappearance of Lav, who is present-day Raena's/Sidro's lover).
It also explains why present-day Gerraent - now known as Gerran - easily recognises the presence of dweomar (since he saw quite a bit of it). Although he doesn't explicitly accept it, his actions do. Gerran also contains Cullyn's wisdom - in The Gold Falcon, he goes after Jill, and when he is turned down, accepts it. That was actually great character/past-life development.
Maryn/Yraen comes back as Clae, and his silver dagger returns to him. I loved that affirmation of past-life identity. Huh, I wonder what happened to Rhodry's old silver dagger.
Calonderiel gets more of a starring role, and his blunt way of speaking is a delight:
"Tact? What good is tact?" Calonderiel said. "I've tried that on people, and they still don't do what I want."
In the meantime, Rhodry is starting to remember his past-life, and to recognise others - he mentions Owaen to Gerran (Owaen being the Gerran from Maddyn's timeline), and how Owaen died. He also recognises Cullyn in Gerran, and Jill in Branna. In a way, all the development in the previous books have led up to this. On the other hand, Rhodry is still crazy in love with dying. At this stage, I'm not sure if the books will end with his death or with Rhodry being cured. Both would be acceptable endings.
(It's also nice that Perryn came back.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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 get a tiny glimpse into the real world as well, and I love that we've gotten glimpses of the history of where the humans came from. Very good book that is gearing up to a conclusion.us fanaticism, and there are a lot of battles and action going on. I also really enjoy that we get so many POV's, even from the horsekin fanatics.
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.
While waiting for the concluding segment of this series to be released, I had a concern about how it would be handled. Specifically, I'd felt she'd painted herself into a corner and would have to pull some entirely too convenient plot developments out of nowhere; this is exactly what happened. The entire "past" sequence of the book feels artificial. In the earlier books, the segues into past lives always stood as stories in their own rights; this time it came across as an expedient way of setting up the plot point that will help resolve the series. Otherwise, however, the book was a decent follow up to The Gold Falcon (The Silver Wyrm, Book 1) & (Deverry Dragon Mage, Book 4). Let's just hope there aren't too many more out-of-nowhwere plot shifts, or that they're at least small ones.
The Spirit Stone is the fifth book in the DRAGON MAGE sequence by Katharine Kerr. The events in this book follow on directly from those in The Gold Falcon. The joint armies of Westfolk, Deverry men, and Mountain Folk are mustering in order to put Zakh Gral (the Horsekin fortress) to the sword. This time round we leave the stories of Branna and Neb, who remain behind at the dun. Instead Salamander and Dallandra come to the fore — dealing with a group of Gel da Thae who have been banished for using dweomer by those who follow Alshandra; finding and trying to discover the secrets of the black pyramid and the white; and trying to cure Rori's wounds.
I enjoyed The Spirit Stone, finding a number of new story strands to enjoy and seeing how Kerr is filling some of the ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
I liked this, I'm just not convinced that the best way to tell a story is by flipping back and forth through ages- I just think I'm too logic-minded and want the story to go from start to finish. I tend to think past to present so jumping back and trying to remember who is who just makes it more sloggy-feeling. But the story is good, and I'm really happy towards the end of the series it is getting more cohesive and tightening up. I'm thinking perhaps as the years went on, the experience helped too, and feedback from readers. So, maybe would be enjoyed even more by people like my bff from when we were kids who could read multiple books at a time and read them starting from the middle, and reading the beginning and end out of order- this whole series would make way more sense to her :)
I just love this series and now as I'm coming to the conclusion (only 2 more books for me) I am getting very sad because it will end. I loved going back in time to be with Nevynn again, although that story was so sad but explained so much about Salamander. And who doesn't love Salamander and this book just has you fall in love with him even more! With the introduction of new characters...the story just keeps getting better and better...how will it end? And it's just too bad that it will have to end!!
I liked this book a lot, my only problem with it was the retconning of Alashandra into Alastyr's incarnation. It makes sense in retrospect, and in the original Darkspell books they had a more vague reason for prying into the dark dewomer, but I felt that it was kinda shoehorned into the story clumsily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.