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Adept #1
The Adept
Sir Adam Sinclair, an aristocratic scholar, physician, and adept, whose mission is to protect the Light from the evil that threatens it, braves an unholy cult of black magicians who have unleashed the dark forces of the undead on Scotland
323 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
69 people are currently reading
1027 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.
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April 19, 2019I wanted Dennis Wheatley but not rancid, which is pretty much what I got in this occult thriller, but sadly the Wheatley qualities extended to the writing as well as the plot. Flat characters and sadly predictable (e.g. the climax is set next to Loch Ness and you will never guess what happens to the baddies). Also, one day Americans will stop trying to render Scottish speech phonetically and the world will be a slightly less irritating place.
Hey ho, my search for a really satisfying occult thriller continues.
Hey ho, my search for a really satisfying occult thriller continues.
February 14, 2018
I usually enjoy Katherine Kurtz's books. This one however was just average in my opinion. I guess I expected a lot more and what I got was a meandering story with a few flashes of brilliance but ultimately not enough to make me give this anything but a so-so rating. I don't know how much the co-author affected the story and I am unwilling to blame her since I don't know how much of what she contributed was lackluster. It could have been that Kurtz just didn't perform up to her usual standards in this entry. Anyway, it was just okay.
April 29, 2015
Imagine a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mystery with all the delightfully cheesy trappings, set in Scotland with lots of occult bits. That is the basic description of Katherine Kurtz's "The Adept," a stately supernatural thriller that seems to be gleefully rolling in cars, kilts, gentrified upper-crust cliches and magical reincarnation stuff. It's strictly a guilty pleasure -- fun but slightly goofy.
Sir Adam Sandler is a shrink, baronet... and Adept mage for the forces of Light (ah, the shorthand for generic Good). While visiting an old friend, he encounters a young artist named Peregrine Lovat, who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
It turns out that Peregrine has a psychic gift that allows him to foresee things and hear voices, and he's desperate for Adam's help. So Adam reveals that both of them are part of an elite force of reincarnated Templar knights, who have battled evil throughout the centuries. And now he's taking Peregrine under his wing to teach him.
Unfortunately, dark things are afoot in Scotland, including the theft of a sword that may have supernatural power, grave-robbing, necromancy and a string of murders. Using ancient Scottish artifacts and blood magic, a wave of evil sorcerers are coming to steal an ancient treasure -- unless Adam and Peregrine can stop them.
"The Adept" is porn for people who love reading about Anglicized aristocracy, big crumbling castles and ivy-draped manorhouses, blue-bloods and lots of clothes and cars. The story practically swims in this, until it sometimes feels like you're swimming in jolly-good, veddy-veddy-elegant surroundings -- especially since most of the main characters seem to be "the right sort of people" (minus the pleasantly middle-class McLeod).
So if you don't like hearing about every aspect of clothing, jewelry and hairstyle at whatever genteely wealthy party the characters are attending, this may not be your cup of tea.
However, the mystery is the strongest point of the story, if a bit Hardy Boys at times. The base of the book and its characters will be familiar to mystery fans: the detective and his sidekick, the friendly policeman (McLeod) who tags along on their adventures, and a dastardly plot to do... something. Despite a suspenseful prologue, it doesn't get moving until a good one-third of the way through the story, and things slowly rev up to the breathtaking climax.
And Kurtz soaks it in a generous amount of occult goings-on, which may baffle people who don't know much about reincarnation, occult theory and the sort. There are even fairies (not cute little gauze-winged creatures, as Adam tells us), a Ban-sidhe, and a chuckleworthy cameo at the end.
As for the characters, they feel slightly unreal -- Adam and Peregrine don't get angry or frustrated, they have no skeletons in their closets, they have no sex lives, and they're resolute pillars of virtue with few flaws. Peregrine is made somewhat more interesting, though, due to his emotional problems and initial hysteria. And McLeod is just an all-around fun guy, a rollicking Highland chieftain in a cop's uniform.
"The Adept" has some serious flaws, particularly the focus on upper-crust trappings rather than the mystery -- but when it focuses on the mystery, it's a pretty fun supernatural thriller.
Sir Adam Sandler is a shrink, baronet... and Adept mage for the forces of Light (ah, the shorthand for generic Good). While visiting an old friend, he encounters a young artist named Peregrine Lovat, who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
It turns out that Peregrine has a psychic gift that allows him to foresee things and hear voices, and he's desperate for Adam's help. So Adam reveals that both of them are part of an elite force of reincarnated Templar knights, who have battled evil throughout the centuries. And now he's taking Peregrine under his wing to teach him.
Unfortunately, dark things are afoot in Scotland, including the theft of a sword that may have supernatural power, grave-robbing, necromancy and a string of murders. Using ancient Scottish artifacts and blood magic, a wave of evil sorcerers are coming to steal an ancient treasure -- unless Adam and Peregrine can stop them.
"The Adept" is porn for people who love reading about Anglicized aristocracy, big crumbling castles and ivy-draped manorhouses, blue-bloods and lots of clothes and cars. The story practically swims in this, until it sometimes feels like you're swimming in jolly-good, veddy-veddy-elegant surroundings -- especially since most of the main characters seem to be "the right sort of people" (minus the pleasantly middle-class McLeod).
So if you don't like hearing about every aspect of clothing, jewelry and hairstyle at whatever genteely wealthy party the characters are attending, this may not be your cup of tea.
However, the mystery is the strongest point of the story, if a bit Hardy Boys at times. The base of the book and its characters will be familiar to mystery fans: the detective and his sidekick, the friendly policeman (McLeod) who tags along on their adventures, and a dastardly plot to do... something. Despite a suspenseful prologue, it doesn't get moving until a good one-third of the way through the story, and things slowly rev up to the breathtaking climax.
And Kurtz soaks it in a generous amount of occult goings-on, which may baffle people who don't know much about reincarnation, occult theory and the sort. There are even fairies (not cute little gauze-winged creatures, as Adam tells us), a Ban-sidhe, and a chuckleworthy cameo at the end.
As for the characters, they feel slightly unreal -- Adam and Peregrine don't get angry or frustrated, they have no skeletons in their closets, they have no sex lives, and they're resolute pillars of virtue with few flaws. Peregrine is made somewhat more interesting, though, due to his emotional problems and initial hysteria. And McLeod is just an all-around fun guy, a rollicking Highland chieftain in a cop's uniform.
"The Adept" has some serious flaws, particularly the focus on upper-crust trappings rather than the mystery -- but when it focuses on the mystery, it's a pretty fun supernatural thriller.
December 30, 2011
Kurtz writing just doesn't pull me in. There is too much detail about things I don't care about (please don't tell me how great the engine on the super cool car they are driving sounds _again_) and not enough description about the actual meat of the story. The 'magic' was couched in metaphysical, puso-science terms and kept vague enough that the reader had to make some leaps to follow but didn't have a mystical bridge to help with suspension of disbelief. The climax wasn't as suspenseful as it should have been... perhaps because I didn't worry about any of the characters. The 'bad guys' were just nameless shadow figures so of course they were defeated.
I'm going to pass on anything more from this author. At least for a while.
I'm going to pass on anything more from this author. At least for a while.
October 27, 2013
Warrior . . . Doctor . . . Knight . . . Detective
Defender of the Light
He is Sir Adam Sinclair: nobleman, physician, scholar–and an Adept. A man of great learning and power, he practices arcane ancient arts unknown to the modern world.
He has had many names and has lived many lives, but his mission remains the same: to protect the Light of the world from those metaphysical criminals who prowl the Dark Road.
Now his beloved Scotland is defiled by a ruthless cult of black magicians who will commit any atrocity, from murder both physicical and spiritual to enslaving the dead, to achieve their evil ends.
Only one man can stand against them . . .
The ADEPT
PORTRAIT OF AN ADEPT
A face began to take shape on the blank page—a lean bearded face, with deep eyes and a patrician nose above a stern, passionate mouth. The face was surmounted by a conical helmet of steel over a chain mail coif, in the style of the late thirteenth century. Adam’s own eyes widened as he realized that Peregrine was seeing him not as he was now, but as the Knight Templar he had been nearly seven hundred years ago . . .
Defender of the Light
He is Sir Adam Sinclair: nobleman, physician, scholar–and an Adept. A man of great learning and power, he practices arcane ancient arts unknown to the modern world.
He has had many names and has lived many lives, but his mission remains the same: to protect the Light of the world from those metaphysical criminals who prowl the Dark Road.
Now his beloved Scotland is defiled by a ruthless cult of black magicians who will commit any atrocity, from murder both physicical and spiritual to enslaving the dead, to achieve their evil ends.
Only one man can stand against them . . .
The ADEPT
PORTRAIT OF AN ADEPT
A face began to take shape on the blank page—a lean bearded face, with deep eyes and a patrician nose above a stern, passionate mouth. The face was surmounted by a conical helmet of steel over a chain mail coif, in the style of the late thirteenth century. Adam’s own eyes widened as he realized that Peregrine was seeing him not as he was now, but as the Knight Templar he had been nearly seven hundred years ago . . .
December 6, 2017
I love this series; it’s a mixture of British mystery, Scottish folklore, and the occult, with a little thriller/action thrown in. And it still holds up pretty well, for being over twenty-five years old.
May 31, 2017
My initial impression of the book and the characters hasn’t changed much. They’re both serviceable, but aren’t amazing. Peregrine and Adam remain rather flat and unengaging. Peregrine hangs on Adam’s every word and is always surprised, only occasionally mustering up the will to make declarative statements. He’s a big, dumb, puppy. Adam’s take on the Bruce Wayne character –rich man with a butler who knows everything and has many secrets- comes off as bland and shallow simply because he rarely, if ever, struggles with anything. I’m not a fan of how the magic system works, but that’s just personal preference. The fact that most of it is left in mystery sure doesn’t help.
Around page 200, 210, the book started to drag and I wished we could just get everything over with. Instead, I had to read about the crew changing into weather-appropriate clothes, the butler packing the suitcases, scenes of eating lunch, and the phrase, “We’ve done enough for today. Let’s get some rest so we’re fresh for tomorrow,” and similar variations too many times to stay sane.
All of this magic, Scottish lore, the Faerie court, and psychological/spiritual mumbo jumbo for what? For a story about stealing some damn treasure. Could the end goal of the bad guys be less compelling? They’re going to perform black magic rites and necromancy for TREASURE?? C’mon! Okay, fine. The bad guys are also looking for a spell book. They’re going to do…something…with it? Bad things? Evil spells? It’s not made clear what their exact goal is other than to have it. And in the end, the bad guys have it for about two seconds before they’re torn limb from limb, so…
Another reason the plot failed to produce suspense or a feeling of urgency is that Adam, Peregrine, and McLeod are so far behind the culprits that they only manage to face danger near the end of the novel. Most of the pursuit is Peregrine and Adam looking at things: old castles, microfilm, newspapers, etc. and then Adam whipping up a magical solution to point them in the right direction.
The most interesting part of the novel comes, of course, at the end. The storm conjured up by angry faeries adds a little bit of the missing danger and suspense element. The trio’s trek to the bad guys’ castle was my favorite part and the part where the prose shines the most. I mean, it’s not really shining, per say, the rest of the time, but you get it.
Let’s take a look at the female characters. Um. What female characters? We have an elderly Lady Laura who’s Peregrine’s grandmotherly/maternal influence who kicks the bucket, a young lady Peregrine’s instantly drawn to who subsequently falls off the face of the earth, Adam’s friend who’s married to his other friend and life’s mission is to set him up with girls, and a couple of other old ladies scattered about. The only reason I’m okay with this sad lack of representation is that it kills the potential for any sickeningly annoying romance to gum up the plot. Apparently Adam’s standards for a girlfriend are so “exacting” that’s he’s been all alone all of his 40 years. *cue a single tear*
Overall, the book would've been much improved if it were 50-100 pages shorter or a just a different book altogether.
Around page 200, 210, the book started to drag and I wished we could just get everything over with. Instead, I had to read about the crew changing into weather-appropriate clothes, the butler packing the suitcases, scenes of eating lunch, and the phrase, “We’ve done enough for today. Let’s get some rest so we’re fresh for tomorrow,” and similar variations too many times to stay sane.
All of this magic, Scottish lore, the Faerie court, and psychological/spiritual mumbo jumbo for what? For a story about stealing some damn treasure. Could the end goal of the bad guys be less compelling? They’re going to perform black magic rites and necromancy for TREASURE?? C’mon! Okay, fine. The bad guys are also looking for a spell book. They’re going to do…something…with it? Bad things? Evil spells? It’s not made clear what their exact goal is other than to have it. And in the end, the bad guys have it for about two seconds before they’re torn limb from limb, so…
Another reason the plot failed to produce suspense or a feeling of urgency is that Adam, Peregrine, and McLeod are so far behind the culprits that they only manage to face danger near the end of the novel. Most of the pursuit is Peregrine and Adam looking at things: old castles, microfilm, newspapers, etc. and then Adam whipping up a magical solution to point them in the right direction.
The most interesting part of the novel comes, of course, at the end. The storm conjured up by angry faeries adds a little bit of the missing danger and suspense element. The trio’s trek to the bad guys’ castle was my favorite part and the part where the prose shines the most. I mean, it’s not really shining, per say, the rest of the time, but you get it.
Let’s take a look at the female characters. Um. What female characters? We have an elderly Lady Laura who’s Peregrine’s grandmotherly/maternal influence who kicks the bucket, a young lady Peregrine’s instantly drawn to who subsequently falls off the face of the earth, Adam’s friend who’s married to his other friend and life’s mission is to set him up with girls, and a couple of other old ladies scattered about. The only reason I’m okay with this sad lack of representation is that it kills the potential for any sickeningly annoying romance to gum up the plot. Apparently Adam’s standards for a girlfriend are so “exacting” that’s he’s been all alone all of his 40 years. *cue a single tear*
Overall, the book would've been much improved if it were 50-100 pages shorter or a just a different book altogether.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2013
Another pickup of a recommendation from a friend. I quite got into this one, although Lovat's wide-eyed fascination at every turn grated a little after a while. The characters were quite interesting, and even if there's nothing in your heart for all the magic and so forth, you can at least enjoy the story and excellent geography and historical detail
September 5, 2019
A really satisfying reread.
One bit was binary on gender and sexuality that I think would be more diverse nearly 30 years later. It reads as of its time rather than intolerance, but still made me a little uncomfortable.
One bit was binary on gender and sexuality that I think would be more diverse nearly 30 years later. It reads as of its time rather than intolerance, but still made me a little uncomfortable.
January 1, 2019
A good read that mesh mystery and crime with a touch of fantasy
March 25, 2018
Scottish castles, folklore, and the aristocracy - check
Occult mystery and necromancy - check
Sorcerers, druids, mystical items and reincarnation - check
For this series, Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris have thrown everything plus the kitchen sink into a supernatural thriller that has a great deal of potential, but never amounts to much more than a lighthearted, fun read. It is the Regency romance of the fantasy/paranormal genre.
That being said, it was fun. It made me nostalgic for my youth spent reading Encyclopedia Brown, Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and even the Bobbsey Twins. There was that same sense of fun and that it would all come out right at the end, no matter how scary it was along the way.
The characters were engaging (Sir Adam Sinclair, Peregrine Lovat, and MacLeod) though they were all a little too "good" - rather more like the hero in a romance than what I would otherwise expect of a more complex, fully developed character in a Kurtz novel. Few flaws, always doing what is precisely right at precisely the right time. In fact, the entire novel had that feel - a very well scripted, well rehearsed play. The bad guys were little more than shadowy occult cutouts, so you never really doubted that the good guys would win out in the end.
The mystery itself, and the weaving of the trappings of Scottish aristocracy with the occult, psychics, necromancy, and Druidic magic was where the series really shined. It was engaging and fun, and moved swiftly along with plenty of action (at least after the first third of this novel).
Overall, it think the series builds to its most satisfying - the final book was my favorite (Death of an Adept), but I thoroughly enjoyed every installment along the way. If you are looking for enjoyable fun that doesn't make you think too hard, this series may be for you. I have read it three or four times over the years and enjoyed it every time.
(Note: unless an editor has tackled it in recent years, I would go with a printed edition over the Kindle, which was rife with typos and errors.)
Occult mystery and necromancy - check
Sorcerers, druids, mystical items and reincarnation - check
For this series, Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris have thrown everything plus the kitchen sink into a supernatural thriller that has a great deal of potential, but never amounts to much more than a lighthearted, fun read. It is the Regency romance of the fantasy/paranormal genre.
That being said, it was fun. It made me nostalgic for my youth spent reading Encyclopedia Brown, Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and even the Bobbsey Twins. There was that same sense of fun and that it would all come out right at the end, no matter how scary it was along the way.
The characters were engaging (Sir Adam Sinclair, Peregrine Lovat, and MacLeod) though they were all a little too "good" - rather more like the hero in a romance than what I would otherwise expect of a more complex, fully developed character in a Kurtz novel. Few flaws, always doing what is precisely right at precisely the right time. In fact, the entire novel had that feel - a very well scripted, well rehearsed play. The bad guys were little more than shadowy occult cutouts, so you never really doubted that the good guys would win out in the end.
The mystery itself, and the weaving of the trappings of Scottish aristocracy with the occult, psychics, necromancy, and Druidic magic was where the series really shined. It was engaging and fun, and moved swiftly along with plenty of action (at least after the first third of this novel).
Overall, it think the series builds to its most satisfying - the final book was my favorite (Death of an Adept), but I thoroughly enjoyed every installment along the way. If you are looking for enjoyable fun that doesn't make you think too hard, this series may be for you. I have read it three or four times over the years and enjoyed it every time.
(Note: unless an editor has tackled it in recent years, I would go with a printed edition over the Kindle, which was rife with typos and errors.)
September 13, 2008
I have always been interested in Knights, especially the Knights Templar, Christian Warrior Monks from about 1100-1300 AD. The Adept is a modern day reincarnate of one the Grand Masters of the Knights Templar. He among the other Knights continue the eternal fight between Light and Darkness by tapping into the mystic powers of their past lives to defect such enemies like the Nazis. This book has everything that I love in stories, English and Scottish history, knights, magic, mystery, in a modern world that I can relate to. Once you have read this book you will want to read the whole series.
April 28, 2008
I've read some of Kurtz's other books in the past but I have not read a book by Harris yet. But I was at the City of Fairfax library for the first time (usually go to my local one) and this book was in the free bin. This is one amazing book! Very well written and really not what I expected. I just bought the next two in the series from a used book store, and the second one is pretty good too.
March 31, 2025
M-aș fi așteptat ca la capitolul “Mulțumiri” să îl descopăr și pe Russell Mulcahy împreună cu întreaga distribuție a filmului “Highlander”. Sau măcar pe Christopher Lambert și pe Sean Connery, este atât de evidentă influența scoțiană a filmului asupra cărții scrise de Deborah Harri și Katherine Kurtz încât lipsa mulțumirilor adresate actorilor respectivi chiar a fost o surpriză pentru mine. Nu-i frumos să vezi filmul, să te apuci aproape numaidecât să scrii o carte în care să plasezi parte din narațiune pe insula Skye, ba chiar să pui clanul MacLeod în centrul atenției, și să nu le mulțumești celor care te-au inspirat…
Mă așteptam de asemenea - și din nou m-am înșelat - ca înfruntarea finală dintre forțele binelui și cele ale răului să se desfășoare în apropierea castelului Eilean Donan, loc din care, dacă vă mai amintiți, pleacă în lunga sa călătorie Connor MacLeod în filmul “Highlander”, dar nu m-am gândit că dacă autoarele își plasau povestea acolo ar fi ratat Loch Ness, ori ar fi fost de neimaginat să scrii o carte încărcată de magie în care monstrul Nessie să nu-și vâre și el la propriu coada.
În același timp, nu știu dacă este foarte corect din partea mea să mă leg doar de aceste amănunte strict tehnice. Romanul “Inițiatul” este ideal pentru o lectură de vacanță, amatorii de literatură ce planează în zona misticismului și cei pe care îi fascinează diversele teorii ale conspirației cu siguranță vor îndrăgi această lucrare.
Cât despre cei care, din rațiuni de neimaginat, au ajuns să nu mai aibă nici măcar cel mai mic dubiu cu privire la existența unei uriașe rețele de tunele dacice interconectate sinergic și alte asemenea aspecte de factură enigmatico-energetică, ei bine, probabil că domniile lor vor considera “Inițiatul” drept un fel de manuscris de referință, un volum legendar scăpat de cenzura mondialo-ocultă și care ne dezvăluie o parte dintre marile secrete ale omenirii…
https://www.bucurestifm.ro/2025/03/31...
Mă așteptam de asemenea - și din nou m-am înșelat - ca înfruntarea finală dintre forțele binelui și cele ale răului să se desfășoare în apropierea castelului Eilean Donan, loc din care, dacă vă mai amintiți, pleacă în lunga sa călătorie Connor MacLeod în filmul “Highlander”, dar nu m-am gândit că dacă autoarele își plasau povestea acolo ar fi ratat Loch Ness, ori ar fi fost de neimaginat să scrii o carte încărcată de magie în care monstrul Nessie să nu-și vâre și el la propriu coada.
În același timp, nu știu dacă este foarte corect din partea mea să mă leg doar de aceste amănunte strict tehnice. Romanul “Inițiatul” este ideal pentru o lectură de vacanță, amatorii de literatură ce planează în zona misticismului și cei pe care îi fascinează diversele teorii ale conspirației cu siguranță vor îndrăgi această lucrare.
Cât despre cei care, din rațiuni de neimaginat, au ajuns să nu mai aibă nici măcar cel mai mic dubiu cu privire la existența unei uriașe rețele de tunele dacice interconectate sinergic și alte asemenea aspecte de factură enigmatico-energetică, ei bine, probabil că domniile lor vor considera “Inițiatul” drept un fel de manuscris de referință, un volum legendar scăpat de cenzura mondialo-ocultă și care ne dezvăluie o parte dintre marile secrete ale omenirii…
https://www.bucurestifm.ro/2025/03/31...
January 26, 2025
Coperta a fost cea care m-a atras la aceasta carte si faptul ca promitea multe enigme, mister, fantezie, o latura intunecata si un aer gotic.
"The adept" a aparut in 1991 si are un personaj principal fascinant: Sir Adam Sinclair. Acesta este un scotian pedant si plin de farmec ce l-ar fi facut invidios chiar si pe Sean Connery. Inzestrat cu flerul unui detectiv si avand cunostintele unui psihiatru Adam lupta impotriva fortelor intunericului, magiei si ocultului. Iar cand o sabie pretioasa ce apartinuse unui puternic necromant dispare el va trebui sa descopere dedesubturile acestei misterioase intamplari.
Trebuie sa marturisesc ca Sir Adam este un splendid personaj ce m-a atras pe loc. Are in jur de 40 de ani, ochi negri in care mocneste focul, tinuta si este extrem de inteligent. Foarte important, detine simtul umorului si pe cel al ironiei. In vene ii curge sange de templier fiind un veritabil cavaler al luminii.
Descrierile din carte ale peisajelor din Scotia sunt absolut superbe - castelele, parcurile, drumurile pitoresti - toate incanta cititorul. Te face sa-ti poti imagina fiecare detaliu, fiecare nuanta, ca si cum ai fi acolo.
In carte avem o suita intreaga de elemente oculte: incantatii, globuri magice, hipnoza, calatorii in trecut, reincarnare, ritualuri, sacrificii, necromantie, 'banshee' etc.
Partea intunecata se manifesta destul de tarziu, abia dupa pagina 150, totul fiind foarte subtil, ceea ce sporeste misterul si atata curiozitatea cititorului. Nici macar la final nu aflam cine este adevaratul maestru, cel care conduce tabara fortelor intunecate. Va trebui sa urmarim toata seria pentru a afla.
Actiunea decurge destul de greu la inceput, fiind necesara o oarecare rabdare, insa este o reala placere sa citesti ceva atat de elaborat, scris cu entuziasm si avand atat de multa atentie pentru detalii.
Pasionata fiind de villainii din carti mereu mi s-a parut ca ei sunt personajele mai atragatoare pentru cititori. Iata insa ca Sir Adam reprezinta exceptia de la regula fiind un personaj pozitiv la fel de interesant ca adversarul sau. Mai ales pentru faptul ca este un adevarat gentleman care prefera ceaiul in detrimentul cafelei.
Recomand volumul atat fanilor horror, iubitorilor de aventuri, relicve, mitologie, spiritualitate, fantasy dar si celor care prefera povestile detectivistice. Are o scriitura frumoasa, erudita, ultra-documentata si o exprimare manierata si sofisticata.
"The adept" a aparut in 1991 si are un personaj principal fascinant: Sir Adam Sinclair. Acesta este un scotian pedant si plin de farmec ce l-ar fi facut invidios chiar si pe Sean Connery. Inzestrat cu flerul unui detectiv si avand cunostintele unui psihiatru Adam lupta impotriva fortelor intunericului, magiei si ocultului. Iar cand o sabie pretioasa ce apartinuse unui puternic necromant dispare el va trebui sa descopere dedesubturile acestei misterioase intamplari.
Trebuie sa marturisesc ca Sir Adam este un splendid personaj ce m-a atras pe loc. Are in jur de 40 de ani, ochi negri in care mocneste focul, tinuta si este extrem de inteligent. Foarte important, detine simtul umorului si pe cel al ironiei. In vene ii curge sange de templier fiind un veritabil cavaler al luminii.
Descrierile din carte ale peisajelor din Scotia sunt absolut superbe - castelele, parcurile, drumurile pitoresti - toate incanta cititorul. Te face sa-ti poti imagina fiecare detaliu, fiecare nuanta, ca si cum ai fi acolo.
In carte avem o suita intreaga de elemente oculte: incantatii, globuri magice, hipnoza, calatorii in trecut, reincarnare, ritualuri, sacrificii, necromantie, 'banshee' etc.
Partea intunecata se manifesta destul de tarziu, abia dupa pagina 150, totul fiind foarte subtil, ceea ce sporeste misterul si atata curiozitatea cititorului. Nici macar la final nu aflam cine este adevaratul maestru, cel care conduce tabara fortelor intunecate. Va trebui sa urmarim toata seria pentru a afla.
Actiunea decurge destul de greu la inceput, fiind necesara o oarecare rabdare, insa este o reala placere sa citesti ceva atat de elaborat, scris cu entuziasm si avand atat de multa atentie pentru detalii.
Pasionata fiind de villainii din carti mereu mi s-a parut ca ei sunt personajele mai atragatoare pentru cititori. Iata insa ca Sir Adam reprezinta exceptia de la regula fiind un personaj pozitiv la fel de interesant ca adversarul sau. Mai ales pentru faptul ca este un adevarat gentleman care prefera ceaiul in detrimentul cafelei.
Recomand volumul atat fanilor horror, iubitorilor de aventuri, relicve, mitologie, spiritualitate, fantasy dar si celor care prefera povestile detectivistice. Are o scriitura frumoasa, erudita, ultra-documentata si o exprimare manierata si sofisticata.
May 6, 2023
I ended up with this book along with a number of others from a relative's collection.
From the description, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a let down. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it was definitely not what I got.
I suppose I anticipated a bit more of the 'mystic detective' trope, ala Carnacki or so many other examples from weird and pulp fiction. And that's certainly present in a way...but there is an awful lot of almost Victorian/Romantic-esque nobility/rich person stuff here. Much like a lot of classic literature from that era, I find it a little off-putting. Its hard to feel sympathetic to or identify with people so wealthy they have no actual responsibilities or demands on their time. Even artists who benefit from their patronage (which are present here) feel similar to me. Combined with the fact that we get *VERY LIMITED* magic or mystical secret society action until about the last 50 pages of this book. In fact, there's very little action of any kind til that point. Until then, there's a lot meandering not really training, not really teaching, a new protege...a lot of description of rich people's homes and cars and oh so important activities, a *little* investigation...and that's about it. There's also some really heavy christian overtones to the magic, which I wasn't anticipating, but the author goes out of their way to let us know it doesn't *have* to be that way. Unless someone tells me the subsequent books have a pretty hard shift in tone and pacing, I'm out for the rest of the series.
From the description, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a let down. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it was definitely not what I got.
I suppose I anticipated a bit more of the 'mystic detective' trope, ala Carnacki or so many other examples from weird and pulp fiction. And that's certainly present in a way...but there is an awful lot of almost Victorian/Romantic-esque nobility/rich person stuff here. Much like a lot of classic literature from that era, I find it a little off-putting. Its hard to feel sympathetic to or identify with people so wealthy they have no actual responsibilities or demands on their time. Even artists who benefit from their patronage (which are present here) feel similar to me. Combined with the fact that we get *VERY LIMITED* magic or mystical secret society action until about the last 50 pages of this book. In fact, there's very little action of any kind til that point. Until then, there's a lot meandering not really training, not really teaching, a new protege...a lot of description of rich people's homes and cars and oh so important activities, a *little* investigation...and that's about it. There's also some really heavy christian overtones to the magic, which I wasn't anticipating, but the author goes out of their way to let us know it doesn't *have* to be that way. Unless someone tells me the subsequent books have a pretty hard shift in tone and pacing, I'm out for the rest of the series.
March 1, 2022
Kurtz, Katherine, and Deborah Turner Harris. The Adept. The Adept No. 1. Ace, 1991.
The Adept is urban fantasy with all the tropes of Victorian fantasy. Adam Sinclair is a psychiatrist from Scotland who works for the FBI (yes, that FBI). When a sword that belonged to a long-dead wizard is stolen from a museum, he is put on the case. He is also treating an artist whose paintings reflect paranormal visions. He is the perfect partner to investigate the theft—quick before the baddies can resurrect the 12th-century wizard. Latter-day Knights Templar have something to do with it, of course. It is all a bit too reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength (a.k.a. The Tortured Planet in an American edition). 3 stars.
The Adept is urban fantasy with all the tropes of Victorian fantasy. Adam Sinclair is a psychiatrist from Scotland who works for the FBI (yes, that FBI). When a sword that belonged to a long-dead wizard is stolen from a museum, he is put on the case. He is also treating an artist whose paintings reflect paranormal visions. He is the perfect partner to investigate the theft—quick before the baddies can resurrect the 12th-century wizard. Latter-day Knights Templar have something to do with it, of course. It is all a bit too reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength (a.k.a. The Tortured Planet in an American edition). 3 stars.
May 10, 2023
I have tried to read through this book a few times. I made it to the end this time.
This is one of those books that I enjoy more for the character development and world/philosophy building than for the climactic payoff.
Because this book is so predictable the ending is tired, the middle is tired, and the only thing that keeps you reading, hopefully, are the characters. At this point in the great revival of Urban Fantasy that has been happening for about 15 years now...even the whimsical and magical characters in this book are stale.
However it does have it's interesting points, so worth a read if your into magical/occult detectives and fiction with black magicians.
I'll be reading the next book.
This is one of those books that I enjoy more for the character development and world/philosophy building than for the climactic payoff.
Because this book is so predictable the ending is tired, the middle is tired, and the only thing that keeps you reading, hopefully, are the characters. At this point in the great revival of Urban Fantasy that has been happening for about 15 years now...even the whimsical and magical characters in this book are stale.
However it does have it's interesting points, so worth a read if your into magical/occult detectives and fiction with black magicians.
I'll be reading the next book.
June 20, 2020
I enjoyed this modern (1991) police procedural plus pastlives and spiritual good v. bad set in Scotland. The hero, Sir Adam Sinclair, was capable and enjoyable, and this first book in a series of about five was interesting enough that I am getting the others. There seemed to be some weight to the book plus tons of descriptions of spiritual meditations and insights, of both good- and bad-guy actions, and it was worthwhile to me. I'll read the rest when they arrive. A capable hero is such a rarity--
July 28, 2017
The story wasn't bad, but the editing was horrible!!! From beginning to end there were constant typos and punctuation errors. Some of them were quite funny, like the Frasers becoming Erasers, but, really - a 12 year old could probably do a better job at editing. I found all of the errors, i.e. quotation marks in the wrong places, as well as the over abundance of misspellings and typos to be so distracting that I'm not likely to read the sequels.
May 12, 2020
This was a fun re-read. I had read this first book back in the 1990s. Then I went off on a long binge of non-fiction (or classics-I was also studying literature at the time) for a few decades. Found a copy in a 25 cent pile and just had a lot of fun. Well paced, intriguing characters and well plotted. Not a great classic of the genre but certainly worth the investment of time and money. I liked it enough to send for the rest of the series.
Read
May 6, 2023DNF. I was really hoping that I would like these—I love the Deryni books and I really liked Lammas Night, so I thought I would… The attention to really insignificant things (I really don’t care that much about the household furnishings, or the cars—at least not to the detail given here). To me it makes the main character completely unrelatable. I think it’s just a definite style that bugs me. Oh well.
November 7, 2016
I think I read at least one of these years ago, but I didn't remember it as I read. The first book in the series, this introduced a number of characters and plot starts. The world building, while interesting, is accomplished in a very info dump way, so it interfered with plot for me. I'll read some more, obviously, just because Sinclair.
Read
May 12, 2022Really good!! Loved the way magic was portrayed and all the Scottish folklore stuff. It's way less "Loud" than I expected it to be, in a very good way. I actually only bought the first two at a bookstore in Seattle (thanks Magus!), but went back to get the third before I left since I liked it so much. Excited to start the second one.
September 25, 2024
I enjoyed it so much! It took me back to my childhood and I got to live an adventure filled with magic, faeries, evil secret societies, castles, mysteries and monsters. The good guys are good while the bad guys are evil. Simple. Just plain old entertainment. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
March 28, 2018
Interesting mix of fantasy, history, magic. Part of re-reading books in my collection and I haven’t read this series since it first came out. Main quibble is the portrait of the main character Adam Sinclair as an of course good looking aristocrat (even in his past lives—really!).
February 3, 2019
I honestly couldn't even get through this. The digital edition has so many typos, formatting mistakes, and editing mistakes that I lost the thread constantly.
The writing is terrible, and I only gave it 2 stars because I liked the paper edition as a kid.
The writing is terrible, and I only gave it 2 stars because I liked the paper edition as a kid.
April 11, 2019
Scottish Magic
Well written with strong characters this book has aged well, it doesn't say when it is set but seems to be in the 1980's. I liked the matter of fact way the magical talents are spoken about. The crime solving was done well and wrapped up cleanly.
Well written with strong characters this book has aged well, it doesn't say when it is set but seems to be in the 1980's. I liked the matter of fact way the magical talents are spoken about. The crime solving was done well and wrapped up cleanly.
September 26, 2019
Brilliant!
After reading The Deryni books; I decided try the first book in The Adept series. Katherine is a great author, wonderful storyteller - as is Deborah. I was immersed into this brilliant work of art from page one! Sir Adam Sinclair and Peregrine Lovat make a great duo!
After reading The Deryni books; I decided try the first book in The Adept series. Katherine is a great author, wonderful storyteller - as is Deborah. I was immersed into this brilliant work of art from page one! Sir Adam Sinclair and Peregrine Lovat make a great duo!
May 15, 2024
As fantastic as I remembered
I read this book decades ago and was both fascinated with the subject matter and enthralled with the writing. I must have read it half a dozen times. Fast forward a few decades and I decided to read it again. It never loses its magic.
I read this book decades ago and was both fascinated with the subject matter and enthralled with the writing. I must have read it half a dozen times. Fast forward a few decades and I decided to read it again. It never loses its magic.
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