Deryni Magic

by Katherine Kurtz

Here, for the first time, the secrets of the Deryni, that mysterious race of wizards and healers blessed with arcane mental powers, are revealed.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Reference, Historical, Magic, Historical Fantasy

370 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 1990

About the author

Katherine Kurtz is an American fantasy novel writer. She is best known for her Deryni series. She currently lives in Virginia.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a truly amazing book, and not at all what I expected. I thought it was going to be a clearly laid out explanation of the powers of the mystical Deryni, along with an attempt to explain away the (admittedly few) inconsistencies found in the series. That is this book.

Instead, this book is mainly a philosophical discussion on the basis for the gifts/powers, the ethical considerations involved in their use, and how these relate to religion. It provides possible reasoning behind the reasons why the Deryni were determined to be anathema by the religious leaders of Gwynedd (while at the same time not justifying that reaction). It cites examples from the books in the series to support the points it makes about the use of the gifts/powers. I was particularly impressed by the tone of the book - it's almost like this book was written first, serving as a foundation of the Deryni, rather than almost last, explaining what has come before. The level of consistency, while not perfect, is quite high - high enough to make it simple to believe that this is a real universe and not a fictional one because of the ease with which these things are explained.

If you like the Deryni and enjoy philosophical discussions, you should definitely read this book.

[Sunni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems to be more of a reference and informational tool in regards to the Deryni series. It isn't a book to be read and enjoyed from cover to cover, as it lacks a story altogether. This book explores the abilities of the Deryni their spells and their talents.

[Tawnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading all of these Deryni books, including King Kelson series (see Maree's bookshelf for the exhaustive list) a long time ago, and I remember that I really liked them except for one thing....the hero always died, and I found that to be profoundly sad. So, I'd read the next one and the same thing, and finally, I got tired of getting attached to the characters and then having my heart crushed.
So if you don't mind that, go ahead and read these. They are good. I just don't like sad books.

[Avis Black]

Rather unnecessary since Kurtz tells you tons about Deryni magic in her series.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grimoire disguised as a fantasy compendium. Part of my adolescence.

[Kelly]

Another Deryni fan book not a story.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't really remember this book but I know I continue to like this series.

[Vader · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish