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The Legends of Camber of Culdi #1-3
Les Derynis: La Trilogie des Rois : L'intégrale
Roi de douleur.
Roi de mort.
Roi de folie.
Roi de mort.
Roi de folie.
1265 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 2, 2007
319 people are currently reading
375 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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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 7, 2017
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
My rating is 3.5 stars.
I first discovered Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni series when I was about 13 years old. Quickly, her story of the medieval kingdom of Gwynedd sucked me in. This land of kings and lords, healers and knights, State and Church, humans and Deryni bringing to mind the medieval English past. And added to this delightful mixture was both the deep religious (Christian) devotion of the characters as well as real magic. Both portrayed very faithfully; the characters having no misgivings in practicing magic (more rightly labeled superhuman abilities) and worshiping their chosen faith. But what set this series apart from other fluff fantasy of the time was that there was no “Happily Ever After” for the main characters, just real consequences which, many times, did not turn out well for them. In fact, I’ve never seen another author outside of George R.R. Martin kill quite so many important protagonists as Katherine Kurtz does in The Legends of Camber of Culdi; a statement of fact which might or might not make the Deryni series more or less desirable to read according to your viewpoint of that sort of thing.
The Legends of Camber of Culdi, naturally, follows along behind the aforementioned Camber. This middle-aged Deryni lord having retired to his estates and allowed his eldest son to take his place at court due to a new Deryni King being enthroned. At approximately 59 years of age, Camber anticipates years of dedicated scholarly study and time with his children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, his God has other plans in store for him.
In book one, Camber of Culdi, Camber is drawn out of retirement by the worsening of King Imre’s hatred toward humans and his ever increasing persecution of anyone he deems his enemy. Camber does not seek the throne of Gwynedd for himself, however, but rather a more suitable claimant for it, which leads he and his family to investigate the claim of a dying man that an heir of the Haldane bloodline remains in hiding. The pursuit of this elusive heir to the former human kings of Gwynedd, the struggle to convince this man to give up his beloved life to head a rebellion, and then the rebellion itself driving the story to its final conclusion. Woven into all this is the richly described world of the Deryni, their land’s faith, and the insidious undertones of recognized and unrecognized racial prejudice by the Deryni for their human subjects.
Saint Camber and Camber the Heretic continue the story of the Haldane Restoration in Gwynedd set into motion by Camber’s action in book one. Wars are fought. Important people die. New lives are assumed. Wounds heal but leave scars of doubt. Old characters take on new roles. Schemes are laid. Secret societies are created. Contingency plans are put into place. Political machinations swirl around the royal court. And, gradually, the racial prejudice and atrocities of the Deryni in the past begin to be leveled at them instead of by them. All of it leading up to a grim and gloomy ending for nearly everyone a reader has grown to love and care about throughout the trilogy.
When I was a teenager, my favorite parts of this trilogy were the ones focusing on medieval warfare and political machinations around the king. Everything else really went over my head, though I do recall being intrigued by the subtle magic in the series (especially how it mixed magic and faith together as a sacred thing above human understanding). But during my recent reread, I found myself being more captivated this time around by Kurtz’s portrayal of the characters' Christian faith; a faith which is a major part of their whole society and is treated both respectfully and seriously by the writer. Too many times modern stories attempt to sanitize a narrative of any religious overtones so not to offend anyone (even when to do so makes little sense from a historical perspective), but in The Legends of Camber of Culdi, the author stays true to the historical basis for Gwynedd (medieval England, Whales, et cetera), integrating the religion of the time (Catholicism) into the narrative without it sounding preachy in any way. Considering how pious all the protagonists are here it just would not have seemed right if Kurtz had completely omitted the basis of their faith, and I enjoyed experiencing that in a fantasy story.
Another highlight of this read is the characters themselves, whom you come to love and care about even though they are flawed, short sighted at times, and cannot see their own high-handedness or ingrained prejudices. Camber, naturally, is the star throughout the series, but many other persons are interwoven into his life, adding great dimension to the story. My favorite being Cinhil Haldane, whose exit from the stage comes far too quickly for my tastes.
The main criticism I have of Legends is that book three, Camber the Heretic, is far too long and suffers from too much "telling" instead of showing. Up until the third installment, Kurtz had penned a fairly gripping tale of a rebellion against the throne and the immediate repercussions of that coup, introducing many memorable characters and mixing in enough suspense to make a reader overlook the lengthy descriptions of official ceremonies, mystic rituals, and the like. Heretic, however, skips ahead twelve years from the end of Saint Camber and spends the first two-thirds of its prodigious length "telling" a reader what has occurred, what is currently happening, what characters are doing now, and how the tension in Gwynedd might boil over. All of this “telling” in addition to those official ceremonies, mystic rituals, and the like which still are described in depth over and over again. It made the book too long, too slow with far too much "telling." No other way to put it. I would have loved to have seem many of the events Kurtz “tells” me about actually happening, but instead I am merely “told” it all, which caused the pages to drag by.
If you love medieval society, are not bothered by overt Christian characters, and do not mind tragedy in the George R.R. Martin mold of protagonist after protagonist dying in horrible way, The Legends of Camber of Culdi might be a series you should give a try. I’d recommend beginning any read of the Deryni series with The Chronicles of the Deryni (so as not to ruin the surprises there), but once you have been introduced to young Prince Kelson Haldane and this world, then Legends is the next logical step on your journey through the magical land of Gwynedd.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
My rating is 3.5 stars.
I first discovered Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni series when I was about 13 years old. Quickly, her story of the medieval kingdom of Gwynedd sucked me in. This land of kings and lords, healers and knights, State and Church, humans and Deryni bringing to mind the medieval English past. And added to this delightful mixture was both the deep religious (Christian) devotion of the characters as well as real magic. Both portrayed very faithfully; the characters having no misgivings in practicing magic (more rightly labeled superhuman abilities) and worshiping their chosen faith. But what set this series apart from other fluff fantasy of the time was that there was no “Happily Ever After” for the main characters, just real consequences which, many times, did not turn out well for them. In fact, I’ve never seen another author outside of George R.R. Martin kill quite so many important protagonists as Katherine Kurtz does in The Legends of Camber of Culdi; a statement of fact which might or might not make the Deryni series more or less desirable to read according to your viewpoint of that sort of thing.
The Legends of Camber of Culdi, naturally, follows along behind the aforementioned Camber. This middle-aged Deryni lord having retired to his estates and allowed his eldest son to take his place at court due to a new Deryni King being enthroned. At approximately 59 years of age, Camber anticipates years of dedicated scholarly study and time with his children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, his God has other plans in store for him.
In book one, Camber of Culdi, Camber is drawn out of retirement by the worsening of King Imre’s hatred toward humans and his ever increasing persecution of anyone he deems his enemy. Camber does not seek the throne of Gwynedd for himself, however, but rather a more suitable claimant for it, which leads he and his family to investigate the claim of a dying man that an heir of the Haldane bloodline remains in hiding. The pursuit of this elusive heir to the former human kings of Gwynedd, the struggle to convince this man to give up his beloved life to head a rebellion, and then the rebellion itself driving the story to its final conclusion. Woven into all this is the richly described world of the Deryni, their land’s faith, and the insidious undertones of recognized and unrecognized racial prejudice by the Deryni for their human subjects.
Saint Camber and Camber the Heretic continue the story of the Haldane Restoration in Gwynedd set into motion by Camber’s action in book one. Wars are fought. Important people die. New lives are assumed. Wounds heal but leave scars of doubt. Old characters take on new roles. Schemes are laid. Secret societies are created. Contingency plans are put into place. Political machinations swirl around the royal court. And, gradually, the racial prejudice and atrocities of the Deryni in the past begin to be leveled at them instead of by them. All of it leading up to a grim and gloomy ending for nearly everyone a reader has grown to love and care about throughout the trilogy.
When I was a teenager, my favorite parts of this trilogy were the ones focusing on medieval warfare and political machinations around the king. Everything else really went over my head, though I do recall being intrigued by the subtle magic in the series (especially how it mixed magic and faith together as a sacred thing above human understanding). But during my recent reread, I found myself being more captivated this time around by Kurtz’s portrayal of the characters' Christian faith; a faith which is a major part of their whole society and is treated both respectfully and seriously by the writer. Too many times modern stories attempt to sanitize a narrative of any religious overtones so not to offend anyone (even when to do so makes little sense from a historical perspective), but in The Legends of Camber of Culdi, the author stays true to the historical basis for Gwynedd (medieval England, Whales, et cetera), integrating the religion of the time (Catholicism) into the narrative without it sounding preachy in any way. Considering how pious all the protagonists are here it just would not have seemed right if Kurtz had completely omitted the basis of their faith, and I enjoyed experiencing that in a fantasy story.
Another highlight of this read is the characters themselves, whom you come to love and care about even though they are flawed, short sighted at times, and cannot see their own high-handedness or ingrained prejudices. Camber, naturally, is the star throughout the series, but many other persons are interwoven into his life, adding great dimension to the story. My favorite being Cinhil Haldane, whose exit from the stage comes far too quickly for my tastes.
The main criticism I have of Legends is that book three, Camber the Heretic, is far too long and suffers from too much "telling" instead of showing. Up until the third installment, Kurtz had penned a fairly gripping tale of a rebellion against the throne and the immediate repercussions of that coup, introducing many memorable characters and mixing in enough suspense to make a reader overlook the lengthy descriptions of official ceremonies, mystic rituals, and the like. Heretic, however, skips ahead twelve years from the end of Saint Camber and spends the first two-thirds of its prodigious length "telling" a reader what has occurred, what is currently happening, what characters are doing now, and how the tension in Gwynedd might boil over. All of this “telling” in addition to those official ceremonies, mystic rituals, and the like which still are described in depth over and over again. It made the book too long, too slow with far too much "telling." No other way to put it. I would have loved to have seem many of the events Kurtz “tells” me about actually happening, but instead I am merely “told” it all, which caused the pages to drag by.
If you love medieval society, are not bothered by overt Christian characters, and do not mind tragedy in the George R.R. Martin mold of protagonist after protagonist dying in horrible way, The Legends of Camber of Culdi might be a series you should give a try. I’d recommend beginning any read of the Deryni series with The Chronicles of the Deryni (so as not to ruin the surprises there), but once you have been introduced to young Prince Kelson Haldane and this world, then Legends is the next logical step on your journey through the magical land of Gwynedd.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
September 15, 2017
I am going to review this without spoilers or major plot reviews. I love books that have are fantasy, but have a historical background and I now that I will be reading all the books set in this world. I would love to be able to purchase them in one volume like I did this one but I don’t know if the author/publisher is planning on doing it soon so I have to obtain individual copies of either print or digital and on a fixed income it’s not always easy.
These novels are set in an alternate universe reminiscent of medieval Wales; the Deryni are magical creatures that have many abilities, including the ability to travel via portals between places and non-magical humans. These are the historical books of the Deryni and the first if you want to read them chronologically; however, I don’t think I would have enjoyed them as much if I had not read TCOTD first. I am an avid fan of SKP and think that reader who enjoyed The Welsh Princes trilogy would like this. The author has done a remarkable job building her alternate world; the characters are well-drawn and the reader will feel as if they are part of that world.
It took me longer to read this than I would because I wanted to read The Chronicles of the Deryni trilogy so I would be reading the books in the order they were written, but after finishing these I think I should have read the Kelson trilogy before I started this. I feel guilty about reading books that are not in my TBR queue at Netgalley ,like I’m cheating or something but if I without doing this I would not have been able to finally read Mary, Called Magdalene which I’ve been wanting to read for years or Mississippi Blood which I’ve been waiting for since I finished The Bone Tree. These novels were so good that even though I am way behind on book reviews I don’t regret reading them.
4.5/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
These novels are set in an alternate universe reminiscent of medieval Wales; the Deryni are magical creatures that have many abilities, including the ability to travel via portals between places and non-magical humans. These are the historical books of the Deryni and the first if you want to read them chronologically; however, I don’t think I would have enjoyed them as much if I had not read TCOTD first. I am an avid fan of SKP and think that reader who enjoyed The Welsh Princes trilogy would like this. The author has done a remarkable job building her alternate world; the characters are well-drawn and the reader will feel as if they are part of that world.
It took me longer to read this than I would because I wanted to read The Chronicles of the Deryni trilogy so I would be reading the books in the order they were written, but after finishing these I think I should have read the Kelson trilogy before I started this. I feel guilty about reading books that are not in my TBR queue at Netgalley ,like I’m cheating or something but if I without doing this I would not have been able to finally read Mary, Called Magdalene which I’ve been wanting to read for years or Mississippi Blood which I’ve been waiting for since I finished The Bone Tree. These novels were so good that even though I am way behind on book reviews I don’t regret reading them.
4.5/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
February 11, 2018
This is an omnibus of the first three Camber books. I was excited to see it available as an ebook, and bought it for my Kindle despite owning the paperbacks. My favorite of the three is Saint Camber, because it has more philosophical issues, not just good guys vs bad guys.
The formatting of the omnibus is problematic. Each book had been issued as an ebook with sample chapters of the next one. This wasn't edited to remove the samples. So after the text of Camber of Culdi there are several chapters of Saint Camber followed by a short story "Bethane" which is set in a later time period (Alaric Morgan as a child), then the appendices with names and locations that appear in the book and family trees. Then it goes to Saint Camber which starts with the chapters which had already appeared. The same thing happens at the end of Saint Camber - it has preview chapters of Camber the Heretic before the appendices. In both cases the preview chapters end with "Buy book name now" which doesn't make sense since the book is part of the omnibus. The Index of Characters at the end of Camber the Heretic has references to which books the character appeared in, so we don't really need this index in the first two. Also, I think the family trees in the appendices are the same in all three books, so they only need to be there once.
Having re-read these as an omnibus, I'm now inspired to pull out my (paper) copies of the next trilogy: The Harrowing of Gwynedd, King Javan's Year, and The Bastard Prince.
The formatting of the omnibus is problematic. Each book had been issued as an ebook with sample chapters of the next one. This wasn't edited to remove the samples. So after the text of Camber of Culdi there are several chapters of Saint Camber followed by a short story "Bethane" which is set in a later time period (Alaric Morgan as a child), then the appendices with names and locations that appear in the book and family trees. Then it goes to Saint Camber which starts with the chapters which had already appeared. The same thing happens at the end of Saint Camber - it has preview chapters of Camber the Heretic before the appendices. In both cases the preview chapters end with "Buy book name now" which doesn't make sense since the book is part of the omnibus. The Index of Characters at the end of Camber the Heretic has references to which books the character appeared in, so we don't really need this index in the first two. Also, I think the family trees in the appendices are the same in all three books, so they only need to be there once.
Having re-read these as an omnibus, I'm now inspired to pull out my (paper) copies of the next trilogy: The Harrowing of Gwynedd, King Javan's Year, and The Bastard Prince.
January 30, 2018
I found the original The Chronicles of the Deryni at my second hand book store way back in the mid '80's and proceeded to buy as many in the following series as I could. So flash forward to today and through the miracle of digital books, I have managed to collect some old friends and make some new. The lives of Camber, his family and royalty - Deryni and human alike, make for good old fashion escapism. I bought this series wondering if my infatuation of 40 years ago would hold up and I was not disappointed. Magic, family, loyalty, war and belief lead you on a merry chase through the land and history of Gywnedd. Katherine Kurtz has the superb talent of being able to weave a tale that compels you to read the next book and series.
October 20, 2018
Wow! Camber died; but did he really? A long time he spent pouring over ancient records at Grecotha, and seemingly to have understood just how Ariella failed in her life extending spell; Camber appears as neither dead nor alive - but suspended, awaiting the magical touch to restore him. Jebediah did not survive the attack. All Deryni are now considered outlaws; fugitives. A sad ending to a brilliant story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2018
Excellent tales as always
The four stories in this edition are superb examples of high fantasy. Unfortunately, the formatting doesn't live up to that standard. There are a few typographic errors, but the REAL issue is that the short story Beltane is plunked down between Chapters Four and Five of Book Two!
The four stories in this edition are superb examples of high fantasy. Unfortunately, the formatting doesn't live up to that standard. There are a few typographic errors, but the REAL issue is that the short story Beltane is plunked down between Chapters Four and Five of Book Two!
August 15, 2018
Historical fantasy
Set in the very Catholic early Middle Ages, racial tensions, political intrigue and the ability to manipulate energy with the mind, a power indistinguishable from magic, combine to tell of the struggles between church and state and both the good and the evil in the human soul.
Set in the very Catholic early Middle Ages, racial tensions, political intrigue and the ability to manipulate energy with the mind, a power indistinguishable from magic, combine to tell of the struggles between church and state and both the good and the evil in the human soul.
December 10, 2017
For the Greater Good
This is an older series which suffers from overwrought writing at times, however, the tale of bad deeds done for good , and the lesson that lies beget lies is timeless. OK for younger readers, no swearing, sex, etc.
This is an older series which suffers from overwrought writing at times, however, the tale of bad deeds done for good , and the lesson that lies beget lies is timeless. OK for younger readers, no swearing, sex, etc.
April 1, 2022
deep storytelling
This was a complex story and so well done that you didn’t get lost during the tale. You felt care and respect for the characters and enormous pity for their sacrifices.
This was a complex story and so well done that you didn’t get lost during the tale. You felt care and respect for the characters and enormous pity for their sacrifices.
April 22, 2023
Medieval with a mix of fantasy - fabulous!
I love all the Deryni books. I encourage anyone that enjoys fantasy to check them out. The characters are great and the writing excellent
I love all the Deryni books. I encourage anyone that enjoys fantasy to check them out. The characters are great and the writing excellent
June 4, 2025
Very Good
I enjoyed these books. Humans are multidimensional beings. I cared about many in these books who died. It left this world very dark. But there is always hope. I hope it continues!
I enjoyed these books. Humans are multidimensional beings. I cared about many in these books who died. It left this world very dark. But there is always hope. I hope it continues!
August 20, 2017
I've loved these books since they were published. Rereading on Kindle was like visiting an old friend.
October 8, 2017
A very enjoyable Fantasy series.
January 22, 2018
Long time fan of Kurtz and the Deyrni series 0 since the first publication of Deryni Rising (1970).
January 4, 2020
I love this book series. It has great background information and good character development. I read it too fast, because I couldn’t put it down, now I have to buy more.
August 3, 2021
AWESOME trilogy. This should be on any fantasy reader's list of novels to tackle.
December 29, 2021
The Legends of Camber Trilogy
I thought these 3 books were all very good. Fabulous fantasy and world building. If you don’t mind losing half the characters that you fall in love with you’ll enjoy the well written epic fantasy.
I thought these 3 books were all very good. Fabulous fantasy and world building. If you don’t mind losing half the characters that you fall in love with you’ll enjoy the well written epic fantasy.
March 25, 2017
Complicated!
Great book! sympathetic characters, quickly moving plot. Only downside was many unresolved plot lines. Hopefully more books extrapolating on those are forthcoming
Great book! sympathetic characters, quickly moving plot. Only downside was many unresolved plot lines. Hopefully more books extrapolating on those are forthcoming
July 6, 2020
An old favorite I re-read because I need a break from serious stuff and Covid 19. I come back to this one time and again because I love the world building and the moral ambiguity of the characters. Camber is not all good and dabbles heavily in the gray. He's very good at justifying his ends and getting his children to co-sign his means. The race wars also rings true, especially now. I am currently reading these in order of the timeline and not by publishing date.
December 28, 2016
I was expecting a series of books set in tougher times of fiefdoms and cruel over masters. Particularly as there is suggestion of an arcane race in the fly leaf description.
Book one has the reader following the goings on of the MacRorie's, a tribe of Deryni, and also of their King, Imre.
Camber of Culdi is the head of the MacRorie estate and is well thought of by Deryni and humans alike. Following a great loss, he is persuaded that things must change and he and his family embark on a project that is fraught with danger to all around them.
Book 1 is complete with '5' appendices!
Book two continues Cinhil's life as King of Gwynedd, supported by his troop of key protagonists to the point of a battle against Princess Ariella, who wishes to regain her brothers lost kingdom for herself and her son.
The outcome of the battle of Iomaire changes many things for everyone in the book, but especially for Camber of Culdi who dies during the battle. Alister Cullen features prominently in this second book in the series, as he takes more of a role in helping King Cinhill build his realm of Gwynedd.
Book 3 tells of life after Cinhill's sudden death, under the grip of human regents. But not before Cinhill has held a midnight service with his Deryni advisors and his sons. Rhys, the Kings healer, finds himself capable of a new skill which he is keen to teach to other Deryni, though it seems many are unable to adopt the new skill. The lives of all subjects in the country changes under the new 'rulers', some to be expected, but with some surprising alliances.
Strong monastic and religious material is a large part of these books, and some may find it not to their taste. However it it a core part of the structure of the story. Murder plays a large role in the lives of those in the three tales, which is reminiscent of the 'times' the tales are set in. The books also include Magic of a kind, though if you were Deryni you would not think of it as magic!
I enjoyed reading this set of books, I had one extremely late night when I couldn't put my kindle down, until the point when I had to let my head rest on my pillow. It reminded me somewhat of the world of "Game of Thrones", with the barbaric treatment of the lower classes.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.
Save on your mobile:
Book one has the reader following the goings on of the MacRorie's, a tribe of Deryni, and also of their King, Imre.
Camber of Culdi is the head of the MacRorie estate and is well thought of by Deryni and humans alike. Following a great loss, he is persuaded that things must change and he and his family embark on a project that is fraught with danger to all around them.
Book 1 is complete with '5' appendices!
Book two continues Cinhil's life as King of Gwynedd, supported by his troop of key protagonists to the point of a battle against Princess Ariella, who wishes to regain her brothers lost kingdom for herself and her son.
The outcome of the battle of Iomaire changes many things for everyone in the book, but especially for Camber of Culdi who dies during the battle. Alister Cullen features prominently in this second book in the series, as he takes more of a role in helping King Cinhill build his realm of Gwynedd.
Book 3 tells of life after Cinhill's sudden death, under the grip of human regents. But not before Cinhill has held a midnight service with his Deryni advisors and his sons. Rhys, the Kings healer, finds himself capable of a new skill which he is keen to teach to other Deryni, though it seems many are unable to adopt the new skill. The lives of all subjects in the country changes under the new 'rulers', some to be expected, but with some surprising alliances.
Strong monastic and religious material is a large part of these books, and some may find it not to their taste. However it it a core part of the structure of the story. Murder plays a large role in the lives of those in the three tales, which is reminiscent of the 'times' the tales are set in. The books also include Magic of a kind, though if you were Deryni you would not think of it as magic!
I enjoyed reading this set of books, I had one extremely late night when I couldn't put my kindle down, until the point when I had to let my head rest on my pillow. It reminded me somewhat of the world of "Game of Thrones", with the barbaric treatment of the lower classes.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.
Save on your mobile:
April 19, 2014
The books never managed to pull me in. Too many religious, catholic references...
December 29, 2022
Positively fantastic!
High fantasy at its best!! If you like historical fantasy mixed with political intrigue and magic, this series is for you!!
High fantasy at its best!! If you like historical fantasy mixed with political intrigue and magic, this series is for you!!
June 30, 2017
Set before the time of the first trilogy, this view of the life of Camber of Culdi is fascinating for any fan of the Deryni world.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews