[spoilers] Heirs of Saint Camber

Khorod · Mar 27, 2003

If you came here with that thread title, you might know my problem.

I've just read the first two books of the third Deryni series by Katherine Kurtz thinking it should be pretty decent, I've heard of this world and her work before. It was difficult to keep reading. Biggest problem is that ALL the characters are so goody-goody they can't kill 8 men to save hundreds or thousands of lives, including their own.

Should I read the third book? Are the earlier series' worth my time? Obviously, as a third series in the same world, this was written later, and problem for the fans... but I am most upset. It seems every book I pick up lately is disappointing.

Javan was nice, but dear gods. Almost nothing happened but that good-guys died. I've got to go to the library and find something new...

shadoe · Mar 27, 2003

I remember it as being good and worth the time to read, but I don't remember to many of the details since I read the book more than six years ago. It does resolve a number of things that are going on within the kingdom. I also remember having problems with the way the "good guys" did not do the things that I thought that they should, but I also accepted that they had there reasons.

I am not sure which of the sets you are talking about so I will give some brief comments on all of the series'

The Chronicles of the Deryni (Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate, High Deryni) shows how far the Deryni have fallen due to the events in the Legends of Camber of Culdi and the Heirs of Saint Camber. It is interesting and shows the beginning stages of the kingdom accepting deryni openly.

The Histories of King Kelson (Bishop's Heir, The King's Justice, The Quest for Saint Camber) resolves some of the last major areas of anti deryni sentiment being stamped out, as well as some of the remnents of those that were in hidding from the persecution in the end of the legends of saint camber seriers. This one also deals with the tring to get Kelson married so that he can secure an heir, and the tragedies that follow from that.

Legends of Camber of Culdi (Camber of Culdi, Saint Camber, Camber the Heretic) Chronologically this is the first set in the deryni world. It deals with how everything got started and what leads to the backlash that you have encountered in the Heirs of Saint Camber set. It shows the height of deryni corruption in the kingdom, as well as the height of the deryni abilities for the published books. It also hints at a early time when the deryni were even more powerful. I liked the detail it used on the deryni magic, but I had the most problems in this series with the self impossed limitations on the use of their powers as well. If they had just done one thing, they might have been able to avoid all of the problems for thier race that occur latter, but they would not do it or think of it because of thier beliefs.

The last book written was King Kelson's Bride. This was to resolve the situation that developed in the Chronicles of the Deryni, and to at last get Kelson married.

I have heard rummors of another trilogy that was supposed to be written about a young Morgan, but so far nothing has shown up about him. There is also a book of short stories about the deryni by Kurtz called Deryni Archives, these stories where spread out over all of the series' except the Heir's of Saint Camber since that was not written yet. There is also a book called Deryni Magic that discussed the magic of the deryni, and quoted passages from the various novels.

Wow my longest post ever I do believe.

Khorod · Mar 28, 2003

Thanks for the response. That's about what I thought to expect. This series is 'Heirs of Saint Camber', which I guess takes up a couple weeks after where Legends of Camber of Culdi leaves off.

The main character of two books is replaced in that august position by his brother, his foil, gullible, dumber, and who drinks. There's a lot more to it than that, but I have trouble desiring to finish a series with the 'lesser hero' in charge. Best metaphor I can think of is Aragorn died instead of Boromir, so Boromir becomes the heir of Gondor, and so on. WHAT?!

If anyone has read Bastard Prince, should I just read a synopsis and skip it? If I don't hear anything positive, I'll not bother with it.

Mistwell · Mar 28, 2003

I think the problem is you kinda read the books out of order...best not to start with the third trilogy before the first two. In context I think the Javin books were fine (not her best, not her worst, just okay). But if I started with them...I think I too would fall asleep.

Alaric_Prympax · Mar 28, 2003

IMO you should should read it. I found the ending... let's just say "satisfying".

A new anthology has been published just a few months ago named "Deryni Tales".

The first book in the "Childe de Morgan" Trilogy entitled In the King's Service is due sometime in the next 12 months, I'll have to look this one up tomorrow when I go to work. It looks like her website has not been updated in quite some time.