The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

The Deryni Series => The Childe Morgan => Topic started by: Laurna on December 02, 2014, 12:29:37 AM

Title: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 02, 2014, 12:29:37 AM
I HAVE IT!  The Kindle Version is on my computer and the prolog has just been read. Great introduction of the players.
Sorry, I have to go- Chapter 1 is calling to me.

P.S. I am smiling at the Dedication- Well done ladies and gents
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 02, 2014, 02:14:55 AM
We can't get KK on Kindle over here. I am waiting for my hard copy to be shipped over. IT'S NOT FAIR :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on December 02, 2014, 05:44:17 AM
Mine is being shipped...it's out there...somewhere....
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 02, 2014, 08:57:22 AM
My Kindle version was delivered this morning, and my hardcover edition is en route and expected to arrive on my birthday.  So thoughtful of KK to write a novel just in time for my birthday!   ;)  ;D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 02, 2014, 11:32:08 AM
In my in-box just now!! Yay! May not get very much sleep on Friday night  ;D

"Hello,

We are pleased to report that the following item will dispatch sooner than expected:

Kurtz, Katherine "The King's Deryni (Novel of the Deryni)"
Previous estimated arrival date: December 24 2014
New estimated arrival date: December 05 2014"
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 02, 2014, 11:54:32 AM
Oh, wow, that IS a nice surprise!  I just got the opposite--my delivery is experiencing some sort of unexpected carrier delay due to a UPS trailer not arriving on time to pick it up sometime in the wee hours of the morning.  So my "birthday present" might arrive a bit late, and given that it was originally scheduled for a Friday delivery at my office, I probably won't get to see it until Monday at the earliest, even if it arrives on Saturday.

Since my package is being delayed in New Jersey, I'm guessing there are some weather-related issues that are causing the delivery delay.  Bah humbug, snow, sleet, and nearly freezing rain!  *sigh*
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 02, 2014, 12:43:43 PM
 :-\ Worries in case a previously undiscovered deryni ability has diverted Evie's copy towards the UK :D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 02, 2014, 01:09:14 PM
Revanne, I'm glad to hear your copy is on its way.  Evie, hope you get it soon.

Me.... Its a perfect rainy day. I have dogs on the couch with me. A cup of hot tea, and my laptop in my hand.  I am starting to really like my Kindle version, I can make the print large, easy to read. 

Sorry, Chapter eleven is calling my name.  ;D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Shiral on December 02, 2014, 07:10:57 PM
Mine has been delivered. =o) SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! But I'm still at work and it's at home.

Melissa
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on December 02, 2014, 08:12:25 PM
Mine was waiting on my desk for me to open when I got home from work.  Woo hoo!

KK wasn't kidding when she said in chat that it is a fat book.  All the better!

And what a lovely dedication.   :)
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: john on December 02, 2014, 10:25:45 PM
delurking for the moment

I downloaded The King's Deryni to my kindle this morning.
Hard copy arrived this afternoon (birthday/Xmas present).
Have read prologue and 2 chapters.
I think it might be the longest book to date!?!

Pax
john
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: DesertRose on December 02, 2014, 10:27:12 PM
Welcome, john.  Don't be afraid to post.  We don't bite.  :)

I haven't gotten the new book yet, but fear not, I will.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Shiral on December 03, 2014, 12:04:45 PM
Stayed up until almost two am reading the prologue and first two chapters. Glad there is so much more of it to look forward to. =o)

And yes, welcome John. We definitely don't bite, especially not fellow Deryni fans.

Melissa
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 03, 2014, 12:53:17 PM
No matter what book I am reading, I always start Chapter 13 with a little foreboding.  :-X

Welcome to the forum, John.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Alkari on December 03, 2014, 02:17:21 PM
Got an email from Amazon the other day to say my copy has been sent off - now I just have to hope that the seagulls can cross the Pacific in world record time!   
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 03, 2014, 03:07:14 PM
Welcome John - it took me ages before I got the courage to post but this lovely group of people have been so welcoming.

Take courage Alkari - The King's Deryni is crossing the Atlantic quicker than expected (now due tomorrow!!) so hopefully the same will be true for the Pacific.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: drakensis on December 03, 2014, 04:01:14 PM
Surely Amazon has a Transfer Portal - the European outlet is somewhere in Switzerland I gather?
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: tenworld on December 04, 2014, 09:03:12 AM
waiting to get my kindle back from daughter, but read reviews on Amazon.  anyone know who 'jerry' is?
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 04, 2014, 09:46:18 AM
God is good. It has arrived - lovely and shiny and new. All my other KK's are good quality second hand - This is all mine! And DH is away visiting 2nd DD in London and I have a rotten cold (and hence good excuse for not working this evening) so once Dad's tea is done I shall wrap up in my duvet with some mulled wine and several hot water bottles and read!!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 04, 2014, 09:47:13 AM
p.s.

lovely dedication
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 04, 2014, 10:47:38 AM
My hardcover is not expected to be delivered until end of day Saturday, and since my office is closed on Saturdays, I'm not expecting to actually see it until sometime on Monday.  *sigh*  Fortunately I've got the Kindle version.  By the time I get the hardcover in hand, I'll likely already be done reading the book!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Shiral on December 04, 2014, 11:30:54 AM
Quote from: revanne on December 04, 2014, 09:46:18 AM
God is good. It has arrived - lovely and shiny and new. All my other KK's are good quality second hand - This is all mine! And DH is away visiting 2nd DD in London and I have a rotten cold (and hence good excuse for not working this evening) so once Dad's tea is done I shall wrap up in my duvet with some mulled wine and several hot water bottles and read!!

Sounds like a great way to spend an evening, even with the icky cold. =o) Enjoy your read, Revanne, and feel better soon!  :)
Melissa
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 04, 2014, 12:33:46 PM
Evie, I hope your hard cover arrives a day early on Friday, for your Birthday.
Revanne, so glad to hear you have your copy, I hope Alkari gets her copy really soon.

This morning I stopped reading when my eyes were tearing up, and I could no longer read the words on my laptop. I'm about a third of the way through. I have both the book and the kindle version, but I am finding myself reading the kindle version most of the time.

I learned a new word this morning- peregrinations. Had to look it up. Therefore, I will claim being educated along side our wonderful young Alaric.  :D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: john on December 05, 2014, 06:07:10 PM
Thank you for al the welcomes.  I have been an occasional poster
to KK's sites for quite some time  on different groups.  I have been
able to keep myself to 2-3 chapters a night and after 3 nights I am at 48%.
Usually this would be a one night KK scan, followed by another reading,  I must be getting old, 57 next week.
Good reading!
Pax,
john
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 05, 2014, 08:11:43 PM
Now I know why real paper is preferable to digital. I spent four hours sitting at the dealership waiting for them to fix my car. I had thought the wait would not be a problem. I had Alaric with me. Right!. After 45 minutes, my WiFi ran out of battery and I did not have my charger. I had charged my lap top all the night before, but forgot the charge the Hot Spot. I am so dumb. In frustration, I sat around unable to do anything for three hours. I so wish I had brought the real book. But Alas....! I have not been home to read all day, and I fear I am too tired tonight to even attempt it. Tomorrow, I will read tomorrow. Alaric be patient with me, I will see you in the morning.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 06, 2014, 01:25:45 AM
Poor Laurna - I guess too many fatigue banishing spells have taken their toll. How frustrating though :(
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 06, 2014, 11:53:52 AM
Quotetoo many fatigue banishing spells have taken their toll.

Revanne, you found me out! ;D  This morning is a good morning to read! 
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Braniana on December 06, 2014, 10:27:29 PM
Got my book on Tuesday and finished it way way too late last night/early this morning.  Could have finished sooner, but I got delayed by holiday decorating.  Looking forward to other people finishing the book so that we can start rehashing it.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Shiral on December 07, 2014, 02:19:14 AM
I'm embarrassed to admit I've already finished it, too. =o) 

Years ago KK joked  that at a con panel, a fellow author joked that  an alternate title for King Kelson's Bride could have been "Four Weddings and Funeral."

To which another colleague replied "Well usually she writes Four Funerals and a Wedding!"  Either way, I think  TKD meets the quota.  ;D

Melissa
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 07, 2014, 03:43:39 AM
Almost there - although I have then to do my reread to luxuriate on all the bits I missed.

Reminds me of when we went on holiday in the caravan when the children were young teenagers and the last but one Harry Potter book came out. We were desperate to discuss it in the long car journeys through France but DH is a much slower reader than the rest of us (doesn't miss stuff though) and forbade it until he had finished.

I am dying to discuss TKD especially... ( :-X)
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Alkari on December 07, 2014, 02:07:06 PM
I'll just have to avoid Chat until my copy arrives.     Looked in a couple of local bookshops yesterday in case they had copies and I could sneak a peek at a few pages but they didn't have it in stock.   Not terribly surprised, as they don't have large fantasy/sci fi sections, but I do wish those seagulls would get a move on!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: drakensis on December 07, 2014, 03:27:07 PM
I'm debating buying it now or waiting for a paperback copy to fit better onto the shelf next to the rest of the series. (I have to think about this sort of thing - my shelf-space is over-run and dissimilar sized books in a series complicate storage).
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: snuffybear on December 08, 2014, 05:44:34 AM
I was quite happy to get this the day before my birthday...

I am enjoying the book, I just wish it wasn't about Alaric, who is my least favorite character in all of the Deryni books (or rather, my least favorite good guy.) I have to say, this Alaric is not very much like any eight year old boy I've ever met. It's not a very realistic depiction at all.

It was fun to read the scene with Bethane and the broken arm! It was like revisiting an old friend.

Marion
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 08, 2014, 10:59:03 AM
I find it helps to think of both Alaric and young (DR to HD period) Kelson as what we would consider "gifted" today.  Even then, I have to suspend disbelief a tad at times (I have an extremely gifted son to compare their abilities with, though admittedly my son wasn't born in a society that forced him to grow up by the age of 14, much less grow up under constant threat of persecution and death, so even he isn't the best basis for comparison), but I've also met a few eight-year-olds from other cultures who come across as a lot more mature than most eight-year-olds in US (and probably most Western) cultures, where children are allowed to grow up slowly and have fewer (sometimes too few) expectations placed on them.  Children given high expectations to live up to can often rise to the challenge, sometimes to a surprising degree, though granted the challenges little Alaric is expected to rise to are uncommonly high and would be daunting even to an eight-year-old physically-adept genius. 

Just out of curiosity, who is your favorite character in the Deryni books?  Mine is Duncan (as pretty much everyone who has read my forum posts knows!  ;D ), but since the majority of readers tend to favor Alaric, I tend to feel like like the odd one out in that.  I like Alaric, there are just some other characters I happen to like more.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 08, 2014, 11:43:08 AM
Yay, my copy of TKD finally arrived!   ;D  I am mildly irked because Amazon's book packaging was a bit slipshod this time around, and my book jacket ended up somewhat damaged along the top edge, but I can live with that.  I bought it for the contents, not the jacket.  I have already finished reading it (thank God for the Kindle version, which arrived promptly the morning of the release date!), but this will make a lovely shelf copy.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: snuffybear on December 08, 2014, 07:29:05 PM
Quote from: Evie on December 08, 2014, 10:59:03 AM
Just out of curiosity, who is your favorite character in the Deryni books?  Mine is Duncan (as pretty much everyone who has read my forum posts knows!  ;D ), but since the majority of readers tend to favor Alaric, I tend to feel like like the odd one out in that.  I like Alaric, there are just some other characters I happen to like more.

In the Kelson years, my favorite is Denis Arilan. He has faults, he makes mistakes, and he is a complex character. I'm afraid I think Alaric Morgan is like a Mary Sue character. (I know, I'm in a definite minority. I always have been...)

In the Camber years, my favorite is Joram.

Marion
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: tenworld on December 08, 2014, 07:47:09 PM
my favorite is Morgan; as noted before I think of the books as his story, but his character has not developed like others mentioned.
I like Evie's comment about he and Kelson being 'gifted', that fits with my experiences with coaching kids.  Some are remarkably mature compared to many parents I dealt with.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 08, 2014, 08:21:42 PM
I also like Arilan. He can be a bit of a curmudgeon, but generally speaking, I can get where he's coming from, especially after seeing what the Gwynedd of his childhood was like.  I see Alaric as having his share of flaws and mistakes as well, but while I don't see him as a total Mary Sue, I do get that "I'm Mama's Favorite Character" vibe off him.   ;)  I have a few favorite characters in my own writing, and it can take a lot of self-discipline to avoid stacking the deck a little too much in their favor, and I'm pretty sure I don't always manage to pull it off.  I don't think Alaric has all the cards stacked in his favor, which I tend to see as a hallmark of a true Mary Sue, but he's certainly been played a very favorable hand, I'll grant you that. 

One thing that occurred to me just today is what my favorite characters--not just in KK's world, but in other universe such as Middle Earth--tend to have in common. Rather than the more flashy Main Hero types who lead by being in the forefront of things and...well, leading, I tend to be drawn to the more quiet, behind-the-scenes servant-leaders.  So maybe that's why, instead of adoring Alaric the Kingmaker (well, so to speak, since Kelson wouldn't have lasted seconds against Charissa if it weren't for Alaric), I tend to go more for his right-hand man, the more quietly supportive Duncan.  Despite my admiration for Brion Haldane, I gravitate more towards his uncle Prince Richard and his brother Prince Nigel.  Sir Se fascinates me.  I think Kenneth Morgan was ten times the man Donal Haldane was, for all the latter's rank and power.  Kenneth was far more loyal than Donal deserved.  And Matyas won my heart with his utter loyalty to his nephew.  I really, really like Kelson the boy king, yet when he and Dhugal are together, my attention is on Dhugal.  And it might just be a side-effect of aging into the person I am now, rather than the person I was when I first read the series.  As a young twenty-something, my favorites were Alaric and Kelson.  But by the time I rediscovered the books in my forties, my tastes had completely changed.  I still like Alaric, and I love and admire Kelson (I probably would have had a raging crush on Kelson if I'd met him in my teens rather than in my twenties), but it's Duncan who melts my heart.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: DesertRose on December 08, 2014, 09:43:05 PM
I was trying to come up with something in reply, but I think Evie said almost everything I wanted to say.

I'm actually (for whatever odd reason) more a fan of the Camber-era stories than the Kelson-era ones.  I love Camber himself, but my favorite character from that time frame is Evaine, with Rhys and Dom Queron vying for second place in my heart.  (I have a thing for Healers; just ask bynw, in whose games I've played I-don't-know-how-many healer characters.) 

I think the reason I'm not so big on the Kelson era is that so much of the information about Deryni abilities has been lost and for what?  Petty, stupid prejudices.  What could Alaric and Duncan and Dhugal have done if they'd had someone like Dom Emrys or Dom Queron to teach them about their Healing gifts?  It just drives me batty. 

I know it's historically reasonable to have lost a great deal of knowledge for stupid reasons, like after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the former imperial lands rejected anything that had anything to do with Rome, even if the Roman things were in and of themselves good things.  It just makes me want to scream to think of all the great information and teachings that were lost with the destruction of the great Deryni teaching orders.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 09, 2014, 02:13:25 AM
I think both Alaric and Kelson are realistic products of their heritage and upbringing and I like the way they're both portrayed as having some negative characteristics as a result. Kelson reverting to spoilt brat over Rothana  and Alaric refusing to deal with messy aspects of relationship - with Richenda's unhappiness and to some extent Derry's. Favourite character has to be Duncan-as a woman priest there's so much in his struggle with vocation I can identity with although my professional allergy to bishops might get in the way later on.   
Camber era - whisper it quietly-but I want to smack Camber -I find him overbearing and arrogant and think his handling of Cinhil has a lot to answer for. (I'm more inclined to see his extended appearances as a Penance rather than evidence of sanctity.)
Joram now - he's my favourite (even if the man only speaks to me when I'm too busy to write) principled and passionate and having to live with other people's compromises with the truth. I have a big soft spot for Javan too and tend to look on Kelson as the King Javan should have been.




Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: drakensis on December 09, 2014, 05:09:07 AM
While he has a relatively small part, I'd say the character I admire most in the Kelson era is Thomas Cardiel. He demonstrates tremendous courage both physical and moral and thoroughly deserved his elevation to Archbishop of Rhemuth. In the earlier era, Javan is definitely a favorite.

If I ever write AU stories there are three characters I'd like to save, even though they're villains. It'd require changes to them but I'd find Ariella, Charissa and Llewell fascinating if they were more grey than black and less self-destructive in their actions. (Ideas that spring to mind: Ariella being tutored in magic by Camber and later alongside Evaine; Charissa captured after her father's death and becoming a Haldane hostage; Llewell unable to go through with the thought of killing his sister and later revolted by Ithel's actions). Maybe the idea of dividing someone's loyalties just appeals to me.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Shiral on December 10, 2014, 12:06:24 AM
Quote from: snuffybear on December 08, 2014, 07:29:05 PM
Quote from: Evie on December 08, 2014, 10:59:03 AM
Just out of curiosity, who is your favorite character in the Deryni books?  Mine is Duncan (as pretty much everyone who has read my forum posts knows!  ;D ), but since the majority of readers tend to favor Alaric, I tend to feel like like the odd one out in that.  I like Alaric, there are just some other characters I happen to like more.

In the Kelson years, my favorite is Denis Arilan. He has faults, he makes mistakes, and he is a complex character. I'm afraid I think Alaric Morgan is like a Mary Sue character. (I know, I'm in a definite minority. I always have been...)

In the Camber years, my favorite is Joram.

Marion

Hey, Marion, happy somewhat belated birthday.   ;)  She's the president of the Denis Arilan Fan Club.  =o)

I liked The King's Deryni  the best of the three Childe Morgan books, so far.  I have to admit THIS book has the developing friendship between Brion Haldane and Alaric Morgan that I've been waiting and hoping for since the first book.  And....I have to admit, I find it a certain flaw in this trilogy that the nominal title character of the whole thing wasn't born until the end of the first book and doesn't become the true, seeing eye protagonist of his own trilogy until the final volume.  I felt In The King's Service was too much front-loading  for my taste and it kept the story from being very compelling, at least for me. At the earliest, the story arc should have begun around the time of Krispin MacAthan's murder rather than his birth. Hints could have been dropped, a scene between Donal and Jessamy after the death which would have  told us almost everything we needed to know about whose child Krispin truly was, why he was important, and how Donal will find another child to become what Krispin was meant to be to Brion and the Haldanes.  I do like Kenneth Morgan and his family...but felt it took too long to get to know them.

    I think Katherine is at her best as a story teller when she tackles a story arc that covers months rather than years. Or a story arc about one specific important event and it's attendant smaller developments, like Brion's death and Kelson's coronation in Deryni Rising.  For another example, in the Camber trilogy, we find out about the two greatest catalysts for the changes to come in the opening chapters. First, we learn that Gwyneddans in general and Camber in specific are growing increasingly dissatisfied with, and critical of, Festillic rule; Imre is not a very good king OR person, and harsh injustice is the way the Festils have kept Gwynedd under their thumbs. Next we learn that there IS still a living Haldane heir whom nobody knew about who is a possible, rightful ruler and alternative to the Festils when Rhys attends Daniel Draper's death bed.  We meet a lot of people in rapid succession it's true, but also learn quickly who the major players are and where their loyalties and interests lie.  And all with a great economy of means without having to see Joram and Rhys go through their entire childhood and adolescence, first. BOOM! The story is off and running, we're in the present moment and eager to find out what will happen next.  That whole trilogy is masterful piece of plotting, the consequences are real, the "Good Guys" don't always win. In fact the people we've come to love, take horrendous losses as an unintended consequence of the Haldane Restoration.  The Childe Morgan books would have benefitted with some tighter plotting and a feeling that more was at stake throughout.

Anyway, the critic in me had to get that off my chest.  :)

Melissa
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on December 10, 2014, 08:58:32 AM
I am still in the process of reading The King's Deryni and enjoying it, but I have to agree with Shiral that it is not like the earlier works.  This trilogy is more of a history than gripping page-turners, but the historian in me is OK with that.  I do enjoy reading about the events and people that shaped Morgan; but then again, if KK wrote a story about Morgan brushing his teeth in the morning I would probably like it!  ;D

The Road to Killingford, however, has the potential to be a book like those of the Camber era and it's aftermath.  I'm looking forward to it, and will stock up on tissues.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 10, 2014, 09:17:29 AM
Quote from: Shiral on December 10, 2014, 12:06:24 AM

Hey, Marion, happy somewhat belated birthday.   ;)  She's the president of the Denis Arilan Fan Club.  =o)

I think he certainly merits one.  I find Arilan one of the most underappreciated and misunderstood characters in the series.  I suspect he gets so much flak because of his tendency to butt heads with the much-adored Alaric, but on the other hand there are times when such "checks and balances" are needed.  Alaric's and Duncan's loyalty first and foremost is to the Haldanes, no matter what, which can lead to a blind spot when it comes to how their actions might impact others of their Deryni race.  Arilan is also loyal to the Haldanes, and nowhere is his love for Kelson specifically more apparent than in QFSC, after Kelson's apparent death, but he is also more able to see the broad picture, and his primary objective is more focused on preserving and furthering the ends of the Deryni race as a whole.  Whether the reader sees the Camberian Council as still doing an important job in that regard or as a group that has devolved into simply becoming a bunch of busybodies, it's readily apparent (to me, anyway), that Denis still believes they are doing more good than harm, and for the most part he ably manages to support Haldane interests within and outside of the Council while never losing sight of the larger picture, which others closer to Kelson don't always remain mindful of.  Or let's be honest...often they simply don't give a flying flip!  ;D  At least not until someone else points out the possible ramifications of their actions, such as when Arilan confronted Duncan about how revealing himself as Deryni without consulting with his superiors beforehand may have placed other Deryni priests at risk, or when Cardiel gently admonishes Alaric that his "darkling phase," by reinforcing the "evil Deryni" stereotype, is not helping human/Deryni relations to move forward.  I think Arilan's confrontational side might be what rubs many readers the wrong way, but a true friend or ally is not the person who always agrees with you and follows blindly alongside everything you do. The person who truly has your back is the one who is willing to tell you when they think you are screwing up or acting short-sightedly.  Even if it turns out that they are mistaken, at least you know that person cares enough to be honest with you about what they believe. Speaking for myself, Arilan is sometimes a bit more "the ends justify the means" than I'm comfortable with, but having seen what the Gwynedd of his childhood years looked like, and some of the experiences he's lived through, I can certainly understand that aspect of his personality.

Quote
    I think Katherine is at her best as a story teller when she tackles a story arc that covers months rather than years. Or a story arc about one specific important event and it's attendant smaller developments, like Brion's death and Kelson's coronation in Deryni Rising.  For another example, in the Camber trilogy, we find out about the two greatest catalysts for the changes to come in the opening chapters. First, we learn that Gwyneddans in general and Camber in specific are growing increasingly dissatisfied with, and critical of, Festillic rule; Imre is not a very good king OR person, and harsh injustice is the way the Festils have kept Gwynedd under their thumbs. Next we learn that there IS still a living Haldane heir whom nobody knew about who is a possible, rightful ruler and alternative to the Festils when Rhys attends Daniel Draper's death bed.  We meet a lot of people in rapid succession it's true, but also learn quickly who the major players are and where their loyalties and interests lie.  And all with a great economy of means without having to see Joram and Rhys go through their entire childhood and adolescence, first. BOOM! The story is off and running, we're in the present moment and eager to find out what will happen next.  That whole trilogy is masterful piece of plotting, the consequences are real, the "Good Guys" don't always win. In fact the people we've come to love, take horrendous losses as an unintended consequence of the Haldane Restoration.  The Childe Morgan books would have benefitted with some tighter plotting and a feeling that more was at stake throughout.

Anyway, the critic in me had to get that off my chest.  :)

Melissa

I agree that the earlier books had better pacing.  I think new readers would find the earlier books a better introduction to the series, rather than starting off in chronological order.  This trilogy is more like a leisurely stroll, allowing us to spend more time exploring new aspects of characters who we already, for the most part, know and love, but I don't know if it would sustain as much interest for people who are just discovering the series.  I would definitely recommend new readers to at least read the Kelson-era books before reading the "Childe Morgan" series, rather than the other way around due to the internal chronology.  And if possible, read the entire Deryni corpus first, and then end with the "Childe Morgan" series as sort of a tasty dessert after the main course.  (How is that for a horribly mixed metaphor?  From a leisurely stroll to a dining experience in one short paragraph! LOL!)
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 10, 2014, 11:05:37 AM
I have to agree that I personally prefer a tight packed story arc with a beginning, a middle, and an end. When I first read In the Kings Service I was intrigued, yet a bit distanced from the story because it was more of a history than a plot. But now, with TKD finally read (well almost completely read, I have a bit to go), I can see the whole story arc of the trilogy and it does fit in nicely. I did love Alyce, Vera, Marie, and Ahern as characters, and I am pleased that I got to get to know them. I think Kenneth was as great a man as he could be and can think of no better father for our young hero.  I am so glad KK had this last book published (after too many long years waiting). It is as Evie says a tasty desert after a main dish. I think this book was meant for us fans. It ties in a lot of who is who... and what happened when... stories that we all had questions about. (Ok! Except for the biggest question ever! Which I can not believe KK still left dangling-- tying Alaric to Camber--!!!!  Well I do hope we discovered the correct answer to that question, anyway.) So yes, I really want a tight packed story arc in the next books, but what I want even more is for it to not take 7-9 years to get that story written and published. I will accept 2-3 years or less. At least that is my wish. ;D

Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 10, 2014, 01:14:44 PM
Quote from: Laurna on December 10, 2014, 11:05:37 AM
I think this book was meant for us fans. It ties in a lot of who is who... and what happened when... stories that we all had questions about. (Ok! Except for the biggest question ever! Which I can not believe KK still left dangling-- tying Alaric to Camber--!!!!  Well I do hope we discovered the correct answer to that question, anyway.)

I think whatever connection it was that KK discovered between Camber and Alaric, she later forgot, since the question came up again in a chat earlier this year, I think, and IIRC she said that she did not know whether Alaric was descended from Camber or not.  So unless Rob Reginald had some note about that connection in his files that is yet to be rediscovered when KK acquires them, I think your guess about his Camberian lineage is probably as good as anyone else's.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: bronwynevaine on December 10, 2014, 03:48:02 PM
I don't even have it yet  :'( Maybe if I bribe my way on to the "nice" list...
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: tenworld on December 13, 2014, 02:45:54 PM
Quote from: Evie on December 10, 2014, 01:14:44 PM
I think whatever connection it was that KK discovered between Camber and Alaric, she later forgot, since the question came up again in a chat earlier this year, I think, and IIRC she said that she did not know whether Alaric was descended from Camber or not.  So unless Rob Reginald had some note about that connection in his files that is yet to be rediscovered when KK acquires them, I think your guess about his Camberian lineage is probably as good as anyone else's.

I think the best clue is that Duncan & Alaric are the two facets of Camber: The deeply religious servant and the kingmaker warrior.

Can we hope for one last book that explains the events of 948 AND the lineage?
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: DesertRose on December 13, 2014, 02:59:59 PM
Quote from: Evie on December 10, 2014, 01:14:44 PM
I think whatever connection it was that KK discovered between Camber and Alaric, she later forgot, since the question came up again in a chat earlier this year, I think, and IIRC she said that she did not know whether Alaric was descended from Camber or not.  So unless Rob Reginald had some note about that connection in his files that is yet to be rediscovered when KK acquires them, I think your guess about his Camberian lineage is probably as good as anyone else's.

It seems like I remember her saying that in the process of (procrastinating about) writing "The Knighting of Derry," she drew up genealogical charts that indicated that both Alaric and Duncan are descended from Rhys and Evaine (and therefore Camber, of course), but I recall her saying in chat that she'd lost the papers on which she'd written said charts.

It suggests to me that Vera and Alyce were descended from Camber, but I guess we'll never know unless St. Camber intervenes and finds those lost papers.

Can we blame the Regents and the Custodes for her losing the papers?  Or maybe Teymuraz stole them?  :D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Shiral on December 13, 2014, 03:06:46 PM
Has to have been Teymuraz.  ::)
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: drakensis on December 13, 2014, 03:46:06 PM
Well the best theory established from the Deryni Codex is that Alaric and Duncan are both descended of Rhys & Evaine's grand-daughter who married a Duke of Cassan.

It's not definite - we know from Bishop's Heir Morgan is descended from a Duke of Cassan but his grasp of Morgan genealogy isn't the most reliable - but if so, Morgan's paternal grandmother Madonna and Duncan's paternal grandfather Andrew were siblings and their mother's paternal great-grandfather was married to Tiphane Ainslie, who's listed as Rhysel's daughter. It's possible that said marriage didn't produce the children (Nerina and Fane) whose respective descendants married to produce Madonna and Andrew, but if it did, that's a genuine line of descent.

Chances are good that no one in the 11 Kingdoms can put that together since Rhysel almost certainly married under a false name.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 13, 2014, 11:03:38 PM
QuoteI think the best clue is that Duncan & Alaric are the two facets of Camber: The deeply religious servant and the kingmaker warrior.
That is an interesting perspective. Although, Duncan and Alaric were originated years before Camber, therefore the correlation in the beginning was likely not deliberate. However, by the third series, the Bishops Heir, I can see where the associations can be made.

QuoteWell the best theory established from the Deryni Codex is that Alaric and Duncan are both descended of Rhys & Evaine's grand-daughter who married a Duke of Cassan.
Drakensis, I am strongly in an accordance with you, and I do think that together we have proved the lineage. I was wondering if we should start a separate topic that just posts all the lineages of all the family lines that have been discovered to date. As where they currently are might be hard to find for new comers to the forum.

Of course, as an aside, I added a fan fiction lineage that I believe is quite plausible, but I will try to refrain from referring to that line in the Codex Topics.
(But don't you think it would be a wonderful dream come true if there was a fan fiction Codex for all the characters that everyone has developed over the years.  ;D )
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: lenni on December 14, 2014, 12:03:27 AM
Quote from: tenworld on December 13, 2014, 02:45:54 PM
I think the best clue is that Duncan & Alaric are the two facets of Camber: The deeply religious servant and the kingmaker warrior.
I LIKE IT! Good thought, tenworld. Thanks for sharing it. :-)

Quote from: tenworld on December 13, 2014, 02:45:54 PM
Can we hope for one last book that explains the events of 948 AND the lineage?
From your mouth to God's ear!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: drakensis on December 14, 2014, 03:48:36 AM
Quote from: Laurna on December 13, 2014, 11:03:38 PMOf course, as an aside, I added a fan fiction lineage that I believe is quite plausible, but I will try to refrain from referring to that line in the Codex Topics.
I liked that lineage too - it neatly explained Morgan and Duncan.

Those two are a powerful combination, to my mind. Alaric's name (from the gothic 'all-ruler') blond hair indicating his ties to the 'germanic'* Deryni of the east (See also the blonde Charissa, and blond MacRories), Duncan's name (from gaelic 'brown warrior') and darker hair more indicating the 'celtic' Deryni of the west.

The names may seem counter-intuitive - Alaric hardly rules everything while Duncan is a priest before he's a warrior - but Alaric's also very self-controlled: he rules himself and I think in his relationship with Richenda we see he has his scholarly side. So Alaric's name may not signify temporal rule as magical rule.

And Duncan, in his own way, is a warrior. Not just as a soldier but in the much harder battle of winning people over to accept Deryni. Alaric survived as an outed Deryni but he doesn't seem to have really tried to change people's minds - in fact he played up the sinister reputation for his own needs. Duncan, on the other hand, has led the way** in actively trying to change perceptions and to make Deryni acceptable to Gwynedd and the Church, 'fighting' for hearts and minds.

* Although many sources describe Gwynedd as culturally similar to the British Isles and states like Bremagne and the Forcinns as representative of France and Spain, that strikes me as potentially mis-leading, implying the Southern Sea is something like the English Channel in what it divides geographically and culturally. It's seems to me to actually be further south in both respects, functioning as more of a divide between the northern 'Norman/Frankish' and southern 'Provencal' parts of what we now call France. Gwynedd's certainly like the British in being a point where germanic influences (Halbert the Dane) collided with the existing Celtic fringe (surviving in Meara, Connait, Howicce & Llannedd) and the lost provinces of a mediterranean civilisation (the Byzantiun Empire).
And I've gone wildly off-topic there.
** Denis Arilan seems to have been more inclined to work around those perceptions and remain in secret. I haven't found anything esoteric in his name... although Denis is originally a form of Dionysos - the greek god of wine and revelry. Make of that what you will.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 14, 2014, 05:14:02 PM
Denis's name may be a nod to Saint Denis, the martyred 3rd Century Bishop of Paris, who is said to have been beheaded by pagan priests who were alarmed by the large numbers of converts to Christianity under Denis's leadership. As a result of this, Denis and two others were put to death by beheading. Whereupon, so the story goes, Denis simply picked up his head and continued preaching, continuing down the road for another six miles or so until his body finally fell over, dead.  Now if there's anyone I can picture being too stubborn to shut up and die in the Deryni universe, it would be Denis Arilan. LOL! ;D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: tenworld on December 14, 2014, 05:29:46 PM
The Hebrew word for lion is 'ari' (I got that from Exodus). an educated guess could be Ari-elan as the source.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: derynifanatic64 on December 14, 2014, 05:39:27 PM
I just bought it today!!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 14, 2014, 05:53:36 PM
Arilan is also a Welsh name, though. I ran into that (and the Tre- prefix for Tre-Arilan) when doing some research on Welsh names a year or two ago.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Braniana on December 15, 2014, 10:50:01 PM
Blazed through my first read of the book right after I got it but probably won't have time to do another reading until I start my holiday break next week, so I'm a little fuzzy on some of the stuff I read a week or two ago.

Alaric did annoy me a few times during this book.  Either he's super mature and capable for his age, or he's acting like an immature child.  Seemed to me that there was a bit more repetitiveness of events and revelations in this book that I remember seeing in most/all of the other books.  And at times it did seem like too much was being put into this one book.  Might have been better to split off some of this material and make another book with it and some of these other things that I still have questions about:

I guess most of all, my initial feel of the book is "incomplete"--and it's almost incredible that I can say that about a book that was 550-ish pages long.  There are just so many unanswered questions that I really feel like another book is needed to tie call these threads up.  Like why Se did what he did (and why he later isn't around to complete Alaric's training as was planned).  I'd like to "see" how Caitrin changes from the new bride who met Brion to the old woman whom Kelson meets.  Even Brion's Mearan war (though since we've seen Donal's and Kelson's wars there already, it might be a tad repetitive)--with a fleshed-out telling of Duncan and Maryse's story, and poor Jamyl Arilan's death (and how Denis learned about the council).  How Court and Queen react to the first appearance of the new Duke Alaric.  Alaric's relationship with toddler/child Kelson.  We saw in a short story how Arilan secretly became a Deryni priest, but how did Duncan manage it? Not that I won't enjoy the 948 book that's been discussed or one about Killingford, but I'd also really love to see one more book covering the little gap that still remains in this part of the timeline.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: bh1971 on December 16, 2014, 01:08:56 PM
I have been reading the Deryni books since the 1980's, and I did post on the newgroups, years back. It's been a while since read any of the books, until now. Here is my first post.

Maybe I should give a spoiler alert!



The King's Deryni was wonderful. I finished it a few days ago, and I am still thinking about it. There are a few mysteries that are unanswered. Sir Se and the order that he belongs to (the Knights of the Anvil), who are they? I mean that at a deeper level, not the name. They seem to be more powerful and capable then the Camberian Council. The council itself, we see very little of them, only once, as a whole, with frequent contacts between Jamyl Arilan and Stefan Coram (who seems to be quite a bit of a cranky person). I thought we would see more of them, especially at the end, when Hogan Gwernach and Rhydon were causing problems. There was nothing about that intrigue. I guess, we would need a bigger book!

I think the Codex needs to be updated as well. There are King's sisters, Vera, and of course Alaric's and Brion's first meeting. I don't want spoil this by going into too much details.

I can't believe it's been 8 years since the last novel. I hope we get the next one sooner than that.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 16, 2014, 01:23:04 PM
Hi!  We're all hoping for a Codex third edition, once KK manages to get Rob's files from his widow and update them.  If you can think of any discrepancies between the Codex and the book series (or within the Codex entries themselves) that need to be fixed, here is the thread to post them in:  http://www.rhemuthcastle.com/index.php/topic,453.0.html (http://www.rhemuthcastle.com/index.php/topic,453.0.html).  IIRC, the Michaelines who managed to escape Gwynedd eventually merged with (or perhaps evolved into becoming?) the Knights of the Anvil, which would make Sir Se one of the beneficiaries of those merged strains of magical training.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: drakensis on December 16, 2014, 05:01:53 PM
I don't recall the exact date, but the Anvilers are indeed the current form of what was once the Michaelines. Having been driven from Gwynedd and lost their one Torenthi holding to an invasion of the Norse around the turn of the millenium, they refocused on their southern holdings and on guarding the routes to the Holy Land (somewhere south of Bremagne).

They seem to have adopted a number of Islamic - or at least Arabic - practises.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 17, 2014, 01:51:23 PM
 ;D ;D Dancing!  ;D ;D clapping!  ;D ;D Done!
More please!
We need a spoiler thread where those who have read it can play. Dessert Rose, shall I send you the book to read. Because you have to administrate to the forum, I'm guessing we should not start such a spoiler page until you have read it yourself. So read on, soon, good lady, read on.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: DesertRose on December 17, 2014, 02:09:50 PM
I'm not terribly concerned about spoilers at this point.  Most people have read it by now, and since I do most of the moderating (which mainly consists of reading posts, really), I knew I'd get spoiled when I realized I wasn't going to get my grubby mitts on it right away.

Besides, we all know Alaric lives to the end.  :)

Now if the library will get their copy and let me know I can get my grubby mitts on it and read...  :P
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on December 17, 2014, 02:18:52 PM
I'm still pressing onward, and am just over a third of the way through (which is over 200 pages, come to think of it.)

One thing I am enjoying is having characters from the initial Deryni trilogy put in appearances at younger ages.  Getting to see them in their earlier years and environments is quite interesting.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Alkari on December 17, 2014, 03:43:53 PM
My copy has finally arrived!  So naturally I spent most of last night reading ...

According to Amazon, the expected delivery date was last Monday, but nothing appeared that day.  When I checked the Amazon site, it said there had been a delivery delay because of 'problems with the carrier'.   I decided that I would send an SOS to Santa if it hadn't arrived by Friday, but when I staggered up from the car yesterday evening with several bags of Christmas supplies, there was the package waiting for me at the door  :D 
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 18, 2014, 01:32:45 AM
I really enjoyed TKD - obviously there is not the tension of most of the other books but that is the nature of fill ins. Anyone else agree that Alaric is let down by Brion - it might explain his darkling phase.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Curlytop on December 21, 2014, 01:04:10 PM
Quote from: revanne on December 02, 2014, 12:43:43 PM
:-\ Worries in case a previously undiscovered deryni ability has diverted Evie's copy towards the UK :D
So that's how I got my copy so quick.

I have now read it through, and I must say "very ingeniously done". The action covers the time period of two short stroies, "The Priesting of Arilan" and "Swords against the Marluk", but here these events take place more or less offstage so there is no need to incorporate those short stories into the text.

I've found a little typo already. At the top of page 500, King Brion discusses events that have just occurred in the battle against the Marluk, and he is reported as saying "My father, King Cinhil, entrusted a few of those abilities to me before his death . . ." I have supposed the use of Cinhil to be a simple typo for Donal, for even if Brion had been speaking poetically about Cinhil his forefather, the details that follow could not possibly apply to Cinhil.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Curlytop on December 21, 2014, 01:26:07 PM
Quote from: drakensis on December 14, 2014, 03:48:36 AM
Those two are a powerful combination, to my mind. Alaric's name (from the gothic 'all-ruler') blond hair indicating his ties to the 'germanic'* Deryni of the east (See also the blonde Charissa, and blond MacRories),
As my avatar might suggest, I was a natural curly blond when I was little. (Still curly but . . .) Whenever I have tried to visualise young Alaric at various ages, the images I come up with look more like myself at that age!

I was reckoned as something of a child prodigy with a strong mathematical bent when I was little, so yes, I reckon at age 13 I could have done the things that Alaric did - his development is not too far-fetched. And if I had the ability, I could have prepared the king for battle with the Marluk. And yes I too would have resisted the amorous interest of Princess Silke.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 21, 2014, 02:32:46 PM
Quote"My father, King Cinhil,
I saw that typo as well, and had thought to point it out, but then forgot. I am in with another author who allows a small group of beta readers to preread his stories before they are published to catch things like that, which an editor less familiar with the characters might miss.  I think that getting beta readers like Evie and Desert Rose to give KK a full review before the book was published would have fixed the few things that were incorrect or redundant. It seems to have worked for this other fairly known author quite well.  Though I myself do not feel I am qualified to be a beta reader for this quality a novel.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Curlytop on December 21, 2014, 03:50:43 PM
Quote from: revanne on December 18, 2014, 01:32:45 AM
Anyone else agree that Alaric is let down by Brion - it might explain his darkling phase.
No I wouldn't say so myself. For Brion the choice was Alaric or Jehana, and I feel he made the right choice, to reclaim the queen to enable him to get his son and heir, with Alaric happy to take up his duties in Corwyn.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Alkari on December 21, 2014, 05:52:30 PM
Agree.  For the sake of the kingdom, Brion needed an heir a.s.a.p. and until then, it would have been extremely dangerous for him to stand up for Alaric too openly.   If Brion had done so, Archbishop de Nore and co would have ensured that everyone in the kingdom was told that 'the evil Deryni' had somehow bewitched Brion and was responsible for the marital rift and therefore no heir.  Brion was already treading a fine line with the Church as regards Alaric, especially confirming him in his titles at such a young age: openly siding with Alaric against his queen so early in the marriage would have endangered Brion himself, brought the Church down on Alaric and opened the way for even more anti-Deryni persecutions.

Perhaps behind the scenes Brion could have been a little more determined in his efforts to make Jehana understand that he was not going to give up Alaric, for her or anyone else, but equally, he could not be too emphatic about it to start with lest she and/or her religious advisers run off to de Nore. 

The name 'Alaric' is also often given as meaning 'noble ruler', which I think is slightly more appropriate in Deryniverse than 'all-ruler'.    Some years ago, I was with my mother when a friend of hers happily announced that she had a new grandson, but the parents had given the poor child a very strange name which she had never heard of - Alaric.     They were both totally startled when I said I not only knew the name (from RL history as well as fiction) but was able to give them the meaning!!    Friend was still a little dubious, but I assured her that the name was easy to spell, and that as it wasn't a common one, the kid was unlikely to meet any other Alarics running around at school   :D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: jemler (RIP) on December 21, 2014, 05:56:48 PM
I caught that one too. There was another. Jamyls' father was sick, and Brion claimed that Jamyls grandfather was Seisyll. Seisyll was Jamyls uncle.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on December 24, 2014, 10:37:37 AM
I've finished it and enjoyed it immensely.  So many characters and events - I confess, I had a little trouble keeping all the pages and squires names straight at times, especially when they were out of sight for a bit.  I still ache for Alaric in his return to court after Kenneth's death, even with Llion at his side it would never be the same.  I'm rather sorry that it's over now, but I will read it again.   :D

Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Alice on December 30, 2014, 07:03:27 AM
I got my copy from Amazon early in December and am looking forward to reading it.  It's been hard keeping my mitts off it till Christmas vacation. 

Have a question for anyone.  Did anyone re-read "In the King's Service" and "Childe Morgan" first?  I thought perhaps reading the bios of the main characters from the Codex would refresh my memory enough. 

This is my first post on the newer forums - used to post back in the old newsgroup years ago.  Thank you again Desert rose for helping me to register here.   Look forward to reading the discussions about TKD after I get done reading it.  Happy New Year's everyone!   :)
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on December 30, 2014, 08:33:06 AM
Welcome to the newer version of the Forum, Alice!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on December 30, 2014, 09:53:39 AM
Yes, Alice, I did re-read ItKS and CM before I read KD.  I found it did help, as there were several scenes from CM that had faded in my memory over time. 
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 30, 2014, 11:34:32 AM
Welcome to the forum Alice. I never had a chance to see the old forum's, but I have heard many people had been apart of that.  Glad to see those people coming here.  I did not reread ITKS but I do plan on rereading them now and catching some of the people I may have missed in TKD. I hope you enjoy it either way.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: DesertRose on December 30, 2014, 08:37:33 PM
Hip hip huzzah!

The copy I reserved at the library has arrived and is being held for me for the next seven days.  I will go pick it up tomorrow if they're open, and Friday if not tomorrow.

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on December 31, 2014, 02:48:46 AM
Yayay! I hope you can get it tomorrow. What could be better than spending the new years with a good book. Enjoy!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on December 31, 2014, 03:34:08 AM
Enjoy!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on December 31, 2014, 06:26:03 AM
Woo hoo, DR!  Looking forward to your impressions and comments.  If you can put it down long enough, that is.   ;D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: DesertRose on December 31, 2014, 01:33:58 PM
I picked it up from the library today.  I probably won't get a chance to start reading until tomorrow because I have to work today and then I'm probably going out for New Year's Eve, but I am looking forward to cracking it open!  :)
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Elfwitch on January 06, 2015, 08:15:26 PM
This is my first post. I have been a Deryni fan since I read the first book way back in the late 1970s. It is my favorite series of books. It is what inspired my love for the fantasy genre.

I got the hardback on my birthday which was a nice present. But as much as I wanted to start it I had to finish some books from the library. I am a cursedly slow reader because I have dyslexia.

I am about halfway through it and I am loving it. To those who find Morgan precocious I see why compared to children of modern times  he is. But from my reading of life in the middle ages children grew up a lot faster than now and had less of a childhood. And there have always been gifted children Mozart was around five or six when he started. So I don't find it jarring or unrealistic.   

My favorite character from Kelson time has always been Derry. I found him brave and even though bad things happened to him he didn't let it turn him dark or become bitter towards the Deryni. In Camber time I have two favorites Joram and Javan. I was a basket case over what happened to Javan.  :'(

I look forward to meeting other fans who love this series as much as I do.
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Laurna on January 06, 2015, 08:52:34 PM
Welcome to rhemuthcastle Elfwitch. So many of us here fell in love with the Deryni way back when it all started, and it is amazing how we have all fallen head over heals into the series once more.
You and I have more than one thing in common, besides our love of Deryni. I am horribly dyslexic. A problem that haunted me for a life time. But these fine people on this site have helped me get beyond some of the insecurities that go with it. Although Chat can go too fast at times, it at least challenges me to keep up. So don't be afraid to join us in chat on Sundays.
So please, continue to enjoy TKD. There is a lot of good stuff in there. I know other people here are in the middle of reading it too. Therefore, we have been holding off really talking about it for a little while longer. Although, small spoilers do seem to slip out once in a while. ;D
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Evie on January 06, 2015, 09:17:39 PM
Welcome, Elfwitch!
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Shiral on January 06, 2015, 11:43:31 PM
Welcome, Elfwitch! If you love Deryni books, you're in the right place. =o) And you obviously love them enough to persevere and keep on reading, so keep up the good work,

Melissa
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: revanne on January 07, 2015, 02:28:30 AM
Welcome Elfwitch. You love my favourite characters. One day I'll finish my Joram fanfic but writing is painfully slow. Folk on here are really friendly - I discovered the site nearly two years ago and am so glad I did
Title: Re: The King's Deryni
Post by: Jerusha on January 07, 2015, 10:45:23 AM
Welcome aboard, Elfwitch!  Glad you have joined us.