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For years the provinces of Deverry have been in turmoil; now the conflict escalates with the kidnapping of Rhodry Maelwaedd, heir to the throne of Aberwyn.nbsp;nbsp;Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardex, where Rhodry is held captive.nbsp;nbsp;Tied to Deverry by obligation and circumstance, the immortal wizard Nevyn begins to see that all the kingdom's problems can be traced to a single source: a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea.nbsp;nbsp;Now Nevyn understands that he too is being lured away to Bardek--and into a subtle, deadly trap designed especially for him. Katharine Kerr's novels of the Kingdom of Deverry unfold in a world of stunning richness and depth.nbsp;nbsp;Her vivid portrayal of characters caught in a complex web of fate and magic captures the imagination with a realism that few can match.nbsp;nbsp;Now she retums to this enchanted kingdom, where the wheels of destiny are tuming anew.… (more)
User reviews
Rhodry has been sold as a slave on the Bardek islands, and one storyline follows his new life, intersected with
I really enjoyed the slow build and Jill's gradual realisation that the dweomer would be her future, no matter how much she wished otherwise. The climax to the Old One part of the story was very much D&D in nature (no real surprise considering Kerr's background in roleplaying games) and fairly purfunctory. No one was in any great danger, and everyone survived to live another day. What was more interesting was the final few chapters, where Jill makes the decision that releases Nevyn from his reckless vow and changes her life.
The sequence of four books are fairly generic fantasy, and certainly more groundbreaking fantasy has been produced since these. However, they should not be dismissed lightly. Kerr's writing is warm and welcoming. The characters are well-written and you care deeply about what happens to them. Kerr has told a fabulously rich story, which was improved immeasurably by the lack of a linear storyline.
I think that readers of any epic fantasy would gain a great deal of enjoyment from the Deverry series. Although I wish to all the Gods that the characters would stop tossing their heads to make a point!
My only complaint is Perryn- yes, his crimes toward Jill may have been only semi-conscious, but it just seems so, so wrong that he gets a happy ending. He didn't suffer enough.