Every week I receive emails from random SFF fans asking me for recommendations. And I'm always amazed by the fact that none of them has read Katherine Kurtz's signature series. Since it's not the first time I go out of my way to promote this saga, I have to assume that many of you haven't been paying attention!
So let me spell it out for you: Read these books! :P Though the story doesn't kick into high gear until the second trilogy, I still recommend that potential readers begin with the first one. But that's just me. . .
You can get many of these Deryni books for pennies via the Amazon links. So what are you waiting for!?!
- The Deryni Saga by Katherine Kurtz
The Chronicles of the Deryni
- Deryni Rising (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Checkmate (Canada, USA, Europe)
- High Deryni (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Legends of Camber of Culdi
- Camber of Culdi (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Camber the Heretic (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Histories of King Kelson
- The Bishop's Heir (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The King's Justice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Quest for Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Heirs of Saint Camber
- The Harrowing of Gwynedd (Canada, USA, Europe)
- King Javan's Year (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Bastard Prince (Canada, USA, Europe)
King Kelson's Bride (Canada, USA, Europe)
In the King's Service (Canada, USA, Europe)
Childe Morgan (Canada, USA, Europe)
Deryni Anthologies
- The Deryni Archives (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Magic (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Tales (Canada, USA, Europe)
So let me spell it out for you: Read these books! :P Though the story doesn't kick into high gear until the second trilogy, I still recommend that potential readers begin with the first one. But that's just me. . .
You can get many of these Deryni books for pennies via the Amazon links. So what are you waiting for!?!
- The Deryni Saga by Katherine Kurtz
The Chronicles of the Deryni
- Deryni Rising (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Checkmate (Canada, USA, Europe)
- High Deryni (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Legends of Camber of Culdi
- Camber of Culdi (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Camber the Heretic (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Histories of King Kelson
- The Bishop's Heir (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The King's Justice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Quest for Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Heirs of Saint Camber
- The Harrowing of Gwynedd (Canada, USA, Europe)
- King Javan's Year (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Bastard Prince (Canada, USA, Europe)
King Kelson's Bride (Canada, USA, Europe)
In the King's Service (Canada, USA, Europe)
Childe Morgan (Canada, USA, Europe)
Deryni Anthologies
- The Deryni Archives (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Magic (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Tales (Canada, USA, Europe)
13 commentaires:
I love these books especially the Kelson books.
Should they be read in publication or chronoligical order?
I would suggest that they be read in publication order.
But a lot of fans recommend that newbies start with The Legends of Camber of Culdi and then The Heirs of Saint Camber. To be followed by The Chronicles of the Deryni and The Histories of King Kelson. Chronologically, everything makes sense. But I fear that reading the first trilogy in third place, being the weakest of all the series, will sort of put a damper on the overall reading experience...
They definitely MUST be read in publication order. The depth of the second trilogy would be utterly lost without having the back story (front story?) of the first trilogy.
Totally agreed. Great books. I started in publication order but jumped from Legends to Heir b/c I just had to see what happens next. Unfortunately, King Nelson is still in the TBR pile....
I started with the Legends of Camber of Culdi series.
I loved these Deryni books so much. Long before Martin, Erikson, and Jordan there was Kurtz's Deryni and there was the Eddings Belgariad. Kurtz and Eddings were my favorite fantasy writers for a long time. I've been wanting to re-read my Deryni novels for a few years now but haven't gotten around to it. Unfortunately over the years a couple of my Kurtz hardcovers have gone missing.
When my mom brought home two Old English Sheepdog puppies in 1988 she let me name one of them:
Kelson.
Meh. I started with the Legends of CoC since that was the first set I round. Then I read the Chronicles. No harm, no foul; you lose nothing by reading those two in either order, IMHO. (And I don't see the Chronicles as being weak at all.)
Other than that, I agree with the order presented (i.e., mostly pub order). ;-) But again--just 'cuz I read 'em like that--nothing wrong with going straight chronological order (shrug)...again, IMHO.
(King Kelson's Bride takes place after The Quest for Saint Camber; I doubt you lose anything by reading it then, even though it was written after King Javan's Year.)
The (Kurtz-authored) anthologies (better called collections?) have stories from all over the timeline, butas long as you've read Chronicles and Legends, you're fine to read at least the first two collections.
P.S. I forgot to say--this is one of my favorite series. Katherine Kurtz is amazing. :-)
I loved these in Junior High. Should fish them out again...
Well, waiting for the first trilogy to come in the mail. you talked me into it.
I vaguely recall reading several of these books in high school though I have no idea which ones. Would have been the early 90s... Might ave to give them another go as I do recall enjoying them.
Can we infer from your use of "King Javan's Year" that that's your favorite of the series? I ask because that's the one that impacted me the most. Javan is probably my favorite fantasy literary character, and it was always gut-wrenching to watch as the years portrayed in the novels crept inexorably closer and closer to 922.
The only thing more dreaded is the (hopefully) eventual "948" novel, where the fates of so many characters on the various family trees are decided.
But agreed. Great series. One of my favorites. However, I think the later Kelson books are the weakest, as Kurtz seemed to have lost her taste for the blood of her characters. Only minor characters ever seem in real danger, while we KNOW when death is approaching for all the characters in the Camber era, and she can't go soft on them.
Katherine Kurtz has long been one of my favorites!
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