Since it took me forever to finally get to it, my main concern was that the Deverry series might not have aged well. But with both Daggerspell and Darkspell under my belt, I'm definitely digging the 80s/90s vibe of these books. So much so that I jumped into the fourth volume right after reading this one to complete the first story arc of Katharine Kerr's celtic fantasy saga.
The same caveat applies, however. In my previous reviews, I said that some readers might find the structure of the Deverry series to be a little off-putting. Since it follows a number of souls being reborn through the centuries, the original cast you get to know at the beginning of the novel gets replaced by a different bunch of characters after a few chapters. Given that reincarnation seems to be at the heart of the Deverry, this is something everyone needs to get used to, even if it can feel a little weird at times. It's a little less prevalent in The Bristling Wood, true, but a good chunk of the tale takes place in the past. Now that I have a better idea of what the overall plot will turn out to be, understandably I'm more interested in what's occurring in the present and it always feels a little jarring to be thrown back into the past to witness events featuring different reincarnations of the main protagonists. Having said that, though the whole storyline focusing on putting the right kind of man on the throne felt a bit superfluous, especially since it appears to have little bearing on the main plot, I did enjoy seeing the creation of the Silver Daggers.
Here's the blurb:
Against the passionate sweep of Deverrian history, the powerful wizard Nevyn has lived for centuries, atoning for the sins he committed in his youth. Now, with so much of his work at stake, Nevyn discovers that the Dark Council has been quietly interfering with the already tangled politics of war-torn Eldidd. Their evil webs are nearly spun before Nevyn, with all the power at his command, even realizes there’s a war of magic destroying his world.
Katharine Kerr’s enthralling tales Daggerspell and Darkspell introduced readers to the kingdom of Deverry, a world where ancient gods gamble with the fates of nations, and where the souls of men and women persist beyond death. Now the dazzling fantasy saga continues with The Bristling Wood, a vast and intricate tapestry of conflict, intrigue, and high magic that transcends the bounds of time and space.
As was the case with its predecessors, in The Bristling Wood Katharine Kerr's worldbuilding continues to be top notch. À la Katherine Kurtz and Kate Elliott, she has an eye for historical details and her portrayal of medieval Welsh/Celtic culture continues to bring this tale to life with a realism that makes everything feel genuine. We finally discover more about magic, the Wildfolk, the Westfolk, and all the other mysteries of the Deverry universe. Once again, these many revelations elevate the series to another level. I relished learning more about the elves and the coming of man upon the shores of Deverry. We learn more about the dweomer and its uses, about Bardek and the lands beyond Deverry, about the Old One, the dark masters, the Hawks of the Brotherhood and the other guilds, as well as their respective plans. In many ways, it's in this third installment that the story truly takes off.
Now that I've gotten used to the various reincarnations of the protagonists, the characterization wasn't as tricky it used to be. Initially, I figured that the core of the series would always focus on Nevyn's quest to right the wrongs he caused to the people he loved. After all, his task is to spend eternity correcting his mistakes so they can all fulfill their destiny. And every time she's reborn, Brangwen's soul must learn to wield and control the dweomer, or else Nevyn must wait for a new cycle to begin, hoping to find her and start anew. And yet, The Bristling Wood hints at a much bigger story arc, one in which Rhodry's elven heritage might take center stage. It will be interesting to see if that's the case or not. Jill, Rhodry, Cullyn, and Lovyan return in this third volume and the story progresses even more than it did in Darkspell. The whole mind/physical rape plotline endured by Jill took me by surprise and I'm curious to see where the author intends to go with that. It was also interesting to witness Brangwen being reborn as a man, even though Kerr didn't do much with that thread. This felt like a missed opportunity for me. Nevertheless, there is a lot of character growth in this one. I also enjoyed Salamander coming into his own as a protagonist, which adds a new dimension to the story.
As mentioned, the jumps through the timeline are not as discordant in The Bristling Wood. The pace flows extremely well throughout the novel and it felt as though Kerr finally found her stride. This one adds yet more layers to what is already an ambitious fantasy series, all the while keeping everything character-driven with a relatively small cast. The cliffhanger ending gave me no choice but to follow up with The Dragon Revenant as soon as I reached the last page. There was no way I could wait to find out what happens next!
As I said before, if you're looking for a complex old-school speculative fiction series featuring an interesting cast of characters, Katharine Kerr's Deverry series is definitely for you. And you can still download both Daggerspell and Darkspell for about 10$ via the link below to get started.
The final verdict: 7.75/10
For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.
The same caveat applies, however. In my previous reviews, I said that some readers might find the structure of the Deverry series to be a little off-putting. Since it follows a number of souls being reborn through the centuries, the original cast you get to know at the beginning of the novel gets replaced by a different bunch of characters after a few chapters. Given that reincarnation seems to be at the heart of the Deverry, this is something everyone needs to get used to, even if it can feel a little weird at times. It's a little less prevalent in The Bristling Wood, true, but a good chunk of the tale takes place in the past. Now that I have a better idea of what the overall plot will turn out to be, understandably I'm more interested in what's occurring in the present and it always feels a little jarring to be thrown back into the past to witness events featuring different reincarnations of the main protagonists. Having said that, though the whole storyline focusing on putting the right kind of man on the throne felt a bit superfluous, especially since it appears to have little bearing on the main plot, I did enjoy seeing the creation of the Silver Daggers.
Here's the blurb:
Against the passionate sweep of Deverrian history, the powerful wizard Nevyn has lived for centuries, atoning for the sins he committed in his youth. Now, with so much of his work at stake, Nevyn discovers that the Dark Council has been quietly interfering with the already tangled politics of war-torn Eldidd. Their evil webs are nearly spun before Nevyn, with all the power at his command, even realizes there’s a war of magic destroying his world.
Katharine Kerr’s enthralling tales Daggerspell and Darkspell introduced readers to the kingdom of Deverry, a world where ancient gods gamble with the fates of nations, and where the souls of men and women persist beyond death. Now the dazzling fantasy saga continues with The Bristling Wood, a vast and intricate tapestry of conflict, intrigue, and high magic that transcends the bounds of time and space.
As was the case with its predecessors, in The Bristling Wood Katharine Kerr's worldbuilding continues to be top notch. À la Katherine Kurtz and Kate Elliott, she has an eye for historical details and her portrayal of medieval Welsh/Celtic culture continues to bring this tale to life with a realism that makes everything feel genuine. We finally discover more about magic, the Wildfolk, the Westfolk, and all the other mysteries of the Deverry universe. Once again, these many revelations elevate the series to another level. I relished learning more about the elves and the coming of man upon the shores of Deverry. We learn more about the dweomer and its uses, about Bardek and the lands beyond Deverry, about the Old One, the dark masters, the Hawks of the Brotherhood and the other guilds, as well as their respective plans. In many ways, it's in this third installment that the story truly takes off.
Now that I've gotten used to the various reincarnations of the protagonists, the characterization wasn't as tricky it used to be. Initially, I figured that the core of the series would always focus on Nevyn's quest to right the wrongs he caused to the people he loved. After all, his task is to spend eternity correcting his mistakes so they can all fulfill their destiny. And every time she's reborn, Brangwen's soul must learn to wield and control the dweomer, or else Nevyn must wait for a new cycle to begin, hoping to find her and start anew. And yet, The Bristling Wood hints at a much bigger story arc, one in which Rhodry's elven heritage might take center stage. It will be interesting to see if that's the case or not. Jill, Rhodry, Cullyn, and Lovyan return in this third volume and the story progresses even more than it did in Darkspell. The whole mind/physical rape plotline endured by Jill took me by surprise and I'm curious to see where the author intends to go with that. It was also interesting to witness Brangwen being reborn as a man, even though Kerr didn't do much with that thread. This felt like a missed opportunity for me. Nevertheless, there is a lot of character growth in this one. I also enjoyed Salamander coming into his own as a protagonist, which adds a new dimension to the story.
As mentioned, the jumps through the timeline are not as discordant in The Bristling Wood. The pace flows extremely well throughout the novel and it felt as though Kerr finally found her stride. This one adds yet more layers to what is already an ambitious fantasy series, all the while keeping everything character-driven with a relatively small cast. The cliffhanger ending gave me no choice but to follow up with The Dragon Revenant as soon as I reached the last page. There was no way I could wait to find out what happens next!
As I said before, if you're looking for a complex old-school speculative fiction series featuring an interesting cast of characters, Katharine Kerr's Deverry series is definitely for you. And you can still download both Daggerspell and Darkspell for about 10$ via the link below to get started.
The final verdict: 7.75/10
For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.
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