The Dragon Revenant

The Bristling Wood, third installment in Katharine Kerr's Deverry saga, ended with such a cliffhanger that I had no choice but to jump right into The Dragon Revenant to discover how the author would bring an end to the first story arc of this Celtic fantasy series. Not sure why this title was ultimately chosen, for it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot.

Unlike its predecessors, this fourth volume only occurs in the present. I figure that the plot had grown too vast to include past reincarnations in the storylines this time around. As a result, The Dragon Revenant made for a more streamlined reading experience. Which, it goes without saying, was for the best.

Here's the blurb:

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. Intent on rescuing him, his beloved Jill and the elven wizard Salamander infiltrate the distant land of Bardex, where Rhodry is held captive. 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 a master of dark magics, backed by a network of evil that stretches across the sea. 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. Her vivid portrayal of characters caught in a complex web of fate and magic captures the imagination with a realism that few can match. Now she retums to this enchanted kingdom, where the wheels of destiny are tuming anew.

Once again, in The Dragon Revenant Katharine Kerr's superior worldbuilding continues to shine. Like Katherine Kurtz and Kate Elliott, the author has an eye for historical details and her portrayal of medieval Welsh/Celtic culture brings this tale to life with a realism that feels authentic. With the bulk of the action taking place beyond the sea, we learn more about the dweomer and its uses, about Bardek in particular, about the Old One, the dark masters, the Hawks of the Brotherhood and the other guilds. If it was in The Bristling Wood that the story truly took off, it's in The Dragon Revenant that Kerr brings it all together.

The better part of the novel deals with the aftermath of Rhodry's kidnapping and his becoming a slave in Bardek, as well as Jill and Salamander's quest to rescue him. With his brother dead, Rhodry is now the lawful heir. But if he cannot be found within a year's time, war will erupt as factions fight to determine who will lead. I feel that too much focus was put on the Bardek plotlines and not enough on the Nevyn vs the Old One showdown. Given its importance in the series thus far, their battle was rather anticlimactic to say the least. This is definitely a case of the resolution not being worthy of the build-up. However, I really liked how the author played with the politics of Rhodry's return and how it all came about. That was well done.

The Dragon Revenant brings all the storylines from the previous books to a mostly satisfying conclusion, all the while leaving the door open for a lot more to come. Kerr failed to come up with an endgame that did justice to the proverbial battle between Good and Evil, especially since she spent the last two volumes telling us how badass the Old One is. In and of itself, this could have killed the book. But the finale delivered in more ways than one. Those expecting a nice and romantic ending might find themselves shocked to a certain degree.

Though it's far from perfect, The Dragon Revenant concludes the first story arc of Katharine Kerr's Deverry saga in a way that makes me want to know what happens next. So yes, I will give the next arc a shot. If you're looking for a complex old-school speculative fiction series featuring an interesting cast of characters, you should definitely check out these books.

The final verdict: 7.75/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.