Darkspell

You probably recall that I purchased my copy of Katharine Kerr's Daggerspell and some of its sequels back in the 90s, but waited for nearly 30 years to finally read it. What can I say? I'm stupid like that. And yet, I do learn from my mistakes and it only took me a few weeks to read and review Darkspell. That's something, right?

My main concern was that the series might not have aged well. As was the case with Daggerspell, I read the revised edition of the second installment. Once again, there is a definite 80s/90s vibe that I'm quite enjoying, to tell the truth. I'm not sure what was changed for this new edition of Darkspell, though. It appears to be that homosexuality was perceived as somewhat evil in the original version, while the focus is more on the despicable and humiliating issues pertaining to the male rape aspects found in one storyline.

In my review of Daggerspell, 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, and then by yet another group later on in the story. Given that reincarnation seems to be at the heart of the Deverry, I figured that it's something everyone needs to get used to. Yet with the first volume under my belt and with a better idea of what's going on, understandably I'm more interested in what's taking place in the present and it felt a little discordant to be thrown back into the past to witness events featuring different reincarnations of the main protagonists. And that, even though Gweniver and Ricyn's tale turned out to be quite compelling.

Here's the blurb:

On the long roads of Deverry ride two mercenaries whose fates like hidden deep in that of their own land. But Lord Rhodry, exiled from the dragon court of Aberwyn, has yet to discover his true parentage, and his swordmaster-lover, Jill, has barely glimpsed her awesome powers. Meanwhile, the ancient sorcerer Nevyn, held back by his vows from boldly intervening in their lives, can only watch and wait as Rhodry and Jill move ever closer to danger. For as the two struggle to recover the Great Stone, the mystic jewel that guides the conscience of the kingship of Deverry, malevolent dark masters are weaving terrifying spells against them--and displacing messengers of death.

Katharine Kerr has extensively rewritten Darkspell , incorporating major changes in the text, making this her definitive edition. Here the epic saga that began with the Daggerspell continues--a tale of might and magic, lust and glory, dark danger and poignant desires that echo from Deverry's sapphire waters to its secret mountain caverns. It's a spellbinding story destined to please fantasy lovers everywhere.

Once more in Darkspell, Katharine Kerr's worldbuilding is top notch. À la Katherine Kurtz and Kate Elliott, she has an eye for historical details and her depiction of medieval Welsh/Celtic culture brings this story to life with a realism that makes everything feel genuine. I was a bit disappointed not to discover more about magic, the Wildfolk, the Westfolk, and all the other mysteries of the Deverry universe in the first installment. The author doesn't play her cards as close to her chest in this sequel and its many revelations elevate Darkspell to another level. I especially liked learning more about Bardek and the lands beyond Deverry. The same goes for the Old One, the dark masters, the Hawks of the Brotherhood and their plans.

Now that I've gotten accustomed to the various reincarnations of the protagonists, the characterization wasn't as tricky this second time around. I reckon that the core of the series will always focus on Nevyn's quest to right the wrongs he caused to the people he loved. 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. Jill, Rhodry, Cullyn, and Lovyan return in this second volume and the story progresses more than I thought it would in what essentially is a short novel. As mentioned, there is a long interlude featuring past reincarnations of the characters which was an interesting read. But with evil agents of the Brotherhood on Deverry's soil, I was more interested in current affairs.

As I said, the jumps through the timeline are not as jarring in Darkspell. The pace flows well throughout the book and the story continues to move at a good clip. Kerr adds yet more layers to what promises to be an ambitious fantasy series, all the while keeping everything character-driven with a relatively small cast. Hard to say just how good it will ultimately be, but two books in I'm hooked.

If you're looking for a complex old-school speculative fiction series featuring an interesting cast of characters, Katharine Kerr's Deverry series could be just what the doctor ordered. And the fact that you can download both Daggerspell and Darkspell for about 10$ via the link below makes it easy to find out!

Looking forward to see if The Bristling Wood and The Dragon Revenant live up to the potential generated by the first two installments.

The final verdict: 7.75/10

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