Childe Morgan

While this book doesn't have quite the same amount of adventure action as most of her other books, it develops the themes that will dominate Alaric Morgan's life quite nicely, and there is enough happening there to keep things interesting. I would have liked a little bit more of Alaric Morgan's point of view in all of this, considering that this is supposed to be his story (and the title is Childe Morgan, after all), but I am also glad to know more about his parents and how they served, not to mention some interesting insights into characters we will either meet later or hear about in the books about Kelson.

Another excellent work from the master of medieval fantasy. In Childe Morgan Katherine Kurtz provides the reader with some some of previously unknown background to the life and times of the young Alaric Morgan and the youthful Brion Haldane. As usual, Katherine Kutz paints a detailed tapestry of mediaeval times with rich characterisation and a nice blend of intrigue and action. The novel again showcases Ms Kutz' immense knowledge of mediaeval times and religious practices and forms an integral part of the Deryni universe. It provides some very useful insights into some of the characters that appear more fully in her other Deryni novels and is not to be missed by anyone who enjoys the Deryni Saga.

Alaric Morgan has been pledged to the service of King Donal, still grieving following the death of his out-of-wedlock son, Kelson. Alaric brings peace of mind to Donal because he is Deryni, a race of people who employs powerful magic --- a magic that can be used to protect 14-year-old Prince Brion. Yet, as comforting as that thought may seem, Donal carries a great burden. First of all, the Deryni are a feared group, watched by the Church with scrutinous eyes. And the Camberian Council secretly oversees their activities. Donal walks a precarious edge as the Church and its bishops would love nothing more than to excommunicate him, especially Bishop Oliver de Nore, whose brother was executed by Donal's order for involvement in the murder of Kelson. Secondly, while Alaric will have the power to aid the Prince, the Deryni is currently only four years old. In order for the Prince to have the protection he needs, Alaric must first be protected himself. Not only does the Church have interest in Alaric but so too do factions from neighboring Torenth. Prince Hogan and his mage, Zachris Pomeroy, want the throne and they know that the first step to success is eliminating Alaric. So goes CHILDE MORGAN, a new novel in the world of the Deryni. Once again, Katherine Kurtz displays an incredible talent for inspired storytelling and a masterful gift for fantasy without resorting to the pitfall cliches of the genre. In many ways, CHILDE MORGAN, as well as Kurtz's other works, are historical artifacts --- the tomes of a far gone time that resembles our own past with just enough magic thrown in to make it seem otherworldly. Much like George R. R. Martin's realistic fantasy-world feel, Kurtz's land of Gwynedd ultimately feels genuine and honest, with strict rules and a sense of actually having existed. Her capacity as a writer of tremendous ability prevents the story from being a dry historical read, though you sense the weight of history and time on every page --- which only inspires the story and invigorates it. While it does have its more kinetic moments, CHILDE MORGAN rests solely in the hands and mind of King Donal, and it is with him that the soul of this story exists. Donal is a tremendous character to get to know, and through Kurtz we are with him in his most introspective moments. We endure his tiresome but necessary struggle to ensure the safety of his son and young Alaric, withstand the betrayals by those around him, and fight the enemies from neighboring lands and from the Church. Picking up this novel as a new reader may come as a confusing endeavor initially. Names fly fast and furious, and you are instantly caught up in events that reference the past. It is quite unfortunate that the vast majority of titles in this series have gone out of print, though the first two books, DERYNI RISING and DERYNI CHECKMATE, have been issued in hardcover recently, 30 years after their original printing. However, this should not dissuade you from pressing on with CH

This book follows on from "In the King's Service" and telle the story of the young Alaric Morgan. It is extremely well paced and is even better reading. It is fascinating to see how the background is developing for Brion's (Kelson's father) reign. There's still lots of unanswered questions and I hope that there will be another book. The book is a definite must in the Deryni series - I think it's one of the best.

Katherine Kurtz characters are, as always, enchanting, intelligent and real. She brings the struggle of good verse evil to the fore and provides the reader with very good read.