Darkspell

Very disappointed, second book in a week that I received from Theiftbooks without dust jacket. Waste of money , since any book I receive without dust jacket goes straight to the dumpster.

As with all books that begin a series, Katharine Kerr spent a lot of time in "Daggerspell" just introducing us to her characters and the land of Deverry. In "Darkspell," she's able to relax a little bit, letting us get to know Jill, Rhodry, and the rest of the characters rather than simply sort out what role they play. As a result, I found "Darkspell" even more enjoyable, and ultimately more representative of the series as a whole. In the present, Jill and Rhodry are riding the long road as exiles from the court of Rhodry's vindictive brother. Unfortunately, the dweomer - both light and dark - has marked these two, and they quickly find themselves drawn once again into the middle of a battle they can barely even begin to understand. Luckily, the ancient dweomermaster Nevyn is along to pull their stones out of the fire, although he of course has an ulterior motive - to bring Jill to her true power in the dweomer and thus fulfill a centuries-old vow so he can die, already. Boom! Cut to the past. Adding another column to her table of incarnations, Kerr gives us Jill as a berserker priestess of the Warrior Goddess, with Rhodry as her loyal but spineless lieutenant and Cullyn (disappointingly absent in the present incarnation) as the arrogant lord who wants her to break her vows of celibacy. I should note that the one quibble I have with Rhodry and Cullyn's past lives is that they bear very little resemblance to their current characters. Even Jill, and her many incarnations, have nothing in common with the original Brangwen. It doesn't hurt the story any, it just irks me. Anyway. I enjoyed this episode even better than the two described in "Daggerspell" - it just seemed more rich, more fraught with tension and danger. It also gives us some history that's going to be muy importante later, so pay attention. We meet some interesting new characters this time around, who will become integral in later books - Blaen, Rhodry's cousin, and Salamander, his half-elven brother, in particular. There are a couple villains, more well-defined than the nebulous forces of darkness arrayed against our heroes in "Daggerspell." All of this combines to make "Darkspell" a more personal story, one that deeply invests us in the many lives of its characters. We are starting to see the outlines of the grand arc of the series here, the pattern which these many characters will weave over the course of their multiple lifetimes. Readers who found "Daggerspell" too confusing and distant should stick it out for at least this one sequel; I guarantee that most of you will enjoy it even more.

This book is just the beginning. It is one of the best books I have read as far as style and content go. But it seems that the people who are not satisfied only look at this book. In my opinion the first three books, Daggerspell, Darkspell, and The Bristling Wood, are just setting the stage for what is to come. She did an excellent job of keeping the plot moving while keeping you interested. Also the way the characters souls are all intertwined and locked with each other puts an interesting spin to things. It is almost like watching a child growing and never knowing what to expect next. Overall I feel that the world she has created starting with Daggerspell will be a part of me forever.

After reading Daggerspell, I thought Kerr was a good writer but wasn't really sure her story could really merit more than one book. However, Darkspell got me thoroughly hooked. It seems as though she really has two plots that intertwine: the time-spanning reincarnations and the present dweomer war, and this book introduces the reader to the intricacies of each and the relationship between the two. I enjoyed the plot developments and further explanations of the type of magic she has created. I also loved the ending because it resolved enough for me to feel satisfied, but left enough hanging issues to keep me reading. I wouldn't recommend making a decision about the series until you've read this book.

Katharine Kerr is one of, if not the, best fantasy writers out there. This book is incredibly captivating - I've read it at least 7 times and it doesn't get old. Along with humanly flawed heroes, Ms. Kerr accomplishes something one rarely sees in fantasy - really terrifying villains. Unlike so many other fantasy series, the bad guys are as interesting as the good guys, and the dark dweomer conveys a real sense of malice. And, as always, the language is wonderful.

This book is as great as 'Daggerspell'. The tangled Wyrd of Nevyn, Brangwen and Blaen souls start to unfold, but it is still far from resolving. Their souls reincarnate from life to life, each time a bit more untangled than before and in 'Darkspell' there is some of incarnations. The whole concept of dweomer, or in particular of human perception of five forces of universe as mindless wildfolk is stunning. Great reading time on enchanted language of Deverry.