The Deryni novels are a series of

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Art ...

novels by the American author

Katherine Kurtz Katherine Irene Kurtz (born October 18. 1944) is an American fantasy writer, author of sixteen historical fantasy novels in the '' Deryni'' series, as well as occult and urban fantasy. Resident in Ireland for over twenty years, she moved to Virg ...

. The first novel in the series to be published was ''

Deryni Rising ''Deryni Rising'' is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the nineteenth volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in August 1970, and was reprinted at least ten t ...

'' in 1970, and the most recent, ''The King's Deryni'', was published in 2014. As of 2016, the series consists of five

trilogies A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

, one stand-alone novel, various short stories, and two reference books. Most of the series is set in the land of Gwynedd, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms (portions of '' King Kelson's Bride'' take place in the rival kingdom of

Torenth The Deryni novels are a series of historical fantasy novels by the American author Katherine Kurtz. The first novel in the series to be published was ''Deryni Rising'' in 1970, and the most recent, ''The King's Deryni'', was published in 2014. A ...

). Gwynedd itself is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

kingdom that roughly parallels 10th, 11th, or 12th-century England, Scotland, and Wales with a powerful Holy Church (based on the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

), and a

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...

government ruled by a hereditary

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic ( constitutional monar ...

. The population of the Eleven Kingdoms includes both humans and Deryni, a race of people with inherent psychic or magical abilities. Throughout the course of the series, relations between humans and Deryni result in ongoing

political Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studi ...

and

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

strife that is often interconnected with the individual lives of the main characters. While the plots of the novels often involve political, ecclesiastical, and military conflicts on a grand scale, they are counterbalanced by details of the characters' personal lives. Neither race is depicted as inherently "good" nor "evil", as both humans and Deryni are depicted as

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

s and

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, ri ...

s at various points of the series. Additionally, the novels often depict the characters engaging in various forms of magic, and such scenes vary in importance from minor events to significant plot points.

Novels

The five Deryni trilogies were published in an order which does not match the internal literary chronology of the series. The first four trilogies alternated between the 12th and 10th centuries, while the fifth trilogy is set immediately prior to the events of the first trilogy. The stand-alone novel, '' King Kelson's Bride'', takes place after the third trilogy. The trilogies are briefly listed by publication date below, with a more detailed listing after. * Publication order ** ''The Chronicles of the Deryni'' ** ''The Legends of Camber of Culdi'' ** ''The Histories of King Kelson'' ** ''The Heirs of Saint Camber'' ** ''King Kelson's Bride'' ** ''The Childe Morgan Trilogy'' *Historical order: ** ''The Legends of Camber of Culdi'' ** ''The Heirs of Saint Camber'' ** ''The Childe Morgan Trilogy'' ** ''The Chronicles of the Deryni'' ** ''The Histories of King Kelson'' ** '' King Kelson's Bride''

The Chronicles of the Deryni

* ''

'' (1970) ** November 1120: Kelson Haldane must protect his crown from a Deryni usurper. * ''

Deryni Checkmate ''Deryni Checkmate'' is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the forty-sixth volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in May 1972, and has been reprinted a number of times si ...

'' (1972) ** March 1121:

Alaric Morgan The following is a list of characters in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. The 10th century section includes characters from the ''Legends of Saint Camber'' and ''Heirs of Saint Camber'' trilogies, while the 12th c ...

and

Duncan McLain The following is a list of characters in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. The 10th century section includes characters from the ''Legends of Saint Camber'' and ''Heirs of Saint Camber'' trilogies, while the 12th c ...

face the wrath of the Holy Church. * ''

High Deryni ''High Deryni'' is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the sixty-first volume of the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in September, 1973, and has been reprin ...

'' (1973) ** June 1121 – July 1121: Kelson Haldane attempts to repair an ecclesiastical schism on the eve of a foreign invasion.

The Legends of Camber of Culdi

* '' Camber of Culdi'' (1976) ** ''September 903 – December 904'': The events that inspired

Camber MacRorie The following is a list of characters in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. The 10th century section includes characters from the ''Legends of Saint Camber'' and ''Heirs of Saint Camber'' trilogies, while the 12th c ...

to lead the Haldane Restoration. * ''

Saint Camber ''Saint Camber'' is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books in 1978. It was the fifth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the second book in her second Deryni trilo ...

'' (1978) ** June 905 – January 907: The struggles of Camber MacRorie to protect the throne of Cinhil Haldane. * '' Camber the Heretic'' (1981) ** January 917 – January 918: An anti-Deryni backlash sweeps through Gwynedd, threatening the lives of every Deryni in the kingdom.

The Histories of King Kelson

* '' The Bishop's Heir'' (1984) ** November 1123 – January 1124: An old political conflict threatens to erupt once again. * '' The King's Justice'' (1985) ** May 1124 – July 1124: Kelson Haldane leads a military campaign to put down a rebellion * '' The Quest for Saint Camber'' (1986) ** March 1125 – June 1125: A tragic accident befalls Kelson Haldane during a religious quest.

The Heirs of Saint Camber

* '' The Harrowing of Gwynedd'' (1989) ** January 918 – August 918: The Deryni desperately try to survive the persecutions. * '' King Javan's Year'' (1992) ** June 921 – October 922: Javan Haldane struggles to secure his throne. * '' The Bastard Prince'' (1994) ** May 928 – December 928: Rhys Michael Haldane must defend his crown from a foreign invader.

The Childe Morgan Trilogy

* '' In the King's Service'' (2003) ** Summer 1082 – November 1091: Donal Blaine Haldane seeks a Deryni protector for his sons. * '' Childe Morgan'' (2006) ** December 1093 - March 1096: Kenneth and Alyce Morgan prepare their son Alaric for his future role. * ''The King's Deryni'' (December 2, 2014) ** January 1099 - November 1106: A young Alaric Morgan grows up at court under the protection and friendship of King Brion Haldane.

Other novels

* '' King Kelson's Bride'' (2000) ** June 1128 – August 1128: Kelson Haldane faces the plots and intrigues of the

i royal court.

Short stories

* "Swords Against the Marluk" (1977) ** Set in 1105, the story details the battle between Brion Haldane and Hogan Gwernach Furstán-Festil. Originally published in the fourth volume of ''

Flashing Swords! ''Flashing Swords!'' is a series of fantasy anthologies published by Dell Books from 1973 to 1981 under the editorship of Lin Carter. It showcased the heroic fantasy work of the members of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a ...

'', the events of this tale are expanded upon in the ''Childe Morgan Trilogy''. * ''The Deryni Archives'' (1986) ** A collection of short stories that take place at different points throughout Gwyneddan history. All of the stories were written by Katherine Kurtz. *** "Catalyst": In the fall of 888, a young Rhys Thuryn discovers his abilities as a Healer. This story was first published in ''Moonsinger's Friends'' in 1985. *** "Healer's Song": In August of 914, Rhys Thuryn and his wife celebrate the birth of their new son. This story was first published in ''Fantasy Book'' in 1982. *** "Vocation": In December 977, a reluctant noble feels the lure of a religious life. This story was first published in ''Nine Visions'' in 1983. *** "Bethane": In the summer of 1100, a bitter old woman encounters a group of young Deryni nobles. This story was first published in ''Hecate's Cauldron'' in 1982. *** "The Priesting of Arilan": From August 1104 to February 1105, Denis Arilan attempts to become the first Deryni priest in two centuries. *** "Legacy": In June 1105, Charissa Furstána-Festila relates the tale of her father's battle with King Brion Haldane. This story was first published in ''Fantasy Book'' in 1983. *** "The Knighting of Derry": In May 1115, Sean Lord Derry travels to the royal court and meets Duke Alaric Morgan. *** "Trial": In the spring of 1118, Alaric Morgan observes the trial of an accused murderer. * "Venture in Vain" (2001) ** Set in the year 1089, only 300 copies of this rare, limited-edition short story were published. * ''Deryni Tales'' (2002) ** A collection of short stories written by fans of the Deryni series. Katherine Kurtz edited the collection and contributed an additional short story of her own. Kurtz' story, "The Green Tower", is set in 1052 and tells the tale of two young girls and the events surrounding a dangerous magical experiment.

Reference books

* ''Deryni Magic'' (1990) ** A companion book to the series that details the fictional style of magic used by the Deryni, including both natural psychic abilities and complex arcane rituals. * ''Codex Derynianus'' (1998) ** Written by Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, this book is a comprehensive encyclopedia of the people and places in the Deryni series, including maps and genealogical charts. The first edition of the book was a limited-edition

hardcover A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as case-bound) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or o ...

slipcase of which only 500 were printed. In 2005, a second edition of the book was published as a trade paperback, and it was updated to include information from ''King Kelson's Bride''.

Setting

Most of the books are set in the fictional Kingdom of Gwynedd, one of the Eleven Kingdoms. The other kingdoms are Bremagne, The Connait, Howicce, Llannedd, Kheldour, Meara, Mooryn, Orsal, Tralia, and Torenth.

Citations

General sources

* Katherine Kurtz, '' Camber of Culdi'', * Katherine Kurtz, ''

'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' Camber the Heretic'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' The Harrowing of Gwynedd'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' King Javan's Year'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' The Bastard Prince'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' In the King's Service'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' Childe Morgan'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' The King's Deryni'', * Katherine Kurtz, ''

'', * Katherine Kurtz, ''

'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' The Bishop's Heir'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' The King's Justice'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' The Quest for Saint Camber'', * Katherine Kurtz, '' King Kelson's Bride'', * Katherine Kurtz, ''The Deryni Archives'', * Katherine Kurtz and Robert Reginald, ''Codex Derynianus'' (second edition),
Deryni FAQ

External links

Deryni Destination, the official website of Katherine Kurtz & all things Deryni

* rc://irc.otherworlders.org/deryni_destinations The official chat of Katherine Kurtz(

IRC Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a text-based chat system for instant messaging. IRC is designed for group communication in discussion forums, called '' channels'', but also allows one-on-one communication via private messages as well as chat an ...

) {{deryni Fantasy novel series American fantasy novels American novel series