historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...
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'' 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 distinct works 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. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
, 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). Gwynedd itself is a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
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 List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
), and a
feudal
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
government ruled by a hereditary
monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
. 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 () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
and
religious
Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
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 ...
* '' Deryni Rising'' (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 ...
'' (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 ...
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 ...
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 reprinte ...
'' (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 novels, 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, w ...
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 tril ...
'' (1978)
** June 905 – January 907: The struggles of Camber MacRorie to protect the throne of Cinhil Haldane.
* ''
Camber the Heretic
''Camber the Heretic'' is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1981. It was the sixth novel of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her second Deryni trilogy ...
'' (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
''The Bishop's Heir'' is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1984. It was the seventh of Kurtz's Deryni novels to be published, and the first book in her third Deryni trilogy, ''The ...
'' (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 Torenthi 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, and revived under the editorship of Robert M. Price in 2020. It originally showcased the heroic fantasy work of t ...
'', 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
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 ...
, 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 casebound (At p. 247.)) book is one bookbinding, bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other clo ...
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.
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 tril ...
'',
* Katherine Kurtz, ''
Camber the Heretic
''Camber the Heretic'' is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1981. It was the sixth novel of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her second Deryni trilogy ...
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 ...
'',
* Katherine Kurtz, ''
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 reprinte ...
'',
* Katherine Kurtz, ''
The Bishop's Heir
''The Bishop's Heir'' is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1984. It was the seventh of Kurtz's Deryni novels to be published, and the first book in her third Deryni trilogy, ''The ...
IRC
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) 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 ...