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Darkspell
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Darkspell (Deverry #2)
by
Katharine Kerr (Goodreads Author)
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,...more
Mass Market Paperback, 359 pages
Published
December 13th 1988
by Del Rey
(first published 1987)
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once again an interesting and provocative unique fantasy from Katharine Kerr, Darkspell continues the story of Rhodry, Jill and Nevyn. most thoughts i had on the first book i could just reiterate, the book is much the same in content, only a slightly less interesting story. this one is basically one past story and one present, the present one is not that great but the past one is very interesting and its a shame that it won't feature again.
overall interesting fantasy, different but noit the bes...more
overall interesting fantasy, different but noit the bes...more
Prince Rhodry is sent into exile by his bratty brother Rhys, who has long felt his position to the throne threatened by Rhodry. Jill goes with him, their journey along the road is frought with danger from both physical and magical forces,
The strong distinctions between good and evil are drawn in this novel; the corruption of innocence being perhaps the most troubling and disturbing element of the dark dweomer magic when we see the rape of a young boy as part of ritual magic, however it is caref...more
The strong distinctions between good and evil are drawn in this novel; the corruption of innocence being perhaps the most troubling and disturbing element of the dark dweomer magic when we see the rape of a young boy as part of ritual magic, however it is caref...more
It has been 16 years since I first picked up the first Deverry novel, DaggerSpell, and here in am, 16 years later, about to finish the fifteenth and final one.
Has the journey been worth it? Yes. Was the wait too long? Yes.
I would not recommend anyone starts reading the Deverry cycle unless they intend to read them all, as the macroscopic story is at least as important as the microscopic ones, and as such I am reviewing the books as a set.
I almost give them 4 stars (excellent) but in the end I am...more
Has the journey been worth it? Yes. Was the wait too long? Yes.
I would not recommend anyone starts reading the Deverry cycle unless they intend to read them all, as the macroscopic story is at least as important as the microscopic ones, and as such I am reviewing the books as a set.
I almost give them 4 stars (excellent) but in the end I am...more
This is the second Deverry book and proves to be just as gripping as the first. Here we are dealing with a present time storyline of Jill and Rhodry's life on the road as silver daggers, and the danger they face from masters of dark dweomer. Jill discovers from Nevyn more about dweomer as he tries to gently encourage her to fulfil her Wyrd (destiny).
We also go back in time to a previous incarnation of Jill and Rhodry and Cullyn (Jill's father). The three souls (and others) have been twisted tog...more
We also go back in time to a previous incarnation of Jill and Rhodry and Cullyn (Jill's father). The three souls (and others) have been twisted tog...more
I am not much of a plot person, being way too much of a character lover but as far as plots go, I prefer one that is complicated and multilayered. Well you do not get any more layered then this story. You have the present storyline that revolves around Jill, Rhodry, and Nevyn fighting against the forces of evil. You have the previous incarnations with their storylines covering the extensive back-story and you have the ever-present question, will Nevyn be able to help Jill fulfill her destiny in...more
This is the second book of the long Deverry saga. But know that this long saga is written in cycles, and at the end of book 4 (the first cycle), you get a real ending.
I wrote in details about the general story and writing on the Daggerspell page (Book One).
This sequel is as good as the first novel, and takes us deeper into the characters' psychology. We'll discover a new incarnation of our heroes while the present plot is getting more intense and darker. You know how in some stories the villain...more
I wrote in details about the general story and writing on the Daggerspell page (Book One).
This sequel is as good as the first novel, and takes us deeper into the characters' psychology. We'll discover a new incarnation of our heroes while the present plot is getting more intense and darker. You know how in some stories the villain...more
Jan 18, 2013
Grianne
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
katharine-kerr,
fantasy
...la storia prosegue ed è affascinante, è bello vedere finalmente i cattivi un passo indietro nella comprensione degli eventi e terrorizzati dal potentissimo "buono"...ma ci sono anche alcune cose di questo volume che nn mi hanno entusiasmato troppo.
Per prima la parte in cui Brangwen è reincarnata in Gweniver...è troppo lunga, l'ho trovata noiosa. L'idea in sè di queste reincarnazioni successive è bella, ok la prima in cui Nevyn si rende conto di alcune cose...ok la seconda che cmq è breve (e q...more
Per prima la parte in cui Brangwen è reincarnata in Gweniver...è troppo lunga, l'ho trovata noiosa. L'idea in sè di queste reincarnazioni successive è bella, ok la prima in cui Nevyn si rende conto di alcune cose...ok la seconda che cmq è breve (e q...more
Actually, the second book is much the same as the first - interesting main story interlaced with tales from the past, but switching between the present and the past wasn't very well done, it felt intrusive. Moreover the first "glimpse in past" was more like side story. I didn't get why it was exactly in that place of book or what was the purpose of so long side-story, even if it's about Jill's incarnation. Thanks to lack of my interest, I've read the Gwen tale even faster than I'm reading usuall...more
This second book of the long Deverry saga continues the story of Nevyn, Jill, and Rhodry, as well as their incarnations in previous and future lives. This series started with a bang and I'm glad to say the quality has not let up in the least. I was gratified to learn much more about the dweomer (magic system) in this volume and come to understand much more of the driving forces in this world that Ms Kerr has created. If you're looking for a multi-layered plot you can't get much more so than this...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Kerr's storytelling showed a marked improvement in this book over Daggerspell. As a whole, Darkspell is less derivative of prior works and more Kerr's own thing; after reading this book, it seems fairly clear that Kerr pretty much used Daggerspell to get the less creative portions of her story out of her system. She still shows too much of a tendency to wrap things up too neatly by the end, but if I remember correctly, that gets better as the series continues. On the up-side, she spent longer on...more
I know I gave both this book and the previous one threes, but this was a much weaker three. In the first one, I really felt like the flashbacks added to the story in a way that they didn't in this one. I also wasn't as invested in Gweniver, Dannyn, and Ricyn as I was in the characters from the other flashbacks, and as the present-day plot became more interesting I became impatient and really just wanted to skip back to what Jill and Rhodry were doing.
I am really enjoying this series again. Very happy that I didn't finish it the first time around (I started in 2008 when Kindle was just getting off the ground and ebooks were scarce) so I have no idea how it is going to end.
This is true epic fantasy, of a kind that we don't seem much of these days. And the ones we see seem to be taking 10+ years to finish and or get the next books out.
This is true epic fantasy, of a kind that we don't seem much of these days. And the ones we see seem to be taking 10+ years to finish and or get the next books out.
Jan 01, 2013
T J
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes a good complicate fantasy!
Recommended to T J by:
Reading Daggerspell1
Shelves:
own
DarkspellKatharine Kerr
This was a great sequel to Daggerspell and book 2 of the Deverry Series. If you like a complex multi-storylined book series. You will highly enjoy this book and the rest of the series. Katherine Kerr series is rooted in Celtic mythology and fantasy to max.
In Darkspell you get treated to the dark side of Dweomer (magic)and the trouble it has brought from the land overseas. Rhodry, Lisa and the Dweomer master, Nevyn are back together in Deverry to hunt down who is using dar...more
This was a great sequel to Daggerspell and book 2 of the Deverry Series. If you like a complex multi-storylined book series. You will highly enjoy this book and the rest of the series. Katherine Kerr series is rooted in Celtic mythology and fantasy to max.
In Darkspell you get treated to the dark side of Dweomer (magic)and the trouble it has brought from the land overseas. Rhodry, Lisa and the Dweomer master, Nevyn are back together in Deverry to hunt down who is using dar...more
Another excellent Deverry book from Katharine Kerr. I really enjoyed Darkspell, perhaps even slightly moreso than Daggerspell. The characters were well explored, and I was definitely left wanting more. I do have to admit that with the talk of the ring, I am a little apprehensive that The Bristling Wood will be too similar to LOTR, but I guess I am about to find out! Highly recommended fantasy reading.
I am reading this series on my Kindle, and they are easy reads when I am waiting for an appointment etc, but I am not addicted yet. I like, but don't love, the characters and the stories.
To be honest, I like the old, unrevised version better. My guess is that Kerr edited it so that it wasn't quite so negative about homosexuality -- incest in the first book! pedophilia and gay rape in the second!
But I like the family connection, and I love the complexity of Sarcyn's character. And I really, really, really do love the story of Lady Gweniver in the Time of Troubles. When I started re-reading the series, I squealed when I realized the reference back -- remember in Daggerspell when...more
But I like the family connection, and I love the complexity of Sarcyn's character. And I really, really, really do love the story of Lady Gweniver in the Time of Troubles. When I started re-reading the series, I squealed when I realized the reference back -- remember in Daggerspell when...more
1 like · like · see review
Katharine nezklamala. Zase mě potěšila tou omáčkou okolo, procházkami středověkých měst a vesnic. Škoda jen toho pomalého startu, jinak bych neměl co vytknout.
Interesting concept, great atmosphere but repetitive (who would have thought for a series based on reincarnation...)
Elves, sorcerers, several generations of the same persons in their various incarnations. Not my cup of tea
Okay, I admit it. I am totally hooked on the whole series. Some of the books are better than others but still... they all get a 5 star rating from me.
Still enjoying these characters. It's like being in another world.
Saga to drown in. A good read.
Deel 2 van de Deverry reeks leest net zo lekker weg als deel 1. De incarnatie van Jill in een vorig leven die haar leven aan de Maangodin moet wijden vond ik minder interessant dan Jill zelf. De verhaallijn met Nevyn (de meester van de Ether) en zijn directe en indirecte strijd met Alastyr, die de duistere dweomer gebruikt voor zijn plannen, zijn heel boeiend en er worden een aantal lijntjes uitgegooid voor de volgende delen van deze reeks. Het zijn er in totaal 15, dus ik heb er nog genoeg te g...more
Ho Hum. I was on a business trip, so it was nice to have. I'll read the next one, but I highly doubt I can make it through 15 books. It already seems like the plot is being stretched beyond the shredding point.
Good fantasy novels.
Sep 14, 2009
Kate
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Deverry Lovers
This picks up after the end of the previous book, Daggerspell, with Jill and Rhodry traveling the long road as silver daggers. We also get a real introduction to the forces of evil in the series, the dark magicians who are intent on causing chaos in Deverry.
Overall, great book if you liked the first one. If you didn't like the first one, this isn't going to change your mind.
Overall, great book if you liked the first one. If you didn't like the first one, this isn't going to change your mind.
This was a good fantasy with magic, battles and an old herbman named Nevyn who watches as the souls of those he loved are reincarnated again and again. I liked both storylines - one featuring Gweniver, Dannyn and Ricyn and the other, Jill, Rhodry and Cullyn. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Bristling Wood.
I liked this one a little bit more than its predecessor "Daggerspell," mostly because the story is a little more compact, and the past-life sections a little more adventuresome. However, some might feel that it suffers from sequel-syndrome, which is partly true - it would be hard to pick this up and read it on its own.
It was very good. I'm totally hooked on this series!
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Born in Ohio, 1944. Moved to San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and has lived there ever since. Katharine Kerr has read extensively in the fields of classical archeology, and medieval and dark ages history and literature, and these influences are clear in her work. Her epic Deverry series has won widespread praise and millions of fans around the world.
More about Katharine Kerr...
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Jul 25, 2012 07:19pm