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Deverry Cycle #5
A Time of Exile
In the fifth novel of the Deverry series, the kingdom of Deverry is left behind and strange lands to the west, beyond the elven territories are explored. The story delves back into elven history to the fall of the cities and the Great Burning. From the author of Polar City Blues.
476 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1991
118 people are currently reading
3304 people want to read
About the author
Katharine Kerr
69 books1,641 followersBorn 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 25, 2019
There are some fantasy writers who don’t seem to get the recognition they deserve, and for my money Katharine Kerr is definitely one of them. Despite a writing career stretching back over thirty years few people outside her circle of fans have heard of her sprawling, fifteen book fantasy series (soon to be sixteen), and honestly, they really don’t know what they’re missing out on.
A Time of Exile is the first book of the Westlands Cycle, and the fifth book overall in the massive epic that is the Deverry Cycle. I’d say you don’t need to have read the previous books to be able to enjoy this new tetralogy, but it does add to the experience if you have. However, if you’re new to Deverry then a quick outline may be in order.
The series as a whole follows the lives of several groups of characters spread over a period of roughly five hundred years. The characters in each successive time period are generally reincarnations of the characters from the previous time period, with the main exception being the character of Nevyn, a powerful dweomermaster, or magician, who lives a single life through most of the events of the books. For the most part each book alternates between events in the current time frame and events from the characters’ past lives, eventually building up to reveal the sprawling history of the nation of Deverry. It may sound complicated, but Kerr’s amazing skill as a storyteller weaves it all together in a way that makes it not only easy to follow but an absolute pleasure to read.
This particular entry in the saga, A Time of Exile, moves the bulk of the action away from Deverry itself and focuses instead on the elven territories of the Westlands. The history of the elven people, briefly touched upon in the first tetralogy, is expanded upon here through the magically extended life of Nevyn’s former apprentice, Aderyn. Most of the narrative covers the roughly three hundred years of Aderyn’s life, how he came to be accepted as a Wise One by the nomadic elves and how his life was extended beyond human norms. This is framed by a prologue and epilogue set in the current time frame which cover the effective abdication of King Rhodry of Deverry, and his own connection to the elves.
The way Kerr weaves the two narratives together in this book is truly masterful. Through Aderyn’s eyes we get to see Rhodry’s past lives being drawn along by their Wyrd, their fate. While this is definitely a book written to set up what’s to come next, it still manages to tell an engaging story that plays with the reader’s emotions in so many ways. Aderyn’s doomed love of the elven dweomermaster Dallandra echoes the relationship between Rhodry and Jill from the first tetralogy and adds an almost palpable purpose to Aderyn’s efforts to save Rhodry’s life at the end of the novel.
All in all I enjoyed this one at least as much as I enjoyed the previous four, and my enjoyment hasn’t waned in the twenty-something years between the first reading and this most recent one. With the news that the author has a new Deverry book coming out next February I’m pretty certain I’m going to be spending a lot of time in Deverry over the next few months, and I really hope you’ll join me there and give these books a read. If you like your fantasy to be truly epic then I’m pretty sure you’ll not be disappointed.
A Time of Exile is the first book of the Westlands Cycle, and the fifth book overall in the massive epic that is the Deverry Cycle. I’d say you don’t need to have read the previous books to be able to enjoy this new tetralogy, but it does add to the experience if you have. However, if you’re new to Deverry then a quick outline may be in order.
The series as a whole follows the lives of several groups of characters spread over a period of roughly five hundred years. The characters in each successive time period are generally reincarnations of the characters from the previous time period, with the main exception being the character of Nevyn, a powerful dweomermaster, or magician, who lives a single life through most of the events of the books. For the most part each book alternates between events in the current time frame and events from the characters’ past lives, eventually building up to reveal the sprawling history of the nation of Deverry. It may sound complicated, but Kerr’s amazing skill as a storyteller weaves it all together in a way that makes it not only easy to follow but an absolute pleasure to read.
This particular entry in the saga, A Time of Exile, moves the bulk of the action away from Deverry itself and focuses instead on the elven territories of the Westlands. The history of the elven people, briefly touched upon in the first tetralogy, is expanded upon here through the magically extended life of Nevyn’s former apprentice, Aderyn. Most of the narrative covers the roughly three hundred years of Aderyn’s life, how he came to be accepted as a Wise One by the nomadic elves and how his life was extended beyond human norms. This is framed by a prologue and epilogue set in the current time frame which cover the effective abdication of King Rhodry of Deverry, and his own connection to the elves.
The way Kerr weaves the two narratives together in this book is truly masterful. Through Aderyn’s eyes we get to see Rhodry’s past lives being drawn along by their Wyrd, their fate. While this is definitely a book written to set up what’s to come next, it still manages to tell an engaging story that plays with the reader’s emotions in so many ways. Aderyn’s doomed love of the elven dweomermaster Dallandra echoes the relationship between Rhodry and Jill from the first tetralogy and adds an almost palpable purpose to Aderyn’s efforts to save Rhodry’s life at the end of the novel.
All in all I enjoyed this one at least as much as I enjoyed the previous four, and my enjoyment hasn’t waned in the twenty-something years between the first reading and this most recent one. With the news that the author has a new Deverry book coming out next February I’m pretty certain I’m going to be spending a lot of time in Deverry over the next few months, and I really hope you’ll join me there and give these books a read. If you like your fantasy to be truly epic then I’m pretty sure you’ll not be disappointed.
September 5, 2014
I read this ten thousand years ago, when I had much more patience and a great hunger for Fantasy books. Even then, it wasn't that great.
Perhaps, a re-read is in order.
Perhaps, a re-read is in order.
July 24, 2016
9/10
A Time of Exile begins a new arc in the Deverry Cylce while carrying forward the main story of Rhodry and Jill. Most of the book is devoted to the story of Aderyn, apprentice to Nevyn and dweomermaster or a Wise One to the elves. It takes place with earlier incarnations of some familiar characters, filling in some of the history of Deverry, Eldidd, and the Westlands..
A Time of Exile begins a new arc in the Deverry Cylce while carrying forward the main story of Rhodry and Jill. Most of the book is devoted to the story of Aderyn, apprentice to Nevyn and dweomermaster or a Wise One to the elves. It takes place with earlier incarnations of some familiar characters, filling in some of the history of Deverry, Eldidd, and the Westlands..
May 10, 2020
With this book, I have the impression that the series is back on track, both in terms of new ideas and their presentation by the author. After the end of a first cycle in the previous book, several years have passed without special developments, with the kingdom having gone through a period of peace, stability, and prosperity. With the prejudices of the world about magic, however, things cannot stay that way forever, and in order not to arouse suspicion, a change is necessary. I can't say that this is pleasant for the king, but at least it offers him the opportunity for a return to the past, to loved ones and past situations that may now have changed greatly but still have a positive effect.
After that, we move on to the necessary stories from past lives that, to tell the truth, is my favorite piece of any book in this series. In the case of this book, however, these stories are the main part and the most interesting. The beginning is another tragic love story that starts very encouragingly, with several promises of a happy ending, but along the way, life situations, metaphysical dangers, passions and wrong choices put a lot of obstacles and that doesn't bode well. In the end, the confrontation between love and the power of magic, logic and unbridled emotions, truth and pleasant illusion is all that remains and unfolds in many moving pages that the author fills with intense emotions, as usual. We find similar motifs in subsequent reincarnations as we see our hero being seduced by the power of lust that is enhanced by powerful magical powers, resulting in putting his life in great danger, in another reference of the author on the destructive passions that they hinder the right thinking, a reference as intense as the previous ones.
Of course, in addition to the erotic passions, people and other creatures in this area are preoccupied with passions related to war that, as is well known, have always been about lands and resources. In this case, the ever-expansiveness of men and their thirst for more conquest lead to conflict with the other races who see their way of life being destroyed and all they can do is resist as the few reasonable voices in their opponents' camp are incapable of preventing aggression against them. Of course, this aggression, as expected, is turning on the inside as well, which results in a battle for power that leads to a war, which gives the author the opportunity to show once again that in this area she can also do very well.
With all this, we take the thread of the central story again and, armed with the lessons of the past, we finish the book by preparing for another adventure in the next book, which will enlighten us even more about the history of the region and its future. After all this nice reading this next book invites me to read it soon and I will do so as I feel that my interest in this series has been greatly renewed. You see, this new beginning was so interesting and so well-structured that it confirms the value of this series, bringing back to a greater extent the virtues that made me like it from the beginning. So ... I keep going.
Με αυτό το βιβλίο έχω την εντύπωση ότι η σειρά επιστρέφει στο σωστό δρόμο, τόσο σε επίπεδο νέων ιδεών όσο και στην παρουσίαση τους από τη συγγραφέα. Μετά από το τέλος ενός πρώτου κύκλου στο προηγούμενο βιβλίο έχουν περάσει αρκετά χρόνια χωρίς ιδιαίτερες εξελίξεις, με το βασίλειο να έχει περάσει μία περίοδο ειρήνης, σταθερότητας και ευημερίας. Με τις προκαταλήψεις του κόσμου για την μαγεία, όμως, τα πράγματα δεν μπορούν να μείνουν για πάντα έτσι και για να μην κινηθούν υποψίες μία αλλαγή είναι επιβεβλημένη. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι αυτό είναι κάτι το ευχάριστο για τον βασιλιά αλλά τουλάχιστον του προσφέρει την ευκαιρία για μία επιστροφή στο παρελθόν, σε αγαπημένα πρόσωπα και καταστάσεις που μπορεί τώρα να έχουν αλλάξει σε πολύ μεγάλο βαθμό αλλά δεν παύουν να έχουν θετική επίδραση.
Μετά από αυτό περνάμε στις απαραίτητες ιστορίες από περασμένες ζωές που για να πω την αλήθεια είναι το αγαπημένο μου κομμάτι κάθε βιβλίο αυτής της σειράς. Στην περίπτωση αυτού του βιβλίου, όμως, αυτές οι ιστορίες είναι το βασικό κομμάτι και το πιο ενδιαφέρον. Το ξεκίνημα είναι άλλη μία τραγική ιστορία αγάπης πού ξεκινάει ιδιαίτερα ενθαρρυντικά, με αρκετές υποσχέσεις για ένα αίσιο τέλος, στην πορεία, όμως, οι καταστάσεις της ζωής, οι μεταφυσικοί κίνδυνοι, τα πάθη και οι λάθος επιλογές βάζουν πολλά εμπόδια και αυτό δεν προμηνύει τίποτα καλό. Στο τέλος η αναμέτρηση μεταξύ της αγάπης και της δύναμης της μαγείας, της λογικής και των αχαλίνωτων συναισθημάτων, της αλήθειας και της ευχάριστης παραίσθησης είναι το μόνο που μένει και εκτυλίσσεται σε πολλές συγκινητικές σελίδες που η συγγραφέας τις γεμίζει με έντονα συναισθήματα, όπως συνηθίζει. Ανάλογα μοτίβα συναντάμε και στη συνέχεια όπου σε επόμενες μετενσαρκώσεις βλέπουμε τον ήρωα μας να παρασύρεται από τη δύναμη της λαγνείας που ενισχύεται από πανίσχυρες μαγικές δυνάμεις, με αποτέλεσμα η ζωή του να μπαίνει σε πολύ μεγάλο κίνδυνο, σε μία ακόμα αναφορά της συγγραφέως στα καταστρεπτικά πάθη που εμποδίζουν τη σωστή σκέψη, ιδιαίτερα έντονη όπως οι προηγούμενες.
Βέβαια πέρα από τα ερωτικά πάθη, τους ανθρώπους και τα άλλα πλάσματα της περιοχής τους απασχολούν πάθη που έχουν σχέση με τον πόλεμο που όπως είναι γνωστό πάντοτε γίνονταν για εδάφη και πόρους. Σε αυτή την περίπτωση η όλο και αυξανόμενη επεκτατικότητα των ανθρώπων και η δίψα τους για περισσότερες κατακτήσεις οδηγεί σε σύγκρουση με τις άλλες φυλές που βλέπουν τον τρόπο ζωή τους να καταστρέφεται και το μόνο που μπορούν να κάνουν είναι να αντισταθούν καθώς οι ελάχιστες ψύχραιμες φωνές στο στρατόπεδο των αντιπάλων τους δεν είναι ικανές να αποτρέψουν την επιθετικότητα εναντίον τους. Φυσικά αυτή η επιθετικότητα αναμενόμενα στρέφεται και στο εσωτερικό των ανθρώπων, με αποτέλεσμα η μάχη για την εξουσία να φουντώνει και να οδηγείται σε μία πολεμική αναμέτρηση, κάτι που δίνει την ευκαιρία στη συγγραφέα να δείξει για άλλη μία φορά ότι και σε αυτόν τον τομέα μπορεί να τα καταφέρει πάρα πολύ καλά.
Με όλα αυτά ξαναπιάνουμε το νήμα της κεντρικής ιστορίας και οπλισμένοι με τα διδάγματα του παρελθόντος τελειώνουμε το βιβλίο με την προετοιμασία για μία ακόμα περιπέτεια στο επόμενο βιβλίο, η οποία θα μας διαφωτίσει ακόμα περισσότερο για την ιστορία της περιοχής και για το μέλλον της. Μετά από όλα αυτά τα ωραία που διάβασα αυτό το επόμενο βιβλίο με καλεί να το διαβάσω σύντομα και αυτό θα κάνω καθώς νιώθω ότι ανανεώθηκε σε πολύ μεγάλο βαθμό το ενδιαφέρον μου για αυτήν την σειρά. Βλέπετε, αυτή η νέα αρχή, ήταν τόσο ενδιαφέρουσα και τόσο καλά δομημένη που επιβεβαιώνει την αξία αυτής της σειρά, επαναφέροντας σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό τις αρετές που με έκαναν να τη συμπαθήσω από την αρχή. Οπότε... συνεχίζω.
After that, we move on to the necessary stories from past lives that, to tell the truth, is my favorite piece of any book in this series. In the case of this book, however, these stories are the main part and the most interesting. The beginning is another tragic love story that starts very encouragingly, with several promises of a happy ending, but along the way, life situations, metaphysical dangers, passions and wrong choices put a lot of obstacles and that doesn't bode well. In the end, the confrontation between love and the power of magic, logic and unbridled emotions, truth and pleasant illusion is all that remains and unfolds in many moving pages that the author fills with intense emotions, as usual. We find similar motifs in subsequent reincarnations as we see our hero being seduced by the power of lust that is enhanced by powerful magical powers, resulting in putting his life in great danger, in another reference of the author on the destructive passions that they hinder the right thinking, a reference as intense as the previous ones.
Of course, in addition to the erotic passions, people and other creatures in this area are preoccupied with passions related to war that, as is well known, have always been about lands and resources. In this case, the ever-expansiveness of men and their thirst for more conquest lead to conflict with the other races who see their way of life being destroyed and all they can do is resist as the few reasonable voices in their opponents' camp are incapable of preventing aggression against them. Of course, this aggression, as expected, is turning on the inside as well, which results in a battle for power that leads to a war, which gives the author the opportunity to show once again that in this area she can also do very well.
With all this, we take the thread of the central story again and, armed with the lessons of the past, we finish the book by preparing for another adventure in the next book, which will enlighten us even more about the history of the region and its future. After all this nice reading this next book invites me to read it soon and I will do so as I feel that my interest in this series has been greatly renewed. You see, this new beginning was so interesting and so well-structured that it confirms the value of this series, bringing back to a greater extent the virtues that made me like it from the beginning. So ... I keep going.
Με αυτό το βιβλίο έχω την εντύπωση ότι η σειρά επιστρέφει στο σωστό δρόμο, τόσο σε επίπεδο νέων ιδεών όσο και στην παρουσίαση τους από τη συγγραφέα. Μετά από το τέλος ενός πρώτου κύκλου στο προηγούμενο βιβλίο έχουν περάσει αρκετά χρόνια χωρίς ιδιαίτερες εξελίξεις, με το βασίλειο να έχει περάσει μία περίοδο ειρήνης, σταθερότητας και ευημερίας. Με τις προκαταλήψεις του κόσμου για την μαγεία, όμως, τα πράγματα δεν μπορούν να μείνουν για πάντα έτσι και για να μην κινηθούν υποψίες μία αλλαγή είναι επιβεβλημένη. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι αυτό είναι κάτι το ευχάριστο για τον βασιλιά αλλά τουλάχιστον του προσφέρει την ευκαιρία για μία επιστροφή στο παρελθόν, σε αγαπημένα πρόσωπα και καταστάσεις που μπορεί τώρα να έχουν αλλάξει σε πολύ μεγάλο βαθμό αλλά δεν παύουν να έχουν θετική επίδραση.
Μετά από αυτό περνάμε στις απαραίτητες ιστορίες από περασμένες ζωές που για να πω την αλήθεια είναι το αγαπημένο μου κομμάτι κάθε βιβλίο αυτής της σειράς. Στην περίπτωση αυτού του βιβλίου, όμως, αυτές οι ιστορίες είναι το βασικό κομμάτι και το πιο ενδιαφέρον. Το ξεκίνημα είναι άλλη μία τραγική ιστορία αγάπης πού ξεκινάει ιδιαίτερα ενθαρρυντικά, με αρκετές υποσχέσεις για ένα αίσιο τέλος, στην πορεία, όμως, οι καταστάσεις της ζωής, οι μεταφυσικοί κίνδυνοι, τα πάθη και οι λάθος επιλογές βάζουν πολλά εμπόδια και αυτό δεν προμηνύει τίποτα καλό. Στο τέλος η αναμέτρηση μεταξύ της αγάπης και της δύναμης της μαγείας, της λογικής και των αχαλίνωτων συναισθημάτων, της αλήθειας και της ευχάριστης παραίσθησης είναι το μόνο που μένει και εκτυλίσσεται σε πολλές συγκινητικές σελίδες που η συγγραφέας τις γεμίζει με έντονα συναισθήματα, όπως συνηθίζει. Ανάλογα μοτίβα συναντάμε και στη συνέχεια όπου σε επόμενες μετενσαρκώσεις βλέπουμε τον ήρωα μας να παρασύρεται από τη δύναμη της λαγνείας που ενισχύεται από πανίσχυρες μαγικές δυνάμεις, με αποτέλεσμα η ζωή του να μπαίνει σε πολύ μεγάλο κίνδυνο, σε μία ακόμα αναφορά της συγγραφέως στα καταστρεπτικά πάθη που εμποδίζουν τη σωστή σκέψη, ιδιαίτερα έντονη όπως οι προηγούμενες.
Βέβαια πέρα από τα ερωτικά πάθη, τους ανθρώπους και τα άλλα πλάσματα της περιοχής τους απασχολούν πάθη που έχουν σχέση με τον πόλεμο που όπως είναι γνωστό πάντοτε γίνονταν για εδάφη και πόρους. Σε αυτή την περίπτωση η όλο και αυξανόμενη επεκτατικότητα των ανθρώπων και η δίψα τους για περισσότερες κατακτήσεις οδηγεί σε σύγκρουση με τις άλλες φυλές που βλέπουν τον τρόπο ζωή τους να καταστρέφεται και το μόνο που μπορούν να κάνουν είναι να αντισταθούν καθώς οι ελάχιστες ψύχραιμες φωνές στο στρατόπεδο των αντιπάλων τους δεν είναι ικανές να αποτρέψουν την επιθετικότητα εναντίον τους. Φυσικά αυτή η επιθετικότητα αναμενόμενα στρέφεται και στο εσωτερικό των ανθρώπων, με αποτέλεσμα η μάχη για την εξουσία να φουντώνει και να οδηγείται σε μία πολεμική αναμέτρηση, κάτι που δίνει την ευκαιρία στη συγγραφέα να δείξει για άλλη μία φορά ότι και σε αυτόν τον τομέα μπορεί να τα καταφέρει πάρα πολύ καλά.
Με όλα αυτά ξαναπιάνουμε το νήμα της κεντρικής ιστορίας και οπλισμένοι με τα διδάγματα του παρελθόντος τελειώνουμε το βιβλίο με την προετοιμασία για μία ακόμα περιπέτεια στο επόμενο βιβλίο, η οποία θα μας διαφωτίσει ακόμα περισσότερο για την ιστορία της περιοχής και για το μέλλον της. Μετά από όλα αυτά τα ωραία που διάβασα αυτό το επόμενο βιβλίο με καλεί να το διαβάσω σύντομα και αυτό θα κάνω καθώς νιώθω ότι ανανεώθηκε σε πολύ μεγάλο βαθμό το ενδιαφέρον μου για αυτήν την σειρά. Βλέπετε, αυτή η νέα αρχή, ήταν τόσο ενδιαφέρουσα και τόσο καλά δομημένη που επιβεβαιώνει την αξία αυτής της σειρά, επαναφέροντας σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό τις αρετές που με έκαναν να τη συμπαθήσω από την αρχή. Οπότε... συνεχίζω.
October 18, 2022
Mi ero ripromessa di valutare l'opera solo dopo averla letta tutta... Ma adoro l'approfondimento sulle terre dell'ovest e la storia d'amore di Aderyn e Dallandra è straziante.. Tuttavia la sottotrama di rodhry con lo spiritello sembra messa lì a caso. Non ci trovo un senso logico.
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September 29, 2025Petition to make all fantasy books include a map because where are we!!!? Received this as a gift (thanks nick) and for being the fifth book in a series i have not read it was fun! Pro tip - start at the beginning of a fantasy series to know whats going on.
May 24, 2021
Boeiend eerste deel van de Westlandcyclus. Leuk fantasy verhaal met veel verhaallijnen.
May 30, 2014
I'm sure I started this one - I may even have finished it - back when it came out, but I didn't get invested in it. Looking back now (at a point where I'm halfway through A Time of Omens, the book after this one), I suspect it's because at about twenty, I was far too engaged in the Jill/Rhodry aspects of the series and at its most basic, that relationship seems to end here (although I now suspect/realise it is not at all that simple). What I was reading for seemed to have gone and so I stopped.
Twenty five or so years later, I'm now fully engaged with the entire world, all the different areas of history and geography and culture and character that Kerr is creating. I'm loving all the different timelines and all the different characters. I can't always remember who is an incarnation of whom, but since the individual stories are all great to read, it doesn't always matter. If it is particularly important (as in the case of the companionship of the blue sprite in this book for example) Kerr makes it clear even to readers with faulty memories to me.
With a total of fifteen books in the series, it's going to take me a while to get through them all, but I plan to fully enjoy the journey and I now own all of them, so I can read steadily onwards at my own pace.
Twenty five or so years later, I'm now fully engaged with the entire world, all the different areas of history and geography and culture and character that Kerr is creating. I'm loving all the different timelines and all the different characters. I can't always remember who is an incarnation of whom, but since the individual stories are all great to read, it doesn't always matter. If it is particularly important (as in the case of the companionship of the blue sprite in this book for example) Kerr makes it clear even to readers with faulty memories to me.
With a total of fifteen books in the series, it's going to take me a while to get through them all, but I plan to fully enjoy the journey and I now own all of them, so I can read steadily onwards at my own pace.
June 9, 2021
If I remember correctly, I used to miss Rhodry in this book... not this time though, I thoroughly enjoyed the world that became bigger with more scenes among the Elves. I really love Aderyn's story (it's so tragic...) and seeing Elves and humans mingle at the end is great. And the ending is awesome, knowing what's to come ;).
April 5, 2020
Man kommer ihåg somligt, glömmer annat. Minns förvånansvärt mycket ändå. Fast jag undrar ju över Rhodrys lilla blå nymf, visst var hon med i förra boken?
July 4, 2019
Not at all a bad book, but still my least favourite in the series this far. I guess Aderyn's story just doesn't interest me that much. I enjoyed all the aspects of Celtic superstitions Kerr uses, like the land of the fey and the banshee, but it's not very original. I also missed more about Aderyn's son, Loddlaen, who I remember as the bad guy from the first book. It would have been interesting to get to know him better. I did like reading about the rise of the Maelwaedds, and the political chronology in the appendix was almost my favourite part of the book!
November 25, 2022
The weakest of the series so far, this is really only as enjoyable as it is because of the expanded world building. In many ways this just ties up some loose ends from the previous series, while introducing the setting for the next one. The problem is the tie-ups are not massively satisfying, and in a lot of cases are things that feel like they could have just been dealt with in an epilogue at the end of Dragonspell.
Meanwhile, the new series set up involves the introduction of a few new characters, and then tying them to existing characters, and a fair amount of flash backs to make them fit. The problem is the characters, who I think are supposed to be likeable... are not really. While I am pretty sure that I am supposed to like Dallandra, I really do not. While the story does fill in some gaps with Aderyc, it makes me end up liking him less as well. I guess Kerr was going for some kind of romantic tragedy feeling with much of this story, and some of the issues are repeated with Rhoddry's dilemma as he discovers himself aging at a slower rate than he should if he were fully human, it does not really hit the mark for me. Instead I find a lot of the characters selfish, or foolish, or rather heartless.
In the end, this really just felt like something I needed to have read to properly understand the rest of this series, and not really a book I could enjoy in its own right. However, it does sort of present a completion to certain character arcs, so it feels like an odd combination of an end and a beginning.
Meanwhile, the new series set up involves the introduction of a few new characters, and then tying them to existing characters, and a fair amount of flash backs to make them fit. The problem is the characters, who I think are supposed to be likeable... are not really. While I am pretty sure that I am supposed to like Dallandra, I really do not. While the story does fill in some gaps with Aderyc, it makes me end up liking him less as well. I guess Kerr was going for some kind of romantic tragedy feeling with much of this story, and some of the issues are repeated with Rhoddry's dilemma as he discovers himself aging at a slower rate than he should if he were fully human, it does not really hit the mark for me. Instead I find a lot of the characters selfish, or foolish, or rather heartless.
In the end, this really just felt like something I needed to have read to properly understand the rest of this series, and not really a book I could enjoy in its own right. However, it does sort of present a completion to certain character arcs, so it feels like an odd combination of an end and a beginning.
September 15, 2018
Another great entry in the series. Thirty odd years have passed since the last book but honestly other than the start and the end, none of the rest of the book is set in the present time. It's all set in the Westlands and mainly focuses on Aderyn and his time living with the Elves. What I love about this series is that even though every iteration of a character is distinct you can see something of the core of the person in each life. I have no idea how she does it but it must take some skill as a writer. I also loved seeing how Rhodry's family ended up as rulers in his province and there are hints given as to where the series might take us. Jill's not in it much but I like how she's matured so much, she's not person we knew in the first series and that makes a lot of sense. I'm really enjoying this series and there's still so much to go, hope it keeps its quality.
July 29, 2007
The start of the new arc. Rhodry, facing up to the problems of being a half-breed. Jill, grown up into being a dweomermaster, and a backstory about Pertyc, the first Maelwaedd to hold Aberwyn. The story about Pertyc is probably one of my favorite backstories ever -- the only one that comes close is the silver dagger arc with Maddyn and Aethan and Branoic, but oh man, how I love this.
Kerr really is in fine form here. Magic and history and the past, oh my! Rhodry and elves and Deverrian power struggles, oh yes!
Everytime I sit down to read this book, I end up dancing a jig all over the room.
Kerr really is in fine form here. Magic and history and the past, oh my! Rhodry and elves and Deverrian power struggles, oh yes!
Everytime I sit down to read this book, I end up dancing a jig all over the room.
January 2, 2020
A long tale, spanning several centuries, which remains interesting because the main character has a very long lifespan.
The long prologue and epilogue form a story in itself. The main person from that story is not even in the main story, only his ancestors are. For me the prologue was not necessary to pull me into the story. So you could even skip it, it you don't approve of prologues. But it is a fine shortish story.
It is a captivating world, with in the main story a lot of room for politics and military strategy.
The long prologue and epilogue form a story in itself. The main person from that story is not even in the main story, only his ancestors are. For me the prologue was not necessary to pull me into the story. So you could even skip it, it you don't approve of prologues. But it is a fine shortish story.
It is a captivating world, with in the main story a lot of room for politics and military strategy.
April 5, 2020
Despite recommendations from readers of similar sources books to those I enjoy, i found this long-winded, meandering and if there was a story arc, I never discovered it. Consequently, I abandoned the book approximately half way through.
February 26, 2024
In the typical style of Kerr books, this book follows three storylines in different timelines.
Deverry and Eldidd 718-915 - Aderyn striking out on his own after undergoing training with Nevyn. He sets out West after some type of ritual in which I honestly didn't know what the hell was happening but the Lords of Wyrd somehow gave him a vision of the West. Off he goes and ends up replacing the old Wise One alongside Dallandra, who becomes his partner. The Guardians are introduced and never fully explained (I assume on purpose) but that whole storyline goes down a tragic path where Dallandra ends up just leaving this world to go hang out with Ellesario in some strange in-between where time happens differently. She comes back like 200 years later, gives Aderyn Loddlaen (we know how that ends) and then leaves again for reasons ill explained. Honestly what did the Guardians have that the liked so much? I feel like this is never fleshed out that well...
Eldidd 918 - This part only involves the Elcyion Lacar in a minor role. It deals mostly with the planning and execution of a rebellion by Eldidd peeps who want to usurp the Deverry king. Here we hang out a bunch with Pertyc, Tieryn Dun Cannobaen, who remain loyal to the actual king Aeryc but is being pressed by his closest friend Danry (Tieryn Cernmeton) to join the rebellion. There are some inner factions inside the rebellion that would prefer the new king not be Cawaryc, but Pertyc or his son, who have a tenuous claim to the throne. Perro obviously doesn't want this but realizes that the rebellion organizers might seize his child by force. To protect himself he comes up with the brilliant idea of using bows to repel any invaders. To this end he sends Ganedd out West to barter for a shit ton of bows and also maybe some elven archers. He gets both and successfully repels the remaining scraps of the crushed rebellion when they come knocking on his door. He personally kills Leomyr (who has previously killed good ol' Danry). At the same time we have the side story of the Maer (an incarnation of Maddyn the bard aka Blaen) who has this little blue sprite that follows him everywhere. She is super jealous of Glaenara when they marry, and happy when she dies in child birth. Maer is absolutely crushed by this and returns to Nevyn as a silver dagger, who convinces him to just go out West to the elves and maybe find some healing/purpose there. He does this, but by then the god damn blue sprite got help from Elessario to become more real, somewhere between human and Wildfolk. She seduces Maer and takes him away (spiritually) while his body remains dormant and unfortunately drowns due to a flood.
Elven Border 1096 - Now we're back to Jill and Rhodry's timeline where the sprite finds Rhodry as the newest incarnation of her beloved! He makes him go crazy (with lust) and almost succeeds in unknowingly sucking all his life magnetism and killing him. Through some clever planning Jill and Aderyn and able to trap the little minx and ship her off where she belongs with the help of the Lords of the Wildlands.
Okay, I did all that to have a better idea of what actually happened in book, given that all the timelines and stories can get a little jumbled up. While I was reading it I didn't really know what the through line was between all the stories but now I realize that the Guardians and the little blue sprite (White Lady) were involved in each. The human rebellion in did seem like just a standalone tale of politics in Deverry and naught else. Maer was involved mostly as a side character and so were the elves. Nevyn had a big hand in things but I mean, when doesn't he?
This book felt like much less of a page turner than some other entries (i.e. Rhodry's Bardek kidnapping) where it felt like the stakes were much bigger. I felt for Aderyn loss of Dallandra but at the end of the day it felt like a tale of two lovers without much effect otherwise. Most of the elves were like, damn it sucks Dallandra's gone but I mean shit happens; it didn't seem to phase them much. I also think the rebellion in Deverry was interesting but there was a TON of politicking and not that much action. It also felt like rebellion and power struggles are par for the course for that region so it just felt like another day in Deverry to me honestly.
It was a comfortable read, but nothing to write home about. I will admit about halfway through I had the thought that I wasn't all that I wasn't all that excited to continue this Westlands trilogy. I intend to take a bit of a break before continuing on, though the longer this break the more of a primer I'm going to need, so in that regard I guess this review will aid me.
That being said I enjoyed a lot of the characters, some of my favorites being Pertyc (aka Perro, lol), Danry and Maer and found the storylines engaging enough to want to find out what happens.
Deverry and Eldidd 718-915 - Aderyn striking out on his own after undergoing training with Nevyn. He sets out West after some type of ritual in which I honestly didn't know what the hell was happening but the Lords of Wyrd somehow gave him a vision of the West. Off he goes and ends up replacing the old Wise One alongside Dallandra, who becomes his partner. The Guardians are introduced and never fully explained (I assume on purpose) but that whole storyline goes down a tragic path where Dallandra ends up just leaving this world to go hang out with Ellesario in some strange in-between where time happens differently. She comes back like 200 years later, gives Aderyn Loddlaen (we know how that ends) and then leaves again for reasons ill explained. Honestly what did the Guardians have that the liked so much? I feel like this is never fleshed out that well...
Eldidd 918 - This part only involves the Elcyion Lacar in a minor role. It deals mostly with the planning and execution of a rebellion by Eldidd peeps who want to usurp the Deverry king. Here we hang out a bunch with Pertyc, Tieryn Dun Cannobaen, who remain loyal to the actual king Aeryc but is being pressed by his closest friend Danry (Tieryn Cernmeton) to join the rebellion. There are some inner factions inside the rebellion that would prefer the new king not be Cawaryc, but Pertyc or his son, who have a tenuous claim to the throne. Perro obviously doesn't want this but realizes that the rebellion organizers might seize his child by force. To protect himself he comes up with the brilliant idea of using bows to repel any invaders. To this end he sends Ganedd out West to barter for a shit ton of bows and also maybe some elven archers. He gets both and successfully repels the remaining scraps of the crushed rebellion when they come knocking on his door. He personally kills Leomyr (who has previously killed good ol' Danry). At the same time we have the side story of the Maer (an incarnation of Maddyn the bard aka Blaen) who has this little blue sprite that follows him everywhere. She is super jealous of Glaenara when they marry, and happy when she dies in child birth. Maer is absolutely crushed by this and returns to Nevyn as a silver dagger, who convinces him to just go out West to the elves and maybe find some healing/purpose there. He does this, but by then the god damn blue sprite got help from Elessario to become more real, somewhere between human and Wildfolk. She seduces Maer and takes him away (spiritually) while his body remains dormant and unfortunately drowns due to a flood.
Elven Border 1096 - Now we're back to Jill and Rhodry's timeline where the sprite finds Rhodry as the newest incarnation of her beloved! He makes him go crazy (with lust) and almost succeeds in unknowingly sucking all his life magnetism and killing him. Through some clever planning Jill and Aderyn and able to trap the little minx and ship her off where she belongs with the help of the Lords of the Wildlands.
Okay, I did all that to have a better idea of what actually happened in book, given that all the timelines and stories can get a little jumbled up. While I was reading it I didn't really know what the through line was between all the stories but now I realize that the Guardians and the little blue sprite (White Lady) were involved in each. The human rebellion in did seem like just a standalone tale of politics in Deverry and naught else. Maer was involved mostly as a side character and so were the elves. Nevyn had a big hand in things but I mean, when doesn't he?
This book felt like much less of a page turner than some other entries (i.e. Rhodry's Bardek kidnapping) where it felt like the stakes were much bigger. I felt for Aderyn loss of Dallandra but at the end of the day it felt like a tale of two lovers without much effect otherwise. Most of the elves were like, damn it sucks Dallandra's gone but I mean shit happens; it didn't seem to phase them much. I also think the rebellion in Deverry was interesting but there was a TON of politicking and not that much action. It also felt like rebellion and power struggles are par for the course for that region so it just felt like another day in Deverry to me honestly.
It was a comfortable read, but nothing to write home about. I will admit about halfway through I had the thought that I wasn't all that I wasn't all that excited to continue this Westlands trilogy. I intend to take a bit of a break before continuing on, though the longer this break the more of a primer I'm going to need, so in that regard I guess this review will aid me.
That being said I enjoyed a lot of the characters, some of my favorites being Pertyc (aka Perro, lol), Danry and Maer and found the storylines engaging enough to want to find out what happens.
December 7, 2023
this isn't really a review just the 2am thoughts I had after finishing this book:
Nevyn you will always be famous !!!!!! RIP to my king :(
2 things I’m confused by:
1. that two lives can be reborn into the same body? Like Rhodry is Blaen AND Maddyn??? I think this is a symptom of me not understanding timelines but I was confused by how each soul has a Wyrd and why Rhodry's wyrd is tangled in Nevyn because of Blaen but also tangled with Averyn because of the blue sprite? IDK
2. If Nevyn fulfilled his promise of settings things right with Jill and Rhodry, why did he continue to live….or I guess this book doesn’t really cover the time directly before Jill comes to Rhodry after all those years? It takes place right after he dies and then way back then? IDK this book made a ton of ~subtle~ references to events from the first 4 books but that subtlety was lost on me >:l But either way I was glad that Nevyn was still a big character.
It’s fascinating to me how Kerr writes her heroines to reject the men who love them but not in like a "my heroines can't love" because they all do it for different reasons. I’m still coming to peace with dweomer master Jill…I still hope she will find the love she had for Rhodry but I guess that truly is gone :o Also this book is like 95% Aderyn (which was great don't get me wrong), 3% Jill being like I love books and sorcery and Rhodry stop breathing in my direction and then 2% Rhodry hooking up with a spirit....soo.....🤷♀️ It’s crazy how much Kerr can make me care about random side characters…like with Dannyr and Pertyc (Pertyc's wife being like you love the same and as much as me and him being like yeah but I don’t love him MORE than you….....ok slay) but also Dannyr and his son :((( rip
Also not going to lie, keeping track of timelines as per usual is my biggest weakness. But I want to believe I'm getting better at it 🥴
Nevyn you will always be famous !!!!!! RIP to my king :(
2 things I’m confused by:
1. that two lives can be reborn into the same body? Like Rhodry is Blaen AND Maddyn??? I think this is a symptom of me not understanding timelines but I was confused by how each soul has a Wyrd and why Rhodry's wyrd is tangled in Nevyn because of Blaen but also tangled with Averyn because of the blue sprite? IDK
2. If Nevyn fulfilled his promise of settings things right with Jill and Rhodry, why did he continue to live….or I guess this book doesn’t really cover the time directly before Jill comes to Rhodry after all those years? It takes place right after he dies and then way back then? IDK this book made a ton of ~subtle~ references to events from the first 4 books but that subtlety was lost on me >:l But either way I was glad that Nevyn was still a big character.
It’s fascinating to me how Kerr writes her heroines to reject the men who love them but not in like a "my heroines can't love" because they all do it for different reasons. I’m still coming to peace with dweomer master Jill…I still hope she will find the love she had for Rhodry but I guess that truly is gone :o Also this book is like 95% Aderyn (which was great don't get me wrong), 3% Jill being like I love books and sorcery and Rhodry stop breathing in my direction and then 2% Rhodry hooking up with a spirit....soo.....🤷♀️ It’s crazy how much Kerr can make me care about random side characters…like with Dannyr and Pertyc (Pertyc's wife being like you love the same and as much as me and him being like yeah but I don’t love him MORE than you….....ok slay) but also Dannyr and his son :((( rip
Also not going to lie, keeping track of timelines as per usual is my biggest weakness. But I want to believe I'm getting better at it 🥴
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2020
Book 1 of the Westlands Cycle and the fifth book of the Deverry series as a whole.
As the longevity of his secret elven heritage becomes increasingly apparent, Rhodry must give up his throne and begin a new life among the elves of the Westlands.
The summary I've given above leads me to this book's first and biggest failing. The very first words on the back cover are 'The adventures of Rhodry Maelwaedd...', but the simple truth is that Rhodry's story takes up perhaps ten percent of this book. In truth, we get little more of his adventures than exactly what I've described above. Instead, the vast majority of this book tells of the historical interactions between the people of Deverry and the elves of the borderlands.
We do at least get the constants of the sorcerers Nevyn and Aderyn, but the rest of the book is a meandering series of mostly unrelated plotlines featuring a variety of characters who rarely hang around for long. It makes the whole book feel vague, unfocused and, ultimately, lacking in anything that could be considered a cohesive plot.
If anything, it feels more like background reading to prepare us for later books.
Kerr's writing remains perfectly compelling, but I for one like a novel to have a solid narrative or at least some sort of themetic through-line that leads me from the first page to the last. This book lacked that.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
As the longevity of his secret elven heritage becomes increasingly apparent, Rhodry must give up his throne and begin a new life among the elves of the Westlands.
The summary I've given above leads me to this book's first and biggest failing. The very first words on the back cover are 'The adventures of Rhodry Maelwaedd...', but the simple truth is that Rhodry's story takes up perhaps ten percent of this book. In truth, we get little more of his adventures than exactly what I've described above. Instead, the vast majority of this book tells of the historical interactions between the people of Deverry and the elves of the borderlands.
We do at least get the constants of the sorcerers Nevyn and Aderyn, but the rest of the book is a meandering series of mostly unrelated plotlines featuring a variety of characters who rarely hang around for long. It makes the whole book feel vague, unfocused and, ultimately, lacking in anything that could be considered a cohesive plot.
If anything, it feels more like background reading to prepare us for later books.
Kerr's writing remains perfectly compelling, but I for one like a novel to have a solid narrative or at least some sort of themetic through-line that leads me from the first page to the last. This book lacked that.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
October 30, 2023
Rereading an old favourite series of high fantasy based around Celtic mythology. It's like snuggling up under a cosy blanket with a hot chocolate, while the wind is wuthering outside - intensely comforting, and rather escapist. Perfect for these autumn evenings.
Blurb:
The adventures of Rhodry Maelwaedd...
It is many years since Lord Rhodry took the throne of Aberwyn, yet his half-elven blood keeps him so young that his people suspect magic. Elven magic. And they're aren't sure they like it.
Then his lost lover Jill, now a powerful sorceress, returns. She tells him it is time to accept his elven heritage. Rhodry is persuaded to take drastic action and stages his own death. It's an act that will lead him to the mysterious Westlands. And force him to confront his destiny. Whether he likes it or not.
Katharine Kerr shot to fame with her highly original saga of the land of Deverry. Her smooth writing, warm characters and enticing plots won her legions of readers. Now with A Time of Exile she begins an exciting new series which reveals her gifts in even greater abundance.
Blurb:
The adventures of Rhodry Maelwaedd...
It is many years since Lord Rhodry took the throne of Aberwyn, yet his half-elven blood keeps him so young that his people suspect magic. Elven magic. And they're aren't sure they like it.
Then his lost lover Jill, now a powerful sorceress, returns. She tells him it is time to accept his elven heritage. Rhodry is persuaded to take drastic action and stages his own death. It's an act that will lead him to the mysterious Westlands. And force him to confront his destiny. Whether he likes it or not.
Katharine Kerr shot to fame with her highly original saga of the land of Deverry. Her smooth writing, warm characters and enticing plots won her legions of readers. Now with A Time of Exile she begins an exciting new series which reveals her gifts in even greater abundance.
March 28, 2020
I regret leaving so long between reading the first four Deverry books and these next four because they are so intricately bound together. You lose a part of the meaning of the story when you can't quite remember what led to this point or how the future pans out as shown in the earlier books. That said, I find Katherine Kerr incredibly easy to read and very compelling. There's beauty in the landscape and the way of life of the People, but there's also heartbreak in the lost relationships between . I enjoyed learning more about Aderyn and seeing the various different incarnations of Rhodry. And there's to look forward to now!
February 19, 2022
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2022/0...
The second set of books in the Deverry Cycle looks like it’ll be delving into Elven history and lore, and I am psyched! It starts off thirty years after the first series, though there are plenty of familiar faces (Jill and Rhodry are both still central characters). Most of the story in this one, though, is the backstory of the OTHER immortal old magician, which I was hoping would be revealed eventually. So I thoroughly enjoyed this volume. A/A-.
The second set of books in the Deverry Cycle looks like it’ll be delving into Elven history and lore, and I am psyched! It starts off thirty years after the first series, though there are plenty of familiar faces (Jill and Rhodry are both still central characters). Most of the story in this one, though, is the backstory of the OTHER immortal old magician, which I was hoping would be revealed eventually. So I thoroughly enjoyed this volume. A/A-.
July 1, 2022
I thought this book would deal more Rhodry directly instead of his story book-ending the installment. But instead Kerr took the opportunity to introduce new threads, and for the most part, I enjoyed them very much. Dallandra and the Guardians are fascinating and her relationship with Aderyn is heart-breaking. But I didn't actually enjoy the blue sprite. She was fine with Maddyn, but all the rest are just ... I see how it gives depths to the larger story arc, but this whole line that the men can't resist her; it's not their fault, is a little
March 10, 2018
Having read the full Deverry series I didn't know what to expect from the first Westlands book. Even though this series is also connected to the Deverry series it didn't live up to what I was expecting. I did enjoy it but there wasn't the tension and anticipation as I turned the pages and because of that it took longer to read. This book didn't flow as well, but Katharin Kerr is a great writer so I'll certainly be reading the next in the series.
November 6, 2017
Its more 3.5 stars, as i did really enjoy reading this! So much that I'm now reading the second book.
However it didn't score as high simply because I'm a fan of authors such as Jordan and Eddings, and to me this didn't rate as high.
However, for your traditional fantasy with wizards and elves and magic and maps and kings and wars (etc etc etc!) this ticks all the box's and for that I adored it.
However it didn't score as high simply because I'm a fan of authors such as Jordan and Eddings, and to me this didn't rate as high.
However, for your traditional fantasy with wizards and elves and magic and maps and kings and wars (etc etc etc!) this ticks all the box's and for that I adored it.
April 22, 2018
Another captivating tale in a wonderful series
A little confusing to follow at some points but truly remarkable in the revealing of more tidbits of what promises to be a grand story. Traveling back in time to see more of the strange Wyrds that govern our beloved hero’s an the love and loss they experience again and again. This series has a way of giving hope that we will all be reunited with our loved ones in the next life and in the many lives to come.
A little confusing to follow at some points but truly remarkable in the revealing of more tidbits of what promises to be a grand story. Traveling back in time to see more of the strange Wyrds that govern our beloved hero’s an the love and loss they experience again and again. This series has a way of giving hope that we will all be reunited with our loved ones in the next life and in the many lives to come.
September 15, 2017
I like Rhodry's story in this. It's even sadder in some ways than Dragonspell, but I hate with a fiery burning passion how cold Jill is and how equally cold Dallandra is. I could never forgive her in later books for what she did to Aderyn. The Pertyc Maelwaedd section was especially interesting. Still, this is all set-up for later books.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
January 28, 2018
A different tempo
This book carries on the tale of Nevyn and co in the magical Deverry world. The tempo is different from the earlier novels; faster, slower - I am not sure; but different. The characters are good. The plot was a bit rambling. The style was typical of K. Kerr. In short, if you enjoyed the first cycle you'll probably enjoy this.
This book carries on the tale of Nevyn and co in the magical Deverry world. The tempo is different from the earlier novels; faster, slower - I am not sure; but different. The characters are good. The plot was a bit rambling. The style was typical of K. Kerr. In short, if you enjoyed the first cycle you'll probably enjoy this.
July 16, 2024
Great end/ start to a series. This whole this is like 9 books now over decades of writing and its broken up into three sets of series but this book is stuck in the middle of the two series and has so much foreshadowing and details so it was a bit hard to follow for me but still engaging and action packed and emotional. I love this series so much :)
September 21, 2024
I have submitted this review after listening to the audio book of this title. (Audible Membership)
The next series after the Deverry Books, we see a king that hasn't aged, finding his lineage may come into question.
So, a couple of old friends are called in to help. Thus, a new life begins when another dies, as a prophecy is fulfilled.
The next series after the Deverry Books, we see a king that hasn't aged, finding his lineage may come into question.
So, a couple of old friends are called in to help. Thus, a new life begins when another dies, as a prophecy is fulfilled.
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