A Time of Exile

Westlands, Book 1

By: Katharine Kerr

Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart

Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

The world of Deverry: an intricate tapestry of fate, past lives, and unfathomable magic.

With A Time of Exile, Katharine Kerr opens new territory in the Deverry Saga, exploring the history of the Elcyion Lacar, the elves who inhabit the country west of Deverry. It is years since the half-elven Lord Rhodry took the throne of Aberwyn. When Rhodry's lost lover, Jill—now a powerful wizard—comes to Aberwyn and tells him it's time he accepted his elven heritage, Rhodry faces the most difficult choice of his life. But with Jill's help and that of a human wizard named Aderyn who has lived for years in the westlands, Rhodry begins to understand how his life is connected not just to his own people, but to the Elcyion Lacar as well.

At last, destiny begins to unravel its secrets, revealing Aderyn's true purpose among the elves—and the gods' deeper design behind Rhodry's dual heritage.

©1961 Katharine Kerr (P)2022 Tantor

Westlands and Eldidd for a change

The one where Nevyn becomes a spy, and Rhodry gets his groove back, again and again.

Thank you

These books were a huge part of my childhood and I own every single one, though I haven't read them in a few years. So when I discovered that there were audiobook versions I could listen to while driving/washing dishes/showering, I was thrilled. Even more so when the narrator turned out to be amazing with the exact voice and accents that improve an already great experience.

You can imagine how sad I was when I thought the book before this was the last audiobook I was getting. I think I had just come to terms with it, when out of nowhere this one comes out. With Ruth still! Thank you to everyone involved in making this happen and please keep doing wat you're doing.

As for the book, I appreciate it even more years later. This one definitely feels like the beginning of a series, which it is, but if you haven't read the rest of the Deverry novels, you need to do so. This entire series is a well written, well thought out story that dips back and forth in time, filling out major historical events as it goes. It's a kind of alternative history of a Celtic culture that continued to evolve without any major outside influence, mixed in with a magic system that feels both very specific and kind of vague at the same time. It isn't flashy, but all the better for it. You get the impression that Dweomer is almost a science in its early stages where everyone has a different version of it and are only slowly figuring out how it all works as they're going along.

In my opinion these books never received as much attention as they deserve and I can only hope they become more popular with the superb quality of the audiobooks. Please. Keep. Making. These.

My favorite fantasy series

I started reading Katherine Kerr’s Deverry series back in the early 90s. I fell in love with Jill, Rhodry, Nevyn, Cullyn and many others but it was the dweomer that I really enjoyed as it felt so natural and in tune with the earth. I’m so happy that they have brought the book series to Audible and I hope they eventually bring all of her books to audible. I danced a jig of delight when I saw an email stating “A Time of Omens” was available!!

Oh and btw, Ruth Urquhart is phenomenal as the audio book reader. She’s already done the first 6 books. I hope she can perform the entire series. 😍

I'm so excited!

I have loved this series for years! I am so excited, happy, and thrilled that they are becoming audiobooks!

Confusing and Brutally Long

Disappointed, I thought it was going to connect all the different directions in some significant manner but it just goes on and on and honestly I can’t listen anymore. Love the narrator but that’s the only nice thing I can say.