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Young Kelson Haldane, King of Gwynedd, heir to both royal and Deryni magical powers, was still no match for ex-Archbishop Loris and the Pretender Queen Caitrin who sought his death. Yet, he raised an army against them both, knowing that honor made defeat impossible.
When young Kelson, King of Gwynedd is reported drowned in a search for the legendary Saint Camber, Nigel was deemed to be king. But his son, Conoll, was too jealous and struck down his own father. Conoll had forgotten Saint Camber....
Once again, the Kingdom of Gwynedd under young King Kelson found itself facing the horror of war between the Church and the Deryni. As the Pretender Queen plotted to free Meara from Gwynedd's control, and the ex-Archbishop hatched a devious plan, it looked like the peace of Gwynedd was to be a thing of the past.
In this first book of an all-new Deryni trilogy, New York Times best-selling author Katherine Kurtz takes listeners back in time - before King Kelson's bride...before King Kelson's birth... when the magical Deryni blood was sought by the most powerful men and women in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Back when a man named Donal ruled over all.
The number of Deryni was small, for they had been hounded for generations and kept their identities secret. Those who managed to retain their arcane powers concealed their background - for bitter persecution once again swept the land of Gwynedd, inspired by a raving fanatic sworn to destroy all Deryni in a final bloodbath.
Kelson Haldane is King of Gwynedd, the first liege of magical Deryni heritage in centuries. But the priesthood of the Eleven Kingdoms has no intention of ceding its power - even if it means inciting civil war.
Young Kelson Haldane, King of Gwynedd, heir to both royal and Deryni magical powers, was still no match for ex-Archbishop Loris and the Pretender Queen Caitrin who sought his death. Yet, he raised an army against them both, knowing that honor made defeat impossible.
When young Kelson, King of Gwynedd is reported drowned in a search for the legendary Saint Camber, Nigel was deemed to be king. But his son, Conoll, was too jealous and struck down his own father. Conoll had forgotten Saint Camber....
Once again, the Kingdom of Gwynedd under young King Kelson found itself facing the horror of war between the Church and the Deryni. As the Pretender Queen plotted to free Meara from Gwynedd's control, and the ex-Archbishop hatched a devious plan, it looked like the peace of Gwynedd was to be a thing of the past.
In this first book of an all-new Deryni trilogy, New York Times best-selling author Katherine Kurtz takes listeners back in time - before King Kelson's bride...before King Kelson's birth... when the magical Deryni blood was sought by the most powerful men and women in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Back when a man named Donal ruled over all.
The number of Deryni was small, for they had been hounded for generations and kept their identities secret. Those who managed to retain their arcane powers concealed their background - for bitter persecution once again swept the land of Gwynedd, inspired by a raving fanatic sworn to destroy all Deryni in a final bloodbath.
Kelson Haldane is King of Gwynedd, the first liege of magical Deryni heritage in centuries. But the priesthood of the Eleven Kingdoms has no intention of ceding its power - even if it means inciting civil war.
In the kingdom of Gwynedd, the mysterious forces of magic and the superior power of the Church combine to challenge the rule of young Kelson. Now the fate of the Deryni -- a quasi-mortal race of sorcerers -- and, indeed, the fate of all the Eleven Kingdoms, rests on Kelson's ability to quash the rebellion by any means necessary...including the prescribed use of magic!
Growing up, Travis Uriah Long yearned for order and discipline in his life...he two things his neglectful mother couldn’t or wouldn’t provide. So when Travis enlisted in the Royal Manticoran Navy, he thought he’d finally found the structure he’d always wanted so desperately. But life in the RMN isn’t exactly what he expected. Boot camp is rough and frustrating; his first ship assignment lax and disorderly; and with the Star Kingdom of Manticore still recovering from a devastating plague, the Navy is possibly on the edge of budgetary extinction.
Summoned to the home planet of her family's business empire, space-fleet commander Kylara Vatta is told to expect a hero's welcome. But instead she is thrown into danger unlike any other she has faced and finds herself isolated, unable to communicate with the outside world, commanding a motley group of unfamiliar troops, and struggling day by day to survive in a deadly environment with sabotaged gear. Only her undeniable talent for command can give her ragtag band a fighting chance.
On the beautiful planet Pern, colonized for centuries, Land Holders and Craftsmen have traditionally tithed food and supplies to the dragonweyrs to which they are bound. In times past, the mighty telepathic dragons and their riders were the only protection from the dreaded, life-threatening Thread. Now those times may be returning....
Best-selling authors David and Leigh Eddings welcome fans back to the time before The Belgariad and The Malloreon series. Join them as they chronicle that fateful conflict between two mortally opposed Destinies, in a monumental war of men and kings and gods.
When Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she was almost alone in the world, exiled by both choice and fear from the cult she was raised in, defending herself with the magic she drew from her deep connection to the forest that surrounds her. Now, Jane has referred Nell to PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, and agent Rick LaFleur has shown up at Nell's doorstep.
Welcome to Gramayre - where witches, warlocks, elves, and gnomes are real; where a spoiled girl-queen and an army of teenage witches, and ragtag beggars battle an overwhelming force of rebel knights and time-travelling anarchists for the future of the most unique, and perhaps most important, planet in the galaxy.
Apprenticed to a venerable wizard when his hunter and trapper parents disappear into the forest never to be seen again, Darian is difficult and strong willed - much to the dismay of his kindly master. But a sudden twist of fate will change his life forever when the ransacking of his village forces him to flee into the great mystical forest. It is here in the dark forest that he meets his destiny, as the terrifying and mysterious Hawkpeople lead him on the path to maturity.
When Earth herself lay under siege by an enemy humankind could not defeat, mankind undertook one last throw of the dice: Operation Ark. Earth's final colonizing expedition was meant to build a new civilization, on a planet so distant even the Gbaba might never find it, and without the high-tech infrastructure whose emissions might betray its location.
Garion has slain the evil God Torak and been crowned King of Riva. The Prophecy has been fulfilled - or so it seems.
The Star Kingdom has a new generation of officers! And this elite group hand-picked and trained by Honor Harrington herself is going to be needed immediately, as their first assignment turns out to be more dangerous than anyone expected. What was supposed to be a quiet outpost, far from the blazing conflict between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the People's Republic of Haven has actually been targeted by an unholy alliance between the slaveholders of Manpower.
The ancient gods are alive and well in the modern world in this hilarious, action-packed collection of original short stories featuring Atticus O'Sullivan, the handsome, tattooed, 2,000-year-old Irishman with extraordinary magic powers from Kevin Hearne's New York Times best-selling Iron Druid Chronicles.
Speculation runs rampant throughout the kingdom of Gwynedd as to when, and to whom, King Kelson will finally be wed. As a rival monarch takes his place on the throne of a nearby land, it becomes more imperative than ever that Kelson produce a long-awaited heir.
Friends and enemies alike have a candidate for queen. Some put forth their ideas with passion; some with cold calculation. But while his councilors are busy trotting out potential possibilities, Kelson's heart is heavy. Two women have already been taken from his grasp - one by death and one by duplicity. Now, he must choose with his head, not his heart, for he is wed to his beloved Gwynedd by oaths far more binding than any marriage vows.
With the mystical Deryni blood flowing through his veins, Kelson can only hope for a woman whose power and conviction are equal to his own. Love is set aside for duty - and Kelson the king must make the choice that Kelson the man cannot.
3.5 stars. Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
Katherine Kurtz published Deryni Rising, her first novel about young King Kelson, in 1970 and published The Quest for Saint Camber, which seemed to be the final story in the HISTORIES OF KING KELSON in 1986. Then, eleven years later, she published King Kelson’s Bride, a story that ties up many loose ends and answers a few questions about how life turned out for Kelson Haldane. There will be spoilers for the previous books here, so you may want to skip this review until you’ve read up to this point.
King Kelson’s Bride begins about three years after the events of The Quest for Saint Camber. There are two major events going on in Kelson’s life right now and they will become intricately intertwined in this story.
The first is that it’s now time for Liam, the prince of one of Kelson’s vassal states, to return home after serving as a squire to Kelson’s uncle Nigel for the past several years. Initially Liam was something of a royal hostage, but Kelson figured that befriending Liam and allowing him to serve as a squire would teach Liam their ways and would help unite their kingdoms when Liam returned home to rule. When Kelson and his entourage escort Liam home and prepare to attend his coronation ceremony, they discover that treachery is afoot. The uncle who has been acting as regent for Liam doesn’t want to give up the throne.
Meanwhile, Kelson is being pressured to choose a wife so that he can secure his own throne with an heir. So far, Kelson has been unlucky in love. His first wife was killed on their wedding day and his second fiancée, a woman he still loves, was stolen from him. With Liam coming to power in a vassal state that Kelson isn’t sure he can trust, lonely Kelson realizes that he must give up on the idea of marrying for love and must simply choose an acceptable woman who will give him the greatest political advantage.
In many ways, King Kelson’s Bride is a romance novel. By the end, there are several happy couples, though I’m not going to tell you whether Kelson ends up happy or not. But it’s not all romance. The storyline involving the treachery against Liam is the major part of the plot and it’s mostly an exciting story. I say “mostly” because, as usual, there is too much pomp, ceremony, and ritual in King Kelson’s Bride.
One of the things Kurtz does best is to depict a medieval feudal lifestyle. I find it interesting that most modern readers abhor what feudalism stands for — the patriarchy, classism, sexism, and servitude — but for some reason we enjoy immersing ourselves in these worlds when we read epic fantasy. We find these stories of chivalrous lords who bravely fight evil, acquire titles and lands, and court beautiful ladies to be romantic. I suppose we’re all imaging what it would be like to be one of those well-dressed and pampered lords or ladies, NOT one of their servants.
Several other loose ends are wrapped up in King Kelson’s Bride. I won’t tell you how they turn out either, but I will say that Kurtz deals with the conflict between the Church and the Deryni, the Mearan rebellion, the cult of Saint Camber, Nigel and his neglected grandchildren, and Kelson’s mother, who has not been able to come to terms with her own Deryni powers. I think many readers will find it all to be wrapped up a little too neatly and will think that King Kelson’s Bride feels “tacked on,” which it kind of is. But many others will be pleased that most of the characters get a happy ending. Some readers may even cry.
I’m sad that Kelson’s story appears to be finished. I wish there was more and hope there will be some day. The audio versions produced by Audible Studios and narrated by Nick Sullivan are excellent.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Would you listen to King Kelson's Bride again? Why?
Definitely! It's an easy way to immerse yourself into the land of Gwynedd.
What was one of the most memorable moments of King Kelson's Bride?
The entire story line is fantastic. I think the best part of the entire story is not Kelson and his bride but the ceremony to in Torenth to really put Liam on the throne. The magic and politics involved in that scene are just out of this world.
What does Nick Sullivan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He does attempt to give different "voices" for the different characters which is not easy for him with the female voices.
Any additional comments?
The one detriment to an audio book is that the pronunciation of the character names, especially when they are not common names, may not be the same as you have always thought of them as you read.
For example, I have always thought of Meraude (Kelson's Aunt) as "mer-awd" where it is pronounced in the audio book as "mer-od" (long "o"). It may be technically correct but with a fiction book, I still think of her the way I have always done before and that pronunciation just catches at my ear!
0 of 1 people found this review helpful