Rating: 
Summary: Close but no cigar
Review: What a disappointment this book was for me. After waiting years and years for another Deryni volume to finally make it's way into my greedy little hands, it was a real let down. As other reviewers have said, the author spent more time describing clothing than action, rehashing the same details over and over again and giving us a plot so thin you could hang a cloak on it. In addition, I found that the entire plot was telegraphed over and over again so there were no real surprises. Basically, characters would sit and discuss what someone else might be planning to do and what they would do in case it did happen -- and then said things did occur. It also felt like she needed to continue Kelson's story but didn't want to waste the time really spending time telling it. Either she should have put in the effort to make this another trilogy or trimmed the excess to make it a better book. On the positive side, it was nice to see an expanded world and experience places and things we'd never seen before. As much as I enjoy reading about her fantasy Britain, it was great to see new vistas and learn about her fantasy Byzantium as well. The new characters were worth the introduction except perhaps for Araxie -- mainly because the whole situation seemed forced. Oh well, hopefully the next book (or 10) will be better.
Rating: 
Summary: I'm so disappointed.
Review: I've been waiting for this book over 10 years but I figured the wait would be worth it (if only to read more of the adventures of the enigmatic, powerful, strong yet vulnerable Alaric Morgan and his equally magically powerful priest-cousin, Duncan). Kurtz' rich characters have been my all-time favorite fictional entities. But King Kelson's Bride left me bereft, sad. Morgan and Duncan are barely recognizable, when they do show up at all. Maybe because I'm over the age of 40 now, but teenage angst irks me. If I wanted a romance novel I'd have bought a romance novel. I'm hoping, praying, that Miss Kurtz will rejuvenate her beloved (our beloved) characters of old in her next novel. I'm so upset with this one I'm even considering sending it back (but my Katherine Kurtz keeper shelf would look a little bare without it there, I guess). Please, Miss Kurtz, bring back Morgan, Duncan and Derry. The original Morgan, Duncan and Derry!
Rating:
Summary: What happened to my favourite characters?
Review: I first happily discovered the world of the wonderful Deryni in 1979 and adored the rich, dangerous, loving, powerful, and enigmatic, deliciously evil characters of this very talented writer. The last novel, "Quest for Saint Camber" (1986!) was a joy to read and I've been on pins and needles ever since, awaiting this new installment. I felt that "Quest" was not a whole novel, more like a Part 1. So..... I'm disappointed. Kelson and Dhugal are terrific characters, but I was left wanting - wanting more from the characters that once drove me to distraction - the very complex Morgan and Duncan. And poor Derry! He's always been a favourite, but once again he's become the scapegoat and his torment and his previous trials and tragedy because of his allegiance to Morgan and his King is not explored - and once again he's left in the dark. He deserved more. And the once powerful, devastatingly dangerous yet gentle and loving (as per earlier portrayals) Morgan has given way to a wishy washy, mediocre shadow of his former self. And what happened to Duncan? He barely spoke in this one and it was these characters who were instrumental...no, *they* put Kelson on the throne. I felt that the introduction of so many new characters was unnecessary. This rich world of the Deryni didn't need *new blood* so to speak. The older characters just needed a *voice*. The chemistry between the characters I knew and loved isn't there in this one. I miss them. After I finished reading "King Kelson's Bride" I was a little saddened so I re-read "Deryni Checkmate," "Deryni Rising," and "High Deryni." They haven't lost their magic for me. The book is well written. It's just not what I wanted.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing and Adequate at Best
Review: I don't read nearly as much Fantasy as I used to. At one time I would read anything that purported to be high fantasy of any type. Those days are done. Now I have to force myself to pick a fantasy novel even if it is one that I am sure I will love. This was the case with "King Kelson's Bride". I pre-ordered the novel as soon as I saw it coming out because of my past love for the Deryni novels. After the book arrived in the mail I set it on the shelf for three months until I gathered the gumption to read it. I was mildly disappointed in this addition to the tales of King Kelson. The story was adequately told but not in the same powerful way that I became accustomed to in the other Deryni novels by Katherine Kurtz. The book really felt like two stories that each would have been better told in a novel of there own. The quest to get Liam installed on the throne and the accompanying climax seemed rushed and blasé. The second story of Kelson's marriage and the surrounding chaos seemed especially poorly written. The characters were in this book in name but not in action. Morgan did not act like Morgan. Duncan was a stick figure and Derry, who was a central figure in the last half, was cast with a cursory literary brush. Very disappointing. I found myself not caring what happened in these books and that never, ever happened to me in one of Katherine Kurtz' Deryni novels before. If this is what ten years wait brings us I don't think I will wait another ten. I would hope that Kurtz leaves well enough alone if she can't add further to the series or is she doesn't have the heart to spend the type of time on these books that they need. Read this one if you must but don't use it as an introduction to the Deryni universe.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I could say I loved it, but alas it is not to be
Review: Gentle readers, fellow reviewers, hear my tale of woe. Although I know that I am courting the deadly 'was this review helpful to you- not' vote, such is my disappointment in this novel that I feel I must continue. It is a testament to the excellence of the proceeding novels in this series that readers are so committed to liking this book that they are giving it 4 and 5 stars. Unfortunately I cannot agree that it deserves them. If you have read the other reviews you know the plot of the novel, but bear with me as here we go again, sort of. With much public weeping and knashing of teeth, our young king, Kelson, has spent the three years since we saw him last pining and brooding petulantly over a lost love. This bizarre behavior was so out of character that I never really recovered from the shock, and it was all downhill from there. Metamorphosising from a rational, independent and fiercely practical character in the proceeding books into a whiny and emotionally immature teenager, this book begins with Kelson allowing his former betrothed, Rothana, who betrayed him, to order him around. He passively and obediently proposes marriage to the woman she chooses for him, showing a complete lack of pride when he publicly admits to his friends and advisors why he has finally chosen to marry. This from a man whose resume includes, as per the previous books in the series, the following: With his father's murder, he becomes king at 14 by outsmarting his advisors. Upon learning that he is heir to illegal magical abilities, he accepts it with equanimity, using them to fight and win a duel to the death at his coronation. As a result he is rejected and abandoned by his mother, something he accepts and copes with. He is excommunicated by the church but triumphs over it, neutralizing those who wish to see him dethroned and reorganizing the church structure so that it is friendly to him by executing or otherwise eliminating those who oppose him. He chooses and protects advisors whom the bulk of his subjects would like to see burnt at the stake. He fights and wins a war against an invading country, and personally executes his enemies. He then forces into marriage the captive daughter of a family trying to take his crown, all the while planning on eliminating the rest of her family to prevent it from ever happing again. When she is murdered, he fights a bloody civil war that ravages his kingdom, again executing all that oppose him, or threaten to. He then revokes centuries-old laws outlawing magic, which most of his subjects like, thank you very much. Know that I but chip at the surface of the iceberg here. He does all this with great courtesy and much soul searching, but really with utter ruthlessness. To have this character become so passive and unfocused, and even squeamish at times made no sense whatsoever. Outside of this glaring flaw, I found the other story arc of this novel, Liam's return to Torenth, to be interesting and I too liked the bride, the Paragon of Virtue, Araxie. Yet I fail to believe that any woman in her situation, no matter how practical and self-sacrificing, could not end up at least a little jealous of her husband-to-be's former betrothed, especially when she is still front and centre in his thoughts for most of the novel. Also disappointing was the speedy and almost perfunctory final chapter covering Kelson's self-revelation that he likes his bride and is happy and content about the marriage, and the actual long-awaited marriage itself. Call me a voyeur, if you will, but with four whole books basically leading up to this moment, I would have liked this part of the book to be more than a quick footnote. In spite of all this, for me it is not so much the events of this novel that disappoint. What I enjoyed so much about the previous books in this series were the strong characterizations, the intimate interpersonal relationships, the vivid colour and feel of Ms Kurtz's alternate universe. In this novel, we never hear the character's inner voices, and as a result never learn to care about them. In general, I felt I was reading a novel with characters who had the same names as in the proceeding books, but they were completely different people. The old characters talked to each other and depended on each other, overcame obstacles and made difficult decisions together. The characters in this book are cardboard, walking and talking yet rarely interacting and as a result they have little substance. If I had not read other books in this series, I would have spent the 300+ pages of this novel in confusion, stopping frequently to say to myself 'Morgan - who is that again?' and 'Who is Duncan and what has he to do with Dhugal?". After finishing this book, over the next couple of days I kept picking it up and reading it at random, hoping that somehow it would resolve itself into a good satisfying book I could like. Alas, it was not to be.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but fails to match earlier books
Review: Oh, dear. I fear Ms. Kurtz may be falling victim to the Ongoing Series Syndrome that has struck many of her fellow genre authors. I hope this isn't the beginning of a "churning it out" trend. Her writing style is still snappy, and there were sufficient times when I bounced in my seat on the bus, anxious to finish an exciting scene before I arrived at work. Writing craft like that does not evaporate overnight from someone who has it in such abundance as Ms. Kurtz. Unfortunately, this book lacked what I've always admired in the previous Deryni novels--unrelenting power. She pulls her punches constantly in this book, never really letting anything *bad* happen, not permanently. In most of her previous books, a major character has either been killed off or seriously jeopardized to the point of major personality changes. There are scenes from earlier books I can practically recite, the events were so powerful and made such an impression. Not so, here. Everything wraps up a little too neatly. I don't object to a "kinder, gentler author"; however, I would prefer not to be jerked around. I kept getting all wound up, expecting the worst and...it never happened. Everything worked out "nice." Oh, how I hate that word, "nice," but it is, unfortunately, the only word that really suits. (SPOILER ALERT: I'm sorry, but Derry should not have survived this book. I'd have cried my eyes out, but his neat and clean redemption was so unsatisfying, particularly after such play-up of the PTSD he was suffering. Oh, and on that point: his state of mind is mostly *told* to the reader, never really shown or felt. Compare with the scenes from his POV in *High Deryni*, where we really feel how terrified he is of Wencit, and how shattered he is by being controlled and made to betray Morgan and Kelson. Now *that's* no-holds-barred writing!)
Rating:
Summary: Medieval Fashion Show?
Review: I have been a fan of Katherine Kurtz since I first picked up "Camber of Culdi" in college. Looking at the various books, I saw her knowledge of medieval culture grow and her writing style mature. It is unfortunate that with "King Kelson's Bride," Ms. Kurtz has so fallen in love with the trappings of royalty . . . the gowns and tunics and cloaks . . . the jewelry, the crowns and ceremonials (and on and on and on) that she forgot to write a plot on which to hang all this gorgeous pageantry. Furthermore, King Kelson and his colleagues have taken to speaking in the language of diplomatic dispatches and official court announcements -- even when they are having an intimate conversation in private. I was left with the feeling (upon reading the book) of an extravagant masquerade -- beautiful to look at, but devoid of authentic human emotion. The enthronement of a vassal king is the pivot around which both villains and heroes posture -- all of them dressed in the best medieval fashion.
Rating:
Summary: Too much, yet too little
Review: I've been a fan of Kurtz's Deryni series (the less said about the Adept series, the better), so it pains me to have to give this book only three stars. But it just doesn't live up to the others. I agree with many of the other comments: it was nice to see women take on larger and more important roles in this book, Kelson whines on far too long and far too often about Rothana (and Sidana), Jehana's new way of thinking is welcome but far too sudden, as is Nigel's acceptance of his two grandchildren, and Duncan and Morgan (among others) are sadly underused/under- developed in this book. However, Matyas, Liam, Azim, and Rasoul have great potential for the future, as do the new alliances with Torenth and Meara. Araxie is a little too perfect, but I'm looking forward to seeing that relationship develop. I found that Kurtz repeated herself several times in this book. For instance, she tells us at least three times about the iron ring and what it does. It's not as though she mentions it on page one and then again two hundred pages later, either. Each explanation is only a couple of short chapters away. As others have said, she goes over the various choices for brides at least half a dozen times. And as much as I have enjoyed reading about Deryni ritual in her other books, I began to find the detail of all the religious rites (other than Liam's installation) tiresome. This time it felt a little too much as though I was in Sunday school or church. There was very little in this book that was new and intriguing. If I were just starting out with the Deryni series, I suspect I would not want to read others. I hope the next book in the Kelson saga has more action and more character development. This one felt like three hundred pages of set up for what's coming next. That's at least two hundred pages too long.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable Book except for all the whining
Review: In this latest installment in the chronicles of the young Deryni king, King Kelson is juggling problems on both political and personal fronts. His Deryni ward, Liam-Lajos of Torenth is ready to assume his throne, and Kelson plans to accompany him to the ceremony. The journey to Torenth, and the ceremony itself are dangerous as Liam's uncles are unlikely to release the power of the regency willingly. Kelson suspects treachery from Mahael, Liam's regent, and is uncertain whether to trust the seemly decent younger uncle, Matyas. In the midst of all this political intrigue is the ongoing pressure for Kelson to marry and produce an heir. All of his advisors are thrusting candidates his way, but Kelson is still pining for Rothana. In the last book of the series, Kelson fell in love with the Deryni princess, but when Kelson came up missing and presumed dead, Rothana married his cousin Conall. Conall was later executed for treason, but Rothana refuses to remarry, leaving Kelson bereft. As "King Kelson's Bride" plunges Kelson back into the marriage game, Rothana is still very much at the center of Kelson's marital plans, but this time as the matchmaker rather than the match. If "King Kelson's Bride" were the first Deryni novel I ever read, I probably would have liked it a whole lot more. It's an entertaining story, and anything set in Kurtz's richly detailed world of the Deryni is always worth reading. King Kelson's Bride's weaknesses, such as they are, are a result of Kurtz's wonderful characterizations. Her characters have been so real and so compelling in the earlier books, that when they didn't behave the way I've come to expect them to in "King Kelson's Bride", I was disappointed. While it was inevitable that the younger generation, Kelson and Dhugal, would eventually become the focus of the Deryni series, I never thought that Morgan and Duncan, the heroes of the earlier books, would be reduced to the roles of extras as they have been in this book. Duncan is barely mentioned in passing and Morgan, while present and accounted for in many scenes, is nothing more than a prop without any personality at all. Even Dhugal is nothing more than a cardboard cutout in this book. All of this would not be so disappointing if the heroes of old were replaced by equally engrossing new heroes. But while King Kelson remains an admirable hero in his political activities, he becomes a far less appealing character as a potential bridegroom. Kelson spends MUCH too much time whining over his lost love with Rothana, transforming him from a self-possessed, noble young monarch into a pouting lovesick teenager. It is difficult to believe that the same man who managed to take the throne at fourteen and face all he did to keep it, would really be reduced to a pathetic puppy who hangs on Rothana's every word-including letting her pick who he is to marry. Even more annoying is Gwynedd's biggest busybody herself, Princess Rothana. She doesn't want to marry Kelson, but she has it all planned who should. I never really liked Rothana's character to begin with, but once she married Conall, her central position in the Deryni story should have been over. Instead, she's still right in the center of things, elbowing Kelson's true intended out of the spotlight. The future bride herself, Araxie, is portrayed to be smart and savvy. But if she's so strong, how come she puts up with Kelson and Rothana? Last of the less than compelling characters of the book is Kelson's mother Jehana. In previous books, she was always portrayed the same way-deeply guilt-ridden because of her Deryni heritage and fanatically against anyone else who is Deryni. She gave up the love of her husband and remained distant from her son because she could not reconcile their support of the Deryni with her beliefs. While it never made her the most lovable character in the world, at least Jehana had always been true to herself. I found it unbelievable that in "King Kelson's Bride", she does a complete and surprisingly abrupt about face-not out of love for her son or in the memory of her beloved husband, but for a total stranger. If you can ignore all the out of character behavior from Kelson and Jehana, and the unfortunately in character, but annoying, behavior of Rothana, the rest of the story is quite enjoyable. The intrigue around Liam and his uncles keeps the plot moving beyond the constant marital whining and provides the expected twists involving Deryni magic. This is actually quite a good book; only by being spoiled by previous novels have I come to expect a GREAT book, and thus my disappointment. If you are a fan of the series, you will certainly want to pick up this book, follow the latest in Gwynedd and Torenthi politics, and see Kelson married at last. It isn't the best Deryni novel, but even a lesser Deryni novel is better than many other fantasies. If you have never read a Deryni book before, certainly do not start here. Go back to the beginning and start with "Deryni Rising". Though Kurtz's writing style has matured since then, the early books are wonderful and you'll want to start from the beginning. You'll probably end up here anyway, because to start is to become engrossed in the whole series, but by then you'll be ready to settle for finally seeing Kelson married as well.
Rating:
Summary: Didn't quite reach the bar
Review: It's been a long wait for this one, the last month of which I used to read the others in the series. Now I sort of wish I hadn't done so. While rereading refreshed some necessary character and plot points, along with reminding me why I've so anticipated this novel, it also made me realize how weak this novel is in comparison. Not that it's bad; it just isn't as good. As one might imagine from the title, a large portion of the plot deals with Kelson's search, sometimes willingly sometimes not, for a new bride. The other half of the book deals with the political problem of Torenthi. Neither of these, however, had the same driving urgency or poignancy of Kurtz's earlier novels. Part of the problem, as often happens in a series so large, is that we've seen much of this before: the Torenthi danger, the unwilling bride, attempted assassinations, unrequited love, deep compulsions of betrayal set on humans, etc. To overcome this sense of "been there done that", Kurtz needed to to distract us with the power of her characters or the dazzlement of her plotlines. Unfortunately, neither was quite up to it. None of the major good characters reached the heroic or humorous proportions of their earlier incarcations: Duncan and Morgan, for instance, were mere shadows of their prior selves. And none of the villains matched the depths of compelling ugliness of Loris or the regents. The good characters are models of good behavior and logic, but not particularly rousing. The evil characters are evil, but in a perfunctory fashion; they simply aren't fascinating enough. I miss both extremes. I also missed the sense of inner turmoil and tragedy from previous works. Jehanna could have played into part of this (the inner turmoil), but her confusion/conversion happened too quickly to suit me--a nod to a plot point rather than an exploration of character. And Kelson's pining for Rothana, to be honest, got a bit tiresome. After having suffered once more through the deaths of Rhy, Javan, Camber, Allister, and so many other previous characters, and having watched so many well-intentioned plans fall short of fruition, this novel simply didn't move me, either in its personal characters or its larger political vision. Is this a necessary novel? Yes, it moves the characters and plot along. It's well-written and decently plotted and it was a pleasure to rejoin Kelson and to get a look at how the other half (the Torenthi) live. And maybe it's unfair to hold it up to the standards of the prior works. But Kurtz has only herself to blame. She set the standard; here's hoping her next one comes a bit closer.
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