Deryni Tales

Rating:
Summary: Great for Deryni fans
Review: It is hard to accept that Katherine Kurtz introduced readers to the Deryni universe over thirty years ago because of how fresh and current the DERYNI TALES' stories remain. Though the octet of tales from other authors besides Ms. Kurtz comes from Deryni Archives: the Magazine, they retain their excitement and offer proof to how robust the mythos remains. Ms. Kurtz provides an engaging new story to add to the overall strength of the collection. DERYNI TALES is clearly for long time friends who have already fallen under the charm of the series. New readers are better suited to start with the novels for fuller understanding though this collection provides a well written taste of Deryni.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Great for Deryni fans
Review: It is hard to accept that Katherine Kurtz introduced readers to the Deryni universe over thirty years ago because of how fresh and current the DERYNI TALES' stories remain. Though the octet of tales from other authors besides Ms. Kurtz comes from Deryni Archives: the Magazine, they retain their excitement and offer proof to how robust the mythos remains. Ms. Kurtz provides an engaging new story to add to the overall strength of the collection. DERYNI TALES is clearly for long time friends who have already fallen under the charm of the series. New readers are better suited to start with the novels for fuller understanding though this collection provides a well written taste of Deryni.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Liber Amoris
Review: Normally, I tend to avoid fan fiction, so it was with some trepidation that I bought this novel. However, a fan of the series I couldn't stay away. It far exceeded my expectations!

Everyone seems to focus on the stories "Arilan the Talmud Student" and "Lover of Shadows"--for me the best though is "A Midsummer's Questing." Spoiler-free, let me say that teh author shows a deep understanding of the psedo-Catholic doctrine extant in Ms. Kurtz's work and also of the true meaning behind the Love of God.

All the stories are excellent examples of fan fiction. The reason for 4 stars is that a few just don't have the same spark as Kurtz's novels. They're not bad, just lacking something intangible.

Rating:
Summary: Liber Amoris
Review: Normally, I tend to avoid fan fiction, so it was with some trepidation that I bought this novel. However, a fan of the series I couldn't stay away. It far exceeded my expectations!

Everyone seems to focus on the stories "Arilan the Talmud Student" and "Lover of Shadows"--for me the best though is "A Midsummer's Questing." Spoiler-free, let me say that teh author shows a deep understanding of the psedo-Catholic doctrine extant in Ms. Kurtz's work and also of the true meaning behind the Love of God.

All the stories are excellent examples of fan fiction. The reason for 4 stars is that a few just don't have the same spark as Kurtz's novels. They're not bad, just lacking something intangible.

Rating:
Summary: Good, not remarkable or great
Review: This collection of fan fiction from the Deryni universe is enjoyable, but not especially gripping. The one exception to this is, as other writers have noticed, John Mohr's story, "Lover of Shadows." That is a beautifully-crafted interesting and marvelous story. I hope he writes some more. It is a pleasure to encounter familiar characters again, such as Joram, Evaine, Rhys, Richenda, Dhugal and so on, and get some more information about them.

This collection also cleared up something for me, in that Ms. Kurtz explains that she tries to write her female characters closer to the way medieval woman actually lived. Her choice, of course, but, I have to say, if I wanted to read about the way women lived, I would read history, not fantasy. I also notice, interestingly, that she does not follow our medieval history by producing great female abbesses or theologians. Surely, the Church of Gwynedd could produce a Hildegard of Bingen, a Hilda of Whitby or a Catherine of Siena? Again, her choice, but I have to say one of the reasons I only get the Deryni books from the library instead of buying them is that the only women who actually hold real power are either misguided or evil, and that her most sympathetic and interesting characters are invariably male.

Rating:
Summary: Good, not remarkable or great
Review: This collection of fan fiction from the Deryni universe is enjoyable, but not especially gripping. The one exception to this is, as other writers have noticed, John Mohr's story, "Lover of Shadows." That is a beautifully-crafted interesting and marvelous story. I hope he writes some more. It is a pleasure to encounter familiar characters again, such as Joram, Evaine, Rhys, Richenda, Dhugal and so on, and get some more information about them.

This collection also cleared up something for me, in that Ms. Kurtz explains that she tries to write her female characters closer to the way medieval woman actually lived. Her choice, of course, but, I have to say, if I wanted to read about the way women lived, I would read history, not fantasy. I also notice, interestingly, that she does not follow our medieval history by producing great female abbesses or theologians. Surely, the Church of Gwynedd could produce a Hildegard of Bingen, a Hilda of Whitby or a Catherine of Siena? Again, her choice, but I have to say one of the reasons I only get the Deryni books from the library instead of buying them is that the only women who actually hold real power are either misguided or evil, and that her most sympathetic and interesting characters are invariably male.