Rating: 
Summary: A Cozy Adventure
Review: A comfortable, if somewhat irreverent, yarn about the forces of good and evil. Gargoyles in this instance being Heaven's reassigned Warrior Angels who join forces with an elderly but spritely mortal Knight. Not heavy literature by any means, but a thoroughly enjoyable and tasty morsel for a lazy evening read. It was easy reading, fun and warm. Katherine Kurtz' tales of the Knights Templar have always been my favorites and when she says "she can't leave them alone" she proves it in this book by managing to incorporate a bit of their legend. I would highly recommend this delight of a book for anyone looking for a pleasurable day of light reading. The ending leaves us to wonder if more books in this genre may be forthcoming. I certainly hope so.
Rating:
Summary: A Cozy Adventure
Review: A comfortable, if somewhat irreverent, yarn about the forces of good and evil. Gargoyles in this instance being Heaven's reassigned Warrior Angels who join forces with an elderly but spritely mortal Knight. Not heavy literature by any means, but a thoroughly enjoyable and tasty morsel for a lazy evening read. It was easy reading, fun and warm. Katherine Kurtz' tales of the Knights Templar have always been my favorites and when she says "she can't leave them alone" she proves it in this book by managing to incorporate a bit of their legend. I would highly recommend this delight of a book for anyone looking for a pleasurable day of light reading. The ending leaves us to wonder if more books in this genre may be forthcoming. I certainly hope so.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it a juvenile novel or not?
Review: As an ardent fan of Kurtz's Deryni novels, I looked forward to reading "St. Patrick's Gargoyle." I was terribly disappointed. If this was intended as a story for young adult readers, I should think they would be insulted. Though I am middle-aged, there are many so-called juvenile novels that I have greatly enjoyed. There is no reason that a book for young readers can not be held to the same high standards of more adult literature. Kurtz is a writer who is generally quite adept at letting events carry the bulk of her story-telling work. Here, however, we are never SHOWN anything, we are always TOLD. I can't think of a much greater weakness for a work of fiction.The premise -- a group of gargoyle's, former angels, stand guard over Dublin, and enlist the aid of an elderly devout Catholic in a battle against evil -- is an interesting one. However, that's about where the interest ends. The characters are merely sketched, never fully drawn; unlike the characters in the Deryni stories, I never came to care about what happened to these characters. The book is often pedantic and unnecessarily "preachy." While the
theologizing is not uninteresting, it provides little that helps to advance the story; the information it provides is in no way essential, and the action bogs down as a result. I certainly don't disagree with any of Kurtz's religious opinions; I simply find them to be a distraction here. I think the basic short-coming of the novel is the marked lack of any sense of suspense. While we are told that the "heroes" must prevent some sort of evil which will have grave consequences for all humanity, we are never shown just what this evil will entail. I found myself not caring much whether the "good guys" triumphed or not, largely because we are never given any idea what will befall them should they fail. That the evil is dispatched in a couple of pages is rather disappointing as well. Let me conclude by saying that Kurtz is excellent author, and that few fantasy/alternate reality series have given me more pleasure than the ... books. Perhaps that is the main reason why I found St. Pat's Gargoyle such a tremedous disappointment.
Whether read as a young adult book or as a mainstream fantasy, there is little to recommend it...
Rating:
Summary: Gargoyles Galore!
Review: As an avid reader of Katherine Kurtz, I am delighted to review Gargoyle with utmost praise. A lighthearted, yet touching, story of a man who is growing old and a gargoyle who is even older. This twosome (amidst many other gargoyles) join forces to battle evil arising in Dublin. In the twilight of a waning era, the author portays with sensitivity and sensibility the multi-faceted culture of Dublin and the Irish. Emphasis on both humor and depth kept me engaged and entertained throughout the novel as I read it one snowy afternoon in the mountains from cover to cover. What I appreciated from Katherine Kurtz's narrative is the beautiful and realistic descriptions of Dublin as well as a very fair representation of Irish cultural Christianity. She neither supports nor refutes anyones particular beliefs through the very sensibilities of the gargoyles guarding their respective churches. St. Patrick's Gargoyle is another view of gargoyles which you have likely not seen with the popularity of these beings from the TV show, etc. Katherine Kurtz adds a wonderfully fresh perspective on the gargoyles' lives as they very much ought to be. If you have read any of Katherine Kurtz's other novels, you realize how she is able to articulate the reality of death with a legacy for the living. I appreciate her continued perceptivity in these areas by leaving the reader understanding something deeper about our own mortality. This book 1. may read quickly, 2. may not be very long, 3. may be considered for young adults, but make no mistake, deeper convictions run throughout its text.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: If this is Katherine Kurtz at play, she can play on my bookshelves any day! A fun book, with some details on Dublin I find interesting, as well as a good mystery. Good characterization and it sounds like there may be a sequel. If there is, I'll buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: If this is Katherine Kurtz at play, she can play on my bookshelves any day! A fun book, with some details on Dublin I find interesting, as well as a good mystery. Good characterization and it sounds like there may be a sequel. If there is, I'll buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty typical Kurtz
Review: If you like Katherine Kurtz's books - particularly her Adept and Knight Templar stuff, you'll like this book. It's very much in that vein. It's not her best work though, being a little slow to get going, and generally not quite as enthralling as a lot of her other stuff. Still in all it's a pretty good read, and one I'm glad I took out of the library, though I have no intention of buying it.
Rating:
Summary: A PLEASANT RAINY DAY READ
Review: One reviewer used the word "cozy" to describe this book - very apt. It is a cozy read in both atmosphere and pacing. Ms. Kurtz clearly loves Ireland and spends ample time cruising the streets of Dublin with our hero's, an 82 year old limo driver and Paddy, a gargoyle "assigned" to St. Patrick's Cathedral. Ms. Kurtz is clearly having fun and it comes through on the pages - a lesser writer could not have pulled off Paddy without sounding like a hack. Having been to Dublin I found the story even more enjoyable - seeing the sights all over again and getting a minor history lesson here and there. This is my first Kurtz book and I certainly plan to read more. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Intrigue blends with fantasy
Review: St. Patrick's Gargoyle is a fantasy set in contemporary Dublin and tells of a gargoyle who is entrusted with the safety of the town. When vandals break into a church, Paddy's search for revenge inadvertently dooms a gentle elderly man and sets both on a race to prevent an ancient evil from arising. Intrigue blends with fantasy here.
Rating:
Summary: Fanciful Yet Meaningful
Review: This is a story about Dublin, about gargoyles, angels, elderly gentlemen and exotic motorcars. It is also a story about good and evil, life and death and love. Although this is shorter and much lighter than some of Kurtz' novels, the essential points that make her such a memorable writer are there: fascinating characters, mysterious and inexplicable happenings and the rip in the fabric between mundane and otherworldly. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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