With young young King Alroy on his deathbed, the power-hungry Regents are plotting to keep the legitimate heir from ascending the thrown. But Prince Javan is a formidable opponent. And the Regents vow to stop at nothing to wrest back control of Gwynedd. To prevail against the Regents, to rule his kingdom justly, and even to live, Javan has to be strong. He has to be clever. And he has to be very lucky indeed...
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From Publishers Weekly
A young king seeks to save his people from powerful and corrupt nobles and prelates in this middle volume of the latest Deryni trilogy (following The Harrowing of Gwynedd ). Crippled Prince Javan gains the throne of Gwynedd after the death of his brother, King Alroy, despite machinations by the five former regents, who mean to make him a monk and crown his more biddable younger brother. With a small band of loyal knights and advisers, Javan must gain the respect of the people, guard himself against assassination and attempt to ameliorate, if not repeal, the vicious laws enacted by the Church to destroy the Deryni, a race with psychic powers that shares the land. Though a human, Javan is gifted with some of these powers, a heritage of his royal family line, but he must learn to use them surreptitiously or share the fate of the Deryni. As the subtle battle escalates, with Javan receiving aid from powerful but hidden Deryni, the prospect of losing power drives the regents to extreme measures. Kurtz, author of three previous Deryni trilogies, builds a deeper, more complex and more thoughtfully developed world with each succeeding volume.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
The death of young King Alroy brings his twin brother Javan to the throne of Gwynedd, and the Council of Regents is thrown into turmoil when the new king proves less amenable to their control. Set in one of the darkest times of Gwynedd's history, this latest novel in the Deryni chronicles focuses on the grim determination of its protagonist. Familiar clashes between Deryni sorcery and Church fanaticism combine with scenes of emotionally charged drama and tragedy to create a medieval fantasy that Kurtz's many fans will welcome. A good purchase for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By M. Cook
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Another great book in a great series. Strong characters and great writing make for an enjoyable read. I am always looking forward to what will happen to the people in the book.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Kathryn Kurtz takes us back to the world after Camber and before Kelson. Young Prince Javan Haldane was led naively once to trust--or at least underestimate--the Regents who took over government of Gwynedd in the name of his sickly brother Alroy. Now sixteen (and legally of age), Javan is prepared to rule in his own right and determined not to make the same mistake again. Alroy's death sets off a climactic fight for the throne, or at least for the power behind it. The freedom of Javan and his brother Rhys Michael--even their lives--depends on his success. The Regents have had five years to entrench their power. Javan has only his wits, his convictions, and the help of a resourceful but dwindling group of secret Deryni. He is not used to manipulation. But in this kind of a war, the pawns may be the most important players...
I found the premise of this novel thoroughly enjoyable. And frightening. I, like Rhys Michael, was surprised by the sheer viciousness of the Regents' tactics. I can almost believe that Rhys Michael had cause to think them more benign than they were. Javan is an interesting martyr--so rock-solid in his convictions and so coldly calculating at times, mixing these qualities liberally on occasion with great warmth and discretion. I walked away from the book shaken, with a void in me, wondering what went wrong and sent Javan, Revan, Tavis, and so many others to their deaths. That is definitely a mark of good storytelling.
Kurtz may have taken things a little too far, and I still have to wonder if Javan shouldn't have had more control and ability to put the Regents down, no matter what their personal forces might have done. And I wonder, too, if the distinctions between right and wrong, between Javan and his opponants, are so great sometimes. In the end, it all comes down to Rhys Michael's stupidity (gullibility for those of you who feel more sympathetic to him than I do in this book). But Javan's story still packs a welcome punch for all fantasy-lovers.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Javan held my imagination since I first saw his name on the Table of Gwynedd's Kings in the back of Katherine Kurtz' first Deryni novel. His year and his book do not disappoint. Kurtz does a tremendous job of letting the young King and his Court live. And breathe. And hope. I enjoyed this work more than any other of the Deryni line. Javan's hope surely found its way to Kelson's soul.
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4.5 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
a difficult book to read
i loved and hated this book. loved it because javan was such a wonderful character. hated it because, well ... take the title literally.
Published on Jan 29 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best of the best
Katherine Kurtz takes her writing to a new level in this novel. Book two of the heirs of Saint Camber series, she gives the readers the feeling of hope for the characters. Read more
Published on Dec 22 1999 by Brandie L Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A flame of hope...
In King Javan's Year, we see a flame of hope for the Deryni people of overcoming their oppression. Will it be snuffed out is the question, as King Javan faces enemies everywhere... Read more
Published on May 17 1997
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very well researched book by one of my favorite authors
The book starts off slowly, as Alroy (Javan's older brother)
becomes victim to what sounds like tuberculosis and the drugs
that the regents had been giving him for years,... Read more
becomes victim to what sounds like tuberculosis and the drugs
that the regents had been giving him for years,... Read more
Published on Oct 4 1996
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