From Library Journal
Ranging from Laura Jefferson's tale of a young man's quest for truth and God ("A Midsummer's Questing") to Kurtz's exploration of a mysterious period in the history of the Deryni ("The Green Tower"), the nine stories in this collection (previously published only in periodicals) illuminate new aspects of the world and culture of the psionically gifted Deryni. Showcasing new authors including Laura Jefferson, Sharon Henderson, and Jay Barry Azneer, these stories by fans of Kurtz's alternate medieval history blend religion and magic in a vivid tapestry of adventure and intrigue. A good choice for libraries where the "Deryni" series has a following.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Deryni's creator has combed the fanzine
Deryni Archives for publishable fiction by the saga's devotees. By exercising sound judgment and drawing, it seems, on good raw material to begin with, she assembles a rewarding collection. Laura Jefferson's "A Midsummer's Questing" goes back to the days when Rhys and Evaine were courting and Joram was wrestling with his vocation. Daniel Kohanski and Jay Barry Azneer's "Arilan the Talmud Student" addresses the position of the Jews in the Eleven Kingdoms. Sharon Henderson's "Deo Volente" also addresses the question of vocation, this time Duncan McLain's, and the stories that succeed these proceed to a fine coda by Kurtz herself. Although they can't boast prose as elegant as Kurtz's, most of the other contributors are obviously more medievalists, historians, and in possession of richer spiritual lives than the average fantasy writer or fan. None of that will surprise the Deryni saga's long-term devotees, who may appreciate the volume more than may relative newcomers to this fantasy realm now 30 years in the making.
Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
de Katherine Kurtz
de Katherine Kurtz
