Customer Reviews

Camber the Heretic (Legends of Camber of Culdi)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nothing is overlooked in this delightful (though somewhat depressing) trilogy. The third book had me crying like a baby, which is a sign that the characters are very well developed, and they are indeed.

I do not reccomend any Kurtz book to anyone easily depressed; Ms. Kurtz is easily one of the most ruthless authors on the market. She knows how to pull the reader's heartstrings. Just when one thinks everything is safe, she has something up her sleeve.

Katherine Kurtz is a fabulous author. She is ruthless, but none of her killed-off characters die, um, how to say this....there are no...there are no excessive deaths...Some authors who try to get emotion out of readers by killing main characters over do it. Ms. Kurtz has restraint.....

There is no gore; hardly any profanity (and all in places where it NEEDS to be); and nothing besides violence. An A+ PG-13 rating, rather like the Lord of the Rings movies: so good, and only a few things keeping it from a 'good for all' statement.

As a final note, I'll note that Kurtz is highly original. The little comparison to LOTR was nothing more than something to compare quality to quality; that is the only thing they share, great writing and gret characters.......

What are you waiting for? You could have ordered the first book by now!!!!

King Cinhil, the monk, but only heir to the throne of Gwynedd, has finally come into his own with three young sons. Upon Cinhil's death however somes the long feared chain of events caused by the fear of the Deryni race the Cinhil has protected thus far. A small group of well-connected humans who will now be regents to the future king of Gwynedd will do anything to seize power, and destroy the Deryni the fear so much. Can Camber and his family stop them yet again and spare their magical race from destruction?

Ms. Kurtz has an amazing way of putting all human emotion, into words that will make any reader feel exactally what her character's endure. She can take a magical race of humans and make everything they do seem real and beleivable. One can grow attached to her charaters to a point that you could actaully picture them in detail, and possibly guess how they would react to a situation. Ms. Kurtz leaves nothing out. Her attention to detail is astonishing.

This is a fantastic sequel to this series, and that is hard to say as I don't want the series to end.

Had to add a review for this one, since so few have been posted (and none good enough!)

Camber of Culdi has been masquerading (or not?) as Bishop Alister Cullen for a number of years now--long enough to see both his hopes and fears for the human Haldane line of Gwynedd kings he restored coming to fruition. King Cinhil, the displaced would be monk, has finally come into his own with three young sons and a distressingly independent mind of his own. But Cinhil's death sets off the chain reaction of fear and oppression Camber feared all along, led by a small, cynical, well-connected band of human Regents that will do anything to seize power. Will any of what Camber sacrificed everything for survive the coming fire?

Much of what shines most brightly in Kurtz's work is present here: her grasp of history and power politics in a medieval realm, her eye for detail, and a human touch that is most affecting when Kurtz refuses to pull punches. The death of one particular character in this book is haunting, and Camber's trials of conscience make him one of my favorite Kurtz characters ever. Kurtz brought a world full of human frailties, heartbreaking misfortunes and miscalculations, and innocent tragedies so deeply close to home.

Camber, a man torn between his sense of duty and his sense of right and wrong, the Deryni lord who led the war to end the tyranny of his kind and restore a human king to the throne of Gwynedd. Now he must witness the consequences of his moral act as the humans, now in control of the kingdom and the church, systematically strip all Deryni of power, title, land, and humanity. This may be a fantasy novel, but it brilliantly and starkly illustrates the horrors of fanaticism, intolerance, and oppression. It is a dark and tragic book(no escapism here!), and its emotional impact will stay with the reader forever. If you've ever longed for a fantasy with REAL depth, then read this series.

In this book Katherine Kurtz once again makes it clear that her knowledge of the middle ages deserves respect. The accuracy of detail is fantastic. For example her knowledge of the clothing and the way it is worn is unmatched by other authors whether it be that of warriors, princes, or clergy. But the detail is so grand because it never becomes the purpose of the writing, it is always utility to help the reader better relate to the story line. You can tell that Kurtz enjoys writing the book as much as you will enjoy reading it

This book goes into the lives of Cinhil's sons, Alroy, Javan, and Rhys Michael. The power-giving ritual is explored once again, and the excitement and humor is still apparent in this book. I think any fan of Ms. Kurtz will enjoy this book.