Customer Reviews

Darkspell

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading Daggerspell, I thought Kerr was a good writer but wasn't really sure her story could really merit more than one book. However, Darkspell got me thoroughly hooked. It seems as though she really has two plots that intertwine: the time-spanning reincarnations and the present dweomer war, and this book introduces the reader to the intricacies of each and the relationship between the two. I enjoyed the plot developments and further explanations of the type of magic she has created. I also loved the ending because it resolved enough for me to feel satisfied, but left enough hanging issues to keep me reading. I wouldn't recommend making a decision about the series until you've read this book.

As noted in my review of "Daggerspell," I felt, despite the story's interest, it was weakened by a lack of fully realized characterization as well as thinly drawn detail. However, the world of Deverry and celtic folklore were so engagingly rendered that I perservered and was rewarded by the continuing tale of "Darkspell." Here Kerr appears to have mastered her earlier awkward plot transitions in time, integrating her multiple storylines smoothly and cohesively. And her descriptive narrative has grown, suffering only in comparison with authors such as Martin or Jordan, with the characters' personalities having become more fully formed. Unlike a previous reviewer, I find her villains more cunning than malevolent, but the opposition between dark and light dweomer is developing and offers much promise for the future. Also, the possibility for expanded roles by stronger and recurrent secondary characters - much needed - now appears possible, and it is my hope that we will see a further development of figures such as Ebany, Devaberiel, Rhys, and Tondalo (Even a possible return of Sarcyn?) in supporting roles in future. To date far too many of the secondary players, such as Aderyn and Ysolla, have played sisgnificant walk-on parts in one book only to disappear in the next. I believe Kerr's story would by vastly enriched by an expanded and repeated presence of some of the story's secondary characters. I perceive a hint of this intent with Ebany and Tondalo; I hope they are not alone.

Overall, "Darkspell" was a very satisfying read, and a marked improvement over "Daggerspell." I look forward to reading "The Bristling Wood."

(As an aside: It's nice to see some decent cover art on this series; So much fantasy art is crudely drawn or depicting laughable imagery.)

This book is just the beginning. It is one of the best books I have read as far as style and content go. But it seems that the people who are not satisfied only look at this book. In my opinion the first three books, Daggerspell, Darkspell, and The Bristling Wood, are just setting the stage for what is to come. She did an excellent job of keeping the plot moving while keeping you interested. Also the way the characters souls are all intertwined and locked with each other puts an interesting spin to things. It is almost like watching a child growing and never knowing what to expect next. Overall I feel that the world she has created starting with Daggerspell will be a part of me forever.

On the long roads of Deverry ride two mercenaries whose fates lie hidden deep in that of their land. But Lord Rhodry, exiled from the dragon court of Aberwyn, has yet to discover his true parentage, and his swordmaster-lover, Jill, has barely glimpsed her awesome powers. Meanwhile, the ancient sorcerer Nevyn, held back by his vows from boldly intervening in their lives, can only watch and wait as Rhodry and Jill move ever closer to danger. For as the two struggle to recover the Great Stone, the mystic jewel that guides the conscience of the kingship of Deverry, malevolent dark masters are weaving terrifying spells against them--and dispatching messengers of death. Inextricably bound to the fate of the land, Nevyn, Rhodry, and Jill struggle to unite the humans of Deverry with the powerful, mysterious, and once-hostile race of Elves. But theirs is a bold and dangerous venture that soon is undearthed by the sinister sorcerers of Annwn. These malevolent magicians know all too well that the joining of the two races--together with their mystical powers--will ultimately destroy their evil empire. In an uneasy alliance of dark forces, the sorcerers strike out to stop the union. And now, it is up to Nevy, the ancient and cunning wizard, to find a way to save his comrades and the destiny of Deverry...if only he himself can survive the wrath of Annwn's deadly magic.

Katherine Kerr's writing takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth the effort. She approaches her stories with a Celtic storytelling mindset, which means she conveys events according to their significance to the story, as opposed to chronologically. Consequently, while the stories begin in the "present" (which is an elastic concept, anyway, in a fantasy setting), the events unfold, chapter wise, both in the "present" and in the distant past. This can be frustrating, at first, but Kerr's writing is heavily steeped in Pagan and Western Mystery tradition, and the Celtic setting (and mindset) of her characters means that time, or chronological time, is not essentially relevant. To be honest, I found the first book infuriating, as I spent a lot of time trying to adjust to the writing style. However, I found the story engrossing enough that I persevered, and by the second book was so hooked I've read all ten in her three series.

Kerr's story evolves around the concept of reincarnation, and unfinished business, and "karma", and fate. The same souls recur again and again, just in new bodies, over the course of the centuries over which the story unfolds.

Kerr's world is one of High Fantasy, populated by Elves, Men, and Dwarves, as well as faeries/elementals, which she terms the "Wildfolk". However, hers is a slightly more dark, dangerous and less clear cut world than the works of other High Fantasy authors, not the least due to the fact that someone who was your friend in a former life can re-emerge in the story centuries later as a foe, and vice versa. There is a tremendous amount of magic, but it's the magic of the Western Mystery tradition (quite a bit of Golden Dawn and even Enochiana), and that of R.J. Stewarts Faery tradition. There are dragons, and giant beast men.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, who clearly influenced Kerr, will be enraptured by this series, as will fans of Kate Eliott, who Kerr, herself, clearly influenced. It's phenomenal! Devotees of the New Age, Esoteric or Occult will find themselves nodding and smiling as they read, and sincerely hoping Kerr's writing will do for the Western Mystery and Faery traditions what Bradley's has done for Wicca.

As with all books that begin a series, Katharine Kerr spent a lot of time in "Daggerspell" just introducing us to her characters and the land of Deverry. In "Darkspell," she's able to relax a little bit, letting us get to know Jill, Rhodry, and the rest of the characters rather than simply sort out what role they play. As a result, I found "Darkspell" even more enjoyable, and ultimately more representative of the series as a whole.

In the present, Jill and Rhodry are riding the long road as exiles from the court of Rhodry's vindictive brother. Unfortunately, the dweomer - both light and dark - has marked these two, and they quickly find themselves drawn once again into the middle of a battle they can barely even begin to understand. Luckily, the ancient dweomermaster Nevyn is along to pull their stones out of the fire, although he of course has an ulterior motive - to bring Jill to her true power in the dweomer and thus fulfill a centuries-old vow so he can die, already.

Boom! Cut to the past. Adding another column to her table of incarnations, Kerr gives us Jill as a berserker priestess of the Warrior Goddess, with Rhodry as her loyal but spineless lieutenant and Cullyn (disappointingly absent in the present incarnation) as the arrogant lord who wants her to break her vows of celibacy. I should note that the one quibble I have with Rhodry and Cullyn's past lives is that they bear very little resemblance to their current characters. Even Jill, and her many incarnations, have nothing in common with the original Brangwen. It doesn't hurt the story any, it just irks me. Anyway. I enjoyed this episode even better than the two described in "Daggerspell" - it just seemed more rich, more fraught with tension and danger. It also gives us some history that's going to be muy importante later, so pay attention.

We meet some interesting new characters this time around, who will become integral in later books - Blaen, Rhodry's cousin, and Salamander, his half-elven brother, in particular. There are a couple villains, more well-defined than the nebulous forces of darkness arrayed against our heroes in "Daggerspell." All of this combines to make "Darkspell" a more personal story, one that deeply invests us in the many lives of its characters. We are starting to see the outlines of the grand arc of the series here, the pattern which these many characters will weave over the course of their multiple lifetimes. Readers who found "Daggerspell" too confusing and distant should stick it out for at least this one sequel; I guarantee that most of you will enjoy it even more.

Still some nice things running in this series. Kerr's reincarnation structure gives her the freedom to run off into `new' self-contained stories within the one larger story: they still relate to (particularly with the continuity of Nevyn) and shape `current' events, but give the satisfaction of some internal resolution. Half this volume is devoted to a virtual novella set three-hundred years prior, and Kerr has the fun of yet again playing out her basic characters with a few intriguing alternatives - very much the parallel universe feel. I found the Gweniver-Dannyn-Ricyn incarnation more potent than the attached `main' storyline, which was OK, sort of a drug-dealer whodunit, but not as enjoyable. Besides, I always hate it when charismatic heroes go broody, and hopefully Rhodry will be able to make his peace with his lowered status and make better company in the next book.

I didn't enjoy it as much as Daggerspell, but she's hardly dropped the ball here, and the form she's running with is still coherent and satisfying. Some things are potentially worrying - getting the balance right so Nevyn doesn't find everything too easy (cf. Belgareth), but can still bring justice and some impressive majesty (cf. Gandalf): it is nice that she doesn't have him being too coy about his powers if need be. I think she overuses the flashes of `dweomer-cold' that so many characters inexplicably have: sure you can have magic, but it's not as satisfying if it can just be inserted randomly - it should cost something and work within its own suspension of disbelief parameters/logic - in other ways it does in this series.

Katharine Kerr is one of, if not the, best fantasy writers out there. This book is incredibly captivating - I've read it at least 7 times and it doesn't get old. Along with humanly flawed heroes, Ms. Kerr accomplishes something one rarely sees in fantasy - really terrifying villains. Unlike so many other fantasy series, the bad guys are as interesting as the good guys, and the dark dweomer conveys a real sense of malice. And, as always, the language is wonderful.

This book is as great as 'Daggerspell'. The tangled Wyrd of Nevyn, Brangwen and Blaen souls start to unfold, but it is still far from resolving. Their souls reincarnate from life to life, each time a bit more untangled than before and in 'Darkspell' there is some of incarnations. The whole concept of dweomer, or in particular of human perception of five forces of universe as mindless wildfolk is stunning. Great reading time on enchanted language of Deverry.

This book is one of the few books i feel are great fantasy. Katharine Kerr has a wonderful style of taking old Celtic lifestyle and turning it into a working fantasy that will keep you in thrall.

This is the second book of the long Deverry saga. But know that this long saga is written in cycles, and at the end of book 4 (the first cycle), you get a real ending.

I wrote in details about the general story and writing here: Daggerspell (Deverry Series, Book One)

This sequel is as good as the first novel, and takes us deeper into the characters' psychology. We'll discover a new incarnation of our heroes while the present plot is getting more intense and darker. You know how in some stories the villains always resemble each other, especially when you talk of dark sorcerers... Well it's not the case in Darkspell where the dark dweomermasters are more than what you'd expect. I also admired the author's boldness at including ritual sex as part of the dark dweomer. The context is quite unsettling, but everything is carefully written (which makes the novel suitable for teens) so that the result adds to the uniqueness of the saga.

Highly recommended!