Deryni Tales [Paperback]

Katherine Kurtz (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 2002

Filled with richly drawn characters and unforgettable intrigues, Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels inspired some of her most devoted fans to write their own Deryni tales-and Kurtz has collected eight of her favorites in this exciting anthology. Deryni Tales is a heartfelt tribute to the world she created-from the devoted fans who have made it their own.

Editorial Reviews

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 Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ace; First Thus edition (May 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441009441
• ISBN-13: 978-0441009442
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent fan fiction edited by the creator of the series, August 8, 2003

By 

Joe Sherry (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Deryni Tales (Paperback)

I was initially hesitant to read this collection of Deryni short stories. The Deryni series is one of my all time favorites, but Deryni Tales is fan fiction. I don't normally read fan fiction, but it appears that with Katherine Kurtz herself editing the collection, these stories are now part of the Deryni canon. This was important to me as I did not want to read anything that did not officially fit into the Deryni canon.

I'm glad that I did read these stories. While nothing major happens (as far as affecting any of Kurtz's storylines or characters), but it does shed some light on events throughout the Deryni history. Surprisingly enough, some of these stories are just as good as anything Katherine Kurtz might have written. Some she claims to wish that she had written them. There are several stories that I thought were simply excellent: "Lovers of Shadows", "A Midsummer's Questing", "Arilan the Talmud Student", "The Green Tower", and "Dhugal at Court". Okay, I see that this is more than a couple stories. I'm not sure there is really a weak link in this collection. The only disappointment for me was that there was only one story set in the era of Joram and Evaine (A Midsummer's Questing"). Hopefully there will be future volumes of Deryni Tales that will further illuminate the world that Katherine Kurtz has created. If the fan fiction she publishes is this good, I will gladly accept more while I wait for Kurtz to publish another novel of her own. Highly recommended for fans of the Deryni.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Deryni fans, June 2, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deryni Tales (Paperback)

It is hard to accept that Katherine Kurtz introduced readers to the Deryni universe over thirty years ago because of how fresh and current the DERYNI TALES' stories remain. Though the octet of tales from other authors besides Ms. Kurtz comes from Deryni Archives: the Magazine, they retain their excitement and offer proof to how robust the mythos remains. Ms. Kurtz provides an engaging new story to add to the overall strength of the collection. DERYNI TALES is clearly for long time friends who have already fallen under the charm of the series. New readers are better suited to start with the novels for fuller understanding though this collection provides a well written taste of Deryni.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Futhering the canon of the Deryni, May 30, 2002

By 

Steven Barnhart (Westminster, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Deryni Tales (Paperback)

In the tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover anthologies, Katherine Kurtz's "Deryni Tales" is a compendium of stories set in the author's Deyni universe that have been written by fans. The book contains eight stories which have previously appeared in the author-sanctioned "Deryni Archives: The Magazine" fanzine plus a new story, "The Green Tower", written for this collection by Ms. Kurtz.

"The Green Tower" provides tantalizing hints to events in Kurtz's forthcoming Childe Morgan trilogy, the next installment in the history of the Deryni in the Eleven Kingdoms. The story concerns an apocryphal tale of a magical working gone awry and introduces the reader to ancestors of such major characters as Alaric Morgan, Duncan McLain, and Jehana of Bremagne, as well as various members of the contemporary Camberian Council. We also get a glimpse of how and for what reasons marriages are arranged in Gwynedd.

Of the fan-written tales I particularly enjoyed Daniel Kohanski and Jay Baryy Azneer's "Arilan the Talmud Student", Sharon Henderson's "Deo Volente", and Melissa Houle's "Dhugal at Court." All in all, this was a very enjoyable effort which should satisfy Ms. Kurtz's army of fans until the first book of the Childe Morgan trilogy is published. Hopefully, "Deryni Tales" will echo the success of the Darkover anthologies and see the publication of additional volumes.