Daggerspell

Daggerspell (1988) – Katharine Kerr
Grafton Books | ISBN: 9780586073155
Condition: Good | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Destiny. That mysterious force which, in fantasy literature, appears to spend an extraordinary amount of time arranging complicated romantic entanglements, ancient feuds and spectacularly inconvenient reincarnations. Most people struggle to resolve their problems within a single lifetime. In Katharine Kerr’s world of Deverry, however, the universe occasionally insists that they return for several more attempts.

Welcome to Daggerspell, the magnificent opening volume of Katharine Kerr’s celebrated Deverry series, where Celtic-inspired fantasy, magic, romance and the consequences of decisions made centuries earlier combine to create an epic adventure of remarkable depth and imagination.

At the heart of the story lies the mysterious power of dweomer, an ancient form of magic concerned with the hidden forces shaping existence. Its practitioners understand that human lives are connected through patterns of destiny, obligation and reincarnation, and that an apparently insignificant decision can produce consequences stretching across generations.

Unfortunately, knowing that destiny exists does not necessarily make dealing with it any easier.

Nevyn, a powerful master of dweomer, has spent centuries attempting to correct a tragic mistake from his youth. Bound by an oath and burdened by guilt, he watches the souls of those involved in his original catastrophe return in successive lives, hoping that the tangled threads of their destinies might finally be untied.

It is a wonderfully ambitious undertaking, although most people would probably recommend a sincere apology rather than several hundred years of supernatural intervention.

Meanwhile, the young noblewoman Jill finds herself caught between the harsh realities of her world and the strange powers beginning to emerge within her. Alongside her stands Rhodry, a nobleman whose own complicated destiny is entangled with events reaching far beyond his present existence.

Their adventures unfold against a richly imagined landscape of feuding lords, mercenary warriors, political rivalries and ancient magical traditions.

Kerr’s storytelling draws heavily upon Celtic mythology and the atmosphere of early medieval Britain, creating a world where honour, loyalty, ambition and personal relationships frequently collide with forces nobody fully understands.

One of the novel’s most distinctive features is its intricate treatment of time and reincarnation. Rather than simply following a conventional chronological adventure, Kerr reveals connections between different lives and historical periods, gradually exposing the extraordinary complexity of her characters’ shared past.

The result is a fantasy novel that rewards attention, inviting readers to discover how seemingly separate events belong to a much larger pattern.

Originally published in 1986, Daggerspell established the foundations of one of the most ambitious fantasy sequences of its era, combining sweeping adventure with unusually thoughtful explorations of fate, responsibility and personal redemption.

This 1988 Grafton Books edition, offered in Good condition by Crappy Old Books, is an excellent acquisition for admirers of Celtic fantasy, elaborate magical worlds and richly developed characters whose problems occasionally take several lifetimes to resolve.

A compelling introduction to Deverry, where ancient vows remain binding, forgotten mistakes refuse to stay forgotten and the past possesses an irritating habit of turning up when least expected.

Because everyone makes mistakes.

Some people apologise, learn from the experience and move on.

Others become immortal sorcerers and spend four hundred years trying to put everything right.

Which does seem rather excessive.

But then, nobody ever accused destiny of being particularly efficient.

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