Share for friends:

Read Camber Of Culdi (1987)

Camber of Culdi (1987)

Online Book

Rating
3.89 of 5 Votes: 1
Your rating
ISBN
0345347676 (ISBN13: 9780345347671)
Language
English
Publisher
del rey

Camber Of Culdi (1987) - Plot & Excerpts

The series is 16 books is deep and growing - and it's wonderful. Not light reading - very deep historical fantasy text - and brilliantly done by a woman who was a church historian for some 20 years.There are 14 books in the main cannon (so far - and a 15th on the way) - 6 in the "historical" time period and 8 in the "now" - that is, the series is about the world of the Deryni - consider: What if earth had 2 species develop side by side - one that had all those magical/esper abilities and one that didn't? What if we met this world at about the 14th century with the Catholic Church in dominance in the West? What if we looked at this world through the lens of 200 years of history? What if Katherine Kurtz wrote it?Why you'd have a brilliantly written series of stories detailing the History of the Deryni. We meet the folk of the East - in the "modern" times - and they've a much more reasonable approach than our Western purges and interregnums - tho they certainly have their own troubles :>.The series is brilliant - Camber and Kelson the "Big Protagonists" - each in their own time - the most recent 2 books (and the 3rd in that trilogy, on it's way) focus on Morgan - the 2nd major player in the "modern" times.The two other books - a collection of shorts in the universe and "The Magic of the Deryni" are wonderful additions to the main storyline.I've read the series at least 3 times now - and ALWAYS enjoy going back for more. The haunting question: should you read it in Historical Order or in Publication Order? There are arguments on both sides, but I find it most satisfying to read in Historical Order, beginning with the Camber of Culdi series. But then, I'm a history nut ;>.

A medieval story of good and evil, where magic and religion work together rather than being opposites, taking in racial and class issues, all while pitting a monk-king against a corrupt usurper? What's not to like?! Honestly, I had never heard of this author or these books, and never would have run across them if they weren't on my dad's shelf. He remembered them as being great, so I gave the first a try... and was immediately sucked in. Well written, convincing and engaging-- from historical, magical and religious senses. Good and evil is not so clear-cut in 'real' life, nor in this book; I appreciated the struggle between doing what one feels personally called to by God and trying to discern whether the greater good (and God's will) might mean that one's personal call is changing, whether one likes it or not. Good stuff, and I can't wait to read more...

What do You think about Camber Of Culdi (1987)?

I have read this series several times. I like historical/fantasy, and this one has the appealing mix of non-human/church trouble, along with insider nonhumans who really believe in the church (some lovely Latin included). Written in the late '70s, I think, when most of this type of writing was in its less appealing/accessible stage. These characters, are completely identifiable, the plots and problems are plausible, the magic is believable (a particularly memorable magic healing included a refreshingly clinical perspective), the problems remain, in the real world, unsolved. I strongly recommend this series for those who like 'dark ages' historical fiction, with appealing (perhaps somewhat too good)characters and good, meaty difficulties.
—Shannon

This book, published in 1976, is not among the best fantasy I've read but does address one element of the genre that frequently annoys me. In constructing their faux-medieval worlds, most authors approximate the Europe of the Middle Ages but change the religious landscape without explaining how so many uniquely Catholic social institutions came to be. I often find myself asking of, for example, groups like George R. R. Martin's Night's Watch, "Wait, why are all these people celibate?" Katherine Kurtz addresses this nicely by leaving Christianity in place. Jesus Christ died on the cross, St. Benedict founded monasteries, learned people go around quoting Latin Psalms, etc. The continents of this world are shaped differently, and the equivalent of the Norman invaders have the ability to use magic, but otherwise the setting of this novel is very believably medieval England. I would recommend this novel to anyone who sympathizes with this observation.The weaknesses of this book lie mainly in the fact that reader is given no sense of what limits there might be to this magic (which seem to be dictated only by what is of use to the plot) and that the characters, while sympathetic, are not very deep. To be fair, this is not the first book set in this fictional world, and there are two more books in the series where the characters undoubtedly receive further development, but these stand out to me. Overall, however, it was an enjoyable and easy read.
—Peter Mottola

This is really the first book, chronologically. I love this series and it may well be my all-time favorite. It introduced me to magic and sword and sorcery and alternate worlds, and Katherine Kurtz's works for this series (The Deryni and Gwynedd) are really really good. The characters she draws I want to know (well, the ones that aren't villans), the land she creates is a place I want to live, the magic she describes is magic I would love to know. For me, the best way to read this series is in this order:The Legends of Saint Camber Camber of Culdi Saint Camber Camber the HereticThe Heirs of Saint Camber The Harrowing of Gwynedd King Javan's Year The Bastard PrinceThe Chronicles of the Deryni Deryni Rising Deryni Checkmate High DeryniThe Histories of King Kelson The Bishops Heir The King's Justice The Quest for Saint Camberand then the one called King Kelson's Bride. The childe Morgan series is good, too, but in a slight different style from the way she wrote the others.
—Edie

Write Review

(Review will shown on site after approval)

Read books by author Katherine Kurtz

Read books in series the legends of camber of culdi

Read books in category Picture Books