Camber was the greatest of the Deryni—that race of men who were gifted with arcane mental powers that set them above normal humans. In later legends, he was to become a figure of mystery, known as both the defender of humanity and the patron saint of dark magic. But now he sought only retirement on his family estates. His dream of justice and amicable relations between the races had turned to ashes in his mind. The medieval kingdom of Gwynedd groaned under the tyranny of Imre and his sister and mistress, Ariella. Normal humans were savagely persecuted by the king, whose Deryni ancestors had seized the throne from the rightful human Haldane line a century before. Camber could not even save his own son from the murderous treachery of Imre. When Camber learned that Cinhil Haldane, a descendant of the previous kings, still lived, he realized that the only hope for the kingdom lay in overthrowing Imre and restoring Cinhil to the throne. But Cinhil was a cloistered monk, hidden under his religious name in one of many monasteries, unaware of his heritage, untrained in politics. Could he be persuaded to leave the only life he knew and take on the leadership of a rebellion? And lacking the Deryni powers, could he hope to overcome the magic of the king? Grimly, Camber set out to locate Cinhil and spirit him from the cloister into a struggle that seemed doomed from the start. And behind came the minions of the king—for Imre was already aware of the plot and bent on destroying all involved in it.

When Camber of Culdi, master of arcane Deryni powers, led a successful revolution against Imre, his sister Ariella, plotted war against Cinhill, her brother's successor. But Cinhill didn't want a fight, he didn't want power, and it was up to Camber to save crown and country....

King Cinhil, who had assured peace between the Deryni and humans in Gwynedd, was dying. And the regents who were set to rule in the place of his sickly son were evil men who could very well undo all that Cinhil had accomplished. Once they ruled, no Deryni would be safe. The only hope lay in a discovery that blocked off all Deryni talents, enabling them to go underground and appear as humans. But that meant that the race of Deryni could be saved only by being destroyed as Deryni...!

Evil times had come for rthe Deryni, the humans with strange, magical powers. The Regents of the boy-king Alroy sought their destruction. And now Bishop Alister Cullen was dead, depriving the Deryni of their greatest friend. But no one could be sure he was really dead. His body lay unchanged and incorruptible. As those questions remained unanswered, the effort to save Deryni had to continue. In the meanwhile, Camber's daughter Evaine pursued the most perilous quest of all—to find among ancient foribidden scrolls the spell that might release Camber. The price to fail—or to succeed—was unthinkable.....

With young young King Alroy on his deathbed, the power-hungry Regents are plotting to keep the legitimate heir from ascending the thrown. But Prince Javan is a formidable opponent. And the Regents vow to stop at nothing to wrest back control of Gwynedd. To prevail against the Regents, to rule his kingdom justly, and even to live, Javan has to be strong. He has to be clever. And he has to be very lucky indeed...

THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER The power-hungry former Regents of the three Haldane princes were pleased. They controlled Gwynedd once more, now that Rhys Michael was king—malleable, wine-loving, and soft. Or so they thought... Unbeknownst to the Regents, Rhys Michael was coming into his birthright. With secret Deryni aid, he struggled to grasp the magic bequeathed to all anointed kings. And when Marek—heir to Gwynedd's last degenerate deposed Deryni despots—marched into Gwynedd at the head of an army, even the Regents had to admit that Rhys Michael must take to the field himself as king to repel the pretender. Rhys Michael saw his chance at last. He swore that the power of the throne—from now on and for all time to come—was to be held by Gwynedd's rightful king. For this, for his sons, and for his country, the king would risk all... FIRST PAPERBACK PUBLICATION

In this first book of an all-new Deryni trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Katherine Kurtz takes readers back in time—before King Kelson's bride...before King Kelson's birth... when the magical Deryni blood was sought by the most powerful men and women in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Back when a man named Donal ruled over all.

Alaric Morgan has been pledged to the king's service, for his Dernyi blood makes him ideal to safeguard the Haldane kings and ensure that Prince Brion shall have protection of his hereditary magic. But the Deryni are feared by the populace of Gwynedd and are viewed with deep suspicion by the Church. And the Camberian Council, which secretly oversees the activities of Deryni, scorns Alaric for his half-breed ancestry. Alaric has the king's protection, and a future mapped out for him that in time should ensure his survival as well as that of the king's heir. But Alaric is only four years old-and first he must survive to reach manhood.

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Kurtz’s novels of the Deryni have been hailed by Anne McCaffrey as “an incredible historical tapestry of a world that never was and of immensely vital people who ought to be.” Now Kurtz weaves a thrilling conclusion to the epic Childe Morgan trilogy, in which bonds of both magic and loyalty will be put to the ultimate test… Alaric Morgan always knew his purpose in life—to stand alongside the king of Gwynedd. The old king knew that whichever of his sons succeeded to the throne would benefit from having a Deryni at his side. Alaric and the young Prince Brion Haldane were bound together by magic—a magic to be called upon when Brion was most in need. Now eighteen, Brion has ascended to the throne and seven-year-old Alaric has come to court. Through the coming years, both will grow to manhood and come to realize their destinies. Brion will strive to solidify his power and position, seek out a bride to secure his legacy, and ultimately, when faced with an unbeatable foe, call upon Alaric to fulfill his oath. Meanwhile, Alaric slowly learns the extent of his powers and how to use them, and will face the prejudice that many have against Deryni in its ugliest form. He will experience bittersweet first love, great personal loss, and the hard lessons one gains from both. And he will be there to unleash the full power of his Deryni magic at Brion’s command. For Alaric is—and always will be—the King’s Deryni.

In the land of Gwynedd, the Haldanes have long ruled and have long kept a dangerous secret: there are those of their blood who possess the magical powers of the Deryni. To be Deryni in a land ruled by the all-powerful Church is to be branded an outcast. But now, young Prince Kelson is about to assume the throne after the mysterious death of his father. He must be told of his magical heritage. For his legacy is being challenged by a woman who does not hesitate to lay full claim to her Deryni powers. And to face her in magical combat, Kelson must learn a lifetime’s worth of magic in a few short days. If he loses, he dies as his father did. And if he wins, he is King—but all the world will know that he is also Deryni…

The number of Deryni was small, for they had been hounded for generations and kept their identities secret. Those who managed to retain their arcane powers concealed their background—for bitter persecution once again swept the land of Gwynedd, inspired by a raving fanatic sworn to destroy all Deryni in a final bloodbath.

Young Kelson Haldane has claimed his birthright and assumed the throne of Gwynedd. For the first time in centuries, a king of Deryni heritage, possessing extraordinary magical abilities, rules the realm. But the priesthood of the Eleven Kingdoms has held sway over the Crown for generations. They decried the Deryni as witches and heretics, drove them underground, and usurped control of the kingdom. They have no intention of ceding their power to Kelson and his supporters—even if it means inciting civil war. Supported by the Church, an anti-Deryni leader has risen to prominence, dividing the people of the land. To end the conflict, King Kelson must face his enemies in battle—enemies willing to use the magic they so fear….

Once again the Kingdom of Gwynedd under young King Kelson found itself facing the horror of war between the Church and the Deryni. As the Pretender Queen plotted to free Meara from Gwynedd's control, and the ex-Archbishop hatched a devious plan, it looked like the peace of Gwynedd was to be a thing of the past....

Young Kelson Haldane, King of Gwynedd, heir to both royal and Deryni magical powers, was still no match for ex-Archbishop Loris and the Pretender Queen Caitrin who sought his death. Yet, he raised an army against them both, knowing that honor made defeat impossible....

The Impossible Saint Time after time, the legendary Camber—one-time Saint of the half-magic race of Deryni—had intervened in the affairs of young Kelson, King of Gwynedd. Yet Camber was known to have died two hundred years before! Now Kelson set forth with his blood brother Dhugal to search out relics of this mysterious patron of his, leaving his uncle Nigel to rule in his absence. Then word came that Kelson and Dhugal had fallen from a crumbling cliff during a storm. No trace of their bodies could be found int he raging waters below. The king was dead and Nigel must become king. But to Conall, son of Nigel, the temptation of the throne was too great. In rage, he struck down his father with secretly gained Deryni power. Now he would be king! But Conall had overlooked Saint Camber...

“Kurtz’s strengths lie in her patient accumulation of telling detail, well-articulated plots, and believable magics. Should bring the fans flocking, and attract newcomers too.”—Kirkus Reviews Speculation runs rampant throughout the kingdom of Gwynedd as to when, and to whom, King Kelson will finally be wed. As a rival monarch takes his rightful place on the throne of a nearby land, it becomes more imperative than ever that Kelson produce a long-awaited heir. With the mystical Deryni blood flowing through his veins, Kelson can only hope for a woman whose power and conviction are equal to his own. Love is set aside for duty—and Kelson the king must make the choice that Kelson the man cannot….

There have been many events in the past 230 years of the half-magical race of the Deryni that were too short to turn into novels. Katherine Kurtz has been writing these when not occupied with longer works, and they are now collected here. Some have appeared in books and other sources now hard to locate. More than half of the fiction is new—including a major story of how Denis Arilan became the first Deryni priest in 200 years. Katherine Kurtz has provided an introduction and individual headings for each story to indicate her feelings and intents in writing each tale. Additionally, there is the complete first story she ever wrote—the first version of her Deryni vision, and how it all came about. For all the myriad lovers of the Deryni, this should be a must book—both for pleasure and as a reference! Catalyst—Healer's song-Vocation—Bethane—The priesting of Arilan—Legacy—The knighting of Derry—Trial

Three fantasy novels of intrigue, betrayal, and magic in medieval Gwynedd by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Deryni series—bonus story also included. Camber of Culdi: Long before Camber was revered as a saint, he was a Deryni noble, one of the most respected of the magical race whose arcane skills set them apart from ordinary humans in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Now, the land suffers under the tyranny of King Imre, whose savage oppression of the human population weighs heavily on Camber’s heart—a heart that is about to be shattered by a tragic loss that will lead him to confront the usurpers whose dark magic haunts the realm. Saint Camber: The yoke of tyranny has finally been lifted in Gwynedd, but Camber’s job remains unfinished. The dangerous remnants of a conquered enemy still mass at the borders, and the new ruler is desperately unhappy wearing the crown. With the stability of a fragile kingdom at stake, its greatest champion must make the ultimate sacrifice: Camber of Culdi must cease to exist. Camber the Heretic: The king’s heir is a mere boy of twelve, and the malevolent regents who will rule until young Alroy comes of age are determined to eliminate all Deryni. Suddenly, the future of Gwynedd hangs in the balance, and Camber—once adored as a saint, but now reviled as a heretic—must find a way to protect his people before everything and everyone he loves is destroyed in the all-consuming flames of intolerance and hate. Filled with mysticism and magic, these sagas reminds us that “Kurtz’s love of history lets her do things with her characters and their world that no non-historian could hope to do” (Chicago Sun-Times).