Deryni Checkmate is a fantasynovel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the forty-sixth volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in May 1972, and has been reprinted a number of times since. The author released a revised and updated edition of the novel that was published by Ace Books in 2005. Deryni Checkmate was the second of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and also the second book in the Chronicles of the Deryni Trilogy.
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became literature and drama. From the twentieth century it has expanded further into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga and video games.
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, normally written in prose form, and which is typically published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the Italian novella for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself from the Latin novella, a singular noun use of the neuter plural of novellus, diminutive of novus, meaning "new". Walter Scott made a distinction between the novel, in which "events are accommodated to the ordinary train of human events and the modern state of society" and the romance, which he defined as "a fictitious narrative in prose or verse; the interest of which turns upon marvellous and uncommon incidents". However, many such romances, including the historical romances of Scott, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, are also frequently called novels, and Scott describes romance as a "kindred term". This sort of romance is in turn different from the genre fiction love romance or romance novel. Other European languages do not distinguish between romance and novel: "a novel is le roman, der Roman, il romanzo, en roman." Most European languages use the word "romance" for extended narratives.
The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or simply America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe. Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico. With an estimated population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the most populous city is New York City.
The novel is set in the land of Gwynedd, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms. Gwynedd itself is a medieval kingdom similar to the British Isles of the 12th century, with a powerful Holy Church (based on the Roman Catholic Church), and a feudal government ruled by a hereditary monarchy. The population of Gwynedd includes both humans and Deryni, a race of people with inherent physic and magical abilities who have been shunned and persecuted for centuries. The book takes place several months after Deryni Rising, and details the consequences of the events that surrounded the coronation of young King Kelson Haldane. Horrified by the demonstrations of Deryni magic that occurred during the coronation, the leaders of the Holy Church of Gwynedd decide to take a stand against the Deryni, particularly Duke Alaric Morgan and Monsignor Duncan McLain. Kelson, Morgan, and Duncan must find a way to thwart the vengeance of the Church while also preparing for a possible invasion by a foreign enemy.
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.
Feudalism was a combination of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. Although derived from the Latin word feodum or feudum (fief), then in use, the term feudalism and the system it describes were not conceived of as a formal political system by the people living in the Middle Ages. The classic definition, by François-Louis Ganshof (1944), feudalism describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility revolving around the three key concepts of lords, vassals and fiefs.
A monarchy is a form of government in which a natural person, the monarch, is head of state until death or abdication. The governing power of the monarch may vary from purely symbolic, to restricted, to fully autocratic, combining executive, legislative and judicial power.
Plot summary
Deryni Checkmate takes places in March 1121, four months after the coronation of fourteen-year-old King Kelson Haldane. The novel opens with the rabidly anti-Deryni leader of the Holy Church, Archbishop Edmund Loris, signing a letter that demands that the Deryni Duke of Corwyn, Alaric Morgan, recant his magical powers and submit to a life of penance. If he fails to do so, Loris threatens to excommunicate Morgan and place his entire duchy under interdict. Additionally, Morgan's cousin, Monsignor Duncan McLain, is suspended and summoned to an ecclesiastical trial to answer for his part in the events surrounding Kelson's coronation. After being warned of the threat, Kelson sends Duncan to warn Morgan of the upcoming trouble, fearing that Duncan's hidden Deryni heritage may be revealed by a trial.
The Deryni are a fictional race of humans who possess a variety of psychic and magical abilities in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. The political, social, and religious conflicts that surround the Deryni, particularly in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, often serve as major plot points throughout the novels.
Alaric Morgan is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose of the institutional act is to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular, those of being in communion with other members of the congregation, and of receiving the sacraments.
Duncan travels to Morgan's capital city of Coroth, where he informs his cousin of Loris' threat. In addition to the ecclesiastical threat, Morgan's duchy is being ravaged by an anti-Deryni fanatic named Warin de Grey, and the neighboring kingdom of Torenth is preparing to launch an invasion of Gwynedd. Fearing that an internal Gwyneddan conflict will weaken the kingdom prior to fighting an external enemy, Morgan and Duncan eventually decide to travel to the city of Dhassa and personally appeal to the Curia of Bishops. However, en route to Dhassa, Morgan is drugged and captured by Warin, who intends to burn the Deryni duke as a heretic. Duncan manages to rescue his cousin, but is forced to reveal his Deryni powers to ensure their escape.
When the Curia learns of the cousins' actions, the two are soon excommunicated. Morgan and Duncan realize that appealing to the Curia is no longer an option, so they set out to meet with Kelson. Loris attempts to place Corwyn under Interdict, but a group of bishops refuses to participate in an action that would punish an entire duchy for the actions of its duke. Loris rages against the rebels, but he and his supporters are thrown out of Dhassa, effectively splitting the Curia.
Kelson has traveled to the city of Culdi to attend the wedding of Morgan's sister, Bronwyn, and Duncan's half-brother, Kevin. Unknown to anyone, a jealous architect named Rimmell has fallen in love with Bronwyn and seeks to win her affections through the use of a love charm he acquires from an old witch woman. However, Rimmell's plan backfires horribly, and the charm kills both Bronwyn and Kevin. By the time Morgan and Duncan arrive in Culdi, Rimmell has been executed for his crime. Though Morgan is crushed with grief over the death of his sister, Kelson reminds him that he must still see to his duties. Facing an internal ecclesiastical schism, rebel fanatics ravaging his lands, and an imminent invasion from Torenth, Kelson cannot allow Morgan to wallow in his grief. Morgan agrees, and returns to his duties in service to the throne of Gwynedd.
Characters
Cover of a later paperback edition.
King Kelson Haldane: King of Gwynedd
Duke Alaric Morgan: Duke of Corwyn, Lord General of the Royal Armies, King's Champion, cousin of Duncan McLain
Monsignor Duncan McLain: Priest of the Holy Church of Gwynedd, cousin of Alaric Morgan
Archbishop Edmund Loris: Archbishop of Valoret and Primate of All Gwynedd
Warin de Grey: anti-Deryni fanatic in the Duchy of Corwyn
The Mythopoeic Awards for literature and literary studies are given by the Mythopoeic Society to authors of outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas.
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series. She was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, yielding more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories, in addition to poetry, literary criticism, translations, and children's books. Frequently described as an author of science fiction, Le Guin has also been called a "major voice in American Letters", and herself said she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist".
The Farthest Shore is a fantasy novel by the American author Ursula K. Le Guin, first published by Atheneum in 1972. It is the third book in the series commonly called the Earthsea Cycle. As the next Earthsea novel, Tehanu, would not be released until 1990, The Farthest Shore is sometimes referred to as the final book in the so-called Earthsea trilogy, beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea. The events of The Farthest Shore take place several decades after The Tombs of Atuan and continue the story of the wizard Ged.
The Deryni novels are a series of historical fantasy novels by the American author Katherine Kurtz.
Camber MacRorie of Culdi is a fictional character in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz.
Deryni Rising is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the nineteenth volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in August 1970, and was reprinted at least ten times over the next three decades. In 2004, the author released a revised and updated edition of the novel that was published by Ace Books. Deryni Rising was the first of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, though some of her later works served as prequels, detailing events that occurred before the time period of Deryni Rising. As a result, the storyline of the Childe Morgan Trilogy immediately precedes Deryni Rising, despite the fact that it was published over thirty years after the first novel.
High Deryni is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books as the sixty-first volume of the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in September, 1973, and has been reprinted a number of times since. A revised and updated edition of the novel was released in 2007 by Ace Books. High Deryni was the third of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the final book in the Chronicles of the Deryni Trilogy. The next Deryni book to be published was Camber of Culdi, which details events that occur two centuries before High Deryni. However, the internal literary chronology of events in the Deryni series is continued in The Bishop's Heir.
Camber of Culdi is fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books on June 12, 1976. It was the fourth novel in Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the first book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi. The Legends trilogy serves as prequels to The Chronicles of the Deryni series that Kurtz wrote from 1970 to 1973, and it details the events that occurred two centuries before the Chronicles trilogy. Therefore, although it was the fourth Deryni novel to be published, Camber of Culdi is the earliest novel to occur within the series' internal literary chronology.
Saint Camber is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books in 1978. It was the fifth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the second book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi. The latter trilogy serves as prequels to The Chronicles of the Deryni series that Kurtz wrote from 1970 to 1973, and it details the events that occurred two centuries before the Chronicles trilogy.
Camber the Heretic is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1981. It was the sixth novel of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi. The Legends trilogy serves as prequels to The Chronicles of the Deryni series that Kurtz wrote from 1970 to 1973, and it details the events that occurred two centuries before the Chronicles trilogy. Kurtz' next Deryni series to be published was The Histories of King Kelson, but the internal literary chronology of the Legends trilogy is continued in The Heirs of Saint Camber trilogy.
The Bishop's Heir is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1984. It was the seventh of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the first book in her third Deryni trilogy, The Histories of King Kelson. Although The Legends of Camber of Culdi trilogy was published immediately prior to the Histories trilogy, The Bishop's Heir is a direct sequel to Kurtz' first Deryni series, The Chronicles of the Deryni.
The King's Justice is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1985. It was the eighth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the second book in her third Deryni trilogy, The Histories of King Kelson. Although The Legends of Camber of Culdi trilogy was published immediately prior to the Histories trilogy, the Histories trilogy is a direct sequel to Kurtz' first Deryni series, The Chronicles of the Deryni.
The Quest for Saint Camber is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1986. It was the ninth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her third Deryni trilogy, The Histories of King Kelson. Just as the Histories trilogy is a direct sequel to the first Deryni trilogy, The Chronicles of the Deryni, the next Deryni trilogy to be published, The Heirs of Saint Camber, is a direct sequel to Kurtz' second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Saint Camber. In 2000, Kurtz published her thirteenth Deryni novel, King Kelson's Bride, which is a direct sequel to the events of The Quest for Saint Camber.
The Harrowing of Gwynedd is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1989. It was the tenth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the first book in her fourth Deryni trilogy, The Heirs of Saint Camber. Although the Heirs trilogy was the fourth Deryni series to be published, it is a direct sequel to the second trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi.
King Javan's Year is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1992. It was the eleventh of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the second book in her fourth Deryni trilogy, The Heirs of Saint Camber. Although the Heirs trilogy was the fourth Deryni series to be published, it is a direct sequel to the second trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi.
The Bastard Prince is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Del Rey Books in 1994. It was the twelfth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the third book in her fourth Deryni trilogy, The Heirs of Saint Camber. Although the Heirs trilogy was the fourth Deryni series to be published, it is a direct sequel to the second trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi. The next Deryni novel to be published, King Kelson's Bride, was a direct sequel to the Histories of King Kelson trilogy, but the internal literary chronology of the series was later continued in In the King's Service, the first book of the Childe Morgan trilogy.
King Kelson's Bride is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ace Books in 2000. It was the thirteenth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the only novel in the series that was not part of a trilogy. In terms of the series' internal literary chronology, King Kelson's Bride directly follows the events of the third Deryni trilogy, the Histories of King Kelson. The next trilogy to be published, the Childe Morgan series, is a direct prequel to the first Deryni series, the Chronicles of the Deryni.
In the King's Service is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ace Books in 2003. It was the fourteenth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the first book in the fifth Deryni trilogy, the Childe Morgan trilogy. The events of this trilogy are a direct prequel to the first Deryni trilogy, the Chronicles of the Deryni.
Childe Morgan is a fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was published by Ace Books on December 5, 2006. It is the fifteenth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, the second book in the fifth Deryni trilogy, the Childe Morgan trilogy. The events of this trilogy are a direct prequel to the first Deryni trilogy, the Chronicles of the Deryni.
The House of Festil is a fictional royal family in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. Throughout the novels, various members of the family occasionally serve as antagonists of the plot, most notably in Camber of Culdi, Saint Camber, The Bastard Prince, Deryni Rising, and High Deryni. The family is a junior branch of the House of Furstán, the royal family of the Kingdom of Torenth, and the Deryni heritage of the family is juxtaposed by the human heritage of the House of Haldane, the main protagonists of the series.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
