Kerr, Katharine
DAGGERSPELL
Katharine Kerr
Bantam Spectra 1993 [Revised from Doubleday
edition published 1986]
Pb 454 pages
ISBN#
0-553-56521-4
A must-read for sword & sorcery fans!
DAGGERSPELL begins the long and fascinating tale of four souls that
are drawn to each other through many lifetimes of tragedy, horror,
hate, and boundless love. Set in the typical Celtic background of
warriors and wizards, elves and dwarves, DAGGERSPELL steps out to
include the intriguing concept of reincarnation. These novels of
Deverry and the Westlands span centuries of civil unrest, while
carrying these same four souls throughout. The stories compel the
reader to keep turning back to that last page where the author
placed a list of characters and each of their incarnations, then
back again to the action-packed story. Jill used to be Brangwen
four hundred years ago, and Brangwen's fate back then affects her
destiny now. It's all about Wyrd [Karma] and the tangling
consequences it can bring. Though the writing is not the highest of
quality, DAGGERSPELL is a page-turner because the story is so
compelling.
A four-hundred-year-old man seeks out a
new-born babe. He doesn't' know her name, but he's met her many
times before. Each time circumstances pulled her away from him
before he could help her complete her destiny, but maybe this time.
. . . Four hundred years ago three men loved the same woman. The
disastrous deaths of three souls caused the fourth to vow he
wouldn't die until he could make reparation.
Have you ever dreamed of encountering a person
in more than one lifetime? You can't have this lover in this
lifetime, but maybe in the next? Or maybe you've loved this person
before in a previous lifetime. It's a fanciful game to play and
Katharine Kerr indulges!
Prince Galrion loves Brangwen, but he knows
Lord Blaen of the Boar does too. But since he is the youngest son
of the king, Galrion does not have to marry for the crown. He's
courting the forbidden art of Dweomer magic and so is willing to
give Brangwen up to Blaen. Circumstances move too fast, however,
and soon Brangwen, Blaen, and another man are dead. The king exiles
Galrion and strips him of his name. Forevermore he is known as
"No-One", or Nevyn as it is pronounced in Deverry. While burying
his beloved Brangwen, Nevyn makes his vow to repair this death he
has brought upon her. Deverry is a magical place, his vow is
insured, he cannot die until this vow is completed.
So he lives on to see Brangwen, Blaen, and
Gerraent reborn. Their souls get even more tangled in debt to each
other as Blaen and Gerraent continue to fight over Brangwen. Some
things don't change: Blaen is the thinker and Gerraent is always the
best swordsman. Sometimes they are sword-brothers, sometimes the
jealousy between the two over Brangwen/Lyssa/Jill leads to death.
In one incarnation [book 3] Brangwen/Branoic/Jill is male, but
always she is drawn to the Dweomer. These souls find each other and
Nevyn without recognition in life after life in a story loaded with
fireworks!
A very compelling book. I'm adding DAGGERSPELL
to my list of Favorites, meaning, I'd read this one again!
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