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.

With young King Kelson on the throne of Gwynedd, the priesthood of the Eleven Kingdoms felt its control deeply threatened. For Kelson was half Deryni -- part of that race of humans gifted with extrasensory powers...a race that had ruled two centuries earlier, but was dethroned and driven underground. Now, the final battle for ultimate power was about to break into open conflict, led by the Church which equated the supernatural powers of the Deryni with witchcraft and heresy!

In the conclusion of the Deryni series, political power meets its match in the power of magic as the time approaches for the king's wedding.

New York Times bestselling author of In the King's Service Alaric Morgan has been pledged to the king's service. His Deryni blood makes him ideal to safeguard the Haldane kings and ensure that Prince Brion shall have the protection of his hereditary magic.

Camber was the greatest of the Deryni who wanted to retire. But it was not to be. The kingdom of Gwynedd groaned under the tyranny of Imre and his sister and mistress, Ariella. And when Camber learned that Cinhil Haldane, a descendant of the previous kings, still lived, he was determined to set him on the throne in place of the evil ones....

In the kingdom of Gwynedd, a hero faces an inquisition that could destroy his magical race, in a novel of the Deryni by a New York Times–bestselling author. In the medieval kingdom of Gwynedd, strife has long existed between the human population and the Deryni, a powerful race of magic-users. For more than a decade, a fragile peace has held under the rule of King Cinhil. The former monk reluctantly ascended the throne with the help of Camber of Culdi, Gwynedd’s most revered Deryni lord, who in turn sacrificed his identity and physical form for the good of all people, earning sainthood in the process. But now Cinhil is dying, and a dark cloud is descending upon the land. 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.

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.

An annotated bibliography of the writings of fantasy writer Katherine Kurtz, with an interview of Kurtz by Robert Reginald and Jeffrey M. Elliot. Complete with index.

Magic and mysticism come alive in this magnificent historical fantasy from the New York Times–bestselling author of the Chronicles of the Deryni. 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 medieval kingdom of Gwynedd. For nearly a century, Camber’s family has had little choice but to loyally serve the ruling Festils, Deryni usurpers who employed dark magic to wrest the throne from the rightful Haldane liege. 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 shattered when the despot and his evil mistress-sister, Ariella, cause the death of Camber’s beloved son. The grim demands of justice and vengeance drive Camber far from his family’s estates in search of the last of the Haldane line. This descendant of kings will not be easily persuaded to accept Camber’s unthinkable plan. But with the kingdom in turmoil, the aging mage and the reluctant Haldane heir must confront together the awesome, terrible might of the Festils for the good of all. The first book in Katherine Kurtz’s epic medieval fantasy series is filled with irresistible suspense, action, adventure, and political intrigue, leading Publishers Weekly to hail the author as possessing “a rare craftsmanship with narrative exposition that is also dramatic and moving.”