Deryni FAQ
Felan shena Thoron'edras
Welcome to alt.books.deryni's FAQ list about Katherine Kurtz.
Contributions, corrections, expansions, and the filling in of missing
information is welcomed, nay, encouraged.
Submissions should be sent to fe...@best.com.
Last changed: Feb 20, 2001
Summary of changes:
Feb 20, 2001: Revised pricing on back issues of Deryni Archive magazine -
all back issues have new pricing! Also added Julianne Toomey-Kautz's
email address (by permission) to facilitate people contacting her.
Added in that DA #16 has been published.
Update on Codex Derynianus: Ace appears not to be interested, but
Rob may do another edition, with Katherine's permission.
St. Patrick's Gargoyle has been released in hardcover.
Took out Del Rey's address. I need Ace's, email/snail mail - anyone
knot it?
Anyone able to confirm whether the Joan of Arc book is still in
the queue? Or what the next book in the queue really is if it's
not that one?
This FAQ contains the following information:
1. Information about projected publishing dates/titles/etc of Kurtz's
future books.
2. A bibliography.
3. Suggested order of reading the Deryni-world books.
4. A discussion about the genetics involved in the Deryni heritage.
5. Deryni Archives: Book and Magazine
6. A timeline of the cycle
7. A list of the Eleven Kingdoms, with their corresponding 'modern' (Kelson-
time) counterparts.
8. A depiction of the genealogical relationship between Kelson and the
Mearans. Also includes a couple of other charts.
9. Instructions on mailing Katherine Kurtz and her publishers.
10. Official Katherine Kurtz website address and other internet resources
11. Credits, thanks, etc.
1. Future Books
A book about Joan of Arc is planned as the next book to write; after
that, the Childe Morgan trilogy.
Planned is the Childe Morgan trilogy (see below for information).
Covering Morgan's youth, and explore the relationship between the
Haldanes and the Corwyns, especially Lady Alyce de Corwyn and
Kelson's grandfather King Donal Blane Haldane. The Arilans will also
be featured heavily.
Codex Derynianus (see below)
Ace has not bought the Codex Derynianus II, which would include
the information in King Kelson's Bride. However, Rob Reginald
is considering doing another edition, with Katherine's permission.
Scott MacMillan is planning a third book, Order of the Sword, although
it is still not yet written.
A book about Orin and Jodotha is planned; perhaps two, but for now only
one (I believe) is planned.
A book about 948 is also planned, as a 4th book of the Camber's Heirs
series.
Because they worked so well together on the Codex, Katherine and Rob are
going to do a collaboration about some things from the Torenthi POV;
the time period will be the time around 1025, called the Killingford
Chronicles. At Westercon (1998), Katherine mentioned the first book
as being named: The Dark-Haired Man: The Hieromonk's Tale.
Katherine and Deborah Turner Harris will be writing a sequel to 'The
Temple and the Stone', called 'The Temple and the Crown'.
========
2. Bibliography of books by Katherine Kurtz
The Deryni series
Deryni Rising (1970)
Deryni Checkmate (1972)
High Deryni (1973)
The Camber series
Camber of Culdi (1976)
Saint Camber (1978)
Camber the Heretic (1981)
The Histories of King Kelson
The Bishop's Heir (1984)
King's Justice (1985)
The Quest for Saint Camber (1986)
The Heirs of Saint Camber
The Harrowing of Gwynedd (1989)
King Javan's Year (1992)
The Bastard Prince (1994) (hardcover) (softcover 1995)
Standalone books
Deryni Archives (short stories) (1986)
Deryni Magic (a grimoire) (1991)
King Kelson's Bride (2000)
Codex Derynianus (with Robert Reginald) (1998)
(This is an 'A-Z guide to the Deryni world', a signed, limited
edition (500 made) hardcover. This incorporates information
from 1126 and before, written mostly by Robert Reginald,
in an in-world view (from a historion of Kelson's time).
A paperback version is planned for a month or two after
the publication of King Kelson's Bride, including information
from that book.)
Non-Deryni books
Lammas Night (1983)
The Legacy of Lehr (1986)
The Adept (with Deborah Turner Harris)
Book I: The Adept (1991)
Book II: The Lodge of the Lynx (1992)
Book III: The Templar Treasure (1993)
Book IV: Dagger Magic (1995, hardcover; 1996, paperback)
Book V: Death of an Adept
The Temple And the Stone (1998)
Two Crowns for America (early 1996, hardcover; 1997, paperback)
Saint Patrick's Gargoyle (Feb 2001, hardcover, by Ace books)
Knights of the Blood (1993; lightly edited by Katherine Kurtz, written by
Scott MacMillan)
Knights of the Blood: AT SWORD'S POINT (August 1994)
(lightly edited by Katherine Kurtz, written by Scott MacMillan)
Tales of the Knights Templar (1995)
Katherine Kurtz, ed. + story
Story: "Obligations" (follows The Templar Treasure)
On Crusade: More Tales of the Knights Templar (1998)
Katherine Kurtz, ed. + story
KK's story is an Adam Sinclair story dealing with Henri Gerard
This also contains a story by Rob Reginald, titled Occam's Razor.
Anthology Contributions
The Crafters, Book I
Editors: Christopher Stasheff and Bill Fawcett
Published by Ace Books (1991)
Story: The Summoning
Once Upon a Time: A Treasure of Modern Fairy Tales
Editors: Lester Del Rey & Risa Kessler
Published by Del Rey (1991)
Story: A Tinkling of Fairybells
Flashing Swords #4: Barbarians and Black Magicians
Editor: Lin Carter
Published by Nelson Doubleday (book club edition; 1977)
Also published by Dell Publishing Co, Inc.
Story: Swords Against the Marluk
(Tale of how King Brion's power was awakened and his battle and duel arcane
with Charissa's father the Marluk. Katherine mentioned in the anthology
Deryni Archives that this story was not reprinted because it will be
expanded upon and superceded by the Childe Morgan trilogy.)
The Fleet #5: Total War
Editors: David Drake and Bill Fawcett
Published by Ace Books (1990)
Story: Manstopper (with Scott MacMillan)
(This story was mostly written by Scott and edited by Katherine, but
completists would probably want it.)
Battlestation #2: Vanguard (March 1993)
Editors: David Drake and Bill Fawcett
Published by Ace Books
Story: Battle Offering
The Gods of War
Editor/Creator: Christopher Stasheff
Published by Baen Books (1992)
Story: Sir James the Rose
In the Shadow of the Gargoyle
Editors: Nancy Kilpatrick and Thomas S. Roche
Published by Ace Books (1998)
Story: The Gargoyle's Shadow
Books by Others in Katherine Kurtz' Worlds:
Deryni Challenge, by Stephen Billias
(a Crossroads Adventure, set in 905(?))
Books About Katherine Kurtz and Her Worlds:
The Work of Katherine Kurtz: An Annotated Bibliography & Guide
by Boden Clarke and Mary A. Burgess. (Published 1993 by Borgo Press)
Includes an article by Katherine Kurtz, bibliographical data, and
a very long interview with her.
Fantasy Voices (Borgo Press, 1982), edited by Jeffrey M. Elliott: An
earlier version of the interview in the above work appeared in
this as well. It is still in print (as of October 1998).
3. Suggested Reading Order of the Deryni Books
The order above, the publishing order, is also the order of suggested
reading. Deryni Archives and Deryni Magic should be read after the Camber
series for complete understanding, but otherwise can be fitted in anywhere.
If you want to read them in internal-chronology order, read them thusly:
(A * before the name indicates a forthcoming book.)
Deryni Archives, The Catalyst
Camber of Culdi
Saint Camber
Deryni Archives, Healer's Song
Camber the Heretic
The Harrowing of Gwynedd
King Javan's Year
The Bastard Prince
Deryni Archives, Vocation
* Killingford Chronicles
Deryni Archives, Bethane through end
* The Childe Morgan trilogy
Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate, High Deryni
The Bishop's Heir
The King's Justice
The Quest for Saint Camber
* King Kelson's Bride
4. Genetics/Deryni inheritance
At the end of _High Deryni_, there is a discussion of precisely how
Deryniness is inherited. And yet, this seems, in essence, to make no sense
when compared to later books. For instance:
There seems to be a definite difference in power that can, if diluted with
'human' blood, decrease from one generation to the next. If a single gene
were responsible, this would not happen; you would have either the same
amount of power as your parent with the gene, or none.
Dhugal MacArdry McLain's mother is thought to be human, yet he is Deryni.
According to Kurtz's genetics, this is also impossible. Some indications
point at Maryse MacArdry being Deryni; this is not yet proven, and will
undoubtedly be revealed in future books. Similar problems arise in other
families, however.
General tendencies seem to indicate that as she developed the world more,
she began to grow away from the single-gene theory. Either several genes
are responsible, or there's something even more complex involved.
Katherine Kurtz has, in the past, several times stated that the theory
advanced in High Deryni is in fact only a theory and should not be
considered a definitive look at how things happen; she's indicated that
indeed several genes are likely to be responsible, as suggested above,
or that things are very complex.
5. There are two entities referred to by the name 'Deryni Archives', and
these sometimes produce confusion. One is the Kurtz-written short story
collection, spanning the chronology from the year 888 to the year 1118.
The other is the magazine 'Deryni Archives, the magazine'. This contains
fan fiction. It was originally edited by Kurtz herself, but after 10
issues, she handed it over to someone else to concentrate on her own
writing, coinciding with her move to Ireland. She still vets all
material published in the magazine.
Information about the magazine can be found by sending a SASE to:
Deryni Archives
c/o Julianne Toomey-Kautz
440 North Ave., Unit 106
Haverhill, MA 01830-1599
Email: Juli...@Kautzlaw.com
or
Laura Jefferson
75 Meridian Street
Melrose, MA 02176
The first issue with the new editor was issue #15.
Back issues are available; however, some or all may need to be reprinted
for a given order. Julianne Toomey is the appropriate person to contact.
Please note that back issue prices do not include mailing prices.
The prices most recently provided to me are:
Issue 1 $2.40 Issue 6 $2.25 Issue 11 $1.75
Issue 2 $2.30 Issue 7 $2.35 Issue 12 $2.50
Issue 3 $2.35 Issue 8 $2.50 Issue 13 $3.65 (color cover)
Issue 4 $2.60 Issue 9 $2.50 Issue 14 $3.90
Issue 5 $2.50 Issue 10 $3.55 Issue 15 $3.30
For issue #16, the current issue: $5.00
PLEASE NOTE: These prices are subject to change, and may not be precisely
what are reported here in the FAQ. Contacting Julianne Toomey is the only
way to get a current, official price for them.
6. General Timeline
This is a basic timeline, describing which books cover which years.
888: _Deryni Archives, Catalyst_
903-904: _Camber of Culdi_
905-906: _Saint Camber_
914: _Deryni Archives, Healer's Song_
917-early 918: _Camber the Heretic_
918: _The Harrowing of Gwynedd_
921-922: _King Javan's Year_
928: _The Bastard Prince_
977: _Deryni Archives, Vocation_
1025: Killingford Chronicles (forthcoming)
1100: _Deryni Archives, Bethane_
1104-1105: _Deryni Archives, The Priesting of Arilan_
1105: _Deryni Archives, Legacy_
1115: _Deryni Archives, The Knighting of Derry_
1118: _Deryni Archives, Trial_
1120: _Deryni Rising_
1121 (March): _Deryni Checkmate_
1121 (May-June): _High Deryni_
1123: _The Bishop's Heir_
1124: _The King's Justice_
1125: _The Quest for Saint Camber_
1128: _King Kelson's Bride_
7. The Eleven Kingdoms
This rhyme is at the front of _Camber of Culdi_, and is attributed to
the Lord Llewellyn.
Now, these are the Names of the Eleven Kingdoms,
sung rightly well of old:
Howicce, and Llannedd, and fierce Connait;
mountainous Meara, the Land Beyond the River;
and Kheldour, the windswept;
and pastoral Eastmarch;
Tolan, and Torenth, and myth-ridden Mooryn;
and lost Caeriesse, which sank beneath the sea;
and far-reaching Gwynedd, seat of the Haldane Kings.
--Lay of the Lord Llewellyn
Troubadour to the High King of Mooryn
Tolan, Torenth, Caeriesse, Gwynedd, Howicce, Llanedd, Connait, these
are all pretty straightward. (It should be noted that the Duchy of Haldane
is a part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. However, a cursory summary of the
history of Gwynedd's founding would seem to indicate that the Haldane duchy
was, among several other pieces of land, a precursor to Gwynedd rather than
absorbed by it.)
Mooryn is the original land now comprised of Corwyn and Carthmoor.
Meara became Cassan, Kierney, and what's now called Meara.
Kheldour became the Duchy of Claibourne and the Earldom of Rhendall. The
Earldom of Rhendall, once held by the heir of the Duke of Claibourne
as Kierney is held by the heir of the Duke of Cassan, is now in a
second branch of the family, by one Duke's will.
Also a product of this splitting was the Kheldish Riding, held
directly as a Crown territory (I believe).
And Eastmarch became Eastmarch and Marley.
8. A depiction of the genealogical relationship between Kelson and the Mearans.
This section is provided in toto by Covert C Beach: any reference to 'I'
in it refers to him.
Partial Descent from the Ancient Princes of Meara and other minor Realms:
Notes:
* I have broken the Mearan Family Tree into 2 parts to make it fit on a
screen; the 2 attachment points are indicated by [1] and [2].
* Where first names are not mentioned, just gender, it is noted by either
a "?" followed by the surname, or just a (sister) or (son) or something
similar.
* Where the number of generations is unclear I have put a "[???]"
While we don't know for sure about the space between Annalind and
Catrin, there is some circumstantial evidence that there is one,
In the _Bishop's Heir_ Kelson ponders their consanguinity in a way
that implies that he and Sidana are of the same generation relative
to Jolyon.
* In general each generation is a column; however the lines around
Jared McLain were stretched to make things link up.
* I have shown Kevin McLain and Bronwyn Morgan as having been married,
even though the union was not consummated before the tragedy.
* This is almost entirely from memory, and the key relationship in
Table 1 is an inference from the books and things Katherine has
said at cons, so mileage may vary on Table 1.
Table 2 is entirely supported by Morgan's statements of the relationships
in the _Bishop's Heir_, and other statements in the original Deryni
Trilogy. I have assumed that Morgan's statement in Deryni Rising
that he and Duncan were 'also 5th cousins on my paternal side' has
been superceeded.
* In the case of multiple marriages, I have put a number behind the
'=' sign. In Table 2 the '=2' between Alaric and Richenda indicates
Richenda's second marriage.
* Finally, birth order is often distorted to make things link up. Where
this has happened, I have put a perenthetical number after the name
to indicate the birth order. In the case of Jared McLain's father
I have assumed he is the eldest, though this is not expicitly stated.
-----Table 1: Early Quinnells of Meara and Cassan
? Quinnell-+-? Quinnell--[???]------------------------------------[1]-Jolyon
of Meara | of Meara of Meara
|
|
|
+-? Quinnell--[???]--Ambert-----Anne----Tambert--[???]-[2]-? McLain
of Cassan of Cassan =Fane FitzArthur of Cassan
+-FitzArthur
|
Tammeron-+-Fulk
FitzArthur
-----Table 2: Partial Quinnells, Haldanes, McLains, MacArdrys and Morgans
[1]---Jolyon---+--Roisian-----+--Donal---+--Brion--------Kelson
Quinnell | =Malcolm | | =Jehana
of Meara | Haldane +--Richard | (mistress)---(son)
| +--Nigel-----+--Conall
| =Meraude de| =Rothana-----(son)
| +-Traherne | of Nur Halaj
| | |
| +-Saer de +--Rory
| Traherne |
| of +--Payne
| Rhendall |
| +--(sister)
|
| +--(sister:2)---Judhael
| |
+--Annalind------[???]---+--Catrin(1)-+--Ithel
=? =Sicard(2) |
[2]+--(sister:2)--(son) +--MacArdry +--Llewell
| | |
| | +--Sidana
| |
| +--Caulay(1)----Maryse------Dhugal
| MacArdry =Duncan(2) MacArdry
| +--McLain McLain
| |
+--? McLain(1)---------------Jared----------------+--Kevin(1:*)
| of Cassan =2 Vera(2) =Bronwyn(2)
| +--(de Corwyn) +--Morgan +--Briony
| | | |
| +--Alyce de Corwyn(1)---+--Alaric(1)+--Kelric
| =Kenneth =2 Morgan
+--(sister:3)----------------Morgan Richenda
=? Morgan =1 Bran--------Brendan
Coris
* Kevin McLain was Jared McLain's son by a marriage prior to
Vera (de Corwyn).
-----Table 3: What we know about the Royal House of Andelon
(parents)--+--Thomas Cardiel
|
+--= (2) Alinor Cardiel
--Princes of--(father) +--Sofiana--------(children)
Andelon = (1) -- |
(unk) |
+--Michendra-------Richenda
=1 Bran-----------Brendan
Coris
=2 Alaric------+--Briony
Morgan |
+--Kelric
-----Table 4: What we know about the Royal House of Nur Halaj
--Emirs of----+--Hakim----------Rothana--------(son)
Nur Halaj | =Conall Haldane
|
+--Azim ('Ludolphus')
Precentor of the
Knights of the Anvil
In _The King's Justice_ Richenda (from Table 3) stated that there
was a tenuous relationship between herself and Azim, but neglected
to explain it in in sufficint detail to chart.
9. Mailing Katherine Kurtz
Katherine Kurtz has given permission to mail to her directly:
Katherine Kurtz
Holybrooke Hall
Bray, Co. Wicklow
IRELAND
Remember, Ms. Kurtz lives in Ireland. If you want a response, it'd be a
nice, encouraging gesture to include a SASE, using International Reply
Coupons - your local post office should be able to help you.
====
From the Netherlands at least it's like this:
- Go to the post office and buy an International Reply Coupon. It
costs about three times as much as an international letter would.
- Address an empty envelope to yourself (and leave it open, of
course, I once made the mistake of closing it and putting the IRC inside,
and promptly got it sent back to me, IRC and all :-)
- Write your letter.
- Put the empty envelope and the IRC in with your letter before you
close it.
- Send your letter.
The person who receives the letter takes your IRC to the post office
and exchanges it for a stamp that will send your letter to your
country. It's valid for a normal-weight airmail or surface mail letter; if
you want something heavy sent to you, be sure to include more IRCs.
====
I don't have the Ace address, either email or snail mail.
The British publisher used to be Legend; I hear now that the company
no longer publishes her books. At least some bookstores are now stocking
the US versions of the books.
Nevertheless, here is Legend's address:
Legend.
Random Century Group.
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road
London
SW1V 2SA
UK
10. Official Katherine Kurtz website address
The official site is available at: http://www.deryni.net/
Choose the resolution you would like to view the site at.
There's an official IRC chat site: the server is chat.psionics.net,
and the channel is #Deryni_Destinations
11. Credits and thanks for assistance
Thanks and credits are due to the following people:
A. Adams (a...@dcs.st-and.ac.uk), for giving me the name and address of
the British publisher, for our European readers.
Covert C Beach (dra...@access.digex.net), for retrieving the author's list
for Kurtz (providing publishing dates on the books, now added);
providing information about the Childe Morgan trilogy.
Also for adding several pieces to the timeline. And for correcting
the poem naming the Eleven Kingdoms, and providing the names of
the Duchy of Claibourne and Earldom of Rhendall. And for three
additions to the bibliography, under the anthology section. And
reminding me about _At Sword's Point_. And, especially, the
genealogy for the Mearans and others. Even better, Covert's the
one who contacted Katherine Kurtz for me and sent me her comments
about the FAQ and her expansion on some things.
Erik Johnson (er...@falcon.kla.com), for also providing the information for
section 7 (the correct poem, and the names of the Duchy of Claibourne
and Earldom of Rhendall). And correcting grammar, and reminding
me of the Duchy of Haldane.
Elizabeth A. Hlabse (ea...@po.CWRU.Edu), for giving me the anthology entry
for Once Upon a Time; also for supplying the address of Caer Deryni.
Also for the anthology entry for Gods of War (Sir James the Rose).
John Hawkinson (jh...@panix.com), for several typoe corrections.
Kerrie Bradford (nick...@delphi.com), for correcting my faulty memory on
the exact rhyme describing the Eleven Kingdoms.
Kendall Bullen (kendall...@his.com), for confirming a 4th Adept book,
pointing out an embarassing typo, and supplying the address to
Del Rey books (or a partial one, at least). Also for confirming
the writing of a 4th Adept book.
Roger Burton-West (ubt...@ucl.ac.uj), for confirming that the 4th Adept
book had been sent to the publisher.
Vito Salvaggio (sal...@rpi.edu), for supplying the Caer Deryni
address to confirm the one supplied by Elizabeth Hlabse.
Irina Rempt-Drijfhout (ir...@rempt.xs4all.nl), for the information about
using IRC coupons.