Katherine Kurtz

Here's an odd little book that I picked up for a song at a Friends of the Library book sale. Although LibraryThing lists it as the fourth book of Katherine Kurtz's Adept series, that applies to only one of the stories collected here. Similarly, although the entire volume is included as the third book of the Knights Templar series by Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris, this book appears to be the first of those to have been published, and its contents span a full range of Templar history, show more quasi-history, and pseudo-history from the twelfth century to the present. The individual tales all have their first publication in this book, and they were written by what appears to be a loose cabal of contemporaneous authors, many with social ties beyond their collaboration on this project.

Kurtz serves as the editor, and presents the stories in a roughly chronological sequence--albeit somewhat muddled by instances of prophetic precognition, astral consultation of the past, and straight-up science fictional time travel. In between the stories, she supplies bridging "interludes" that address themselves to the broad outlines of Templar history as conventionally understood. She also wrote the story "Obligations" that is part of the continuity of her Adept series.

The quality of the tales is rather variable, but mostly quite good. Easily my favorite is "Choices" by Richard Woods, which affords a very informed take on holy orders and heresy in fourteenth-century Paris, with Meister Eckhart as a principal character. Tanya Huff's "Word of Honor" was a slick trans-Atlantic ghost story. I was also impressed with the Nazi quest for Templars in Scott MacMillan's "1941," which reminded me of my recent read of Klaus Mann's Mephisto, transposed to the register of a weird horror short story. The dog of the bunch was "Stealing God," a Templar-flavored espionage urban fantasy that was basically a shorter version of Charles Williams' War In Heaven with massive infusions of Hollywood-style stupid.

Although the facing-title page contains a small advertisement for the Templar-claimant chivalric and benevolent SMOTJ, I think this book should be entertaining on some level to Masonic and occultist neo-Templars as well. Although I'm hardly anxious to read them, I would pick up another book in either of the related Kurtz series on basis of the virtues in this one. show less

I really enjoyed all the previous Deryni books, both the Kelson series and the Camber series. However, this book, while still about the Haldanes and the Deryni, is much different in tone and style than the previous novels. The Haldanes aren't the center of the novels, nor is the dynastic action of keeping them on the throne and protected from evil Deryni. Kurtz seems to have fallen into the mode of just describing the world as if she was writing a historical fiction novel, with the emphasis show more on the period, not on the plot. Nothing happens of note in this book, and when it does, it is minimized so much, its effectively nothing. Whole paragraphs are spent on opening gates. Possibly the problem is that this series falls between the Camber/post Camber books and before Kelson - we know who is going to be king, and when, and we know most of the other major players. However, rather than come up with important activities for the characters of this time, she just seems to be filling space. Not as good as her previous novels at all. show less

This is one of my favorite books. The premise is that on the eve of Hitler's planned invasion of England, the witches of England were summoned together to work magic to turn him away.

At the heart of the story is the deep friendship between an English prince and the military intelligence agent who is the male leader of a coven, and the ancient tradition of the king sacrifice, in which royal blood is willingly spilled for the good of the land.

The author weaves a suspenseful, moving story that show more combines espionage, magic, and a variety of human relationships. Even a person who doesn't credit the idea of magic or the king sacrifice (which is a popular legend, but has no basis in provable history) can enjoy this story. show less

I keep reading these even though I don't like them that much and the gender politics are horrible. WHYYYY, self? (Probably because I like to finish trilogies I have started.) Book 2 was better and more complex than Book 1, but still with the SEKRIT CATHOLIC MAGIK also the *almost gay but NO HOMO* communion of ... uh ... minds. Maybe I'll go cleanse with some Tremontaine.