Berkeley Publishing Group
 

Spoilers ahead.
 

Bookselling is not an art form.  It’s a science.  The industry knows down to the second just how long a consumer spends reading the back of book jacket while considering a purchase.  The content of that text is critical in the design of any book.  I wondered why, then, were all the blurbs on the back of this jacket labeled praise for King Kelson’s Bride when I know that institutions like Publisher’s Weekly specialize in reviewing books in advance of publication.  Now I know why.
 

I’m beginning to think that Katherine Kurtz is writing too many books because the last two I’ve read are nearly devoid of passion.  The energy in this book is so dilute as to be barely detectible.  When an author has reached a certain pinnacle in her career, is she no longer subject to the rigors of editorial oversight?
 

This isn’t a story.  It’s a chronological catalogue of births, marriages and deaths. What an assortment of names to keep track of!  I’m glad I had a playbook to keep them all straight in my mind.
 

If the story is about Alyce de Corwyn, then make it about her from the beginning.  Tell the little side stories about Jessamy ap Lewys and the Camberian Council and forays into Meara, but let our little Araxie-clone Alyce tell her story.  Let her grow and change and have a full range of emotions.  And for pity’s sake let the girl have some personality flaws.  If she were any more perfect, she’d be mistaken for the Blessed Virgin.  How is it possible, for instance, to suffer that many personal tragedies without being fundamentally changed as a person?  Does she have ice water running through her pretty Deryni veins?  Her grief periods seem to last a couple insignificant months then everything is back to normal.  No denial, anger, bargaining or depression.  No storming the heavens or indulgence in alcohol to help her cope.  It’s just not human.  Oh, wait, she’s Deryni, maybe that’s it.
 

Maybe I’m too disappointed after waiting for what could have potentially been a gold mine of new personalities to love and hate, laugh and cry with.  I’m still licking my wounds from learning that Morgan is not going to be a royal bastard as was once believed to be the case.  I’ll come around to forgiving Katherine for that at some point.  As compensation for that loss, I was truly hoping to get to know Donal Blaine.  I wanted another fiery Haldane King/Prince to sink my teeth into. What I got was a matchstick character prancing about the pages of the novel doing that king thing.
 

The precious pages of this book could have easily been devoted to developing these characters and giving us a story of the births, marriages and deaths had been reported in correspondence between Alyce and her brother Ahern.  Katherine is a brilliant letter writer.  The letter left for Alyce by her father was further proof of that.
 

The only characters I came close to caring about were Jessamy ap Lewys and Ahern de Corwyn.  I was disappointed that Jessamy was introduced well and made interesting, but then was demoted to the status of plot device. The only time I cried was when Ahern was dying and insisted upon marrying Zoë. The significance of the venue, St. Brigid’s, wasn’t lost on me, either.  I wept for their lost possibilities.
 

Never once did I care for the shallow Marie de Corwyn.  Although I was and am intrigued by her love interest Sir Sé Trelawney.  But then I’m an Anvil Knights junkie.  I positively won’t forgive Katherine if she doesn’t give us more of that mysterious organization in future installments of The Childe Morgan.  Where in heaven’s name did Lady Muriella come from?  How tempted am I to say left field?  Or gratuitous plot device?  That whole storyline just fell apart at the seams for me.
 

I am grateful for the lean amount of text devoted to the other secret organization, the Camberian Council.  I was given to believe that we would learn why that august body descended into pettiness.  Seems to me they’re already there.  Vivienne.  That small-minded witch.  How did she get elected to the Council anyway?  <whine>I wanted to know more about Michon de Courcy and the Arilans.</whine>
 

Never before has Katherine’s annoying habit of repeating narrative over and over again been more obvious than in this volume.  It’s insulting.
 

It’s never a good sign when I say out loud, “Oh puleeze,” when I’m reading.  The way Alyce and Sir Morgan reacted to the King’s attempt to bed Alyce was preposterous and highly unsatisfying.
 

Overall…I think her editor should be fired for allowing this book to be published in its current state.

email: first_tienle@yahoo.com