The King%E2%80%99s Deryni

Kurtz returns to her magical medieval world after an eight-year hiatus to complete the Childe Morgan trilogy (following Childe Morgan) within her long-running Deryni series. Eight-year-old Alaric Morgan is despised by many because of his magical Deryni heritage, but King Brion of Gwynedd sees him as a future protector for himself and his realm, and oversees the boy%E2%80%99s training for knighthood. Alaric also begins to discover his mystical powers with the help of the mysterious Sir S%C3%A9 Trelawney. As he tries to survive in human society, Alaric witnesses the cruelty that humans can mete out to his kind, and later helps King Brion find his own mystical powers. Although the scope of the story is defined by the events in previous novels, the attention to detail brings the setting and characters alive in a way few authors can manage. The book will thrill existing Deryni fans, although new readers would be better off starting with an earlier novel in the series. (Dec.)