Paperback Edition
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Author | Katherine Kurtz |
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Cover artist | Darrell K. Sweet |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series | The Legends of Camber of Culdi |
Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Del Rey Books |
Publication date
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1978 |
Media type | Print (Paperback & Hardcover) |
Pages | 365pp (first edition, hardcover) |
ISBN | (first edition, hardcover) |
OCLC | 4193682 |
813/.5/4 s 813/.5/4 | |
LC Class | PS3561.U69 S25 1978 |
Preceded by | Camber of Culdi |
Followed by | Camber the Heretic |
Saint Camber is a historical fantasy novel by American-born author Katherine Kurtz. It was first published by Ballantine Books in 1978. It was the fifth of Kurtz' Deryni novels to be published, and the second book in her second Deryni trilogy, The Legends of Camber of Culdi. The Legends trilogy serves as prequels to The Chronicles of the Deryni series that Kurtz wrote from 1970 to 1973, and it details the events that occurred two centuries before the Chronicles trilogy.
The novel is set in the land of Gwynedd, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms. Gwynedd itself is a medieval kingdom similar to the British Isles of the 10th century, with a powerful Holy Church (based on the Roman Catholic Church), and a feudal government ruled by a hereditary monarchy. The population of Gwynedd includes normal humans and Deryni, a race of people with inherent psychic and magical abilities. The novel begins six months after the conclusion of Camber of Culdi and is set around of King Cinhil Haldane's efforst and those of his allies to secure the kingdom following the successful coup that overthrew the Deryni tyrant, King Imre Furstán-Festil. The former-priest-turned-king struggles with his conscience and his new responsibilities while Earl Camber MacRorie and his family engage in a dangerous and desperate plan to protect king and realm.
The novel spans a time period of one and a half years, from June 905 to January 907. It begins as the allies and supporters of King Cinhil Haldane prepare to meet the invasion of Princess Ariella Furstána-Festila, the sister and lover of the deposed King Imre Furstán-Festil. Although Imre died in the coup that placed Cinhil on the throne, Ariella escaped to the neighboring kingdom of Torenth, where she has sought refuge with her relatives. Having given birth to Imre's bastard son, she now seeks to return to Gwynedd and retake the throne. She has been using magic to influence the weather, hoping to flood the plains and rivers of Gwynedd to facilitate the invasion of her army.