''The King's Justice'' is a

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthur ...

novel by American-born author

Katherine Kurtz Katherine Irene Kurtz (born October 18. 1944) is an American fantasy writer, author of sixteen historical fantasy novels in the ''Deryni'' series, as well as occult and urban fantasy. Resident in Ireland for over twenty years, she moved to Virgi ...

. It was first published by

Del Rey Books Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn, by Penguin Random House. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It ...

in 1985. It was the eighth of Kurtz'

Deryni novels The Deryni novels are a series of historical fantasy novels by the American author Katherine Kurtz. The first novel in the series to be published was ''Deryni Rising'' in 1970, and the most recent, ''The King's Deryni'', was published in 2014. A ...

to be published, and the second book in her third Deryni trilogy, The Histories of King Kelson. Although The Legends of Camber of Culdi trilogy was published immediately prior to the ''Histories'' trilogy, the ''Histories'' trilogy is a direct sequel to Kurtz' first Deryni series, The Chronicles of the Deryni.

Plot introduction

The novel is set in the land of

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

, one of the fictional Eleven Kingdoms. Gwynedd itself is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

kingdom similar to the British Isles of the 12th century, with a powerful Holy Church (based on the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

), and a

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...

government ruled by a hereditary

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...

. The population of Gwynedd includes both humans and

Deryni The Deryni novels are a series of historical fantasy novels by the American author Katherine Kurtz. The first novel in the series to be published was ''Deryni Rising'' in 1970, and the most recent, ''The King's Deryni'', was published in 2014. A ...

, a race of people with inherent physic and magical abilities who have been brutally persecuted and suppressed for over two centuries. The novel begins four months after the conclusion of ''The Bishop's Heir'', and the plot details the continuing efforts of King Kelson Haldane to defeat the combined forces of a political adversary and a fanatical religious enemy.

Plot summary

The plot of ''The King's Justice'' spans a period of two months, from May 1124 to July 1124. The novel begins as King Kelson Haldane is making final preparations to launch a military campaign into the province of Meara. Although Meara has been a part of

for over a century, a descendant of the ancient Mearan rulers, Caitrin Quinnell, has gathered an army and risen against Kelson to secure her place as queen of an independent and sovereign Meara. Additionally, Caitrin has allied herself with Edmund Loris, the rabidly anti-

former-Archbishop who has managed to escape from his imprisonment. Kelson plans to set the Haldane potential in his uncle, Prince Nigel Haldane, before his departure, ensuring that his family's legacy of magic will not perish if Kelson should not survive the war. However, Kelson's plan deeply concerns the Camberian Council, who has long believed that multiple Haldanes cannot wield the Haldane magic simultaneously. Further complicating matters is the ill-timed return of Kelson's mother, Queen Jehana, whose anti-Deryni sentiments cause considerable friction with her son. Nonetheless, Kelson carries through with his plan and sets the Haldane potential in his uncle. The following day, Kelson sends off the first half of his army, placing it under the command of Bishop

Duncan McLain The following is a list of characters in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. The 10th century section includes characters from the ''Legends of Saint Camber'' and ''Heirs of Saint Camber'' trilogies, while the 12th c ...

and Earl

Dhugal MacArdry The following is a list of characters in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. The 10th century section includes characters from the ''Legends of Saint Camber'' and ''Heirs of Saint Camber'' trilogies, while the 12th ...

. As Caitrin's forces prepare to do battle with Kelson's armies, Kelson receives the homage of King Liam Lajos II Furstán of

Torenth The Deryni novels are a series of historical fantasy novels by the American author Katherine Kurtz. The first novel in the series to be published was ''Deryni Rising'' in 1970, and the most recent, ''The King's Deryni'', was published in 2014. A ...

, who travels to Rhemuth to acknowledge Kelson as Overlord of Torenth. However, Kelson decides to take both Liam and his mother as honorable hostages, ensuring that Torenth will make no aggressive move against Gwynedd while Kelson is occupied with the Mearan situation. Shortly thereafter, Kelson and Duke

Alaric Morgan The following is a list of characters in the Deryni series of historical fantasy novels by Katherine Kurtz. The 10th century section includes characters from the ''Legends of Saint Camber'' and ''Heirs of Saint Camber'' trilogies, while the 12th c ...

lead the second half of the royal army out from Rhemuth to meet the Mearan rebels. Over the following weeks, the Gwyneddan armies attempt to hunt down and destroy the Mearan forces. In the north, Loris and Sicard MacArdry, Caitrin's husband, continually elude Duncan and Dhugal. Meanwhile, in the south, Kelson and Morgan chase after Caitrin's son, Prince Ithel, whose own acts of rape and destruction have fueled Kelson's anger. Kelson eventually succeeds in capturing Ithel, who is summarily executed for his crimes. On the same day, Sicard and Loris lure the northern Gwyneddan army into a trap. Realizing that Loris is determined to capture him, Duncan orders Dhugal to flee the battle, hoping that the rest of the army will survive. Dhugal manages to escape the battle, but Duncan is defeated and captured. In Rhemuth, Jehana suffers a crisis of conscience when her own Deryni powers enable her to discover a Torenthi plot to assassinate Nigel. Jehana finally decides to warn Nigel, and the assassination attempt is foiled. Loris tortures Duncan horribly, mutilating the Deryni bishop in an attempt to force him to confess to charges of heresy. That night, Dhugal succeeds in contacting Kelson and informs the king of Duncan's plight. As Kelson's army marches through the night to rescue their comrades, Loris prepares to burn Duncan at the stake. However, Duncan's execution is interrupted by the arrival of Kelson's army. Both Kelson and Morgan use their Deryni powers to protect Duncan, but it is ultimately Dhugal who rescues the bishop. Kelson corners Sicard, but the Pretender's husband refuses to surrender. Unwilling to allow Sicard's defiance to cost additional lives, Kelson kills Sicard with a single arrow. The remaining Mearan soldiers throw down their arms, and the Gwyneddan army is victorious. After several days of resting the army, Kelson leads his host to Laas, the Mearan city to which Caitrin has fled. Kelson demands the Pretender's surrender, and Dhugal convinces his aunt to accede to the king's terms. After Kelson's army takes possession of the city, Loris and his aide are executed for their crimes, and Kelson reluctantly orders the execution of the last member of Caitrin's family, Prince Judhael. With the Pretender's bloodline extinguished and her army defeated, Kelson secures his authority over the land of Meara.

Characters

*King Kelson Haldane: King of

*Duke

: Duke of Corwyn, King's Champion, Lord General of the Royal Armies, cousin of Duncan McLain, husband of Richenda of Rheljan *Bishop

: Auxiliary Bishop of Rhemuth, Duke of Cassan, Earl of Kierney, father of Dhugal MacArdry, cousin of Alaric Morgan *Earl

: Earl of Transha, nephew of Sicard MacArdry *Prince Nigel Haldane: Prince Regent of Gwynedd, Duke of Carthmoor, uncle of King Kelson, father of Conall Haldane *Bishop Denis Arilan: Bishop of Dhassa, member of the Camberian Council *Duchess Richenda of Rheljan: Duchess of Corwyn, wife of Alaric Morgan *Queen Jehana: Dowager Queen of Gwynedd, mother of King Kelson *Lady Caitrin Quinnell: Pretender of Meara, wife of Sicard MacArdry *Lord Sicard MacArdry: husband of Caitrin Quinnell, uncle of Dhugal MacArdry *Prince Ithel MacArdry Quinnell: eldest son and heir of the Mearan Pretender *Archbishop Edmund Loris: former Archbishop of Valoret *Monsignor Lawrence Gorony: aide to Archbishop Loris *Baron Brice de Paor: Baron of Trurill *Prince Conall Haldane: Prince of Gwynedd, eldest son and heir of Nigel Haldane, cousin of King Kelson *Lady Rothana of Nur Hallaj: a novice at St. Brigid's Abbey and distant cousin of Richenda *Tiercel de Claron: member of the Camberian Council *Prince Judhael MacDonald Quinnell: Prince of Meara, Bishop of Ratharkin, nephew of the Mearan Pretender

Reception

Dave Langford David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for mos ...

reviewed ''The King's Justice'' for ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...

'' #79, and stated that "It's not only a King but an author who's matured, with the acceptance that it may be needful to execute an innocent man (a rebel rallying-point) or kill an enemy without giving him a chivalrous change (which might mean the whole war having to be fought again)."

Awards and nominations

In 1986, ''The King's Justice'' was ranked 6th in an annual poll of fantasy novels by ''

Locus magazine ''Locus: The Magazine of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field'', founded in 1968, is an American magazine published monthly in Oakland, California. It is the news organ and trade journal for the English-language science fiction and fantasy (genre ...

'' readers, placing it between

Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...

's ''

The Green Pearl ''The Green Pearl'' is a novel by Jack Vance published in 1985. It is the second book in the ''Lyonesse'' trilogy, which also includes ''Suldrun's Garden'' and ''Madouc''. Plot summary In a fishing village in South Ulfland, a fisherman catches a f ...

'' and

Guy Gavriel Kay Guy Gavriel Kay (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian writer of fantasy fiction. The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Jus ...

's ''

The Summer Tree ''The Summer Tree'' is a 1984 novel written by Canadian fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay and the first novel of ''The Fionavar Tapestry'' trilogy. Plot summary The books opens in our own world, at the University of Toronto, where the five main cha ...

''. The poll was won by

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

for his novel, ''

Trumps of Doom ''Trumps of Doom'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Roger Zelazny, the first book in the second ''Chronicles of Amber'' series and the sixth book in the Amber series. Whereas the first series was narrated by Corwin, this series is narrated ...

''. (Kurtz and Zelazny were also finalists for the 1971 and 1973 Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards.) This was the highest ranking for any of Kurtz' Deryni novels on the annual poll, matching the sixth-place ranking of Kurtz' '' Camber the Heretic'' in the 1982 poll.

Release details

*1985, USA,

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains ...

, Hardcover (first edition) *1986, UK, Legend Books , Pub date 17 April 1986, Paperback *1986, USA,

, Pub date 12 July 1986, Paperback

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kings Justice, The 1985 novels Deryni novels Fiction set in the 1120s Del Rey books Novels set in the 12th century