Description:

The young King Alroy was dying, and so the power-hungry former Regents began their plotting anew. They conspired to immure the rightful successor, the Deryni-sympathizing Prince Javan, in the monastery where he had taken holy vows. The younger, more malleable Rhys Michael would then be the next king, with their blessing. But Javan turned out to be a far more formidable opponent than the Regents could ever have imagined. Already the Deryni-like powers bequeathed to the Haldane kings were stirring in him. Javan was determined to claim his rightful crown and to restore justice to a kingdom in which Deryni were murdered, or used for their powers while their families' lives were held as hostage. To wrest back control of Gwynedd, the Regents would stop at nothing. They tortured Javan's supporters, made secret deals with Gwynedd's enemies abroad, and even used the unsuspecting Rhys Michael as a pawn in their evil game. The former Regents committed the full force of every political alliance they had cemented during the princes' minority, plus the might of the fanatical new Custodes religious order, to keep Javan from ever becoming a true ruler. To prevail against the Regents, to rule his kingdom justly, and even to live, Javan would have to be strong. He would have to be clever. And he would have to be very lucky indeed.

First time in paperback, the long-awaited sequel to The Harrowing of Gwynedd, continuing the adventures of The Heirs of Saint Camber. The young King Alroy is dying, and power-hungry former Regents begin their plotting once again--this time against Prince Javan. But Javan proves to be a formidable opponent.

From Publishers Weekly

A young king seeks to save his people from powerful and corrupt nobles and prelates in this middle volume of the latest Deryni trilogy (following The Harrowing of Gwynedd ). Crippled Prince Javan gains the throne of Gwynedd after the death of his brother, King Alroy, despite machinations by the five former regents, who mean to make him a monk and crown his more biddable younger brother. With a small band of loyal knights and advisers, Javan must gain the respect of the people, guard himself against assassination and attempt to ameliorate, if not repeal, the vicious laws enacted by the Church to destroy the Deryni, a race with psychic powers that shares the land. Though a human, Javan is gifted with some of these powers, a heritage of his royal family line, but he must learn to use them surreptitiously or share the fate of the Deryni. As the subtle battle escalates, with Javan receiving aid from powerful but hidden Deryni, the prospect of losing power drives the regents to extreme measures. Kurtz, author of three previous Deryni trilogies, builds a deeper, more complex and more thoughtfully developed world with each succeeding volume.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The death of young King Alroy brings his twin brother Javan to the throne of Gwynedd, and the Council of Regents is thrown into turmoil when the new king proves less amenable to their control. Set in one of the darkest times of Gwynedd's history, this latest novel in the Deryni chronicles focuses on the grim determination of its protagonist. Familiar clashes between Deryni sorcery and Church fanaticism combine with scenes of emotionally charged drama and tragedy to create a medieval fantasy that Kurtz's many fans will welcome. A good purchase for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.