Deryni
Kingmaker

Camber was the greatest of the Deryni - that race of men who were gifted with arcane mental powers that set them above normal humans.  In later legends, he was to become a figure of mystery, known as both the patron saint of dark magic and the defender of humanity.  But now he sought only retirement on his family estates.

But it was not to be.

The kingdom of Gwynedd groaned under the tyranny of Imre and his sister and mistress, Ariella.  Normal humans were savagely persecuted by the king, whose Deryni ancestors had seized the throne from the rightful human Haldane line.  Camber could not even save his own son from the murderous treachery of Imre.

Then Camber learned that Cinhil Haldane, a descendant of the previous Kings, still lived, and he realized that the only hope for the kingdom lay in overthrowing Imre and setting Cinhil on the throne.

Grimly Camber set out to locate Cinhil and spirit him away from the only life he ever knew to lead him into a struggle that seemed doomed from the start.

THE FINAL
SACRIFICE

Camber of Culdi, master of arcane Deryni powers, should have been content.  When Imre's evil reign threatened to destroy the Kingdom of Gwynedd, Camber had led the successful revolt against him and had found the last heir of the human kings to replace him.  With the crowning of Cinhil, Camber's work should have been done.

But now Ariella, sister of the dead Imre, was plotting war against Cinhil.  Only Camber could thwart her evil spells.  Only Camber could guide Cinhil to unite human and Deryni forces.

Cinhil, however, was in no mood to heed Camber's advice.  He was bitter and angry with Camber for having snatched him from his monastic cell and thrust him into this struggle for power.

There seemed no hope for Gwynedd unless Camber could end the resentment of the King against him.  And the only way to accomplish that was for Camber of Culdi to die!

A NEW DERYNI NOVEL
FIRST PAPERBACK PUBLICATION

DARK AGE
DESCENDING

Camber of Culdi, most powerful of the magical Deryni race, was worried.  Twelve years before, he had "died" and assumed the form of Bishop Allister Cullen, in order to guide the human king Cinhil and ensure peace between Deryni and humans in Gwynedd.  In most ways, he and the Camberian Council he headed had been successful.

But now Cinhil was dying, leaving the kingdom to his sickly young son Alroy, in whose name a council of regents would govern.  And Camber knew those regents to be evil men, greedy for power and filled with hatred for all Deryni.  Once they ruled, no Deryni would be safe.  Already persecutions were beginning, with terror, rapine and genocide soon to follow.  Even the Church could offer no sure refuge.

The only hope of Camber and the Council lay in a discovery by the Healer Rhys, who had learned - without understanding - to block off all Deryni talents.  So blocked, some few Deryni might go underground, undetectable as other than merely human.

But that meant that the race of Deryni could be saved only by being destroyed as Deryni!

FIRST PAPERBACK PUBL.C ATION