The Deverry Cycle is a series of Celtic fantasy novels by Katharine Kerr set in the fictional land of Deverry. As of February 2020, sixteen books have been published in the series.
The series is written in a non-linear style: the principal narrative is frequently interrupted by flashbacks to events that occurred decades, or even centuries, before. These flashbacks concern the prior incarnations of characters in the principal narrative, and provide insight into the relationships of the characters in their current incarnations.
Novels
Kerr began working on what would become the Deverry cycle in 1982, expecting to produce a short story. The project grew much larger than that, eventually expanding into a series of sixteen novels. Kerr has a contract for two additional full novels in the series. Kerr has likened the Deverry cycle to a play, dividing the story into five acts:
Act one: Deverry
Daggerspell (1986) — "Author's definitive edition" issued in 1993
Darkspell (1987) — "Author's definitive edition" issued in 1994
The Bristling Wood (1989) — US title; issued in the UK as Dawnspell: The Bristling Wood The Dragon Revenant (1990) — US title; issued in the UK as Dragonspell: The Southern Sea
Act two: The Westlands
A Time of Exile (1991) A Time of Omens (1992) Days of Blood and Fire (1993) — US title; issued in the UK as A Time of War Days of Air and Darkness (1994) — US title; issued in the UK as A Time of Justice Act three: The Dragon Mage The Red Wyvern (1997) The Black Raven (1998) The Fire Dragon (2000)
Act four: The Silver Wyrm
The Gold Falcon (2006) The Spirit Stone (2007) The Shadow Isle (2008) The Silver Mage (2009)
Act five: The Justice War
Sword of Fire (2020), the first book in a new trilogy (The Justice War) set in Deverry, was released in February 2020. A Dagger in Air (in progress) The Iron Mace
Cultures and peoples
The novels take place in the world of Annwn (pronounced "An-noon" , meaning "no place", the Otherworld in Welsh mythology), an Earth-like planet in a parallel universe. Annwn has six sapient species: humans, elves, dwarves, Horsekin, Dwrgi, and dragons.
Humans
There are three human nations on Annwn. They are the kingdom of Deverry, the Rhiddaer, and Bardek. Both Deverry and Bardek were colonized by humans from the "real" world, who arrived there by magical means. Only the people of the Rhiddaer represent the indigenous humans of Annwn.
The kingdom of Deverry was founded by a fictional Gallic tribe that fled Gaul to escape Roman rule. The tribe accomplished its journey across dimensions with the aid of a powerful magical being. The government of Deverry is feudal with the High King at the top and three lower ranks of nobility. The society is characterized by near-continuous internal warfare.
Bardek is a collection of independent city-states on an archipelago to the south of Deverry. There are oblique suggestions in the novels that Bardek, like Deverry, was settled by people from the "real" world, and the author has stated in online discussions that the people of Bardek are descended from Hellenized Moors. The Bardekian city-states have a democratic system of government, resembling that of Classical Athens.
The Rhiddaer (pronounced "hrithair", ), or Freeland, is located on the same continent as Deverry, to the north and west of that country. It is inhabited by the indigenous humans of Annwn, whose ancestors escaped from enslavement by the early Deverrians. The people of the Rhiddaer no longer have their own language, but speak an archaic dialect of the Deverrian language. They have a democratic system of government, headed by an elected Chief Speaker.
Westfolk
Also known as elves, the Westfolk physically resemble humans in most respects, although they can be distinguished by their pointed and furled ears, as well as their eyes which have catlike irises. The Westfolk are longer-lived than humans, with a lifespan measured in centuries, but have fewer children than humans do. The Westfolk also have sharper vision than humans, being able to see clearly in very low light. Another major difference is that the Westfolk remain youthfully vigorous for most of their adult lives, and begin to age only near the end of their lives. The Westfolk are cross-fertile with humans, and the children of such unions generally resemble humans more than elves, although they may exhibit some elvish traits (slightly sharp ears, an extended lifespan, and a long period of youthful vigor).