Daggerspell - by Katherine Kerr

Clearing a bookshelf and I nearly got rid of eight Katherine Kerr novels. There are a huge number of newer fantasy stories around these days and I wasn't sure I'd want to read them again.

But I re-read this first one in three days, not bad considering it's 528 pages. That's one of my gripes with fantasy novels, many are so damn long, I suppose because writers have to create a world, then inhabit it and create the mythology alongside the rest as well as considering the plot! Just setting a story in a familiar place with familiar attitudes, say London, is considerably easier.

Katherine Kerr does creates her world pretty well in Daggerspell, setting up for the whole stream of her Deverry novels to follow. Her world is Celtic, appears to be based on Welsh places, weather and language.

Nevyn the sorcerer is the foremost character, followed by Cullyn, a wandering swordsman, his daughter Jill and Prince Rhodry. These four are linked through the generations by their Wyrd - fate. The plot is complicated, inevitably. So far so fantastic, literally.

I've begun reading the second book in the series, I may finish it. Will I get through all eight? That's a different kettle of wizards.