The Bishop's Heir

In Katherine Kurtz's "The Bishop's Heir," the fragile peace achieved in Gwynedd following the coronation of the Deryni King Kelson Haldane is under grave threat. For centuries, the magical Deryni have been persecuted by a powerful faction of the Holy Church, and while Kelson's reign brought a temporary truce, new dangers loom. From the northern reaches of Meara, the cunning pretender queen Caitrin Quinnell stirs rebellion, rallying support for secession. However, a far more insidious plot is brewing in the shadows of orthodoxy. Edmund Loris, the treacherous former Archbishop of Valoret and a virulent foe of the Deryni, has escaped confinement. Alongside a cabal of co-conspirators, Loris plans an act of blackest treason: the assassination of King Kelson himself. As Kelson navigates a world of intricate political intrigue, ancient magic, and fervent faith, he must confront both open rebellion and hidden treachery to protect his kingdom and the Deryni people against the entrenched forces of ignorance and intolerance.