Deryni Checkmate - Katherine Kurtz

Posted by Shaun on July 25th, 2006 filed in Books

Man, things are either getting really busy or I’m losing my drive to read. Actually, I think it is the former. I miss being able to have free time to read. It took a long time to get through “Deryni Checkmate” and it was only 300 pages.

The book was pretty good though. Just like the first one in the series, it is very fast paced. Stuff happens, but there is little said about it all. I’m so used to long epics that the lack of lengthy and detailed descriptions is noticable. I brought the final book in the trilogy, “High Deryni” with me to work today, but haven’t even cracked the cover. I’m afraid to start it because I’m not likely to finish it any time soon.

I suppose I should mention that I’m also wading through “The Search for Modern China” by Jonathan D. Spence. It’s a lengthy (876 pages) book going over the last 400 years of Chinese history. It highlights some of the successes, failures and internal struggles. I belive the author is trying to show how China has again and again risen high up only to be brought crashing back down by its own weight and lack of proper governance. Seeing as the first 200 pages covers about 200 pages, I’m wondering how Spence fills in the last 600+ pages with only 200 years of history.