The Bishop's Heir

Once again the kingdom of Gweynedd found itself facing the horror of a war between the Church and the Deryni. But this time, there was the added conspiracy of a revolution against the king.

The one-sided war between Church and Deryni was an ancient one, dating back to before the time of the legendary Saint Camber the Heretic. For the race of Deryni were possessed of strange, magical powers denied other human beings, and most leaders of the Church taught that those powers were evil witchcraft.

The last outbreak began when it was discovered that King Kelson was one of the feared and hated Deryni. Then it was Archbishop Loris who fomented the plot against the king and all Deryni, leading to political and ecclesiastical turmoil. For a time, this had threatened to tear the kingdom apart, until Loris was finally defeated and stripped of his powers, to be exiled to the monastery of St. Iveagh. For the last three years, following that, Kelson had been free to grow in his rule of the land and to develop at least a partial peace.

But now ever-increasing forces once more threatened the stability of the realm. Caitrin, Pretender Queen of Meara, was plotting a revolution to free Meara from its control by Gwynedd and make it an independent kingdom. And ex-Archbishop Loris was once again free, with the secret backing of six of the leading bishops of the land. Together, they were conspiring to exterminate King Kelson and all his Deryni friends.

It looked as if even all the young king's Deryni magic might not be enough to save the peace of Gwynedd.