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Darkspell

1987 novel by Katharine Kerr

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Source updated November 11, 2025

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Darkspell is a novel by Katharine Kerr published in 1987.

01Synopsis

Rhodry is sent into exile by his brother Rhys, the Gwerbret of Aberwyn, and becomes a mercenary soldier called a “silver dagger.” Jill goes with him; they become involved in a dark dweomerman’s plot to steal the Great Stone of the West, a magical gemstone which guides the conscience of Deverry’s king.

02Reception

Dave Langford reviewed Darkspell for White Dwarf #99, and stated that "if the language is fake-Celtic, why the Old English? (To give a warm glow to D&D fans, I suppose.) I lost heart at this point."

03Reviews

Review by Faren Miller (1987) in Locus, #320 September 1987
Review by Sue Thomason (1988) in Vector 144
Review by Nik Morton (1989) in Paperback Inferno, #81
Review? [German] by Gatita Kirchweger (2001) in Future Magic, Januar 2001

Watch videos about DarkspellExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Darkspell”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

Darkspell book cover.jpg by Katharine Kerr, Fair use

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