Deryni Checkmate: 2 (Chronicles of the Deryni)

In order to claim the throne of Gwynedd, young Kelson Haldane had to reveal his magical Deryni powers, putting him at odds with the most powerful clerics in the land, who view the Deryni as agents of evil. One such man—Archbishop Loris—has dedicated himself to the eradication of the Deryni. In a ruthless campaign of persecution against them, Loris targets one of the proudest Deryni in all the land: Kelson’s most trusted friend and advisor, Duke Alaric Morgan. While Morgan fights for his reputation—and his very life—a rogue Deryni has been honing his powers to use as a weapon against all of humanity, putting all of the Deryni at risk. Outright war is in the offing. And as the different factions of Gwynedd battle each other, the young Kelson must find within himself the strength to keep his kingdom from falling apart

Katherine Kurtz has been writing fantasy novels for well over three decades. She is married and until last year made her home in Ireland, in a mildly haunted gothic revival house called Holybrooke Hall. She and her husband have recently returned to the United States and taken up residence in a historic house in Virginia, with their five Irish cats and one "silly-looking" dog.