Deryni rising : volume I in the Chronicles of the Deryni

In the land of Gwynedd, the Haldanes have long ruled and have long kept a dangerous secret: there are those of their blood who possess the magical powers of the Deryni. To be Deryni in a land ruled by the all-powerful Church is to be branded an outcast. But now, young Prince Kelson is about to assume the throne after the mysterious death of his father. He must be told of his magical heritage. For his legacy is being challenged by a woman who does not hesitate to lay full claim to her Deryni powers. And to face her in magical combat, Kelson must learn a lifetime's worth of magic in a few short days.If he loses, he dies as his father did. And if he wins, he is King?but all the world will know that he is also Deryni? (source: Bol.com) Pag : 281 In the kingdom of Gwynedd, the mysterious forces of magic and the superior power of the Church combine to challenge the rule of young Kelson. Now the fate of the Deryni -- a quasi-mortal race of sorcerers -- and, indeed, the fate of all the Eleven Kingdoms, rests on Kelson's ability to quash the rebellion by any means necessary . . . including the proscribed use of magic! A ... tale of romance and sorcery set in the imaginary kingdom of Gwynedd--where the mysterious forces of magic and the superior power of the Church combine to challenge the rule of young Kelson, who came to the throne when his father was brutally murdered by the sorceress Charissa.-Back cover NEARLY two weeks later, Morgan and a single blue-cloaked military aide clattered through the north gate of Rhemuth, Brion's capital city. Kelson must fight for the throne of the kingdom of Gwynedd after his father is murdered by a sorceress