The Adept Books In Order

Publication Order of Adept Books

The Adept is a series of novels by Katherine Kurtz & Deborah Turner Harris some of the most popular fantasy and historical fantasy writer to ever come out of the US. The series may be best described as a fantasy/science fiction work, much like Ms. Kurtz’s Deryni series of novels. The first novel in the series was “Adept”, that was first published in 1991 and went on to become wildly popular among fantasy fiction buffs. The lead in the series is a psychiatrist named Adam Sinclair, that is in a constant war of good versus evil in his society. As heir to mystical powers and knowledge from the ancients, he can engage dark forces in mortal combat and frequently comes out on top. The series combines elements of science fiction thriller and detective mystery with a good plot with a little bit of Masonic references and symbolism thrown in to make for a good yarn. The lead is a Scottish lord similar to most of his associates that are also members of the Hunting Lodge. Harris and Kurtz provide their vision of magic and medieval intrigue as portrayed in the contemporary setting. The Huntsmen and their assailants employ the use of post cognition, astral projection, scrying, psychic abilities, and all manner of magic in their battles. Elements of modern detective fiction, the occult, and mythology are also interlaced into the series. For anyone that loves novels such as Caledon of the Mists by Harris or the Deryni series by Kurtz, these series will provide all the excitement with their ruins, ancient castles, Knights Templar, and Free Mason intrigues.

The Adept series of novels is composed of five novels the last of which was “Death of An Adept” that was published in 1996. The novels are set in modern Scotland though the secret societies are some of the most powerful of organizations. Captivating as they are, they are not that easy to describe, though Katherine Kurtz has variously used the term Crypto-history to describe the series. However, the novels may be placed in the historical fantasy genre even as they do not fit so snugly, given that their setting is more modern. Nonetheless, for any historical fiction buff, these novels are great with their historical themes and references that the author most probably infused into the works from her Medieval Studies Master of Arts degree. There is significant folklore, mythology, and Scottish history in the novel that even the most discerning of readers is unlikely to get them all from the first read. Additionally, the novels also come with numerous Latin snippets and phrases whose translations can be quite entertaining if one is so inclined to translate them. Similar to the works of authors such as Jo Graham’s “Black Ships” and “Hand of Isis”, the novels provide an intriguing world concept, interesting characterizations, and vivid description that make for some of the most enjoyable lazy afternoon beach reads.

The lead character in the Adept series of novels is Adam Sinclair, a Scottish gentleman and lord known as a laird. In addition to being a lord, he is a one of Edinburgh’s most prominent psychologists. He is also the commander in chief of a Hunting Lodge, and goes by the title Master Huntsman. The Huntsmen are a secret organization serving the Light, whose work is to track down anyone with paranormal powers who is abusing them, and to put an end to their misuse. Noel Macleod who has the special powers of a medium and 20 years’ worth of police experience assists Sinclair in his quest. Pergrine Lovat, a young portrait artist that has the uncanny ability to see anything from the past and accurately draw a descriptive picture, also joins him. Adam Sinclair the Master Huntsman and his troop of fellow Huntsmen are not your typical action heroes full of muscle and charm. In fact, Sinclair is a methodical, cautious, and distinguished man that is full of grit in tracking down, and putting an end to evil using his knowledge and wits. Macleod the police veteran often deals with the physical aspects of their operations assisted by several other characters introduced over the course of the series. For Sinclair, the most important thing is to ensure that they do not spread panic and fear among the general populace, and hence secrecy and discretion is paramount in their operations.

“The Adept”, the first novel in the series introduces the lead in the series and his band of esoteric characters from the Hunting Lodge. Charged with keeping their society safe, they work to fight the dark forces of evil, and particularly the Lodge of the Lynx from spreading its influence in Britain. Their leader is the wealthy, handsome, and educated Scotsman, Adam Sinclair who is living a privileged life as a Master of the Hunt and Baronet. An important character in the novel is Peregrine Lovat, an esoteric crime fighter who uses sketches to dig up the past in helping the psychologist Sinclair and his police partner Macleod fight evil. Romance is a subplot in the novel as Sinclair meets up with a beautiful and smart American doctor. With a lot of medieval history from the Templars, East Indian mysticism, pre-Christian gods such as Odin and Thor, Free Masonry and Hitler, these are some fantastic mysteries in a contemporary setup.

“The Lodge of the Lynx”, the second novel in the series is the sequel to Adept the debut novel of the series. Taking place no more than a few weeks after the end of the first novel, it is more of a second part of one novel. “The Adept” have for centuries been fighting off the Evil Powers that have been attempting to take over the world. They have so far been successful but now the Darkness is fighting back, having taken the form of an unholy cult believed to have gone extinct for eons. The Evil Lynx have acquired an ancient Druid artifact that has given them untold power, which they intend to unleash on their biggest enemies, the Huntsmen, and their leader Adam Sinclair. Caught unawares, the Huntsmen may have to be ingenious and employ techniques darker than any they have ever had to use before, if they are to defeat the powers of Darkness lined up against them. The battle of ages is just starting and no one can tell who the future will belong to.