While Merlin is one of the most famous wizards of
all time, few series focus on his childhood: only T.A. Barron’s Young Merlin and Mary
Stewart’s Crystal Cave come to mind. The Merlin’s Spiral series by Robert
Treskillard attempts to take a new approach to Merlin’s youth
by combining the historical and fantasy elements of Merlin’s tale.
Merlin is a young man growing up in post-Roman Britain,
half-blind after a wolf attack several years ago. Christianity has come to the isles, but the
druids still linger. When the druids
come to his town, they bring a strange stone that has the power to turn copper
coins into gold and blind people. The stakes
are further increased when the High King and many of his warriors are
enthralled by the stone.
The characters were distinctive and interesting,
with flaws that lead to realistic conflict. The struggle between druids and
Christians was shown through the characters and their actions, instead of just
debates. The story also had a good plot flow, following characters and
providing a balance between intense fights and quieter scenes. I’m looking forward
to reading the next one.
I was given a free print copy of this book by Thomas
Nelson’s booksneeze program but was not obligated to write a positive review.
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