Wednesday, December 18, 2013

MERLIN'S SHADOW- CSFF Blog Tour - Day Three - IT'S BEEN A BARD DAYS' KNIGHT


 MERLIN'S SHADOW

The Merlin Spiral Trilogy - Book Two by Robert Treskillard

Last Day of the Merlin's Shadow Blog Tour

IT'S BEEN A BARD DAYS' KNIGHT! 

(click image for Amazon link or click link below) Merlin's Shadow - available from:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Merlins-Shadow-Merlin-Spiral-Treskillard/dp/0310735084/
Author's Web site: http://www.kingarthur.org.uk/
Author's Blog: http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php


I received a review copy of Merlin's Shadow by Robert Treskillard from Blink, A division of Zondervon, in conjunction with the May CSFF Blog Tour

 
I read something on Mr. Treskillard's blog Tuesday that one of the points he was trying to make with the Merlin series, was that God doesn't always answer prayers the way we want, or even the way we think he should. Merlin found this out in Merlin's Shadow. He continually faces greater and greater opposition, and doesn't understand why when he is trying to follow The Lord's will. God doesn't provide an easy road for Merlin and Natalenya. Rather, it's a hard path. I kept wondering why bad things kept happening to Merlin, until I thought about the enemies he goes against. As merlin learns to overcome evil each step of the way, he faces a greater evil. So, like a knight conditioning for battle, Merlin must condition his spirit and faith to vanquish greater and greater foes. If he had easily overcome Morganthu and the stone from Merlin's Blade, would he later have the resolve and inner-strength to face King Gorlas, and later Vortigern and the Picts?
   
To me, this seemed only one concept of Christianity and faith that the author explains through his characters and storyline. In Merlin's Shadow, Merlin must not only fight external enemies, but internal spirits of doubt and self-pity. One of the many things I enjoyed about this book are the believable characters. No one in the story is truly all bad or all good; except maybe Morganthu, and he seems a bit crazy. The horse-trading priest is one such character. He tries to cheat the group with old, worn horses, but Caygek leads out the good horses. When Merlin asks how Caygek knew about the hidden horses, Caygek replies, because the man was a Christian. I think 'was' is the operative word. The man had developed a taste for the finer things in life, and would cheat travelers. It seemed the priest had lost his spiritual sight by focusing on gold; similar to Natalenya's father. While Merlin had gained his spiritual sight by focusing on the true treasure above. I think Merlin has it right when they open the small box Colvarth brought from Inis Avallow. Colvarth sees only dust and an empty circlet. Merlin sees a small wooden bowl with a golden circlet. Merlin recognizes that he is seeing a vision, while Colvarth doesn't.
 
I'm not sure if it was intended, but The Merlin's Spiral trilogy seem not just a record of Merlin's journey through Britain, but a spiritual journey for him as he gains more of his eyesight, both physical and spiritual. The nice thing for readers is that they can join in Merlin's journey by reading the second book in the series, Merlin's Shadow.

I enjoyed this book, and learned a bit about life in Britain during the early Dark Ages.
Great read. Thanks for stopping by today.



 

 
*Participants’ links:
Red Bissell Thomas Clayton Booher Beckie Burnham Jeff Chapman Pauline Creeden April Erwin Victor Gentile Ryan Heart Timothy Hicks Jason Joyner Carol Keen Jennette Mbewe Amber McCallister Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Joan Nienhuis Nissa Jalynn Patterson Writer Rani Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Jacque Stengl Jojo Sutis Robert Treskillard Steve Trower Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler Deborah Wilson

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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

MERLIN's SHADOW CSFF Blog Tour - Day Two - The Good, The Bard, and the Not So Pretty


 MERLIN'S SHADOW

The Merlin Spiral Trilogy - Book Two by Robert Treskillard

Second Day of the Merlin's Shadow Blog Tour

The Good, The Bard, and the Not So Pretty 

(click image for Amazon link or click link below) Merlin's Shadow - available from:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Merlins-Shadow-Merlin-Spiral-Treskillard/dp/0310735084/
Author's Web site: http://www.kingarthur.org.uk/
Author's Blog: http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php


I received a review copy of Merlin's Shadow by Robert Treskillard from Blink, A division of Zondervon, in conjunction with the May CSFF Blog Tour

 
Just who are the good, the bard, and the not so pretty? At first thought, that seemed like an easy answer. Arthur the innocent baby is good. Merlin, who began his training late in Merlin's Sword, is the group's bard. And Ganieda, Merlin's half-sister who let the Hooded One control her spirit, is the not so pretty one. Looking deeper, I decided Merlin fills all three parts. Merlin helped at the Abbey and follows Christos, is good, or at least trying to follow what the angel instructs him. merlin has taken over informally as leader of their band, and is their bard. Merlin's attack by wolves, when younger, left him disfigured and nearly blind. When he seems his face in a pool of water, he convinces himself that Natalenya only agreed to marry him out of pity and a desire to leave their village. So, Mr. Treskillard managed to show Merlin as a complex person with many layers of personality. Merlin must wear many shoes, and his life-long near blindness left this young man ill-equipped to make the life or death decisions needed for their group's survival.
  
Druids Chasing Merlin - Morganthu? (from Merlin's Sword video)
     
In a way, Merlin reminds me of King David as he was on the run from Saul's forces. The country was turned against them, much like Merlin, because Vortigern has convinced Uther's troops that Merlin kidnapped Arthur. early in Merlin's Shadow their are cut-off by Vortigern's troops and try to appeal to King Gorlas at his seaside castle.

(I really liked this photo from the Merlin's Blade Youtube. This is how I imagined Gorlas' keep might look)




With Arthur's problems with his uncle, Vortigern, and Merlin's problems with his half-sister, Ganieda, you'd think the group would have enough family problems going on. But, no, Merlin finally meets his maternal grandfather, Atle, and the group is worse off than before. All these family issues remind me of a medieval Family Feud, except everyone seems arrayed against Merlin and Arthur. Then too, Ganieda has problems with her grandfather wanting the orb and tooth of power. He's lost power since the Druid stone was destroyed in the first book, and he wants revenge on Merlin. As Morganthu attempts to wrestle the tokens of dark, druid power from Ganieda, she fights him tooth and nail (had to work that one in) and cuts his hand. Ganieda thinks she has won, but instead gives the darkness a stronger spiritual foothold in her.

One of the things, Mr. Treskillard hints at about the Arthurian legend is the name
Ganieda's takes for herself. I enjoy the way the author ties in so much of the Arthur and Merlin legends with his series. It's like a voyage of discovery as you read the book and discover character action meanings you may have wondered about.  The whole Arthur story seemed clearer as I read Mr. Treskillard's the latest book in the Merlin Spiral series.



 
Day 3 Blog: IT'S BEEN A BARD DAYS' KNIGHT  - Day Three, I'll discuss that part of being a bard is to keep learning. So far, Merlin is continually learning to have faith in The Lord, and that actions often have meanings we don't yet understand.
 
*Participants’ links:
Red Bissell Thomas Clayton Booher Beckie Burnham Jeff Chapman Pauline Creeden April Erwin Victor Gentile Ryan Heart Timothy Hicks Jason Joyner Carol Keen Jennette Mbewe Amber McCallister Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Joan Nienhuis Nissa Jalynn Patterson Writer Rani Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Jacque Stengl Jojo Sutis Robert Treskillard Steve Trower Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler Deborah Wilson

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Monday, December 16, 2013

MERLIN'S SHADOW CSFF Blog Tour - Day One - Going From Bard to Worse!


 MERLIN'S SHADOW

The Merlin Spiral Trilogy - Book Two by Robert Treskillard

First Day of the Merlin's Shadow Blog Tour

Going From Bard to Worse!


(click image for Amazon link or click link below) Merlin's Shadow - available from:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Merlins-Shadow-Merlin-Spiral-Treskillard/dp/0310735084/
Author's Web site: http://www.kingarthur.org.uk/
Author's Blog: http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php


I received a review copy of Merlin's Shadow by Robert Treskillard from Blink, A division of Zondervon, in conjunction with the May CSFF Blog Tour

 
   I met Robert Treskillard at the 2013 Realm Makers Conference in St. Louis, MO. He told me of the near-year of research he collected for his Merlin Spiral Trilogy. If you look closely at the cover of each book in the series, you'll see the same sword. I mention this because Mr. Treskillard  brought the sword he had made earlier, that is used on the cover of each book. If you enjoy well thought out books, by an author with an eye to detail, check out the Merlin Spiral Trilogy.
 
Robert Treskillard holding The Merlin Spiral Trilogy blade


     
   The second book in the series, Merlin's Shadow, resumes the tale of young Merlin, the formerly blind blacksmith's son, who follows Christ during a time of waning Druid power. As Merlin's Blade ended, Merlin, Natalenya, and Colvarth are attempting to escape with the young, recently orphaned, Arthur, son of Uther. Now, it seems as if the whole country of Britain is arrayed against them. The Druids are massing an attack, each play they claim sanctuary is unsafe, and Vortigern is after the baby Arthur to take the crown. Things aren't looking good for the group, and Merlin questions whether Natalenya could ever love someone as disfigured as he.

And this is all in the first few chapters. Oh, and did I mention the odd markings at the beginning of each chapter? Merlin's Blade had similar markings that look much like Ogham. Mr Treskillard's website says Ogham, was an ancient “tally-mark” language
carved into ancient standing stones in Britain.
 
 


 
Day 2 Blog: The Good, The Bard, and the Not So Pretty  - Day Two I'll discuss some of the other forces arrayed against Merlin and Arthur. Arthur isn't the only one with family problems.
 
*Participants’ links:
Red Bissell Thomas Clayton Booher Beckie Burnham Jeff Chapman Pauline Creeden April Erwin Victor Gentile Ryan Heart Timothy Hicks Jason Joyner Carol Keen Jennette Mbewe Amber McCallister Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Joan Nienhuis Nissa Jalynn Patterson Writer Rani Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Jacque Stengl Jojo Sutis Robert Treskillard Steve Trower Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler Deborah Wilson

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