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.
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.
Sample chapter of Merlin's Shadow: http://www.scribd.com/doc/167884310/Merlin-s-Shadow
Series Youtube, nice graphics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezom5l_9vnQ&feature=youtu.be
Series Youtube, nice graphics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezom5l_9vnQ&feature=youtu.be
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
2 comments:
Thanks for the review, Tim ... I enjoy your tongue-in-cheek humor here!
Even though Treskillard is setting up Ganieda to be Merlin's key nemesis, I find it difficult not to feel sorry for her. I think that's a testament to Treskillard's character building.
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