![The Sons of Constance: The Swithen Book 2 by [Scott Telek]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51GfSL7hA3L._SY346_.jpg)
This is a story about Merlin and continues the tale begun in “Our Man on Earth.” It is based upon several legends written between 1150 AD and 1450 AD. Merlin is now 7 years Old. King Constance has passed away, leaving his eldest son Maine, then 17 and inexperienced, as his heir. Vortiger, a trusted advisor to the young king, gives in to his jealousy and Maine is murdered. Maine’s younger brothers, Pendragon and Uther, are taken away from the country to save their lives. With Vortiger now King, many soon regret their desire for his rule over the rightful heir.
As time passes, and both the people and the King realize their mistake, Vortiger begins building a tower to provide him with protection against the eventual return of the rightful heirs. However whenever the tower reaches a certain height, it collapses. Advisors to the king convince him that the only way it can stand is to mix the blood of a fatherless child (Merlin) with the mortar. They don’t truly know why the tower keeps collapsing, but they do know that if Merlin becomes an advisor to Vortiger they will lose what power they currently possess as well as their lives.
From here the tale continues through the rest of Vortiger’s reign and the eventual return of the sons of the former King Constance. Merlin is a great influence on those ruling the country. One thing is certain: while he never lies to those he advises, lying to him or not trusting that he is there for the good of the country is always a big mistake. Merlin may have his own plan, but it is meant to bring the country to a time of true greatness. At least it will if those in charge can trust him and not betray his trust.
This was a longer book than many that I have read lately (almost 500 pages), but I enjoyed the unique perspective it gives on Merlin and those around him. While I am familiar with a lot of the legends surrounding him, this one gave a slightly different view than what I had previously read. While there were still some typos in the book, the editing was greatly improved from the first book in this series. If you enjoy tales of Merlin, I believe you will enjoy reading this one. It may take place before Arthur & the Knights of the round table existed, but it is clearly leading up to those legends. I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to reading the next one in this series as well.
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The Sons of Constance: The Swithen Book 2 Kindle Edition
by
Scott Telek
(Author)
Format: Kindle Edition
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The first king is a tyrant. The second king doesn't have long to live. The third king is way out of his depth. And Merlin rules them all... These are the REAL legends of King Arthur, brought to life for present-day readers.
"The Swithen series is an exciting new addition to modern Arthurian fiction... Too often, Arthurian characters become stick figures in modern retellings, but that is far from the case here." --Tyler Tichelaar, Author of "Children of Arthur"
The Sons of Constance fled Britain when tyrant King Vortiger killed their father and claimed the throne. Now they have returned, and must defeat Vortiger and his Saxon ally Hengist to reclaim their birthright and win Britain back. Merlin serves them all, but none of them are sure whether he is ensuring their success—or whether they are simply pawns in his plan to bend the country to his will.
You do not need to read Book 1 of The Swithen to start with this one, as it begins a new storyline, one that finds the adult Merlin stepping into his familiar role as advisor to kings. One king is a tyrant whose future is foretold in an epic battle between two angry dragons. Another king falls prey to a conspirator in the court and learns the danger of deceiving Merlin, for which the consequences are devastating—and deadly. It all culminates in a massive battle—presaged by a dragon of fire in the sky—that will decide the fate of the fledgling country.
"If you weren’t fascinated by how Telek depicted Merlin in the first novel, I guarantee you will be here... Merlin is the star of the novel, although the depiction of the three kings who precede Arthur are Telek’s triumph... Telek has created the most real and sympathetic version of Vortigern to date." --Tyler Tichelaar, Author of "Children of Arthur"
This is the second book in the series that retells the original legends of King Arthur, laid down between 1100-1500AD, in new retellings that bring the characters and emotions to life for the present day. The Sons of Constance alternates between the intimate and the epic, vividly describing the battles and combat that transform the country, and also the psychology that shows how the events transform the characters. Magic comes to the fore in this novel, which features several supernatural events, and a dark tale straight out of the Twilight Zone, as we are there for the massive events that transform Britain—and set the stage for the birth of Arthur.
Also available in Paperback.
"The Swithen series is an exciting new addition to modern Arthurian fiction... Too often, Arthurian characters become stick figures in modern retellings, but that is far from the case here." --Tyler Tichelaar, Author of "Children of Arthur"
The Sons of Constance fled Britain when tyrant King Vortiger killed their father and claimed the throne. Now they have returned, and must defeat Vortiger and his Saxon ally Hengist to reclaim their birthright and win Britain back. Merlin serves them all, but none of them are sure whether he is ensuring their success—or whether they are simply pawns in his plan to bend the country to his will.
You do not need to read Book 1 of The Swithen to start with this one, as it begins a new storyline, one that finds the adult Merlin stepping into his familiar role as advisor to kings. One king is a tyrant whose future is foretold in an epic battle between two angry dragons. Another king falls prey to a conspirator in the court and learns the danger of deceiving Merlin, for which the consequences are devastating—and deadly. It all culminates in a massive battle—presaged by a dragon of fire in the sky—that will decide the fate of the fledgling country.
"If you weren’t fascinated by how Telek depicted Merlin in the first novel, I guarantee you will be here... Merlin is the star of the novel, although the depiction of the three kings who precede Arthur are Telek’s triumph... Telek has created the most real and sympathetic version of Vortigern to date." --Tyler Tichelaar, Author of "Children of Arthur"
This is the second book in the series that retells the original legends of King Arthur, laid down between 1100-1500AD, in new retellings that bring the characters and emotions to life for the present day. The Sons of Constance alternates between the intimate and the epic, vividly describing the battles and combat that transform the country, and also the psychology that shows how the events transform the characters. Magic comes to the fore in this novel, which features several supernatural events, and a dark tale straight out of the Twilight Zone, as we are there for the massive events that transform Britain—and set the stage for the birth of Arthur.
Also available in Paperback.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication date2 April 2018
- Reading age14 - 18 years
- Grade level10 - 12
- File size1993 KB
Product details
- ASIN : B079P78BRQ
- Language : English
- File size : 1993 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 328 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 0999677314
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Scott Telek is exactly the kind of guy you would imagine spending over a decade reading and studying the different versions of the Arthurian legend, then devoting the rest of his life to writing the longest and most detailed telling of the Medieval King Arthur legend in existence.
His series The Swithen is committed to staying faithful to the actual Arthurian legend as laid down between the years 1136 and 1485. Too many King Arthur stories stray so far from the original Medieval sources, they lose the magic and mystery that made this saga so enduring in the first place. Telek's rule, and the challenge he has set for himself as a writer, is that he cannot change anything from the ancient story, he can only add or enhance scenes and characters, but anything he does add has to slot seamlessly into the existing story. In this way, when you read The Swithen, you can know that you are discovering the actual Arthurian legend and not some made-up story.
Telek has been a professional writer for over 30 years. His degrees are in English Literature and Psychology, both of which he brings to bear on turning blank archetypes such as Merlin, Arthur and Morgan le Fay into fully fleshed out charcacters with relatable flaws and emotions. He has also maintained a film review website (some of which you can find in books here), created films of his own and studied oil painting. He was born in Michigan, lived in New York City, Chicago, and is now a permanent resident of Ontario, Canada.
Telek's love of nature and ongoing interest in legend and folklore led into his obsession with the Arthurian legend. Discovering that most of us actually don't know many of the stories it contains, and that any telling would need to be longer, not shorter, in order to fully deliver the epic scope and majesty the saga deserves, he plotted out 25 novels... No making it up as we go! Five of them are out now, taking us from the birth of Merlin to Arthur's coronation as king. The Swithen offers readers an ongoing fantasy saga they can grow with over the next 20 or so years. And it just happens to be one of the greatest stories ever told.
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Katinka
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mom Kat Reads
Reviewed in the United States on 10 April 2018Verified Purchase
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Tyler R. Tichelaar
5.0 out of 5 stars
New Merlin Novel Delves into Psychology of Arthur’s Three Royal Predecessors
Reviewed in the United States on 26 May 2018Verified Purchase
The Sons of Constance is the second book in the new Swithen series by Scott Telek. The first book Our Man on Earth, tells the story of Merlin’s conception, birth, and amazing ability to speak as a young child and defend his mother against the charge of sexual immorality when she claims he is the son of the devil. In this second novel, we see Merlin at age ten, at the time when traditionally in the legends, King Vortigern seeks to have him killed to offset the continual falling down of his tower. Telek’s purpose is to write a series of Arthurian novels that remain faithful to their originals “by retaining the plot, story, and weirdness of the original legends from nearly a thousand years ago, but filling in the character and psychology in ways that are compelling to modern readers.” So far, I believe he’s been successful in this endeavor.
If you weren’t fascinated by how Telek depicted Merlin in the first novel, I guarantee you will be here. At age ten, Merlin is wiser than any other man. His great wisdom is the result of his being the son of the devil, as explained in the first novel. The devil granted him the power to know all things from the past. However, God stepped in and redeemed him, and in the process, gave him the power also to know all things in the future, which means he has a great gift for prophecy.
The novel opens in the time of King Constance, who has three sons: Maine, Pendragon, and Uther. When Constance dies, Maine becomes king. He is welcomed as king by the people, being handsome and charming, but it soon becomes apparent that he is more a pretty boy than an able administrator of a kingdom. His primary advisor is Vortiger (Telek drops the “n” because he is following the spellings used in the Post-Vulgate version of the Arthurian legends), and soon the people realize that if they want to get something done, they need to go to Vortiger. Then people start suggesting Vortiger should be king. He responds by saying he can’t be king while Maine is alive, a remark that people interpret as his wanting them to kill Maine. Of course, they do and Vortiger becomes king, while Maine’s brothers flee to the continent to safety.
Merlin enters the story when Vortiger is trying to build his tower and it continues to fall down. His counselors tell him he must sacrifice a boy who has no father in order to appease the gods so the tower will stand. Of course, Merlin is that boy, and he knows of this plot against his life before the counselors even arrive. Anyone who is a fan of the Arthurian legend will know what happens next, and there’s really nothing to Telek’s basic plot that will surprise anyone in that regard, so I apologize for any spoiler alerts that follow.
Merlin reveals to Vortiger that the real problem is that two dragons are lying under the tower, one red and one white, who occasionally move or roll over and cause the tower to fall. Vortiger is finally convinced that Merlin might be telling the truth, so he has his men dig under the tower, and indeed, they do find the two dragons. As Merlin predicts, the dragons wake and fight and the white dragon wins. Vortiger realizes the red dragon is symbolic of who he is since he always wears red, and that his death is approaching.
Arthurian fans will know what happens next. Vortiger dies and Pendragon (or Aurelius Ambrosius as he is often called, although Telek avoids the name) becomes king. In time, Pendragon also dies and Uther becomes king. What is fascinating about the novel is not the plot—truthfully, I thought the pacing of it a bit slow at times—but the psychology of the characters as the chain of events unfolds.
For me, Vortiger may have been the most interesting character in the novel. Telek gets into his mind, showing his guilt and fear over Maine’s death. It’s clear that he did not intend for Maine to be killed, but his words that led to Maine’s death were misinterpreted, and yet, perhaps on some subconscious level he did mean them as they were spoken. In his conversations with Merlin, he comes to realize Merlin’s great knowledge and also to feel guilt over his past. The battle of the dragons he also sees as a prophecy of his death, which leads him to make a rash act that ends in his destruction. I don’t want to give away the details of Vortiger’s death, but I will say that I think Telek has created the most real and sympathetic version of Vortigern to date. Vortigern has always been a rather undeveloped figure in Arthurian legend (except in Helen Hollick’s The Pendragon Banner Trilogy), but here he comes to life as a fully-rounded individual.
Both Pendragon and Uther are also well-rounded characters. Merlin immediately befriends them and helps to establish Pendragon as king, but Pendragon has a counselor, Brantius, who is skeptical of Merlin’s powers, primarily because he doesn’t like that Pendragon listens to Merlin over him. He sets up an elaborate ruse to prove that Merlin is a liar and cannot predict the future, but of course, it backfires on him. Merlin is then angry that Pendragon does not trust him and foretells that one day Uther will be king. This prophecy sets off a chain of events that are more emotional and psychological than action-packed. Telek delves into the feelings of Pendragon in knowing he must die so Uther can have the throne and into Uther’s feelings of guilt over his brother’s approaching death and his unreadiness to be king. Both brothers also are presented as realistic and ultimately noble as a result of the prophecy.
Of course, Merlin is the star of the novel, although the depiction of the three kings who precede Arthur are, in my opinion, Telek’s triumph simply because they have been sketchy and not fully detailed in most Arthurian works to date. But Merlin remains fascinating. At age ten, we see him able to change his appearance to that of an adult. We also see him able to open doors in the air so he can pass from one place to another (a type of portal apparently). And he is already predicting that an even greater king will come after Uther and setting events in motion for Arthur’s reign, including creating the Round Table and being concerned with the sangreal. And yet, despite all Merlin’s wisdom, his mother Meylinde still proves herself wiser in teaching him the secrets of the human heart and the true will of God.
The Sons of Constance ends with Uther as king and the realization that he will be a good king, but also a short glimpse at what will come in the third book The Void Place, yet to be published, in which will occur the events that lead to Arthur’s birth. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.
If you weren’t fascinated by how Telek depicted Merlin in the first novel, I guarantee you will be here. At age ten, Merlin is wiser than any other man. His great wisdom is the result of his being the son of the devil, as explained in the first novel. The devil granted him the power to know all things from the past. However, God stepped in and redeemed him, and in the process, gave him the power also to know all things in the future, which means he has a great gift for prophecy.
The novel opens in the time of King Constance, who has three sons: Maine, Pendragon, and Uther. When Constance dies, Maine becomes king. He is welcomed as king by the people, being handsome and charming, but it soon becomes apparent that he is more a pretty boy than an able administrator of a kingdom. His primary advisor is Vortiger (Telek drops the “n” because he is following the spellings used in the Post-Vulgate version of the Arthurian legends), and soon the people realize that if they want to get something done, they need to go to Vortiger. Then people start suggesting Vortiger should be king. He responds by saying he can’t be king while Maine is alive, a remark that people interpret as his wanting them to kill Maine. Of course, they do and Vortiger becomes king, while Maine’s brothers flee to the continent to safety.
Merlin enters the story when Vortiger is trying to build his tower and it continues to fall down. His counselors tell him he must sacrifice a boy who has no father in order to appease the gods so the tower will stand. Of course, Merlin is that boy, and he knows of this plot against his life before the counselors even arrive. Anyone who is a fan of the Arthurian legend will know what happens next, and there’s really nothing to Telek’s basic plot that will surprise anyone in that regard, so I apologize for any spoiler alerts that follow.
Merlin reveals to Vortiger that the real problem is that two dragons are lying under the tower, one red and one white, who occasionally move or roll over and cause the tower to fall. Vortiger is finally convinced that Merlin might be telling the truth, so he has his men dig under the tower, and indeed, they do find the two dragons. As Merlin predicts, the dragons wake and fight and the white dragon wins. Vortiger realizes the red dragon is symbolic of who he is since he always wears red, and that his death is approaching.
Arthurian fans will know what happens next. Vortiger dies and Pendragon (or Aurelius Ambrosius as he is often called, although Telek avoids the name) becomes king. In time, Pendragon also dies and Uther becomes king. What is fascinating about the novel is not the plot—truthfully, I thought the pacing of it a bit slow at times—but the psychology of the characters as the chain of events unfolds.
For me, Vortiger may have been the most interesting character in the novel. Telek gets into his mind, showing his guilt and fear over Maine’s death. It’s clear that he did not intend for Maine to be killed, but his words that led to Maine’s death were misinterpreted, and yet, perhaps on some subconscious level he did mean them as they were spoken. In his conversations with Merlin, he comes to realize Merlin’s great knowledge and also to feel guilt over his past. The battle of the dragons he also sees as a prophecy of his death, which leads him to make a rash act that ends in his destruction. I don’t want to give away the details of Vortiger’s death, but I will say that I think Telek has created the most real and sympathetic version of Vortigern to date. Vortigern has always been a rather undeveloped figure in Arthurian legend (except in Helen Hollick’s The Pendragon Banner Trilogy), but here he comes to life as a fully-rounded individual.
Both Pendragon and Uther are also well-rounded characters. Merlin immediately befriends them and helps to establish Pendragon as king, but Pendragon has a counselor, Brantius, who is skeptical of Merlin’s powers, primarily because he doesn’t like that Pendragon listens to Merlin over him. He sets up an elaborate ruse to prove that Merlin is a liar and cannot predict the future, but of course, it backfires on him. Merlin is then angry that Pendragon does not trust him and foretells that one day Uther will be king. This prophecy sets off a chain of events that are more emotional and psychological than action-packed. Telek delves into the feelings of Pendragon in knowing he must die so Uther can have the throne and into Uther’s feelings of guilt over his brother’s approaching death and his unreadiness to be king. Both brothers also are presented as realistic and ultimately noble as a result of the prophecy.
Of course, Merlin is the star of the novel, although the depiction of the three kings who precede Arthur are, in my opinion, Telek’s triumph simply because they have been sketchy and not fully detailed in most Arthurian works to date. But Merlin remains fascinating. At age ten, we see him able to change his appearance to that of an adult. We also see him able to open doors in the air so he can pass from one place to another (a type of portal apparently). And he is already predicting that an even greater king will come after Uther and setting events in motion for Arthur’s reign, including creating the Round Table and being concerned with the sangreal. And yet, despite all Merlin’s wisdom, his mother Meylinde still proves herself wiser in teaching him the secrets of the human heart and the true will of God.
The Sons of Constance ends with Uther as king and the realization that he will be a good king, but also a short glimpse at what will come in the third book The Void Place, yet to be published, in which will occur the events that lead to Arthur’s birth. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.
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Mariana
4.0 out of 5 stars
The story of Merlin before Arthur
Reviewed in the United States on 27 June 2021Verified Purchase
Sons of Constance is the second book of the swithen series and continue to tell the story of Merlin. In this book, Merlin, a boy with seven years old, advising three kings: Vortiger, Pendragon and his brother Uther.
The writing in this book was better than the previous one and the problem that I find in the first one, wasn't here. But for me, the best part of the book were the characters and how they were portrayed.
I have to tell, that I simply loved the way Scott Telek decided to portrayed Vortiger. The only novel I saw him, he was barely a character but in here he is really flesh out. We see how he fells bad for what happen and his guilt.
Pendragon and Uther were also amazing. And I cannot wait to see how Uther will be portrayed in the next book and the story with Igraine, whom also appeared in this book. But for me, Merlin was the best character. We have seen Merlin as a bad guy, as a good person, funny and crazy. But this Merlin, is really ruthless, probably due to the fact that he is the son of the devil and therefore only half human. Her mother Meylinde from the previous book also appears in this one and the conversations she has the Merlin and how she tries to explain to him how humans behave and their emotions were also really good and one of my favorite parts.
Overall, I really enjoy this novel who was better than the first. In this book we have also the creation of the round table and the creation of the Stonehenge. Cannot wait to read Book 3 who talked about Uther, Igraine and how Arthur was conceived.
The writing in this book was better than the previous one and the problem that I find in the first one, wasn't here. But for me, the best part of the book were the characters and how they were portrayed.
I have to tell, that I simply loved the way Scott Telek decided to portrayed Vortiger. The only novel I saw him, he was barely a character but in here he is really flesh out. We see how he fells bad for what happen and his guilt.
Pendragon and Uther were also amazing. And I cannot wait to see how Uther will be portrayed in the next book and the story with Igraine, whom also appeared in this book. But for me, Merlin was the best character. We have seen Merlin as a bad guy, as a good person, funny and crazy. But this Merlin, is really ruthless, probably due to the fact that he is the son of the devil and therefore only half human. Her mother Meylinde from the previous book also appears in this one and the conversations she has the Merlin and how she tries to explain to him how humans behave and their emotions were also really good and one of my favorite parts.
Overall, I really enjoy this novel who was better than the first. In this book we have also the creation of the round table and the creation of the Stonehenge. Cannot wait to read Book 3 who talked about Uther, Igraine and how Arthur was conceived.
Judy K. Jolliffe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book Creates a fascinating world of nature, danger, beauty & magic.
Reviewed in the United States on 16 September 2018Verified Purchase
I really liked this book. It creates an atmospheric world filled with nature, danger, beauty and magic, then lets you relax within this world as you read. The plot has a lot of twists and turns… it begins with clerics plotting Merlin’s death, then has a fight between dragons that predicts the king’s death (the scene where Merlin tells the king that he is going to die and nothing can save him is the pure Merlin/Arthurian drama we love), then the plot shifts and Merlin joins a new king and his brother, who then become the main characters. This king does something that makes Merlin very mad (in the midst of a very wicked and delightful little subplot) and he says something that throws that king and his brother into turmoil. Then there’s a big, spectacular battle at the end, and Merlin creates the round table.
Throughout, the emphasis is on what would it be like for a real person to interact with Merlin, a supernatural being who is like nothing they’ve ever dealt with before. We also get a lot of the Merlin action we like; him using his knowledge of the future to help the kings win battles, creeping people out by seeing right through their schemes, being very friendly and warm with people he likes, and I especially loved the scene where he tells one king the important part he will play in the history of Britain… and toward the coming of Arthur (which everything here is obviously leading to). This book makes the characters seem like real people (you almost forget they’re Arthurian characters completely) and captures the sweep of history and all the momentous events leading up to Arthur.
I read the previous installment, and where this one is similar (probably because it sticks to the old legends and their very odd story structure) is that each section advances the story in a different direction, and where it ends is very far from where it started. The first part is an involving little self-contained story, then Merlin continues into part two, where he meets two kings (one of whom we know will be Arthur’s father) which is intriguing but a bit meandering, but all that gathers resonance which grows in part three and finally comes to a very emotional climax in the last section, which draws power from everything that was building up to it. The book then sets up Uther’s reign, knowing as we do that he will father Arthur in the next installment. This isn’t a sequel to the last one so much as the story that happens afterward.
Between the two books we can start to see how the author is tilting the story even as he remains faithful to the legends, and what he’s doing is creating credible—and very shaded and sometimes dark—psychologies for each of these people that bring them to life and make them relatable, while also supplying all the majesty and grand sweep we expect from King Arthur stories. That said, I can’t wait to see what he does once we get into the characters we know; Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and all the others. For now, I’ll be looking forward to book three.
Throughout, the emphasis is on what would it be like for a real person to interact with Merlin, a supernatural being who is like nothing they’ve ever dealt with before. We also get a lot of the Merlin action we like; him using his knowledge of the future to help the kings win battles, creeping people out by seeing right through their schemes, being very friendly and warm with people he likes, and I especially loved the scene where he tells one king the important part he will play in the history of Britain… and toward the coming of Arthur (which everything here is obviously leading to). This book makes the characters seem like real people (you almost forget they’re Arthurian characters completely) and captures the sweep of history and all the momentous events leading up to Arthur.
I read the previous installment, and where this one is similar (probably because it sticks to the old legends and their very odd story structure) is that each section advances the story in a different direction, and where it ends is very far from where it started. The first part is an involving little self-contained story, then Merlin continues into part two, where he meets two kings (one of whom we know will be Arthur’s father) which is intriguing but a bit meandering, but all that gathers resonance which grows in part three and finally comes to a very emotional climax in the last section, which draws power from everything that was building up to it. The book then sets up Uther’s reign, knowing as we do that he will father Arthur in the next installment. This isn’t a sequel to the last one so much as the story that happens afterward.
Between the two books we can start to see how the author is tilting the story even as he remains faithful to the legends, and what he’s doing is creating credible—and very shaded and sometimes dark—psychologies for each of these people that bring them to life and make them relatable, while also supplying all the majesty and grand sweep we expect from King Arthur stories. That said, I can’t wait to see what he does once we get into the characters we know; Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and all the others. For now, I’ll be looking forward to book three.
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RC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Start with this one because it’s much more “King Arthur”
Reviewed in the United States on 14 May 2018Verified Purchase
I read the previous book and while I liked it, I liked this one a lot better. I would actually recommend starting with this one, because you don’t really need to know the first to get it (it starts a whole new story), and this one is a lot more action-packed, filled with magic, and overall, it’s really fun. It’s also more of what you think of when you think “King Arthur” or “Epic Fantasy,” with Merlin advising kings, dragons, battles, magic and all that good stuff.
While the first set up Merlin’s birth and how he came to understand his mission, in this one he sets that in motion, and the scope of the story expands exponentially. These books are based on the real old legends and because of that, they don’t follow the expected story beats—which is a good thing, because you are actually surprised. The first part follows Merlin coming in to advise a tyrant king, and it’s kind of like a little self-contained novella, except that the brothers who overthrow him go on to become the main characters of the rest of the book, with Merlin giving them advice on how to take control of the country.
The thing is, they soon discover that while Merlin offers them success they could never have on their own, it comes at the cost of maintaining their own control. The book goes into the psychology of the king as he realizes that he’s not really in control at all, which makes it cool, as it really digs into what it would feel like to be in that situation. The other thing is that this Merlin is not at all the nice guy we’re used to. We know he’s a good guy, but he has a plan for the country (which obviously is building toward his creating of Arthur) and will let no one stand in his way. This book makes clear why we started the story long before Arthur is born, because you can see how it’s all heading there.
There are a lot of cool individual parts, like a knock-down dragon fight, a cool episode with a guy who tries to trick Merlin (bad idea, btw), and a huge battle, but one really cool thing… Apparently in the original legend Merlin creates Stonehenge, and he also creates the round table (which I didn’t know existed before King Arthur). It sounds a little silly to imagine that Merlin created Stonehenge, but the author threads it into the story in such a way that creates a strong, and very cool, connection between Stonehenge and the round table and the knights that will come in the future. There is stuff throughout the book that seems unrelated, but at the end it all comes together and you realize it was building toward the round table the whole time.
So I would start with this one, and it might make you want to go back and get the additional context of the first one. Now I'm definitely on board to stay with this series, because it clear that it knows where it’s going and we haven’t even gotten to the main character of the series yet!
While the first set up Merlin’s birth and how he came to understand his mission, in this one he sets that in motion, and the scope of the story expands exponentially. These books are based on the real old legends and because of that, they don’t follow the expected story beats—which is a good thing, because you are actually surprised. The first part follows Merlin coming in to advise a tyrant king, and it’s kind of like a little self-contained novella, except that the brothers who overthrow him go on to become the main characters of the rest of the book, with Merlin giving them advice on how to take control of the country.
The thing is, they soon discover that while Merlin offers them success they could never have on their own, it comes at the cost of maintaining their own control. The book goes into the psychology of the king as he realizes that he’s not really in control at all, which makes it cool, as it really digs into what it would feel like to be in that situation. The other thing is that this Merlin is not at all the nice guy we’re used to. We know he’s a good guy, but he has a plan for the country (which obviously is building toward his creating of Arthur) and will let no one stand in his way. This book makes clear why we started the story long before Arthur is born, because you can see how it’s all heading there.
There are a lot of cool individual parts, like a knock-down dragon fight, a cool episode with a guy who tries to trick Merlin (bad idea, btw), and a huge battle, but one really cool thing… Apparently in the original legend Merlin creates Stonehenge, and he also creates the round table (which I didn’t know existed before King Arthur). It sounds a little silly to imagine that Merlin created Stonehenge, but the author threads it into the story in such a way that creates a strong, and very cool, connection between Stonehenge and the round table and the knights that will come in the future. There is stuff throughout the book that seems unrelated, but at the end it all comes together and you realize it was building toward the round table the whole time.
So I would start with this one, and it might make you want to go back and get the additional context of the first one. Now I'm definitely on board to stay with this series, because it clear that it knows where it’s going and we haven’t even gotten to the main character of the series yet!
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