Merlin’s Blade

Merlin’s heart sank. The man was Uther! And now Merlin’s burden had increased. How could he – alone and blind – save hi father, Uther, and the monks all at once? Indecision and fear began to tear at his soul like twin demons bent on destroying him.

At any moment Morganthu might give the signal to burn the monks to death or sacrifice Uther and his father, and what could he do? Nothing. Sure, prayers escaped his lips in continuous pleading to God, but Merlin’s soul, spirit, and body all urged him to action. He couldn’t just wait –

Book: Merlin's Blade (The Merlin Spiral) by Robert Treskillard, Zondervan Publishers, 2013

Genre: Fantasy

Target Audience: Boys 14+

Subjects: Truth, Trust in God, Power

Summary: The blind boy of the village blacksmith, mocked by the village bullies, weak, unable to do anything on his own – that’s who Merlin is. Or at least who he was. When the druids and the high king come to town things begin to change quickly. This blind boy is taken in as a bard by the king and possess wisdom and courage none knew he had – his father, the girl he loves, the boy he takes the punishment of, the arch druid, the king. It seems his blindness may be the only hope of saving Briton from the power of the druids and their powerful stone with the light that burns and enchants.

Notes: A story based on the legends of King Arthur, Merlin’s Blade is the first book in The Merlin Spiral series. This story contains many of the traditional elements of the legend – the names, the fantasy elements, the objects. It is a well written adventure story, packing in so many events that a few days in the story seem like a few weeks. The spiritual elements are there and strong though! This is truly a story of not just good versus evil, but of the truth of Christ versus the lies of the druids and the false gods they worship. It’s the story of God using a young boy’s weakness to defeat an evil so powerful the high king and the monks can not even stop it. Throughout the entire story, Merlin firmly holds to the truth of Jesu and cries for others to do so as well. He recognizes that the battle isn’t just against the druids, but against the evil they serve. And he recognizes that it is only with the help of the one true God, that they will be able to defeat the evil.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4.5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Chronicles 29:12 - Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.