Merlin's Shadow (#02 in The Merlin Spiral Series)

Robert Treskillard breathes new life into the often-told tale of King Arthur and his faithful mentor, Merlin. Treskillard has managed to put a new spin on the story in this three-volume series called Merlin’s Spiral by focusing on Merlin’s story.

In Merlin’s Shadow, Merlin’s story continues. He finds himself adrift–an advisor to the uncrowned king, Arthur. On the run with his beloved and his faithful friend, Merlin faces adversaries on every side. Even his half-sister is bent on his destruction. Having plunged the sword into the druids’ stone, will Merlin be able to keep the young king safe when enemies surround them on every side?

Merlin’s Shadow and Merlin’s Nightmare are difficult to read as standalone novels, although the author tries to give the reader enough background in the glossary to permit this. Kudos to Treskillard, who not only identifies the characters but describes what happened in the previous books that is significant to the overall storyline. His attempt to recreate the Arthurian legend from a Christian perspective is to be applauded.
Recommended for public libraries and school libraries.