Blades of Valor: Book Four in the Merlin's Immortals series - eBook

I feel if I had read other books in this series I may have been able to follow it better. Even though I was unfamiliar with the characters, there were some characters in this story that seemed familiar to me :) The action was great and the story was well-written. I really enjoyed this book and would like to read others by this author.

So these books have always been facepalm-and-stress-inducing because they're always wavering back and forth with, "this is a bad guy_no wait, he's a good guy. Nope, he must be a bad guy, yeah we're all sure he's a bad guy_oops. Nevermind. He's good." Please, someone just TRUST someone, okay!

I kind of have mixed feelings in general on the series anyway; I got the first two books on a whim, and then after that I figured I should just finish the series. It's not that I haven't enjoyed the books at all; I have. But characters had a habit of driving me crazy. Because there was so much deception and not knowing who to trust, I either felt lost, or angry at everybody. However, there were times when it worked well: like a game of chess, one side thought they had won only to fall to the other side's plans.

Still, I did want to know what would happen with all the characters and while I feel like a lot of the story was really drawn-out, it lived up to the previous books. So, if you enjoyed the other books, I'm sure you'll want to check this one out.

I received an ebook copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Blades of Valor is the final book in the Merlin's Immortals series. The series itself does not take place in Merlin's time, but 1,000 years later in 1313. The first three books in this series are: The Orphan King, Fortress of Mist, and Martyr's Fire. From what I've read in other reviews, the four books are based on a book Brouwer wrote on an adult reading level: Magnus. The series was re-written for youth ages 8-12. This is an appropriate series to appeal to that age group as well as carrying appeal for anyone else who enjoys medieval fiction. Blades of Valor is best read as part of the series rather than as a stand alone book because it picks up immediately where book three leaves off and refers to the events of the earliest books.

Like the other ones in the series, this book is packed with non-stop action and suspense. Thomas of Magnus flees England where he had briefly ruled the kingdom island of Magnus, only to have his life threatened by Druids posing as Priests of the Holy Grail. Friends helped him escape. He has finally arrived in Acre, the city of the knights' last stand in the era of the Crusades. But even in Acre assassins followed him and attacked his hiding place along with Katherine and Sir William. After many life threatening events eventually Thomas is faced with doubts as to whom to trust. He has caught Katherine, Sir William and Lord Baldwin in deceptions that leave him as distrustful of them as they are of him. How he tackles this quandary draws us further into the story and earns the respect of the reader for Thomas' intellect.

It is obvious in this series that the Druids and Merlin's Immortals are locked in a secret battle against each other, but it isn't evident until the very end of the book how large and sweeping the scope of this conflict really is. Apparently Thomas holds the key to a treasure both groups have sought for centuries. He does not know what the treasure could be until all clues lead him to what and where it is. At that point, the scope broadens from a regional skirmish, territorial claims and petty political disagreements to continental and even world wide significance, and from natural to spiritual in nature. Truly good is pitted against evil and the consequences of failure on either side is enormous.

Blades of Valor along with the others in the series is exciting to read and well worth owning. Back when I was homeschooling my children, this would have been a great series to read for its attention to historical detail, the captivating way the author develops Thomas' character over the time allotted by the series, and for its ability to capture the readers' attention through the author's writing style. He knows how to keep everyone in suspense and the way he write encourages his readers to speculate about the upcoming events.

This book also reveals that the series is not so much a fantasy series for which it appears in the three earlier books, but a historical series. The Druids and Merlin's Immortals are revealed as being completely human, but with knowledge that made them appear to the common ordinary person of those times to be supernatural. Thus the true fight was between ignorance and knowledge. Keeping the people from education and learning translated to power over the superstitious. It is an ageless battle that is as relevant today as it would have been a thousand years ago, even many thousands of years ago. This additional insight makes Brouwer's books appealing for older readers.

Because of some of the violence and implied violence within this volume, I would caution parents of younger children to use discretion in reading. I arbitrarily categorize this book as more of a thriller and suspense than an action and adventure book. There is plenty of action and adventure, but the upgrade is just a warning of the increased intensity of the material. I still highly recommend this book to those who love medieval fiction and historical literature with a hint of fantasy.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Waterbrook Press and the website, Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Thomas and Katherine are in the Holy Land, and they're both looking for answers. They also both still don't know if they can trust the other. They set off in search of an ancient treasure. But they are travelling through a dangerous place with bandits, Druids, and the desert sun. Can they find the treasure? And can Thomas discover the truth once and for all?

This was the final book in the Merlin's Immortals series, and overall, I enjoyed this tale. But there was a place in this book where I was just annoyed with the continual "Who can we trust?" thing. Katherine and Sir William put Thomas through a test that is completely unfair and by no means foolproof. Yet the result makes them certain that Thomas is a Druid after all. I, the reader, was annoyed. This "Can we trust him?" thing went on for four books, and this time, it was too much. Just have a conversation, please!

Once we got past all that, the story rolled on to an excellent and entertaining conclusion. So, all in all, I enjoyed this series. The narrative style in which point of view characters knows things but won't tell the reader has never been my favorite, but I cared enough about the characters and the mysterious plot that I kept with it. I also think these four books would do better as one 500-page novel than four short ones. Overall, an enjoyable series.

In the fourth and last book in the Merlin's Immortals series, Thomas has made his way to the Holy Land on a quest to find answers to his questions about Magnus and the mysteries that surround it. But along with answers, Thomas finds still more questions that must be solved. Because of an unexpected plot twist, Thomas sets out for Jerusalem alone on yet another risky journey. Will he find there what he is searching for? Will he be able to determine who he can trust? What is the final key that will unlock all of the mysteries?

This was a great conclusion to the Merlin's Immortals series. Like the previous three books, Blades of Valor is strongly written. Excellent storyline, great theme and characters. This is one of my favorite series' of all time and I HIGHLY recommend this book and the whole series.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for giving me a free ebook copy of Blades of Valor in exchange for an honest review.