I love the stories and legends of King Arthur and his knights. So when Merlin’s Blade was given to me as a birthday present by a good friend, I was so excited to dive in. Robert took the story of Arthur and Merlin and created an epic story world rich with history and a touch of fantasy.
Plot/Storyline: 5/5
Merlin’s Blade had a strong plot. There was no contradiction and everything flowed smoothly and made sense.
Characters: 4/5
The characters were strong–I felt a connection with Merlin, and Garth grew from when we first met him. However, I felt like more could have been built upon them and other characters, though this might happen as the series continues.
Writing: 5/5
Robert’s writing was amazing. The descriptions were well done and simple, and nothing was overdone.
Dialogue: 5/5
The dialogue was well done and was realistic for the time period.
Bad Language: None
Inappropriate Content: None
Want to read/ability: 4/5
Around the middle, the book got a little slow, but it picked up speed and I flew through the rest.
Warnings: This book had druids. The druids are mentioned drawing circles, chanting, and casting spells. There is an enchanted stone with “power” that the druids control.
Overall, I loved the book. Merlin is a Christian and the worldview of the whole book is Christian, despite the druids. Robert is an extremely talented writer and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series in the Merlin Spiral Trilogy turns out.
You can find Merlin’s Blade here.