Review: Merlin's Blade by Robert Treskillard

Merlin’s Blade
Robert Treskillard
Blink YA
Published April 16, 2013

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Scars from a wolf attack leave young Merlin’s eyesight damaged almost to the point of blindness, making it difficult for him to assist his father the blacksmith or find his way around the small village alone and leaves him an easy victim to trickery. When two druid leaders bring a glowing stone into the village, Merlin’s blindness saves him from falling into the stone’s enchantment. As the druids whisper sweet lies to the townsfolk, further bewitching them, Merlin must find his courage and stand up to the powerful men, even if he is forced to stand alone.

The druids’ plans are far more nefarious than to distract a few poor farmers, however. Merlin uncovers a terrible plot meant to murder and betray Arthur, the future king. As Merlin braces for battle, he is faced with a terrible choice: with the lives of his love, family and the king in jeopardy, he must choose whom to save.

The story of Merlin and Arthur is retold as a tale of battle between druid and Christian. Instead of the mighty sorcerer, Merlin emerges as a Christian prophet, one voice shouting against a bewitched and angry crowd. In this first book in The Merlin Spiral, Merlin meets Arthur as a very young child and only begins his journey as a part of Arthur’s life. Treskillard weaves a fascinating tale and leaves the reader piqued for the next installment in the series. The last hundred pages moved especially quickly, pulling the reader through the tale with scarcely time for a breath. Readers who enjoy Christian fantasy will likely enjoy the fresh retelling of this familiar story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A powerful druid leader uses a magical stone to enchant the people and turn them away from Christianity. Several scenes describe various druid rituals or sacrifices. Merlin passionately opposes the power of the stone and clings to his Christian beliefs in the face of threats and injury from the druids. Angels visit and speak with one character. Another character reveals prophecies.

Violence
Wolf attacks and battle scenes appear throughout the story, sometimes told in detail. Descriptions are not overly gory, but the scenes are important to the story, so they are not usually brief.

Drug Content
A man betrays another by placing poison in his mead.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. 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.”