Jay Ruud

Tristram, one of the famous knights of Arthur's Round Table, and his lover, La Belle Isolde, wife of King Mark of Cornwall, are dead. Sir Tristram was wounded in a skirmish against the Norse, but though the wound seemed minor, he lingered for weeks, growing weaker and weaker. At last he asked for the greatest healer he knew, his lover Isolde, to be sent for.

His wife, Isolde of the White Hands, was not pleased, but she could hardly object.

La Belle Isolde is sent for--and arrives moments after Tristram dies, following a cruel remark from Isolde of the White Hands. Upon finding Tristram newly dead, she collapses in a faint, and is dead within minutes.

Now Merlin, necromancer and King Arthur's great advisor, and his young assistant, squire and hopeful future knight, Gildas of Cornwall, are investigating the two deaths, Merlin does not believe in death by broken heart.

Neither does Master Oswald, the abbey healer who is the most forthcoming and apparently objective observer they speak to.

But everywhere they look, relationships are more complicated than they seem on the surface, and seemingly everyone has a motive to lie.

Gildas is a naive but intelligent observer, and he's learning a lot from Merlin just following in his wake and listening.

It's as plausible a fifth-century Britain and Brittany as any that includes a full-blown King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, with all its associated stories. The characters are fifth-century people with fifth-century knowledge and beliefs, not fact 21st century agnostics misplaced in time.

Enjoyable and worth reading.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily.… (lisätietoja)

I did not realize when I accepted this book for review that it was part of a series. Whether I just glossed over that as I read the synopsis or just didn’t keep the information in my head I cannot tell you. It really didn’t impact the story or my enjoyment of the book, it really did stand alone quite nicely. I do think that a person needs at least a grounding in the Camelot/Arthur legend to understand the characters and what is going on. The author does provide a listing at the end of the book describing the characters and how they intertwine.

This volume picks up as Arthur and his knights are trying to figure out whom to invest on to the Round Table when word reaches of the death of Sir Tristam. For this book also includes as its underpinnings the legend of Tristam/Tristan and Isolde/Iseult. That story is given in far more detail so if you don’t have knowledge of it you needn’t worry. There are questions as to how Tristam died – his wife, another Isolde was cruel to him on his deathbed but did that contribute to his end?

Guinevere asks a young squire by the name of Gildas who once served in her court to find Merlin and to go across the sea and investigate for one of her ladies is sister to Tristam’s wife and fears for her reputation. Gildas and Merlin have had success in the past with solving mysteries so they set off to find the truth of the deaths of Tristam and Isolde.

I will admit to being a little confused at the outset until I got used to the author’s writing style. Once I did things got easier. I found myself quite engaged by the story and rather unsure of who the bad guy was until the end. Some acts I had figured out but that is sometimes the way of mystery books. I found Merlin and Gildas to be entertaining, well balanced characters although Gildas did get on my nerves after a bit. He is just so idealistic – he needs to realize that even kings are human.

I will look forward to further installments of Merlin’s Mysteries because these two are a very interesting pair and I’m sure that no matter what they investigate it will be entertaining.… (lisätietoja)