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Guardian of the Vision Merlin Descendants #3 Irene Radford 9780886779948 Books

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Guardian of the Vision Merlin Descendants #3 Irene Radford 9780886779948 Books

Since the time of King Arthur, a Pendragon has always guarded England and its shores. The descendants of Merlin also try to keep the peace, but when war occurs they react quickly to end the conflict as soon as possible. In 1553, Raven is the current Pendragon and will soon name her grandson Griffin, the older twin brother of Donovan as her heir.

During a border skirmish with the Scotts, Griffin has a religious epiphany that leads him to the abandonment of his powers, his titles, and his birthright. He becomes a Catholic priest. Donovan picks up the mantle of the Pendragon, but though he understands the role he does not have the power to perform the job. Roanna, descendent of the Sorceress Nimue, has called forth a demon, but her summons fails as the demon of chaos Tryblith controls her. Only a Pendragon can stand in their way of spreading chaos throughout the world.

The third installment in the Merlin's Descendents series places a magical spin to true historic events. Irene Radford enchantingly brings to life the early Elizabethan era so that the audience will think that the author contains Merlin's genes. The battles on the mundane and mystical planes propel the story line forward, but the characters make the novel so fascinating that the good, the bad, and the ugly compel the reader into a one sitting session.

Harriet Klausner


Tags : Guardian of the Vision (Merlin's Descendants #3) [Irene Radford] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Heirs to a legacy of ancient magic, the twins Griffin and Donovan Kirkwood have become embroiled in the political and religious conflicts of Elizabethan England. But there are darker forces threatening not only the Kirkwoods but the Queen as well. For a witch descended from Nimue has unleashed a terrifying force: the Demon of Chaos... Praise for the Merlin's Descendants</i> series: An ambitious project that should have certain appeal for fans of Arthurian legend and goddess-centered magic. ( Library Journal</i>) This well-conceived and nicely written version of what might have been should please fantasy fans. ( Romantic Times</i>) A great King Arthur story! ( Barnes & Noble Explorations</i>),Irene Radford,Guardian of the Vision (Merlin's Descendants #3),DAW Hardcover,0886779944,Fantasy - General,Arthurian romances;Adaptations.,Great Britain;History;Elizabeth, 1558-1603;Fiction.,Historical fiction.,Adaptations,Arthurian romances,Elizabeth, 1558-1603,Fantasy,Fantasy - Historical,Fantasy - Series,Fiction,Fiction - Fantasy,Fiction Fantasy General,Fiction General,Great Britain,Historical fiction,History

Guardian of the Vision Merlin Descendants #3 Irene Radford 9780886779948 Books Reviews

This is the first book of this series I have read and hopefully not the last. I really enjoyed the story, full of good vs evil, magic, intrigue, all of the things that make for a fantastic read. The characters were likeable, the imagery was rich and the story flowed seamlessly. I also liked the fact that there were real life kings and queens used, you can almost imagine this as a true story with a little bit of myth thrown in. I can't wait to read more!!!!
This review previously appeared at Goodreads.com.

If you love big historical fantasies, Radford's Pendragon novels are right up your alley. Radford has created a style that has echoes of the way her period characters would have thought and written, without interfering with the understanding of a modern audience.

One thing you can count on in this book is character change and growth. There is space and more for these transformations, as we see enough of the harshness of the period to let us understand the characters and some of their choices. This is not a simple good character/bad character book. Good people make mistakes and do bad things, things that would have been passed over as conventional in the time. Magic works its intent, for good or ill, and characters struggle with the religious and political questions of the age.

One thing that is striking -- it's hard to read books about Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots without the author loving one ruler and hating the other. Here Radford shows them as supporting characters of the story, their actions dictating the actions of the heroes. They are neither good nor evil, but educated women of their time, both pawns and ruling queens, and all the more interesting for their flaws.

If you need protagonists who are saints or always right, this may not be the book for you. But if you want a story you can sink your teeth into, with questions that are not so easily answered, you're in the right place!
This is a story mainly about Griffin, though it does switch viewpoints. He is a descendant of Merlin and is studying to be the next Pendragon, a person who looks over the well-being of Britain. However, he goes against his family's wishes and goes away from his home to become a Catholic priest. When Elizabeth I takes the throne and Mary Stuart makes plans to take the English throne for herself, Griffin sees that he must reconcile his beliefs of faith and his need to stop Tryblith, the Demon of Chaos, who wants to start war in Britain.

The main complaint I have with this book is that it relies heavily on stereotypes. There is nothing exciting or surprising about the characters. Griffin is a devoted priest who worries constantly about being damned, Roanna is the seductress harboring (and being tricked by) a demon, the old characters are generally wise, the high-ranking characters are generally manipulative and power-hungry. It is all black and white with these characters, which I didn't especially like. There were also times in the plot where things happen just a little too conveniently. It was ridiculously easy for Roanna to work her way up to become the adviser of high-ranking nobles, as it was for Griffin to find Queen Elizabeth I's illegitimate child. (She put a note in her own hand by her son's birthing record. I'm so sure a queen intent on hiding a child would slip up like that.) In short, there were some serious believability issues.

Despite that, I actually did enjoy reading this story. It was surprisingly easy to follow, even though it's the third in the series and I haven't read the other two. It easily could have been a stand-alone. And I like Radford's take on the Merlin story. The history is well-researched and so well integrated with the mythology, that I felt like I was reading a long-established myth instead of Radford's version of the Merlin/King Arthur story. There is a good deal of action and intrigue and I was kept interested in the story, even if I felt annoyed by the writing style. I think fans of fantasy and especially of Arthurian legends will enjoy Guardian of the Vision.

*I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.*
I preferred the other books in the series more than this one...I'm not sure why, maybe because they were about women and this one was about a man.
great series, Fun read
Since the time of King Arthur, a Pendragon has always guarded England and its shores. The descendants of Merlin also try to keep the peace, but when war occurs they react quickly to end the conflict as soon as possible. In 1553, Raven is the current Pendragon and will soon name her grandson Griffin, the older twin brother of Donovan as her heir.

During a border skirmish with the Scotts, Griffin has a religious epiphany that leads him to the abandonment of his powers, his titles, and his birthright. He becomes a Catholic priest. Donovan picks up the mantle of the Pendragon, but though he understands the role he does not have the power to perform the job. Roanna, descendent of the Sorceress Nimue, has called forth a demon, but her summons fails as the demon of chaos Tryblith controls her. Only a Pendragon can stand in their way of spreading chaos throughout the world.

The third installment in the Merlin's Descendents series places a magical spin to true historic events. Irene Radford enchantingly brings to life the early Elizabethan era so that the audience will think that the author contains Merlin's genes. The battles on the mundane and mystical planes propel the story line forward, but the characters make the novel so fascinating that the good, the bad, and the ugly compel the reader into a one sitting session.

Harriet Klausner