"The Sons of Constance: The Swithin Book 2" by Scott Telek

This is a story about Merlin and continues the tale begun in “Our Man on Earth.” It is based upon several legends written between 1150 AD and 1450 AD. Merlin is now 7 years Old. King Constance has passed away, leaving his eldest son Maine, then 17 and inexperienced, as his heir. Vortiger, a trusted advisor to the young king, gives in to his jealousy and Maine is murdered. Maine’s younger brothers, Pendragon and Uther, are taken away from the country to save their lives. With Vortiger now King, many soon regret their desire for his rule over the rightful heir.

As time passes, and both the people and the King realize their mistake, Vortiger begins building a tower to provide him with protection against the eventual return of the rightful heirs. However whenever the tower reaches a certain height, it collapses. Advisors to the king convince him that the only way it can stand is to mix the blood of a fatherless child (Merlin) with the mortar. They don’t truly know why the tower keeps collapsing, but they do know that if Merlin becomes an advisor to Vortiger they will lose what power they currently possess as well as their lives.

From here the tale continues through the rest of Vortiger’s reign and the eventual return of the sons of the former King Constance. Merlin is a great influence on those ruling the country. One thing is certain: while he never lies to those he advises, lying to him or not trusting that he is there for the good of the country is always a big mistake. Merlin may have his own plan, but it is meant to bring the country to a time of true greatness. At least it will if those in charge can trust him and not betray his trust.

This was a longer book than many that I have read lately (almost 500 pages), but I enjoyed the unique perspective it gives on Merlin and those around him. While I am familiar with a lot of the legends surrounding him, this one gave a slightly different view than what I had previously read. While there were still some typos in the book, the editing was greatly improved from the first book in this series. If you enjoy tales of Merlin, I believe you will enjoy reading this one. It may take place before Arthur & the Knights of the round table existed, but it is clearly leading up to those legends. I enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to reading the next one in this series as well.