Isle of Books: The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer (Review)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer (Review)

The future of the Immortals is in the hands of an orphan

My greatest fear was that they would find us and make of us a sacrifice beneath a full moon. Now you, Thomas, must help us destroy the circle of evil.

The last words of a dying woman would change the life of young Thomas. Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his mysterious past or imminent destiny. But now, in the heart of medieval England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those who would oppose them. Thomas is determined fulfill his calling and bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids and leaves the monastery on an important quest.

Thomas quickly finds himself in unfamiliar territory, as he must put his faith in unusual companions—a cryptic knight, a child thief, and the beautiful, silent woman whom may not be all she seems. From the solitary life of an orphan, Thomas now finds himself tangled in the roots of both camaraderie and suspicion.

Can he trust those who would join his battle…or will his fears force him to go on alone?

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

I always forget how fortunate we are to live in the time we do, where it is more common for people to read and write than it is for them to be unable to do so. The Orphan King is set in Northern England in the year 1312 and there were several references to the fact that very few people knew how to read...and fewer yet who knew how to write. I am very grateful that I can do both and should remember not to take that for granted.

With only 224 pages this was an easy read. However, so many times throughout the story I felt as though I were being dropped into the middle of a series, and this is the first book so I shouldn't have felt this way.

I had thought that Merlin was going to be in this book, but he doesn't as The Orphan King is set hundreds of years after his time.

I started out with a lot of questions and by the end of the book some of them were answered, but the ending left me with even more! I hope they will be answered in Fortress of Mist, the second book in the Merlin's Immortals series.

The Orphan King is a young adult book, so people who fall in that age range may enjoy it more than I did. If you love tales of adventure set in the medieval age, you should enjoy this book.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

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