This month the CSFF Blog Tour has the privilege of featuring both books 1 and 2 of Sigmund Brouwer‘s young adult fantasy series, Merlin’s Immortals: The Orphan King and Fortress of Mist. What a deal! Especially because as many fantasy series are, Merlin’s Immortals tells one story in numerous phases.
Originally I’d considered posting separate reviews for each of the two books, but I’m rethinking that idea. It’s hard to separate one from the other. Yes, there is a degree of resolution at the end of The Orphan King, but there are as many questions as there are answers. Continuing on with Fortress of Mist is natural.
Merlin’s Immortals will delight fans of classic, epic fantasy. Swords, knights, castles, a journey, mysterious magic, and the wizard Merlin. And yet, despite the familiar, The Orphan King and Fortress of Mist read like no others.
It is this ability to create a new story with familiar tropes, that makes for great fantasy, from my perspective. But more on that in my review. For now, I encourage you to see what others participating in the CSFF tour are saying about Merlin’s Immortals.
√ √ Gillian Adams
√ √ √ Julie Bihn
√ Jennifer Bogart
√ Thomas Fletcher Booher
√ √ Beckie Burnham
√ Janey DeMeo
√ Theresa Dunlap
√ Victor Gentile
√ √ √ Nikole Hahn
√ √ Jeremy Harder
√ Ryan Heart
√ √ √ Janeen Ippolito
√ √ Becky Jesse
√ Jason Joyner
√ √ Carol Keen
√ Emileigh Latham
√ √ √ Rebekah Loper
√ √ √ Shannon McDermott
√ √ √ Meagan @ Blooming with Books
√ Megan @ Hardcover Feedback
Anna Mittower
√ Eve Nielsen
√ Nathan Reimer
√ James Somers
√ √ Steve Trower
√ Phyllis Wheeler
Hard to imagine, I know, but I’d never heard of Brouwer ’til I read this. Thanks for a new lead on a new read, at least for me. Blessings ~
Bree, I first discovered him when I read one of his adult books–Biblical history. Later the blog tour featured Broken Angel, a dystopian fantasy ahead of its time in the Christian market. I really loved that book.
I’m enjoying the Merlin Immortals series, too, definitely. But thought I’d mention, Mr. Brouwer is perhaps more diverse than some writers these days. He’s definitely talented.
Becky