Legend of the Emerald Rose: A Novel

by Linda Wichman

King Arthur and his queen are dead and Merlin has vanished. Bound by Divine Providence but divided by distrust, Shadoe and Rayn must find a way to save the Isle of Might and themselves from the threatening evil. A tantilizing brew of fantasy, action, and romance.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Christian, Arthurian, Christian Fiction, Medieval

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2005

Reviews

[Paige McQueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

~REVIEW~

King Author has been killed in battle, and Queen Guenevere has been murdered. Merlin has vanished and left a betrayed son behind. Bitter with the world and God because of his father’s betrayal and his family’s death, Shadoe un Hollo Tors, the apprentice high steward, has left it all behind. Camelot is lost, Lancelot and the other knights of the round table missing, and demonic forces are determined to capture the Isle of Might. But Shadoe made a promise to the dying Guenevere, that he would find the lost heir to the throne and protect the Emerald Rose. Shadoe faces the demons of his past and reluctantly returns to Camelot.

Emerald Rose Rayn is a warrior at heart and has a passionate faith for God. She loves the Isle of Might as much as the next knight. The birthmark of the Pendragon proclaims her heir and rightful Queen, And yet she has no idea of her birthright. When Shadoe un Hollo Tors comes riding in, spouting nonsense about his duty to Merlin, she knows trouble is afoot. But she doesn’t expect him to be her knight in shinning armor. And she certainly doesn’t expect what God has in plan for Shadoe and Rayn as they, together and with The Almighty, fight enemies both physically and spiritually.

~My thoughts~

Legend of the Emerald Rose lets your mind explore what every heart wishes to believe in. Camelot.

What if Arthur and Guenevere we’re real? What if the knights of the Round Table really did defend Camelot with valor. And what if Merlin had a son, and Arthur a daughter, that lived to see it all?

In truth, Legends like Camelot have always had a place in my heart, so I knew this book would be good. It was! VERY good, in fact!

I know it’s considered a fantasy novel, but really, it felt so real I consider it more historical than fantasy. The story jumped out alive and pulled all senses deep within, untill you could smell the flowers and see the shimmery stone of Camelot.It showed the all-powerfullness of God, and told a story of two people he appointed to a very special quest.

I wouldn’t recommend this for light reading… I basically read it for 15 hours straight. It was deep and thought-provoking, and very well-written! I haven’t cried such deep sobs over a book since I read the Last Battle by C. S. Lewis. No, no! They were good, happy sobs! But I had lots of tissues in my lap by the time the last page came to an end.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to any medieval/fantasy lover, and commend Linda Wichman for this amazing tale of redeeming love and truth.

~

I thank Kregel Publishing for my copy of Legend of the Emerald Rose! I was not required to write a positive review. All of the review is my honest opinion and thoughts.

If you liked this book you also might like books by Linda Windsor and Kathleen Morgan!

Don’t forget to hit “follow”, Rate, or Like my review! You’ll have my love if you do

Happy reading, loving, and eating,

In Christ Alone,

~PAIGE~

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this as I love this era and most things in and around the Arthur legend. I think it was a 3.5 for me but rounded it up, probably because some things in it at the end just made me smile. I am well aware that the Arthurian legend is just that - a legend from a time so long ago that we can not determine truth from myth. No one really knows if Arthur even existed, but whether he did not not, his tale has survived for centuries. There are some thing we do know about those times and although the Arthur legend has been written a lot of ways, there are some common threads that are constant. There was one thing that was a big part of this book that bothered me as it just is not part of the Arthur legend or of the time and place.

First let me explain that this is not about Arthur but rather is after his death. The story begins with a bard telling a story to some young boys and especially to an inquisitve youngster who catches his attention. The book is the story he tells. Guenevere has been slain and Merlin has disappeared. Mordred still lives and is the villain in this story although in different ways than in the usual tellings of the legend. Add to this story, Guenevere bore a child before she was killed. Merlin also had sons. These twists made this story unique and it did make for interesting reading. The part that bothered me as just not ringing true to history nor to the legend, was the addition of Christianity. I am a Christian so do not object to the beliefs in a book. I also love history and the stories about the Druids and the old religion that was practiced in the fifth and sixth century in Europe is a fascinating part of pre-Christianity.

This post-Arthur story portrays just about all of the main characters not only Christians but very very devout Christians. Lancelot and even Merlin which was a little bit far reaching to me since Merlin was a Druid. I found this distracting and almost like it was preachy. It took away from the story which perhaps would not have bothered me had I not read quite a bit about this time in history and this particular legend.

I am a huge fan of Juliet Marillier's books and especially her trilogy The Bridei Chronicles. The little mention toward the end of King Bridei and the King's Druid made me smile and like this entire book a little bit more. There was a tie there that made it kind of special.

I did not even mention the main characters are Emerald Rose Rayn, daughter of Guenevere and Pendragon heir and Shadoe who is Merlin's son. Along with the the remainder of the Knights of the Round Table and the chieftains they can pull together, they fight to keep Mordred from destroying all that they love. Camelot still exists in this book, and there are some great descriptions of it.

[Cana Elene (http://placeofreeds.blogspot.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love any stories of King Arthur. There is something that seems so magical about that time. Well, Ms. Wichman takes the much beloved story and creates a wonderful tale of love lost, forgiveness and loved gained. Shadoe was just a teenager when Camelot fell, and he saw both Arthur and his queen fall under Mordred and Morgana. Just before Guinevere dies, he promised to take care of the Emerald Rose, the most important talisman in all of the British Isle. He is now a man with a past that he regrets, a present that he wants to end, and an unknown future. Emerald Rose Rayn is the adopted daughter of Lancelot, but does not know that she is truly the daughter of Arthur and his queen. Both Shadoe and Rayn have to get over their distrust of each other if they hope to save their people and themselves from the evil that is coming.

I love this story. Ms. Wichman takes this story and makes it so much more. We all know what happened to Arthur and Guinevere, but don't know the story of what happens after. And that is what happens. Shadoe is the son of Merlin, and he hates that everyone expects him to fill his father's shoes. He does his best to rebell, only to end up where he wants to the least-- Britain. Rayn has been trained as a warrior, to eventually rule a people, though she doesn't know her heritage. She is strong willed and she is quick to fight to protect her people. I love all the scenes with Rayn and Shadoe together. The chemistry jumps off the page and has you so engulfed in the writing, that you can't wait to see what happens next, but dread the book ending because you don't want it to end.

I also enjoy how Ms. Wichman made it so easy to relate to her characters, though they seem so far away, and so unlike us in the modern world.

With battles, romance, and even magic and ghosts, you can't go wrong with this story.

Highly recommend this book, and would love to see more from this author!

[Valerie Comer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of Arthurian legend, check out Legend of the Emerald Rose. After the deaths of Arthur and Guenevere, the remaining knights of the round table and Merlin protect and hide the identity of a young child, Emerald Rose Rayn, from everyone, including herself. She’s been raised as Lancelot’s daughter and Galahad’s sister, but that’s not her real self.

Shadoe un Hollo Tors is the illegitimate son of Merlin and one of the le Fey sisters, Niamh. He was only a boy of twelve when he failed to save Guenevere from assassination, then was tortured by Mordred before escaping off the Isle of Briton. He makes his return seventeen years later to fulfill the single task left to him by his father Merlin: delivering the medallion of the Emerald Rose to its rightful owner, thus proclaiming the true heir to the throne.

The problem? He’s both instantly enthralled by the enchanting Rayn, and repelled by her wild and willful ways. This novel is an nontraditional love story between Shadoe and Rayn as they are pushed together and pulled apart by the violence of their times (late AD 400s) and the clash between good and evil, between the Pendragon dynasty and Morgause le Fey and her minions.

Story plusses? There’s never a dull moment when Rayn and Shadoe are in the same location. Sparks fly: sparks of passion, sparks of fury. Story minuses: Mostly items of craft, which the nonwriter will be unlikely to notice.

[LeAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had two strikes against it before I ever opened the cover simply because it wasnt Mary Stewart or Alfred Lord Tennyson. Wichman takes liberties with the story (or at least the version I am familiar with), the most drastic of which was having Modred survive the battle in which he killed Arthur. She also uses a Scottish setting rather than Wales and Cornwall that I am used to. That said, she tells a good story. I especially enjoyed the tension between Lancelot and Modred, and Rayn and Shadoe. This is inspirational fiction, so be prepared for Merlin to be a committed Christian and for explanations in dialog of how the supernatural elements fit into a Biblical worldview. The romance theme is stronger than the doomed attempt to revive Camelot.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book, of course i liked the romance and the action. One of my favorite books set in the Arthur times.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda takes one of my favorite stories and ramps it up a notch for a sequel.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book!

[Mindy G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing worth having comes easy, fairest child.
p. 72

Eventually, you will discover that Destiny as a process not an event.
p. 86

None of us are like we were Percy. Life changes people.
p. 159

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

What started as an exciting adventure filled with Medieval myth and legend quickly devolved into a sappy romance with no real plot and unrealistic progress throughout.

Legend of the Emerald Rose is about Camelot, yes, Arthur, Guenivere, the whole thing. Morgause, Arthur's half-sister, has taken over the kingdom and murdered the queen and king. Her son reigns by her side, carrying out her will like a Sheriff of Nottingham-type. The catch? Arthur and Guenivere had a child who was lost when just a baby. Legend says that when the true heir returns to Camelot, Morgause and Mordred will fall, and the kingdom will be restored.

So we meet Shadoe, the son of Merlin, and Rayn, the daughter of Sir Galahad of the Round Table. Through coincidence (or perhaps something more), they meet and work together to go to Camelot and take back the kingdom.

Now here's my issue with this book: the above plot happens very quickly, and the twists are small, obvious, and also very fast. About half of the book is all about Rayn and Shadoe's relationship, or lack thereof. Let me just give you one spoiler. (Though really it's not much of one... You can absolutely tell what will happen instantly.) Scroll if you don't want to see:

**SPOILER**

Shadoe and Rayn hate each other for most of the beginning. There's one scene where they fall off a cliff (a shallow one, but it's very dramatic) and *gasp* Rayn lands directly on Shadoe!! No one's hurt, there's no injury or anything really interesting, but Rayn decides she likes the way he feels when they touch. (Shocker, I know.) Anyway, the rest of the book, until about page 383, goes over their weak romance, which really offers such little character development and no depth to their relationship at all. It was truly disappointing.


**END OF SPOILER**

Now... I gave this book two stars because the plot idea is solid. Plus, this book intends to be a guide for young women on how to pray to God to find their husband (a worthy mission), and to help you notice your "God-send." I think if I'd read this in middle school, I'd have been a lot more interested. Unfortunately, now that I'm older and frankly don't care about the message as much as I would have, this book falls short and isn't interesting to me. I'll sell it on Pangobooks probably, and hopefully someone else will get joy from this. Hmu if you're interested, lol.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

W.H. Auden identified five responses adults have to literature. One of them is, "I can see this isn't great literature, but I like it anyway." That sums up how I feel about this book. What historical background it has is horribly twisted; the main characters' actions border on the creepy toward the object of their affections; the author's language is overly flowery and hard to follow at times; and the love story is so start-and-stop it's hard to identify with; but I still liked the story, rooted for the characters, and encountered several scenes that had me giggling out loud. It didn't make three stars simply because some of the conversions were too convenient for my taste. In real life, some of your nearest and dearest die, and not everyone is saved in the end. Otherwise, it was fun, if not particularly well-written.

[Kirsten]

I really liked this book. When I first started reading it I was really confused about all of the characters and what was happening. But after the first few chapters it all started making more sense. It became really interesting really fast right when Rayn meets Shadoe. The contrast and similarities in their characteristics made the conflict between them seem all to real and funny. I think the author did a great job at creating the personas in this book. I loved the way it flowed and would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an action romance novel.

[Bryn Shutt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Legend of the Emerald Rose is a beautifully written, fascinating tale of the days of King Arthur and the times there after. I found the story both original and enthralling. However the romance was far too mature (even for an adult) and based entirely off of physical attraction. Unfortunately this theme ran through the entire story and in my mind completely spoiled what could have been an masterpiece in an ever growing pile of Arthurian tales.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was in high school and just starting to discover that I did, in fact, actually enjoy reading. It was one of the first books I truly loved. I have re-read it several times and am so glad I stumbled upon it on my way to the checkout that day at the bookstore. It's a unique spin on the King Arthur tale and I highly recommend it.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love retellings of King Arthur stories. I don't even mind Christian glosses over stories that are generally pagan. But changing the basic story and time line to make it fit what appears to also be a made-up version of Christianity is unbelievable. It's just crazy.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspiring novel based on Merlin and Arthur's decendents... I didn't know what to think, but I read this book so quickly that I may have to read it again! So much transpired. Amazing!

[Ansley · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, loved this book.