Merlin's Apprentice Warrior Rising

by Susan McCauley

Young Pip must embrace his power to become a battle mage so he can defend the Magic Realm against the fierce Northmen invading from the sea and from the dark forces attacking his kingdom.

While recovering from Mordred's reign of terror and the departure of King Arthur, Pip foresees a new enemy breaching the shores of a fleet of Northmen led by the ruthless Halfdan Ragnarsson. Pip and Merlin fear Ragnarsson will fill Mordred's void and bring demonic darkness and chaos to their realm. It falls to Pip, together with old friends and new magicked allies, to stop Ragnarsson, protect the magical barrier that separates the Magic Realm from the Realm of Faerie, and unite the mages of light to protect all who were scattered by the breaking of the worlds.

166 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Susan McCauley is an award-winning author who writes gothic horror, ghost stories, and folklore-driven fantasy for middle grade, YA, and adult readers, exploring faith, fear, and the darker costs of history.

To learn more, visit her on the web at www.sbmccauley.com

Reviews

[Alyssa (HeartwyldsLibrary) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I must be honest and say I was disappointed with this installment in this series. While the first book had not blown me away I was expecting this to be on the same level if not slightly improved. Unfortunately I feel like too much was crammed into this in its short page count and it ultimately made it harder to enjoy.

Personally I didn't care for the Norse element that was added into the story. Not only did it feel out of place but it felt too big for the story. I really wish the story focused more on the reconstruction and building of the broken world after Mordred was defeated. I would have preferred to have seen Mordred's loyal subjects be the main antagonist of the story instead of a new character being brought in. I feel this would have fit the overall story better with Merlin trying to reestablish the world and how it functions.

Everything involving Ragnarson moved at an incredibly fast pace that it felt rushed. It felt like we were jumping from scene to scene without having a chance to really let any of the situations settle. There were many times where the flow felt disjointed because it was moving so quickly. At one point Pip is talking to Caraline about spying on the evil camp and within the span of a page or two she has been captured and the camp she was at was destroyed. The constant jump in storytelling felt like whiplash but at the same time there was this dragging feeling and I believe this comes from how much was being crammed into this 190 page story. I do feel the story struggles more in the 2nd part and the large battle that takes places doesn't land well at all. We even lost a character and it feels emotionless. I understand that when war happens people die but there was a serious lack of overall feeling that was present and even during the after it felt like no one really cared, its just swept under the rug.

The characters for lack of a better word fall so very flat this time around and I think there was too many and so they weren't able to showcase who they were. I wanted to see more of Alfred and Pip's friendship evolve and become stronger but they just kind of appear in scenes together for a brief moment and then they are on their own. Gwenn has no impact on the story at all, she is cat for most of it but I'm somehow suppose to believe Pip's feelings for her that are starting to grow? She just kind of floats around in the background same with Caraline, who at first seemed like was going to have more importance in the story with hopefully being the first woman Mage but she falls to the background. And Pip, while he did better to listen to his elders this time, he spent more time doubting himself and complaining. I actually really did not like following him this time around.

Overall I really think this book tried to do much with too little time and it ultimately brought down the enjoyment for me.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halfdan Ragnarsson leads the Northmen and his goal is to take Mordred's position and lead the realm. Pip and his friends want to prevent this from happening, so they do everything in their power to stop him.

I really liked Pip and his friends. They are all brave and their quirks make them likeable. I particularly liked Merlin and Caraline.
It took about half the book for the story to grab me. The battles are excitingly written and the newly introduced creatures are interesting. I found the ending very well done and surprising in some aspects.
The writing style is not bad, but not particularly captivating either.
I like the cover a lot and it also fits the story.
I can recommend the book and the series to those who are interested in the Arthurian legend and who want to read a book with great characters and interesting battles.

[Lori Emilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy stories are not my genre of choice, but I can see this one capturing the hearts of many middle and high school students. The character development is top notch, and the imagery splendid. Some violent battle scenes, which I’m sure will thrill many. They’ll be waiting for Book 3, for sure.

Thanks to the author and publisher for an digital reading copy.