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Warrior Druid of Britain #6

The Vengeance of Merlin

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"A master storyteller...Steven A. McKay is the standard to which other Dark Age authors strive to attain." - GRIFF HOSKER
The brand new instalment in the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles sees Bellicus of Dun Breatann facing not only bloodthirsty enemies but also the biggest decision of his life in this fast-paced historical thriller!
AD 434 – Caer Legion, Western Britain
A heinous crime is perpetrated against the druids of Britain and a grief-stricken Bellicus suddenly finds his world changing in ways he never expected. Before he can begin to make sense of things the terrible news that the Picts have allied with the Saxons and now march on Dun Breatann together spurs the warrior-druid into action, and soon he and his companions are racing homewards.

Horsa, fearsome leader of the sea-wolves, promises to use any tactic – including torture and dark magic – against Bellicus’s terrified Damnonii people who are being slaughtered and dragged from their burnt out villages to please the Saxons’ brutal gods.
Bellicus, his friend Duro, and the great war-dog Cai will need all their bravery, experience, and cunning to stand against the insane cruelty of the raiders which even shocks their own allies in the Pictish army.
Many will fall as the fighting rages, but can bonds of loyalty, friendship, and family be enough to save Queen Narina and the people of Dun Breatann from the grim fate their enemies have planned for them?
This new Warrior Druid of Britain adventure is sure to delight lovers of fast-paced historical fiction, especially readers of Peter Gibbons, Griff Hosker, and Bernard Cornwell.

Saxons and Picts come together to conquer Northern Britain, but when the war is over they must face the vengeance of Merlin!

"The emotion pours off the page affecting the reader as much as those within the tale. The Vengeance of Merlin has your heart in your throat from the first page to last." - David's Book Blurg

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2024

107 people are currently reading
44 people want to read

About the author

Steven A. McKay

52 books446 followers
I was born in 1977, near Glasgow in Scotland and live in Old Kilpatrick with my wife and two young children. After obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree I decided to follow my life-long ambition and write a novel. The Forest Lord series now has four novels, and various short spin-off tales.

My new book "The Heathen Horde" is the first in a brand series following Alfred the Great. It comes out on October 26 2023 so please check it out and pre-order if you can!

I play guitar and write all my books while listening to extreme metal.
In 2022 I started a podcast with fellow historical author Matthew Harffy. You can subscribe to Rock, Paper, Swords! on all the usual podcast outlets and also find the audio on Youtube every fortnight.

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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Clemens Schoonderwoert.
1,364 reviews130 followers
March 16, 2025
This eventful historical adventure is the 6th volume of the amazing "Warrior Druid of Britain" chronicles, featuring Bellicus the Druid.

At the beginning of the book you'll find a List of Places, while at the back within the Author's Note you can find very useful historical info concerning this story.

Storytelling is excellent, and all characters come vividly to life in this great historical tale about the native Britons fighting themselves, and versus the invading Saxons.

This book is set in AD434, and we find Bellicus, together with his friend, the Roman Duro, and his big war-hound Cai at Caer Legion (Chester) to attend a Druid Moot, when all of a sudden they are attacked by Saxons, led by Hengist, and in the process of this attack the High Druid, Nemias, will get killed, so a new one must be elected, before Bellicus and his friends can go home to Dun Breatann (Dumbarton Castle) to defend the place against an invading enemy, consisting of Picts and Saxons.

Around the same time Queen Narina of Dun Breatann is under attack from King Drest's Picts and his chosen allies the Saxons, with Hengist's younger brother, the brutal Jarl Horsa at their head, and while a siege is going against the Damnonii, Horsa and his Saxons will become very unpopular with the Picts due to cruel tortures and dismembering of innocent Damnonii people, and because of that more and more Picts, with Princess Aife at their head will distance themselves when the ultimate clash will be fought against the Damnoniii in the end, with the inevitable outcome to follow and some surprising deaths.

What is to follow as a whole is an action-packed and thrilling historical adventure, with a great storyline accompanied with a superbly executed plot and ending, and this is brought to us in a most marvellous manner by the author.

Highly recommended, for this is truly a magnificent series, and that's why I like to call this latest episode: "A Brilliant High Druid Revenge"!
Profile Image for Paul Bennett.
Author 10 books65 followers
December 5, 2024
BLURB

"A master storyteller...Steven A. McKay is the standard to which other Dark Age authors strive to attain." - GRIFF HOSKER
The brand new instalment in the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles sees Bellicus of Dun Breatann facing not only bloodthirsty enemies but also the biggest decision of his life in this fast-paced historical thriller!
AD 434 – Caer Legion, Western Britain
A heinous crime is perpetrated against the druids of Britain and a grief-stricken Bellicus suddenly finds his world changing in ways he never expected. Before he can begin to make sense of things the terrible news that the Picts have allied with the Saxons and now march on Dun Breatann together spurs the warrior-druid into action, and soon he and his companions are racing homewards.

Horsa, fearsome leader of the sea-wolves, promises to use any tactic – including torture and dark magic – against Bellicus’s terrified Damnonii people who are being slaughtered and dragged from their burnt out villages to please the Saxons’ brutal gods.
Bellicus, his friend Duro, and the great war-dog Cai will need all their bravery, experience, and cunning to stand against the insane cruelty of the raiders which even shocks their own allies in the Pictish army.
Many will fall as the fighting rages, but can bonds of loyalty, friendship, and family be enough to save Queen Narina and the people of Dun Breatann from the grim fate their enemies have planned for them?
This new Warrior Druid of Britain adventure is sure to delight lovers of fast-paced historical fiction, especially readers of Peter Gibbons, Griff Hosker, and Bernard Cornwell.

Saxons and Picts come together to conquer Northern Britain, but when the war is over they must face the vengeance of Merlin!

"The emotion pours off the page affecting the reader as much as those within the tale. The Vengeance of Merlin has your heart in your throat from the first page to last." - David's Book Blurg

309 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2024

REVIEW

Thrilling? An emotional roller coaster? Page-turning suspense? A plethora of characters to love and hate? A twisting pathway of plots and subplots? Well, my peeps and fellow Druids, the author has ticked all of those boxes and more in this piece of the Bellicus tale. So glad that things worked out and that now there will be peace in his life...oh wait....nevermind....more trouble ahead. 😁 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Mercedes Rochelle.
Author 17 books149 followers
November 21, 2024
Once again, poor Dun Breatann is under siege, this time by Narina’s old enemy, King Drest. But this time, she’s facing a formidable and ruthless enemy: the Saxons have joined forces with Drest in a brutal, uncomfortable alliance that is not working out from the very beginning. They worship different Gods, and the Saxons have absolutely no regard for human life. The Saxon leader, Horsa, is the brother of the dreaded Hengist, who is busy attacking King Arthur on the other side of the island. Horsa obviously does not respect Drest:

“Are you sleeping?” Horsa asked, glaring at the king with obvious disdain. “By the gods, how old are you anyway, Drest? Napping in the daytime?”
The Pict scowled. He was in his early forties now, but he was not about to admit that to the irritating big Saxon. “What else would you have me do? Have you never laid siege to a fortress before, Horsa? It’s bloody boring.”
“What else would I have you do?” the Saxon repeated. “Get off your arse and raid more of the Damnonii settlements! I thought we were here to wage war on these people, but I don’t see much evidence of it.”


Horsa soon takes matters into his own hands, capturing Damnonii villagers and submitting them to torture in order to lure Narina out of her protective castle. I have to say, even though I read a lot of these “dark ages” books, this whole scenario made me rather squeamish—obviously the intent. But it wasn’t fun to read and I nearly put it down. However, I’m a big fan of Bellicus and Duro so I stayed with it, knowing that our druid would come out on top. There is a big surprise in the plot that I didn’t see coming, and of course I can’t tell you what it is. But it’s worth checking it out, I promise!
Profile Image for Martin Rea.
43 reviews2 followers
February 22, 2025
Another fantastic read from Steven, I couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for David Baird.
587 reviews22 followers
October 7, 2024
It’s been a while since we’ve seen the big warrior Druid Bellicus, but it honestly feels like home being back with the big guy, the centurion Duro  and Bel’s loyal companion Cai.

The Damnonii people are in danger but little does Bel know how much danger. The Saxons are on the warpath, led by the despicable Horsa, with Sigarr by his side. The Saxon’s have a grudge against Bel and the Damnonii and you know this just can’t end well!

When we see Bel, he and Duro are travelling. The Merlin has called a moot and every Druid from far and wide is attending.. These events don’t happen often so it’s a time of excitement and energy. The Druids spend their time sharing knowledge, discussing the threats faced from the Saxon’s and the Christians.. it’s during these events that the most heinous crime occurs that rocks the Druid community to the core.

There’s no time to digest things though as Bel quickly learns of an attack on Dun Breatann! Bel as we know loves Dun Breatann.. the people.. the place.. but there’s two other things that keep his heart there too Narina and Catia. The woman he loves but can’t have, and the daughter he fathered in a night of drunken madness..

Bel must head back to Dun Breatann but he also has to balance his commitments to the Druids and to Arthur the warlord who is leading the resistance against the Saxons.

When Bel gets back to Dun Breatann he has to use all his skills as a Druid and every trick up his sleeve to defeat the enemy.. but will it be enough.. and how many countless will die for nothing..

I’ve been a little vague I must admit as I don’t want to spoil the twists the author has thrown in but rest assured The Vengeance of Merlin has your heart in your throat from the first page to last.

I loved that the book still has battles but at the same time the focus is more on the build up.. the torture of the innocents caught up in the fight. It humanised the war and the worst moments even had me queasy.. the emotion pours off the page affecting the reader as much as those within the tale.

There’s still some fun light-hearted moments when Bel has a bit of fun with his Druid trickery but they are few and far between for Bel in this grief stricken instalment.

Let’s get on to characters and development .. wow... we meet new characters as well as getting acquainted with old friends and foes. Each shine though in their own right... the Volva, Yngvildr, god she’s brutal in her torturous ways but damn she makes things exciting.

One of the new characters we meet towards to end of the tale is Oengus.. his part isn’t huge but I’m hoping we see him again as I was immediately drawn to him.. I have hope that he and another returning character Aife will appear again somewhere down the line.

There’s a very interesting Saxon too..Saksnot..let’s just say by the time you know his name you’ll understand why he excited me.. he’s got a talent.. and a mission..

I won’t lie the tale did hurt at times.. no ones safe and at every turn of the page you can’t help but worry what might befall your favourite characters.. but this just added to the tension and the overall excitement I felt reading the tale.

The Vengeance of Merlin perfectly sets up for the next instalment.. no one comes out of the one unscathed.. Hengist may be down south battling Arthur’s forces but the winner isn’t certain and what does this mean for Bel and the people he loves.

For fans of the series there’s so much to enjoy with this one and the author has been very cunning with the detail, perfectly blended so if someone was to join now they could quickly understand the main players in the tale. Even as someone whose been there from the start even I enjoyed reminding myself of the back story.. events just stick with you.. Duro’s past for example.. the little reminders take you right back to the beginning when he couldn’t even get that chainmail on..
Profile Image for Richard West.
466 reviews9 followers
December 7, 2024
Finally, after a wait of several years, Steven McKay returns with another volume in his Warrior Druid of Britain series.

Once again, our old friend Bellicus (the warrior druid) is in a battle for not only his own life, but those he cares about as well. And he finds himself doing battle with those evil Saxons who are intent on raiding and pillaging all things British. (Well, it is 434 AD and those things happen.) This time around he's confronted with a bloodthirsty tribe, who are aided by a rather undesirable witch who enjoys decapitating people, setting them on fire and performing other dastardly deeds which makes her one of the more despicable people you would expect to find in the pages of a book.

Along the way, Bellicus is forced to make a life-altering decision - actually, several, but they're all related - which will alter not only his life, but others as well.

As with all of McKay's books, this one is fast-paced and has more than an adequate amount of blood spilled in the process. Hopefully, sometime within the next year, we'll get Volume 7, but first coming our way in the Spring of 2025 is McKay's concluding volume in his series on Alfred The Great. (If you haven't read that series, the first two volumes get a GREAT rating so you might want to pick those up as well.)



Profile Image for Griff Hosker.
Author 306 books427 followers
September 30, 2024
This is an excellent read. Steven McKay successfully recreated the end of Roman rule in Britain and the start of the Saxon incursions. He populates his story with engaging characters who are a mixture of dark age characters as well as men of mythology like Merlin and Arthur. These real characters are aptly supported by the creations and characters conjured from the author’s mind. I particularly liked Duro who was my kind of warrior. Even his animals have character traits. The mark of a master storyteller.
The culture of the Celts and Saxons is vividly portrayed in this immaculately researched novel that races along. This is a real page turner. He is the standard to which other Dark Age authors strive to attain.
100 reviews2 followers
April 20, 2025
Favourite in series so far

After reading 4 or 5 other brilliant books from donavn cook, Simon Turney and JC Duncan. This new instalment of the warrior durid fit in perfectly, it's a gripping high action adventure once again, it also fills in some gaps of some characters that where left unanswered in previous novels, Ria for example. Looking forward to the continuations of the series
Profile Image for Ron Riley.
102 reviews5 followers
November 3, 2024
Steven A McKay is one of the finest authors of medieval historical fiction. I have read all his novels and short works and yearn for more.
This novel continued the story of Bellicus and Duro, Cai and the many characters now so familiar.
The story is compelling and provides the perfect balance of detail and plot.
I find these works to be one of my very best escapes.
I hope you do to.
Profile Image for Thomas Hobbs.
916 reviews8 followers
October 14, 2025
Book 6. Bellicus the hero of Alt Cota is away with other druids for a celebration. But problems are created after Merlin is killed .
Narina is at home, while a war is brewing outside her castle. The saxons have an unexpected alley.
Only Bellicus can fix this.
I hope I didn't give too many spoilers. But this series is catching to much of my attention.
79 reviews
October 11, 2024
Welcome back Bel.


The Warrior Druid is back and not before time, two years is a long time to wait.
Brilliant characters, brilliant plot, totally riveting.
No spoilers from me.
Buy it, read it and enjoy it.
43 reviews2 followers
November 9, 2024
Great read

Another great book in the series plenty of action found that it was a real page Turner kept me hooked from start to finish looking forward to reading the next book in the series
Profile Image for Martin Murphy.
120 reviews1 follower
January 20, 2025
Fantastic read

Well the druid is back, this is the best book of the series to date. Things are not what they seem, the Saxon threat comes to Alt Clota. The story is well written and constructed brilliantly, it carefully builds to it's climax, but leaves you wanting more.
4 reviews
October 16, 2024
Great read!

Great book! The adventures of Bel the druid and his friends just keep getting better. Another fantastic book by McKay
10 reviews
October 16, 2024
good read. The plot was predictable

Also, the author referred to Arthur as Alfred on page 327, and as I mentioned, the plot unfolded in a very predictable manner.
13 reviews
December 10, 2024
Merlin

Battles,treachery,blood eagles and a happy bel whats not to like about this book stevens turning into a fine writer i'm looking forward to what bel gets up to next .
Profile Image for K.L..
Author 2 books16 followers
January 19, 2025
I hope there's more to come in this brilliant series!! This book seems like it COULD have ended the series, but i suspect Hengist won't let things rest!
Profile Image for Mr Bill Dunn.
109 reviews
March 6, 2025
worth the wait

Very enjoyable read, characters still very easy to see in my mind. The story continues to be well written with an excellent plot going forward. Thanks to the author.
Profile Image for W. Boal.
Author 9 books
July 2, 2025
Another 5 stars for another book by Steven A. McKay. The Vengeance of Merlin is everything you'd expect and more in this series. Twists, turns, battles and "magic" make for a great read.
20 reviews1 follower
Read
July 18, 2025
I loved these 6 books. Great characters, and different story lines. Looking for my next book by this author.
Profile Image for Martin Tudor.
23 reviews
November 3, 2025
Best yet

Having read all six of the Warrior Druid of Britain series I have to say this has been the best! Great stuff.
10 reviews
December 13, 2025
Good book

Good book to read on a wet winter's night. So the story continues, can't wait to read the next book.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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