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The Brotherhood of Merlin #3
The Brotherhood of Merlin: The Test of Ostra
Merlin has uncovered the identity of the interloper-Herod Antipaz. With Herod’s latest plan to destroy the Brotherhood foiled by a combination of dumb luck and betrayal, Herod moves on to distance himself from the other conspirators. Slash and burn. Eliminate all who bear witness to his foul deeds. No mercy and no exceptions.
But it is not enough to fool Gilleon’s beloved son, The Merlin. Merlin’s mission is now two-fold: find enough evidence to bring Herod up on treason charges and protect his protégée, Dante, who is destined to be Gilleon’s salvation.
But how can Dante become the salvation of Gilleon when his own demons threaten to overtake him? He will have to find a way to push through the torment and persevere-for Dante will be put through an even worse hell at knight Academy-The Test of Ostra.
But it is not enough to fool Gilleon’s beloved son, The Merlin. Merlin’s mission is now two-fold: find enough evidence to bring Herod up on treason charges and protect his protégée, Dante, who is destined to be Gilleon’s salvation.
But how can Dante become the salvation of Gilleon when his own demons threaten to overtake him? He will have to find a way to push through the torment and persevere-for Dante will be put through an even worse hell at knight Academy-The Test of Ostra.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2019
32 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Rory D. Nelson
14 books33 followersWhen I was growing up, I never had aspirations of writing. Even as an adult, I never longed to write the great American novel. I believed I simply didn’t have the patience for it, though I had good writing skills. I worked hard to get into college, but once I was there I did little in the way of furthering my academic career and nothing in terms of building any future career. My greatest achievement in four years in college was successfully building a bong out of a hand held vacuum cleaner.
Like many college dropouts, I bounced aimlessly from job to job. I was a roofer, a fast food fry cook, a framer, a bouncer, cashier, housecleaner and even a would-be actor. Nothing enriched my soul or brought me any closer to happiness. I yearned for something more. I just didn’t know what it was.
In 1995, I reached a low point in my life. Fresh out of jail from a recent burglary conviction, I found myself homeless, unable to afford even the basic necessities and was forced to move back home to Idaho. I did regain some self-respect and finally got on my feet and once again became completely self-sufficient; but I was still pretty miserable.
I moved back to LA again in 1996 and after a number of unsavory and unsatisfying pursuits, I moved to Sacramento in 1999 to be with my then girlfriend, whom I later married. Like many couples, the illusion of true love obscured in a cloud of compatibility and chemistry eventually dissipated and reality set in. We divorced amicably enough.
By my late thirties, a relentless story had been steadily gnawing its way into my head in the form of dreams. An elaborate, rich, diverse character haunted me, begging me to give him life. Finally, I did just that. I began to write. The very first book I wrote of the character was not great and it was panned at a couple of writing conferences I attended.
Before I even got to the end of that book, the prequel to this amazing saga began to take on life. I knew I had to write it from the beginning. The story evolved as I wrote and continued to delve deeper into this world. This series is a labor of love and I hope you find the world as enthralling as I do.
Like many college dropouts, I bounced aimlessly from job to job. I was a roofer, a fast food fry cook, a framer, a bouncer, cashier, housecleaner and even a would-be actor. Nothing enriched my soul or brought me any closer to happiness. I yearned for something more. I just didn’t know what it was.
In 1995, I reached a low point in my life. Fresh out of jail from a recent burglary conviction, I found myself homeless, unable to afford even the basic necessities and was forced to move back home to Idaho. I did regain some self-respect and finally got on my feet and once again became completely self-sufficient; but I was still pretty miserable.
I moved back to LA again in 1996 and after a number of unsavory and unsatisfying pursuits, I moved to Sacramento in 1999 to be with my then girlfriend, whom I later married. Like many couples, the illusion of true love obscured in a cloud of compatibility and chemistry eventually dissipated and reality set in. We divorced amicably enough.
By my late thirties, a relentless story had been steadily gnawing its way into my head in the form of dreams. An elaborate, rich, diverse character haunted me, begging me to give him life. Finally, I did just that. I began to write. The very first book I wrote of the character was not great and it was panned at a couple of writing conferences I attended.
Before I even got to the end of that book, the prequel to this amazing saga began to take on life. I knew I had to write it from the beginning. The story evolved as I wrote and continued to delve deeper into this world. This series is a labor of love and I hope you find the world as enthralling as I do.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 25, 2020
Dante Wins
In this book Dante nearly becomes a knight. He successfully continues his training. The interloper also gains more power. Merlin remains elusive but helpful.
In this book Dante nearly becomes a knight. He successfully continues his training. The interloper also gains more power. Merlin remains elusive but helpful.
May 16, 2019
n The Test of Ostra, which is Book Three in The Brotherhood of Merlin series, it is a whirl-wind tale of love, betrayal, vengeance, and scorn. The excellent maniacal plot between Merlin and his brethren versus Herod, Morgana, and their minions deepens.
If you’ve been searching for Arthurian fantasy opera with intense intrigue, then you’re in for a treat. Initially, this tale begins immediately where Book Two left off. By the way, it ended with an awesome cliffhanger. So if you didn’t read it, I would recommend doing so. I’ll try my hardest not to include any spoilers. Anyhow, the point being is that Nelson keeps up pace and weaves in the conflict up front. Herod’s scheme from Book Two is a dismal failure and I’m not telling you how. You’ll need to read both books.
Dante, Merlin’s protégé, faced his previous ordeal and lands back at The Academy. He finds himself with a mysterious illness where he sees ‘visions’. These impressions cause severe migrate headaches and could affect his performance. On top of that, he must pass The Academy’s infamous Test of Ostra – another gauntlet testing his physical and mental abilities. Nelson blends in the next bout of elimination where boys become men and the true leader emerges.
At the same time, Merlin must find evidence to bring the interloper to justice. The slippery Herod Antipaz always seems to be one step ahead of Merlin. Or is it the other way around? Nelson paints a glorious match of cat and mouse between these titans of intellect, strategy, and power. You’re left wondering just who’s got the upper hand. The tension is as taut as a tightrope gripping you to the next page.
J
As a bonus, Nelson continues that love affair which was introduced from Book Two. In Book Three, their romance intensifies throwing a wrench into this intricate saga. You must pay close attention because their discovery could mean severe consequences. Besides, the delicious, unexpected, steamy love-making scenes are a nice diversion. Thank you Nelson.
I’ve noticed that with each book, the progression has more Tom Fuckery with unexpected twists, new characters, and added layers. The tension between Herod and Merlin is brewing to a crescendo underneath while their public appearance is a facade., politically speaking.
Like the previous books, the action throughout this book is well paced, pulsating and relentless. But like all good sagas, it is there to move the plot along rather than take over the storyline completely. And this is where Nelson excels.
I loved the first two books in the series. And honestly, Book Three has exceeded my expectations. While it answers some of the questions in Book Two, The Test of Ostra has you riveting for more. You won’t be disappointed.
If you’ve been searching for Arthurian fantasy opera with intense intrigue, then you’re in for a treat. Initially, this tale begins immediately where Book Two left off. By the way, it ended with an awesome cliffhanger. So if you didn’t read it, I would recommend doing so. I’ll try my hardest not to include any spoilers. Anyhow, the point being is that Nelson keeps up pace and weaves in the conflict up front. Herod’s scheme from Book Two is a dismal failure and I’m not telling you how. You’ll need to read both books.
Dante, Merlin’s protégé, faced his previous ordeal and lands back at The Academy. He finds himself with a mysterious illness where he sees ‘visions’. These impressions cause severe migrate headaches and could affect his performance. On top of that, he must pass The Academy’s infamous Test of Ostra – another gauntlet testing his physical and mental abilities. Nelson blends in the next bout of elimination where boys become men and the true leader emerges.
At the same time, Merlin must find evidence to bring the interloper to justice. The slippery Herod Antipaz always seems to be one step ahead of Merlin. Or is it the other way around? Nelson paints a glorious match of cat and mouse between these titans of intellect, strategy, and power. You’re left wondering just who’s got the upper hand. The tension is as taut as a tightrope gripping you to the next page.
J
As a bonus, Nelson continues that love affair which was introduced from Book Two. In Book Three, their romance intensifies throwing a wrench into this intricate saga. You must pay close attention because their discovery could mean severe consequences. Besides, the delicious, unexpected, steamy love-making scenes are a nice diversion. Thank you Nelson.
I’ve noticed that with each book, the progression has more Tom Fuckery with unexpected twists, new characters, and added layers. The tension between Herod and Merlin is brewing to a crescendo underneath while their public appearance is a facade., politically speaking.
Like the previous books, the action throughout this book is well paced, pulsating and relentless. But like all good sagas, it is there to move the plot along rather than take over the storyline completely. And this is where Nelson excels.
I loved the first two books in the series. And honestly, Book Three has exceeded my expectations. While it answers some of the questions in Book Two, The Test of Ostra has you riveting for more. You won’t be disappointed.
May 14, 2019
Book 3 in this series takes on a more adult stance in that it contains explicit sex scenes and very graphic scenes of violence and maybe this is due to the rigorous training Dante and the rest of the aspiring students are undergoing as they are now approaching their final choosing. Many have been eliminated over the years and only the very elite are still standing and the choice of leader is imminent. Dante is tested in this book to the extreme and I found the Test of Ostra which was imposed on him by Merlin to be heart wrenching but what does not kill us makes us stronger, and I think this is what the extreme test set out to do! I love that Dante’s wolf Cammilia is always by his side even when everyone else was barely tolerating him. I think it was she who kept him sane. Felinius is walking a real tightrope in working for Herod Antipaz and acting as the nemesis of the brotherhood due to the grudge he holds against Merlin. Herod the interloper gets more ambitious as the story unfolds and has no conscience whatsoever and together with Morgana they make use of people without a thought. This is a great series but I think this is not a book for the faint hearted!
November 9, 2020
This episode isn't quite so bloodthirsty, but sexual encounters are added, perhaps now excluding this from mid teens... hard to say in this day and age.
We see Dante move through his testing stages in his bid to become a knight. Then in the background, we have various scenarios occurring, mostly on behest of the interloper, than is intent on taking over the kingdom.
As usual, Merlin and his fellow brethren have other ideas.
I have enjoyed this series, regardless of the brutality, which in war and times gone by, it was a fact of life. It's the unfortunate situation that brutality, rape and military takeovers are still part of world's makeup.
We see Dante move through his testing stages in his bid to become a knight. Then in the background, we have various scenarios occurring, mostly on behest of the interloper, than is intent on taking over the kingdom.
As usual, Merlin and his fellow brethren have other ideas.
I have enjoyed this series, regardless of the brutality, which in war and times gone by, it was a fact of life. It's the unfortunate situation that brutality, rape and military takeovers are still part of world's makeup.
June 3, 2019
if you enjoyed the previous books this one does not disappoint, a must read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews