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Islands in the Mist #5
The Young Stag
Soon after Arhianna begins her training at Dun Scathach, restored memories throw her into a perilous tailspin resulting in deadly consequences. Her path spirals into ever darker places in her search for redemption, triggering a painful yet powerful transformation.
Taliesin, desperate to gain the skills required to defend his loved ones against the ancient powers that stalk them, commits to apprentice under Amergin the Bard. His journey takes him far from Caer Leon, leaving Igerna to bear the heavy secret of Morgen’s parentage alone.
Igerna shoulders her responsibility well, at first, raising Morgen as twin sister to her only son, Arthur. A twin birth is auspicious, and the people of Caer Leon rejoice that their king and queen have been so blessed. As the years pass, however, Morgen’s birthright becomes more apparent, inciting gossip and fear. Morgen is, as expected, an enchanting and special child, gifted with supernatural abilities that are hard to hide. Unable to reach Taliesin and fearful that Morgen may soon become the object of ridicule—or worse, persecution—Igerna takes matters into her own hands. She journeys home with her children to seek the advice of the one other person in the world she feels might be able to help her daughter.
The wheel of fate turns as Morgen and Arthur come of age, sending them in separate directions. Once outside the safety of Caer Leon, those seeking to influence the pair close in quickly, some well-intentioned, others ruthless and opportunistic.
Arthur is catapulted into the position he was born to fulfill, though perhaps not in the way anyone expected. Morgen, too, is pulled toward her anticipated destiny, but conversely, one marked by efforts to prevent it, rather than facilitate it.
In the end, Arthur and Morgen stand poised on the precipice of immense power, drawing all into their orbit as they step into the roles that will inspire songs and stories for centuries to come.
Taliesin, desperate to gain the skills required to defend his loved ones against the ancient powers that stalk them, commits to apprentice under Amergin the Bard. His journey takes him far from Caer Leon, leaving Igerna to bear the heavy secret of Morgen’s parentage alone.
Igerna shoulders her responsibility well, at first, raising Morgen as twin sister to her only son, Arthur. A twin birth is auspicious, and the people of Caer Leon rejoice that their king and queen have been so blessed. As the years pass, however, Morgen’s birthright becomes more apparent, inciting gossip and fear. Morgen is, as expected, an enchanting and special child, gifted with supernatural abilities that are hard to hide. Unable to reach Taliesin and fearful that Morgen may soon become the object of ridicule—or worse, persecution—Igerna takes matters into her own hands. She journeys home with her children to seek the advice of the one other person in the world she feels might be able to help her daughter.
The wheel of fate turns as Morgen and Arthur come of age, sending them in separate directions. Once outside the safety of Caer Leon, those seeking to influence the pair close in quickly, some well-intentioned, others ruthless and opportunistic.
Arthur is catapulted into the position he was born to fulfill, though perhaps not in the way anyone expected. Morgen, too, is pulled toward her anticipated destiny, but conversely, one marked by efforts to prevent it, rather than facilitate it.
In the end, Arthur and Morgen stand poised on the precipice of immense power, drawing all into their orbit as they step into the roles that will inspire songs and stories for centuries to come.
571 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2021
About the author
J.M. Hofer
10 books65 followersJ.M. Hofer delivers page-turning tales of adventure and sorcery in her award-winning novel, Islands in the Mist, and its sequels. Set in 6th century Britain and steeped in Welsh legend, her series brings to life the mythic world before the arrival of King Arthur.
Book 1 was chosen as one of five semi-finalists out of 2,000 in the Fantasy/Sci Fi/Horror genre of the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.
She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she can escape to the solace of the American Desert when it calls.
Book 1 was chosen as one of five semi-finalists out of 2,000 in the Fantasy/Sci Fi/Horror genre of the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.
She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she can escape to the solace of the American Desert when it calls.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 15, 2021
I love this series, and this book was certainly one to love. I enjoyed the continued story of arhianna and taliesin, and getting to find out who Morgan and Arthur have become and have the potential to be as they grow and make important decisions.
December 24, 2025
Arhianna is now training with Scathach and her people after the birth of her daughter, named after The Morrigan. She gives the baby to the selkies so that she may begin her training, as they live nearby. They happen to be the group that Ula is from and she comes home. Taliesin knows that they can’t protect his daughter from the Fae, so he gets Ula to put the baby into her selkie skin and swim to a place of his choosing to hide the baby from the Fae. This plan is ingenious. The people at Dun Scathach call Arhianna, Ronin. She befriends Gawyr, when he returns from bringing Taliesin back. She also befriends the cook, healer and former warrior, Niamh. What they go thru is heartbreaking and I cried. As the majority of the warriors go off to fight with Scathach, leaving only a handful behind. There are a bunch of revelations herein. I still can’t believe how Ingvar escaped and there is revenge on both sides. Niamh teaches her the most regarding the history of the Scathachs. She also explains that Ronin has shadow-wings from The Morrigan, and what that entails.
Maelwys, who is Nimue’s brother, causes more problems as Myrthin taught him. He tries to befriend Arhianna. After leaving Dun Scathach, Arhianna meets The Morrigan and she is tasked with going to the land of the dead to retrieve someone who is needed to lead an army that The Morrigan is calling. However, Arhianna doesn’t know just how dangerous this mission is.
Meanwhile, Taliesinis learning much from the Archdruid Amergin of Eire. They meet with Uthyr on the way to see Elffin, there, he tells his father of what happened to Ula and that he meets his and Ula’s son. Taliesin learns more Druid and bardic lore there, and also becomes more of a warrior to protect himself. Plus, he learns what he needs to in order to take out Maelwys & Myrthin.
Meanwhile, Morgen (Morrigan, the daughter), grows and she is the twin to Arthur. She goes through the baby milestones so quickly, that people are beginning to talk and be scared of her. This causes a problem for Igerna, so she decides that she will visit her mother and see if her old nursemaid, Derwa is still alive to help with Morgen. Morgause, daughter of Igerna and Gorlois, will also be going. Derwa knows the Old Ways, and won’t be afraid of the girl.
Intrigue, betrayal, death and sickness rule the land, while it is bombarded by enemies on all sides. Young Arthur shows how much he understands strategy at a young age, and Uthyr is beginning to realize that he has not a lot of time left in that world. But, even ill, Uthyr fights for his people. Taliesin returns and begins Arthur’s training while Morgen gets training on the Isle of Glass by the Abbess and sisters on the tor. But, hidden there also is the Lady of the Lake, Nimue who knows who Morgen truly is and is teaching her as well. All those who fought for Uthyr are now wanting to stay home and protect their people from the enemies: Picts, Saxons, Irish and there are more causing problems. Arthur shows his worth and they begin to realize that the only way to win is to unite under one banner, and protect those at home by all of them being inside fortresses that can be defended by fewer men.
There are a lot of deaths in this book of characters that I fell in love with back in book 1 and now are old. A lot of bad things happening made me cry. Arthur’s training takes him on a new path, since Uthyr is dying. I am amazed at what he learned and how he did such unique strategies and things. Very impressive. He will prove that he is the one to follow as High King, because he cares for his people and thus, more will survive his battle strategies.
One of my favorite things in the book is that the Archbishop and Taliesin work together on the trials, as was Uthyr’s wish- that the next High King would be chosen after two trials, one from each of them. I was shocked at what they came up with, although one of them is known the most when thinking about Arthurian lore, the Sword in the Stone. (Which happens to be one of my fave Disney movies when I was little.). I know that this version of the story is the more realistic one. So many shocking revelations in this book and it looks like it isn’t over yet. Hopefully there will be one or more books to go.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Maelwys, who is Nimue’s brother, causes more problems as Myrthin taught him. He tries to befriend Arhianna. After leaving Dun Scathach, Arhianna meets The Morrigan and she is tasked with going to the land of the dead to retrieve someone who is needed to lead an army that The Morrigan is calling. However, Arhianna doesn’t know just how dangerous this mission is.
Meanwhile, Taliesinis learning much from the Archdruid Amergin of Eire. They meet with Uthyr on the way to see Elffin, there, he tells his father of what happened to Ula and that he meets his and Ula’s son. Taliesin learns more Druid and bardic lore there, and also becomes more of a warrior to protect himself. Plus, he learns what he needs to in order to take out Maelwys & Myrthin.
Meanwhile, Morgen (Morrigan, the daughter), grows and she is the twin to Arthur. She goes through the baby milestones so quickly, that people are beginning to talk and be scared of her. This causes a problem for Igerna, so she decides that she will visit her mother and see if her old nursemaid, Derwa is still alive to help with Morgen. Morgause, daughter of Igerna and Gorlois, will also be going. Derwa knows the Old Ways, and won’t be afraid of the girl.
Intrigue, betrayal, death and sickness rule the land, while it is bombarded by enemies on all sides. Young Arthur shows how much he understands strategy at a young age, and Uthyr is beginning to realize that he has not a lot of time left in that world. But, even ill, Uthyr fights for his people. Taliesin returns and begins Arthur’s training while Morgen gets training on the Isle of Glass by the Abbess and sisters on the tor. But, hidden there also is the Lady of the Lake, Nimue who knows who Morgen truly is and is teaching her as well. All those who fought for Uthyr are now wanting to stay home and protect their people from the enemies: Picts, Saxons, Irish and there are more causing problems. Arthur shows his worth and they begin to realize that the only way to win is to unite under one banner, and protect those at home by all of them being inside fortresses that can be defended by fewer men.
There are a lot of deaths in this book of characters that I fell in love with back in book 1 and now are old. A lot of bad things happening made me cry. Arthur’s training takes him on a new path, since Uthyr is dying. I am amazed at what he learned and how he did such unique strategies and things. Very impressive. He will prove that he is the one to follow as High King, because he cares for his people and thus, more will survive his battle strategies.
One of my favorite things in the book is that the Archbishop and Taliesin work together on the trials, as was Uthyr’s wish- that the next High King would be chosen after two trials, one from each of them. I was shocked at what they came up with, although one of them is known the most when thinking about Arthurian lore, the Sword in the Stone. (Which happens to be one of my fave Disney movies when I was little.). I know that this version of the story is the more realistic one. So many shocking revelations in this book and it looks like it isn’t over yet. Hopefully there will be one or more books to go.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 23, 2025
The book starts with a recapitulation of precious events in book 4. Although I highly recommend reading all the books, one by one, this will give you the ultimate experience of this journey.
Beautifully written, characters brought to live and the storylines perfectly woven together!
This story is written with passion and a soul!!
J.M. Hofer, you are a true artist with words! 🤩.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Beautifully written, characters brought to live and the storylines perfectly woven together!
This story is written with passion and a soul!!
J.M. Hofer, you are a true artist with words! 🤩.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 7, 2026
I have had the pleasure in reading the first four installments from J M Hofer's Islands in the Mist series. I was excited to get my hands on the latest addition called, The Young Stag. I was once again thrown into an action filled adventure. Since it is part of a series, I believe it would be best to start with book one to have a better reading experience and more understanding what had previously happened before the start of this one. I enjoyed going back in time and learning about ancient British legends and seeing them being brought to life. I admired the author's imagination in writing a fantastical tale that made me feel like I had gone back in time and appear as if I was right there among the characters. I believe this may be my favorite of the series. It was easy for me to read chapter after chapter until I had the whole book read in one sitting.
I am going to give The Young Stag a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who are fans of fantasy and historical fiction. I believe it is one not to be missed. I would love to read more new releases from the very talented author, J M Hofer in the future. They have definitely earned themselves a new fan.
I received a digital copy of J M Hofer's The Young Stag from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am going to give The Young Stag a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who are fans of fantasy and historical fiction. I believe it is one not to be missed. I would love to read more new releases from the very talented author, J M Hofer in the future. They have definitely earned themselves a new fan.
I received a digital copy of J M Hofer's The Young Stag from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
February 19, 2026
With The Young Stag, J. M. Hofer brings the Islands in the Mist series into its most reflective and emotionally resonant phase. After the gathering shadows and rising responsibilities of earlier installments, this book feels deeply concerned with legacy — what is inherited, what is chosen, and what must be sacrificed.
The narrative carries a quieter confidence, focusing less on discovery and more on consequence. Threads carefully laid in previous books begin to tighten, giving the story a sense of purpose that feels both inevitable and earned. There is a noticeable maturity in the storytelling here, as the saga leans fully into the weight of myth becoming history.
The Young Stag brings the series into a more reflective and emotionally grounded phase. Themes of legacy, responsibility, and hard-earned wisdom take center stage, supported by the series’ signature mythic atmosphere. A satisfying continuation for readers invested in the journey.
The narrative carries a quieter confidence, focusing less on discovery and more on consequence. Threads carefully laid in previous books begin to tighten, giving the story a sense of purpose that feels both inevitable and earned. There is a noticeable maturity in the storytelling here, as the saga leans fully into the weight of myth becoming history.
The Young Stag brings the series into a more reflective and emotionally grounded phase. Themes of legacy, responsibility, and hard-earned wisdom take center stage, supported by the series’ signature mythic atmosphere. A satisfying continuation for readers invested in the journey.
January 16, 2022
This book was worth the wait. Beautifully written, masterfully woven, and a wonderful reimagining of the Arthurian legends: The Young Stag revives aspects often excluded from modern tellings and embraces both magic and dragons; made all the more real by the strong foundation of Celtic folklore and legend. Gods and the great cycle of life are characters and themes of their own in this rich epic, while Arthur and his loved ones are endearingly brought to life: characters both old and new interweaving perfectly into the beginnings of this new Arthurian legend.
February 2, 2026
This is by far my favourite book of the series. I loved catching up on Arhianna and Taliesin adventures and following them as it advances. Finding out what important decisions Morgan and Arthur are facing and watching it force their development was exciting too. I enjoyed the experience of further getting to know the characters. I urge you to read The Young Stag but it is better enjoyed too read all the books in the series in order to get the most effective knowledge and understanding.
March 9, 2026
The final book brings the series to a thoughtful and resonant close. The Young Stag focuses less on spectacle and more on legacy — on what remains after growth, struggle, and hard-earned maturity.
What I appreciated most is how true this ending feels to the journey as a whole. Threads established early in the series come full circle, and character development is allowed to feel gradual and earned rather than rushed toward a dramatic finish.
This is a conclusion that rewards patience. For readers who have followed the series from the beginning, it offers a sense of completion rooted in reflection, continuity, and quiet strength.
This review first appeared on GinaRaeMitchell.com.
What I appreciated most is how true this ending feels to the journey as a whole. Threads established early in the series come full circle, and character development is allowed to feel gradual and earned rather than rushed toward a dramatic finish.
This is a conclusion that rewards patience. For readers who have followed the series from the beginning, it offers a sense of completion rooted in reflection, continuity, and quiet strength.
This review first appeared on GinaRaeMitchell.com.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews