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Merlin's Descendants #3
Guardian of the Vision
Now in paperback, the third novel in Irene Radford's acclaimed saga follows Merlin's descendants to Elizabethan England-where royal rivalries are complicated by the unexpected arrival of magic, witches...and the Demon of Chaos.
560 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2001
3 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Irene Radford
127 books135 followersAlso uses C.F. Bentley, Phyllis Irene Radford, Julia Verne St. John, Rachel Atwood, Phyllis Ames, P. Irene Radford and P.R. Frost.
Irene has been writing stories ever since she figured out what a pencil was for. Combining a love for Medieval history and a fascination with paranormal, Irene concentrated on fantasy writing.
In her spare time, Irene enjoys lacemaking and is a long time member of an international guild. Check out THE LONELIEST MAGICIAN, The Dragon Nimbus #3 for an exploration of her favorite obsession. A piece of magic lace is the obvious patch for a dragon wing. She has published numerous magazine articles about the history and technique of lacemaking as well as self publishing two lacemaker's fairy tales with lace patterns that can be made up to illustrate the stories. When she isn't writing or making lace she enjoys exploring the back roads and many museums of the Pacific Northwest.
For many years Irene was active in Ballet du Lac, a semi-pro ballet company. She taught ballet to youngsters in her local community school program. At the same time she led a Cub Scout pack and frequently found her home the preferred playground in the neighborhood for many more children than she thought possible.
Irene has held many full and part time jobs from Insurance underwriter to assistant curator of a museum to clerk in a fabric store. Writing is now her “day job.”
Two years ago, Irene took up fencing as research for GUARDIAN OF THE FREEDOM, Merlin’s Descendants #5. She figured one quarter would give her some vocabulary and a feel for a weapon in her hand. But that wasn’t enough to write realistic battles on the Ottoman frontier or convincing duels. So she signed up for another quarter. And another. Now she’s addicted and needs to add fencing to more of her books and let her subjects range further afield.
A native Oregonian living in Oregon, Irene is a member of an endangered species. As a service brat, she lived in a number of cities throughout the country until returning to Oregon in time to graduate from Tigard High School. She earned a B.A. in history from Lewis and Clark College, where she met her husband, Tim. Historical research has remained a lifelong passion and finally became a part of her job with the historical fantasy series Merlin’s Descendants.
Irene and her husband currently make their home in Welches, Oregon where they share their back yard with deer, coyotes, bear (check the pictures), raccoons and too many bird species to mention.
Irene has been writing stories ever since she figured out what a pencil was for. Combining a love for Medieval history and a fascination with paranormal, Irene concentrated on fantasy writing.
In her spare time, Irene enjoys lacemaking and is a long time member of an international guild. Check out THE LONELIEST MAGICIAN, The Dragon Nimbus #3 for an exploration of her favorite obsession. A piece of magic lace is the obvious patch for a dragon wing. She has published numerous magazine articles about the history and technique of lacemaking as well as self publishing two lacemaker's fairy tales with lace patterns that can be made up to illustrate the stories. When she isn't writing or making lace she enjoys exploring the back roads and many museums of the Pacific Northwest.
For many years Irene was active in Ballet du Lac, a semi-pro ballet company. She taught ballet to youngsters in her local community school program. At the same time she led a Cub Scout pack and frequently found her home the preferred playground in the neighborhood for many more children than she thought possible.
Irene has held many full and part time jobs from Insurance underwriter to assistant curator of a museum to clerk in a fabric store. Writing is now her “day job.”
Two years ago, Irene took up fencing as research for GUARDIAN OF THE FREEDOM, Merlin’s Descendants #5. She figured one quarter would give her some vocabulary and a feel for a weapon in her hand. But that wasn’t enough to write realistic battles on the Ottoman frontier or convincing duels. So she signed up for another quarter. And another. Now she’s addicted and needs to add fencing to more of her books and let her subjects range further afield.
A native Oregonian living in Oregon, Irene is a member of an endangered species. As a service brat, she lived in a number of cities throughout the country until returning to Oregon in time to graduate from Tigard High School. She earned a B.A. in history from Lewis and Clark College, where she met her husband, Tim. Historical research has remained a lifelong passion and finally became a part of her job with the historical fantasy series Merlin’s Descendants.
Irene and her husband currently make their home in Welches, Oregon where they share their back yard with deer, coyotes, bear (check the pictures), raccoons and too many bird species to mention.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 16, 2018
This is a story mainly about Griffin, though it does switch viewpoints. He is a descendant of Merlin and is studying to be the next Pendragon, a person who looks over the well-being of Britain. However, he goes against his family's wishes and goes away from his home to become a Catholic priest. When Elizabeth I takes the throne and Mary Stuart makes plans to take the English throne for herself, Griffin sees that he must reconcile his beliefs of faith and his need to stop Tryblith, the Demon of Chaos, who wants to start war in Britain.
The main complaint I have with this book is that it relies heavily on stereotypes. There is nothing exciting or surprising about the characters. Griffin is a devoted priest who worries constantly about being damned, Roanna is the seductress harboring (and being tricked by) a demon, the old characters are generally wise, the high-ranking characters are generally manipulative and power-hungry. It is all black and white with these characters, which I didn't especially like. There were also times in the plot where things happen just a little too conveniently. It was ridiculously easy for Roanna to work her way up to become the adviser of high-ranking nobles, as it was for Griffin to find Queen Elizabeth I's illegitimate child. (She put a note in her own hand by her son's birthing record. I'm so sure a queen intent on hiding a child would slip up like that.) In short, there were some serious believability issues.
Despite that, I actually did enjoy reading this story. It was surprisingly easy to follow, even though it's the third in the series and I haven't read the other two. It easily could have been a stand-alone. And I like Radford's take on the Merlin story. The history is well-researched and so well integrated with the mythology, that I felt like I was reading a long-established myth instead of Radford's version of the Merlin/King Arthur story. There is a good deal of action and intrigue and I was kept interested in the story, even if I felt annoyed by the writing style. I think fans of fantasy and especially of Arthurian legends will enjoy Guardian of the Vision.
*I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.*
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
The main complaint I have with this book is that it relies heavily on stereotypes. There is nothing exciting or surprising about the characters. Griffin is a devoted priest who worries constantly about being damned, Roanna is the seductress harboring (and being tricked by) a demon, the old characters are generally wise, the high-ranking characters are generally manipulative and power-hungry. It is all black and white with these characters, which I didn't especially like. There were also times in the plot where things happen just a little too conveniently. It was ridiculously easy for Roanna to work her way up to become the adviser of high-ranking nobles, as it was for Griffin to find Queen Elizabeth I's illegitimate child. (She put a note in her own hand by her son's birthing record. I'm so sure a queen intent on hiding a child would slip up like that.) In short, there were some serious believability issues.
Despite that, I actually did enjoy reading this story. It was surprisingly easy to follow, even though it's the third in the series and I haven't read the other two. It easily could have been a stand-alone. And I like Radford's take on the Merlin story. The history is well-researched and so well integrated with the mythology, that I felt like I was reading a long-established myth instead of Radford's version of the Merlin/King Arthur story. There is a good deal of action and intrigue and I was kept interested in the story, even if I felt annoyed by the writing style. I think fans of fantasy and especially of Arthurian legends will enjoy Guardian of the Vision.
*I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.*
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
June 27, 2020
You know a book is good when you can’t put it down and you grieve for the characters at the end.
May 22, 2012
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I had read this book (and the rest of the series) several years ago, but had never written reviews. Since the series is being re-released in e-book format, I thought it was time to give it another go and actually write reviews. So far, I have not been disappointed.
One of the things I remember liking best about this series the first time I read it is that you don't have to have read the earlier books to enjoy the later ones. While it certainly helps and adds dimension to the story, the books are set far enough apart from each other in time that the details of earlier stories are less important than the broad outlines. Those are included by the author as discoveries made by the characters (either as tales handed down the generations or as accounts written by those who experienced the events). This is a handy thing for the reader who is unable to read the entire series, but it doesn't overly detract for the reader who is able to read the series in order without breaks.
Ms. Radford's research into history is quite apparent. While some may be unhappy with the way certain characters have been changed, it is necessary when writing fiction based on historical events unless your writing is intended for amateur or professional historians. Otherwise it's too confusing for the many readers who don't know or care when/how someone's title changed from this to that to this other thing during the time-span of the story. Also, Ms. Radford's style echoes the way people actually wrote and spoke during the period and yet a modern audience will easily understand without every detail having to be "translated" or explained.
I personally felt that Ms. Radford found a very neat method of dealing with the competing queens: Mary of Scots and Elizabeth I of England (and to a lesser extent, Marie de Guise, in Scotland, and Catherine de Medici, in France). The queens are simply supporting characters, and we the readers get a much more nuanced view of these strong personalities through the people around them. The actions of the queens (and other well-known historical figures) often inform the actions of our main characters, driving the action just as it did during the actual period.
For this particular entry in the series, the main characters are the twins Griffin and Donovan, descendants of Merlin, and Roanna, a descendant of Nimue (a step-daughter of Merlin's daughter Wren from the first book, and more often known as Ninian or Viviane in the Arthurian tales). As the plot synopsis is easily available elsewhere, I won't go into it, but as fans of Ms. Radford's work will expect, we see the characters' mistakes and triumphs as they struggle with the realities of life during this period of time with all of its social, political, and religious upheavals. And, of course, the magic is interwoven in a way that fits quite nicely, neither overpowering the more mundane details nor getting lost in them.
I had read this book (and the rest of the series) several years ago, but had never written reviews. Since the series is being re-released in e-book format, I thought it was time to give it another go and actually write reviews. So far, I have not been disappointed.
One of the things I remember liking best about this series the first time I read it is that you don't have to have read the earlier books to enjoy the later ones. While it certainly helps and adds dimension to the story, the books are set far enough apart from each other in time that the details of earlier stories are less important than the broad outlines. Those are included by the author as discoveries made by the characters (either as tales handed down the generations or as accounts written by those who experienced the events). This is a handy thing for the reader who is unable to read the entire series, but it doesn't overly detract for the reader who is able to read the series in order without breaks.
Ms. Radford's research into history is quite apparent. While some may be unhappy with the way certain characters have been changed, it is necessary when writing fiction based on historical events unless your writing is intended for amateur or professional historians. Otherwise it's too confusing for the many readers who don't know or care when/how someone's title changed from this to that to this other thing during the time-span of the story. Also, Ms. Radford's style echoes the way people actually wrote and spoke during the period and yet a modern audience will easily understand without every detail having to be "translated" or explained.
I personally felt that Ms. Radford found a very neat method of dealing with the competing queens: Mary of Scots and Elizabeth I of England (and to a lesser extent, Marie de Guise, in Scotland, and Catherine de Medici, in France). The queens are simply supporting characters, and we the readers get a much more nuanced view of these strong personalities through the people around them. The actions of the queens (and other well-known historical figures) often inform the actions of our main characters, driving the action just as it did during the actual period.
For this particular entry in the series, the main characters are the twins Griffin and Donovan, descendants of Merlin, and Roanna, a descendant of Nimue (a step-daughter of Merlin's daughter Wren from the first book, and more often known as Ninian or Viviane in the Arthurian tales). As the plot synopsis is easily available elsewhere, I won't go into it, but as fans of Ms. Radford's work will expect, we see the characters' mistakes and triumphs as they struggle with the realities of life during this period of time with all of its social, political, and religious upheavals. And, of course, the magic is interwoven in a way that fits quite nicely, neither overpowering the more mundane details nor getting lost in them.
June 15, 2013
A disappointing, uncomfortable genre/subject blend.
A fan of most things to do with the Arthuriad, in respect of that I found the book somewhat disappointing. The characters felt too fussy to me, and it took until I was a long way into the book to actually manage to put that aside and start to enjoy the story for what it was. Mind you, thereby hangs the story’s main problem as I also felt that, for a long way into the book, it remained unclear just what the narrative was trying to be.
Whilst I am aware that there are many successful blend of historical and fantasy novels, it felt as though there was something either lacking or forced in this particular blend that rendered it ineffective for most of the time. It was only toward the last part of the book, when historical aspect of the book settled into the background, as a setting rather than as part of the action, (as it had been when the focus was on the political intrigue of Queen Elizabeth, and Mary Queen of Scots courts), that the book became more enjoyable to read.
The journey of, and questioning of, what constitutes faith and the difference between faith and religion was, in my opinion, the most interesting aspect of the book, and is as pertinent now, if not more so, than the time in which the action of the book is set. Does it truly matter what we call god? Even in this however, I felt that at times the point was belaboured, and the impact thereby somewhat lessened.
The overall impression of the book, although I enjoyed it well enough, was that it was perhaps overly long, and could have been a story that was more tightly held together. It tried to fit in way too much, in too many genre styles.
A fan of most things to do with the Arthuriad, in respect of that I found the book somewhat disappointing. The characters felt too fussy to me, and it took until I was a long way into the book to actually manage to put that aside and start to enjoy the story for what it was. Mind you, thereby hangs the story’s main problem as I also felt that, for a long way into the book, it remained unclear just what the narrative was trying to be.
Whilst I am aware that there are many successful blend of historical and fantasy novels, it felt as though there was something either lacking or forced in this particular blend that rendered it ineffective for most of the time. It was only toward the last part of the book, when historical aspect of the book settled into the background, as a setting rather than as part of the action, (as it had been when the focus was on the political intrigue of Queen Elizabeth, and Mary Queen of Scots courts), that the book became more enjoyable to read.
The journey of, and questioning of, what constitutes faith and the difference between faith and religion was, in my opinion, the most interesting aspect of the book, and is as pertinent now, if not more so, than the time in which the action of the book is set. Does it truly matter what we call god? Even in this however, I felt that at times the point was belaboured, and the impact thereby somewhat lessened.
The overall impression of the book, although I enjoyed it well enough, was that it was perhaps overly long, and could have been a story that was more tightly held together. It tried to fit in way too much, in too many genre styles.
April 25, 2012
If you love big historical fantasies, Radford's Pendragon novels are right up your alley. Radford has created a style that has echoes of the way her period characters would have thought and written, without interfering with the understanding of a modern audience.
One thing you can count on in this book is character change and growth. There is space and more for these transformations, as we see enough of the harshness of the period to let us understand the characters and some of their choices. This is not a simple good character/bad character book. Good people make mistakes and do bad things, things that would have been passed over as conventional in the time. Magic works its intent, for good or ill, and characters struggle with the religious and political questions of the age.
One thing that is striking -- it's hard to read books about Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots without the author loving one ruler and hating the other. Here Radford shows them as supporting characters of the story, their actions dictating the actions of the heroes. They are neither good nor evil, but educated women of their time, both pawns and ruling queens, and all the more interesting for their flaws.
If you need protagonists who are saints or always right, this may not be the book for you. But if you want a story you can sink your teeth into, with questions that are not so easily answered, you're in the right place!
One thing you can count on in this book is character change and growth. There is space and more for these transformations, as we see enough of the harshness of the period to let us understand the characters and some of their choices. This is not a simple good character/bad character book. Good people make mistakes and do bad things, things that would have been passed over as conventional in the time. Magic works its intent, for good or ill, and characters struggle with the religious and political questions of the age.
One thing that is striking -- it's hard to read books about Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots without the author loving one ruler and hating the other. Here Radford shows them as supporting characters of the story, their actions dictating the actions of the heroes. They are neither good nor evil, but educated women of their time, both pawns and ruling queens, and all the more interesting for their flaws.
If you need protagonists who are saints or always right, this may not be the book for you. But if you want a story you can sink your teeth into, with questions that are not so easily answered, you're in the right place!
May 26, 2012
This is not the first of Irene Radford's books that I have read, however it is the first I have picked up in this particular series. As someone familiar with her work I was happy to see a hint of fantasy mingled in with the historical fiction of the legend of the Merlin. I was also happy to find that the book itself was a journey in faith. Not only Christian or Pagan faith, but faith in general. Seeing how a Merlin turned priest would be accepted among his peers in either group was an interesting aspect of the story. My only one complaint was that Griffin's love interest tends to go on and on and on about how he has left her when really it was a matter of being drunk and not remembering the night at all. Hearing her moan about their time together and how she knew him intimately as often as she did was a little over the top for me.
Not really a fan of the Arthur legend, but I may end up changing my mind after reading this book. I might just go and read the rest of the series.
Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
Not really a fan of the Arthur legend, but I may end up changing my mind after reading this book. I might just go and read the rest of the series.
Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
November 12, 2025
This is the third book in a series of novels focusing on the mythical bloodline of Merlin. This story is set about 300 years after “Guardian of the Trust,†which places the story in the 16th century. The protagonist of this novel is mainly Griffin Kirkenwood, but he shares the limelight with his twin brother Donovan Kirkenwood. The historical facts of this installment focus on Queen Elizabeth's reign in England and the conflict with Mary Queen of Scots. By switching the protagonist to a male character, the story lost much of its appeal the prior two novels had held for me. Griffin and Donovan were not strong enough characters to make me want to read about them. In fact, this book has been dragging on for more than a month, I am unable to get into the storyline and I feel no affection for the brothers. I just keep praying the story will end soon, which is the main theme of the story. Griffin is on a spiritual journey to find his faith, he has become a catholic priest and has let his magic lay fallow, as a result chaos almost takes England. The premise of the story is interesting on its own but Radford just was unable to follow through. Overall this was a very tedious read, and I had to force myself to continue with the book to the end.
May 9, 2013
Third in the "Descendants of Merlin" series, the second that I've read, again receiving the ebook as part of Librarything's Early Reviewers.
Times have progressed and England is ruled by the Catholic Mary and then the Protestant Elizabeth. There is a risk of both civil war and war with France (and Spain) as the Catholic and Protestant faiths do battle over much of Europe. Political alliances, and dictates from the Church in Rome keeps everything fluid and unstable.
Griffin and Donovan, identical twins brought up in the tradition of the Pendragon take different paths in life and are separated for many years through distrust.
Once again the stability of Britain is at stake and it takes both brothers to join forces against the Demon of Chaos, who is trying to break free from his prison in order to wreak havoc upon the world.
Not quite as strong as the first book but still s reasonable and enjoyable read
Times have progressed and England is ruled by the Catholic Mary and then the Protestant Elizabeth. There is a risk of both civil war and war with France (and Spain) as the Catholic and Protestant faiths do battle over much of Europe. Political alliances, and dictates from the Church in Rome keeps everything fluid and unstable.
Griffin and Donovan, identical twins brought up in the tradition of the Pendragon take different paths in life and are separated for many years through distrust.
Once again the stability of Britain is at stake and it takes both brothers to join forces against the Demon of Chaos, who is trying to break free from his prison in order to wreak havoc upon the world.
Not quite as strong as the first book but still s reasonable and enjoyable read
April 14, 2012
This is the first book of this series I have read and hopefully not the last. I really enjoyed the story, full of good vs evil, magic, intrigue, all of the things that make for a fantastic read. The characters were likeable, the imagery was rich and the story flowed seamlessly. I also liked the fact that there were real life kings and queens used, you can almost imagine this as a true story with a little bit of myth thrown in. I can't wait to read more!!!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews