The Broken Kings

First warning and a disclosure: There's a few potential SPOILERS below. Also, I am a rabid Robert Holdstock fan. I've read everything he's written, even some schlocky stuff he wrote under a pseudonym. He is truly the greatest living fantasy writer of the English language. That said, "The Broken Kings" was something of a disappointment for me. It continues the story, but introduces a new character to explain the invasion of Ghostland into Cornovidi lands. This new character is certainly interesting, but his connection to the main characters - especially to Medea and Jason - is flimsy and somewhat random seeming. Also, the mystery of Merlin's and Medea's origins was not really explained or even poetically alluded to, at least not to my satisfaction. At best, it seems that Medea and Merlin are living incarnations of the Rajathuks, the 10 masks that appear throughout the Merlin Codex and the Mythago Wood Cycle. Or something like that. Nothing else is given. The book reads at times as if Holdstock was desperately trying to tie things together. Some of the writing seems clipped and rushed, as if an editor was breathing down his neck to finish the manuscript. Ultimately, I recommend this book. It is a worthy read, though,for me, something of a let down. It is not Holdstock's best. That, of course, means that it's better than 99% of the fantasy novels out there. I'd wait for the mass-market or trade publication before buying it, though.

Nothing against other reviews or the snippets on the back cover of this book, but calling Holdstock a great fantasy writer is like calling Einstein a great file clerk. There is no one I would rather read and re-read than Holdstock, because each time something else will emerge whether it is a reference, character depth, or just plain brilliant sentences. This one is no exception, you can't go wrong by reading this. It's fantastic myth and legend that somehow makes you feel more human in the telling.

As Merlin temporarily resides inside fortress Taurovinda, he is worried as the Shadows of Heroes leave the other realm to claim the Kingdom of Cornovidi as their own. His concern is not with these Shades, but the unknown adversarial puppeteer that enabled them to enter the realm of the living and apparently guides them. Meanwhile, High King Urtha Pendragon of Cornovidi seeks a diplomatic solution while his heir Prince Kymon wants to go to war. His daughter Princess Munda foresees the future lies with Jason's sentient ship Argo, who has returned battered but ready to confess a dark secret to Merlin only at the right time. The mage knows as he traverses time with the Argo that he must find the truth in his past to save the kingdoms from the horde of dead, but it is up to Jason to prevent the latter's offspring from usurping Urtha's rule so that the envisioned glorious future can occur. This is a complex blending of several myths that is difficult to pick up even with gimmicks telling the back story of the first two novels (see CELTIKA and THE IRON GRAIL). Readers will appreciate the intricate series The Merlin Codex much more so by starting with the first book. Merlin tells the exciting tale that fans of Camelot and Greek and Celtic mythologies will enjoy; just set aside plenty of time as this is a rich multifaceted fantasy. Harriet Klausner