Guardian of the Trust

This is the 2nd book in the series for which I recieved the 4th and 5th books from LibraryThing for free as part of their reviewers program and purchased 1-3 myself afterward as I enjoyed the last two. Each book is part of a the same historical and legendary tales of Merlin and his decendents as the title so aptly suggests yet each can be read in any order it appears to me.

This book follows Resmiranda (Ana) Griffin, descendent, during the 13th century. This is the time surrounding the stories of Robin Hood and King John although later in life for Robin of Locksley who is by no means a main character in this book. This story follows Ana and her life growing up during this time and her interactions with the characters of this time. It follows her decisions and consequences as she tries to free King John of the magical influence of the villain Radburn Blakely who is controlling John in an attempt to take over the kingdom.
The twist on the previous stories of this era and integration of historical information makes for a very interesting story.
As I have stated before, I do have to caution that this series contains explicit sexual references so not suited for young teens. ( )

This is the second book in a series of novels focusing on the mythical bloodline of Merlin. This story is set about 800 years after “Guardian of the Balance,” which places the story in the 13th century. The protagonist of this novel is Resmiranda Griffin, nicknamed Ana. She is the descendent of Arthur and Wren many generations down the line. The story takes place during the rule of King John Plantagenet, best know as the villainous King John from the story of Robin Hood, i.e. Robin Locksley. This story takes place many years after the Robin Hood tales, Robin Locksley is still against the King, but he is not the main male character nor even still actively antagonizing the King. The King has been ensorcelled by his half-brother Radburn Blakely who’s mother was half demon. Blakely wishes to rule Britain and only Resmiranda has the heritage and inherited power to resist him. While Resmiranda has to fight with herself to embrace her “pagan” magic which is abhorred by her Christian upbringing.

There are many references to places and people from the “Guardian of the Balance” but if you haven’t read “Guardian of the Balance” it does not deter from “Guardian of the Trust".” As this book deals with a completely new set of characters, the references from “Guardian of the Balance” just give a sense of history behind the story, but doesn't revel plot secrets.

Radburn does a wonderful job of mixing historical fact with fiction to provide us with a magical tale. King John is not the villain I thought he was, he is a conflicted and complicated character like most of Radburn’s characters. And Resmiranda has a deep inner struggle that allows most of the plots conflicts to be internal rather than external. The writing style of “Guardian of the Truth” was a much easier read than “Guardian of the Balance.” The story seemed to just flow easily in and out of history seamlessly. Resmiranda is a strong woman and in a time when women had little power, Resmiranda is written into very powerful role and is very relatable and likable. This was a quick read for me, I was drawn into the story and couldn’t put it down, I read the whole book in two days. This felt like a book written by an experienced writer who knows what makes a good story. Guardian of the Truth is a great historical fiction novel. ( )

MEMORY, SORROW AND THORN