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Summary

A fantasy/legend retelling about Merlin before King Arthur pulled the sword from the stone.

Stats

Genre: YA (16+) Arthurian retelling (fantasy)

Series length: Three books

Violence: High, intense violence

Magic/Supernatural: High supernatural

Romance: Minimal 

Christian/spiritual element: Overt Christian elements

Recommendation: Excellent for those who love King Arthur legends and high fantasy

You might like this book if you liked... 
The Pendragon Cycle or other Arthurian legends

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Opening Lines:

The pine trees mocked his youth, their thin, green fingers fretting in the wind. If he didn't move fast, they would betray him--he just knew it--and the deer would get away . . . again. Arvel wiped his brow, stole across an expanse of dead pin needles, and crouched behind a bush strangled by bindweed and its poisonous red berries. 

Holding his breath, he nocked an arrow.

The three deer chewed and sniffed. 

Arvel's throat tingled and his body tensed. He parted the leaves at the side of the bush with his arrow as shadows danced on its pewter tip. 

The deer twitched their ears and turned their heads in unison.

Merlin's Blade (Merlin Spiral, Book 1)
by Robert Treskillard

Merlin's Greatest Weakness Could Become His Greatest Strength

In Robert Treskillard's take on the Arthurian legends, young Merlin is faced with the challenge of saving his country and those he loves when a mysterious, and dangerous, stone falls from the sky.

Partially blinded years ago, Merlin is a timid swordsmith's son who wants nothing more than to live a quiet life and win the hand of Natalenya, the beautiful and kind daughter of a magistrate. But after he and his friend Garth encounter a strange stone in the wood, one protected by druids, Merlin receives a series of visions and prophecies that he is to save Britain from a dark force. As the power of the stone grows and threatens his family and friends, Merlin is forced to embrace his calling---for he may be the only one immune to the stone's power.

Touching on multiple elements of the classic Arthur story---from the Lady of the Lake, the creation of Excalibur, the sword in the stone, and the rescue of Arthur himself---this fantasy tale will appeal to young adults looking for adventure and a hint of romance, as well as adults who enjoy the classic tale this series is based on.​

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Opening Lines:

In the half-light of a dying day, Ganieda wept in her mother's embrace. She felt again the burning of her mother's forehead.

Ashen birds silenced their squawking and watched the two with hungry eyes. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and farther up the tree-lined ravine, a spring gurgled out brown water that trickled past them in dirge-like procession toward the marsh.

Ganieda had been hungry in the morning--so hungry--but now fear had soured her stomach. 

Merlin's Shadow (Merlin Spiral, Book 2)
by Robert Treskillard

Betrayal.

After destroying the sinister Druid Stone and freeing his people from its dark control, Merlin finds himself to be a royal advisor without a king. Along with his friend Garth and Natalenya, his betrothed, Merlin treks north with the orphaned Arthur in hopes of keeping the young ruler safe from soldiers misled by their turncoat captain. Relentlessly pursued by his nemesis Vortigern, Merlin and his band make for the fortress of Dintaga.

But dangers multiply when Merlin realizes that Vortigern is not his only enemy. Even his own sister appears bent on Merlin's destruction. As the threat on all their lives increases, Merlin discovers their only hope is sailing to the lands of eternal darkness and once again cleansing the world from an ancient and powerful evil.
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Opening Lines:

Morgana scowled at King Gorlas's back as he dug into the grave. 

"Accursed shovel!" he yelled to the darkness, slamming the iron edge once more into the ground and flinging the dirt up. Five more times he jabbed at the loamy clay before twisting his wiry neck around and gazing at her savagely. "Are you sure she's here?"

Merlin's Nightmare (Merlin Spiral, Book 3)
by Robert Treskillard

Haunted by the past, chased by the present.

Arthur is now eighteen, and Merlin, tired of hiding and running from his enemies, wants nothing more than to spend his days with his family and train Arthur for his rightful place as king. But when Arthur goes missing, a desperate Merlin must abandon all other quests to find him before a shadowy pursuer catches Arthur first.

Having everything to fight for, and almost nothing to fight with, Merlin and Arthur must rally Britain's warriors against three overwhelming enemies: Saxenow hordes in the south, Picti raiders in the north, and a chilling new enemy that has arisen in the west.

At the same time, Mórgana brings Merlin's deepest fear to life and sets a horde of werewolves loose to destroy Britain. But when the secret purpose of this nightmare is finally revealed, will Merlin and Arthur find a way to survive--without unleashing an even greater evil?