The Orphan King- Book 1 in the Merlin's Immortals Series by Sigmund Brouwer {Weekend Reads} -

About This Book

The future of the Immortals is in the hands of an orphan.

“My
greatest fear was that they would find us and make of us a sacrifice
beneath a full moon. Now you, Thomas, must help us destroy the circle of
evil”. -The last words of a dying woman would change the life
of young Thomas.

Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his
mysterious past or imminent destiny.
But now, in the heart of medieval
England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order
tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those
who would oppose them. Thomas is determined fulfill his calling and
bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids and leaves the
monastery on an important quest.
Thomas quickly finds himself in
unfamiliar territory, as he must put his faith in unusual companions—a
cryptic knight, a child thief, and the beautiful, silent woman whom may
not be all she seems. From the solitary life of an orphan, Thomas now
finds himself tangled in the roots of both comradery and suspicion.

Can he trust those who would join his battle…or will his fears force him to go on alone?

My Thoughts on the Book

Although this was a different genre than I normally read, I enjoyed the not-so-typical storyline. If you like plots with a with a bit of twist and mystery, mixed with eccentric characters, and of course knights and castles, then this may be the book for you. Plus, the cover is amazing! I would absolutely pick it up off the shelf just because it looks like an awesome book.

The story of Thomas and his friends draws you in, and you want to know what their fate will be. This series has potential for great depth and attachment to your favorite characters.

The reason I gave this book a 3.5 star rating was because I felt like it was incomplete. Almost like starting a movie 30 minutes late, not knowing what happened at the beginning, and leaving before it was over.

When I first began reading the book, I actually had to research online to make sure that there wasn’t a book written before this one with important information I needed to make parts of this one make sense. There isn’t, and so I felt like much of the back story that the main character Thomas is dealing with would have been very interesting to read and know. I’d have loved to know more about his mother, and connect to her first instead of only the bits of memory that we gain from Thomas. The same is said for the knight and the other Immortals. In fact, through the entire book, the reader never quite understands who the Immortals even are.

I know that this is the first in a series, so I have high hopes that once the remainder of the books are available, it will make more sense, and I won’t feel like I was left hanging.

About the Author

Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen novels with nearly three million copies in print. His recent novel The Last Disciple
was featured in Time magazine and on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they
and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer,
Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing
Group for this review. I am not required to give a positive review, and
my opinions stated are always 100% my own. I have used my Amazon affiliate link in this post.