The Merlin Prophecy Book Two: Death of an Empire - Softcover

Hume, M. K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1476715149 ISBN 13: 9781476715148

Publisher: Atria, 2013

Synopsis

“Exciting, violent, and bloody and full of historical facts” (LoveReading.co.uk review)—the historical series for fans of Diana Gabaldon and Bernard Cornwell continues with the legend of Merlin as the gifted healer progresses into a man of great renown.

DEATH OF AN EMPIRE— THE LEGEND OF MERLIN CONTINUES

Merlin is the product of a brutal rape. Determined to uncover his father’s identity, he sets sail from Celtic Britain with his band of loyal companions. Their journey through war-ravaged France, Rome, and Ravenna to Constantinople will push their strength to the limit and shape Merlin’s reputation as a great healer.

The Roman Empire is under attack. Bound by an oath to relieve suffering the talented apothecary saves thousands of warriors from total destruction. A bloodier conflict between opposing powers arises, and Merlin must use all his resolve if he wishes to survive the death of an empire. M. K. Hume has won the praise of readers and critics alike with her original take on the beloved and enduring Merlin legend. Her background in Arthurian literature lends historical accuracy to a trilogy wrought with passion, heart, and adventure.

About this title

About the Author

M. K. Hume is a retired academic. She received her MA and PhD in Arthurian literature and is the author of The Merlin Prophecy, a historical trilogy about the legend of Merlin. She lives in Australia with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

Hume continues to totally rework and revamp a timeworn legend in the second volume of her Merlin Prophecy trilogy. As Myrddion Merlinus continues the quest to uncover his father’s true identity, he travels to the far corners of a Roman empire under attack by Attila and his war machine. With the Huns continuing to make inroads, he is called upon by virtue of his exceptional skills as a healer to join forces with General Flavius Aetius. At the Battle of Catalaunian Plain, he gains renown for his astounding curative powers. While the empire teeters on the brink of destruction, Myrddion completes his mission, setting the stage for his return to Celtic Britain and ­future—perhaps more familiar—adventures. Interweaving the fable of Merlin with the last gasp of the Roman empire, Hume has fashioned a fantastical voyage through both mythology and history. --Margaret Flanagan

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Merlin Prophecy Book Two: Death of an Empire Chapter I


AN INAUSPICIOUS MEETING

For how can man die better than facing fearful odds

For the ashes of his father and the temples of his gods?

–DEMOSTHENES, OLYNTHIACS

In faraway Tintagel, where the fortress clung to a barren rock thrust out into a cold, howling sea, Queen Ygerne stood in her forecourt, wrapped in furs and shivering in the gelid afternoon air. To the west, the obscured sun colored the thin, storm-ravaged clouds with a transparent orange glaze. Light struggled with darkness, like the battle that raged within her spirit. With hands thrust in coarse woollen mittens, she clutched at her flat belly and begged the goddess to be kind. Then, for good measure, she prayed to the Virgin Mary that the immortal mother would intercede with the Christian god and bless her unborn child.

When Ygerne had become certain of her third pregnancy, she had told her husband, King Gorlois, that this time she was sure that her infant would be a boy. Her heart clearly told her the formless child’s sex, and she already dreamed of him, soft and milky, nestling in her arms. Gorlois had whooped with joy, for although his girls, Morgan and Morgause, were a permanent celebration of the wonder of their union, his masculine pride was stirred by the thought of a son to inherit the kingdom of Cornwall. Gorlois asked so little of Ygerne, and loved her so generously and purely, that the queen was overjoyed that she could give him his heart’s desire. The solstice feasts had been transformed by the fertility and felicity of their shared love.

Edition details

• Publisher: Atria
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1476715149
• ISBN 13: 9781476715148
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512