The Broken Kings: Book Three of The Merlin Codex [Hardcover]

Robert Holdstock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2007 | Series: Merlin Codex (Book 3)

Argo, the ancient ship, has returned and hides beneath Urtha's fortress in Alba. Jason and the Argonauts are aboard her, enchanted into sleep. Niiv is still Merlin's lover, still seeking magic and mysteries, still a delight and torment to him.
 
Something is wrong in Alba. An unknown force is affecting the land. The omens are frightening. The feckless Sons of Llew arrive, having stolen their uncle's chariot and horses once again. They bring news of hostels, gateways between the worlds of the living and the dead. An enormous gathering of the Shades, of the dead and the unborn, are being drawn to them.
 
Meanwhile, Kymon and Munda, Urtha's son and daughter, are coming of age. Kymon is angry, boastful, ready to fight the Shades of Heroes, and violently annoyed by his father's diplomacy. Munda, on the other hand, is possessed of the Sight and welcomes the new, strange force in the land. She breaks taboo to visit one of the hostels. She comes back speaking of the Killer of Kings, the son of Jason.
 
And as Merlin walks in and out of time, clinging to his magic and the remains of his youth, the forces set in motion will determine the fate of kings and kingdoms alike.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the intriguing if convoluted conclusion to British author Holdstock's Merlin Codex trilogy, the near immortal time travelers Merlin and Jason journey to Alba (England) to prevent Jason's two sons by Medea from usurping the throne in place of the ruler known as the Pendragon (Arthur, of course). Those unfamiliar with the previous two books, Celtika (2003) and The Iron Grail (2004), or ancient Celtic lore may find the choppy narrative hard to follow. On the other hand, there are passages full of high intelligence rendered with the skill fans have come to expect from this World Fantasy Award–winning author. Nice touches include a depiction of Jason's sentient ship, Argo, decayed in frame but not in mind, and the adventures of Jason's son Kryptoii in the form of a hunting dog. While not quite up to Holdstock's usual standard, this volume shows he's still one of today's masters of mythic fantasy. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The Merlin Codex, begun in Celtika (2001) and continued in The Iron Grail (2006), delivers Merlin back to Alba with his irascible lover, Niiv. Then the Argo returns, bearing Jason and crew in an enchanted sleep. Then the Sons of Llew arrive, bringing news of strange hostels, gateways between the worlds of the quick and of the dead. An army of shades is preparing to invade Alba and put Jason's sons by Medea on the throne, displacing the line that will produce Arthur Pendragon. Jason must fight his sons and confront Medea again. Well acquainted with the trilogy's mythological basis, Holdstock brings his pre-Arthurian fantasy to an audience-satisfying conclusion. Murray, Frieda
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (May 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765311097
• ISBN-13: 978-0765311092
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read...but something's missing, August 26, 2008

By 

David Zeeman (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Broken Kings: Book Three of The Merlin Codex (Hardcover)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars for fans of Camelot and Greek and Celtic mythologies, May 16, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Broken Kings: Book Three of The Merlin Codex (Hardcover)

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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't go wrong with this, June 19, 2007

By 

David A. Wilbur (Phoenix, Az) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Broken Kings: Book Three of The Merlin Codex (Hardcover)

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.