20. Irene Radford - Guardian of the Balance

This series, Merlin's Descendants, starts off with the tale of Myrddin Emrys, The Merlin, and his daughter, Wren, who was conceived by The Morrigan (or High Priestess of the Druids),Deidre. From her birth, Merlin recognized Wren's gifts and knew she had a great destiny ahead of her. This story is told through Wren's viewpoint and examines her life growing up under not only the Merlin's tutelage, but under the training of Avalon as well. Also, Wren befriends Arthur, who is one of Merlin's charges and is destined to be the King of all of Britain. The tale follows Wren's life, from her childhood to her horrible marriage forced upon her by the Merlin to her death, which also includes the rise and subsequent fall of Arthur.

Radford does a good job weaving an Arthurian tale and it is an interesting viewpoint coming from Wren who becomes very influential in King Arthur's life. Like a lot of the stories I have been reading recently, this is book is written to appreciate the value and influence the "old religion" had during the time period, but at the same time it wasn't a "Christian bashing" book. One thing I did find interesting was that Radford had one of the main Christian characters, Father Thomas, as being married with a family. What most people don't realize is that back during the 6th century, it was commonplace to find married priests. It was nice to see that incorporated into the novel.