Title: THE BROKEN KINGS
Publisher: Gollancz
Author: Robert Holdstock
Edition released: January 2007
ISBN: 978-0-575-07930-4
384 pages
Reviewed by: Adam Donnison
In this, the third book of the Merlin Codex trilogy, Merlin's epic quest through time is brought to conclusion. The land is starting to wake, and strange sights are becoming common. The dead and the yet to be born are crossing over the divide to the world of the living and Merlin needs to find out who is behind it and why. The living ship Argo has reappeared and has a secret, but will only tell Merlin and only when the time is right. Merlin travels south in Argo to the Greek Land to discover what has caused the rift to the Otherworld, and at the same time reconcile Jason with his sons, banished to the future by their mother, Medea.
Merlin narrates The Broken Kings during his time with Urtha Pendragon, the forefather of Arthur, who has yet to be born, let alone make his mark as the figure of legend he is to become. Arthur makes an appearance as does a host of legendary figures.
Perhaps it would have been better had I read all three books of this trilogy before reviewing, however the strength of a book lies in its ability to stand alone, and this book is on shaky ground in that regard. The mixing of so many myths and legends rapidly becomes confusing. Coupled with the deliberate use of ambiguities in time it becomes tedious.
The book is written in the first person, with Merlin as the narrator. This then requires the author to provide extra details by the use of artifices such as Merlin taking over animal spirits, or his retelling of others stories. This could have worked well, except that it is done clumsily and has resulted in parts of the narrative covering the same ground multiple times.
Lovers of Arthurian legend may be intrigued by the idea of a previous life of Merlin and may well find something of interest in The Broken Kings, but they would be best served to read the Codex in its entirety. Those with a love of the classic myths of Greece and Rome will find the characters familiar, although the situations and stories may well prove challenging.