MERLIN'S APPRENTICE: WARRIOR RISING

McCauley offers the second book in a YA fantasy series chronicling the early days of a reluctant future king in medieval Britain.

In some ways, Pip is just an ordinary kid, but key aspects set him apart. A triple spiral symbol marks his palm, for one thing, and he’s being trained by Merlin, one of the most powerful mages in Britain. This is because Pip is also a mage, whose skills include aura reading, spell casting, and knowledge of future events. His abilities are so strong that, alongside Merlin and King Arthur, he helped break the world into two separate realms: Earth and Magic. This division saved many people from enslavement by evil forces, but at a cost: Pip’s mother died, and most of his family now resides in the Earth Realm. In the Magic Realm, Pip finds himself on a new mission after he senses the thoughts of a Northman, Halfdan Ragnarrson, who has an aura of “black ice.” Halfdan plans to remobilize villainous forces to take power. To do this, he willingly gives up his own soul, as well as the souls of his future heirs, to the demon Beli. Pip must overcome self-doubt and master his sword-fighting skills to protect his adopted family: the bookish scribe Alfred; Caraline, an intuitive wise medicine woman; and her niece, Gwenn. McCauley doesn’t break much new ground in this fantasy tale, which focuses on a battle between good and evil, and stars a male chosen one who’s loath to assume his destiny. That said, the author transitions well between exciting battle scenes and Pip and Halfdan’s thoughts and offers some intriguing supporting characters, including Alfred, Caraline, and Ælfstan, a hobgoblin emissary from the Faerie world. The awe-inspiring Merlin is humanized with references to his “large wobbly belly” and his irritating snoring. The feisty Gwenn is shown to have the power to transform into a feline and spy on enemy camps. Although readers will be able to guess where the story is headed, it presents a pleasant transition to the next installment.

A predictable but eventful magical adventure with good characterization.