1. Fortress of Mist, Merlin's Immortals Series #2
    Sigmund Brouwer
    WaterBrook / 2013 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$7.49 Retail Price$10.00 Save 25% ($2.51)
    4.1 out of 5 stars for Fortress of Mist, Merlin's Immortals Series #2. View reviews of this product. 23 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW071550
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Value:
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  1. debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    December 21, 2013
    debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Thomas is now the ruler of Magnus, the city won with a bloodless battle. He has everything he could ever dream of, and possess knowledge from his mother, Sarah and her ancient library that greatly surpass the military knowledge of his time. He sits on the wisdom from centuries past, but there is a dark, unknown power that seems to follow his every step. An evil he can't begin to understand haunts his every move and every breath he takes.

    As the Orphan King, Thomas is seemingly beginning to loose his grip on the power that holds his impenetrable city together. The Earl of York asks him to join leagues with him and fight the Scots, and Thomas takes the men of Magnus with him to do battle. But along the way, mysterious events serve to confuse Thomas even more concerning his role as the leader of Magnus, and enemies are encamped all around him. Will he unknowingly concede to the side of evil? Will the decision he makes cost him his control over the city that his mother spent a lifetime trying to teach him how to win back as an Immortal?

    As always, Brouwer leaves us with a wonderful conclusion to the story, but also leaves a few crumbs to interest us in the next installment to the series. As I've said before, this time period always leaves me with much to be desired. But Brouwer makes everything so real, it as if you were there beside Thomas, Katherine, Hawkwood, the Earl - all of them. My favorite realistic description is the little flea cages, because while it's impossible to conjure up something we will never experience; Brouwer makes it all happen from his pen to our couch. All in all a wonderful novel, and though short, it makes you want to just start it all over again.

    This book was provided for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
  2. Sarah
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Brouwer is a gripping author
    June 12, 2013
    Sarah
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Sigmund Brouwer is a brilliant author. When I was in middle school, I attended one of his writing seminars, and since then I have read a few of his novels, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. When I saw his name on the list of books available for review, I grabbed it.

    I didn't realize when I did that Fortress of Mist is actually the second in the Merlin's Immortals trilogy. I tried to find the first book, The Orphan King, but to no avail. I was afraid not having read the first book would affect my enjoyment of the second. But Brouwer, being the excellent writer that he is, kept me in the know without spoiling the first book. There were pieces of information I was missing, but he gave me just enough to understand what was going on even while I grew more curious about the first installment of the story.

    The story itself was gripping. This was definitely a page-turner. The plot was pleasingly complex, well-thought out, and organized, so I didn't get confused with random sub-plotlines. The characters in it were also well-developed. Thomas, the main character and ruler of Magnus, was believably deep. He was smart, and acted like he had everything together, but he also had many doubts about his past and his character. He was brave, but I saw his fear underneath it. He had a good balance of strength and vulnerability.

    Most of the other main characters had the same balance to a lesser extent, but I wasn't given as much background on them as I was on Thomas, so some of them were hard to understand. Thomas's lady love was especially difficult — her motives and true feelings were almost impossible to discern because her actions seemed so random. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but I think a reading of the first book would do tons to clear that up.

    DISCLAIMER: The next paragraph talks about Brouwer's use of magic in the book. This discussion cannot be had without a little bit of a spoiler. If you don't want to know Thomas's secret weapon, skip the next paragraph. (However, this was one of the best parts of the book.)

    One thing that points to Brouwer's ability was his use of magic. I like fantasy as much as the next girl (and I love Harry Potter), but sometimes magic in books can be hokey, especially if they are set in earlier times like this book is. However, Brouwer uses magic in a unique way. Thomas has one main weapon of his own — knowledge. Somehow in the first installment he gains access to a set of books. These books are about science and military tactics and history, from what I read. Thomas hides them away and uses the information in them to thwart his enemies. Once, near the end of the book, Magnus, his kingdom, is being attacked and Thomas needs a diversion of some sort. He uses chemistry to create clouds of smoke and special effects that frighten the attackers. The average person from the Middle Ages would not know of these chemical tactics, so to the soldiers it seemed like magic or sorcery. This is how Brouwer threw in the fantastical magic while still making it believable.

    Brouwer's storytelling is great. I am definitely going to go back and read the first book, and I'll be waiting for the last one. He leaves just enough loose ends to leave me wanting more. I heartily recommend this.

    I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
  3. Crazy RAGs
    Coshocton, OH
    Age: Under 18
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Fortress of Mist: Worth every penny
    April 25, 2013
    Crazy RAGs
    Coshocton, OH
    Age: Under 18
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Fortress of Mist by Sigmund Brouwer is a book filled to the brim with romance, treachery, and forces unknown to Thomas. As the second book of the Merlin's Immortals Series I found myself not wanting to read it for fear that it would not be as good as the first, boy was I wrong.

    Thomas finds himself in many situations that test his character. A person he thought to be dead comes to him in the night. The Earl of York comes to visit waring a ring with the strange symbol. Thomas is asked to help with war but is treated like an underdog. The attempts and threats on his life become more and more frequent by many more people. A person who left him returns only for him to discover that they are not who he believed they were.

    I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
  4. kelisni
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    April 22, 2013
    kelisni
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Fortress of Mist is book 2 in a series. I don't actually know how many there are in this series total. You do not need to read the first book to understand what was going on. I felt Sigmund Brouwer did a great job with the background details of the characters and the situation going on. There were some references to just a few things I didn't know fully what was going on, but it didn't detract from the book at all.

    "The throne is redeemed, but the battle is just beginning.

    In the dark corners of an ancient land, evil lurks in the shadows. Powerful druids haunt the spaces of their lost territory. Double-minded noblemen fight for domain and influence. Invaders from the north threaten the kingdom of Magnus. This land of promise and redemption is mired in deceit and corruption.

    The Orphan King, once victorious in conquest, appears to be losing his grip on his seat of power. Thomas rules Magnus, but does not know whom he can trust. His enemies anticipate his every move, thwarting him at each turn. Something is not right.

    Under attack, both in the supernatural and natural worlds, Thomas must reach back into the secret layers of his past to find the strength and wisdom to fight his battles. When the mist clears, who will stand with him?"

    I really liked this book...especially since it's the smallest book I've read in a while. The genre is geared towards young adults, but I don't feel as if Brouwer "dumbed" down anything for a specific age group. I was immediately pulled in with each character that he introduced. It was very hard to put the book down as the pace just kept going. There wasn't a dull moment in the book! The ending is a cliff hangar....cannot wait for the next book to come out.
  5. debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    April 14, 2013
    debwilson
    Summerfield, FL
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Thomas is now the ruler of Magnus, the city won with a bloodless battle. He has everything he could ever dream of, and possess knowledge from his mother, Sarah and her ancient library that greatly surpass the military knowledge of his time. He sits on the wisdom from centuries past, but there is a dark, unknown power that seems to follow his every step. An evil he can't begin to understand haunts his every move and every breath he takes.

    As the Orphan King, Thomas is seemingly beginning to loose his grip on the power that holds his impenetrable city together. The Earl of York asks him to join leagues with him and fight the Scots, and Thomas takes the men of Magnus with him to do battle. But along the way, mysterious events serve to confuse Thomas even more concerning his role as the leader of Magnus, and enemies are encamped all around him. Will he unknowingly concede to the side of evil? Will the decision he makes cost him his control over the city that his mother spent a lifetime trying to teach him how to win back as an Immortal?

    As always, Brouwer leaves us with a wonderful conclusion to the story, but also leaves a few crumbs to interest us in the next installment to the series. As I've said before, this time period always leaves me with much to be desired. But Brouwer makes everything so real, it as if you were there beside Thomas, Katherine, Hawkwood, the Earl - all of them. My favorite realistic description is the little flea cages, because while it's impossible to conjure up something we will never experience; Brouwer makes it all happen from his pen to our couch. All in all a wonderful novel, and though short, it makes you want to just start it all over again.

    This book was provided for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying items 1-5 of 23
Page 1 of 5