A Guile of Dragons

Starred review from June 11, 2012
Morlock Ambrosius, son of Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue Viviana, roams the world of Makers, developed in Enge’s first trilogy (Blood of Ambrose, etc.), in this efficiently excellent epic fantasy. Morlock returns to the Whitethorn Mountains and the dwarfs of the Seven Clans under Thrymhaiam, who fostered him from infancy, and is placed under the charge of clueless Summoner Earno. The Ranga region has stopped shipping provisions to other areas of the Whitethorns, and Guardians have gone missing. Morlock and his foster father, clan elder Tyr syr Theorn, suspect foul play. Earno, on the other hand, assumes the son of traitor Merlin is concocting nefarious schemes. Enge’s engaging portrait of Morlock—who identifies much more as a tallish, less gray dwarf than as the son of a fabled mage—will have readers hunting down earlier books to learn more about the adventurer and his history. Agent: Michael Kabongo, OnyxHawke Agency.

July 1, 2012

The son of Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue Viviana but abandoned at birth, Morlock Ambrosius grew up among the dwarves of Thrymhaiam. Though he is cherished by his adoptive father, Tyr syr Theorn, his differences as a nondwarf led to a parting of the ways. When the dragons defeated ages ago by the dwarves return in an unholy alliance with the dead kings of Cor, the task of confronting them falls upon Morlock. Using a narrator who recalls the somberness of Norse myth, this series launch serves as a prequel to the novels featuring Merlin's son (The Wolf Age; Blood of Ambrose; This Crooked Way). VERDICT Providing a back door into the Arthur/Merlin mythos, Enge creates a fascinating counterpoint to the familiar legends.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.