Note: "Hume's second trilogy picks up where her Merlin series [The Merlin Prophecy] ended. ... As in her previous trilogy, the author, an Arthurian academic, adds perceived authenticity to her tales by incorporating true-to-life details surrounding the difficult, hardscrabble lives of those who survived in the late fifth and early sixth centuries. The day-to-day living, from food to attitudes about war, politics and social station, is fascinating, and the author goes into enormous detail to describe life in Arthurian England ..." --Kirkus Reviews (above), review of book 1