Fortress of Mist (Merlin's Immortals Series #2)

by Sigmund Brouwer

Overview

  “Full of surprising twists, shocking betrays, and baffl ing mysteries. But at it’s heart it’s about courage, wisdom, and hope…”
—Robert Liparulo, author of The 13th Tribe, The Judgment Stone, and the Dreamhouse Kings series

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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400071555
Publisher:	The Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/19/2013
Series:	Merlin's Immortals Series , #2
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.55(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

With three million books in print, SIGMUND BROUWER is the bestselling author of dozens of popular books for children and adults. Over the last two decades, his Rock and Roll Literacy presentation has inspired students and teachers at schools all across North America. Sigmund is married to songwriter recording artist Cindy Morgan. The couple and their two young daughters divide their time between Red Deer, Alberta and Nashville, Tennessee.

Read an Excerpt

Fortress of Mist

Book 2 in the Merlin's Immortals series

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By Sigmund Brouwer

WaterBrook Press

Copyright © 2013 Sigmund Brouwer
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781400071555

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Thomas woke to a kiss on the forehead from a woman he once believed he had loved, a woman who had betrayed and spied upon him, a woman he had watched die.

But now, in the light of the single candle she held, she looked down upon him and smiled.

Isabelle.

“Thomas,” she whispered. “Thomas, I have returned.” He tried to rub his face, but it felt as though his arms were pressed against his side. And because movement seemed nearly impossible, he told himself that he was still in the dream he’d been having before she kissed him.

In the dream, he’d been standing upon the same crest where he had seen the kingdom of Magnus for the first time.

At that initial sighting, the island in the center of the lake that protected Magnus had been placid, reflecting the sheep- and cattle-dotted hills that surrounded it. Then, the high stone walls that ringed the island and protected those inside had cast shadow onto the narrow drawbridge that made a full attack impossible.

In his dream, this was not how Magnus had appeared. In his dream, it had looked as it did on some of the mornings when Thomas would climb to a high point and wait for the sun to break over the opposite side of the valley, watching shrouds of gray swirl upward from the water to hide the walls, so that the castle appeared to be a fortress of mist.

In his dream, he felt the same undefinable loneliness of yearning that drove him to sit in solitude and wait for the sun to burn away the mist and reveal the unmistakable reality of stone and iron that Thomas had conquered. In his dream, he still knew the truth: Sarah, his mother and the one who taught him of his destiny, had died. William, the knight who’d become a friend and mentor, was gone. Katherine, the first person in Magnus he could trust, had disappeared. In his dream, he felt as he did in  waking—that the victorious joy he felt as the rightful heir of his reclaimed kingdom had dissolved into the burdens of duty, no differently than the mists evaporated in sunlight.

In his dream, he’d heard a voice from the mist calling his name, until the softness of lips against his forehead had pulled him from the mists and brought him the  realization that it was Isabelle.

“Thomas,” she whispered. “Thomas, I have returned.”

More awake now, Thomas told himself to reach under his pillow for the dagger he kept there as protection. While soldiers guarded the only door into his bedchamber, high up in the castle, Magnus still contained too much mystery. Trust, he had early decided, was a dangerous luxury, and he always slept with a weapon nearby.

With great effort, he pulled his arms away from his body, yet it felt as if his hands were moving through warm tar. He let out a deep breath and tried to sit, but could move no further. His silk sleeping gown rustled softly as he tried to move, but it felt like a giant hand held him in place, squeezing him at the waist. What was happening to him? Could it be that he still dreamed, but dreamed that he was awake?

“Thomas,” Isabelle said, her voice too clear, too urgent, to be the work of his sleeping mind. “I offer no harm. We must speak.”

Shadows of the candle flickered across her face.

Impossible. He had seen the blow that had crushed her skull.

Continues...

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Excerpted from Fortress of Mist by Sigmund Brouwer Copyright © 2013 by Sigmund Brouwer. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Praise for Fortress of Mist

“Sigmund Brouwer’s masterful storytelling and eye for detail turn Fortress of Mist into a grand—and harrowing—adventure for every reader. You’ll feel the grime of castle dungeons, the sting of sword blades, and the elation of victory. It’s a story full of surprising twists, shocking betrayals, and baffling mysteries. But at its heart, this book is about courage, wisdom, and hope—and losing yourself in a fabulous story well told.”
—Robert Liparulo, author of The 13th Tribe, The Judgment Stone, and the Dreamhouse Kings series

“Sigmund Brouwer spins an exciting story with Fortress of Mist, full of classic elements and clever twists. His style is reminiscent of the wonderful Lloyd Alexander, and I felt both comfortably familiar with the unfolding story and pleasantly surprised by new plot developments. As the young orphan hero struggling to establish himself as ruler in a world of courtly intrigues and dangerous Druids, Thomas will appeal to boys and girls, young and old. Brouwer keeps us guessing, and I was particularly interested by his use of scientific “magic.” An engaging read that will leave readers eager to pick up the next volume.”
—Anne Elisabeth Stengl, author of the award-winning Tales of Goldstone Wood series

“From the first line, readers will be hooked into this page-turning adventure. An engaging and compelling read.”
—Debbie Viguié, author of Kiss of Death

From the Publisher