My Boyfriend Merlin

My Merlin Trilogy #1

by Priya Ardis

When the Sword in the Stone falls in the middle of London and Merlin goes to high school to recruit the next King Arthur, everything changes for Ryan DuLac...
Read the bestselling genderbent trilogy. For fans of quests, swords, schools of magic, and awkward crushes.

17 year-old Boston high schooler, Ryan DuLac just found out the guy she's been crushing on, hot biker Matt, is a little older than he was letting on. By a few eons... In fact, he is really Merlin--the Merlin, King Arthur's Merlin, the greatest wizard who ever lived. Frozen in a cave for over fifteen hundred years, he's woken for a purpose. But Ryan's not impressed. Tired of being a relationship loser, she'd rather kick his legendary behind.

Sure, the world has been crazy ever since the sword and the stone fell out of the sky like a meteor. But despite gruesome gargoyles, a deadly new world of magic, and the guy driving her crazy, Ryan knows that family is everything. Will Merlin sacrifice hers to save the world? Will she be able to stop him?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Mythology, Magic, Paranormal, Arthurian

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2011

About the author

I love books of all kinds—lately funny ones are my faves. But who couldn't curl up with a good mystery or romance?

My writing comes from a childhood of playing too much She-Ra and watching too much Spock. When Belle gasped at the library the Beast showed her, so did I! Growing up, I spend so much time I spent there, I could have been the phantom of the public library.

I hand-wrote my first manuscript at sixteen, scribbling in long notebooks on train rides while on vacation in India. I'm a longtime member of RWA, SCBWI, SIC. If you are looking for writing help, consider joining your local organizations!

Looking for my books? Catch up with me at my website/blog at http://www.priyaardis.com/

Check out the bestselling YA: My Merlin Series! My Boyfriend Merlin, Book 1; My Merlin Awakening, Book2; Ever My Merlin, Book 3. Merlin returns in Gods of Merlin

If you like middle grade: Girl With Three Eyes is a fairy tale based on Indian lore! She would hate her third eye less if it actually gave her powers.

If you want a STEM chapter book for your kids: Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm, is a humorous dog's tale written under a new name D. G. Priya. Find it at Merlin Raj and the Santa-Algorithm, DOGS WHO CODE.

Reviews

[Kristen Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

-sigh- I really wanted to like this book, really I did. But I just couldn't. Honestly, after the first couple of chapters, it was painful to finish...but I made an oath to myself to finish all my books...so I did it.

Let's see....where to start? Okay...Ryan. Ryan, ryan, ryan. I don't like you. You're whiny, think your poop don't stink, and finicky.

Next....Vane....actually, I HATE you. I don't like your attitude. I don't like your personality, and I don't think you and the main character should hook up. Wait....on second thought, maybe you should, since I hate both of you! You think you're so bad boy and tough, and yet your personality changes with the wind. And don't tell me you have layers, because that's a load of crap.

Needless to say, the characters seemed bipolar and unable to make up their minds 78% of the time. Ryan switching between Matt and Vane gave me a headache. The dialogue that goes with it is unimaginative and weak and....pitiful.

For the plot line, I was quite confused throughout the entire thing. The writing reminded me of my middle school writing class days, and it jumped around so much that it was painful to even try to understand what was going on at one time. And the descriptions were terrible. Especially the fight scenes. There was no substance to it at all, and it was boring and unimaginative. Also, the dragon in the beginning was so out of place and strange that...that's actually the part where I wanted to throw the book away.

Honestly, a good book allows me to see the story play out in my mind. The descriptions were so poor in this one that I've never had a problem imagining a story line before this book.

I'm sorry. Really, I don't like to say rude things about books, mostly because I know I can't write worth potatoes. BUT this book was so bad that I HAD to say something. But...obviously other people like it, so you can read it for yourself and decide.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

AVISO: ESTA REVIEW CONTIENE SPOILERS. (Lo siento, chicos, TENÍA que desahogarme)



*Exhala, inhala, exhala, inhala*



¿QUÉ. DEMONIOS?

EN SERIO, QUÉ DEMONIOS, JODEEEER. ¡ESTOY CON UNA RABIA QUE NO ME LA SOPORTO! ¿QUÉ DEMONIOS FUE ESTE LIBRO? ¿QUÉ DEMONIOS FUE ESA MIERDA DE FINAL? Y ESA MIERDA DE AMORIO QUE NO TENÍA NADA QUE VER Y AAGHHHHH




POR DIOS, COMO LO ODIÉ. SI HUBIERA SABIDO QUE HABÍA UN PUTO TRIANGULO AMOROSO, NO LO HUBIERA LEÍDO, PERO ACÁ ESTOY ENOJADA, CON EL MUNDO PORQUE ES UNA MALDITA MIERDA. ¿CON SU MALDITO HERMANO? ¿EN SERIO, RYAN? ¿EN SERIO?




Como odie a nuestra supuesta heroína... definitivamente, COMO la odie. Fue tan.. tan... UGH, POR DIOS. Es que, joder, ni siquiera le tomé cariño a esa imbécil, no puedo con ella.. es.. JODER.



Y entonces para empeorar que me caiga mal, aparece nuestro querido Vane.. si, si, el hermano de nuestro precioso, adorado, lindo, sexy, tierno y...., me fui *blushing*, Merlin, y además que es como el enemigo de nuestro Merlin a.k.a Matt.. y pues, ¿qué hace Ryan? Claro, claro, meterse con el hermano de Matt. BRAAAVO.




LO JURO POR DIOS. A ESA CHICA LA PUEDEN MATAR COMO QUE YA Y ME DARÍA IGUAL. Es que... ugh.

Y no.. no... ¿Cómo coño va a hacer eso? O sea, ¿cómo demonios se llama el libro? MY BOYFRIEND MERLIN. M E R L I N. Yo veo ahí el nombre bien claro, ¿ustedes no? UGH.

De todas maneras.. dejando de lado esa mierda de drama que me pusieron en medio, y hasta me hizo llorar de rabia.. *sighs*

El libro fue absolutamente adictivo. Empecé y no pude parar, todo gracias a mi bebé Merlin, él es TAN lindo, lo juro. Y esta vez no pude parar de enamorarme de él aun teniendo a su sexy y malote hermano al lado... nop, sin duda su hermano no es mi tipo, es malo, si, y a mi se me caen las bragas por los chicos malos, pero por Vane como que no.



Sin duda, Merlin a.k.a Matt (lo siento, solo se me hace llamarlo Merlin jajaja) se robó mi corazón. Dios. Como sufrí por él.... la idiota de Ryan/Arriane no se merece su maldito amor, o sea, nunca.

Y ESE FINAL. AY NOOOOO. Me puedo morir en serio, me hizo llorar de la rabia, porque AGH, mi pobre Merlin.. i can't.

La cosa es que adoré el libro, es original y además de que realmente me encanta la historia del Rey Arturo y toda clase de historia o mito antiguo. Pero deben saberla para leer el libro, porque no explican absolutamente nada sobre ello.

Y ahora, VOY a leer el segundo libro, si, pero solo por Merlin, Ryan se puede ir a chuparla.. o sea, que se muera.

Sus merecidas 4/5 estrellitas. Aunque me haya hecho enojar durante TODO el libro, ah.

[Anni · Rating 2 out of 5]

!!Contains slight spoilers!!

Well this is difficult to rate.. I liked the idea and the story. But the writing was a bit - how do I put this best? - chaotic maybe. It started in the middle of the 2nd chapter when everything was happening and being revealed.. it was just so hectic and chaotic and I completely lost the overview of what was going on and I was surprised that the characters didn't feel the same way. "So there's magic and I'm kind of a part of this world? Okay, let's go to London!" That kind of didn't work for me... nothing was really explained or questioned. And sadly there were a few moments, actually anytime something 'big' went down, where I was kind of lost while reading because it was just too jumpy.
Apart from that I am not sure what to think of the love triangle - I guess I am supposed to ship Ryan/Matt because he's the good brother.. but I actually like Vane a lot more. I just didn't like Matt and strangely I trust Vane a lot more than him - even though it is supposed to be the other way around right?! So I'm shipping Ryan/Vane and something drastic would have to happen before I change my ship..
So even though I am not happy with the writing I think I'll read book 2 as well just because I really like the idea and I want to know what happens next. And I have hope that the writing will improve so that I don't feel as lost as I did while reading some parts of this book.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

“
Three stars: An entertaining revamp of King Arthur.

Ryan remembers the exact moment when her life forever changed. What starts out as an ordinary day at school quickly turns into an uproar when the world is rocked by a tremor and a stone dropping from the sky. Inside the stone is a sword: the legendary sword of King Arthur. On the way home, Ryan and her friend Matt are attacked by a shadow dragon and her life is forever altered. Ryan finds out that Matt is Merlin the Wizard of Camelot. He is hunting for candidates to train to pull the sword and Ryan just so happens to be a candidate. What follows is a whirlwind adventure filled with new friends, secrets, betrayals, magic, romance and destiny. Who will pull the sword from the stone?

What I Liked:
*I have always had an interest in King Arthur, Merlin, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. I enjoyed the revamp of this legendary story with an updated setting, new characters blended with old, and an exciting adventure.
*I liked that the main character of this book is a female, Ryan, and she exhibits tremendous courage and growth as the story progresses. She is also determined and willing to take a stand either for herself or on the behalf of someone else. She does this numerous times throughout the book, especially at the end with her tremendous sacrifice. I loved this altruistic side of her personality.
*I was pleasantly surprised by the eventual formation of a friendship between Ryan and Gia. When Gia first appears I was afraid she was going to fill the role of the antagonistic mean girl, however, the girls end up forming a bond and eventually become friends. I really enjoyed this development.
*The romance in this one took me by surprise. I won't say much, but I was shocked and excited by Ryan's choice.
Vane, Merlin's brother, caught me off guard. Af the first introduction, he appears to be cocky, difficult, and ready to cause trouble. I was sure I was going to hate him, but as time goes on he evolves and changes, and by the end I loved him. He is a bad boy full of mischief, and he speaks his mind, and he and Merlin do not get along. I loved that he changed my mind about him.
*This book draws to a satisfying ending and avoids the cliffhanger. I love when books in a series reach a solid end.

And The Not So Much:
*It seems that lately I have been complaining about books that move at a slow pace, this one is the opposite. It moves fast and furious, so much so that at times I felt it moved too quickly. The speedy progression meant that some things were not fully fleshed out and explained in detail. I felt like the glossing over caused the book to lack depth. For instance in the first couple of chapters, there is an attack and a death of someone close to Ryan. The storyline moves over this death so quickly that I felt like it didn't properly convey the appropriate amount of emotion. Later that night, Ryan is thinking lusty thoughts about Merlin, which didn't seem right considering she should be devastated by the loss. Further in the story, the details are revealed about how Merlin and Vane arrived in modern day times. The revelation is quick and lacked a thorough and satisfying explanation. While I appreciated the quick movement, I felt like at certain points the story would benefit by slowing things down and providing more detail.
*I wanted to know the back story behind why Merlin and Vane were always fighting and at odds. I kept expecting to learn why there was so much animosity in their relationship, but it was never revealed. I was happy to see by the end the two put their differences aside and worked together.
*I was disappointed that Merlin's character lacked some depth. I just never felt like I got the full picture when it came to him. I was expecting more from him, especially considering the title. On the other hand, I did like that I got the depth from Vane, which I wasn't expecting.
*This book does have a bit of a love triangle, but it really wasn't obnoxious and I honestly didn't mind it.
*The story at times lacked originality. You have a teenage girl orphaned who finds out she has some abilities and unique heritage and she is whisked off to England to attend a wizarding school. If this is ringing some bells, you are right. Obviously, the author was well aware of this as well because she throws in numerous Harry Potter references that made it funny.
*I wish that I had a better grasp on the gargoyles. You hear the term gargoyle and you immediately think of the ugly stone statues perched on buildings. In this book, they are shapeshifting creatures who can appear human and then turn into a dragon like creature bent on destroying the wizards. I never felt like I had a complete understanding of the species. I am hopeful that the next book will provide more information.

If you are a fan of King Arthur and Merlin, you should definitely pick up this book. Ms. Ardis takes an old legend, brushes it off and refashions it for modern times. Merlin returns along with his brother Vane to lead an aspiring candidate to hopefully bring about a new Camelot in today's time. This is an action packed read with a surprisingly fun romance. Get your copy today.

Favorite Quotations:
" The deep pool in his eyes stretched into infinity....or a thousand years or so."
"It is more important to be knowledgeable than powerful."
"Do I look like I want to be involved in your teen love saga? Ask someone who cares."
"I'm struggling every day, every minute, not to reach for what I want."

I purchased a copy of this book, and received no compensation for my review.”
This review was posted@ Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Wesley Mccullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not well-versed in the tropes of the post-millennial YA renaissance, I do love me a plucky heroine, and PA makes it clear right in the pithy-perfect title that, oh yes, there will be pluck. And, as an added bonus, romance and magic--the other two legs of the stool that pretty much all transcendent storytelling has rested on since--well, since the days of Arthur.

Not to mention that PA herself manages to pluck (yes, that is while they call it plucky) such a timeworn tale from the depths of an ancient well I had long given up for dry in the recent craze of twice-tellings. Given that the YA authors have already scattered from the cornucopia to the mediocre security of the fringes like so many Hunger Games tributes, the fact that Ardis comes back to claim the very center of the arena can only mean that she's either crazy, or that she knows Her Aim Is True. Fortunately for us, it's the latter.

Now where was I? Ah yes: pluck, romance, and magic. These being the essential ingredients (and I being an obsessive reductionist engineer), I'll review them each in turn. The pluck, of course, belongs to our protagonist Ryan DuLac, who, far from channeling Guinevere, is a feminized fusion of Lancelot and Arthur. Clearly an acolyte of Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley, PA effortlessly transports the reader into DuLac's shoes as they dance down the peril-laden path of Heroinism. 5 stars.

As for romance, yes, we've got the standard-issue YA love triangle here, but the true test of skill is whether you can get the readers to fall for the new love after they've already fallen for the old. Not only does PA accomplish this, she does it so slyly you don't even notice until it's too late. I only regret that the inevitable showdown had to wait for the second book. 4 stars.

And lastly, magic. Obviously if you're going to put the word Merlin in the title you're making a promise to deliver the goods, ya know? (And, of course, you have to get out from under the shadow of ol' HP.) Ardis employs a light spellbook, as it were, and those craving Martin-, Jordan-, or Tolkien-esque levels of mythology (read: 12 year old boys) must quench their thirst elsewhere. In the cuisine of YA romance, magic is served as a sauce, not a main dish. You want the flavorful spells to complement and enrich the meat of the story, rather than smother it in pyrotechnic arcana. At least, you do when you have a juicy hunk of antihero like Vane at the center--but now I've said too much. 4 stars.

So, does this all add up to something that gives you that unmistakable feeling of reader's afterglow? Well, as is the fashion these days, PA is going to leave us on the edge of a cliff, and therefore so must I. But don't worry about me, Priya--I was raised on Wheel of Time, so I know a thing or two about patience.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Based on the title adding this book is a little embarrassing actually. But I have to because I like to keep track of my reading progress here. Why would I even read anything that sounds so silly?
Well, first of all: ever since the BBC show "Merlin" I kind of have a thing for Merlin. I don't think of him as an old man in a pointy hat anymore, I think of him as an attractive, slightly nerdy young man that I would like to meet. Yes I'm a geek.

Second: I just felt like reading a silly fantasy book that I could breeze through in a few days. And on a whim I bought it on my Kindle. I used to love staying up late to finish books like 'Uglies', 'Inkheart', or "Ella Enchanted". The first two are still favorites of mine and this book is no comparison to them. The last I read about nine years ago so I can't quite remember, but I know I liked it then.

Lately I have been trying to read more classic books in an effort to improve my mind. It must be working a little, because when I took a break from "Crime and Punishment" (definitely not the hardest book I have read) and started this book it was torture getting through the first through chapters. The dialogue seemed pathetically amateur, the grammar wasn't very good, and there were typo errors everywhere.

I didn't have to be patient long before the story got good enough to keep me interested and I did enjoy reading it. There was more kissing and lusty thinking than I was expecting. I don't know why but I was expecting more action and less romance. I would have to say, though I hate to make much separation between male and female literature, that this is a girl book. I think I usually like "boy books" better.
However I did like the main character. And the powerful, handsome, charming wizards of course. :) The story was likeable, and seemed somewhat unique to me. The plot was kind of weak.

I may read the next one. Not sure. I liked reading this. However overall it left me thinking that really good teenage fantasy is hard to find these days and I'm going to keep searching until I get lucky and find some. Until then I am tempted to read 'Inkheart' again.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! A book with Merlin! Merlin!! Okay, I definitely need to turn my fangirl mode down a little. And hey guess what the season five of the BBC series Merlin comes back today! Wooot! Okay, okay, the book, the book, right, right. So when I first heard of the book, I knew I must read it! I mean, MERRLLLINNNN! Magic? Arthurian? Gargoyles? Excalibur? Hell yes!

Yes, I wasn't sure of the modern setting but you know BBC has one of the most awesome classics-turned-modern show ever, Sherlock so I was hoping for the same thing with this book. The Merlin in this book is very different from the BBC show. It was hard to picture since I had been with the BBC show for 4 seasons and it was hard to get used to, but it didn't mean this book sucked. The book puts a really great twist into the Merlin story. I like how it was different. I like YA urban fantasy and I think this one was pretty good. It had adventure, action, magic, humour, romance and more.

I really want to praise Pryia, I mean can you imagine writing a famous character but with a modern twist? Pryia really did a great job making Merlin realistic and believable for this century but also she captured the old Merlin. I really like how this book had mystical features and adventure. It had an almost Percy Jackson + The Mortal Instruments feel to it.

And yes, there was a love triangle. I don't really know how I felt about it. I am not a fan of love triangles, it just gets boring and creates unnecessary conflicts. Merlin vs Vane...ummm, I don't know. Vane kind of reminded me of Ash from the Iron Fey Series but also Patch from the Fallen Series. If you like those types of boys, go ahead, he was your man.

Really, this book was great. Try it out! Magic, adventure, romance and humor, you can't go wrong with that!

[Beatrice · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was stupid.

[Katerina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mi aspettavo un bel libro? No. Non sono così ingenua.
Ma ho letto retelling arturiani YA altre volte, quindi lo so che non sono necessariamente Lo Schifo: Albion mi è piaciuto davvero, Avalon High è divertente e Searching fo Arthur imho ha un suo perchè, con i suoi momenti esageratamente drammatici e quelli in cui sembra rendersi conto di essere un'idiozia. The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor - Vampire Hunter rimane per me un classico dell'involontariamente comico - anche solo per il fatto che sta nella lista di 'roba di Artù'.
Ho seguito per cinque anni Merlin, la fantastica serie sceneggiata da scimmie ubriache dove uno dei personaggi principali è diventato l'antagonista principale e non hanno mai spiegato bene perchè.

Pensavo di essermi fatta le ossa, di essere pronta. Non lo ero affatto.
Ho capito dove mi ero cacciata a pagina 2, quando la protagonista si presenta: Arriane Morganne Brittany DuLac. Detta Ryan.
Si suppone che il lettore accetti la cosa, senza scoppiare a ridere o senza sbattere la testa nel muro.

Partiamo dall'inizio: la quarta di copertina non dice niente della trama. È più che altro un teaser trailer focalizzato su Ryan per farci capire che è tosta, e non capisco perchè parlare così tanto di Merlino visto che il titolo lascia pochi sospetti su chi sarà il primo maschietto del triangolo.
Si arriva a pagina 1 con zero idee di quale sarà la strada imboccata dall'autrice e non preoccupatevi: avrete questo dubbio per sempre.
Long story short, dal cielo piove stile meteorite la spada nella roccia. Nel mezzo di Trafalgar Square. Segue terremoto su scala mondiale, e un livello di dramma francamente incomprensibile per una cosa così ridicola.
Personalmente credo che uno scrittore debba tener conto dell'immaginario collettivo, perchè una spada che piove dal cielo non è un'avvenimento che paragonerei alle Torri Gemelle.
È stupido e offensivo, specie perchè in tutto il libro non si vedono mai le conseguenze della cosa: c'è solo la gente che vuole provare ad estrarla.
Non è come se fossero morte 2749 persone e ne fosse seguita una guerra.

E a proposito della spada, se stai scrivendo un retelling arturiano magari potresti ricordarti che la spada nella roccia non è Excalibur. Oppure prenditi tre righe e mostrami la tua reinterpretazione della mitologia!
Cosa che non succede perchè ogni discorso sull'argomento è: "Non devo spiegarti le cose, le sai già dal mito. Ma non pensare che conoscere il mito ti aiuti a capire la situazione perchè le cose non sono andate così".
Sull'incapacità di questa donna di scrivere un retelling torneremo in seguito, adesso parlerò di come questo libro fallisce anche come storia a sé stante.

Durante il casino della spada scopriamo che Ryan ha la stoffa del leader. Come? La professoressa decide di mollare la classe per andare a vedere il tg, e quando inizia il terremoto è la nostra eroina a prendere in mano le redini della situazione:
Studente 1: "Andiamo via."
Ryan: "No. La professoressa ci ha detto di stare qui."
Sudente 2: "Col cavolo, io me ne vado."
Ryan: "Allora andiamo tutti dalla professoressa."
Presto, qualcuno le dia una medaglia!

Ryan ha anche una grande tragedia familiare alle spalle: padre non pervenuto, madre morta ammazzata. La sua fortuna è che degli amici di famiglia la stanno per adottare, quindi almeno ci guadagna una baracca di soldi e due fratelli: Grey ed Alexa. L'unico lato positivo è che Grey non è - per ora - interessato a Ryan se non come fratello preoccupato per la sorella, ma il loro rapporto verrà bruscamente troncato nel giro di qualche capitolo. Non perchè succede qualcosa ma perchè da un certo punto in poi la Ardis si dimentica di farli interagire, e mi è un po' difficile pensare ci sia questo grande affetto se non sono mai insieme.
Alexa, povera ragazza, è quella destinata a morire perchè... boh, per far capire che i cattivi sono cattivi.
Sostanzialmente dopo la pioggia di spade, i gargoyle attaccano: Matt-Merlino accompagna Ryan a casa per proteggerla, Grey ed Alexa li seguono per essere certi che vada tutto bene, una roba strana li attacca e Alexa muore. La scena d'azione è all'incirca come l'ho scritta io: come scrittrice la Ardis è confusa. Non si capisce niente.
Merlin prova di avere la sensibilità di una sedia distruggendo la macchina dei ragazzi per far passare tutto come un incidente d'auto. Che per carità, ha anche senso, ma mutilare il cadavere della ragazzina davanti alla madre e ai fratelli forse se lo poteva evitare.

Comunque il succo è che serve un Artù: esiste un'antico ordine composto da maghi, il cui scopo è selezionare potenziali candidati ad estrarre la spada. Grey e Ryan ne fanno parte e devono quindi andare in Inghilterra alla scuola di magia, da un lato per proteggere la famiglia dai gargoyle - che vogliono seccare i candidati e se ne fregano dei danni collaterali - dall'altro per imparare a essere leader guerrieri.
Alla scuola non è tutto rosa e fiori: c'è rivalità tra i candidati dotati di magia e quelli senza, addirittura alcuni insegnanti non sono del tutto convinti che i secondi abbiano il diritto di stare lì, quindi viene fatto un test e i giovani sono assegnati ai loro dormitori.
Questa cosa urla Harry Potter così forte che se n'è accorta anche l'autrice, convinta che basti far fare la battuta ad un personaggio per trasformare la mancanza di ispirazione in una citazione.
Contenta lei.

A questo punto sarebbe bello vedere come i potenziali Artù 2.0 si allenano, ma vediamo solo che gli spiegano come affrontare maghi e gargoyle senza morire subito, e a combattere con i bastoni (sul serio, c'è una sottotrama dedicata al "possiamo passare alle spade, per favore?"). L'idea di affidare non si sa cosa (perchè non te lo spiegano mica cosa succederà al fortunato vincitore) ad un adolescente che sa usare una spada non vi attira tantissimo?
Quindi abbiamo tutti i personaggi fermi nello stesso posto e la triste parodia di un allenamento. Cosa succederà per mandare brillantemente avanti la trama? Introduciamo il secondo potenziale fidanzato di Ryan, ossia Vivane detto Vane. Chi è costui?
È il personaggio che se vi piace il ciclo arturiano vorrete uccidere.
Vivane è un mago, fratello di Merlino e si odiano. Perchè? Beh, lui ha causato la caduta di Camelot e la morte di Artù.
...
Wait, what?
Da quello che si ricostruisce ha avuto una relazione con Ginevra, poi ha manipolato Mordred perchè prendesse le armi contro il padre e per finire ha chiuso - in un non meglio specificato incidente - sé stesso e Merlino nella grotta per qualche millennio.
Certo. Perchè Morgana, Morgause, Lancillotto, Nimue e tutte le trame che si portano dietro erano troppo banali.
Cosa c'è di interessante nel dramma personale e familiare di Mordred? Nato da incesto, manipolato dalla madre per odiare il padre, scoprire di essere destinato ad uccidere Artù a prescindere dal suo volere? Esiste una versione dove distrugge volontariamente la propria coscienza perchè non può cambiare il proprio fato e desidera sfuggire almeno all'atroce sofferenza che lo aspetta. E non è neanche uno dei retelling migliori!

Ginevra e Lancillotto? Stando a questa storia, Camelot è caduta perchè Artù non riusciva a controllare i propri cavalieri e Ginevra la dava a tutti.
Digressione: il tradimento di Lancillotto e Ginevra è complicato. Narrativamente è il punto in cui diventa chiaro che il ciclo arturiano prosegue oltre il lieto fine, e che non ci sarà una ripresa finale: non si ferma ad Artù Re che unisce la Britannia, sposa la principessa e crea Camelot. Si vedono i cavalieri invecchiare, gli ideali svanire, il matrimonio combinato che non diventa un matrimonio d'amore. È una cosa amarissima ma allo stesso tempo bella.
Ci sono conseguenze politiche e personali enormi, che portano la Tavola Rotonda a spaccarsi.
E il massimo che riesci a rielaborare è che Artù non era capace di tenere in riga i suoi cavalieri e Ginevra era una sgualdrina? Sul serio, Priya Ardis? Questo è il limite della tua immaginazione? Questo è quello che riesci a fare con questo setting? Ma come hai imparato a narrare, guardando un episodio di Peppa Pig?

È per questo che come retelling fa schifo: non rielabora nulla, non aggiunge nulla. Appiattisce e banalizza tutto quello che tocca, rendendo ancora più confusa una storia che ha alle spalle secoli di retcon senza una voce autorevole su cosa sia canon o meno. Priya Ardis ha preso quello che poteva essere interessante e l'ha buttato via: i personaggi del mito citati sono sei (Merlino, Artù, Ginevra, Lancillotto, Dama del Lago e Mordred).
Buona fortuna se dovrete cercare il Graal, senza Percival e Galahad.

Però, hey, abbiamo i gargoyle e la pseudo Hogwarts.
Più scene d'azione scritte così: Ryan è tenuta in ostaggio da un gargoyle. Come si salverà?
I kicked out with my foot and slipped out of the gargoyle's hold.
Wow. Che suspence, che tensione. Riesco ad immaginarmi la scena in ogni dettaglio anche se non capisco perchè Ryan sia stata ostaggio per due pagine se era così facile liberarsi.
Pigra, pigra, pigra e ancora pigra.
Oppure cercano di uccidere Ryan dando fuoco al dormitorio, e lei dopo parla per pagine pur avendo specificato che ha la gola così infiammata che bere la fa soffrire tantissimo. Coerenza zero.

Ma la storia d'amore? Il libro si intitola My Boyfriend Merlin, quindi si suppone che stiano insieme e... no. Non stanno insieme. In effetti quando interagiscono sembra che non si piacciano neanche: Merlino dovrebbe essere innamorato di lei, e si comporta come se lei fosse speciale (non si sa perchè) ma mette la missione davanti a tutto. Lei sembra dell'idea che lui abbia una scopa di notevoli dimensioni infilata nel deretano e che dovrebbe toglierla.
Tuttavia c'è un enorme ostacolo nella loro - inesistente - relazione: le visioni.
Merlino è un veggente ma quando ha provato a baciare Ryan il potere è momentaneamente sparito. Come mai? È semplicissimo: avete presente Cassandra? Lei vedeva il futuro perchè Apollo l'aveva maledetta, e la maledizione è stata tramandata ai suoi discendenti. Ne segue che Merlino è discendente di Cassandra e già questo è stupido. Il picco però lo raggiungiamo con la rivelazione che Ryan è discendente di Apollo e quindi, completamente a random, può annullare il potere di Merlino.

Ah, alla fine si scopre che Ryan ha anche sangue gargoyle. Non so come sia possibile, ma fossi in lei inizierei a chiedermi con chi è andata a letto sua madre.
Facendo la somma: questa tipa si chiama Arriane Morganne Brittany DuLac, è gnocca, è il love interest di Merlino e di suo fratello, è una potenziale reincarnazione di Artù, è discendente di Apollo e ha sangue gargoyle nelle vene.
E c'è gente che dice che le Mary Sue non esistono.

Che Ryan non possa limonare con Merlino non implica che non possa limonare con Vane, in una scena quantomeno... bizzarra. Ad Hogwarts c'è una spia, quindi Vane e Ryan escogitano questo piano: lei uscirà da sola per attirarla allo scoperto, la cattureranno e la interrogheranno.
Dopo l'immancabile scena di lui che le dice di vestirsi carina - seguita da lui perplesso perchè si è messa i tacchi pur sapendo che dovrà combattere/scappare (ci sono interi universi narrativi dove sandali un po' eleganti non esistono) - succede di tutto: i cattivi attaccano in millemila, lei viene presa in ostaggio (ma fugge scalciando l'aria), lui quasi muore, lei lo salva... e alla fine Ryan ha un attacco di panico. Invece di tirarle un ceffone per farla riprendere, Vane la bacia... ma la cosa strana è la frase che precede il bacio:"My panting became harder. It felt as if every orifice I had was going to lose control. Catching my chin, Vane kissed me. It was a hard kiss."
Non ho la più pallida idea di cosa dovrei pensare leggendo questa frase, e non sono sicura che "il corteggiamento degli albatros è più romantico" fosse ciò a cui mirava l'autrice.
Del resto Vane ha modi molto particolari per provarci con Ryan, come usare Il Mago di Oz.
Alle ragazze che leggeranno la recensione, chiedo di immaginarsi la scena: un ragazzo, che si è sempre venduto come il bad boy, arriva e vi dice questo (dopo aver chiarito che Dorothy siete voi):Dorothy looked sweet, but underneath, she was all trouble. Just the way I like it.
Gli scoppiate a ridere in faccia o ve ne andate direttamente?

Ci sarebbe altro da dire, ma mi sto ripetendo: questo libro è pessimo. Come retelling fa schifo per i motivi detti sopra, e come libro a sé stante è orribile.
È scritto male, lo stile è confuso nella migliore delle ipotesi, le interazioni tra i personaggi sono inesistenti e spesso vanno in contraddizione con la narrazione (Ryan e Merlin: tutti dicono che si piacciono - inclusi loro - ma si comportano come se non si piacessero per nulla; Ryan e Grey: si lovvano, sono famiglia, si vogliono proteggere... non si parlano più dal terzo capitolo fino all'ultimo). Ryan è un'eroina improbabile: si lamenta in continuazione, è stupida e francamente odiosa.
Non è un libro brutto in modo epocale come La Notte degli Angeli Caduti, o The Goddess Test: è un libro brutto nel senso più patetico e basso del termine. Non ti lascia neanche quel vago senso di schifo dovuto a pessimi messaggi nati per sbaglio, perchè è completamente vuoto. Non riesco a pensare ad una sola cosa che My Boyfriend Merlin possa lasciare al lettore, nel bene e nel male; tant'è che ad avermi fatta arrabbiare è stata la pigrizia e la sciatteria con cui è stato massacrato il mito (ad esempio, Merlin è migliore perchè hanno rapito la famiglia ad attori incredibilmente bravi, capaci di salvare sceneggiature ridicole) più che la qualità infima della scrittura.
Quella mi ha solo fatto sentire come se il mio quoziente intellettivo si stesse abbassando via via che leggevo

[Makii · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Respira maky, respira y no asesines al libro*

A ver.... este libro me hizo enojar, y mucho!!!
Voy a empezar por lo bueno...
La historia es muy buena! Toma personajes conocidos pero desconocidos a la vez. Los coloca en otra época y contexto. Y en una trama intrigante.
Sin embargo, no es para cualquiera. Tenes que saber de Merlín, del Rey Arturo, de su gobierno, de las leyendas sobre Excalibur y todo lo que puedas de esa época. Porque el libro no explica nada. Da por hecho que quien lo lee sabe del tema y no necesita reseñas. Y a veces eso no es bueno, porque es como que limitas al público.
Por otro lado, también tiene el efecto de llevarte a querer saber mas. A tratar de conocer hasta la última leyenda y el mas mínimo personaje que pueda estar relacionado. Todo sea por saber mas y tratar de entender la historia.
La cual no esta bien explicada. Al final si, aparece la espada y la piedra y se desata el infierno, peor¿porque? ¿para que? ¿que ve Merlín que se lo oculta a todos? Queda tanto sin explicación.... me siento frustrada.

Ahora bien, todo muy lindo la historia y asi, pero aca hay UN GRAN PROBLEMA!!!!! GRANDE GRANDE, Y QUE ME TIENE MUY ENOJADA
Es un gran Spoiler, pero si alguien lee esta reseña y no leyo el libro, debería saberlo. No digan que no avise!!
Spoiler!!
A ver querida autora: El libro no se llama mi novio Merlín? Leí bien? Bueno, eso es un GRAN ERROR!!! COMO PUEDE SER ESO SI ELLOS NUNCA, LEASE BIEN ,NUNCA FUERON NOVIOS!! Solo salieron UNA vez y se BESARON UNA VEZ!!!
Odio que me engañen de esta forma!!! Es mas,no solo eso!! Sino que ella se enamora del hermano, SI EL HERMANO DE MERLIN!! Quien o casualidad es su gran enemigo!!! ¿Porque mentirme así? porque me mintieron!!! que alguien cambie el titulo de este libro!!

En cuanto a los protas....
Ryan me provoca querer golpearla!!! y mucho!! Primero por su histerismo con Matt(Merlin) que es lo mas bueno y lindo que puede existir-aun cuando en el libro se sepa tan poco de el- y después su juego con Vale-hermano de Merlin- para finalmente enamorarse de él, aun sintiendo esa "conexión" con Matt
No me malinterpreten, Vale me encanta!! Todo malito, rebelde! Me mata! Pero que va....son hermanos!!!
Ella me desespera! Me da ganas de querer matarla, y me hace querer llorar también. La fuente de mi frustración.
"—¿Eso es lo qué realmente quieres?
¿Soy yo a quién realmente quieres? Quería decirle. Miré fijamente la fuerte
línea de la mandíbula de Vane. Toqué el amuleto alrededor de mi cuello.
Fue a Vane a quién escuché en mi cabeza, nunca a Matt. Fue Vane quién
me forzó a luchar. A su alrededor no era poco atractiva. No era bonita.
Podía ser simplemente yo. No podía terminar de creer que me hubiera
enamorado de Vane, pero en algún punto del camino lo había hecho.
—Matt y yo siempre tendremos una conexión… —La expresión de Vane se
agrió. Reprimí una sonrisa y continué—. Pero te quiero a ti."
En cuanto a Merlin *.*
Crecí con una imagen de el muy diferente!! viejo, barba blanca.... su traje azul con estrellas...
Quien diría que podía ser un joven tan sexy? Lol
Me encanta, la verdad esperaba mas de él, porque casi no aparece. Es todo mas de saber de él a travez de la relación de Vale y Ryan, pero esos pequeños momentos de ellos dos me encantan. Yo los quiero a ellos juntos! Aunque no se si ella se lo merece... El hace todo por ella... es que no lo ve?
Me duele que este sufriendo asi por su culpa!

"Toqué mi amuleto.
—¿Matt, por qué?
—Porque te amo. —Su respuesta reverberó en mi cabeza.
Matt miró directo a las cámaras.
—Mi nombre es Merlín"




Ya necesito desesperadamente leer el segundo libro! Esto no puede solo quedar así....

[ѦѺ™ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He who draws the sword from the stone, he shall be king. Arthur, you're the one." - Merlin, from the 1981 film Excalibur


17-year old Arianna Morganna Brittany DuLac prefers to be called Ryan. yet the length of her name is the least of her worries. she gets thrust into a world of magic after a stone and sword mysteriously falls from the sky. Ryan also finds out that the guy she used to date is the wizard Merlin himself.
author Priya Pradis resurrects a fragment of the Arthurian mythos, gives it a contemporary flavor and then some. there are secrets, a love triangle, gargoyles and treachery afoot in this urban fantasy.
most of the characters are teenagers. i would not really classify them as typical adolescents. perhaps, it was the gravity of the task that loomed ahead that made them act more maturely and i liked how the author portrayed them as such. i also liked the idea of magic and technology working together at the wizard school. for example, instead of having wands, each student was given an iPad to use. this was really cool and interesting.
the strange event that figured in the first couple of chapters certainly grabbed my attention and made me want to find out more. my interest waned a bit though in the middle part. this was where i could not help but compare Ryan's wizard school Avalon to Hogwarts. references to Harry Potter were even mentioned which i found amusing in some scenes and trite in others. to be fair, Avalon and Hogwarts are totally different from each other. it was just me suffering from some post-HP related melancholia. anyway, my interest was piqued once more especially in the last few chapters and i did not stop reading until i was done.
overall, i enjoyed the book. it has been some time since i read anything about Merlin. i am glad that Ms. Pradis has re-introduced one of the most famous wizards of all time and has breathed new life into him.
i hope that younger readers and up will embrace Merlin with gusto like i did.



Disclosure of Material Connection: i received a copy of My Boyfriend Merlin from the author herself. i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was i obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Alaiel Kreuz · Rating 4 out of 5]

**You can find more reviews in my blog, Librarian Mouse**

Seriously speaking people, aren't you tired of the constant books about vampires, werewolves, angels and demons? I mean, they are a HUGE constant right now. And I'm getting a little bit overwhelmed to be honest.
That's why, when I saw the chance (my chance!) to be part of this blog tour I knew I had to participate.

I mean, who hasn't heard the story about King Arthur and Merlin? Or about the roundtable? Or even watched that Disney movie that captured my heart? Damsels in distress and dragons, fights and quests, love and betrayal... Yes, I love these stories.

And a young Merlin?! A sexy, protective and powerful Merlin? Trust me, you will soon forget about the old man with the long beard (but don't let him go too far away, okay?).
This time Merlin is back to find and protect the reincarnation of King Arthur and deliver him to the Stone.

Because yes, the Stone is back too. In fact it appeared in the middle of London attracting thousands of people all around the world who want to have a chance at pulling the Sword out of it.
What they don't know is that something came following the Stone... Gargoyles and dragons are lurking around, waiting for the right moment to strike, kill and destroy everything between them and their chance to get Excalibur.

Only Merlin can sense and find the Candidates and this story is about Ryan, a girl that lost her mom not too long ago and now is living with her mother's best friend, Sylvia, and her soon-to-be-brothers, Alexa and Grey.

A terrible loss will trigger Ryan and Grey's decision to go with Matt (Merlin's incarnation... sort of) even if he drives Ryan crazy with his double personality -a few weeks ago he dumped her with a text message and now he is everywhere she looks- and is always pushing Grey's buttons just to make him angry.

And let's not forget about the love triangle (very interesting and I think necessary), the fights, the magic and the tension between characters.
Yes, I loved this book. It's different, quick and funny. The plot is great, the characters are intriguing and the twists will make you second guess yourself a lot.
By the end of the book I'm sure you will want to read the second part right away!

[Asia · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a really great book. I'm actually surprised that I liked it that much. I always liked the stories about King Arthur, Merlin and the knights of the round table and this one was a nice retelling. Now, off to the next book.

[Casie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Boyfriend Merlin is about a girl named Arriane Dulac but she goes by Ryan. Ryan lost her mom and and adopted sister to the gargoyles and her ex boyfriend is claiming to be Merlin. Ryan finds out that Matt is Merlin by his brother Vane who is also a wizard. Vane was describing Merlin to her then waited for it to sink in before he said a spell to make Matt look like and an old cartoon wizard. He had a pointy hat, dress robes, pointy shoes on, and a long white beard. It was confirmed for her when she saw him mutter the counter spell and turn to glare at Vane who was right next to her. Then he tried to lie to her even though he knew that it was already to late for that. So he ended up settling for telling her she didn't need to know which she had answered with telling him that she doesn't know him anymore and doesn't think she ever did and wonders if everything was a lie. Ryan quickly learns that with the mysterious return of the sword Excalibur nothing is ever as it seems. Matt is collecting all the candidates he can find to bring back to the council to judge whether they are actually really a candidate or not. Except Matt is only looking for Regulars which is a candidate that isn't a wizard so if his brother wasn't collecting the wizard candidates then they would've had a problem especiously if the chosen person was a wizard.

Ryan soon learns that she has to be careful with who she decides to trust after she found out that Matt had been lying to her. She eventually starts to make choices that Matt considers wrong and trust people he thinks she shouldn't. Ryan and Vane start to become closer after he had pointed out to her that Matt was actually Merlin. Ryan and Matt had gotten into a huge argument when he found out that she was hanging out with his brother Vane even though she promised she wouldn't. But with how Matt is acting and how he broke promises he made to her. She decided that it doesn't matter if she does the same thing especiously since she knows she's doing the right thing. She broke a promise to Merlin to not go to the party but she does anyways and to make it worse in Merlin's opinion she had gone with Vane. But they did that to catch the traitor that was passing information on what they were doing to the gargoyles.

Everything is never as it seems in this book and Ryan has to learn that the hard way by watching people she learned to care for die or betray her. Some people that you typically wouldn't trust can turn out to be more trustworthy than who you would typically trust like Vane turned out to be more trust worthy then Matt. Magic isn't always better then no magic and the regulars prove that during the fight against the gargoyles at the end of the book. the fight against the gargoyles at the end of the book had created a strong bond amongst the regulars and wizards.

Set in today's time when knights and swords have become simply legends. The book brings the past crashing forward. While the future is being held hostage with the past taking over.

I believe the theme of this book is to figure out who to trust and who you are. Because that's exactly what Ryan is doing through out the whole book and trying to protect herself and her brother. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal romance and anyone in middle school to high school.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed By~Robin
Review Copy Provided By~Bewitching Blog Tours

Finally a story that brings Merlin into the 21st Century not only giving him a new adventure but also places him in a love triangle that is actually believable.

Merlin has that dangerous image that makes him irresistible. Then you throw in his equally good looking brother it leaves any normal girl with a dilemma of what to do. Oh to be in Arriane’s or Ryan to her friends, shoes.

Merlin better known as Matt Emrys is in search of someone that will be worthy of pulling the sword from the stone. Yes, if we have Merlin…Excalibur can’t be far behind. Finding the rightful person has led Matt/Merlin to Boston where he has been watching a few regulars as they are known. On this particular day there is a tremor that is felt around the world with England, specifically Trafalgar Square taking the biggest hit as a black stone complete with ‘the sword’ dropped right in the middle of the square.

I was really impressed with Merlin’s character as he is such a legendary figure. Ms. Ardis took a chance putting him in the 21st Century, a risk that paid off making him a very believable and important part of the storyline. She was able to keep the mystery that surrounds Merlin a part of the story which helped in making him seem more real as a teen in this century.

Merlin was given the qualities of being the good guy out to save the world and in walks his brother with a hint of that bad boy image putting Ryan right in the middle of a well-rounded love triangle. How is any red blooded girl going to be able to choose between to equally powerful wizards. I couldn’t decide who I wanted to win Ryan…I was and still am torn between Merlin and Vane.

This fast paced read has it all, strong characters, sweet romance, magic, mystery, adventures and descriptions that keep you enthralled in the story.

I loved the way Merlin and Excalibur were brought into the 21st Century, giving a new twist on a well-loved storyline. I have always wanted Merlin to fall in love as he came from a time of magic and romance. It was nice to see that happen. I can’t wait for Ms. Ardis’s next book.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

No matter how hard I try, I just can't bring myself to finish this book. It is honestly a painful read for me. I just can't get over all the painful cliches and drawn out plot line.

Now that I have finished My Boyfriend Merlin, I must admit that I'm shocked I gave it three stars. When I first started reading this novel, I struggled. I just couldn't get through it. The plot seemed predictable, and the number of grammatical mistakes was high; however, after finishing it, I am pleasantly surprised to find that I like it enough to continue the series. Maybe it's the fact that nearly six months has passed. That may not sound like a long amount of time, but my tastes have changed. I have read several books recently that I may not have glanced twice at half a year ago.
What really got me into it, though, was the humor. Many books have humorous characters spread throughout a series, but I feel that I got more humor out of this one book than I have gotten out of several series combined (Maybe I just haven't read anything good, though...)

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Boyfriend Merlin by Priya Ardis is a delightful quick and entertaining read.
The story of a modern day Merlin riding a Ducati is one that is told in such a fashion that it almost seems to be logical and probable. The main protagonist is a real girl who' most will find they are able to relate to.
Merlin is still a young man and he is still the most powerful wizard in the world, but he is not all sweet and passive and I loved his character.
I think what I loved most about the book is the ease of the read and the fact that the author has an uncanny knack to keep the tempo of the book relaxed and exciting all the time! You don’t stop turning the pages but you are also not on the edge of your chair the entire time. This is a rare talent indeed.
I think if you love YA paranormal then you will adore this book.
I give it a 4 * rating and recommend that you pick up a copy. I know I will read the next book in the series someday, hopefully soon.
WaAr

[Kyra Dunst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read just about anything fiction, and I usually snap up most of the free books I find. It is very rare to find a free book so well written and easy to read that you come to the last page and just don't want it to end, and so you feel you simply must purchase the next novel to continue the story.

I was slightly leary of the Potter-esque plot description (orphan goes to wizard school), not because I dislike the idea, but because it has been overdone. I was blown away by how original the story really was. Magic, wizards, Camelot, and a love triangle to rival a soap opera.

I don't like spoilers, so I won't give any, but I do feel that Ryan is believable and 'true' to how an 18 year old with her experiences would react. The love triangle is crazy and complicated, and Ardis did a great job showing how a girl in Ryan's place might feel and act.

I definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves spending an afternoon curled up with a magical story!

[[ J o ] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ahaha haha. Ahhaaha. Hahaha. Ahaha.

Haha. Ahhahah.

I shouldn't laugh really. Or should I? How do people learn if you don't point out their mistakes? Let's go with, "Not written for me. Not my cup of tea."

My cup of tea is non-clichéd, elegant writing where the protagonist isn't obviously the author dressed in a different name. My cup of tea is good, solid writing where you take an exemplary myth and twist it to the modern day without making it totally unbelievable, uninteresting and unshite. My cup of tea is non air-headed girls pretending to be a strong female lead who writes her own story and isn't completely desperate every time there's a tall, handsome weirdly eye-coloured man about.

I need a new shelf and I need to call it "Fanfiction".

(Been wanting to read modern day Arthurian for a while now. But it is not this one. Should have known by the title but you just never know, do you... Well. Maybe you do. Maybe books are free for a reason. Just saying.)

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Yosbe Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Boyfriend Merlin... una historia con una trama diferente. La famosa historia de Merlín y Arturo adaptada a la realidad. La autora hizo un buen trabajo con ella.

Ahora bien... SPOILERS

Normalmente no me gusta hacer reviews con spoilers, pero es que no puedo evitar comentar el "trío" en este libro. No sé sinceramente que fue lo que Vane hizo para que Ryan se enamorara de él. ¿Su arrogancia? ¿Su estupidez? ¿Su necedad? WTF!! Si bien Merlin aka Matt, no aparece TANTO como Vanne, lo cual es irónico porque el libro se llama "My Boyfriend Merlin"... (todavía no entiendo por qué) cuando lo hace, podemos ver el sentimiento profundo y sincero que tiene hacia Ryan. Lo vemos hasta el final.

Estoy completamente enojada con la decisión final de Ryan, PERO con esas ultimas líneas tengo una leve esperanza en el 2, que hay que leer!!!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good Camelot interpretation. They never get old to me. There were a few moments that "toed the line" for me in terms of content. Not really bad by any means but I am just a baby.

I did however really like Ryan the heroine in this story. She was tough and I liked her stubbornness. I loved Matt and thought Vane was hilarious at times. I dislike love triangles especially when they deal with Brothers but we'll see how this one plays out in the end. I am curious.

I do not like blood and violence and this book did have some but it was not over the top.

Over-all it kept me turning pages!

[Tamis Guarnero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestamente no se que pensar de este libro... Ok veamos me encanta la trama de este es algo diferente algo nuevo y Fresco, me gustan los personajes, accion etc...

Merlin o Vane? sigo sin poder decidirme, pero puedo decir con seguridad que en verdad Ryan me hizo en ocaciones quererme arrancar el cuero cabelludo me saco mis casillas =P la historia de ella y Vane mmm todavia no me convence como que a este trio amoroso le falta mas fuerza en fin el libro es bastante bueno y Divertido, con una lectura rapida, ademas de que te dejara pegada a el hasta que lo termines! xD

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the story, however, I wish there was more with some of the scenes. There seemed to be missing little parts of the story (like parts ended too soon). Also, this book really needs an editor. There were simple words missed; things like "a" and "the" for instance. Also, there were other problems that could be fixed with the help of editing.

Though the non-editing tripped me up at times and made me pause, I still got through the story and enjoyed it. That's why it gets 3 stars. I'm on to the second one.

BTW, Vane was my favorite from the start. <3

[Gretchen Hohmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, I’m going to be honest. The blurb above is not the one I read originally when I decided to read My Boyfriend Merlin. This one isn’t better or worse, but the one I read seemed to encompass more of the things that were a big drive in this book. I originally wrote this review while staring at the other blurb with the different set of information, but trustme when I say nothing I’m going to outright discuss is that big of a surprise.

Okay, I’ll be frank–I didn’t come at this book with exceedingly high expectations. I mean, right from the get go, it’s clear: there’s a love triangle coming. I understand it’s the big thing now to tout these kinds of things, but come on. Really? For me, it’s not a selling point. But the blurb promised me Merlin, and for that I’m willing to test out someone else’s probably trite love triangle.

Despite promising us “my boyfriend Merlin,” Ryan and Merlin/Matt actually begin the book broken up and stay that way. They just totally aren’t over each other. There is, of course, a cosmic reason they can’t be together and blah blah blah. BUT WAIT.

THE PLOT DECIDES TO PUT THE ROMANCE IN SECOND PLACE FOR A WHILE.

Nothing ever makes me so happy as this. Once we get past Ryan going “Oh Matt, I miss you!” all of the sudden there are gargoyles everywhere and magic battles and Ardis holds zero punches. By the way, this is the first three chapters I’m talking about. The book certainly takes off like a rocket and promises you a wild ride.

After that intial action, though, it slows down again. Ryan gets whisked off to Hogwar– Avalon High School to learn how to defeat magic and weild a sword. (She’s no wizard, though. But you can find out WHAT she is if you read the book.) This, of course, results in some high school drama. However, I was fairly impressed on how minimal all that is.

Of course, that’s probably because all the drama emphasis is on the love triangle. Once again, I had a large problem with it. It’s bad enough that it’s between Merlin and his brother. It’s worse that Vane is clearly a not so nice guy. What’s even WORSE is that Ryan really doesn’t like him in the beginning and he gives her NO reason to like him and then all the sudden they’re friends. Her change in tune is ridicusouly unwarranted and out of character, but makes the love triangle viable. No, people, no.

That said, though, the second half of the book was really impressive. The action kicks back up again, and the love triangle is mostly forgotten under EVERYBODY SAVE THE WORLD. In the rush of action, there were a few MAJOR things that were introduced and then not dealt with at all, which was annoying, but I let is slide because honestly I didn’t want to deal with them then either. BEHEAD THE GARGOYLES!

The ending was a little interesting, though I mostly guessed it. It still leaves our characters in a VERY interesting place for book 2 to take off from, and I look forward to seeing how this all progresses. Despite my problem with the love triangle, I really like Ryan as a character enough to swallow my hatred for love triangle and keep on keeping on with the series. (The amount of action doesn’t hurt.)

[Celina · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is so much to say about this book. Originally, I was excited to read this book. The title did sound corny and usually I don’t read books like this, but I gave this a try. I love the idea of a modern day Arthurian legend story, and This book grabbed my attention because of my slight obsession with the BBC show Merlin. And I ended up being disappointed with this book. Honestly, I didn’t even finish the book.

I can definitely start off with the plot. I might get this wrong considering I stopped reading at one point, but the plot was mostly concerning the sword in the stone appearing in (I think) somewhere in England and the main character is being attacked as she and her friends run away to England to get to the sword (such a long sentence). I’m still confused about the plot and probably made it more confusing just trying to explain it. Just four words: the plot was rushed. It felt like so much happened instantly in the first chapter. I really wanted to like this whole idea of the modern day sword and the stone story, but I wish it was better well written. For example, I wished that less happened in the first chapter. For me, I think first chapters are just the introduction of setting and characters. Here, it instantly felt extremely rushed and slightly confusing because of how much was going on.

The characters were annoying to me. Most of them sounded very similar to each other and some sounded very cookie cutter. For example, the love interest of the main character Ryan was the typical mysterious bad boy stereotype with a British accent. Concerning the characters, I was not a fan of the love story because it also felt rushed as well. I think in the first chapter, when something happened to the main character, her love interest instantly shows up to protect her. I think that happened within the first few pages which also goes back to so much happening in the first chapter.

I was glad that there was action in this book. Bad thing about it was it was not well written. It had very short and choppy sentences that described the scenes and the mood. When a character did a certain action, the sentence describing what the character did was bland and boring. Action was vague. It was kind of difficult to picture in my head what was going on. It was also difficult to understand what the first creature looked like (it could be that I read too fast).

I do feel extremely bad that I didn’t read the whole book. I still love the idea of a modern day sword in the stone story. Because I wasn’t able to finish this book, I can’t write so much about this book except for certain points. I give this 1.5 (round to 2) out of five stars just for the fact that it was an attempt to make Arthurian legend more popular. Reviewed from my book blog: The Never Ending Bookshelf

[Carrie Ardoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan DuLac is a high school student with some problems: she and her boyfriend Matt have just called it quits, and since her mother's death, she's been living with a close friend of the family. But everything in her life is about to get way more complicated.

When Ryan loses her best friend in a freaky dragon attack, she learns that there's more to the world than meets the eye. Magic is real--and Matt is not really Matt. Ryan quickly gets on the track to becoming an unlikely hero.

This book was a really cool spin on Arthurian legend..not quite a retelling, but all the components we know and love are there: Merlin, Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake. Along with a few unique chracters I really loved.

I really liked Ryan from the start of the book, and as it progressed she got even cooler for me. Though she was thrown some pretty unbelievable roadblocks, she stood strong and didn't rely on anyone to help her. She worked out her own problems and was not falling all over herself around the guys. And...I'm always a sucker for a girl who punches a guy in the face :)

Matt is Ryan's ex, and he actually turns out to be Merlin, the legendary wizard. Although he has broken Ryan's heart, there is a reason behind it. He was a truly nice guy but very focused on his work. Vane is Matt's brother, also a wizard. He's more of a loose cannon and the brothers have some issues between them. Although Vane and Ryan clash, they can't stay away from each other and things get pretty heated. So yes, this book does have somewhat of a love triangle, which I usually hate. But the chemistry between Ryan and the two brothers was really sizzling, and I like it when I actually have no idea who the heroine will pick. The triangle kind of reminded me of Damon-Elena-Stefan from The Vampire Diaries (one of my fave shows).

I loved the romance aspect of the book, but the action was definitely not lacking. Fast-paced scenes start very soon in the book, and they are interspersed nicely throughout the novel. This made it a very compelling read, and I never got bored.

The author did a very nice job with weaving the traditional Arthurian elements with completely original supernatural ones, and I really enjoyed reading this novel. I am definitely excited for the next!

[JennRenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book. I love Merlin and anything to do with Merlin. I loved this book. It was hook, line and sinker from the first page, the excitement started right away. The book was full on mystery, action, and romance.



It is present day and Ryan is in school when the tremor hits. It’s all over the news. A stone with a sword has fallen from the sky and landed in England. This was the last moment that Ryan’s life would ever be normal. She finds out that the myth of King Arthur, mostly true, the wizard Merlin does exist (oh and she dated him), and magic is real. Now the magic and the world is in danger and it’s all in the hands of Ryan, her friends, and her family, oh and Merlin.




I liked everything about this book. The flow was great, the writing just my style, the story action packed, the characters all amazing, the twist on the original myth was exciting.

I fell in love with Ryan and Merlin right away. Ryan is one tough cookie and has a heart of gold to go along with it. She will fight for those she loves without a second chance. As the story progressed, layers and layers of Ryan were discovered and she never ceased to amaze me. Merlin was so swoon worthy for me. He sounded really hot, and in my head he was the geeky hot, just the way I like them. He was everything that a hero from medieval times should be and lived up to my every expectation. I think it was Vane who stole the show for me. I wanted to like him, he was dark, mysterious, full of attitude, but something drew me in. The only problem... I wasn't sure if I could trust him and I was sure what his intentions for Ryan were. I think that if the trust issues wouldn't have been there, he would have been the perfect guy for me. The book was full of great characters bad and good.

The story took unexpected turns around every corner and I really didn't know what to expect from page to page. I was always waiting for the other shoe to fall and I was never sure who to trust.




I am all over this series and can’t wait to get the next book.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. There is a good mixture of history/myth, magic, and hardships- so there is always something going on. I liked that. It was never too much, the plot worked really well and it incorporated many different elements.

Matt is such a complex guy. I both loved him and was annoyed at him many times throughout the book. At first, I was 100% on team Matt, but then there were certain times where he was so distant and annoying that I changed my mind. By the end of the story I didn't know who I was rooting for. I think it is still Matt but there is just something about...

Vane is complex too, but in a more mysterious darker way. I really really wanted to hate him. And at the beginning I did hate him, but he just has these awesome moments. I lived for those rare nice moments with him. And by the end of the book he basically became neck and neck with Matt. That is pretty impressive for someone that I had shamelessly made a snap judgment about.

Ryan was pretty cool too, but I must say I am not crazy about this name for a girl. But that is besides the point. I love that there are still things surrounding Ryan and her life that we don't know. I can't wait to find out even more about her in the next book. She is a strong person and I really admire that. Now I just wish that she had an easier love triangle decision to make.

I will say that I got a little confused towards the end of the book once or twice. A lot started happening all at once and it got a little harry for a while so I couldn't quite keep up all the time. Just make sure you read that part slowly and you will be fine. I was so excited to find out how the book was going to end that I started reading kinda fast at the end. This book was well written and the characters are nicely developed. The story is awesome too and I can't wait to see what is going to happen in book 2!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved fantasy and when I read that this was about Merlin, I was anxious to read this book. What I didn't expect was to enjoy it so much, especially in this modern day setting. Arriane, better known as Ryan is a 17-year-old senior in high school. The oh so hot Matt has the whole biker vibe going on, is charming, and Ryan is a little more than infatuated with him. As it turns out, Matt is also Merlin, the greatest wizard ever, who has woken up from the deep freeze, and Matt has a purpose, which includes Ryan. Ryan comes face to face in an intense way with the world of magic and gargoyles, and then when Excalibur appears, things really begin to heat up, especially when it involves saving the world. They travel to Avalon Academy with her brother Gray, where she also meets Merlin's brother, Vane, who she can't stand, or can she? Two brothers, one special girl, wizards, gargoyles, all trying to save the world, but can they?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love the way Priya Ardis has incorporated mythology with a modern day twist, humor, action and adventure, which made this one of the most fun fantasy series I've read. The story starts off with a bang and had me hooked from the first chapter. I really liked Ryan, she turns out to be quite the kick-butt heroine. I liked Merlin also, though he has secrets he is keeping. Vane, well he's kind of a jerk, but he is super hot. I love the bad boy type. There are quite a few secondary characters in the book, which are written so well than you feel like you get to know all of them. The romance is hot, and the action is intense, combine that with the fantasy and mythology element, and you have one great read.

Favorite My Boyfriend Merlin Quote: “Did you recently turn into a jerk or have you been one since birth?

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan is just a normal 17 year old girl. She's the student president in her high school. She lives with her friends Grey and Alexa and their mother Sylvia, because her mom died. One day during a boring lecture in her history class, the unthinkable happens. Another teacher interrupts the lecture with an announcement that "History is happening now!" The whole class goes into another classroom to find out just what is going on. A large rock has shown up, out of nowhere in Trafalgar Square, with King Arthur's sword sticking out of it. This rock caused a "Total Tremor," basically an earthquake that starts in the square and moves around the whole world. This is where things start to get pretty crazy for Ryan. She's being taken home by her ex-boyfriend Matt on his bike, when out of nowhere a dragon attacks. Grey and Alexa are following and in the craziness Ryan is badly wounded and Alexa is killed. When Matt is able to heal her, Ryan knows that somethings up with him, and she learns that he is a powerful magician, Merlin to be exact. But does he care for her? Or does he just want to use her to get the sword? I enjoyed the story line of this book. I thought the characters were awesome, and there was tons of action all through the book to keep you hooked. I liked Ryan especially, she starts out as kind of a person that can be easily pushed around and by the end of the book she's a strong, courageous young woman who knows what she wants out of life. The one reason that I gave this book 3 stars instead of 4 is for the language.