Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
The bane of Mordred, the son of Mordizan, and a millennia-old prophecy—together they may provide what Brinnie needs to defeat the world of magic’s greatest threat.

More than a year has passed since Brinnie left Wraithwood, never expecting to see it again. But when Mordred captures her sister, she is thrust back into the world of magic. She flees to Wraithwood, where she learns of a prophecy located in the dark wizard capital of Mordizan that reveals the identity of “Mordred’s bane,” something that could destroy Mordred for good.

Brinnie agrees to a rendezvous with Mordred to exchange herself for her sister, going undercover at Mordizan as a spy to find the prophecy and Mordred’s bane. There, she weaves a complicated web of secrets, lies, and tenuous friendships. She makes an unexpected ally in Marcus Vorath, son of the Master of Mordizan, who fears the implications of Mordred’s growing power. But in Mordizan, friends and foes may be one and the same.

In the midst of court intrigue, battle, ominous new depths to her power, and searching for Mordred’s bane, Brinnie struggles to draw the lines. How far is she willing to go to destroy Mordred? And how much of herself is she willing to give up along the way?

366 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2022

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Alyssa Roat

12 books183 followers
Alyssa Roat has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an agent, editor, writer, and marketer. She is the managing editor at Mountain Brook Fire, and among other roles has previously been the publicity manager for publisher Mountain Brook Ink, as well as an associate literary agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, a freelance editor, and a freelance writer with 250+ bylines in local, national, and international publications. She holds a B.S. in Professional Writing from Taylor University. She would love to connect on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as well @alyssawrote.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
42 (61%)
4 stars
24 (35%)
3 stars
2 (2%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Nisareen.
454 reviews11 followers
February 19, 2022
“Myrddin’s flesh and Myrddin’s blood shall destroy the world he built. Mordred’s bane, his final doom, the heir of Arthur doth supply. The line of Myrddin here must die, or all we wrought shall be in vain.”

A year has passed since Brynna left Wraithwood - a year in which she has tried to stay under the radar lest Mordred discovers her whereabouts. When her scar begins to tingle one day at school, her worst fear is realised. They’ve found her. Using the portal that Merlin gifted her in case of an emergency, Brynna is able to teleport herself and her father back to Wraithwood. Although Merlin seems pleased to see Brynna, she’s puzzled by the hostility and tension she senses between her father and Merlin.

Brynna learns that Mordizan has grown more powerful during her absence. Assassins and spies are everywhere and dark wizards are attacking their stability strongholds. Worse still, Miss Tynsdale was captured while spying on Mordizan and tortured by Mordred so brutally that her mind has fractured. In her dazed state, Miss Tynsdale tells Brynna about a prophecy located in Mordizan that reveals the identity of ‘Mordred's bane’ something that could destroy him for good.

When news arrives that her sister Anna and her brother in law have been captured by Mordred, Brynna realises that the only way to stop Mordred once and for all is to unravel the prophecy of Mordred’s bane. Offering herself in exchange for her sister's return, Brynna decides to go undercover as a spy at Mordizan in the hopes of getting her hands on the ancient scrolls - a plan that tragically backfires.

Amid the enemies camp, Brynna must weave a complicated web of secrets, lies, and tenuous friendships. Fortuitously she finds an unexpected ally in Marcus Vorath, the son of the Master of Mordizan, who fears the implications of Mordred's growing power. In Mordizan, however, friends and foes may be the same and before long Brynna finds herself struggling to draw the lines between court intrigue, battles and her new burgeoning powers. How far is she willing to go to destroy Mordred and how much of herself is she willing to give up along the way?

Mordizan is the second compelling instalment of the highly entertaining Wraithwood trilogy. I was a huge fan of the first book and couldn't wait to get my hands on the follow-up. The author didn't disappoint. From the offset, I felt like I was revisiting old friends as Brynna was reunited with the residents of Wraithwood.

Unfortunately, Brenna’s reunion with her friends is cut short when she has to venture into Mordizan. Once again as with Wraithwood, the author’s vivid and utterly convincing description of the magical landscape surrounding Mordizan kept me spellbound. I felt as though I was there experiencing the sights and sounds through Brynna’s eyes and ears.

Poor Brynna truly goes through the wringer in this instalment - even more so than when she was trapped in the maze in the previous book. She tries to do the right thing but is so out of her depth as she doesn't know who to trust. Plus she is up against sadistic forces that have zero regards for humankind. I can only hope that she can hang on to her humanity and sense of self and keep the dark shadows threatening to overwhelm her at bay.

Both instalments have been by no means light reads. The world-building has been phenomenal throughout, making it apparent that a lot of thought has been put in. The complexities of the plot and sudden twists have held me captivated - every single reveal being totally plausible. Additional supporting characters also added great depth and layers to this world.

The feeling you get when you read an Alyssa Roat book should be bottled. This was pure escapist brilliance with all the trappings that reel you in and have you anxiously turning the pages. Now for the torturous wait for the next instalment...
Profile Image for Hope Bolinger.
Author 23 books279 followers
January 10, 2022
I was thankful to read an early copy of this book, but my goodness, it never disappoints. So much intrigue, and just about everything you could want in a fantasy. Roat managed to outdo herself in Wraithwood...and I didn't think it was possible
4 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2022
I loved this! I am not usually a fan of fantasy, but since I know the author, I read all of her books. Wraithwood and Mordizan have wizards and magic and take place in an elaborately created world (which is amazing!!), but not all of the other creatures usually present in fantasy books. The author meshes the fantastical elements into our contemporary world in such a way that it is easy for me, a non-fantasy reader, to fully engage in the story.
While Wraithwood read as a mystery in which we discovered this world with action and adventure included, Mordizan was straight-up suspense and drama all the way through. I love both. Wraithwood made me want to keep reading to uncover the mysteries. In this book, I had to find out how it was going to be resolved!
The characters are very well- developed. Not even the minor characters are one- dimensional. The gate-keepers made me laugh. The evil characters are not wholly evil. My heart actually ached for Brinnie in her emotional suffering.
Somehow the story is able to present the reader with the deep themes of war, sacrifice, the common good , and individual vs societal values, and also be fun, humorous, and entertaining. If you want to read and think about the deep ideas, you can. If you want to focus on the adventure , suspense and humor. It’s there.
The third book cannot come out soon enough!
Profile Image for Tonja Drecker.
Author 3 books191 followers
March 17, 2022
I didn't read the first book in the series, due to time reasons, and did have a little trouble sinking into the tale because of it. So, this is a series to be read from the start.

We meet Brinnie as she's settling back into normality after her first adventure. She's trying her best to follow her mother's rules to keep her magic locked up tight, but as more and more trouble is lurking around her, this becomes increasingly difficult. When her sister is kidnapped by the power hungry Mordred, Brinnie decides the only way to stop him and his evil plot is to figure out the key to a prophecy. After an exchange of her for her sister, she tries her best to gain trust of those in Mordizan, while trying to dig up the information. But nothing works as planned and she soon finds herself in much more trouble than she anticipated.

This isn't a light read but digs deep and weaves quite the plot...and that while the writing itself isn't actually that heavy. Brinnie comes across as a young teen, who is struggling to find balance with her family, her magic, and where all of this glides into her life. Her worries are, if anything, even on the young side for her age, and the dialogue as well as decisions flow naturally. She has a ton of heart, especially when it comes to those close to her, and her desire to take risks makes her easy to root for. She's an easy heroine to root for.

Things started out quick enough, but the writing did catch me a little off-guard, at first, as it almost felt like an upper middle grade more than a young adult. But as the story progresses, it's easy to get swept up and simply enjoy the ride. The author has been careful to weave the background, world building, and actions tightly, making sure that everything sits without holes. This, combined with the action and secrets, made for a smooth read, which grabs and holds.

The ending makes it clear that there is more to come. So, we'll see where all of this goes next. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the tale quite a bit.
Profile Image for Ian.
Author 3 books44 followers
September 6, 2023
Having thoroughly enjoyed Wraithwood, the first in the series, I was looking forward to reading the sequel. Mordizan starts about a year after the conclusion of Wraithwood. Brinnie has returned home to her normal, non-wizard, life and struggles to re-integrate at school after all the wonder and power she possesses at her fingertips.

On returning to Wraithwood, it’s clear Mordred and the powers of darkness, the dark wizards, are building a formidable force to bring down the many enchantment wizards (the good guys) strongholds. In doing so, the dark wizards will be able to rule the world, human and wizard.

As one suspects with the title of the book, it’s not long before Brinnie and Uncle Merlin are travelling to the dark wizards capital, Mordizan. It’s a great name, and the majority of the book is spent here. As a result, we get to spend more time with Mordred and some other dark wizards including the big bossman, Vorath the Master of Mordizan.

Evil gets its way often throughout this story but we get to see Brinnie develop her powers and self-belief. As in Wraithwood, I found a lot of scenes lacked momentum and felt the story could have moved faster towards some sort of heightened conflict between the dark and enchantment wizards.

However, the final 20 percent of the story really sings, and the pace is excellent making the reader turn pages quickly. Roat also throws in a number of surprises which keeps us guessing and we are left hanging somewhat at the end desperately keen to get our hands on Castelon, the next chapter in the saga.

Once again, Roat has written a wonderfully imaginative world, one that is quite dark and lacked the humour of Uncle Merlin that we so enjoyed in the first in the series. If shortened by fifty or so pages, this would be a tight fantasy adventure between light and dark with Brinnie stuck right in the middle of the conflict.

I eagerly look forward to reading Castelon.
8 reviews
May 7, 2022
*4.5 Stars*

I enjoyed Wraithwood, but Mordizan took things to the next level.

While Wraithwood slowly pulled back the curtain to reveal Roat’s world of magic, Mordizan wastes no time in taking us deeper, exploring not just the magic of the world, but its people. The dark wizards are no longer a faceless mass—they’re individuals—and Mordizan gives us a multifaceted look into the many motivations at play in the war.

Brinnie, too, finds her motivations becoming conflicted and complex. Decisions become more and more difficult, and her trust in virtually everyone is thrown into question at some point or another. Yet while truth and trust are hard to come by, Mordizan never sinks into the moral relativism of grimdark. It is grim at times. Difficult. But never hopeless. And it fights tooth and nail for that hope.

Perhaps the brightest hope in Mordizan is the hope that relationships can grow and persevere despite past pain or present conflict. Even with contrasting beliefs—even when disagreements cannot be ignored—Mordizan holds out hope that it is better to face those tensions together in a messy way than to “solve” the problem by drawing a hasty battle line.

My core complaint with Mordizan may be a good complaint to have: I wanted more. I wanted to see more of these characters and relationships, their tensions and their joys. I wanted more time to sort through the emotions Brinnie went through in her darkest hour. I wanted closure to the hurt she’d experienced from people she loved. I wanted more of those difficult (and honest) conversations.

Still, Roat knows what she’s doing. I sense many untied plotlines trailing off into the yet-unpublished conclusion of the Wraithwood Trilogy, and I can tell they’re weaving together into something wonderful. I can’t wait to follow those threads into book three!
1,289 reviews26 followers
March 17, 2022
Exciting!

I confess to loving young adult fantasy, though it has been years since I was a young adult. Reading Wraithwood, the first in The Wraithwood Trilogy, was a delightful experience and I have been waiting to read more. I was not disappointed!

Mordizan is full of surprises, with plenty of twists and turns. I greatly enjoyed the creativity of the village attached to the castle/fortress and how magic was used there. Brinnie's double-life added an element of danger and wondering whom she could trust.

This story is a little more graphic than I recall the first one being, though it is still age-appropriate. Perhaps because Brinnie was in the domain of the dark wizards, it also seemed a bit darker than Wraithwood. Regardless of these things, it was a pleasure to read, and I felt the story continued to show rays of hope.

Readers of all ages who enjoy fantasy containing wizards and magic will want to read this fascinating trilogy. There were strong indicators at the end of Mordizan that the story is not yet finished and yet it was still a satisfying ending. I encourage readers to grab the first two books now and read them in preparation for the conclusion of the series.

Originally Reviewed on Among The Reads

I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for David Justiss.
120 reviews10 followers
May 11, 2023
This trilogy uses a lot of very common middle grade/young adult tropes, but does them differently than other stories (in a good way). This story is deeper and darker than the first one in the series. I love the setting of being behind enemy lines, discovering that many among the enemy are decent people who are convinced that evil is good, and trying to figure out whe she can trust.

I would probably have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the disturbing amount of losses taken by the good guys (being vague on purpose to avoid spoilers). As an auhor, I know it's good to put your main characters through horrible things, but there's a point, which is different for each reader ofc, where it does more to disturb the reader than improve the story. So softies* like me should beware, but otherwise I highly recommend this book.

(*Anyone reading this who knows I like horror movies and doesn't believe I'm a softie should know I walked out of both Independance Day and the Dark Knight. With horror stories, I know to expect horrible things, but when it's not meant to be a horror story, I don't want to be horrified.)
Profile Image for Michelle .
1,060 reviews29 followers
March 15, 2022
Mordizan is a YA contemporary fantasy novel by author Alyssa Roat. Mordizan is installment #2 in The Wraithwood Trilogy.

Mordizan brings us up close and personal with Brynna Lane (Brinnie)and readers are introduced to Maddison and Lana. Is Brynna Lane joining the dark wizards? Will she protect the light wizards?

Come along and join me as we enter the magical world of Wraithwood. This is a tale of a battle between good and evil. Brinnie is looking for Mordred’s bane. Wizards are plotting to take over the human world. Who would be the next Master?

I give Mordizan 4*/5* because I felt it had a slow start and took a while to reach a climax. I recommend Mordizan to fans of the Arthurian legend. I look forward to installment #3.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
Profile Image for Steven G.
6 reviews
September 13, 2022
After really enjoying Wraithwood the first book. I was excited to get the bext book in the series.Brinnie has been back in herworkd for a year, but suddenly she feels that she's being tracked. Then her sister gets kidnapped, so Brinnie decides to trade herself for her sister to Modred, but she doesn't think it was her real sister but a shapshifter. Now she's forced to pretend she's willing to work for the dark forces in Mordizan while searching for her sister. She meets Marcus the son of Mordizan's ruler and slowly draws closer to him. Meanwhile Mordred continyes to try to get her to use her growing power to overcome the strongholds of the forces of light. She finds a prophecy that seems to say she can destroy Mordred if she can find Mordred's Bane. But will Marcus betray her in this struggle? You'll need to read ut to find out if she can overcome all these different forces trying to use her powers.
Profile Image for Nancy (The Avid Reader).
2,412 reviews105 followers
March 18, 2022
Ever since Brinnie left Wraithwood over a year ago she has been home with her parents without a mishap. Then one day at school she fears she has been found when she learns that someone is following her. She calls her dad and he comes and takes her back to her Uncle Merlin’s at Wraithwood. She fears that Mordred has found her.

Brinnie soon learns that her sister was abducted by Mordred. When Brinnie learns of her sister’s whereabouts she agrees to take her sister’s place with Mordred after all she is the one he wanted in the first place only using her sister to draw her in. Brinnie soon finds herself undercover studying and learning all she can about her enemy so she can destroy him.

New twists and secrets are revealed in Mordizan. Secrets that could tear her family apart. This secret does not sit well with Uncle Merlin who is not very fond of her father. I could just see the looks on each of their faces as Brinnie and her father walked in the door at Wraithwood. Secrets that have been hidden for many years have come forth into Brinnie’s life. How will this secret affect Brinnie? Will it make her life better or worse?

The world that was created for Mordizan was so very enchanting. After reading Wraithwood I couldn’t wait to dive into Mordizan. I was not disappointed in the least as Mordizan was just as mesmerizing as Wraithwood if not more so. The suspense was so thick that once I picked up Mordizan I was pulled into its depths and it didn’t let go until I read that last page. Mordizan has left me anxiously waiting for the next book in The Wraithwood Trilogy.

I highly recommend Mordizan to all fans of fantasy and intrigue. But I do recommend reading Wraithwood before reading Mordizan. One-click your copy of Mordizan today for another magically exciting adventure in The Wraithwood Trilogy!
97 reviews
March 19, 2023
Fantastic worldbuilding and characters. It felt a little dark though, and between the espionage and friends on the enemy's side, I was left with an uncomfortable sympathy. Some of this darkness may be getting resolved in the final book of the trilogy, but I just don't like how vague it's left. Especially her "mentor's" comments.

I love Marcus's personality, I'm so conflicted with how I feel about him right now. Ahhh

In full disclosure, I didn't read the first one. I will go back at some point and do so. I was a little confused but not overly so. Overall I really liked the characters, world, and voice, but struggled with some too-modern phrasing choices, unclear good/evil line, and the overall plot and tone of the latter half of the book
Profile Image for Cherokee - Books With A Chance .
320 reviews25 followers
February 19, 2022
Oooh. This was such a great follow up! I'd love some multiple POVs. 😉

Brinnie is really coming into her own, so much responsibility is just thrown at her and she holds it the best she can. I love that she has faults, she makes mistakes. My heart broke for her a few times, especially towards the end. The twists were seat grabbing material.

Poor Merlin. 😔

I loved Lana, she is almost the exact opposite of Brinnie and I'd love to see more from her. I hope for good things.

Marcus. Oh, Marcus.

The author does such a great job of world building, again! She paints such a vivid picture, down to rough details.
The action is developing into an all out war.

Definitely a must read series for fans of Arthurian Lore.
Profile Image for Jennifer Hallmark.
Author 6 books54 followers
March 8, 2022
Mordizan by Alyssa Roat is an action-filled, fantasy novel filled with characters making difficult decisions. My heart ached for Brinnie and Marcus as they struggle to right wrongs and make the world better. The characters are life-like, the plot intricate, and the writing superb. Love these stories by Alyssa Roat...
2 reviews
March 24, 2022
Another enjoyable read, I'm ready for the third book in the series! I appreciate that these books are written without the language, etc. I am very comfortable having my children read them, too. Suspenseful, surprising, and superbly written.
4 reviews
February 19, 2022
The story follows Brinnie in her quest to find her sister. I really liked the characters, they were really well thought out and you can understand them.
Profile Image for Jacqueline Mears.
25 reviews18 followers
June 15, 2023
I honestly think I might scream over that ending. Also, the reason there is no new master over Wraithwood better be for the reason I think it is...or I am going to throw book three across the room.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.