Guardian of the Freedom: Merlin's Descendents #5

Merlin's Descendants #5

by Irene Radford

As King George III ascends the throne, the Earl of Kirkenwood, a member of the magical Pendragon society, finds himself plagued by a mysterious illness, while his sister, Georgie, fights the Demon of Chaos abroad. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Arthurian

576 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 5, 2005

About the author

Also uses C.F. Bentley, Phyllis Irene Radford, Julia Verne St. John, Rachel Atwood, Phyllis Ames, P. Irene Radford and P.R. Frost.

Irene has been writing stories ever since she figured out what a pencil was for. Combining a love for Medieval history and a fascination with paranormal, Irene concentrated on fantasy writing.

In her spare time, Irene enjoys lacemaking and is a long time member of an international guild. Check out THE LONELIEST MAGICIAN, The Dragon Nimbus #3 for an exploration of her favorite obsession. A piece of magic lace is the obvious patch for a dragon wing. She has published numerous magazine articles about the history and technique of lacemaking as well as self publishing two lacemaker's fairy tales with lace patterns that can be made up to illustrate the stories. When she isn't writing or making lace she enjoys exploring the back roads and many museums of the Pacific Northwest.

For many years Irene was active in Ballet du Lac, a semi-pro ballet company. She taught ballet to youngsters in her local community school program. At the same time she led a Cub Scout pack and frequently found her home the preferred playground in the neighborhood for many more children than she thought possible.

Irene has held many full and part time jobs from Insurance underwriter to assistant curator of a museum to clerk in a fabric store. Writing is now her “day job.”

Two years ago, Irene took up fencing as research for GUARDIAN OF THE FREEDOM, Merlin’s Descendants #5. She figured one quarter would give her some vocabulary and a feel for a weapon in her hand. But that wasn’t enough to write realistic battles on the Ottoman frontier or convincing duels. So she signed up for another quarter. And another. Now she’s addicted and needs to add fencing to more of her books and let her subjects range further afield.

A native Oregonian living in Oregon, Irene is a member of an endangered species. As a service brat, she lived in a number of cities throughout the country until returning to Oregon in time to graduate from Tigard High School. She earned a B.A. in history from Lewis and Clark College, where she met her husband, Tim. Historical research has remained a lifelong passion and finally became a part of her job with the historical fantasy series Merlin’s Descendants.

Irene and her husband currently make their home in Welches, Oregon where they share their back yard with deer, coyotes, bear (check the pictures), raccoons and too many bird species to mention.

Reviews

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kirkwood Family have been powerful Pendragon Master Magicians for generations since the time of King Arthur. They have upheld these traditions and been powerful allies of British Monarchy yet the current King does not want anything to do with the Pendragon legacy or it's members. The Earl of Kirkenwood, Drake Kirkwood, the current Pendragon has fallen out of favor with His Majesty, King George III and his current policies here in England and in the American Colonies. Drake's sister, Georgina or Georgie as she is called wants nothing to do with ladies things and manners. She wants to continue learning swordsmanship and strategy which leaves her with no desire to be married off either by her brother's wife scheming. Georgie runs away from home to escape the marriage plans and her other responsibilities as a Knight in the Pendragon Society as well.
Georgie creates a new identity for herself as Major Georgie Kirkwood in a mercenary company fighting along side Major Roderick Whythe and Prince Heinrich der Reusse. Georgie is disguised as a man to protect her identity and she has also become apart of the Freemason Society which holds her oaths just as tightly as does her Pendragon Society oaths. Georgie is seriously injured on the battlefield and is forced to reveal that she is a woman to Steady Roddie Whythe but she makes him swear a Freemason Oath to guard her secret. Steady Roddie reluctantly does as Georgie asks despite his misgivings about it. Georgie returns home to Kirkenwood in much disgrace in her brother's eyes and is healed of her most grievous injuries despite what the Wood Witch did for her. Drake along with Georgie's help heal her injuries to make her good as new. Georgie becomes reaquainted with her nieces especially Emily who helped Georgie escape seven years ago from a doomed marriage match. Before Georgie can become settled into life at Kirkenwood, she is asked by Lord Sackville to become spy for His Majesty under threat revealing her part in assassination of the King of Poland if she does not cooperate. Georgie has no choice but to agree and become a governess to three children in Virginia. Drake concocts a story that Georgie is a widowed lady thrown out of her home by her late husband's son with only the clothes on her back and no money to speak of.
Meanwhile Dr. Milton Marlowe, cousin to Drake and Georgie, seeks to help his dead son Neville back his body. His other son, Major Barclay Marlowe has been asked to marry his cousin Emily to secure that Barclay gets a male on heir on her before her mother Lady Emma gives birth.
Georgie gets caught up in a web of mystery and subtle lies meant to keep her from learning what she was sent to the Colonies for by her employer. She soon discovers that she is unhappy with her employer and seeks to end her employment. She becomes a barmaid in Williamsburg and learns far more than she ever did with her previous employment as governess. She meets up with Major Roderick Whythe again pleased to see him yet wonders about her attraction to him. Her cousin Barclay is also in Williamsburg and up to no good. What is Barclay up to? Will Georgie admit her attraction to Major Whythe? Will Georgie learn what she's meant too? Will Lady Emma produce a male heir? What will Emily do for magical training? Will Cousin Milton restore his son to his body? Will King George III allow Drake a place in his court? Your answers await you in Guardian of the Freedom.

[Anita Martichuski · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great conclusion to this series

Once again, Irene Radford has managed to weave history, story telling, and the tendrils of magic into a riveting tale and fitting conclusion to this series! I appreciate the depth of character and the use of arcane magic knowledge as well as the weaving of historical events and persons in this novel! You will long to continue with the characters as much as you will be driven to keep turning page after page long into the night! Thank you again for such fabulous writings!

[Sorcha · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the fifth book in the series, we reach a very divisive age for both the British Empire and the Kirkwood family, the descendants of Merlin and Arthur in the Pendragon line. King George III has recently taken the throne, and, unlike some of his royal predecessors, he seems only too willing to cut himself off from the counsel and magical protection of the current Pendragon, Drake Kirkwood, the Earl of Kirkenwood.

Drake, suffering from ill health which is not entirely natural, has slowly allowed others in the Pendragon Society - the secret circle of magic practitioners dedicated to the protection and preservation of Great Britain - to play a greater role in government than they should. His rebellious sister Georgina has long been absent from England, off fighting in foreign wars in a disguise that allows her entree to places and events no woman would normally see. With Georgina away, Drake has come to depend, perhaps far too much, on a distant cousin, Dr. Milton Marlowe, a prominent member of the Pendragon Society.

But suddenly situations both at home and abroad have begun to escalate to crisis proportions. Georgina, badly injured in the war, returns home at last. When she finds, to her horror, that Drake seems to be on the brink of death, she knows she can no longer shirk her responsibilities nor deny her magical heritage."

Received as part of the May 2012 batch from Librarything's Early Reviewer lot, and to mark the publication of this book as an ebook. Number 5 in the series of Merlin's descendants and I believe the last in the series.

Set in the mid 18th century, the Kirkwood family is now large and extended, and there is a Pendragon Society with various ranks of magicians. There is still a Pendragon at it's head (Drake) and Drake's sister Georgiana - a tomboy if ever there was one - is almost as strong magically as him

For various reason she finds herself in America in the lead up to the Boston Tea party and American Independence, isolated from her immediate family, but still having to fight a war against chaos and dark magic. Finally she was to return home, to help her family in one final fight to the death with the forces of dark and evil.

This is a much stronger book than the previous book (which I found to be the weakest of the series). It brought much of the previous stories together, tied things back to the original stories nicely without seeming to be a "end of series clip show". It has plenty of action from the start, and showed a good strong development to the end.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this novel from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. Somehow, despite having read the rest of the series in paperback when they were originally published, I missed this one. Yay for being able to correct the oversight with the re-release in ebook format! As with the first three books, the reader does not need to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this one, but it does help. Luckily, Ms. Radford does her usual work of including a few hints as the characters discover their own magic or discuss and read about their ancestors' lives.

This last (so far?) chapter in the Merlin's Descendants stories finds the Pendragon in the 18th century during the build-up to what will become the American Revolution. The Pendragon, long a solitary position, is now the head of a secret society of magicians. While giving aid to the Pendragon is a noble idea (and one that was certainly suggested in the previous book), it seems to have led to jealousy among the members. Especially as it seems that many, if not most, members of the Society are unfamiliar with their family history.

Georgina Kirkwood, sister to the current Pendragon, is made in the mold of many of her female ancestors. Unfortunately, this is a time that does not appreciate women who can think and fight for themselves. So, like many other women of her time, she disguises herself as her own half-brother and becomes a mercenary soldier. Eventually, she finds herself sent to the English Colonies in the New World to spy for the King.

Ms. Radford has done her usual excellent job of weaving the Kirkwood magic (and the family demon) with the historical events that led up to the revolt of the Colonies in what would become known as the American Revolution. King George III and English nobility (particularly a few of his Prime Ministers) are treated with respect, while giving the reader a good basic understanding of the American Founding Fathers and explaining much of the causes behind the Revolution.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last published book in this series! I feel like I've been reading it forever, even though it hasn't even been a year since I read the first one. This entry in the series was another Kindle book that I purchased through Amazon.

The book follows another descendent of the Merlin, Georgina Kirkwood. She prefers to dress and act like a man, wearing pants, using men's weapons, even serving in the military. However, wars eventually end, and Georgie, as she is known, has to return to her brother's home to keep him (the current Pendragon) alive and help the Pendragon line continue. Something dark haunts the castle and threatens the family and it's up to Georgie to figure out what and stop it. Her suspicion falls on her cousin Barclay Marlowe, and his father. They seem to be trying to usurp the power of the Pendragon Society, each for their own end.

Georgie is sent to the New World to spy for the King. On the ship across the ocean, she meets Roderick Whythe, a man she knew slightly when in the military. Can she protect her secret double life? Will Barclay Marlowe succeed in calling up a demon long trapped behind a magic portal? Will he or his father be able to corrupt the Pendragon Society and take power from the true Pendragon?

I liked this book very much. Georgie was probably my favorite protagonist in the series, aside from Arylwren in the first book. I liked her affinity for throwing aside societal conventions and following her own path. Four out of five Whatevers. I would suggest, if you plan on reading anything in this series, to start from the beginning. Although each book could stand alone, it would help to have the chronological background to the Pendragons. I found each book somewhat jarring at the beginning, because you never knew where in history it was going to start, or who the protagonist would be, but once you get a little way into the story, it all comes together.

[penny shima glanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ebook through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. I don't often jump into a series in the middle, however Radford has told this story in a way that provides the needed background in a manner that shouldn't bog down those who have read all the books. This book has everything going for it, a strong woman who defies tradition and expected roles, a spin on Arthurian legend, and is set during a fascinating time period (brink of American Revolution). I greatly enjoyed Radford's Guardian of the Freedom and am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

[Marnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third novel of this series I have read, having received all three as part of the Library Thing Early reviewers. I really liked the series, but this book I struggled with a bit. I think it was mainly because it was set a long time after the previous book and there were no familiar characters. Still a good read though

[Sarah Smith]

his installment is set in the time of the Revolutionary War, and moves the Kirkwood family from Great Britain to America. And thank goodness Radford went back to her same style as her first two in the series. Thank goodness! I sped through the book. This story had a lot more politics than magic, but the story was still enthralling.

[Espen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's got everything I've come to expect from this author, and when she adds the mother of all conspiracy theories into the mix, I'm hooked. A secret Lodge that manages world politics behind the scenes? Why not?

[Hayley Shaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, Irene Radford delivers. This is an excellent read for those people that are fascinated with dark magic, the American Revolution, and Merlin and his family. I loved the heroines and villains in this book. They were very well rounded.