This was a book that kept me intrigued through out the entire thing. The characters reminded me of well me. Myri may be my name but I am more likeYassima then anything. Lan is a great man to bad about his talent. Youwill have to read to find out what I mean. I love this book all the way down to the core. I would neve3r giv it any less then a 5 star reveiw, (...)

This book is of the high quality we have come to expect from Irene Radford. It is worth it's weight in gold. The Last Battlemage is a great look into the history of Kardia Hodos. It is well thought out and well written. Read it!

I've read lot's of fantasy book's, some good some bad, this is on of the better ones I've read.. This is the second book by her I read, and I still enjoy reading her work..so far she is in class with eddings&jordan It's a book you have to read if you are a fantasy fan. waiting for the next.....

I must say that this is one of the best books that i have read in a very long time!! Irene Radford draws you into the story,so it is like you are living the story yourself.I would and have recommended this book to everyone.And I have gave this book to family and friends for birthdays and christmas. Wonderful reading!!! I can't wait to read the next one!!

THE STORY HAS AN AWESOME WAY TO ATTRACT MY ATTENTION. AND TO MAKE MY IMAGINATION RUN WILD. EVEN AT 18, I STILL HAVE A WILD IMAGINATION FOR A SENIOR

I just finished reading "Guardian of the Trust" and "Guardian of the Balance" in record time...and I am a fast reader! I found myself staying up very late because I just could not put these books down. I have read many versions of the Arthur legend and enjoyed Bradford's original perspective. Her characters are very well-developed with just the right amount of detail. Like Marion Zimmer Bradley, her female characters are strong, articulate women who know their mind. While I love the story of King Arthur I sometimes grow tired of the Eve-like portrayal of the female chracters. Usually the reader is left with the thought that if it wasn't for the women....Not so with these novels. I highly recommend their addition to any Arthurophile's library!

One of the more engaging reads I have had in a few years. Guardian of the visions is fast passed and fun! Essentially a intrigue novel. Radford utilizes real individuals from seventeenth century England and France to set her cast of characters on a well written journey. So well written that at no time I find myself at a loss for not having read the first two installments of this trilogy.

Guardian Of The Vision is the third novel of Merlin's Descendants, and familiarity with the previous books will lend to a smooth transition in reading this story of the Elizabethan era in Great Britain. Twin sons and heirs become embroiled in Queen Elizabeth's world and face witches, demons and change in this story of a journey to fulfill magical heritage.

Since the time of King Arthur, a Pendragon has always guarded England and its shores. The descendants of Merlin also try to keep the peace, but when war occurs they react quickly to end the conflict as soon as possible. In 1553, Raven is the current Pendragon and will soon name her grandson Griffin, the older twin brother of Donovan as her heir.

During a border skirmish with the Scotts, Griffin has a religious epiphany that leads him to the abandonment of his powers, his titles, and his birthright. He becomes a Catholic priest. Donovan picks up the mantle of the Pendragon, but though he understands the role he does not have the power to perform the job. Roanna, descendent of the Sorceress Nimue, has called forth a demon, but her summons fails as the demon of chaos Tryblith controls her. Only a Pendragon can stand in their way of spreading chaos throughout the world.

The third installment in the Merlin's Descendents series places a magical spin to true historic events. Irene Radford enchantingly brings to life the early Elizabethan era so that the audience will think that the author contains Merlin's genes. The battles on the mundane and mystical planes propel the story line forward, but the characters make the novel so fascinating that the good, the bad, and the ugly compel the reader into a one sitting session.

Harriet Klausner

I have been following the Dragon Nimbus for quite a while. Inadvertantly, I began with the Dragon Nimbus History, therefore The Loneliest Magician was the last one I read before I had to start waiting on sequels. I admit that I thought those books were somewhat light and a little bland, but this particular one stole onto my favorites list almost of its own volition.

Krej was a great bad guy (I love the weasel thing!) and Rejiia picks up the burden nicely. The strain with Brevelan and the ambiguous paternity of her first son puts a little realism into all three characters involved.

Mikka and her cat...I don't believe I have ever read anything quite that original(from a cat person's perspective) and I look forward to the resolution of that.

Jack or Yaake (whatever!) is my favorite of the whole series (with the possible exception of Amaranth the cat/bird!) and his journey of self-discovery was fascinating. Katrina was a poignant one and I found myself admiring her greatly. You end up wanting those two to meet so much...

All I can say is read it. Read all of them (Including the History - they grow on you). This series may lack some of the depth and general gothic darkness of the more popular epics but they're sweet and well worth the time and they made me smile repeatedly to myself! A must for cat fans!

I have never read a series as magical, mesmerizing, amazing, or beautiful as this. The way the author makes you feel as if you're part of the book; I could close my eyes and be flying right along with the dragons and casting spells right beside the magicians; I loved the heroes and hated the villians; I cried along with the sad times and laughed with the happy times. I lost alot of sleep over this series. I couldn't put it down. This is an ABSOLUTE must read for anyone who likes fantasy. Do not pass this up! You would regret it.

Griffin Kirkwood was supposed to be this generation's Pendragon but he turned his back on his magical heritage to become a catholic priest. His twin brother Donovan was too weak to pick up the mantle so the Pendragon skips a generation. Griffin's daughter Deidre and Donovan's son Hal journey to France with familiars to prevent the massacres that are imminent. While working the spell, Hal is captured by El Lobison and turned into a werewolf.

He escapes and keeps his distance from the family for many years while Deidre becomes a spy for Queen Elizabeth I. Time after time Deidre helps prevent the plots of Mary, Queen of Scots to oust Elizabeth. Mary eventually goes too far and forces Elizabeth to act. Knowing that if Mary is executed, Philip of Spain's armada will launch, Deidre begs Elizabeth to stay her hand. When her efforts fail, Deidre is willing to use powerful magic that may end up killing her to keep England safe but Hal refuses to see the love of his life die.

The Merlin's Descendants series uses magic to explain pivotal historical events that played a key role in the history of Great Britain. Although never formally invested with the title, Deidre is her generation's Pendragon because she puts England's need above her own, willing to give her life to see her country stay free. Hal is more of a tragic heroic figure who doesn't succumb to his werewolf nature and is a proper mate for Deidre even if they are first cousins. Irene Radford's latest novel is a magnificent fantasy epic using real historic events and people to make the story line seems believable.

Harriet Klausner

The book was an insperation. The characters Myrilandel, which is also my name...hehe...and Nimbulan was a great combination. The villain of the book Monicrith made my bones shake with antisipation. Akerly was a typical bastartd, and the two children were wonderful. Powell and Kalen, here is a shout out to you! Any way I have started a new craze at school for reading, and this book is still being talked about it has been a couple months since we all read it. It is still a favorite! Hehe!

Simply great. I love the style. I too wanted to be a part of the book. It practically begged me to jump in and add my own input to Nimbulan's thoughts on Ackerly, Moncriith and company. I love the way the world seems real. The connections to the other books are well thought out and not random feeling like others I've read. I too appreciate great characterization. Well Done!

This book pulls you in from the very begining! You want to read it all the time. It's really neat when... I won't tell you. If you buy any books by Irene Radford , buy this one FIRST!!!!! If you like dragons and magic, you'll like this book!

"The Hidden Dragon" (Volume 1 of The Stargods) is a mixture of science fiction and fantasy and somewhat fails in both genres.

Three brothers with latent psychic abilities are attacked in their spaceship by the authorities. They manage to escape and limp to the nearest planet with an acceptable atmosphere, hoping to find the resources they need to repair their ship. When they arrive, they find a primitive society, apparently the descendants of a lost colony.

To their amazement, the O'Hara brothers find that the planet supports dragons, a mystical race of powerful beings who have, for the most part, remained aloof from the humans. Until now. In the past, one of their own acquired the taste for human flesh and had to be destroyed. Another outcast wants to control the human race.

Although the O'Hara brothers just want to collect the elements they need and leave, they become caught up in the fate of this world.

The characterization is rather weak. The three brothers are almost indistinguishable from one other and all have similar names which just adds to the confusion. Radford doesn't supply any firm motivations for their actions; this became irritating at times. The motivation of the villain is particularly flat. Why does he want to kill everyone? He seems to be interested in acquiring and using power; if he kills everyone, who is left to worship him? The few potentially interesting individuals (the fiery Hestiia and the mysterious flywacket Gentian) are discarded or muted about halfway through the book.

Also, Radford doesn't pretend to be subtle in her storytelling. She continually "hints" at things until you want to scream "Ok, Ok, I get it now!!"

But, for those of us who enjoy a bit of diverting adventure, the book does fulfill that requirement.

Readers of Radford's other series, "The Dragon Nimbus" and "The Dragon Nimbus History" will thrill to find familiar names and places: Simurgh, Hanassa, Yaakke, the Stargods, and the genesis of the nation of Coronnin.

Expect a cliffhanger...after all it is only volume one.

I found a good many grammatical errors, most of which were in punctuation (i.e. periods where question marks should be, etc). There were a few other errors, as well, but the book as a whole was pretty good. Not quite as high quality as her other two Dragon Nimbus series, however. It seemed to lack something. Nevertheless, it was a good read.

This was the first of Irene Radford's books I had read. It kept me glued to the pages until I had finished the book. I enjoyed it enough to immediately purchase all 4 of the books in The Dragon Nimbus series.

SIDE NOTE: For anyone who is looking for another good fantasy series, try the books by David Eddings. I recommend starting with the series The Belgariad (book 1 is entitled Pawn of Prophesy). The story is Tolkien-esq but with an easier-to-read style. I own 16 of his books, and they've all been read until the covers are falling off!

I wouldn't say this was a BAD book--well, not an AWFUL book--but it definitely was not a very compelling story. I didn't finish it (I know, you're thinking, "don't knock it till you've read it!") but this is one of the few books that has EVER failed to hold my interest until the end. It's not romantic, even in the love scenes; it's not exciting, even in the chase scenes; it's not filled with interesting concepts, even in the "magic" scenes... It's just bland, bland, bland.

This book, the series, are incrediable. They are amazingly accurate, every happening seems to be researched, every thing is thought out. The way this series describes magic is so belivable, so...logical. the book, as all the books in her series, is so intense, i always seem to be thinking how the hell are they going to pull this off? and she makes it fit together perfectly. If you love magic, dragons, fantasy, mystery, you will love all of her books.

I fully recommend this series!

The Perfect Princess was full of magical mystical events! It was also very suspensful! I would recommend this wonderful book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and magic!

I'm usually a sucker for Arthurian Legends and was happy to discover this one. The idea to have the story told by Merlin's daughter is pretty cool - but not totally original. (Joan Wolfe's The Road to Avalon has Merlin's daughter as the main character. That book was ok. Better than this one). But to my dismay, the writing was poor, the characters not at all defined, and the book overall felt flat. I tried to read it fully but started skimming after a couple hundred pages.

The descriptions of Wren's budding sexuality are pretty hysterical. Certain body parts are jiggling, clothes are chafing against them and other parts, and she keeps staring at certain body parts of others. I'm trying to keep this rating PG. Wren keeps wanting to get down on bel-tine and when she thinks of the festival these reactions start happening. And it all starts before she's 13! After being bemused the first couple of times, I just started laughing. The fact that several lines referring to certain body parts are repeated over and over made it even funnier. Unfortunately, I don't think that's the effect the author wanted to have on her readers.

If you are a fanatic and must read every Arthurian legend out there, then perhaps its worth reading this novel. But otherwise, you wouldn't miss anything by skipping it...

I enjoyed this book immensely. I thought that it was very refreshing. Most of the Arthur accounts are told differently, but this is from the viewpoint of Merlin's daughter, a voice not previously heard. As such, I think that's part of the appeal. Obviously, the major themes in the story--sword in the stone, Gwenevere & Lancelot's betrayal, and Merlin's advice are the same. It's just the perspective has changed.

Wren grew up with Arthur, Lancelot, Cai and the other Companions. They were her friends as she was traveling the length & breadth of Britain with her father. Soon, she was taken to Avalon to train as a priestess. However, the needs of the outerworld summoned her and she left Avalon to assist the Merlin. She comes to face her love of Arthur, the forced marriage to Carradoc, and betrayal by those closest to her father and Arthur. She also grows into her own role of advisor and mistress of her own household.

Keep an open mind and be ready for the differences that await.

I think that the author had a really excellent idea, but I don't think it was developed very well. There were parts of it that didn't really make sense to me, like how Morgaine, who is in most cases called the Fairy, was against fairies. But there were also parts that were fully engrossing and I really enjoyed. To me, it read like a first draft. It was, however, one of the few King Arthur stories that I could stand to read all the way through. I would have liked to see Arylwren as a slightly more flawed character- she seemed too perfect and benign to be true, while everyone else was a bit of a mess. I think it had gaps, as well. I don't think I would recommend it to other people, but if you enjoy King Arthur tales, then maybe you'll find it better that I found it.

I wasn't able to fully identify with the characters in the story. Their personalities are not very well developed and are all fairly similar.

On the positive side, some elements of the story have me intrigued. For example, I'd like to know more about Nimbulan's reasons for wanting everyone to use only dragon magic. I'd also like to know more about the effects of the Tambootie trees. Maybe I'll find some of the answers in the next two books, or in the Dragon Nimbus History series.

Overall, this book was worth the read but it doesn't really stand out from the other fantasy novels out there.

I enjoyed this novel. I love to read fantasy novels and when I purchased this novel I was unsure of what to expect. When I read the novel I was pleasantly surprised, it is the type of book that when you pick it up it is hard to put down. I read it in two day and by the time I finished I could hardly wait for the sequels. Granted, there are some flaws with the novel (some weak scenes etc.), however you do get flaws in just about anything; look past the flaws to the things that you enjoy and entertain you and you will be entertained. Besides why do we, the general masses, read? We read to be entertained, so read to be entertained, not to find the flaws.

I had a hard time deciding which of the three novels I enjoyed more. My advice, just read it, you will be entertained.

Since everyone else seemed to be giving this book a not-so-good review, I thought it deserved some praise! I really enjoyed this series. I thought all of the characters had very distinct personalities and the dragons (especially in the last two or so books) are very neat and different from other dragons as one can see by the cover. Irene Radford's descriptions were extremely vivid, and I think she deserves more praise. As in most fantasy novels, you've got to read the whole series! Overall, I think this was an excellant little fantasy novel, especially if you love dragons.