To Les Stobbe, my agent beyond extraordinaire — you have accomplished a miracle and my thanks will always be with you. To Jacque Alberta, my editor at Zondervan — you fought hard for Merlin’s Blade, improved it greatly, and confirmed that King Arthur still lives on in the hearts of people everywhere. To all the other Zondervan staff, I am grateful to you for helping refine and promote Merlin’s Blade.
In memory of Phyllis Mary Angove, Studhyores Kernow — your bardic and scholarly legacy still lives as an inspiration to our family.
And finally, to Mrs. Sitts, wherever you are. You were the first to recognize my writing in the eighth grade when you requested a copy of my first book. It took nearly twenty-five years for me to start writing, but here it is. At long last.
About the Author
ROBERT TRESKILLARD has been crafting stories from his early youth, and is a software developer, graphic artist, and sometime bladesmith. He and his wife have three children and are still homeschooling their youngest. They live in the country near St. Louis, Missouri.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
ZONDERVAN
Merlin’s Blade
Copyright © 2013 by Robert Treskillard
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan e-books.
EPub Edition © MARCH 2013 ISBN: 978-0-310-73510-6
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN 978-0-310-73507-6
All Scripture paraphrased by the author to approximate a fifth-century cultural context.
The characters and events depicted in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons real or imagined is coincidental.
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Cover design: brandnavigation.com
Cover photography: Alamy, Shutterstock, Dreamstime
About the Publisher
Founded in 1931, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan, a division of HarperCollinsPublishers, is the leading international Christian communications company, producing best-selling Bibles, books, new media products, a growing line of gift products and award-winning children’s products. The world’s largest Bible publisher, Zondervan (www.zondervan.com) holds exclusive publishing rights to the New International Version of the Bible and has distributed more than 150 million copies worldwide. It is also one of the top Christian publishers in the world, selling its award-winning books through Christian retailers, general market bookstores, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, and the Internet. Zondervan has received a total of 68 Gold Medallion awards for its books, more than any other publisher.
Share Your Thoughts
With the Author: Your comments will be forwarded to the author when you send them to [email protected].
With Zondervan: Submit your review of this book by writing to [email protected].
Free Online Resources at
www.zondervan.com/hello
Zondervan AuthorTracker: Be notified whenever your favorite authors publish new books, go on tour, or post an update about what’s happening in their lives.
Daily Bible Verses and Devotions: Enrich your life with daily Bible verses or devotions that help you start every morning focused on God.
Free Email Publications: Sign up for newsletters on fiction, Christian living, church ministry, parenting, and more.
Zondervan Bible Search: Find and compare Bible passages in a variety of translations at www.zondervanbiblesearch.com.
Other Benefits: Register yourself to receive online benefits like coupons and special offers, or to participate in research.
Merlin's Blade Page 40