Review of Nimue: Freeing Merlin (Barnes & Noble Edition)

[Mary LaFree]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Nimue: Freeing Merlin (Barnes & Noble Edition)" by Ayn Cates Sullivan.]

---

3 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Nimue: Freeing Merlin takes you on a journey through magical times of the past while connecting with the future. The main character, Nina, discovers she has lived many past lives and it goes on her path throughout her voyage.

The story begins with Nina and her mom leaving where they live currently in New York City and making the trip across the ocean to England. Nina’s mother is from the United Kingdom and wanted to revisit her homeland after the passing of her husband. This section of the book is the first of three parts. I think this section was lacking some character building and depth. There is mention of Owen, Nina’s boyfriend, but it is fleeting. We are introduced to Nina, her mother, her uncle, and her uncle’s friend, Daphne. We don’t really get a great picture or description of any of them. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters.

Next, you are transported to Nina’s past life as Nimue. It does have a section leading up to this that gives descriptions; however, it was still hard to follow. There are so many names and places that are so briefly touched on that it feels a bit like whiplash. Although we still don’t really know who is who, the author’s world building is descriptive and you can get a nice picture of the landscapes.

Overall, I think the plot is lacking in some areas. The book could’ve been a bit longer to really build those characters, so you aren’t confused when so many others are introduced. Nimue’s path to being a sorceress is long and we needed a bit more detail to really understand what was happening. The love story between Nimue and Myrddin seems forced because she just jumps right in and loves him without any back story. I think that whole romance could’ve been left out or expanded upon.

You can tell the author did her research and really took the time to give a detailed description of the mythology throughout the book. Dr. Sullivan created an inspiring character in Nimue while she searched for her true purpose. Nina needs more character building in the beginning before she begins her magical journey to really connect with the spirit of Nimue. I would rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

******
Nimue: Freeing Merlin (Barnes & Noble Edition)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon