Merlin's Apprentice falls more on the side of upper middle grade. The story revolves around Pip a young boy who's whole life is turned upside down when Mordred orders the ordinarious people to be slaves to the magus.

The story is well crafted and the pacing is on the faster side, its one of those stories that almost feels like your not even reading. Pip was at times frustrating, I understand his character and I understand the choices he made as they fit the overall storytelling and his age range, but man did this kid not listen!!! He got himself in a few situations that could have been avoided had he just listened to the adults in his life but alas he didn't, so I mean it is a well constructed realistic approach to creating a child character. One element I really didn't like was how long it took Pip to come around to Alfred, he spent a majority of the book internally calling him names and refusing to even try to get to know him. So their friendship that eventually bloomed felt very short lived.

I enjoyed how the myth of Arthur was included this, from knights of the Round table to Badon Hill. This wasn't a retelling of the famous sword in the stone and that made it more interesting. I will say part two felt a bit rushed compared to part one that spent a lot of time building up the events around the ordinarious people being sold off. Pips training felt very short lived as well. I do have to say the ending was an interesting approach, it initially felt sad and depressing and then the final chapter switches up fast and then it just ends. I don't know if this is left open for a follow up or if its meant to be open either way works it was just not what I was expecting.

An Arthurian tale where we meet Pip on his journey becoming Merlin’s Apprentice. If you are a lover of reimaginations of the world of King Arthur then this is a must read. It was a quick read, as it was a middle grade fantasy, but it did not shy away from the grim realities of war. As an adult I enjoyed this!

I ended up not finishing this book, because I got a bit too bored of it. I won't be posting the review online, as I don't want to be the naysayer that prevents people from reading this book since it hasn't received a lot of attention.

My main issue with the book was that while I found the beginning compelling, where the main character Pip loses his father and brother and is then recruited by Merlin, it quickly petered out for me once we got to the meat of the plot. Something about the pace at which things moved made me feel like we were not lingering long enough with the emotional ramifications and trauma of all that Pip and his family have been through, and I was specifically frustrated by Merlin's insistence that he not go see his family and focus on training, when I think the more interesting point of story is to see the character interact with his family after their harrowing experiences.

I do understand that this is middle grade, however, and to a middle grade reader this may be more compelling than it was to me, someone who is more interested in character-driven tales. So I would still recommend this book to readers of that age. But the best middle grade novels I have read do take the time to address the trauma from difficult experiences while still having fun with their fantastical premise, so I know this is not just a me thing.

I'm sucker for anything related to Merlin or Arthurian and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
Well plotted, compelling, good character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I've got a new obsession with Susan McCauley. Merlin's Apprentice gave me chills. I love how McCauley turned an Arthur legend on its head and gave the glory to a young apprentice for Merlin.

Pip is adorable, yet fiercely independent. His love for his family made me ache. I love how Pip wanted to help his family, but the stupid choices he made in his quest made him all the more loveable. I really wanted to reach out and hug Pip when he was having visions through mary's eyes. Poor Mary.

McCauley gives us just enough Arthur to keep readers aware of the Arthur connection, but on the flip side gives us pure magic. I can't wait to read the next novel in the series. I happily award Merlin's apprentice 4 out of 5 stars.

Merlin's Apprentice by Susan McCauley is a easy and enjoyable read that takes place in the world of King Arthur and Merlin.

I have always enjoyed these legends growing up and read as many King Arthur tales that I could get my hands on. The nostalgia of getting back into that universe was wonderful with this book. This isn't a challenging read, but you do enjoy the characters as they deal with the challenges and fights that are happening.

We follow along with "Pip" in this story as he deals with a world that is dissolving into chaos around him. I appreciated that Pip was not automatically the perfect hero, but he had to learn how to handle grief, sorrow, hard choices, and mistakes throughout his journey. This book read quickly, and although I felt there were times where I missed information or things were super clear, the story was a wonderful adventure. Excited to see where this series goes!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a advance reader's copy to honestly review the book.

Excellent fantasy book for a middle grade child - which is what it is written for. At times I found the writing to be a bit flowery or over the top but over all I enjoyed this book. I would certainly recommend it to my children who enjoy stories of King Arthur and Knights and Mages and epic battles for right.

I love a good Arthurian tale and this unique spin did not disappoint. The story centers around Pip, a young man that is rescued from the threat of slavery and finds himself apprenticed to Merlin. This is a clean story appropriate for all ages. Adventure and magic awaits!

i received a free copy via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have to say i had mixed emotions with this book. i found Pip's complaining to be very annoying at times. But the world the author had built was very interesting and made me stay on. future books may be better as his character grows and so do his powers. Thanks to Netgalley and publish for opportunity.

A brilliantly imagined take on the Arthurian Legends! Pip is a really likeable main character and I enjoyed the story! I hope we get to see more of Pip's adventures.

Unfortunately, despite my piqued interest in this title, I did not get the chance to read it in time to publish a review before the full release.

One of my favorite parts of a mom to tweens is finding books that I think they'll love. It's even better when I end up loving them, too. I started Merlin's Apprentice wondering how deep into Arthurian legends we would go. With this being the first in the series, I was pleasantly pleased and surprised to find myself fully immersed in a novel that I had to know what was going to happen next. The world building was phenomenal and the emotions this book stirred up had me feeling like I was walking alongside Pip, the main character who is a mage that is hiding his newly found magic. When he and his parents are taken in to be sold to other mages as slaves due to a royal decree, he reveals that he is also a mage. It is then that Merlin decides to take him on as an apprentice and Pip's adventure starts.

I am incredibly excited and anxious to see where Pip, Merlin, and Merlin's scribe slash Pip's new friend, Alfred, go next.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me the chance to receive an advance reader's copy in exchange for my review on this book. I already cannot wait for the next one.

I was a little worried with the abundance of purple prose in the first chapter of this middle grade fantasy novel set in King Arthur's times, but the book settled in to a solid story of a 12-year-old boy, Pip, who has magus powers. When his family is sold into slavery by order of King Mordred, Pip ends up apprenticed to the great mage Merlin and preparing for battle against Mordred's northern kingdom. There are some MG novels that transcend their genre, but this one didn't reach that point for me. Still, it's an adventure-packed story that bears witness to the evils of slavery without being preachy. Pip was relatable if at times a little annoying. Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a digital review copy.

This was way better than I expected! I absolutely adored the characters and the dynamics. The writing was easy to follow and made for a very engaging read. I really recommend this!