Mark of the Fox

A young prince seeks to change his destiny…

Born the son of the King of Ireland, Ryan Longwurth was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps. His family served the royal court of King Arthur, always striving to live in peace. Young Ryan sees this duty as lifetime servitude. He dreams of the free life of a skilled falconer, traveling and hunting until he finds the copper-haired woman that he has dreamed about.

His reckless nonchalance is brought to the attention of his father when his face is badly scarred as he catches his eagle. He is expected to be perfect in face and form, as King Arthur’s servant he must be unmarked. Ryan cares little; his thoughts are on his eagle, Aqulia and his desire to be a falconer. He has no idea of the problems that he has caused for his father’s wizard, Oyln, who was entrusted with his care. Oyln knows that the boy’s scarring will affect the balance of the countries if he is unable to rule one day. He searches for Merlin for advice, but he has been missing for some time.

Merlin has fallen under the charms of a pretty young witch, Ninaway and she refuses to let him leave her. Ninaway adores small creatures and often brings home the ill and wounded. When she rescues a tiny fox from drowning, even she does not sense the true nature of the beast. The little fox is able change into another form, a petit adolescent girl.

Fate takes charge when the girl, mistaken for a fox, is attacked by Ryan’s eagle. Both Ryan’s eagle and the girl are seriously wounded. Merlin realises that the fox child must be one of the ancient Druids’ chosen ones, therefore he must protect her.
Ryan has heard of the sorceress who is an animal healer in Cymru and is determined to take the trip and save Aqulia, not realizing that it is from here that his destiny will unfold…

Mark of the Fox takes place in the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Merlin and magic predominate and people must follow the dictates of the ancient Druids. Without the Druid’s protection, Merlin knows that the world as they know it would cease to exist. This tale is written with some vagaries which adds a mystical mythical element. The beautiful fox is a naive young woman, and although she is won over by the pleasures of the flesh, she remains a carefree animal at heart. She is perfectly suited to her freedom loving prince, and with his eagle, Aqulia, they defiantly form a strong bond. It is an entrancing story as the young man, who believes that he can control his own destiny, must come to terms with Merlin, the legendary wizard. This book follows on from Fox in the Mist, also currently available from Wings ePress, but is complete without prior knowledge of the first. An absorbing fantasy tale!

Reviewed by: Naomi