The Adventures of Merlin: Season 4

I think a lot of people were surprised when boy changed into man!

So, if the slight alteration to the famous opening sequence didn't indicate the change of direction for the 4th season of Merlin...I don't know what else could. Upon rewatching this season, I was surprised at the rather dark turn the show took. My guess is that Game of Thrones was gaining momentum and the Merlin creators felt like they needed to mature the show just slightly. Whatever the reason was season 4 in my opinion is absolutely the strongest most well written season of the entire series. 

Merlin started veering off from the 'freak of the week' episodes in season 3 and began building a more connected storyline - Morgana's secret revenge against Uther, eventually trying to usurp both Uther and Arthur and therefore pushing Merlin harder to fulfill his destiny. Once that was set in place, by the end of season 3, it became the absolute groundwork for season 4.

Goodreads Review: The God of the Woods

 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1975, amid the beauty of the Adirondacks, a summer camp created for the children of the elite promises fun and safety. When the owner's daughter goes missing one morning, multiple people in and around the camp and the surrounding areas are viewed as possible suspects. While looking for the young girl, the mystery of her older brother who disappeared 14 years earlier is reopened and unearths the secrets and lies of one ruling family and the people who served them faithfully.

Upon seeing the sheer width of this book, I was nervous that I wouldn't finish. Once I got through the first section I couldn't put it down! Never has a book held my attention like The God of the Woods. Cold cases are some of my favorite mystery's and when I saw that is going to be a generation jump story (plots that go back and forth between decades), my interest was definitely piqued. Having a little decade key at the beginning of each chapter was very helpful too.

The story is told from multiple POV and that really helped to get a better understanding of the characters and how they are so deeply impacted by these disappearances. Unlike most mysteries there is no real villain which really surprised me. A lot of people who made terrible mistakes, but the fact that there is no actual villain pulling the strings made the story so much more real and believable. There are characters that are extremely likable and really despicable characters, and it's really left up to the readers as to how one wants to view each person that is caught up in this madness.

Happy Easter!

"From death came life, from sorrow came joy; this is the hope of Easter."

~ Aloo Denish Obiero

This is beautiful!

Inklings ~ March 2026

Welcome to March Inklings 🍀

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt.

2. Link-back to Heidi's blog with a link to you Inklings prompt. 

March's prompt

A scene in a heavy rainstorm in book or film

Welcome April

April is a reminder that life is a beautiful, ever-renewing cycle.

~ E.E. Cummings

Derry Girls (2018-2022)

L-R: James Maguire, Michelle Mallon, Erin Quinn, Orla McCool and Clare Devlin

The life of a teenager is hard but growing up in a war-torn country fueled by political and religious prejudice...well that's not exactly ideal living. In the mid 90s the town of Londonderry (or just Derry), Northern Ireland is a prime location for bombings and riots from the warring catholic/protestant sides, and also never-ending trouble from 16-year-old Erin Quinn and her best friends. Whether it's sneaking out to a concert (in spite of an escaped polar bear), getting rid of drug infused scones, stressing about their exams, endless conflict and confusion amongst their families and even getting arrested, it's safe to say that there's never a dull moment in Derry.

Content Warning: There is a lot of swearing in this show and sexual content that is more or less implied!

The Adventures of Merlin: Season 3

12 years ago, I wrote the season 2 review for Merlin, thinking that the season 3 review would be following shortly afterwards...

So now here we are...

Anyways, my husband (who knows nothing about Arthurian legends), and I are going through the series, and it has been the best rewatch experience for me! I had totally forgotten what a comfort watch this show is and what sold the show was the very believable bromance between Arthur and Merlin, which gets better and better with every season.