It is 272 BCE and Merlin returns to the land of Alba (England) accompanied by the resurrected crew of the Argo. Travelling through the land he meets strange (and thoroughly interesting) peoples. The "Three of Awful Bonding" warn him that his ex-lover, Mecka (mother to Jason's sons), is also in Alba and seeks to join Merlin.

Jason meanwhile, still hunts for the sons taken from him by Medea some seven centuries earlier.

Despite trying to remain apart from the world of man, Merlin finds his path inextricable linked to theirs and he is drawn into their disputes, problems and wars To complicate matters he is the object of affection for Niiv, a young sorceress who seems willing to sacrifice her life in the pursuit of increasing her magickal abilities.

The Iron Cross is a worthy successor to Celtika (book one of The Merlin Codex) and once again Robert Holdstock's writing bestows a real feeling of authenticity to the situations he describes. You can feel the hours of research that went into this; in fact if this was a book based in fact you would feel that Mr. Holdstock must have spent endless hours ensuring every last detail to be correct, such is the richness and overall feeling of correctness to his descriptions.

Unlike many fantasy stories, The Iron Cross is not an easy read. It is hard work getting through this book. The writing is quite formal and very literary in flavour. However you are richly rewarded for your efforts in reading, as from the first page you are immersed in a vivid world, and sharing a story so totally engrossing as to make you feel you personally witnessed every moment.

The characters are beautifully detailed also. You have Jason, a tortured man seeking the sons he believes dead; Urtha, a warrior torn between his duty to his mother and his dead wife Aylamunda, and the love he feels for his new wife Ullanna; and throughout the whole tale Merlin. This is a man who, during the many centuries of his life, has seen and experienced too much to ever truly know peace.

Mr. Holdstock has been described as "our finest living mythmaker" and this is not too great an exaggeration (I never totally believe this kind of phrase is ever appropriate). He is a superb storyteller, and here he weaves a complex web of characters and experiences.

The Merlin Codex certainly gives a new slant to the accepted myth, and the author seemlessly merges known history with his fantasy creation.

This isn't a book for the fainthearted or the reader in search of comfort reading. The Iron Grail will reward anyone who is willing to work at their reading with a deeply satisfying, enthralling story.

Synopsis
'The first is a man who needs you and will use you. He will weaken you dangerously. The second is a man you betrayed, though you believe otherwise. He wishes to kill you and can do so easily. The third is a ship that is more than a ship. She grieves and broods. She will carry you to your grave.'

These three warnings greet Merlin on his return to Alba, the future England, to the deserted fortress of Taurovinda -- the Hill of the White bull. He is not the only one making the journey: Urtha, High King of the Cornovidi, is coming home to reclaim his stronghold. And Jason is coming to seek his younger son Kinos, 'the Little Dreamer', hiding somewhere in the Celtic kingdom. He sails on Argo, resurrected after seven centuries.

But Urtha's fortress has been taken by warriors from Ghostland; they claim it as their own. There will be war against the Otherworld.

In this sequel to Celtika, Robert Holdstock weaves myth and history into a fabulous tale of honour, death and magic. The characters take on a life of their own: the mythic champion Jason; Urtha and his vengeful children; the northern sorceress Niiv, hungry for Merlin's wisdom; and Kinos, Jason's son, whose appearance is both terrible and tragic. And at the centre, moving along his never-ending path, is Merlin himself, an enchanter in the prime of his life, reckless, curious, powerful, yet a stranger to his own past -- a past that is catching up with him.