Hollow Hills

Rating:
Summary: Excelent book!
Review: I started this book with the expectation that it would be equal to it's mediocre prequel. I soon found, however, that Mary Stewart's book "The Hollow Hills" far outdoes "The Crystal Cave". Though both books follow the legend of Arthur fairly well "The Hollow Hills" has more action and the ending is much more satisfying. "The Hollow Hills" continues right from where "The Crystal Cave" leaves off. The main character is the powerful and wise sorcerer, Merlin. The book follows his struggle raising the young Arthur and helping Arthur rise to the position of High King of all Britain. All throughout this there are spies and bounty hunters hired to kill Arthur before he reaches the age he can claim the crown. This book shows a unique view on the Arthurian legends. Instead of following a knight of the round table or the king himself, as in many of the books about King Arthur, it follows a character who appears in most every legend about the infamous King. This book gives Merlin's perspective on all of the events that made King Arthur's life into legend. The book follows Arthurian legend well. Of course, there can be no story that perfectly follows the legend because there are thousands and thousands of legends pertaining to King Arthur. Even though they cannot be all represented in a single interpretation, "The Hollow Hills" follows as many of them as possible without contradicting itself. I does, however, go against some of the more well known legends such as the origin of Excalibur. Mary Stewart is an incredible writer. She describes everything very well without becoming annoyingly detailed. The world that she creates for this book is beautifully sculpted with her masterfully chosen words. All of her characters come alive when reading the book. Unfortunately, the beautiful setting which Mary Stewart uses for this book is not a very realistic representation of Medieval ages. The threat of starvation and disease that ran rampant in those times isn't very well represented. Though the book starts off a little bit slow, after it catches the reader up with the events from the first book, "The Crystal Cave", it quickly speeds up. Mary Stewart uses suspense to keep her readers interested. The suspense also makes the book hard to put down, which is a good attribute for a book. I picked up this book and read through all 436 pages in less than a week. There are simply no good places to put the book down at. The ending leaves the reader satisfied but still wanting to read more. Mary Stewart leaves it so that there can be a sequel but can be read as an individual book and still be appreciated for its full value. The reader looses very little by not reading the other books but still gains very much by reading the others. "The Hollow Hills" is an excellent book about a very interesting time in history. It's a fast paced book and is full of action and suspense. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest interest in King Arthur. I can't wait to read the other two books in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Sophomore Slump???
Review: I truly enjoyed The Crystal Cave (Book 1). This book, however, left me skipping pages trying to find a part of the story that was truly interesting again. The book takes an unusual look into the life of Merlin and the first 14 years of Arthur's life. Perhaps the boring nature of Merlin's travels far and wide, the introduction and exit of many minor characters and the still under-developed story of Arthur's childhood are the reasons that other authors have simply glossed over this section of the story. IT IS BORING. I finally found true interest in the last two sections of the book - an easy 250 pages in.
Read the last section - when Arthur discovers his identity, Morgause begins her trechery, Lot attempts to usurp the boy king and Uthur dies - that's all you need to move onto book 3. The rest is filler at best.

Rating:
Summary: Sophomore Slump???
Review: I truly enjoyed The Crystal Cave (Book 1). This book, however, left me skipping pages trying to find a part of the story that was truly interesting again. The book takes an unusual look into the life of Merlin and the first 14 years of Arthur's life. Perhaps the boring nature of Merlin's travels far and wide, the introduction and exit of many minor characters and the still under-developed story of Arthur's childhood are the reasons that other authors have simply glossed over this section of the story. IT IS BORING. I finally found true interest in the last two sections of the book - an easy 250 pages in.
Read the last section - when Arthur discovers his identity, Morgause begins her trechery, Lot attempts to usurp the boy king and Uthur dies - that's all you need to move onto book 3. The rest is filler at best.

Rating:
Summary: Forget the Cruise!
Review: I was on a Caribbean cruise when I read this book. After about 40 pages, I had no interest in blue water or glamorous ports-of-call. To read this book is to understand Merlin. Call it "fiction;" I couldn't put it down. Read it! Add it to your library now!

Rating:
Summary: Yawn.....ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz
Review: If I didn't have to read this book for school I wouldn't have read past the first chapter. It's incerdibly boring and if you have not read "The Crystal Cave" you might be a little lost. (As I was) I would only recommend this book to readers who are extremely in love with Arthur's legend.

Rating:
Summary: Outrageously Boring
Review: Mary Stewart is considered to be one of the major milestones, if that's the word, in Arthurian Literature. Yet I found myself skipping pages repeatedly. The plot in itself was interesting, mixing traditional arthurian legend with Stewart's own creativity. It is a powerful mix, but the potency is lost. Why? The passages are far too long, the descriptions uninteresting and repetitive. In detailing everything, the story was lost.

Rating:
Summary: Spellbound
Review: Mary Stewart's view of Arthur and, in particular Merlin, is as refreshing and as engrossing as anything I've read. These books are really top notch. I liked this one even better than the first (The Crystal Cave}. I can hardly wait to read the other two now. For anyone who is as enthralled with the Arthurain legend as I am, I highly recommend that they read this series. It's the best I've read so far.

Rating:
Summary: So Far - The Best
Review: Mary Stewart's view of Arthur and, in particular Merlin, is as refreshing and as engrossing as anything I've read. These books are really top notch. I liked this one even better than the first (The Crystal Cave}. I can hardly wait to read the other two now. For anyone who is as enthralled with the Arthurain legend as I am, I highly recommend that they read this series. It's the best I've read so far.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Merlin, as the narrator of this tale, is an interesting and exciting voice to listen to. Although the action is small, when it appears it leaves you breathless in its wake. The Hollow Hills is a beautiful story, aimed at those who enjoy the history under the coming of Arthur. If you were captured by the detail of Tolkien, you will be likewise captured in Stewart's The Hollow Hills.

Rating:
Summary: Merlin Comes To Life!...Beautiful and Enchanting tale
Review: Merlinus Ambrosius, gifted physician and enchanter is vividly brought to life in this historical fiction by Mary Stewart. The gift of this book is how Stewart "humanizes" all of the characters, she literally brings them to life right before our eyes and the results are unforgettable.

This is a painstakingly detailed account of the pre Camelot legend from Merlin's prospective. There is no better telling of the rise of King Arthur, and you will have chills when you read Stewart's account of the how he pulled the sword from the stone. It's as if you are right there in the midst of the action. The entire book is mesmerizing!

Every page is drenched in imagery and descriptive detail. Mary Stewart has a very sharp pen, and a strong command of the english language. She tells a fascinating and beautiful tale. Don't miss this one.

Four stars because it moves slow, but is well worth your time.

Cris