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Summary: Magical and mystical Merlin
Review: He's the archetypical wizard, right alongside J.R.R. Tolkien's Gandalf -- Merlin, the magical wise man who mentored the legendary King Arthur. In the Merlin Trilogy, Mary Stewart presents her fantastical but realistic portrayal of Arthurian legend -- it's engrossing and hauntingly written, and has become a classic of the fantasy genre."The Crystal Cave" tells of a young boy in Wales, a king's bastard grandson who is constantly treated with suspicion. But Merlin learns that he is no ordinary boy -- he has ancient powers at his command. And as he travels across the land, Merlin sets into motion events that will lead to the birth of Arthur, the future king of Britain. "The Hollow Hills" take us to ahead in time. Merlin is guardian of Arthur, a boy who has no idea that he's going to be king -- or any of the other things that await him. Eventually, Merlin takes him to learn of his true identity, and Arthur begins to establish himself as a strong young king. But his malevolent half-sister Morgause does something that may destroy Arthur and Merlin as well... "The Last Enchantment" takes us to the end of Merlin's long life, as he sees Arthur rise in power. But Arthur is threatened by his evil half-sister Morgause, and the child they conceived during an incestuous night together (Arthur didn't know she was his sister). Merlin watches as the end of Arthur's kingdom begins, as he falls in love and watches his pupil/lover Nimue take his place. Merlin has been reinvented countless times, ranging from a confused little boy to a Druid holy man to a deranged lech. Mary Stewart's is a unique vision, only rivalled by T.A. Barron's Merlin -- her Merlin is entirely human and sympathetic, but endowed with mystical, earthy powers that seem like something out of an old Celtic legend. Stewart's writing goes at a slow burn. Nothing happens quickly; even battle scenes are sort of distantly written. This can get a little dull at times, but her slow style is perfectly suited for the intricate, engaging relationships between the characters. And she has a flair for suspense, building up a sense of doom over Arthur's entire life. Merlin is not a distant sage or a weird old man here. Instead he's an ordinary person who becomes an extraordinary one, with doubts and weaknesses like anyone else. Arthur and the other supporting characters aren't quite as interesting. They're only seen through Merlin's eyes, so they fail to be quite as three-dimensional. Mary Stewart wrote many novels, but none have proved as popular or as striking as the Merlin Trilogy, and the sequel "The Wicked Day." Engaging, spellbinding and beautifully written.
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Summary: Mary Stewart, The Enchantress...
Review: Whenever I see as many reviews as this book has, I doubt that anyone will ever see mine, but at the same time it says a lot of people have read it, and that is a good thing. Mary Stewart happens to be one of my very favorite authors, and I have all of her books. When the Merlin Trilogy came out, I was already a big Mary Stewart fan. I could hardly wait to get my hands on the trilogy. Her descriptive style is one of the aspects of her writing that always left me feeling as though if I ever went to any of the places she described, I'd recognize them. The Merlin Trilogy is refreshingly different than the usual Arthurian Legends; Mary Stewart has created a Merlin who is believable, not entirely without magic, but endowed with wisdom, and common sense. I think perhaps he has more magic than he is willing to admit, but I got the feeling that that is just what Lady Stewart intended for me to feel. She weaves a mystical web in this trilogy that enthralled me. Although not part of the trilogy, The Wicked Day, deserves to be included, because it brings the entire story to a close with an entirely different view of Mordred. I only wish she'd dared to have a different ending. But what a magnificent tale to read by a fireside on cold winter nights...and having them all together in this way is wonderfully convenient. A beautiful product and a magnificent gift!
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Summary: Three of My Favorite Books
Review: I have hundreds of books, so it's very hard to pick out my favorites, but Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy is definitely in the top ten. The descriptions are so vivid that the moment I open a volume I am back in 5th century Britain with Merlin and his companions, who are as all as real to me as my own friends. I love this series so much I just purchased the trilogy volume so I could have just one book to carry with me instead of three. What a wonderful thing to be able to carry an entire enchanting world around with you.
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Summary: The best book I have ever read!!
Review: In my opinion, this is the second-best re-telling of the Arthurian legend. My favorite is The Once and Future King by T.H. White because of the style in which it is told - it is done with a tremendous amount of humor and charm with its tongue occasionally in its cheek. The tone of this compilation of novels is very similar to the tone of I, Claudius. Here, Stewart writes in the voice of Merlin - and that tone is very serious. Her main source is Geoffrey of Monmouth. She gives a modern-day, realistic re-telling of the events. She takes pains to make everyone into a three-dimensional character. All the familiar plot-points are there as well, but Stewart makes them more modern. It's true, Merlin is psychic, but he uses science more than magic - although he creates magical myths about himself. For instance, the myth of his being sired by an incubus is created to conceal that he is the illegitimate son of King Ambrosius. When he transforms Uther to look like the Duke of Cornwall, he uses a disguise, not magic. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read for any Arthur enthusiast and it is a great piece of literature in its own right. Deservedly a classic.
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Summary: WONDEFUL BOOK............
Review: THIS A REALLY A UNIQUE BOOK. I LOVE THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN IN THE
FIRST PERSON. YOU REALLY GET THE FEELING MERLIN ACTUALLY EXISTED
AND WAS NOT JUST A FIGMENT OF SOMEONE'S THINKING. IT IS REALLY A BOOK IF ONE IS INTERESTED IN WIZARDS AND THEIR
MANY GIFTS AND WORKINGS OF MAN AND NATURE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL AGES.....
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Summary: One of the Best!
Review: I read this book about 25 years ago. I never forgot the world that Mary Stewart created for me. Like "The Mists of Avalon," she puts her players into real life, not just fantasy! Loved it.
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