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Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: The spellbinding, suspenseful story of how Merlin, the Enchanter, helped Arthur become the king of all Britainâ??a magnificent novel set in a time when no life is safe, no law stable Keeping watch over the young Arthur Pendragon, the prince and prophet Merlin Ambrosius is haunted by dreams of the magical sword Caliburn, which has been hidden for centuries. When Uther Pendragon is killed in battle, the time of destiny is at hand, and Arthur must claim the fabled sword to become the true High King of Britain. The prophetic voice of Merlin communicates not only the bristling atmosphere of the story's ancient setting but also its profound relevance to our own time. Once again, as she did in her bestselling The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart provides a glowing re-creation of pre-Camelot England.… (more)
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What I really enjoy about Stewart's writing is that even though I am fairly familiar with the events of Arthurian legend (especially all of the tragic twists and turns), she puts her own spin on them to make sense for her narrative, and still manages to imbue the book and characters with a strong sense of hope in the future. When Arthur takes an accidental step that seals his fate, it twists in the reader like a knife, even though we all know how the story has to end, and we all know what has to happen for the story to be an adequate interpretation of Arthurian legend. The author's skill is in making us come along for the ride, invested with all our heart, despite our knowledge of legend.
And also as always, her characters are engaging and believable, their actions making far more sense in Stewart's world than in Malory's.
As a
Both books paint what seems to me a very good picture of subroman Britain. The portrayal is historically accurate, as far as I can tell, considerably more so than most books about the Matter of Britain.
Having never read any books on the Arthurian legend, I am enjoying learning both the historical and mythical aspects of the story and am intrigued by the view of Merlin as not simply a common magician with 'showy' magic but whose power comes from will of the 'gods'. I also find the time period particularly interesting concerning how the country was undergoing a religious conversion from pagan beliefs to Christianity and all the social and political adaptations that were byproducts of this shift.
Though this
However, there are some good aspects to this book as well. For all that the beginning lacks, the second half is extremely interesting and exciting. If you have any knowledge of the legends of King Arthur you'll have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen, but it's interesting to see it through Merlin's eyes.
Mary Stewart makes it all seem so real, as if it were truly a history of the past that she is reciting. I am enjoying this series tremendously.
If you enjoy Arthurian literature and haven't read this series, you really should. I think you'll love it.
The tale picks up immediately from the end of Crystal Cave which I wasn't expecting, but quickly skips a few years,
There's a little bit of politicking and some Kings, petty and otherwise of territories we don't care about jostling for rank and status, but its all forgettable. Women make a slight appearance in that Uther has two daughters, Morgon and Morguese, and their fates will tie into arthurs in the future - and the first of the knights of the round table are mentioned, although not at clear that this telling will feature them. There's a hidden sword which merlin finds and hides and reveals to Arthur, again on drama, but cleverly done just about in keeping with the popular traditions, but reworked uniquely and believably within the previously set limits of this universe.
By no means bad, and certainly compelling enough to continue with the series, just lacking some action.