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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
If there is one tale everyone may know about, one king we have heard of, that would be King Arthur, the Once and Future King. I have grown watching “Quest for Camelot”, or “Merlin the Magician”, dreaming about what it would be like to live in a time of such adventures and chivalry.
The tale has been adapted in many different ways, some childish, and some darker than I would have imagined as a child. There is darkness in the original tales, that is for sure, and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table could turn out to be just for show (just look at Lancelot).
Not only that, but chivalry itself has nothing to do with the original myth, for the real Arthur had to live around …., and the figure of the knight did not appear until the Middle Ages. That being said, this retelling of the story is somewhat more plausible, for it is set in the correct time period, and although there is a bit of the supernatural in the tale, it is very faint. I find that I actually enjoy it like that, which is a surprise as I love magic (thank you Harry Potter).
This book is all about Merlin, the magician that would guide Arthur as King of Britain. Here we follow him from a somewhat harsh childhood as a bastard Welsh prince, until the beginning of his twenties.
It was, simply put, amazing. It took me long to read it, but not because it was boring (although there is indeed very little action), but because I wanted to savour the beautiful and atmospheric narrative. Mary Stewart may very well be an enchantress herself, because she somehow managed to completely captivate me with her prose. There are countless examples of her describing the smallest things in vivid detail.
“A round moon stood low in the sky, pale still, and smudged with shadow, and thin at one edge like a worn coin. There was a scatter of small stars, with here and there the shepherd stars herding them, and across from the moon one great star alone, burning white. The shadows were long and soft on the seeding grasses.”
“A robin lighted on a blackthorn at my elbow, and began to sing. The sound came high and sweet and uncaring through all the noise of battle. To this day, whenever I think of the battle for Kaerconan, it brings to mind a robin’s song, mingled with the croaking of the ravens.”
Another boon about this book? As if the theme and the beautiful prose were not enough, it is set in Wales. IN WALES I SAID. I have wanted to go to Wales for years now, due to it being the birth place of the Arthurian legends, but also because of its history and beautiful landscape. With this book, I felt as if I had actually been there, and once I finished I was left feeling a certain nostalgia, as if it were a place I longed to visit again instead of for the first time.
So, well done, Mary Stewart. Count me thoroughly impressed *claps in admiration*
“The gods only go with you if you put yourself in their path. And that takes courage.”
“I think there is only one. Oh, there are gods everywhere, in the hollow hills, in the wind and the sea, in the very grass we walk on and the air we breathe, and in the bloodstained shadows where men like Belasius wait for them. But I believe there must be one who is God Himself, like the great sea, and all the rest of us, small gods and men and all, like rivers, we all come to Him in the end.”
“Then she saw me watching her. For perhaps two seconds our eyes met and held. I knew then why the ancients armed the cruellest god with arrows; I felt the shock of it right through my body.”
“Thinking and planning is one side of life; doing is another. A man cannot be doing all the time.”
The tale has been adapted in many different ways, some childish, and some darker than I would have imagined as a child. There is darkness in the original tales, that is for sure, and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table could turn out to be just for show (just look at Lancelot).
Not only that, but chivalry itself has nothing to do with the original myth, for the real Arthur had to live around …., and the figure of the knight did not appear until the Middle Ages. That being said, this retelling of the story is somewhat more plausible, for it is set in the correct time period, and although there is a bit of the supernatural in the tale, it is very faint. I find that I actually enjoy it like that, which is a surprise as I love magic (thank you Harry Potter).
This book is all about Merlin, the magician that would guide Arthur as King of Britain. Here we follow him from a somewhat harsh childhood as a bastard Welsh prince, until the beginning of his twenties.
It was, simply put, amazing. It took me long to read it, but not because it was boring (although there is indeed very little action), but because I wanted to savour the beautiful and atmospheric narrative. Mary Stewart may very well be an enchantress herself, because she somehow managed to completely captivate me with her prose. There are countless examples of her describing the smallest things in vivid detail.
“A round moon stood low in the sky, pale still, and smudged with shadow, and thin at one edge like a worn coin. There was a scatter of small stars, with here and there the shepherd stars herding them, and across from the moon one great star alone, burning white. The shadows were long and soft on the seeding grasses.”
“A robin lighted on a blackthorn at my elbow, and began to sing. The sound came high and sweet and uncaring through all the noise of battle. To this day, whenever I think of the battle for Kaerconan, it brings to mind a robin’s song, mingled with the croaking of the ravens.”
Another boon about this book? As if the theme and the beautiful prose were not enough, it is set in Wales. IN WALES I SAID. I have wanted to go to Wales for years now, due to it being the birth place of the Arthurian legends, but also because of its history and beautiful landscape. With this book, I felt as if I had actually been there, and once I finished I was left feeling a certain nostalgia, as if it were a place I longed to visit again instead of for the first time.
So, well done, Mary Stewart. Count me thoroughly impressed *claps in admiration*
“The gods only go with you if you put yourself in their path. And that takes courage.”
“I think there is only one. Oh, there are gods everywhere, in the hollow hills, in the wind and the sea, in the very grass we walk on and the air we breathe, and in the bloodstained shadows where men like Belasius wait for them. But I believe there must be one who is God Himself, like the great sea, and all the rest of us, small gods and men and all, like rivers, we all come to Him in the end.”
“Then she saw me watching her. For perhaps two seconds our eyes met and held. I knew then why the ancients armed the cruellest god with arrows; I felt the shock of it right through my body.”
“Thinking and planning is one side of life; doing is another. A man cannot be doing all the time.”
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Merlin’s Story
Having heard the stories of King Arthur for years, I was curious to see what this was all about while looking for a book to fulfil a reading challenge. This book takes us back to what you could regard as the beginning, focusing on Merlin.
The book opens with us seeing Merlin as a young boy. Used to being ignored by those around him, Merlin knows his father’s identity is the source of many rumours. His mother refuses to share the name of the man who made her pregnant, but we are plunged into a world of intrigue and machinations. In this tumultuous environment, Merlin tries to find his way.
We follow Merlin as he is trained by a hermit. We see his uncanny ability to see things he should not know. We also see him in danger as he escapes threats from his mother’s family. Through luck and the use of his wits, Merlin finds himself taken under the wing of a man challenging for the right to rule the kingdom.
Of course, much of the story has a sense of familiarity. It was interesting to gain a sense of Merlin growing into his role, and the part he plays in the life of King Arthur.
While this could in no way be regarded as a historical account, it was a great story.
Having heard the stories of King Arthur for years, I was curious to see what this was all about while looking for a book to fulfil a reading challenge. This book takes us back to what you could regard as the beginning, focusing on Merlin.
The book opens with us seeing Merlin as a young boy. Used to being ignored by those around him, Merlin knows his father’s identity is the source of many rumours. His mother refuses to share the name of the man who made her pregnant, but we are plunged into a world of intrigue and machinations. In this tumultuous environment, Merlin tries to find his way.
We follow Merlin as he is trained by a hermit. We see his uncanny ability to see things he should not know. We also see him in danger as he escapes threats from his mother’s family. Through luck and the use of his wits, Merlin finds himself taken under the wing of a man challenging for the right to rule the kingdom.
Of course, much of the story has a sense of familiarity. It was interesting to gain a sense of Merlin growing into his role, and the part he plays in the life of King Arthur.
While this could in no way be regarded as a historical account, it was a great story.
This is the first novel in my favorite re-telling of the Arthurian legend. Stewart concentrates her series on 3 figures: Myrddrin (Merlin), Arthur, and Mordred: each a young man raised without knowing one or more of his parents. The Crystal Cave focuses on Merlin's childhood, discovery of his parentage, and the eventual conception of Arthur. In this novel, Merlin is imbued with a humanity that is often lacking in the portrayals of him as a great or kooky wizard. Here, Merlin is a young man whose great abilities set him apart, leaving him at times profoundly lonely. Yet his life is devoted to helping others, particularly by bringing to England the great king that will protect it.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Mary Stewart, and I enjoy King Arthur retellings, so I’m not sure why I never read this book, the start of a trilogy focusing on Merlin. This is less a book about magic and wizardry and more about politics, war, and intrigue. Arthur isn’t even in this novel; this is the story of Merlin as a boy and his journey into adulthood as he learns his role in the coming of King Arthur. I do wish the female characters had been more nuanced; they all felt very one-dimensional. That aside, it was still a great story and I’ll definitely read the whole trilogy.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book held up well given my glowing remembrance from when I read it in the 70s. Merlin is likeable and well drawn, as are the other characters in the novel. Sadly, it is a bit aged in its attitude toward the women in the tale, but then they were pretty much pawns at the time, so I shouldn't mind so much.
3.5 stars but I'm rounding up to 4 because I really like this book but I wasn't especially in the mood for it. It's a bit of a slow read but it IS really good. I will continue to the series at some point but feeling in the mood for shorter, fast paced books at the moment.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes