โ Scribed by Stewart, Mary
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Initially published nearly thirty years ago, Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave has been spellbinding readers and converting them into serious Arthurian buffs ever since. The first in a series of four books, this novel focuses on the early life of Merlin the magician, and the political developments of fifth-century Britain. Not for the fainthearted, this verbose text pays careful attention to historical details and methodical plot development.
Merlin's childhood is formed by the absence of his reticent, convent-bound mother and his unnamed and unknown father. As the bastard grandson of a local king, Merlin is the object of both envy and ridicule. His strange powers and predictions earn him greater status as a pariah, and he leaves home as a preadolescent. Returning years later as a young man--empowered by self-knowledge and magic--Merlin finds himself caught in the currents of the shifting kingdoms.
As an established classic in this genre, and the first in a popular series, The Crystal Cave introduces this familiar character with fresh sensitivity. While readers looking for the romance of First Knight will be disappointed, those happy with tight writing and a complex story line will be satisfied. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien
'Vivid, enthralling, absolutely first-class' -- Daily Mail 'Mary Stewart brilliantly recreates the Britain of the fifth century' -- Books And Bookmen 'Her style is simple yet vivid, displaying a love of words and the sounds they make, and her story is poetically imaginative' -- Daily Telegraph 'A deft colourful ... re-creation of Merlin's early life' -- Sunday Times 'A fascinating story which lays a firm hold on the imagination' -- The Scotsman 'Mary Stewart lightens the Dark Ages with legend, pure invention and a lively sense of history. -- New York Times
Fiction
๐ SIMILAR VOLUMES
Mary Stewart tells the Arthurian legend in her own unique way, bringing to life one of the world's greatest legends and mysteries, shedding a fascinating new light on the turbulence and mystery of fifth-century Britain. An enthralling work, Ms. Stewart once again reveals those qualities of suspense
Mary Stewart tells the Arthurian legend in her own unique way, bringing to life one of the world's greatest legends and mysteries, shedding a fascinating new light on the turbulence and mystery of fifth-century Britain. An enthralling work, Ms. Stewart once again reveals those qualities of suspense
Intro -- Title Page -- Dedication -- What Happened Before -- 1: An Early Start -- 2: The Map -- 3: Beyond the Wall -- 4: Where it all Went Wrong -- 5: A Friendly Face -- 6: The Village -- 7: Darkwater -- 8: Hibbicus -- 9: Not Fervus -- 10: A Way In -- 11: Stew -- 12: Priest -- 13: Stinkflame -- 14:
Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myrdden Emrys?or as he would later be known, Merlin?leads a perilous childhood, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man?s-son, taking him from prophesying before High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon? and
ONE WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN CURSED NEVER TO FIND LOVE . . . ONE MAN WITHOUT A SOUL WHO WANTS HER MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF . . . THEY MEET IN A SMALL ISLAND TOWN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WHERE MAGIC IS IN THE AIR AND FATE IS A FORCE TOO POWERFUL TO DEFY. . . . In New York Times bestselling author Lisa K