The Hollow Hills (The Arthurian Saga, Book 2) (original 1973; edition 2003)

This is the second book in Mary Stewart’s Arthurian legend series following The Crystal Cave. Some spoilers may apply.

Arthur is about to be born and Merlin is called on by Igraine and Uther to keep him safe, which he agrees to do until the time is right for the world to know of the new High King who will unite the land of Britain. Keeping a small child safe and well-hidden is not an easy task in a country fighting over land. When the time to reveal Arthur comes, Merlin is left in awe of the gods and Arthur as the new High King.

I love Arthurian legend and I liked The Crystal Cave very much. I’ve read only a few stories told with Merlin as the narrator and that was certainly a reason for picking up the series. However, this second book was extremely slow reading for me. At one point, I considered scrapping it and moving on but decided to keep going. I was rewarded in the end but there were way too many info dumps to get to that point. Stewart takes this story slow telling you everything about Merlin and repeating often told tales more than once. Yes, Merlin is the one telling you these things so he can explain how wrong it is or how valuable the tale is for the ages but, I don’t want all that. Maybe it’s because I’ve read so many Arthurian based books that I get bored with the back story sometimes, but I don’t think that was the case here. Frankly, the first part of the book was just boring. Merlin is roaming around making sure no one knows about Arthur but it’s boring with him meandering around. When he finally settles down, and meets Arthur, it does get more interesting.

Also, I wanted more of the magic and there isn’t much of that here. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as I don’t usually want magic in these tales but honestly, I just wanted something, anything other than what I had here. It was slow moving, meandered just as badly as Merlin rambling about the countryside, and was just boring in parts. Yes, I know I already said that but if Merlin can do it, so can I.

Here’s the deal I made with myself about this series. I have the third book in my house. I will read it and if it gets better, I’ll turn to the library for the rest. If it bores more, the series is done but I can say I gave it a good try. My quest to read Arthurian legend has not come to an end and I’m hoping Stewart’s third book makes up for it.

Did you read this? Thoughts? If you liked it, I want to hear why. My opinion is not the last. ( )

The book picks up right where the first left off and shows once again that no good deed goes unpunished: Uther is not at all grateful that Merlin has finagled him a way into the bedchamber of Ygraine. Merlin finds himself in disgrace and banished from court.
So now the waiting begins: waiting for Arthur to be born, to grow to a reasonable age. Merlin spends this time far away, and that is one of my favourite sections of the book: travelling across the former Roman empire, collecting the frayed strands of oral and written tradition and finally discovering THE sword, bringing it home to a place where it can wait its turn...
And then there's Arthur's education, preparing a boy for kingdom. It is enchanting and intriguing in turn, and very down-to-earth in parts. It makes for a very satisfying read. ( )

Merlin believes that his main purpose in life is to bring into the world and then bring into power a man who can truly unite Britain. He is convinced this purpose is why he has been given his magical powers from God in the first place. This is the basic story of THE HOLLOW HILLS. The great warriors Ambrosius, Merlin's father and Uther Pendragon , his uncle have paved the way for a new era and Arthur, Uther's son steps up with all the qualities appropriate for a great leader .

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. ( )

For me this is one of the great Arthurian re-tellings as Mary Stewart continues the story started in The Crystal Cave. After the events at the end of that book Merlin returns to his cave and waits for the birth of Arthur and then the responsibility of protecting the child.

Most people know something about Arthurian mythology but Stewart's Merlin gives an interesting perspective on the story. I love the character of Merlin and the way events unfold seems fresh and plausible. This is just great story-telling and I'll be reading the third book in the series, The Last Enchantment, very soon. ( )

Merlin Ambrosius as written by Mary Stewart may be one of my favorite narrators. There is immense pleasure in how calm, intense, and sharp he is, and it gives an interesting edge to the narrative, because he isn't the type to spill his secrets in the narration. There is plenty of suspense in how he will solve each seemingly impossible conundrum as it comes his way. This sequel to "The Crystal Cave" picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book, with Merlin making his way back to his home and nursing his wounds from the fight at Tintagel. Once again there is incredible attention to period detail, which suffuses the entire book with a sense of authenticity. The Dark Ages of Britain are brought to roiling life once again.
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. ( )