The Crystal Cave (1970)

Thoroughly enjoyed this book focused on Merlin in the time of King Arthur. It was a nice change of pace to read a novel about this time frame from a different perspective, and Mary Stewart's writing was intelligent and fast paced. ( )

Þetta er fyrsta bókin af þremur þar sem Stewart tæklar goðsögnina um Arthúr konung. Þessi saga fjallar um fyrstu ár Merlins allt fram að fæðingu Arthúrs. Bretland er um þetta leyti undirlagt hernaði smákónga og áhrif rómverskrar menningar eru enn sterk enda skammt síðan þeir yfirgáfu eyjarnar. Heillandi saga og hreif mig sannarlega þegar ég las hana á íslensku sem unglingur. Gaman að kynnast tökum Stewarts á sögunum um Arthúr konung. ( )

Read as a kid. I think I read the series.

I knew nothing about the book prior to picking it up except it was about Merlin. I went in expecting Merlin would learn some cool powers but as I proceeded through this book I was bummed that all he had was foresight. However, despite this disappointment, this book had me hooked. The book was so well written and the story itself made me feel as though I was there with Merlin and Cadal. The authors note at the end made me appreciate her inspiration for the book rather than being salty about no fancy magic. I plan on finishing the remainder of the series but I might have to turn somewhere else for a cool wizard book (that’s NOT Harry Potter). ( )

Though we often think of Arthurian legend as focusing on Arthur himself, in this first novel in her trilogy Stewart focuses almost exclusively on how "Myriddn Emrys" became Merlin, from his childhood as an illegitimate grandson of the King of Wales and discovering his true paternity, to becoming a trusted advisor to several legendary kings battling for power in the British Isles.

This was definitely a palate-cleanser for me. I found the writing captivating and stayed up far too late on more than one evening, not wanting to put it down. The plot did not always play out as this seasoned reader was expecting, so it scores higher for its unpredictability. I had some trouble initially keeping straight allegiances with similar names, but ultimately it was enough to be aware of the opposing factions, even if I couldn't always remember who was aligned with whom. Looking forward to the next in the series. ( )