Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga #1)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 19,432 ratings · 753 reviews

Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myridden 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 the High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon . . . and the conception of Arthur -- king for once and always.

Paperback, 494 pages

Published May 1st 2003 by Eos (first published 1970)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Best Epic Fantasy

52nd out of 1,588 books — 10,564 voters

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Best Historical Fiction

112th out of 3,151 books — 13,798 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 25, 2008 L.J. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I actually read this book first when I was 11 or 12 and would have rated it a 5 with that self. When I was a girl I was lucky enough to be a tomboy and have male figures in my life who taught me the things I would later realize were traditionally "guy stuff". I remembered this book with a mystical fondness because I remember absolutely identifying with the character of Merlin and cast myself in the role of boy adventurer.

Unfortunately, I have to now temper that literal reading with things I am a...more

20 likes · like · see review

Oct 03, 2011 Sarah Ryburn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

my mother introduced me to these books. i'm a fool for arthurian legend, honestly. wrote a research paper on "celtic roots of arthurian legend" in high school-–honestly, one must ask how does an eleventh grader come up with such a topic? perhaps i had help. perhaps i must face the fact that i'm a total lit dweeb...

back to the topic, mary stewart's arthur legend retold. from merlin's perspective. he's the protagonist. he's the central figure of the saga as well as its narrator, and he, rather tha...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 13, 2008 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: King Arthur enthusiasts

Shelves: celtic, fantasy, arthurian

One of the best Authurian saga I've ever read.
It felt as if I were there watching the events unfold before my eyes.

15 likes · like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 Louise rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, first-in-series, second-hand-books, king-arthur, historical-fantasy, female-authors, casual-misogyny, british-fiction, 1970s, 20th-century, 2-stars, boring-boring-boring, books-that-pissed-me-off, disapointing, fantasy, reviewed, 2012-reads, will-not-read-sequels, new-authors-2012

Crossposted from my blog

2 Stars

I’ve spoken about my love of all things Arthurian before, so I was really expecting to enjoy this book. All the ingredients are there – it’s centered on a character I normally like, on events that are often just skated over as prologue, and grounded in more unique ‘realistic’ Dark Age Britain than the typical ‘castles and knights’ setting. It was also pretty popular back in its day. Alas, I learn, yet again, that popularity often has little to do with quality. It’s...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2009 Elizabeth added it · review of another edition

Shelves: arthurian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the first time I've read this in about 20 years and I found myself curiously detached from the reading. I was nowhere near as riveted by it as I used to be. Having said that... I can see the deep influences on my own writing, and here and there certain scenes have struck deep into my psyche--Myrddin's uncle trying to poison him, the wonder of Ambrosius being Myrddin's father, the capture by Vortigern, the conviction with which Merlin sets out to get Uther and Ygraine to meet on THAT NIGH...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2007 Savannah Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy lovers, Historial fiction lovers, historians on vacation, arthur nuts

Shelves: majorinfluences

I love Mary Stewart's work. She always mixes the right amount of supernatural and realism, and here is no exception.

Throw out your previous ideas of Merlin, Arthur, and Magic. Here's something a little more Organic. In her Arthurian Saga, Stewart mixes historical figures with figures of myth in a way that is pleasing to the historian's eye. I don't mean in a true historically accurate sense, but in a way that allows you to fall into the world. Details of what was left behind from Roman Rule in...more I love Mary Stewart's work. She always mixes the right amount of supernatural and realism, and here is no exception.

Throw out your previous ideas of Merlin, Arthur, and Magic. Here's something a little more Organic. In her Arthurian Saga, Stewart mixes historical figures with figures of myth in a way that is pleasing to the historian's eye. I don't mean in a true historically accurate sense, but in a way that allows you to fall into the world. Details of what was left behind from Roman Rule in England cement this further, and issues that actually existed at the supposed time are woven in rather then ignored.

For those un-familiar with the time period, Arthurian legend is supposed to have taken place in the early dark ages- from the fall of the Roman Empire around 500 to almost 700 is an appropriate range. This setting is not one that is conducive to a lot of what we think of as Arthurian Ideals- Those weren't even introduced until the Victorian age of Romanticism. Instead we are in a land where there are shambles of government, Generals without direction, old roman baths and homes from several generations ago being reused or used as a base for newer buildings, and many superstitions and beliefs that are slowly starting to meet and undergo a mutation into Christianity. It is a time of Transition.

Our Merlin (or Myrddyn if you're into the Welsh part) is just as human as those around him here. He is a bastard son from a roman general who had an affair with a young woman- who then let everyone believe her son was devil spawn rather then admit she'd slept around. hm. OH, and did I mention that the general was Arthur's Uncle? And it gets more convoluted on a human level.

But Magic! where's the MAGIC? Oh young grasshopper, that's where Stewart handles this best. You see, rather then the all mighty mystical Merlin from Sword in the Stone, We have a young Boy who learns Tricks and illusions from an aging teacher, with a little bit of pagan magical practice as well. In fact, the first thing he learns is fire starting. Overall, this is a more human approach, and I prefer it.

Another point to note- This isn't Arthur's story. This, my friends, is Merlin's. The first book (this one) follows him from a young boy through his coming of age- Identity issues and all. Coincidentally, This first book ends at the Conception of Arthur.(less)

15 likes · like · see review

Jan 11, 2008 Krista the Krazy Kataloguer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-adult-fiction

I read this for an 8th grade English oral book report. It was a great story, and the teacher was amazed that I was able to get explain the complicated plot to everyone so that they could understand it. I never went on to read the other 2 books in the series. I should reread this and then dig out the other two...

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2009 Wealhtheow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The first, and one of the very few, books that has ever reconciled me to Arthurian myth. After slogging through hideous Victorian sentimental priggishness everywhere else, this is a breath of fresh and magical air into a tired story.

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2010 Risa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2010, collections-mom, favourites

For years I'd heard my mother talk of Mary Stewart. But it took me this long to finally pick one of her books up (I was admittedly bored and this was at hand) and read...and read...and read. I wish I'd read her stuff before. But, better late than never, they always say!

The book I happened to pick up was the first of her Merlin trilogy - The Crystal Cave.

Written from the perpective of the legendary Merlin, it traces his young life up to the point when he is instrumental in playing a part in Arthu...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2011 Suzie Quint rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

I love this book. The Arthurian legend from Merlin's perspective. He was always the most interesting character of the legend anyway. Stewart takes him from being "the son of no man" and gives him an interesting childhood. I couldn't help but feel for his vulnerability. The mystery surrounding who Merlin was still intrigues.

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: in, 2010, fantasy, no-longer-own

This first book of Stewart's acclaimed Arthurian Saga examines the childhood and maturation of Merlin. From his birth, Myriddin Emrys is set apart from other children, and not merely because he was born a bastard to a Welsh princess. He is strange and precocious, using his intellect even when his burgeoning magical powers didn't serve him. After his grandfather the king is killed, Merlin flees from the household. God leads him on a strange path northward into foreign lands, but Merlin doesn't fe...more

like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of Arthurian legends and characters.

Shelves: magical, fantasy, action-adventure, mystery, survival, coming-of-age

This is the story of a boy who realized he was different. Merlin lives with his mother, a woman scorned by her a father, a king, for producing a bastard and not naming the boy's father. Merlin soon realizes that he has a destiny and that he has to throw himself to fate to reach his destination. And so starts a story about a boy coming of age under special circumstances including magics, kidnapping, jealousy, revelations, and ending with a careful plan to produce an infant who would change the wo...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 03, 2013 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in October 2001.

Mary Stewart's Arthurian novels, particularly the first three, are her biggest selling. This is the first, a first person narrative of the childhood and early adult life of Merlin. It makes him the illegitimate child of Ambrosius, conceived when he was a fugitive long before he became High King of Britain, and a Welsh princess from Carmarthen, the town supposedly named after Merlin. (The main political events of the novel, from the reigns of V...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Melissa Prange rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave, a popular retelling of the Arthurian Legend, is an interesting and yet underwhelming addition to the King Arthur subgenre.

From his crystal prison, Merlin recounts his early life, focusing on his difficult childhood as a son of no man and his service to Ambrosius. These tales, however, serve to lead to the main event—the conception of Arthur—and Merlin’s acceptance of his destiny. Stewart’s Merlin is not a wizard but rather a young man gifted with the Sight. He someti...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Debbiegordon rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for those who have read the stories of King Author and have only got a glimps of what Merlin the Wizard's roll was in Author's life and what was Merlin's life was like when he was a young child and how he grew up - the history behind the wizard you could say.
This first book starts out when Merlin is just a 6 year old boy known as Merlin the bastered. This book tells the tell of how Merlin grew up, what his mother was all about and how she ended up in...more

like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Helene added it

Il faut passer les premières pages où le récit à la première personne concentre tout ce que le récit à la première personne peut avoir de facile pour l'auteur et donc d'agaçant pour le lecteur.
Une fois l'histoire vraiment commencée la lecture se passe très bien, la prose se complexifie (le vocabulaire aussi...) et il n'y a plus qu'à se faire porter.

Quant à l'histoire elle-même, il est toujours plaisant de s'entendre raconter une légende, en particulier lorsque l'on croit la connaître sans la con...more Il faut passer les premières pages où le récit à la première personne concentre tout ce que le récit à la première personne peut avoir de facile pour l'auteur et donc d'agaçant pour le lecteur.
Une fois l'histoire vraiment commencée la lecture se passe très bien, la prose se complexifie (le vocabulaire aussi...) et il n'y a plus qu'à se faire porter.

Quant à l'histoire elle-même, il est toujours plaisant de s'entendre raconter une légende, en particulier lorsque l'on croit la connaître sans la connaître vraiment. Le roman met en place certains repères historiques et géopolitiques(...) sur une période qui constitue chez moi un joyeux flou artistique. Des spécialistes auront sans doute une autre appréciation du sujet mais je tiens à louer la présence de cartes dans l'ouvrage ainsi que le parti pris de l'auteur d'avoir recours à une certaine vulgarisation en ce qui concerne les noms de lieu. Tout ceci rend le roman tout à fait accessible à un lecteur peu familier de la période et de la zone géographique.

Cela dit je regrette un peu le traitement un peu superficiel de Merlin en tant que magicien. D'où lui viennent ses dons, Galapas lui a-t-il appris à les maîtriser (l'auteur prétend que non mais alors qu'a-t-il donc bien fichu tout ce temps dans cette crystal cave??), comment en vient-il à arriver à voir dans le feu sur commande, quelle est la nature de ses différentes transes, comment transporte-t-il the king stone d'Irlande à Stonehenge et que signifient ces constructions de pierre à la fin??? Bien entendu répondre à ces questions reviendrait à affirmer une théorie qui par essence ne pourrait avoir aucun fondement vérifiable, mais n'est-ce pas là ce que l'on attend d'un récit de ce type? Je regrette que l'auteur ait souhaité ne pas s'engager à ce sujet et je reste un peu frustrée par les solutions de facilité choisies. Une simple mention du temps passé à faire "des calculs" ne suffit pas à mes yeux à expliquer la reconstruction des cercles de pierre. Mary Stewart se débarrasse de ces questions qu'elle pose pourtant comme centrales, par un traitement beaucoup trop elliptique qui, loin de contribuer au mystère, finit au contraire par agacer le lecteur (enfin... à m'agacer moi) qui en vient à redouter toute intervention de la magie dans le récit. Fâcheux pour une trilogie dont le narrateur et personnage principal n'est autre que Merlin l'enchanteur.

A comparer à "L'Enchanteur" de Barjavel (lu mais en grande partie oublié...) et à T.H. White (à lire).

J'affinerai cet avis lorsque j'aurai fini les autres tomes de la série.(less)

like · see review

Jul 28, 2011 Lindsey Sablowski rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is fantastic. Mary Stewart obviously took the time to go through with a lot of researching of legends and so forth to form this saga. I never imagined there would be a book about King Arthur where I could be dying to know more. This saga is the reason I fell more in love with the stories of Camelot. Stewart brings forth a cast of familiar characters, and the adventure is very exciting. The story is told from Merlin's point of view, though in one of the stories the POV changes over. You...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2011 Jayden rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wish I could give this 3.5 stars. This was an interesting take on the early life of Merlin and the origins of Arthur. I appreciate Stewart's lovely descriptions of the scenery and the realism she gave to such a magical and mythical story. Elements of this book that I considered to be flaws might have had to do with the time in which it was written, and the way popular storytelling has changed somewhat. For me, the biggest flaw was the lack of a structured plot moving all the way through the bo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 02, 2010 Mary Overton added it

A retelling of the Arthur legend based on Geoffrey on Monmouth's HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF BRITAIN.
From "Author's Note":
"Geoffrey's name is, to serious historians, mud. From his Oxford study in the twelfth century he produced a long, racy hotch-potch of 'history' from the Trojan War (where Brutus 'the King of the Britons' fought) to the seventh century AD, arranging his facts to suit his story, and when he got short of facts (which was on every page), inventing them out of whole cloth. Historicall...more A retelling of the Arthur legend based on Geoffrey on Monmouth's HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF BRITAIN.
From "Author's Note":
"Geoffrey's name is, to serious historians, mud. From his Oxford study in the twelfth century he produced a long, racy hotch-potch of 'history' from the Trojan War (where Brutus 'the King of the Britons' fought) to the seventh century AD, arranging his facts to suit his story, and when he got short of facts (which was on every page), inventing them out of whole cloth. Historically speaking, the HISTORIA REGUM BRITTANIAE is appalling, but as a story it is tremendous stuff, and has been a source and inspiration for the great cycle of tales call the Matter of Britain, from Malory's MORTE D'ARTHUR to Tennyson's IDYLLS OF THE KING, from PARSIFAL to CAMELOT." (pg. 313)

[Merlin's mother, a Welsh princess, tells King Vortigern what he wants to hear, that her bastard son Merlin was begotten by a demon.:]
"'So all through that winter he came to me. And he came at night. I was never alone in my chamber, but he came through doors and windows and walls, and lay with me. I never saw him again, but heard his voice and felt his body. Then, in the summer, when I was heavy with child, he left me.... They will tell you how my father beat me and shut me up, and how when the child was born he would not give him a name fit for a Christian prince, but because he was born in September, named him for the sky-god [Myrddin:], the wanderer, who has no house but the woven air. But I called him Merlin always, because on the day of his birth a wild falcon flew in through the window and perched above the bed, and looked at me with my lover's eyes.'" (pg. 184)

[The priests say that because Merlin is "the child of no man," his sacrificed blood will magically repair the cracked foundation of a fortress Vortigern is building.:]
"I could tell them the truth, coldly. I could take the torch and clamber up into the dark workings and point out faults which were giving way under the weight of the building work above. But I doubted if they would listen.... what Vortigern needed now was not logic and an engineer; he wanted magic, and something - anything - that promised quick safety and kept his followers loyal.
"....I lifted a hand to beckon the King, and he came forward and stood with me at the edge of the pool. I pointed downwards. Below the surface something - a rock, perhaps - glimmered faintly, shaped like a dragon....
"'This is the magic, King Vortigern, that lies beneath your tower. This is why your walls cracked as fast as they could build them. Which of your soothsayers could have showed you what I show you now?... If you could drain this pool, King Vortigern, to find what lay beneath it -'
"I stopped. The light had changed....Shadows fled across the streams and staircases of fire, and the cave was full of eyes and wings and hammering hoofs and the scarlet rush of a great dragon stooping on his prey ... my eyes were open, but all I could see was the whirl of banners and wings and wolves' eyes and sick mouths gaping, the the tail of a comet like a brand, and stars shooting through a rain of blood." (pg. 195)

[Merlin comes out of his trance and hears from his servant the prophecy he delivered to Vortigern.:]
"'It was all dressed up, like poets' stuff, red dragons and white dragons fighting and laying the place waste, showers of blood, all that kind of thing. But it seems you gave them chapter and verse for everything that's going to happen; the white dragon of the Saxons and the red dragon of Ambrosius fighting it out, the red dragon looking not so clever to begin with, but winning in the end. Yes. Then a bear coming out of Cornwall to sweep the field clear ... ARTOS was the word.'" (pg. 199)

[Stewart adds in a revival of the mystery cult of Mithras, the bull-killing god worshiped by Roman soldiers.:]
"... the kneeling bull and the man with a knife under an arch studded with stars ... I had seen [a vision of:] the soldiers' god, the Word, the Light, the Good Shepherd, the mediator between the one God and man. I had seen Mithras, who had come out of Asia a thousand years ago. He had been born ... in a cave at mid-winter, while sheperds watched and a star shone; he was born of earth and light, and sprang from the rock with a torch in his left hand and a knife in his right. He killed the bull to bring life and fertility to the earth with its shed blood, and then, after his last meal of bread and wine, he was called up to heaven. He was the god of strength and gentleness, of courage and self-restraint." (pg. 109)(less)

like · see review

Feb 09, 2010 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Having made a list Arthurian books recently for a friend, I decided to read (or reread) the Mary Stewart books. Or rather, to try. I couldn't remember if I had read them in high school -- having picked it up, I now remember that I tried and failed.

Not to say that it's a bad book, just that it's very much a book of its time. Maybe it's just the yellow-edge paper, the tiny type crammed onto a page, the bad typesetting where the words ran off the page, and the cheap binding, but the book seemed ver...more Having made a list Arthurian books recently for a friend, I decided to read (or reread) the Mary Stewart books. Or rather, to try. I couldn't remember if I had read them in high school -- having picked it up, I now remember that I tried and failed.

Not to say that it's a bad book, just that it's very much a book of its time. Maybe it's just the yellow-edge paper, the tiny type crammed onto a page, the bad typesetting where the words ran off the page, and the cheap binding, but the book seemed very *dense.* (I was reading a battered copy that was, I think, first edition, on loan from a friend.)

I don't think ti was just the physical book, though. I think ti was jsut that, back then, fantasy writers had little to aspire to, other than Tolkein and Gods love J.R.R., he writes dense and slightly opaque prose.

So Ms. Stewart's book was slow going. Every once in a while, she'd forget to be stiff and portenteous and the writing would move along at a nice clip and then, BAM! back to the slow stuff.

My other problem with the book is the complete impotence of the main character. That may seem silly, but every time he makes a major decision, he's guided by God. (More on The God Thing in a minute.) He knows, in his bones, that this is the right decision and so it will all work out. There may be a price -- one usually paid by one of his servants dying for him, and wow don't those servants just love this kid?! -- but there is no conflict and so no tension. I found myself shrugging every time a major turning point arose in the plot. He'll have a vision and it's all done. Whee.

The God Thing, that really annoyed me. And it's not Ms. Stewart's fault at all -- it always annoys me in every book I find it in. But in this case, it was a little more blatant than in other series -- possibly because back in 1970, the idea that all gods are one god was a radical concept.

But now, in 2010, it is a tired and irritating conceit. If all Gods are the same God, then there is no opposition but what God put there. So why does He bother to meddle only sometimes, through specific people, in such irritating and oblique and cryptic ways? Either He's sneaking around some (self-imposed!) rule or He's being interfered with by.... well, not other Gods because, we've already established, there's only one God. If you're going to muck about in divine-inspired magic, then man up and have more than one God, for the love of Gods!

And what's with all the frigging comets!? How many comets were there back then!?

(As a codicil to The God Thing, I'll mention that The Goddess, and most females, get short shrift in this book. The Druids' Goddess is primarily portrayed as a blood-thirsty and vengeful bitch (which, hey! I can be down with), and the women are very minor characters. Clearly, this was pre "Mists of Avalon".)

I don't know if I'm going to read the rest of the series -- it depends on my time and energy. I do know that I have an urge to go read something that's written in a cleaner and more beautiful prose.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2009 Phoebe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: funtasy, loved-it

It's clear, in The Crystal Cave that Mary Stewart owes quite a bit to the genre of fantasy--and I mean this here in both senses. Not only is her primary source material Geoffery of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (and an excerpt, concerning the legend of Merlin, is included), but the language here is incredibly rich in terms of sensory details.

In debates about genre, and the worth of "genre" works, romance--and I mean here the type often assumed to be read and written solely by housew...more It's clear, in The Crystal Cave that Mary Stewart owes quite a bit to the genre of fantasy--and I mean this here in both senses. Not only is her primary source material Geoffery of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain (and an excerpt, concerning the legend of Merlin, is included), but the language here is incredibly rich in terms of sensory details.

In debates about genre, and the worth of "genre" works, romance--and I mean here the type often assumed to be read and written solely by housewives--is usually given a short shrift. There's undoubtedly a gender bias there; science fiction and mystery are masculine and robust (supposedly), but that romance exists primarily for women is rarely questioned. What these debates miss are the strengths of the genre, and they're in full display here. The Crystal Caves is an absolutely gorgeously written book. Each line is deliberately and carefully crafted. Descriptions are clear and immediate. This is the opposite of sparse prose. This is fiction where the sentence is just as poetic a unit as the line is in poetry. For example:

I stood where I was, watching the juice of the apricot trickle down the hot wall. A wasp alighted on it, crawled stickily, then suddenly fell, buzzing on its back to the ground. Its body jack-knifed, the buzz rose to a whine as it struggled, then it lay still.

This luscious prose is in abundance here, and it lends the traditional source material a concrete immediacy that would be absent were Stewart not so handy with the language, if her words weren't so pretty. Of everything about the volume, I think it's the language, and therefore an overall sense of setting, that will stay with me the longest.

The plot itself--tracing Merlin's life from childhood to young adulthood--is strong, but uneven. This is a four-hundred page novel divided into five sections; the earlier sections are much more engaging than the latter, which are crowded with battles and somewhat flat militaristic characters. Certain personalities--Uther, Ambrosius, the women of the abbey--are much more vivid and well-developed than others, namely Merlin's interchangeable servants (even our narrator, the wizard himself, acknowledges that he can't tell them apart). Though the book dragged a bit by the second-to-last section, where Merlin relocates stonehenge using science, not magic, for his king, it picks up a bit in the final fifth, where passion, rather than battle, again becomes the centerpiece.

This is a worthwhile read, and a wonderful romance.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 07, 2012 Skye rated it 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful mix of myth, history, romance, fiction, adventure, magic, and New York Times Best Seller, Mary Stewart’s tale of Merlin and his early years to Arthur’s conception has crept its way to the top of my list. Her writing sucks you in like a black hole and sends you to another time and world altogether. No more sitting in that comfortable chair by the fire, it’s onto the hills, castles, and battlefields of ancient Wales and Ireland! Each page seems to come alive as her words form the perfe...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2010 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mary Stewart's first published novel - NINE COACHES WAITING - was my first introduction to gothic-type romance, and it was a very auspicious introduction indeed - in my opinion, she was the best writer of the genre, aside from the great Daphne Du Maurier. When Stewart's Arthurian trilogy (Crystal Cave is the first of the series) came out, I resisted reading it - I wanted the old Mary Stewart. Silly me.

THE CRYSTAL CAVE is a wonderfully imagined, beautifully written novel about the young Merlin,...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is by far my favorite set of Arthurian novels. It even beats The Once and Future King. Told from the point of view of the child Merlin, it gives us his background long before we ever meet Arthur.
Stewart is a fine writer who draws one in from the first page and doesn't let go. One of the biggest reasons I prefer this story to many others is because she sets Merlin and Arthur in their proper century, the 5th. While drawing on the standard Arthurian legends brought to us by Sir Thomas Malory...more

like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 Gary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was first introduced to the tales of King Arthur, whose realm is made magical by the intriguing wizard Merlin at six or seven. And in my teens I was very much impressed by the 1981 John Boorman movie Excalibur starring Helen Mirren, Nigel Terry and Nicol Williamson, starring a rather sinister and hard to like Merlin. Later I saw the more sympathetic Merlin in the highly engaging 1998 TV series Merlin starring Sam Neil. Have read Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzie which I loved and its sequels....more I was first introduced to the tales of King Arthur, whose realm is made magical by the intriguing wizard Merlin at six or seven. And in my teens I was very much impressed by the 1981 John Boorman movie Excalibur starring Helen Mirren, Nigel Terry and Nicol Williamson, starring a rather sinister and hard to like Merlin. Later I saw the more sympathetic Merlin in the highly engaging 1998 TV series Merlin starring Sam Neil. Have read Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzie which I loved and its sequels. The mediocre Pendragon cycle by Stephen Lawhead, the intriguing if drawn out Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, the Bernard Cornwell Arthur trilogy and the somewhat disappointing Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country by Rosalinde Miles.
Only now have I had the privilege and pleasure of reading The Crystal Cave, which was written and took the world of historical fantasy by storm for the first time 42 years ago,and has been a best seller ever since.
Together with McKenzie's Queen of Camelot this one is by far my favourite and I cannot wait to read the sequels. Intriguing, engaging, a page turner, brings 5th century Britain and the story of Merlin to life.
In the early Dark Ages Britain has fragmented into a number of kingdoms and tribal entities, as the island struggles to resist invasions by the Saxon tribes from Germany which are slowly colonizing south-east England and in the west marauders from Ireland.
The fatherless son of the Welsh princess Niniane, Myrriden Emrys - better known as Merlin faces a perilous and unwanted and dangerous childhood and on the death of his grandfather the king of Dyfed must flee for his life from the murderous plans of the new king, his uncle Camlach. Captured by pirates, he takes a perilous journey to Brittany where he joins the service of King Ambrosius, who learns that he can benefit from Merlin's psychic abilities (the sight). He discovers the identity of his true father. Five years later he is a powerful young nobleman and 'magician'and returns to Britain where he is captured by the power-mad High King Vortigern, and prevents being put to death by the latter when he discovers through his mazing abilities why the great castle the king aims to build keeps collapsing. He also prophesies the death of Vortigern and the great battle between the 'red and white dragons' which will ravge the country and end with the victory of the red dragon. He sees his mother Niniane at the abbey she has retired to and experiences a hint of romance with a young girl serving there by the name of Kerridwen.
After Vortigern is defeated and killed by Ambrosius, Merlin travels with Ambrosius to Ireland to obtain a great treasure which the High King believes will give him greater power, and Ambrosius meets his end there. The novel ends with Merlin helping the new King Uther to lie with the Cornish princess Ygraine, who Uther has become besotted and obsessed with. This results in bloodshed and conception of the the future saviour of Britain Arthur.
The book is written in a way that is highly accessible to modern readers without losing the magic, mystery and awe. The characters are engaging and one really gets a feel for them. A skilled blend of history, mythology and imagination, Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy is perhaps the greatest work of historical fantasy written in the 20th century.(less)

like · see review

May 26, 2011 Joseph Shuffield rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

One fascinating aspect of The Crystal Cave is that it is Merlin's story, told in his own voice. Stewart's prose is poetic and has a prettiness that may allow the casual reader to gloss the deeper currents in the book, but for me, the real subject of this book is Merlin's spiritual education. As a boy, Merlin is subject to sudden supernatural flashes of foresight; as he matures, he learns how to prepare for these insights, and how to trust his instincts about the future and act upon them in faith...more One fascinating aspect of The Crystal Cave is that it is Merlin's story, told in his own voice. Stewart's prose is poetic and has a prettiness that may allow the casual reader to gloss the deeper currents in the book, but for me, the real subject of this book is Merlin's spiritual education. As a boy, Merlin is subject to sudden supernatural flashes of foresight; as he matures, he learns how to prepare for these insights, and how to trust his instincts about the future and act upon them in faith. By so doing, he becomes (as he puts it) a vehicle for the god to act through and is, in the most literal sense of the word, instrumental in helping his father Ambrosius unify all Britain. Mary Stewart's Merlin is no mere wizard shouting incantations and throwing lightning bolts--he is, rather, a scientist, physician, engineer, as well as a gifted politician, who learns to shape the cult of personality that develops around him to his own advantage. As Merlin's awareness grows, so does his power--and in this respect the book echoes themes found in Frank Herbert's Dune

Stewart acknowledges that she isn't writing history, but enlivening myth; nevertheless, her depiction of Dark Age Britain as a chaotic land over-run by warring tribes, each with their own religion, gives the book the feel of "this is how it must've been." As a young man, Merlin comes to the conclusion that there is only one God behind these diverse expressions of religion, and vows to look everywhere in his search for the truth; thus he is initiated into the cult of Mithras, of which his Roman father and uncle are disciples, but also learns all he can from the Druid Belasius, and he has a brief but potent exchange with his father at one point, in which his father acknowledges that for him, Christianity will remain a veneer for the worhsip of Mithras.

You can read The Crystal Cave as the first chapter in a colorful re-telling of the Arthurian legend, or as a deeper meditation on one man's spiritual awakening, which gives him access to his own power and potential. (less)

like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This story if the first of four books dealing with the legends of Merlin, King Arthur and Camelot.

Ambrosius and Uther are the sons of a British king who has been defeated and they have fled across the channel to an area called Less Britain (Brittany?) to regroup and gain strength. Years ago Ambrosius had a secret liaison with the daughter of the King of Wales, Niniane. But he left her when he fled, not knowing she was pregnant. The son that was born to Niniane was named Myriddn Emrys , but he wa...more

like · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Matthew rated it 3 of 5 stars

The song “This is War”, by 30 Seconds to Mars, is a short summary of what generally is in a war. The song depicts the typical characteristics of a war and common roles people take, most particularly in an epic, genocidal, and/or holy war. Examples of these “roles” are those who are honest, those who lie, pariahs, civilians, soldiers, victims, prophets, those who are good, those who are evil, refugees, martyrs, defenders, attackers, and messiahs. In The Crystal Cave, written by Mary Stewart, the...more

like · see review

May 23, 2011 Jay rated it 3 of 5 stars

First and foremost, I loved Mary Stewart's writing style - simple, clean, elegant, and rich with subtle detail. However, I was not as fond of the plot or, sadly, the characters. The entire novel is Merlin's story, and I simply didn't find him engaging enough to become fully immersed in the settling and the world. I saw him as defined entirely by his intelligence and his magic; the only time I found him actually that interesting was his romantic mishaps, and those were short-lived episodes. Also,...more

like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was an interesting take on Merlin's life, and to be quite honest, I'm not completely sure how I feel about it.

The style of writing was good overall, but often the storyline was boring and dragged on a bit. The whole magic aspect confused me. I wasn't really sure if Merlin could really do anything extraordinary other than tell the future, but he would say things like: "Leave it to my magic," even though the book never really explained what he did that was magical or how he helped in any situ...more This was an interesting take on Merlin's life, and to be quite honest, I'm not completely sure how I feel about it.

The style of writing was good overall, but often the storyline was boring and dragged on a bit. The whole magic aspect confused me. I wasn't really sure if Merlin could really do anything extraordinary other than tell the future, but he would say things like: "Leave it to my magic," even though the book never really explained what he did that was magical or how he helped in any situation. He also seemed to believe that he wasn't "magical" or whatever for the first half or so of the book, and would say that it was just luck. Whatever, maybe I just didn't read carefully enough.

I don't usually enjoy the whole King Arthur and his Knights type of fiction, maybe because I like Historical Fiction books to actually be backed up by historical evidence. Even then, I still find it extremely difficult to finish them; often they are exciting in the beginning, but then the rest of the book is made up of the same sort of thing, which bores me to no extent. This book was no different. I was constantly annoyed with the fact that it was based on legend, but not exciting in the way that a modern re-telling of a legend or fairytale is. I guess it must be difficult to re-write a legend, because you're forced to involve certain parts of the legend and tell them almost exactly the way they've been told for years, but still. I also struggled to finish it. I had to force myself to pick it up every night and read at least ten or so pages, instead of diving into the growing pile of books on my nightstand which have been sitting there since Christmas. That took a lot of self control, and I have to say I am very proud of myself, although I still feel like I've hurt their feelings by leaving them to gather dust for a week.

Anyway, now that I've FINALLY finished, instead of having that excited, breathless I-have-to-read-the-next-book feeling, there's that thank-goodness-that's-over, let's-put-this-on-the-other-side-of-the-room-and-never-look-at-it-again feeling, mixed with the why-the-hell-did-I-waste-a-week-of-my-life-on-this-crap feeling. Sorry if I've offended those of you who did like this book, but I really didn't get it.(less)

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Which 3 of Merlin's predictions in "The Crystal Cave" by Mary Stewart are important to the develoof the plot??	8	47	Apr 04, 2013 06:34pm
What about the Lost Years of Merlin Epic by T. A. Barron?	2	13	Jan 23, 2013 02:08pm

combine
Other Editions (40)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

1,105 users

Historical Fiction

249 users

Mythology > Arthurian

225 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

69 users

Fantasy > Mythology

54 users

Classics

45 users

Fantasy > Magic

32 users

Young Adult

29 users

Historical Fiction > Medieval

28 users

Adventure

28 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Mary Stewart

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Lady Mary Stewart is a popular English novelist, and taught at the school of John Norquay elementary for 30 to 35 years, but has now retired.

She is one of the most widely read fiction writers of our time. The author of twenty novels, a volume of poetry, and three books for...more

More about Mary Stewart...

Books by Mary Stewart

The Last Enchantment (Arthurian Saga, #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Crystal Cave

5 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Crystal Cave (Merl...

“... the gods only go with you if you put yourself in their path. And that takes courage.” — 10 people liked it

“But I have noticed this about ambitious men, or men in power, that they fear even the slightest and least likely threat to it.” — 8 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Crystal Cave
avg rating	preview: The Crystal Cave Goodreads rating: 4.09 (19432 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82192.The_Crystal_Cave?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348815143l/82192.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82192.The_Crystal_Cave?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart[/url]

The Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website